In the semi-darkness, a rat's claw scraped against the rock wall of the tunnel. Nothing but shadows waited the unwary traveler- shadows and holes.
Beryl screwed up his courage. ‘There’s nothing to fear,’ he told himself again. Nobody has been down this route in ages, I bet. Still, the dark seemed to be full of whispering voices.
He tried to sing, but his throat wouldn't form words. No matter; I’ll be there in a moment.
Won’t Opal be surprised! With that thought he galloped forward, straight into a pit.
**
Waking was a pain. He was fairly sure he’d cracked a rib or two.
That’s what you get for rushing ahead, you numbskull. Now, how to get out of here... It was a deep hole he’d landed in; the walls sloped up to near-vertical heights. Obviously there’d be no climbing out of here.
By some stroke of luck, his satchel was intact. Beryl reached into it, almost shouting at the pain. His paw found the reassuring, smooth orb of a lightstone.
By its pale radiance he looked into the darkness ahead of him. It seemed the only way out was a long passageway, which bent downward. He could hear the slow lapping of water.
His first attempt at sitting up left him gasping. Judging by the amount of pain, it might be a while before he could move on.
**
“Opal! It’s about Beryl.”
While Casy caught his breath, other rats gathered around him. This will never do. He cast a pleading glance at Opal, who flicked her whiskers in a covert signal. Even winded, he couldn’t help but admire her- just like every other male.
Gender:
Points: 1395
Reviews: 565