Page 73 (1/2)

"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 ht?"

They went on in silence For a while, the tunnel continued doard, but then it turned a sharp bend and a huge cavern opened out before thelittered faintly with thousands offroreard 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 see strange plants and trees and hills, allsilver stone

"Well?" said Sorrel behind hions, 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 ca on 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 ot no answer, either

There was nothing to be heard but a faint rustling fromites 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 bitneck, he breathed fire It ran hissing a 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 lowed, and dragon-fire collected in crackling fla his four arht to look!"

Firedrake closed his muzzle and looked around

"Firedrake," whispered Ben, placing a hand on his scales, "there’s so 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 fewthe stones, crackling and hissing Then, suddenly, a dragon emites at the back of the cave This one was smaller than Firedrake, with more delicate lileaon," 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 aat each other in silence