Chapter Three
The sun had been up for several hours, and the early morning fog had long since dissipated. Ashley had saddled up her horse and discreetly followed her father and brother toward Beaver Mountain. She knew approximately where they were going since there were only a couple of decent trails that led to the base of the towering mountain. Her horse was a dark brown gelding and very well trained. Ashley enjoyed riding horses and spent a lot of her free time riding Spirit. She had named her horse Spirit because of its feisty attitude.
As she followed the trail, she took her time. She wanted to stay far enough behind so her father and brother wouldn’t know they were being followed. On either side of the trail, lush meadows grew with their green grasses reaching to the very edge of the mountains. Occasional groves of trees were visible with their green leaves furnishing shade beneath. Several cool mountain streams crossed the valley and furnished plenty of water.
Ashley knew that outside of their valley it was very different. Very few growing things could be found; the Worldfire had made sure of that. There were just old, collapsing ruins from the Golden Age and desolate land. The only humans living outside of the valley were in the ocean village of New Haven. There was some scattered greenery around New Haven, but that had been done with the help of the valley sorcerers many long years ago. New Haven depended on the valley for much of their food. As a tradeoff, they furnished the valley with tons of fresh fish.
As she neared where the trail ended at the base of the mountain, she was surprised to see no signs of her father or brother’s horses. She pulled back gently on the reins, and Spirit came to a stop. Ashley dismounted and led Spirit slowly forward. Gazing at the ground, she started feeling frustrated. There were no signs of any fresh hoof prints.
Ashley paused beneath some large trees and realized with disappointment that her father and brother must have taken the other trail. She had guessed wrong, now she would have to double back. That would put them a good hour ahead of her. A sudden noise behind her caused Ashley to spin around in sudden alarm. It was only her father and brother coming out of the shelter of the trees where they had evidently been watching her.
I’m in trouble now, Ashley thought, seeing the disapproving look on her father’s face. How am I going to explain my way out of this one?
“Good morning, Ashley,” her father said in a steady voice. “What are you doing way out here? Don’t you normally ride Spirit out in the meadows by the farm?”
Ashley didn’t know what to say. She just sat there quietly gazing at her father. He had to know that she had followed them.
“How did Ashley know we were coming to Beaver Mountain this morning?” asked Harmon, turning in his saddle to look accusingly over at Stephen.
Stephen hung his head down, not meeting his father’s gaze, and then answered. “I told her last night when we were talking out on the porch. I didn’t know she would follow us.”
Harmon let out a long, frustrated sigh. It didn’t surprise him that Ashley had followed them. He knew she was immensely curious and an extremely bright young girl. Sometimes she was too bright for her own good. Looking over at his daughter, Harmon wondered what he should do. He really needed to get Stephen up the mountain.
“You can come with us, Ashley,” he said after thinking for a moment. He dismounted from his horse, motioning for Stephen to do the same.
“Where are we going?” Ashley asked after finally finding her voice. She loosened the straps on Spirit’s saddle, and then turned around to face her father.
“I’m going to show both of you an old family secret,” replied their father, looking at both of them gravely. “A secret that has been passed down from generation to generation, longer than either of you can possibly imagine.”
“I don’t understand,” Ashley responded with a confused look crossing her face. She had no clue as to what her father was talking about. “What kind of secret can there be on this mountain?”
“Does it have to do with sorcery?” Stephen asked with a hint of excitement in his voice. This was beginning to sound like an adventure.
“In a way,” Harmon replied with a slight nod of his head. “We will have to walk from here. The slope ahead is too rocky and steep in some areas to safely take the horses. Tether your horses and let’s get going. We have a long walk ahead of us.”
-
Ashley and Stephen fell in behind their father as they began to climb the steep slope of Beaver Mountain. For quite some time, they walked in silence. Going over rocky areas where they had to watch their footing and then through thickly forested spaces where they had to weave around the trees. There was no trail to follow. Occasionally birds could be heard calling to each other, and a few insects buzzed about. The leaves in the trees were still as there was little wind.
“I wonder what’s there?” Stephen asked Ashley in a quiet voice. “It must be really important to be hidden up here on the mountain.” His curiosity was burning, and he could hardly wait to find out what was waiting for them.
“I have no idea,” Ashley replied as she stepped gingerly around several thorny bushes that grew in the shade of the trees. They looked extremely sharp. “Father has never spoken about this before.”
Ashley was glad she had worn her hiking boots; they made hiking up the steep slope of the mountain much easier. She paused to catch her breath, looking at her father who was about ten yards in front of them. They were beginning to exit the patch of trees, and she could see another stony slope up ahead. She hoped they didn’t have much farther to go. When she had followed her father and Stephen, she hadn’t realized there would be so much hiking involved.
Stephen stood next to his sister, looking around. Reaching down, he took his canteen off his belt and took a long, refreshing drink. He knew now why his father had told him to bring a full canteen of water.
