Erik And The Dragon ( Book 4) by Sam Ferguson Page A

years ago, sure,” he said. “Not so anymore.”
    Al looked at him quizzically. “I am a dwarf of Roegudok Hall, I know of no other pass through the mountains.”
    “The dwarves have not been as vigilant in the last few years as they have been in the past,” Ferishe countered. “There is another pass, albeit half of the pass is actually a cave. It was discovered about four or five years ago now, after the spring thaw was followed by heavy rains and numerous flash floods that poured through the mountains. The trading town I spoke of was nearly washed away then. I know, I was there. I went up with Migorun to scout the area. We didn’t expect much, but we found that a new stream had sprung up, joining the river near the town. So, naturally we followed the stream to its source. The water snaked through the forest for miles. It was slow going at first. The ground was so wet and soggy that our boots were barely able to keep their traction. In a few places we sunk down to our knees. Eventually we found a sheer cliff. At the base there was a huge pile of shale and dirt. As we drew closer to it, we realized that a large section of the mountainside had simply fallen away. The stream was coursing out from a cave at the base of this cliff, pushing the shale and dirt out.
    “The opening was huge. About seven feet high but at least four times as wide. We went into the cave and spent hours walking deeper into the mountain. The stream inside was shallow there, maybe only a few inches deep, but it was spread out over a large bed of smooth granite. The tunnel was so long that it took us two day s to reach the other side. When we did, we saw an underground lake. No telling how deep it was. After walking four steps into the lake we fell deep into the pool and had to swim back.”
    Lady Arkyn handed the empty cup back to Ferishe and he poured more coffee into it. The man first offered it to Arkyn, but she shook her head. Then he offered it to Al, who also refused. Ferishe shrugged and took a sip himself.
    “Then what?” Al said. “Did you find an opening?”
    Ferishe nodded. “We walked around the lake and found a large chute, with a steep, but not impassable incline. There was a stream of water flowing down from there into the pool in the cave. We were able to hike up the chute on the left side of the stream where the ground was solid and dry. The chute was maybe two hundred yards long, and it opened out to the side of a mountain overlooking the wilds.”
    “How big was the chute?” Lady Arkyn asked.
    “Big enough,” Ferishe responded. “About eight feet high and perhaps fifteen feet wide, not counting the stream.”
    “Where was the water coming from?” Al asked.
    Ferishe nodded knowingly. “There was a taller mountain butted up against the one the chute was in, and the stream came from there. It looked to be a very old stream, not just one that runs during the thaw, but one that runs continuously.”
    “But certainly the thaw and the rains could have enlarged the stream,” Lady Arkyn said.
    “That was our thought as well,” Ferishe agreed. “After time the pool overflowed its bounds so heavily that it broke through on our side of the mountains and flooded our town until the water pressure was relieved.”
    “So,” Al said grimly. “We have a new pass.”
    Ferishe nodded. “And they have already used it to scout out our side of the mountains,” Ferishe said.
    “If the Tarthuns come from an unknown pass, it could be disastrous,” Lady Arkyn said.
    Al nodded. “Especially if they have drawn the Lievonian Order to the north.”
    “Too bad the dwarves no longer come out of their hole,” Ferishe commented. Then he double thought and put a hand up while he nodded sheepishly to Al. “No offense,” he offered.
    Al sniggered. “No,” he said. “It’s a good idea.” Al walked over and nudged Gorin with his foot. “Get up, giant, we have work to do!”
    Gorin snorted and snapped u p, rubbing his eyes. “What?!”