Knight Errand, chapter seven

   
A panicked cry shattered the stillness of the mountain woodlands like a brick being hurled through a glass window. Startled, Luna and Seff spun around to see what had happened to Antoine.
   
"Antoine! Are you alright?"
   
Sheepishly, Antoine stared back before puffing his chest out and adopting an austere expression. "Er, oui! Yes! L-let us be continuing!" He answered before marching stiffly past the both of them.          
   
In actuality, what had happened was that he had allowed himself to be startled by a small forest-dwelling animal which had suddenly bounded across the trail in front of him, but not before briefly pausing to consider him before going on its way. How utterly embarrassing. “Lupe and Stormblaze would have never allowed themselves to be scared by something so mundane!" He thought.
   
Mystified, Seff glanced to Luna. She appeared equally baffled by Antoine's behavior, but catching Seff's look, only offered a shrug in response before moving on herself.
   
As the three trekked onwards, they found themselves having to pick their way down a rocky hillside. Stumbling over a rock in his path, Antoine bit back an exclamation and thought to himself how glad he would be once he, Luna, and Seff reached the Cave of Shadows and put all this harsh wilderness behind them… well, somewhat glad. He still hadn't forgotten the disturbing tales concerning the cave. He noted with a touch of envy that Luna and Seff seemed to be having an easier time of things then he was, navigating the slope with no difficulty. Even at their age the two possessed much of the same surefootedness that came so effortlessly to their adult counterparts.
   
Fortunately for Antoine, the ground evened out again when they made it to the base of the hill, and he could walk in comfort once more. However, a strange, high-pitched keening suddenly rent the air, making Antoine freeze. He had never heard anything like it before. Alarmed, he looked around, trying to determine exactly where the noise was originating from.
   
A cry that was similar to the first rang out, then stopped, followed by the sounds of scuffling and shifting soil. Antoine could tell the noises were coming from under the earth, but was having difficulty pinning down precisely where. Whatever it was that was responsible was either rapidly moving around, or there was more than one. Or – and a chill crept into his stomach like an unwanted but familiar houseguest at his next line of thought -- it could have been both those possibilities.
   
Seeing that Antoine had stopped again, Seff and Luna halted as well, curiously observing him.
   
"What is it?" Luna asked.
   
Antoine pointed to the earth at their feet. "There is being something under there!"
   
He only received blank stares. How could they not hear that?
   
Seff tilted his head to one side, listening for himself, and Luna followed suit. After a moment, her eyes met those of the coydog again. "Maybe you just need to take a break, Antoine."
   
Luna's not-so-subtle implication that he was merely hearing things outraged Antoine. He knew full well what he had heard. His earlier discussion with Stormblaze had convinced him that he was neither paranoid nor crazy after all when he heard things no one else could.
   
Just as he was about to protest, the ground around them seemed to crumble apart and two large, dark-colored forms erupted out of the soil, sending dirt, litter, and dust flying everywhere. Antoine and the siblings found themselves sandwiched in between two strange and hideous creatures. They appeared to be insects of a sort, only they stood upright on spiky segmented legs, reaching five feet in height, and had grotesque humanoid faces from which protruded large jagged mandibles. The beasts seemed to lack the sentience that set Mobians apart from the feral creatures roaming the wilderness, such as aervwingers and the herbivorous terrapods. But the manner in which the insects had suddenly appeared suggested an ambush, and the idea that creatures that big and frightening could come up with such a concept was an extremely unnerving thought.
   
Hungry jaws snapping audibly, the creatures advanced on the canines.

"What are those things?" Antoine yelped, backing away from the creatures.

"Sorraxes!" Seff shouted back in a matter-of-factly manner. Rolling under the heavy limb that the sorrax on his right swung at him, Seff came to his feet and leapt at the beast, brandishing a long tree branch he was using as a replacement for his lost spear. Rather than go weaponless, he had chosen to improvise.      
   
