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Authors: Michelle Knudsen
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by more positive ones, so maybe the overall meaning isn’t necessarily a dire one. That’s possible, isn’t it?”
Calen looked over at her, impressed. For someone who didn’t know anything about magic, she was doing some pretty clear thinking on the subject.
“Yeah,” he said again. “I guess that could be true also.”
“Don’t mistake me — I fully intend to find out what’s going on. I’m just saying we shouldn’t automatically assume the worst. The world is a big, wide place, with all kinds of wonderful things in it. One of which, I should point out, you are about to see.”
Suddenly they were standing before the entrance to a cave. It looked extraordinarily dark and mysterious in there — just the sort of place that cried out to be explored by a brave adventurer. Calen found himself impressed again. He wouldn’t have thought a princess would be the sort of girl who went crawling into dark caves in the woods.
Of course, he wasn’t usually the sort of boy who went crawling into dark caves in the woods, himself. But Meg didn’t need to know that.
“In here?” he asked, ducking his head to step inside.
“Calen, wait!” She grabbed his arm and pulled him back from the entrance. His surprise at being suddenly yanked backward combined with his seemingly infallible ability to find rocks with his feet conspired to spill him gracelessly onto the hard ground. He raised his head to stare at Meg, who blushed.
“Sorry.” She reached out a hand to help him up. “But I need to go in first. I’ve never brought anyone here before, and it might be dangerous for you to go in without me.”
Calen raised his eyebrows at this.
“Don’t take it personally,” she said. “Trust me — you’ll understand in a minute.”
With that, she turned back toward the entrance. But then she stopped again, one hand touching the rough stone wall, the other motionless at her side.
“Meg? What’s wrong?”
It took her a moment to turn back around. Her face had changed; suddenly she seemed lost and unsure, not at all the brash and confident girl she’d been just a few seconds earlier.
“Meg?”
She stood there looking at him, thinking gods knew what. Then she shook her head. “Nothing. Nothing’s wrong.” She hesitated, then went on. “It’s just strange. I can’t tell my parents, my sisters, not even Maerlie . . . But I do think I can tell you. I know we only met yesterday, and it’s crazy that I’m so sure I can trust you, but”— she shrugged —“I do.”
Meg turned back to the cave entrance. Calen didn’t say anything; he didn’t want to accidentally say the wrong thing and make her hesitate again.
Before she went in, though, she spun back around to face him one more time. He blinked; her face and her pointy finger were inches away from his nose. “Of course, if you prove me wrong, I’ll have to hurt you. Just, you know, keep that in mind.” Then she grinned and ducked inside.
Calen swallowed nervously, then went in after her. The cave wound back into a tunnel. In an awkward crouch, he stepped forward carefully, keeping one hand against the cave wall for balance. Up ahead, he could just make out Meg’s shape in the dwindling light from the entrance. She turned back to whisper softly, “Careful — it bends to the right here.” Then she disappeared.
Advancing slowly, Calen followed the tunnel around the sharp turn. The light from the entrance was cut off completely now, and he couldn’t see at all. Calen didn’t normally consider himself the timid sort — well, except maybe where heights were concerned, but that was only common sense — but this was like being blind. He stepped forward again, and again, one hand stretched out before him, certain each time that his foot would encounter nothing but empty space and he’d go plunging to his death. How had Meg ever found this place? He was fairly certain he wouldn’t have had the courage to venture in this far alone.
Suddenly there was
Calen looked over at her, impressed. For someone who didn’t know anything about magic, she was doing some pretty clear thinking on the subject.
“Yeah,” he said again. “I guess that could be true also.”
“Don’t mistake me — I fully intend to find out what’s going on. I’m just saying we shouldn’t automatically assume the worst. The world is a big, wide place, with all kinds of wonderful things in it. One of which, I should point out, you are about to see.”
Suddenly they were standing before the entrance to a cave. It looked extraordinarily dark and mysterious in there — just the sort of place that cried out to be explored by a brave adventurer. Calen found himself impressed again. He wouldn’t have thought a princess would be the sort of girl who went crawling into dark caves in the woods.
Of course, he wasn’t usually the sort of boy who went crawling into dark caves in the woods, himself. But Meg didn’t need to know that.
“In here?” he asked, ducking his head to step inside.
“Calen, wait!” She grabbed his arm and pulled him back from the entrance. His surprise at being suddenly yanked backward combined with his seemingly infallible ability to find rocks with his feet conspired to spill him gracelessly onto the hard ground. He raised his head to stare at Meg, who blushed.
“Sorry.” She reached out a hand to help him up. “But I need to go in first. I’ve never brought anyone here before, and it might be dangerous for you to go in without me.”
Calen raised his eyebrows at this.
“Don’t take it personally,” she said. “Trust me — you’ll understand in a minute.”
With that, she turned back toward the entrance. But then she stopped again, one hand touching the rough stone wall, the other motionless at her side.
“Meg? What’s wrong?”
It took her a moment to turn back around. Her face had changed; suddenly she seemed lost and unsure, not at all the brash and confident girl she’d been just a few seconds earlier.
“Meg?”
She stood there looking at him, thinking gods knew what. Then she shook her head. “Nothing. Nothing’s wrong.” She hesitated, then went on. “It’s just strange. I can’t tell my parents, my sisters, not even Maerlie . . . But I do think I can tell you. I know we only met yesterday, and it’s crazy that I’m so sure I can trust you, but”— she shrugged —“I do.”
Meg turned back to the cave entrance. Calen didn’t say anything; he didn’t want to accidentally say the wrong thing and make her hesitate again.
Before she went in, though, she spun back around to face him one more time. He blinked; her face and her pointy finger were inches away from his nose. “Of course, if you prove me wrong, I’ll have to hurt you. Just, you know, keep that in mind.” Then she grinned and ducked inside.
Calen swallowed nervously, then went in after her. The cave wound back into a tunnel. In an awkward crouch, he stepped forward carefully, keeping one hand against the cave wall for balance. Up ahead, he could just make out Meg’s shape in the dwindling light from the entrance. She turned back to whisper softly, “Careful — it bends to the right here.” Then she disappeared.
Advancing slowly, Calen followed the tunnel around the sharp turn. The light from the entrance was cut off completely now, and he couldn’t see at all. Calen didn’t normally consider himself the timid sort — well, except maybe where heights were concerned, but that was only common sense — but this was like being blind. He stepped forward again, and again, one hand stretched out before him, certain each time that his foot would encounter nothing but empty space and he’d go plunging to his death. How had Meg ever found this place? He was fairly certain he wouldn’t have had the courage to venture in this far alone.
Suddenly there was
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