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The raven circled over Firedrake where he lay coiled up a the rocks A fewover thebeside the whispered to the raven "Just above their heads, where we can eavesdrop on thee Sorrel looked up suspiciously

"Fly away noigleg whispered to the bird "Hide in that fir tree until I give you a signal The broon’t notice ain and disappeared aht out on the ledge

"Okay, I’ll ad "So we did lose our way a bit, but it doesn’t really ht all the same"

"The only question is which sea, Sorrel," said the human He was only a ss?" hissed the brownie girl "You can do the steering tonight Then at least I won’t have to put up with your sniping if we go the wrong way again"

"Where are you going, anyway?" asked one of the dwarves

Twigleg pricked up his ears

"We’re looking for the Rie in the ribs that he almost fell over "Who said you could tell any old chance- moved a little farther forward The Ri up!" one of the dwarves announced suddenly "Look, he’s waking up"

Twigleg turned his head -- and there he stood The silver dragon

He was olden The dragon stretched his beautiful limbs, yawned, and then looked in surprise at the three little creatures hiding behind the human boy

"Ah, dwarves!" he said, in a voice with a faint rasp that sounded like the lick of a cat’s tongue "Mountain dwarves"

The boy laughed "Yes, they absolutely had tothe dwarves to venture out from behind hileam And this --" Ben looked around in surprise "Where’s the fourth of you? I don’t know his naon in awe "I’ve no idea where he is Gravelbeard’s a bit peculiar"

Up on the ledge, Twigleg could hardly keep froht now he’s hard at work cleaning Nettlebrand’s armor" A pebble cae The wretched stone fell right on the brownie’s head She looked up suspiciously, but Twigleg had hastily withdrawn his long nose

"These dwarves think you can pick up the scent of treasure, Firedrake," said the boy "They want you to try doing it on their on shook his head "What kind of treasure? Do you old and silver?"

The dwarves nodded They looked hopefully at the dragon Firedrake went over to thein the scent of thes