The youth paid for his bravado when, in the blink of an eye, the sorrax tunneled back underground, causing Seff to sail right over his target. As Seff tried to locate his enemy, the giant insect reappeared behind him and furiously slashed at him with its clawed forelegs. Seff jumped back to avoid being speared, nearly losing his balance as he did. He was forced to go on the defensive as the sorrax kept up its attack, using his spear to fend off its wicked claws when able to.
   
All Antoine saw was the other monster's slavering jaws coming straight at him. With a frightened yelp he ducked beneath the sorrax's snapping mandibles and darted between its legs. He never thought he would ever be happy to be short, but he was now. he saw Luna nearby fending off a third sorrax, keeping it at bay by savagely jabbing at it with her spear. If something happened to either her or Seff, then Antoine would never be able to forgive himself. The Wolf Pack probably wouldn't either. As the oldest Mobian there, he felt it was his duty to keep them safe.
   
Drawing his sabre, Antoine dashed over and sliced the sorrax that Luna was battling squarely across its carapace. It was like trying to cut stone. The blade didn't leave a scratch. The sorrax didn't even bother turning around to see what had struck it, more preoccupied with trying to get at Luna. Frustrated that his attack had failed, Antoine kicked at one of the beast's six legs, the one closest to him, as hard as he could. He was surprised to see the sorrax stumble as its leg buckled beneath it.
   
In that moment, Luna took the opportunity to strike. Lunging, she thrust her spear right at the sorrax. The creature backed off, the spear embedded in its chest. It's shrill cries of pain wrecked havoc on Antoine's hearing, and he wobbled around on unsteady legs, grimacing in pain as he attempted to cover his ears.
   
Managing to wrench her spear free, Luna made to gouge the sorrax a second time, but one of its wildly thrashing legs struck her and knocked her to the ground. Maddened with pain, the sorrax advanced on her, but found its path barred by a sabre-wielding Antoine. The sorrax lurched towards him, but Antoine rammed his sabre right into its open maw. The creature clawed at the blade protruding from its mouth before falling heavily on its side, kicking feebly at the air.
   
Antoine struggled to free his sabre, and was forced to set his foot on the sorrax's neck (or was that its' shoulder? It was hard to tell, since it didn't have much of either) in order to brace the carcass and finally remove his weapon. During the clash, splatters of something green and vile had spurted from the sorrax's wounds and right onto the front of Antoine's uniform and his sleeves, but he managed to ignore it for the time being. He turned to help a still shaken Luna up.
   
Seff wasn't having much luck fighting off the remaining sorraxes. To make matters worse, a fourth one had tunneled up from somewhere and joined in the attack. While Seff's stamina and energy was considerable due to both his age and species, he was starting to tire trying to keep one step ahead of the two predators, which were determined to make a meal out of him.
   
When Seff was sent sprawling by a heavy claw that was swung at his head, Antoine and Luna ran over to him. Before the sorrax could finish the job, together they grabbed Seff and pulled him away just in time.
   
"Retreat!" Antoine screamed. Hoping to outrun the insects, the trio fled. Furious at being robbed of their prey, the sorraxes hotly pursued them, still shrieking terribly all the while.
   
Something directly in their path made all three canines come to an immediate stop. Before them, the ground just fell away, forming a steep cliff overlooking a vale. The sight caused Antoine to sharply suck his breath in. He hazarded a glance over his shoulder. The sorraxes were coming closer. Soon they would be upon the three of them.
   
Luna, who had been intently studying the cliff side, pointed down at a crag, or narrow precipice jutting out of the cliff. "Down there!"
   
The idea was much too risky for Antoine's taste, but it was either climb down onto the crag or stay up there with the sorraxes. He descended first, then helped Luna and Seff climb down. There the three huddled, silently hoping and praying that that the crag would support their combined weight.
     
