Okay for all who wanted me to continue with the story here it is. Third installment.


I looked around at all the water. How were we going to cross it? There was no bridge and I didn't want to go in the water. Who knew what was lurking in the shadows. The water was dark and forebidding. I didn't want to get near it. What if some huge water snake lived in there?

"Jess, how are we going to get across? There isn't a bridge, and if you think that I am going to swim across you got something else coming."

"It's just water. You go out hunting, don't tell me you're afraid. Sure it is dark and black, and possible has something dead in it, no big deal."

No big deal! What the hell was he thinking. There was no way I was going in there.

I kept looking for some way to cross, when I spotted a ledge curving around the cavern about three feet above the water.

"Jess, we can get on that ledge and walk across."

"But it will take longer,"

"So, you can swim if you want, I'm going to stay on dry land," I said as I began to walk over to the wall. I didn't look that bad from down here. So what, the first step was three feet up. I could do it. I pushed myself up using my arms and then I swong my legs up. I guess Jess gave up on the idea of swimming because he joined me.

The stone ledge was about four feet wide. There was just enough room to walk almost normally. Stomachs facing the rough rock wall, Jess and I slowly made our way. I kept my eyes planted on the ledge looking for any weak spots in the stone. The ledge gently climbed up to about five feet above the water. It was at that point that it stopped. At least part of it. In front of us was a huge gapping hole.

"I'm going to jump," I told Jess.

"Be careful," was all he said. He backed up so I could get a running leap. My heart pounded in my chest. Closing my eyes, I concentrated on my target. I opened them and took a running leap. I made it. Jess got ready to leap over when I heard rumbling noise. It was coming from under my feet.

"Crack," the stone under my feet began to crack.

"Kel move," Jess shouted. I ran up farther onto the ledge, but the ledge still moved following me. Jess lept landing on the edge which fell from under he feet. I grabbed his arm just as he was about to fall. I pulled with all my might, but the ledge continued to break under my feet. Jess swong up enough so I could pull his leg over. The ledge stayed for only a minute more. It was jsut enough for us to run farther on before it fell away completely. But whatever we triggered didn't stop. Both of us managed to stay ahead of the falling ledge which was not about twelve feeet above the dark water. Stone splashed down in the water faster now, but Jess and I didn't have time to watch. We kept running.

"Kel there's an opening in the stone," Jess shouted above the crumbling stone. I couldn't see anything so of course I thought he was imagining it, but I trusted Jess. I let him pass me so I could follow him. We slid in the crevice just as ledge gave away from our feet. He held onto me. Sweat dripped down his face. He didn't even notice that his grip on me was growing tight.

"Wow," I said my heart pounding. "Um Jess, I would like my arm back," He let go slowly and looked at me his breath coming out hard.

"Might as well see where this path leads," was all he said.

I have no idea how long we spent down in those tunnels. It seemed to be eternity. This tunnel seemed to be different than the other one we were in. For one thing it was wider and it had hooks for lanterns. Some were still in place. People used this tunnel to travel in. But they must have been tiny because this one was at I height where you had to crawl or stoop over. There were also carvings on the walls.

"Jess, do you know what these carvings say?" Okay, I suppose it was a slim possibility that he might know, but I still wanted to ask.

"It Dwarfish. The Dwarves built these tunnels during the great war when the wizards were at large. They used them to sneak supplies through the mountains."

We continued through the tunnel. The air became lighter and the darkness wasn't so dark anymore.

"Jess a door," I said.

"It's old. These ruins are older than those on the walls."

"How do we open it?" I asked.

"I think we push it open. Come here," he said and he and I pushed. The old creaked and scraped along the dirt floor. Light slowly flooded in. It was sunny outside. What wasn't so sunny was the frowning guards on the outside.