The Gatekeeper's Daughter

A Cold Day in . . .

www.gatekeepersdaughter.com

Now available for you in Kindle and trade paperback formats on Amazon.com

Also the sequel (book 2 of 9) has is posted here on Wattpad.  The Title is "In Darkness Deep"

Jenner and the 13 other companions made quick work of the distance to the mountain top with the aid of the eagles. A journey that would have taken a week or more was accomplished in little more than an hour. Part of that time was spent by various individuals learning to master their communication with the eagles.

But after a few near tragic mistakes, they all seemed to get the basic concept of flying. Though they did not all love flying, for the soldiers, they saw the benefits militarily right away.

As they approached the glacier covered split peak of the mountain known as The Forge of The Gods, they began to realize that it was in fact a dormant volcano, whose top was open.

But the most amazing thing they saw were massive stone ruins mostly buried by the thick glacial ice near the mouth of the mountain. The most stunning fact about the ruins might have been their location, if it were not for their massive size. The ruins were many times larger than even a hill giant would require. In places the wind had blown away all the snow revealing the full size of some of the ruins. They were clearly of gigantic proportions. The arched doorways that remained were no less than fifty feet tall and at least eighteen feet wide. The ruins were of ancient design and even more ancient architecture. It was clear that this place had come to destruction uncountable ages ago.

Jenner thought it was possible that the volcano brought about the destruction of those who built the ruins, though it did seem as though the ruins were built on a lava flow of prehistoric age.

The wind was very powerful and the eagles had a very difficult time flying until they descended below the crater walls into the crater. Jenner was careful to tell everyone to make no sound and to say nothing as even the slightest sound would carry a long way down the crater.

The depth of the crater was not knowable by sight, as the opening seemed to go to the other side of the world. It was certainly more than 5000 feet deep, but how much deeper was impossible to determine as the light was utterly squeezed out.

About 1500 feet below there was a large landing and much to Jenner's suspicions, there was a massive opening going north into the belly of the mountain.

They continued to descend until reaching the landing. When the eagles came to a quiet and gentle landing, everyone dismounted as armed themselves as quickly and quietly as they could. They knew they had to be ready for anything at any time.

***

Attikus had not heard the dragon in some time. He still found it hard to believe the dragon had not killed him. Even so, Attikus knew that he had to find a way out. It was logical to Attikus that the light he saw coming from the ceiling was daylight, and even that he might be able to find a way to climb up. But it was very high and Attikus thought that the dragon had certainly not come in that way, as the hole was too small to allow the dragon to fly out.

Attikus had slightly better than average night vision, or so he always thought, and had been told. It was time to put that theory to the test.

Attikus decide to walk in the direction that the dragon went rather than follow in the direction of Kek Anphu. The dragon would need a larger opening and fining the way out would be easier. Kek Anphu may have known a secret passage and the way was sure to wind this way and that in the darkness. It would be very easy to lose one's way, and get turned around.