It wasn't a moment too soon, as the sorraxes were right on their tails. So intent on the chase were they that by the time they noticed the cliff edge, it was too late. unable to stop themselves in time, they barreled straight over the cliff. The sorraxes' bulky forms hurtled past the trio of Mobians and down towards the valley. their shrieks lingered in the air for some time.
   
Tired yet relieved, Antoine, Seff, and Luna climbed back up to the crown of the cliff. "Thank the Great Wolf those things are stupid." Seff stated, panting heavily.
   
Antoine didn't move. If one were to look into his eyes, then they would have seen what was commonly referred to as a “thousand yard stare”. At that moment, he didn't care about the bedraggled mess that had been made of his headfur, or the gore on his clothing, or the dust and bits of grass further dirtying his uniform and fur. His ears still rung slightly from the sorraxes’ horrible screams, and his hands and legs were trembling from the rush of adrenaline he had just experienced. At this point, Antoine almost expected some new sort of vicious beast of prey to make an appearance, or some other manner of calamity to strike them.
   
Wrapping his hands around his head, Antoine began ranting fearfully to himself. "This is dangerous! I – I have been making a big mistake! I need to get back to camp!"
   
His panicked outburst startled Luna and Seff out of their respite. They cast worried looks at one another before venturing over to Antoine’s side. They had witnessed him acting nervous and frightened before, but never in such a state of pure hysteria until now.
   
Taking hold of Antoine by his shoulders, Seff gently shook him. "Hey, c'mon Antoine. Everything's fine now. We don't have much farther to go."
   
"He's right." Luna added. "As long as we push ourselves and stick to the trail, we can make it to the Cave of Shadows. You said you wanted to do this, right?" Still breathing rather harshly, Antoine only nodded in response. "Well, you can't back out now. Look at how far we've come." Crossing her arms, Luna stared seriously at Antoine as she went on. "Not only that, but trying to go back to camp by yourself might be even more dangerous than finishing this. So you just might as well continue."
   
Antoine's eyes rapidly darted back and forth between Luna and Seff before he closed them and deeply and slowly breathed in a few times. Calmed by the ritual, he re-opened his eyes and addressed the siblings. "The both of you are being right. I am sorry for… losing my screws."
   
Seff began to laugh, and even Luna was looking amused. Seeing Antoine giving him the evil eye, Seff caught himself and stopped, though a grin still lingered on his muzzle. "Sorry. Were you trying to say ‘losing my marbles’?"
   
Antoine’s peeved expression softened ever so slightly. “Is that the correct way to say it?”
   
"Yeah. I think you might’ve mixed that one up with ‘having a screw loose’. See why we laughed?"
   
“I suppose you are right.” Antoine reluctantly admitted. “English is a strange language.”
   
“When we wolves want to call someone crazy, we say he has been aullando a la luna durante demasiado tiempo -- howling at the moon for too long.” Luna informed him. She was pleased that her speech had had the desired effect on Antoine.
   
“Hmm. I am personally thinking that I will just be using the word crazy from now on.”
   
“Why don’t we go ahead and get out of here?” Seff asked them. “The Sprit Quest is still on!”
   
"Oui. Lead the way." Antoine readily agreed. Admittedly Seff's use of the phrase "don't sweat it" left him mystified, but he perfectly understood the word "go". If danger happened to rear its ugly head again, he would not allow himself to panic. From what he could tell, his momentary loss of control didn't seem to have lowered his standing with the siblings, but he still needed to keep up a brave front. He would remain composed for their sakes as well as his own.
________________________________________

   
Aside from some bruises, scratches, and cuts which had been earned from the mishap at the bridge and their clash with the sorraxes, Antoine was happy that he, Seff, and Luna hadn’t been seriously injured. He did find himself wishing he had bought Stormblaze along. His own knowledge of first aid was basic at best, and Stormblaze's healing powers would have been quite welcome. Antoine did know that abrasions and cuts needed to be cleaned and covered in order to prevent infection (the very thought of which made him shudder) from setting in. Clean cool water could be used to cleanse wounds. During their journey, they had chanced across a gulch that was filled with water, but had nothing on them to boil water in. In the end he could only hope that they would be alright since the three of them weren't going to be out there too long. Still, Antoine warned Seff and Luna to be careful to not get dirt in their injuries.
   
