Page 71 of The Chosen Fae

"Okay." Caspian's running footsteps headed toward Rune. It seemed like it took forever before he appeared as she continued to head in his direction.

When she saw him, his face white with worry, he said, "Lolita was trying to leap over a hole in the floor and fell into a chasm."

"Is she hurt?"

"No, she said she isn't. She's just mad at herself for falling in there."

"Maybe she should push her button and get pulled out."

"Iris and I suggested it, but she said no. That she would climb out of there on her own before she pushed the button."

Rune smiled, then lost the smile. "Okay, go get a vine or something to help us get her out."

"Yeah, on it!"

Iris shouted, "Rune!"

"I'm coming." Rune continued to make her way through the cavern, finding some of the areas so narrow that she had to go sideways.

"Lolita, are you sure you're not hurt?" Iris asked.

"No, I'm fine. Thanks for staying here with me," Lolita said. "Is that Rune I heard?" Lolita sounded like she was in the bowels of the earth.

"Yeah, she's coming to help you also," Iris said.

It took a long while before Rune was finally able to see Iris. There was a small walkway around a hole in the ground, but she could see it would be easy for Lolita to miss the jump over the hole and not make it, or slide in on the narrow walkway.

Iris gave Rune a hug. "I'm so glad you're here."

Rune hugged her back and peered into the hole. "Hey, Lolita, what are you doing down there?"

Lolita chuckled and smiled up at her. "I thought this was a faster way to get to the flag."

"Hey!" Caspian said, running in their direction. "Your sponsor gave me a rope for you, Rune."

She guessed that even though she thought they were alone on their missions, everything was being recorded and monitored.

"That's great!"

Water dripped from where she stood, landing with a resonance that suggested a pool below.

"Is there a pool of water down there?" Rune asked.

"Yeah, and there are tunnels down here. Maybe one would take me to the flag." Lolita sounded like her upbeat self.

Then Caspian arrived with a golden rope and began tying it to a column.

"Gold," Iris said. "That's a magician's way. It's probably lightweight, but able to hold a ton of weight."

"It is. I barely felt I was carrying it. It's like featherlight." Then Caspian tossed the rope into the hole.

"I'm coming down," Rune said, afraid Lolita wouldn't be able to climb up it on her own. Besides, she was curious about the pool of water and other tunnels.

She shimmied down the rope, and when she reached the bottom, Lolita hugged her. "Thanks for coming for me. Did you win your challenge?"

Rune smiled. "I did. I came to help you with yours."

Lolita smiled, then looked at the rope, but Rune looked at the two tunnels and the aqua, crystal-clear pond. She touched the water, and it was ice cold.