Just a Bag

Cont’d 10

Look!  We made it to the doorway everyone.  Gather close so that we can make a plan, while keeping as quiet as possible.  I have no idea what will play out once the door opens, but whatever we do… it must be swift!  I am not even sure if we will be able to exit out of the mouth of the cave, or simply do a grab and go; heading back the way we came in from the tunnels.  I did see a split off back down the path about an hour and a half ago.

Listen carefully…

I believe we will need three groups to make this work.  Someone will need to hold the door open until we know if we have to backtrack, and if so, cover our escape down the path… we will be running fast if things go badly.  You will need to have weapons ready in order to block any pursuers following us, if possible.  Once we pass you, if it looks too costly to fight, do what you can to collapse the tunnel… I think this doorway is old and rotting, so you may be able to knock the supports out easily enough. 

I will need several able-bodied volunteers for the extraction, helping me to do the grabbing part, as I have no clue how much a baby dragon weighs… if it is, in fact, a dragonlet!  The third group must go before us into the lair; blocking any danger near the front of the cave, as we will need to focus on our pick up without any distractions.

If you are all in agreement, who would like to help me with the baby?  Crocket, I should have known you would help, though I am a bit surprised to see both Christine and Bubbles jump in right behind you.  I welcome all of your assistance, and your bravery gives me courage!  Wow James!  You were definitely meant to be our front runner by the sword you just pulled out of your bag.  I am feeling better just looking at your group of weapon wielding adventurers; eyes alight with a strange fiery strength.  Carver, thank you for organizing our retreat and holding the doorway clear for us… it could mean the difference between escape or capture. 

I have spent the last two days in these tunnels, thinking about this doorway. I have had a lot of time to ask myself why it was placed here, and why the dragon made it so small? I was reminded of the old passages read, about dragons being well known for magic! I have heard stories of a dragon’s ability to transform, sometimes into the form of a person. If the dragon wanted a hidden escapeway, this would fit the bill!  All he would have to do is transform into a smaller version of himself, or possibly a man; slipping out the back without being seen… it just took a while for me to remember.

  Being a servant to the Commander requires the reading of a great many things, so my memory filing system has to hold a ton of information; organizing and retrieving it on the fly. Sometimes that can take a while.  It might take a bit, but the information always surfaces at the right time, for the most part.

Anyway, now that we seem to all understand the logistics of things, and each is prepared to do their part… shall we begin?

Remember, on the count of three we open the door and go… James and his team first, followed by my retrieval team.  Carver, be ready to follow if we give the all clear… otherwise, hold here at the door and await our return.

One…

Two…

Three…

Ow! Watch it, he bites!  Quick Christine, throw this blanket over his head, while Bubbles is distracting him with her bubble wand.  Perfect!  I’ll hold my bag open for you Crocket, since he’s heavy looking and I don’t think I can get him on my own… I think you’ll move faster than I can.

Christine, can you go call up the rest of the team from the tunnel, now that James has given us the all clear from outside the cave entrance?  From the looks of this cave, something horrible happened here… bones strewn about the nest, and broken shells of at least two other dragonlets; both gone without a trace!  Whatever it was that tragically occurred here, it must have caused the dragons to leave the nest… abandoning this baby.

What a pitiful baby he is, this angry one!  Wounded, abandoned and so frightened… how can we blame the little thing.  No wonder he bites!  I would too if I were him, seeing the things he has seen.  He was witness to the tragedy that unfolded within these walls, watching whatever happened to his siblings. 

And I am baffled and saddened as to where his mother has gone, willing to abandon her baby.  These questions will have to wait for another time.  For now, we must make haste and get off this mountain.  There is no telling if or when someone will return to this cave, looking to remove any last bit of evidence of the evil that occurred here.  I personally have no desire to wait around and see if they do…