Page 26 of Ava's Legacy of the Dragons
The new clothes made a huge difference in terms of walking. Ava could walk along the side of the sewer tunnels so that she didn't even touch the wastewater with her boots, and she wasn't panting anymore because she didn't have to constantly hold up heavy and wet masses of fabric. Moreover, she had gotten used tomarching in the darkness. Her senses were so sharpened that her steps were now sure.
"Is it still far to the grotto? I don't have a watch on, but I've got the sense it should be almost eleven o'clock."
"We need to hurry, then we'll make it. We..." Lilly stopped and Ava almost ran into her, but her outstretched hand warned her in time. Otherwise, she probably would have bowled the little one over.
"What is it?"
"There's someone here."
Tense, Ava listened into the darkness. She heard nothing, but she could rely on Lilly's instinct. So she listened more closely, leaned forward a bit, and concentrated on her surroundings. Just as she was about to straighten up and tell Lilly that she didn't hear anything, she heard a soft scraping, as if someone were dragging something across the floor.
Lilly pressed her hand tightly around Ava's. It was the first time she had shown fear. Automatically, Ava fell into the role of protector and pulled her close. Putting an arm around her, she listened vigilantly.
"The sound is moving away."
The little one broke away from her and released her held breath. "We need to be careful. We're not the only ones down here tonight." Although she was trying to speak calmly, her tension was clearly audible.
"I'm right behind you."
Lilly said nothing but kept her hand in Ava's. Keeping close together and listening for every sound, they crept through the gloom. After a while, Lilly stopped again. This time Ava didn't almost run into her. Even though Lilly had experience in survival, she was still a child, which was why Ava no longer followed her blindly.
"What is it? I don't hear anything."
She rubbed the back of her neck. "We're at the exit now. But I forgot to tell you that the owner, whose cellar we're climbing up through, has dogs."
Ava perked up. "Guard dogs?" Her voice sounded thin.
"Of course. After all, we're outside the city now."
Heavens above. In her imagination, they would have simply crawled out of a hole in the ground hidden behind a bush or a boulder and been safe. But they had no choice. They had to arrive at the old grotto on time, or else they would miss Kilian and with him their chance to get his help in bringing the dragon egg to a safe place.
"Describe to me exactly what the property looks like. Where is the cellar, and what direction is the quickest way out?"
Lilly thought. "We come out at the edge. If the dogs aren't nearby, we only need to take five steps and climb over a fence. Past that is a wide field that we cross before we come to the river."
That sounded doable.
Ava listened, but she didn't hear dogs scampering or panting, or any other sound that seemed worrying.
She pulled the bag over her head and shoulder so that she was wearing it diagonally across her chest and the dragon egg was secure at her side. Silently, she stepped past Lilly and felt into the darkness until she came across the handle she had to press down.
"Are you ready?"
The little one didn't answer. In the darkness, Ava reached for her and grasped her hands.
"What's wrong?"
Lilly's breathing had changed. "Nothing, I just don'thave good experiences with dogs." She rolled her shoulders and shook out her body. "But that doesn't matter. We'll manage. At least in those pants, you're faster than in the ball gown and won't hold us up anymore."
Whether she was reassuring herself or Ava remained unclear, but it seemed to help her. Without waiting for Ava's consent, she pushed past her and opened the door, so that the starlight illuminated her tense features.
Ava focused intently as her gaze swept across the property stretching out before them. On the opposite side, a medium-sized residential building was visible, the rest sinking into blackness. Lilly pointed to the left and pulled her straight along.
They didn't hear anything. No dogs barking, no four-legged creature was on their heels. So far, so good. But when they reached the fence after taking five steps, Ava stopped in shock. It was high. Far too high to simply jump over. As if the moon wanted to show her the full extent of the hurdle she had to overcome, it emerged from behind a cloud and illuminated the slender metal rods. Ava couldn't even reach the tips with outstretched arms.
"How are we supposed to get over that?"
"We squeeze through the bars." Effortlessly, Lilly slipped between the metal rods, turned her face to her shoulder, and was on the other side within two seconds. The good side. The one Ava wanted to be on too. But she didn't need to try Lilly's technique. She could see at first glance that she wouldn't fit between the bars.
