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Even though it seemed hopeless, Breeze felt like there was more to this place than met the eye. She took herself off on a walk, going nowhere in particular. The wind blowing in her hair, she sauntered through the clusters of pine trees.
“Still here?” she heard Gust’s voice behind her.
“Yes,” she said confidently, turning to face him. “I’m… not giving up.” Breeze surprised herself with this answer. She was usually a quitter, and pretty impatient. But she wanted to belong with someone, and it was that which motivated her to keep going.
“Ugh,” Gust moaned. “If you’re really that determined to snoop around here, follow me.” Breeze smiled. Finally, she wasn’t being brushed aside. Gust led her along a twisting path, knowing every bush, tree, and stone. At last, they reached a maze of dark, rocky caves. “In here,” Gust told her, passing her a flaming torch. “It’s safe.” Breeze was sceptical. Could she really trust him? I’ve risked so much already, she thought. I guess I’ve got nothing to lose now. Lyre cooed anxiously at Breeze’s ear. Breeze stroked her.
“It’s okay.” she whispered. They entered cautiously. Breeze looked around her. Towering, dark cave walls loomed high above her head. Embedded in them were sparkling gems that somehow managed to maintain an alluring light in the pitch black tunnel. The flame on her torch lit up her curious face, and the call of bats echoed in the distance.
“This is why it’s called Peridot Peak.” explained Gust, pointing to a green gem in the cave wall. “Peridot was the first gem discovered here. Then people started finding more gems, like amethyst and ruby.” He touched a milky pink stone next to him. “And this is my favourite, rose quartz.”
Breeze smiled. “It’s my favourite too.” she said. Rose quartz was the stone on her parent’s pendant, so she had become quite fond of it. Gust showed her more and more gems, twists and turns and secret tunnels. As the day rolled on, they studied stalagmites and stalactites, and tried to name as many gemstones as they could, searching for hidden treasures. Just as they were about to head back out, a loud screeching erupted from behind them.
“Bats!” Breeze and Gust cried in unison. Shrieking, dozens of bats came swarming into the tunnel, their wings beating hard. Breeze and Gust waved their arms in the air as the bats swirled around them. Breeze remembered that she had an ocarina in her satchel, which she could use to mess with the bat’s echolocation. She pulled it out with her left hand, while the right one was still waving in the air frantically. She put the instrument to her lips and blew a loud note. The bats screamed and flooded out of the cave entrance. Lyre twittered in relief. Breeze and Gust took deep, heaving breaths.
“Wait…” Gust muttered. “Why were the bats leaving the cave? Aren’t they nocturnal?” he strolled to the cave entrance, Breeze at his heels. She stared out into the distance. It was now very late, and the moon shone brightly in the sky.
“It’s pitch black!” Breeze gasped. “You did this on purpose, didn’t you?” she turned to Gust with a scowl. “You hate me so much that you led me into this dumb cave and now it’s dark and we’re stuck!”
Gust looked offended. “No, I swear! I completely lost track of time.” he insisted.
“Now what are we going to do?” Breeze sighed. She heard a faint growl from outside the cave. There were probably wild animals that would love to make a late night snack of them, and their torch had long since burnt out. They had to build a fire to scare any predators away.
“We need to build a fire.” said Gust, as if reading her thoughts.
“I have a pocketknife in my satchel.” said Breeze. “I could strike something against it like flint and steel, but I’m not sure what…”
Gust nodded. “I’ll go look for some branches and sticks to fuel the fire.” He walked off into a tunnel on the left. Lyre chirped at Breeze.
“What is it?” Breeze asked her. Lyre hooked her talons on the string around Breeze’s neck and pulled it gently. “Of course! My pendant is made of unpolished quartz!” she cried. “Good girl, Lyre!” Breeze pulled the pendant out from underneath her shirt. “Now, what to use as kindling…” she paced up and down as she thought. Her boot caught on a rock underfoot, causing her to trip unexpectedly. An item went flying out of her satchel. “Oof!” Breeze groaned as she crashed to the floor. She dusted off her skirt and scampered around in search of the lost item. “My journal!” she exclaimed, spotting the leather-bound book in a corner of the cave. Then she was hit with an idea. “I can use the paper as kindling!” Breeze ripped a few blank pages out and teared them into shreds to help make the fire. She scooped them into a neat pile, and got to work striking her pocketknife against the quartz at the end of her pendant. A spark flew onto the pile of paper, and it roared to life, orange flames blazing against the night. At last, fire.