Harmon stopped and looked back at his two kids. He didn’t blame them for stopping a moment to rest. This climb was hard, and he had to remind himself that each year it became a little tougher. He wasn’t getting any younger. That was one of the reasons he had decided that now was the time to introduce Stephen to what was in the mountain. He wasn’t certain if allowing Ashley to tag along had been the right decision. He trusted his daughter completely, but what awaited them up ahead was something he knew neither of his children were prepared for.
Seeing that her father had stopped, Ashley sat down on a small tree that had fallen over. It had probably been blown down during one of the snowstorms from the previous winter. The snow could become quite deep on the mountains.
Bending over, she pulled her right hiking boot off and, turning it upside down, shook out a small pebble that had become lodged inside. She gingerly massaged her foot where it had been agitating her. After a moment, her foot felt fine, and she pulled her hiking boot back on.
“A pebble, huh?” commented Stephen with a grin on his face. “I hate it when that happens.”
“Its part of hiking,” replied Ashley, standing back up. She saw that their father was waiting patiently on them. “Let’s get going, Stephen; I want to see what father wants to show us. What can be so important on this mountain?”
“I don’t know,” replied Stephen, excitedly. “But I can’t wait to find out.”
-
For another two hours, the three struggled up the slope, stopping occasionally to take short breaks. Finally, they arrived at a small rocky clearing next to a steep cliff on the mountain. Ashley guessed they had come nearly three miles. The hard climb made Ashley realize she wasn’t in as good a shape as she had thought. She stretched, trying to get the soreness out of her legs.
Peering intently at the cliff, she noticed two large cave entrances. Were those two caves where they were going? Ashley looked over at Stephen. From the look on his face, he had noticed the caves also.
“What are those caves?” asked Stephen, turning to face their father who was standing next to them. “I didn’t know there were any caves up here on Be
aver Mountain.”
“Neither did I,” Ashley added. She wondered why no one had ever mentioned them before.
“That’s where we’re going,” their father replied, pointing toward the two caves. “Follow me; I have something to show the two of you.”
The three walked up to the larger cave entrance. Harmon led them to just inside and then stopped, turning around to face his two children. Behind him, the cave tunnel faded away into darkness.
Ashley was surprised to see a large, almost clear crystal set into the wall. The crystal was larger than her fist. This cave has to have something to do with sorcery, she realized. That could be the only reason for the crystal. But she had never seen an amulet so large. It must be extremely powerful.
Their father waited a moment for Ashley and Stephen to finish looking around. He noticed their eyes focusing on the crystal before looking back at him.
“Back during the Worldfire, which destroyed the Golden Age, these two caves are where our ancestors took refuge. Once it was safe to venture out, they settled into three separate villages in the valley.”
“They hid in these caves during the Worldfire?” asked Stephen, looking down the tunnel into the waiting darkness. “Why?”
Harmon paused, because of the tremendous time involved since the Worldfire, he knew that some of this would be hard to understand. Even he had trouble understanding what had happened back in those days.
“The dangerous weapons which created the Worldfire, were powerful beyond belief,” he began, recalling what was written in some of the old books back in his study; books he had never let his children see. “The weapons poisoned the land for generations, and anyone that ventured forth became sick and died. I have no idea how long our ancestors had to stay in these caves before it was safe to come out.”
“What kind of weapons?” asked Stephen, intrigued. He couldn’t imagine weapons that could kill for years. He had heard his father talk about the Worldfire before, but he had just thought the weapons caused immense fires.
“Weapons unlike anything you can imagine,” replied Harmon, shaking his head in sadness. “Only in the caves was it safe. Our ancestors had to live in these caves, probably for years.”
“I don’t think I would have liked that,” spoke Stephen, finding it hard to imagine living in a cave for so long.
“What about the village on the coast?” asked Ashley, trying to understand what her father was telling them. “Did their ancestors hide in the caves also?”
“Yes,” their father replied, folding his arms across his chest. “After many years, some of our ancestors went to the coast to see if the ocean had recovered from the Worldfire poison. Much to their surprise, they discovered some sea birds had returned and several species of fish. They built a village next to the shore and have been fishing in the ocean ever since. The fish they take from the ocean has allowed us to grow and go without hunger for generations.”
“Where did the sorcerers come from?” asked Ashley, glancing over at her brother and then back at her father. “Were they in the caves also?”
Harmon paused for a moment. He didn’t know how much of this he should tell his children. “No, they weren’t. Many years after the Worldfire and after the three villages in the valley were settled they made an appearance. They claimed to have come from a great conclave of sorcerers in the distant mountains across the desert. At first, they were scoffed at until they demonstrated their powers. One family settled down in the southern part of the valley, and the other family settled down in the northern section. By using their powers, they helped restore the valley and do away with much of the Worldfire poison.”
Ashley was silent as she thought about this. It brought up a lot more questions, but she was burning with curiosity to find out what was in the cave.
“What is in this cave you wanted to show us?” asked Stephen, growing impatient. “Does it have anything to do with these early sorcerers?”
Harmon paused before answering. This would be the hard part. He had a hard time believing it when his own father had told him. But seeing was believing.
“There is a dragon inside this cave,” he replied in a serious voice, watching his children for their reaction.
