“Lord Crafanc is likely just a bit touchy after how things went here at the mine with your Uncle Waldrick.”
“W hat do you mean?” he asked in surprise.
“ Well, when your uncle inherited everything, after what he and the sea-witch did to your poor father and mother, and since you couldn’t be found, the rightful heir—well, as the new Earl of Griffon, your Uncle Waldrick came here to look at all the gold.”
“ He spent ten hours in the Vault,” Emrys said. “We could barely pry him out of here for breakfast.”
No wonder Red had reacted so angrily. Jake did not want to be anything like his horrid Uncle Waldrick, who was even now imprisoned in a tower for his crimes, deep in the heart of dragon country, where he would remain.
T hey stepped back into the elevator, rejoining the pure-and-virtuous Isabelle and the always-honorable Derek.
Jake knew t hey would never behave like he just had. “I-I wish to apologize for my outburst. I had no cause to be rude to you—Derek, especially. I hope you can forgive me. I guess the past just sort of hit me. Still, that’s no excuse.” His cheeks flamed and his voice faltered with the awkwardness. “I just wanted to say—I’m sorry.”
The Guardian gave him an understanding nod. “It’s all right, lad. We’ll help to keep you honest.”
Isabelle smiled ruefully at him. “It was a nice idea about the animal hospital, anyway,” she said.
Then Emrys closed the door , and when they all held on, the elevator went shooting up again.
G enerous-hearted as they were, Jake’s friends spared him any further mention of his unseemly temper tantrum.
As the elevator ascended, he reflected on how he was fortunate, indeed, that the people he cared about were willing to let his ugly moment pass as water under the bridge.
But when they returned to the Atrium, Jake wo rried that the Gryphon might be another story. Red was already there, surrounded by dwarf engineers and geologists who were showing him maps of the mine’s newest tunnels and trying to get the beast to indicate where they ought to dig next, for gryphons had an instinct for finding gold.
Red sent Jake a chilly glance over his winged shoulder and huffed through his beak, then turned away again.
Jake’s heart sank. But there was no time to waste, for the dwarves’ workday was waning. They had to get on with their tour of the mine.
Emrys put the gold key away while Ufudd passed out rain slickers and a hard protective hat to each of them. Goggles were optional, but each received a little pouch of powdered Illuminium to light their way back in case they got separated.
If being underground weren’t bad enough in itself, Jake blanched at the thought of getting lost by himself in that labyrinth of subterranean tunnels.
Of course, Emrys had no intention of letting that happen, so the Illuminium was really just a keepsake from their visit to the mine. Dani was jumping up and down with excitement over having some Illuminium of her own when Derek announced that he’d be staying behind with Red in the Atrium, where he’d wait for them to return.
He’d been on the tour many times before , he said, and for a fellow of his size, some of those passages, tunnels, and low arches were just a bother.
Jake instantly worried that this was just an excuse, that Derek really just wanted to get away from him after his obnoxious outburst in the Vault.
Not that he could blame him.
Before they set out, Emrys issued a formal invitation to them all to come tomorrow night to Waterfall Village and enjoy the dwarves’ hospitality. They eagerly accepted the invitation, then with a final warning from Derek to do as Emrys said, they marched off into the wide main tunnel off the Atrium to begin their tour.
Crews of dwarves with all their tools and gear bustled about in all directions, heading for their assigned work areas. Halfway down the tunnel, Emrys led them past an alcove hollowed out of the bedrock, with a few small tables
“W hat do you mean?” he asked in surprise.
“ Well, when your uncle inherited everything, after what he and the sea-witch did to your poor father and mother, and since you couldn’t be found, the rightful heir—well, as the new Earl of Griffon, your Uncle Waldrick came here to look at all the gold.”
“ He spent ten hours in the Vault,” Emrys said. “We could barely pry him out of here for breakfast.”
No wonder Red had reacted so angrily. Jake did not want to be anything like his horrid Uncle Waldrick, who was even now imprisoned in a tower for his crimes, deep in the heart of dragon country, where he would remain.
T hey stepped back into the elevator, rejoining the pure-and-virtuous Isabelle and the always-honorable Derek.
Jake knew t hey would never behave like he just had. “I-I wish to apologize for my outburst. I had no cause to be rude to you—Derek, especially. I hope you can forgive me. I guess the past just sort of hit me. Still, that’s no excuse.” His cheeks flamed and his voice faltered with the awkwardness. “I just wanted to say—I’m sorry.”
The Guardian gave him an understanding nod. “It’s all right, lad. We’ll help to keep you honest.”
Isabelle smiled ruefully at him. “It was a nice idea about the animal hospital, anyway,” she said.
Then Emrys closed the door , and when they all held on, the elevator went shooting up again.
G enerous-hearted as they were, Jake’s friends spared him any further mention of his unseemly temper tantrum.
As the elevator ascended, he reflected on how he was fortunate, indeed, that the people he cared about were willing to let his ugly moment pass as water under the bridge.
But when they returned to the Atrium, Jake wo rried that the Gryphon might be another story. Red was already there, surrounded by dwarf engineers and geologists who were showing him maps of the mine’s newest tunnels and trying to get the beast to indicate where they ought to dig next, for gryphons had an instinct for finding gold.
Red sent Jake a chilly glance over his winged shoulder and huffed through his beak, then turned away again.
Jake’s heart sank. But there was no time to waste, for the dwarves’ workday was waning. They had to get on with their tour of the mine.
Emrys put the gold key away while Ufudd passed out rain slickers and a hard protective hat to each of them. Goggles were optional, but each received a little pouch of powdered Illuminium to light their way back in case they got separated.
If being underground weren’t bad enough in itself, Jake blanched at the thought of getting lost by himself in that labyrinth of subterranean tunnels.
Of course, Emrys had no intention of letting that happen, so the Illuminium was really just a keepsake from their visit to the mine. Dani was jumping up and down with excitement over having some Illuminium of her own when Derek announced that he’d be staying behind with Red in the Atrium, where he’d wait for them to return.
He’d been on the tour many times before , he said, and for a fellow of his size, some of those passages, tunnels, and low arches were just a bother.
Jake instantly worried that this was just an excuse, that Derek really just wanted to get away from him after his obnoxious outburst in the Vault.
Not that he could blame him.
Before they set out, Emrys issued a formal invitation to them all to come tomorrow night to Waterfall Village and enjoy the dwarves’ hospitality. They eagerly accepted the invitation, then with a final warning from Derek to do as Emrys said, they marched off into the wide main tunnel off the Atrium to begin their tour.
Crews of dwarves with all their tools and gear bustled about in all directions, heading for their assigned work areas. Halfway down the tunnel, Emrys led them past an alcove hollowed out of the bedrock, with a few small tables
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