Now in the dying light of the evening sun, Antoine, Seff, and Luna found themselves standing outside the entrance to the Cave Of Shadows. Finally getting a look at the fabled cave for himself, Lupe's tales of Spirit Quest participants and travelers who had taken shelter there only to be driven insane by nightmarish visions raced like a certain speedy hedgehog to the forefront of Antoine's mind. Was the cave haunted? Maybe ghosts were the culprits behind the visions –
'Stop that!' He mentally scolded himself.
   
"The two of you are not being scared by what Lupe was saying earlier, are you?" Antoine asked, wanting to assure himself that he wasn't the only one feeling nervous at the moment. He tried to disguise his apprehension with an offhanded air, but knew the siblings could probably pick up on it. Most Mobians were attuned to emotions, some better than others in fact.
   
Seff merely squared his jaw. "Not in a million years."
   
"Me neither," Luna shook her head. "Not as long as I have this." Tugging on the leather thong hanging around her neck, she pulled out a small copper pendant in the shape of an arrowhead that had been concealed inside the top of her leotard. She held the pendant up so Antoine could better see it. "See? It's a good luck charm. Before Seff and I joined the Wolf Pack, the pack shaman gave each of us our own charm. The arrow represents protection."
   
"Are they working?" Antoine asked, scrutinizing the charm. While he was religious, he wasn't above believing in things like lucky charms and curses.
   
"Well, we managed to get out of every jam we've gotten into on the way here, so I think they do. But you might've had something to do with that too." She smiled.
   
"Well, come on," Drawing himself up to his full height, Seff looked severely between Antoine and Luna. "What are we waiting for, an invitation?"
   
The three took their first cautious steps inside. As they did, the musty odor of mildew, age, and dampness filled their noses. It was easy to see how the cave had earned its name. The interior was incredibly dark, and the further in they went, the darker it became. Any natural light that managed to find its way in wound up being swallowed up by shadows. Previously, Luna had told Antoine that no one had ever managed to successfully map out the entirety of the cave, but its passageways were said to run at least forty miles, and were very easy to get lost in.
   
"Why don't we try to find some firewood before it gets too dark? I can start the fire." Luna offered, trying to sound cheerful. "This place will probably be cozier once it gets warmed up." Her voice echoed hollowly through the cavern and down into the tunnel system, sending a nervous chill up their spines.
   
It was a sound suggestion, so they set out. Antoine was going to announce that he would prepare dinner before recalling that they weren't supposed to eat or drink anything until completing the Spirit Quest. He supposed it was only fair the same went for him. However, he could hear his stomach complaining about the lack of food – again. And they were supposed to go an entire night on empty stomachs!
   
The trio's search turned up a few tree branches and what the siblings referred to as terrapod "chips" (though to Antoine's great disgust, they were obviously not actual snack chips), as well as dried brush which could be used for kindling. They also managed to find enough leaves, moss, and other such plant material to scrape together halfway decent pallets for themselves for the night.
   
Returning to the cave, they assembled the fuel in a pile by the wall, then settled down some ways away from the entrance. Luna didn't waste any time in getting a fire started.
   
"Well, tonight's gonna be extra boring." Seff grumbled from where he sat when Luna stepped back to satisfactorily regard her handiwork. "What are we gonna do until tomorrow morning, stare at the walls?"
   
"This isn't supposed to be fun. Aunt Lupe says while we're here, we are supposed to be discovering ourselves." Luna retorted, sounding as though she was reciting a passage out of a textbook.
   
"Whaaatever." Seff drawled, completely unimpressed.
   
