Wings Of Fire: Heart of Oak

A New Trail

Holly's POV

"Axolotl says he's heard of a village that worships an abyss!", Cricket said to them when they returned.
"He'll help us if we help him translate the dragon book! And maybe, he'll be my friend, and we'll learn each other's languages! After we save the world, of course", she added, her smile fading.

"He says we can head there tomarow", Umber said.

"Tomarow? But what about the others?", Luna asked.
"We have to wait for the, don't we?"

Hollt's heart sighed and wriggled.
"We can't", she spoke up.
Everyone turned to her.

"As much as I want to stay, we don't have time. Sundew and Lynx should have met us three days ago. If they were here, we probably would have heard from them, at this point. We have to go on without them."

"And maybe, making us visible again was Sundew telling us to move on without her", Cricket added.

"But we won't have any idea what to do once we get to the Abyss", Luna said.

All eyes returned to Holly.
She inhaled deeply, fingering her necklace.

"We'll just have to figure that out when we get there."

"I get how you feel, Holly", Cricket said.
"I didn't think I'd have to do any real fighting with Sundew and Tsunami around.
I wouldn't send me to save the world either."

But someone did send me.
Someone did think I could do this.
But why me?

"What I tell myself is, whatever's down there will help us save our friends. That's all we're doing: finding the truth. At least, in my head anyway", Cricket said.

"What if the answers eat us?", Luna asked.

"Then, we hope the next dragons do better", Cricket said.
"We should leave a clue for Sundew, but we can't stay and wait, not when there's a way we can save everyone, not when we know what the next step is."

"All right", Luna finally said.
"How do we leave a message for Sundew?"

"Oh, let's think", Cricket said.
She got to her feet lifting small rocks, scratching her head.

"What are you doing?", Luna asked.

"Thinking", Cricket said.
"It has to be something only Sundew and Lynx will notice, or else Wasp might get it."

"So we can't paint on the wall", Holly said. "Or use rocks to spell 'Your saviors were here!', or anything like that."

"Because then, anyone could find us", Cricket added.

"What should the message even say? 'Find a human and follow it'?", Cricket asked.
"I'll tell Wren to ask Axolotl!"

Holly glanced in anxiety as Luna spun a bit of flamesilk, using it to dry her scales.

It's fine, idiot, she's just drying herself.
It's just fire.

"But she could use it on you at any one time", someone said.

What? No, she's mt friend!
Who the hell are you?

No response.

Cricket came bounding toward the, her glasses leaning to one side.

"He says the abyss is near a lake in the South; must be Lake Scorpion. We should put that in the message.
Do you have any other ideas?"

"No, but the more you talk, the harder it is to get any", Umber joked.
"Sorry, trying to be funny like Qibli to lighten the mood."