Trouble in the Land of Dwarves
Chapter 15
On the Doorstep
Maid Madelyn stood on a large boulder
on the rocky beach gazing Northward as the
sky began to grow darker. �There is trouble
brewing on Stormwatch.�
�What?� Princess Nataleigh looked
up from the rocks she had been examining
on the ground below. �What are you
talking about? What�s
Stormwatch?�
�It is a dark
mountain to the North that is always
surrounded by black storm clouds and
strong winds. Legends say that the storms
match the mood of the evil spirit that lives
at it�s peak.� Madelyn answered. �No one
goes near Stormwatch for fear that they
might make the spirit angry and unleash a
terrible storm on the surrounding
lands.�
�Oh, I remember seeing it
before in my mirror.� Nataleigh said
turning to see what Maid Madelyn was
looking at. �So why is there trouble
brewing?�
�I don�t know why,
but there is a big storm building around the
mountain that looks angrier than any I�ve
ever seen before. Perhaps it has something
to do with the Serpent�s Eye.� Maid
Madelyn jumped down to stand by the
Princess. �We must find this workshop
entrance quickly before it is too
late!�
Nataleigh was frustrated.
�Well I don�t know where else to look.
We�ve searched this entire beach and
there�s not a single clue except for that
ventilation pipe up there on the side of the
cliff.�
�Well at least we know
they are around here somewhere. That pipe
didn�t just grow out of the rocks.� Madelyn
reasoned. �What else can you remember
from your mirror watching?�
The
Princess shrugged her shoulders. �I don�t
know. I already told you that the entrance
was somewhere near the beach. But I don�t
know anything else. The inventors make it
look just like the side of these cliffs so no
one will find it and disturb their work. I�m
not even sure how they make it open or
close. They�re very smart, like I told
you.�
�Well we must be
smarter.� Maid Madelyn
insisted.
�How can we be
smarter? They�re inventors after all. They
must be super smart! What do you think
we�re going to find anyway; a welcome mat
that says �Come on in�? Or maybe a
doorbell? Yeah right. We might as well
give up!� Nataleigh plopped herself down
on a chair-sized rock next to the large
boulder and felt it shift beneath
her.
There was a rumbling
sound under their feet that grew louder and
suddenly a geyser of steam exploded into
the air with a loud trumpeting whistle
behind the rock where the Princess was
sitting! She jumped off of the rock with a
squeal of surprise and both maidens
stumbled back in shock!
When the whistle had ended, they
looked back at where the steam had blasted
the side of the boulder and blinked in
astonishment. There next to the chair-like
rock was indeed a sign! It had been
covered over with seaweed and barnacles,
but now the steam had blown it all
off!
It read:
�Welcome to the
Laboratories of Frangen,
Hiendel, and Boz:
Darrowold�s
Inventors Extraordinaire!
Having problems with
your gizmos, gadgets, or war
machines?
Please take a seat and
one of our technicians will be
with you shortly.
Thank
you.�
F. H. &
B.
Chapter 16
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