Antoine was actually inclined to agree with Seff, but did not want to set the siblings against one another and so refrained from saying anything. Instead, he glanced around their surroundings, and just happened to notice what appeared to be a painting covering the wall. Going over for a better look, he tilted his head back slightly in order to see the three images better. They were ancient and fairly crude in design, but as Antoine studied them, he realized that each one was telling a story. In the first scene, a massive bird like an eagle or some other bird of prey soared beneath gray rain clouds. The next image featured several Mobians dressed in primitive clothing as well as feral animals dancing among green meadows and valleys which bore a bounty of fruits and other crops. The last one depicted what seemed to be the very same fields and hills, only they were bleak and devoid of any life.
   
"That big bird there? That's the Thunderbird." Antoine turned to see Seff walking over to stand next to him, having sighted the paintings himself. "She was a being with great power, and she used to watch over the land."
   
"Was there something happening to her?"
   
Seff shrugged. "She hasn't been seen in a long time. Some say the Skinwalker is responsible for her disappearance." Seeing Antoine's puzzled expression, he quickly explained, "The Skinwalker is an evil sorcerer who roams these parts. He can change into any kind of animal, and even Mobians like you or me. He uses his powers to terrorize anyone who sets foot onto his territory…. And he eats them!"
   
"Seff…" Luna didn't look up from her efforts at keeping the blaze going, but the tone of her voice made it quite evident that she didn't approve of their current topic of discussion.
   
"Aw come on! You're not scared of some dumb old story, are you?" Seff laughed. "The Skinwalker was probably killed or left here ages ago anyways."
   
"No." Luna shortly replied. "Just respectful. I don't think you remember what happened to the last person who laughed at the Skinwalker. They didn’t find anything of him but his sandals."
   
"Very funny, Lulu." Seff dryly retorted, though his smile was no longer present.
   
Antoine said nothing. The thought of yet another wicked sorcerer skulking about failed to make him feel any more comfortable then he already was – which wasn’t very much. He couldn't wait for morning to arrive. As usual, he found himself regretting an idea he had devised. One of the few that hadn't backfired in his face -yet- was leaving Knothole for his original quest). Going along on the Spirit Quest had sounded like a good idea when he initially thought of it. But not only did he fail to thoroughly think it through, but he had been too hasty in writing it off as being an easy feat to accomplish. The next time he considered doing anything like this, he was going to listen to Lupe and Stormblaze and stay put. Returning to his spot by the fire, Antoine made certain not to sit too closely to the mouth of the cave and kept near the wolves.
   
The trio decided to pass the time by chatting. Luna and Seff questioned Antoine about the other Knothole Freedom Fighters and what they were like, having heard them talked about before by the other Wolf Pack members. Antoine didn't really wish to discuss his teammates, largely because he feared being overshadowed by their exploits and abilities, as was par for the course. He tried shifting the siblings' focus onto other subjects, but it only made them more curious. At last he gave up and grudgingly obliged them, though of course he had to throw in his own five cents about everyone. At least the conversation helped take Antoine's mind off more frightening thoughts, like the Skinwalker and the cave's eerie atmosphere.
   
Eventually Luna excused herself, saying she was going to step out for some fresh air. Seff meanwhile, was displaying all the warning signs of drowsiness. He wasn't nearly as loquacious as he had been earlier in the evening. His eyelids were starting to droop, and sometimes his head would bob as he began to doze off before he caught himself and came to. Sleepiness was beginning to affect Antoine as well, and he unsuccessfully attempted to stifle a yawn. This wasn't the most desirable place to fall sleep, but they really didn't have much of a choice in the matter. At least the palettes were somewhat more comfortable than just lying on the cold hard floor.
   
However, Luna pulled him back from the gates of slumber land. "Antoine, do you think you could come out here for a moment?"
     
Deciding to be polite, Antoine went to see what she wanted. He found Luna standing outside the entrance, almost appearing entranced by the sight of the moon as she gazed up at the sky. That night, it was nearly full.
   
Hearing Antoine approach, Luna turned to him with a smile. "It's a beautiful night, don't you think?"
   
