Rowan and the Keeper of the Crystal by Emily Rodda

Author:Emily Rodda
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Heroes -- Fiction., Crystals -- Fiction., Riddles -- Fiction., Rowan of Rin (Fictitious character) -- Fiction.
ISBN: 006029776X
Publisher: HarperTrophy
Published: 2002-02-08T05:00:00+00:00

They pushed through the tall grass and creptcautiously into the forest. For a moment theyhesitated, wondering and silent.The trees rose high on either side of them. Leafybranches, locked together, made a roof over theirheads, blocking out the sun. And now that theywere beyond the tall grass, they could see that theywere standing on a wide path that wound deep intothe forest.

Rowan saw Doss shiver as he looked around.

"Who has made this?" Seaborn wondered aloud. '

For it was certain that the path had not comeabout by chance. It was flat and wide—wideenough for the four of them to walk easily side byside. It was edged by high banks of earth that had

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been pushed aside and then completely overgrownby bushes, moss and ferns.

"It must be the Keeper," said Asha. "For only theKeeper is permitted on the Island. But clearly thepath has not been used for a long time."

She pointed at the thick layer of rotting leavesthat covered the trail, and the clusters of ferns thatuncurled tender fronds here and there.

Rowan nodded. "At least a year," he said. "If theseplants grow as they do in Rin."

"Nevertheless," Seaborn said grimly, "we shouldbe on the watch for danger."

They moved forward, their feet sinking into thebrown, leafy carpet. Fat gray moths flutteredblindly into their path, brushing their faces withsoft wings.

Rowan strained his eyes in the dimness, search-ing the way ahead for another glint of silver.

Through the trees he saw a flash of brightergreen and heard again the fierce squawking of oneof the birds he had seen swooping near the cliff.

It doesn't sound too friendly, he thought. An ideastirred in his mind, but immediately excitementswept it aside. For suddenly, just ahead, while thebird call was still dying away, the silver he was seek-ing gleamed again.

'There/' he exclaimed. We be'gan to run.

He could hear Asha, Seaborn, and Doss hurryingbehind him. For once they were having more trou-ble than he. Their light shoes sank into the softnessof the path, slowing them down.

A smell of damp and earth rose from the leaves asthey were trampled beneath his feet. It mixed withthe other scents of the forest. Fresh leaves, bruisedferns, mold . . . and something else.

Rowan's nose twitched as he tried to make outwhat the something else was. It was a heavy, sweetperfume. Some forest flower, perhaps, but like noth-ing he had ever smelled in Rin. And it was growingstronger.

The path curved slightly, then opened out intowhat seemed to be a natural clearing, ringed bytrees. Leaves and grass covered the earth around theedge of the clearing, but in the center rose asmooth, bare, brown rock, folded and curved, like ahuge, huddled animal sleeping.

The sky made a pale circle overhead, lighting theclearing. The rough cliff towered gray above thetreetops on one side.

There was no wind. No noise, except the distantsound of the sea. It was a still, secret place. On therock, puddles of water gleamed.

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'There must be a pool up there/' Rowan whis-pered. "A spring, fed from a stream under the rock."

There was no reason to whisper. But Rowan's skinwas prickling. He sensed danger.

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