Mayabelle scrambled from rock to rock, hauling her heavy pack up behind her. The slight incline had turned into scrambling up steep boulders. The others were much more adept at the art of rock climbing. Ember's sharp vision found easy paths up the stones, Idril's quick thinking carried her up the mountain and Ceaser could simply fly from rock to rock. 

Mayabelle had a slightly more difficult time between her clumsy nature and her small stature of only 3 feet. As her friends mindlessly steered upward she kept slipping down. Sometimes one friend or another would reach down a hand to help her up but more often than not she relied on her staff and sheer determination. 

Soon the sun began to disappear behind the mountain's peek, and the three began hunting for somewhere to hide. The mountains provided little cover, the paths being out in the open. Eventually, Mayabelle spotted a cave that almost seemed to be hidden. The mouth was low and wide, seeming to be nothing more than an outcropping. Mayabelle, Idril, Ceaser and Ember wiggled their way inside. 

Now, the cavern seemed to be quite large. It was tall enough for all three to easily stand with a few feet to spare. Idril cast a faint bluish glow around the stone room, revealing the interior. The walls were covered in symbols and scratch marks in a language that Mayabelle couldn't read. The cave was wide and to the very back, there were tunnels that snaked off in many different directions. 

"Something obviously lived here once," Ember said, her eyes flicking around the room.

"What do you suppose it was?" Mayabelle asked, setting down her backpack and slumping onto the chilly floor.

"I'm not sure," said Idril, poking at the symbols. "Maybe a colony of goblins or ghouls. Maybe an ancient dragon."

"I know these makings," Ember said, looking puzzled at the inscriptions. 

"Can you read them," asked Mayabelle in an awed voice. 

"No," Ember breathed, trailing off with a sigh. 

Soon, camp was almost set up for the night. Ember had conjured a fire which now had a cooking pot hovering over it, Mayabelle and Idril had set out their bedrolls and were now chatting along to the mindless strumming of Idril's guitar. The day's tensions were winding to a close. Stories were exchanged and hearty laughter filled the cavern, echoing off the cold stone walls. 

Suddenly, Mayabelle's ears picked up the sound of quietly chinking metal, like the rustle of armor and scuffling like boots on dirt floor. Quickly she hushed her friends. Ceaser began to growl deep in his throat. With a wave of her hand, Ember put out the fire leaving only glowing coals and Idril's music stopped abruptly. For a moment everything was silent. 

Then from out of the tunnels came twenty or more figures, all varying in sizes. They rushed at the friends, yelling gruffly. Swords swung out of scabbards, fire bloomed from nowhere, boots rushed across the floor. From all sides came yelling and chaos. Then, a booming male voice issued from the blackness, "What is going on?"