"It is," Antoine agreed. "Why are you still being awake?"
   
"Oh, well…" Luna started playing with her braid, which was draped over one shoulder. "I wanted to say thank you for everything you did for Seff and me today. I'm sorry I didn't believe you at first about the sorraxes."
   
"Think nothing of it." Antoine brightly replied. He absolutely loved receiving praise. It really lifted his spirits to know he had done something right for a change. The problem was that he typically didn't get much praise, and the few times it had come his way before he hadn't exactly reacted very humbly. Mentally, he reminded himself that he was not going to crow about what he had done. So what could he say that wouldn't be boastful?
   
"Helping others is being my job as both a squire and a Freedom Fighter. I would not be wanting to see you or Seff get hurt." There. He didn't think that sounded like bragging. It was all true, not to mention how he genuinely felt.
   
"That's so brave of you!" Luna gushed. Apparently embarrassed by her outburst, she went back to messing with her braid, winding its length around her fingers and looking somewhat shy as she did. "See, at first I wasn't sure about you coming with us, because technically you're breaking Pack Law by doing this, but I don't think Seff and I could've made it without help."
   
To Antoine's surprise, she embraced him. Managing to work a hand free, Antoine reached up and rather awkwardly patted her on the head. He never knew wolves could be so affectionate. Suddenly, his half-smile faltered completely. Something Luna just said had given him cause for alarm. "Wait – Pack Law? What is this being?"
   
Luna released her hold on him. "Well, there are certain rules that run wolf packs. That's Pack Law. One of these rules is that nobody else other then wolves who've been officially named as participants are supposed to go on Spirit Quests. It's really frowned upon."
   
Antoine gulped nervously. "Er, there is not being a serious penalty for this, is there?" He didn't know what sort of punishments the wolves used for rule-breakers, but regardless of who carried them out, punishments were never pleasant.
   
"Uh, I really don't know. I think that's up to the chief wolf." Seeing his fear, Luna flashed him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. Seff and I will tell everybody what you did for us. I don't see why they'd punish you since you saved our lives."
   
Antoine breathed a sigh of relief. "Merci, demoiselle."
   
"Demoiselle?" Luna blinked a little at that before giggling girlishly. "What does that mean? It sounds fancy."
   
"It is just meaning young lady."
   
Luna stared at him. "You… you think I'm a lady?"
   
"Um, well, you are being a femme, so oui." Antoine answered, wondering why Luna was beginning to behave so peculiarly.
   
"It's just that when one of my packmates calls me a 'young lady', it means I've done something wrong. I mean, I don't get into trouble as much as Seff does, but everyone still thinks I'm just some know-it-all cub. Not you though." Intruding into Antoine’s personal space again (and causing him to edge away), she gazed adoringly at him.
     
Antoine was going to tell Luna that surely not all of the Wolf Pack members viewed her that way. He also wanted to ask if something was the matter, since she was doing nothing but staring at him, but their conversation was suddenly interrupted.
   
"Hey, what are you two doing out there? Kissin'?" That was Seff. He was standing in the cave's entranceway, mischievously grinning.
   
Antoine threw him a glance that had more than a little annoyance in it. "Please, Seff." While he knew Seff wasn't being serious, the idea of him pursuing someone who was still a cub was outrageous to say the least. As wretched as his luck in romance was, Antoine didn't think he'd ever be that desperate. He assumed Luna must have been similarly aggravated, because she was wearing a rather strange expression.
   
Turning back to Luna, Antoine extended an arm for her to take. "Shall we be retirementing?" He saw no point in lingering out there any longer. They all needed to get rest so they could wake up in morning and begin the trip back to camp. Hopefully tonight he would receive a glimpse of his future in his dreams, and Source willing, it'd be something ideal. Perhaps a good night's rest would also serve to cure Luna of her odd mood.
   