“A dragon?” Ashley stammered, her eyes growing wide in shock. Surely, she must have misunderstood. “Did you say a dragon?”
“Yes,” her father replied evenly. “The dragon’s name is Snowden, and he has been our valley’s protector for generations.”
“I want to see!” Stephen blurted out, his voice bursting with excitement.
“Why has no one seen this dragon?” asked Ashley, dubiously.
She wondered if their father was teasing them. But he seemed so serious. She had heard stories about dragons but hadn’t believed them. Supposedly, the dragons had been created by the ancient sorcerers of the Golden Age. Now she wondered if those stories might have been true after all. She waited for her father to answer.
“Snowden arrived in our valley a very long time ago. He came from across the ocean where he had battled and defeated the largest and most dangerous of all the dragons, his enemy Gilmreth. Snowden stayed in our valley to ensure that Gilmreth never harmed us. Once it became clear that Gilmreth wasn’t coming to our valley, Snowden went into a deep sleep. That crystal on the wall helps to reinforce a spell that allows the dragon to sleep for long periods of time.”
“Why does he sleep?” Stephen asked. He wondered if they were going to get to see the dragon. He hoped so.
“One of our distant ancestors wrote a prophecy about Snowden. I have read it, and I will show it to both of you when you are older. But it says that Snowden must sleep, for someday he will have to face Gilmreth in some type of ultimate battle. Only if Snowden wins will the human race survive. It also mentions sorcerers battling one another.”
“That’s terrible,” replied Ashley, not wanting to think about sorcerers fighting.
She wanted to read this prophecy to see what else it might say. She realized now that her father had kept some big secrets from them.
“Now, follow me and be quiet. We don’t want to accidentally wake the dragon.”
Harmon took a glow bulb from his backpack and focusing a minute amount of energy into it from a sorcery spell, he led his children down the tunnel. The glow bulb lit the rough tunnel walls and the path before them. They walked for several minutes, with the only sound being their footsteps echoing off the dark tunnel walls. They finally came to a stop next to a large, dark opening in the tunnel wall.
Feeling apprehensive, Ashley looked over at Stephen. His face showed excitement mixed with uncertainty. It was obvious that he was as nervous as she was about entering a dragon’s lair.
“There is a small cavern on the other side of this wall,” their father said, gazing at the large opening. “Snowden is on the other side. Follow me and remember to be quiet. The dragon will not be awake, and we’re not going to awaken him.”
The three stepped into the large tunnel opening and walked several feet until the walls widened and they found themselves in a small cavern. Ashley and Stephen froze in shock. Neither had really believed there was a dragon. Both had thought it was some type of game their father was playing; something he was doing to test them. But there before them was a dragon. A large white dragon that slept with its wings folded about it. They could even hear very shallow breathing.
“It’s huge,” said Stephen, forgetting momentarily that his father had told them to be quiet. He gazed at the dragon, his eyes wide, and his heart beating rapidly in his chest.
“He’s beautiful,” Ashley spoke quietly, staring in awe at the dragon. For some reason, she sensed that she had nothing to fear from this majestic creature.
Harmon nodded, and then gestured for his two kids to follow him. They were all three silent as they walked back to the cave entrance. They stopped in front of the crystal.
“Each year either one of my brothers or I come up here and reinforce the sorcery spell that allows Sno
wden to sleep. There is also a spell that will awaken the dragon if Gilmreth or some other danger were to come upon us. Now watch closely, Stephen, for someday this will be your responsibility.”
Harmon stepped up to the crystal and, taking out his own dark blue amulet, began moving his right hand in a complicated series of movements. He also began to speak a long string of words to help reinforce the spell. Harmon’s amulet blazed up brightly, and then the large crystal on the wall of the cave did the same thing. The spell was finished, and the dragon would continue to sleep.
“That’s it,” their father spoke in a tired voice. “Now let’s get back down the mountain and home before it gets dark. We don’t want to worry your mother.”
The three turned and walked out of the cave. Just as they stepped out into the daylight, Ashley felt a strange presence in her mind. “Come back soon,” a strange voice seemed to say. “We have much to talk about.” Ashley paused and looked back toward the darkness of the cave entrance.
“Is there something wrong?” asked her father, seeing the strange look on Ashley’s face.
“No, nothing,” Ashley stammered. Where had the strange voice come from? Surely, it had been her imagination.
“I am Snowden,” the voice continued sleepily. “Come back soon; I will be waiting for you.”
Ashley realized that it was the dragon that was speaking to her. Somehow, she could hear its thoughts in her mind. For a moment, she felt faint and a little dizzy and her heart was pounding. She took several deep breaths and slowly began to calm back down. Looking over at her father, he didn’t seem to have noticed anything.
As the three made their way back down the mountain, Ashley knew she would have to return to the cave. For some reason, the dragon wanted her to come back. This frightened her some. But she had sensed only friendliness in the voice of the dragon. What did this all mean? Why had the dragon chosen her to talk to?
“Can the dragon talk?” Ashley suddenly asked her father. She came to a stop and looked at him.
Snowden the White Dragon Page 4
