Tooth and Claw by Jo Walton

Author:Jo Walton [Walton, Jo]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Brothers and Sisters, Fantasy Fiction, Dragons, Fiction, Fantasy, General
ISBN: 9780765319517
Google: 9p_7E4j4bPoC
Amazon: 0765319519
Publisher: Macmillan
Published: 2003-01-02T05:00:00+00:00

35. THE CAVE

As soon as Gelener and Felin were gone, Sher turned to Gerin. “Now, your mother isn’t here, and you understand how bad things are. Wontas could get lost in here and never be found. I was a child myself not too long ago, and I understand you don’t tell your clutch-mate’s secrets, but this is more important than that. When did Wontas leave?”

“When Mother said we had to go home because of snow, without seeing the cavern. He couldn’t bear to miss it. He just scuttled off quietly,” Gerin said, his head bowed, struggling to keep from tears. “He wanted to find Majestic Tomalin’s treasure. I would have gone too, only I was right in front of her so Mother would have seen me.”

“Majestic Tomalin’s treasure? Whatever gave him the idea it was here?” Sher asked surprised.

“You said the cavern was from those days,” Gerin said accusingly. “And our nanny has told us stories.”

“We’re wasting time,” Selendra said, deciding to take charge to stop them bickering as if they were both dragonets. “If he left when Felin said it was time to go, that wasn’t long ago.”

“Not long before we came to start looking for him, anyway,” Sher said. “Good. Any idea which way he would have gone first?”

“Down?” said Gerin, uncertainly.

“Well, let’s try it,” Sher said. “He can hardly be out of earshot yet, even if he’s running. You try calling, Gerin.”

Gerin called, and Selendra called, but they had no more effect than Felin and Sher had had.

“Don’t worry,” Sher said, looking very worried. “I know all the paths down here, or I did when I was smaller. We’ll find him.”

Sher turned and plunged off down the first downhill passage. Though he was so large, he could sprint along as fast as anyone in caves and passages. Selendra and Gerin had to scurry to keep up with him.

The search was at first fruitless. They saw a number of caverns with pools and limestone teeth reaching up and down that would have delighted them in other times, but they saw no sign of Wontas.

“Why does nobody live here?” Selendra asked as they returned to the entrance cavern to try the second downhill passage.

“Too damp, and too far from anywhere,” Sher said. “It’s Benandi land. Some of my ancestors used to live up here once, probably giving rise to the rumors the dragonets have heard, but you can see that was long ago, maybe, yes Gerin, in the fabled days of Honorable Ketar and Majestic Tomalin, before the Conquest. I’m sure they weren’t driven out by the invading Yarge though. They probably left because it was damp and draughty. I entirely understand why they preferred the comforts of Benandi Place, even if this is terribly romantic.”

The passage led through three interconnected rooms, one of them with a seam of marble like a dragon’s eyelid in the roof. “Felin and I used to pretend that would open and look at us,” Sher said. Gerin looked up in awe, whether at the thought of the eye behind the lid or of his mother having been a child Selendra did not inquire.

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