“Still here?” she heard Gust’s voice behind her.
“Yes,” she said confidently, turning to face him. “I’m… not giving up.” Breeze surprised herself with this answer. She was usually a quitter, and pretty impatient. But she wanted to belong with someone, and it was that which motivated her to keep going.
“Ugh,” Gust moaned. “If you’re really that determined to snoop around here, follow me.” Breeze smiled. Finally, she wasn’t being brushed aside. Gust led her along a twisting path, knowing every bush, tree, and stone. At last, they reached a maze of dark, rocky caves. “In here,” Gust told her, passing her a flaming torch. “It’s safe.” Breeze was sceptical. Could she really trust him? I’ve risked so much already, she thought. I guess I’ve got nothing to lose now. Lyre cooed anxiously at Breeze’s ear. Breeze stroked her.
“It’s okay.” she whispered. They entered cautiously. Breeze looked around her. Towering, dark cave walls loomed high above her head. Embedded in them were sparkling gems that somehow managed to maintain an alluring light in the pitch black tunnel. The flame on her torch lit up her curious face, and the call of bats echoed in the distance.
“This is why it’s called Peridot Peak.” explained Gust, pointing to a green gem in the cave wall. “Peridot was the first gem discovered here. Then people started finding more gems, like amethyst and ruby.” He touched a milky pink stone next to him. “And this is my favourite, rose quartz.”
Breeze smiled. “It’s my favourite too.” she said. Rose quartz was the stone on her parent’s pendant, so she had become quite fond of it. Gust showed her more and more gems, twists and turns and secret tunnels. As the day rolled on, they studied stalagmites and stalactites, and tried to name as many gemstones as they could, searching for hidden treasures. Just as they were about to head back out, a loud screeching erupted from behind them.
“Bats!” Breeze and Gust cried in unison. Shrieking, dozens of bats came swarming into the tunnel, their wings beating hard. Breeze and Gust waved their arms in the air as the bats swirled around them. Breeze remembered that she had an ocarina in her satchel, which she could use to mess with the bat’s echolocation. She pulled it out with her left hand, while the right one was still waving in the air frantically. She put the instrument to her lips and blew a loud note. The bats screamed and flooded out of the cave entrance. Lyre twittered in relief. Breeze and Gust took deep, heaving breaths.
“Wait…” Gust muttered. “Why were the bats leaving the cave? Aren’t they nocturnal?” he strolled to the cave entrance, Breeze at his heels. She stared out into the distance. It was now very late, and the moon shone brightly in the sky.
“It’s pitch black!” Breeze gasped. “You did this on purpose, didn’t you?” she turned to Gust with a scowl. “You hate me so much that you led me into this dumb cave and now it’s dark and we’re stuck!”
Gust looked offended. “No, I swear! I completely lost track of time.” he insisted.
“Now what are we going to do?” Breeze sighed. She heard a faint growl from outside the cave. There were probably wild animals that would love to make a late night snack of them, and their torch had long since burnt out. They had to build a fire to scare any predators away.
“We need to build a fire.” said Gust, as if reading her thoughts.
“I have a pocketknife in my satchel.” said Breeze. “I could strike something against it like flint and steel, but I’m not sure what…”
Gust nodded. “I’ll go look for some branches and sticks to fuel the fire.” He walked off into a tunnel on the left. Lyre chirped at Breeze.
“What is it?” Breeze asked her. Lyre hooked her talons on the string around Breeze’s neck and pulled it gently. “Of course! My pendant is made of unpolished quartz!” she cried. “Good girl, Lyre!” Breeze pulled the pendant out from underneath her shirt. “Now, what to use as kindling…” she paced up and down as she thought. Her boot caught on a rock underfoot, causing her to trip unexpectedly. An item went flying out of her satchel. “Oof!” Breeze groaned as she crashed to the floor. She dusted off her skirt and scampered around in search of the lost item. “My journal!” she exclaimed, spotting the leather-bound book in a corner of the cave. Then she was hit with an idea. “I can use the paper as kindling!” Breeze ripped a few blank pages out and teared them into shreds to help make the fire. She scooped them into a neat pile, and got to work striking her pocketknife against the quartz at the end of her pendant. A spark flew onto the pile of paper, and it roared to life, orange flames blazing against the night. At last, fire.