Luna still appeared vexed, but taking notice of Antoine's polite gesture, her expression brightened considerably. She eagerly accepted his arm and allowed him to lead her back inside.
________________________________________

   
That was funny. Antoine would have sworn he had just heard his name being called. He lifted his head from where it lay on his pallet, trying to discern who it might be. It couldn't have been Luna or Seff -- he could see they both were sound asleep. No one else could be in there with them either -- they would have long since detected the presence of an intruder… wouldn't they?
   
Aside from the soft crackle of blazing firewood, Antoine heard nothing at that point. Everything seemed to have returned to normal.
   
'Perhaps it was just a really vivid dream.' He thought, lowering his head and closing his eyes.
   
"Antoine…"
   
That time, Antoine sat straight up. He had clearly heard that - somebody was calling his name. Furthermore, he thought he even recognized the speaker. But it couldn't have been her. Not there, not then…
   
And yet, he knew he had just heard Princess Sally calling to him. He stared off in the direction of the tunnel that led further into the cave. The voice had come from that way. The three of them hadn't ventured very far beyond the spot where they were camping for the night, and Seff and Luna weren’t sure what the tunnel led to. in spite of the fire's warmth, he shivered.
   
"Antoine…"
   
It would seem this matter required further investigation. Antoine glanced over at the sleeping brother and sister before climbing to his feet. Neither could he understand or begin to explain how Sally could have possibly ended up in the cave or why she even was there in the first place, but something in her voice implored him to go find her. If it was indeed his princess, then as her faithful bodyguard it was his duty to see that she was safe first and foremost, and then figure out everything else later.
   
Before leaving, he put on his sword belt, comforted by the familiar sensation and weight around his waist, and, taking a stout branch from the stack of unused firewood and thrusting the end into the flames, created a torch. Being part coyote, he was capable of seeing in the dark as though it were daylight. The torch was just for a bit of added protection.
   
"Antoine…"
   
Beckoned by the voice, Antoine left his companions behind without a word as he obeyed its siren song. Upon reaching a junction where the tunnel split into two separate passageways, he paused, trying to decide which he should take. At the same time he was carefully listening. Princess Sally had ceased calling since he had last heard her, but as though realizing that he was having trouble finding his way, her voice came echoing through the tunnel, easily distinguishable from the ambient sounds of dripping water and rushing breeze.
   
"Antoine…"
   
Realizing her voice was issuing from the passageway on the left-hand side, Antoine went in that direction. Eventually, he found himself standing alone in a large cavern. Feeling almost like he had just come out of a dream or a daze, he massaged his forehead. He wondered just how deep in the cave he was. If he was lost, would he ever be able to find his way out?
   
As Antoine took his surroundings in, he noticed that the ceiling of the subterrane soared high overhead, and a ledge ran along the length of the wall. Crevasses, the largest of which appeared to be big enough for a Mobian of Canus's height or slightly taller to enter, were randomly scattered along the wall behind the ledge. There was no telling where they led to. Towards the center of the cavern floor was a stalagmite standing three times as tall as Antoine did and which was reminiscent of the fang of some immense predatory beast in shape, unsettlingly enough. He saw no signs of Sally, or anyone else for that matter, and frowned in aggravation. In all likelihood he had probably just dreamt he had heard Sally simply because he missed her splendid presence. Why hadn't he just ignored the voice and tried to go back to sleep?
   
He was just turning to go when he stopped, realizing that he wasn't as alone in there as he had first thought. From out of the corner of his eye, Antoine thought he saw something skulking around that oddly-shaped rock. it could have been the firelight from his torch playing tricks on his vision. He really hoped it was.
   
"Is anyone being there?" He hesitantly called out, raising the torch higher as he stared hard in the direction of the stalagmite. Whoever or whatever it was, it seemed like they were trying to hide from him.
   
Finally, someone did step out from behind the stalagmite and into the open where Antoine could clearly see them. He gawked at the figure in utter disbelief. "Princess? What are you doing here?"


French translations:

Demoiselle: Young lady.