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“He’s been here often enough,” said Burr-Burr-Chan. “But he never found the way into this cave, and he won’t find it now, either.”
Firedrake nodded. “Nonetheless, we brought him here. I’m sorry.” He bowed his head. “I was so anxious to find this place that, without meaning to, I have led Nettlebrand to your door. But I won’t hide from him any longer. I will —”
“You’ll do what?” asked Maia. A shudder ran over her scales.
“I will fight him,” replied Firedrake. “I’ll chase him away from here. I will hunt him. I’ll rid you of him forever, for I am tired of hiding.”
o;Larger, yes.” Burr-Burr-Chan shrugged his shoulders. “So what?”
“Don’t upset yourself, Sorrel,” said Firedrake, gently pushing the brownie girl aside. “Let’s go on.”
“Okay!” growled Sorrel crossly. “But no more nonsense about fighting, right?”
They went on in silence. For a while, the tunnel continued downward, but then it turned a sharp bend and a huge cavern opened out before them. The ceiling glittered faintly with thousands of moonstones. Stalactites hung from it like frozen sea spray, and stalagmites grew upward from floor to roof.
Ben took a couple of steps forward in astonishment. He had never seen such a place before. Here, far inside the mountain, the rock seemed to have come to life. He felt as if he were standing among strange plants and trees and hills, all made of shimmering silver stone.
“Well?” said Sorrel behind him. “Where are the other dragons, then?”
“Crawled away into hiding, you bet your life,” replied Burr-Burr-Chan.
Hesitantly Firedrake stepped into the cavern. Sorrel followed him. Burr-Burr-Chan and Ben came slowly after them. In the middle of the cave, among mounds of stone shaped like spiny dragon crests, Firedrake stopped.
“Where are you?” he called.
There was no answer but the echo of his own voice.
“Hi there! Hello!” shouted Sorrel. “Look, dragons, we’ve flown halfway around the world — you might at least show your faces and welcome us.” But she got no answer, either.
There was nothing to be heard but a faint rustling from a thicket of stalactites and stalagmites at the very back of the cave.
Sorrel pricked up her ears. “Hear that?” she whispered to Firedrake.
Firedrake nodded.
“It’s too dark in here,” he said. “I’ll give us a bit more light.” Arching his long neck, he breathed fire. It ran hissing among the stones, licked its way up the dark walls, and blazed blue all the way to the roof. The whole dragon cave began to shine so brightly that for a moment, Ben had to half close his eyes. The moonstones shone down from the roof, the walls glowed, and dragon-fire collected in crackling flames on the tips of the stalactites and stalagmites.
“Yes!” cried Burr-Burr-Chan, raising his four arms in the air. “Yes, that’s just how it ought to look!”
Firedrake closed his muzzle and looked around.
“Firedrake,” whispered Ben, placing a hand on his scales, “there’s something back there. Do you see those eyes?”
“I know,” replied the dragon quietly. “They’ve been there for some time. Let’s wait.”
All was still for a few moments. Firedrake’s dragon-fire still burned among the stones, crackling and hissing. Then, suddenly, a dragon emerged from the stalactites and stalagmites at the back of the cave. This one was smaller than Firedrake, with more delicate limbs, but its scales shone with just the same silvery gleam.
“It’s a she-dragon,” whispered Sorrel. “You can tell by the horns. They’re straight, not curved like Firedrake’s.”
Ben nodded.
The she-dragon snuffled and moved tentatively toward Firedrake. For a moment or so they stood looking at each other in silence.
“You’re not golden,” the she-dragon said at last, in a hoarse voice.
Firedrake shook his head. “No,” he replied. “I’m like you.”
“I — I wasn’t sure,” said the she-dragon uncertainly. “I’ve never seen the Golden One myself, but I’ve heard terrible tales of him. He’s said to be very cunning, and sometimes he has small creatures with him.” She looked curiously first at Sorrel, then at Burr-Burr-Chan.
