Adrianna took her team of Haldir, Mihr and two Mozias to the outskirts where the human realm t the ocean. They had appeared on the uneven shoreline. The moon was shining above reflecting its soft, pristine rays on the waves below that were rolling inland to dissolve into foam as they touched the shores. In the far distance on the right there was a small thick green forest that looked dark and uninviting.
"We have to travel through the cave inside that forest," said Haldir pointing to the right. His voice was interrupted by a crash of waves as they swept ashore and spread across the land leaving a giant turtle.
Mihr gestured a Mozia and went to the animal. He caressed it with a smile, picked it up with the help of Mozia and then walked back to the ocean to leave it.
"Ask this foolish man to stop."
Adrianna's eyes bulged like a soccer field. She stared at the turtle who was flapping its giant fins to free itself from Mihr who was only acting out of kindness.
"What the hell are you staring at? Ask him to stop," said the turtle again. "It is so difficult to co on land. I have to lay eggs."
Adrianna gulped. "Mihr, stop."
Mihr looked at her and hesitated. "This turtle needs help."
"No, this is a female turtle that has co to lay eggs. You should let it go," she emphasized.
"How would you know?" his voice was cracked up a little. Then suddenly he rembered. "Oh!" he said. His queen could speak to the animals. He bent down to leave the turtle. The sea creature flared its fins and with one big push moved away from Mihr.
"Let's go. We don't have ti to waste," said Haldir and turned towards the forest. The others followed.
"The cave that you are searching for is not in the forest." The turtle said casually.
Adrianna stopped in her tracks.
"Why have you stopped Adrianna?" Haldir was getting impatient.
"Do you see those jagged peaks in distance?" the turtle turned and pointed towards the ocean.
In the dark Adrianna could see so rocky outcrops inside the ocean. The peaks were tall and jutted out of water steeply. She wondered where the cave would be and how did the turtle know but there was no ti to ask. She trusted the animal.
"The cave in the forest was destroyed a hundred years back." The turtle continued on its journey.
"Wait!" Adrianna shouted. She ran to the giant animal. "Where is the entrance of the cave?"
"It is hidden by vegetation sowhere in the middle of the slope on the far side. But rember, the doors of the cave would open and close only when the moon rays hit it." The turtle said while walking slowly to its destination.
"Thanks."
"It's okay. Now leave ."
Haldir and Mihr stopped when they heard Adrianna talking to the turtle. They ca near her. "What do we do?" asked Haldir.
"Let us go to those rocks," she replied.
The troupe mounted their brooms and all of them flew over the tidal waves to the rocky mountain as the breeze beca harsher and colder.
They circled the rocky hill and went to the other side to find the cave's entrance. There was nothing that would give them a clue about it. One of the Mozias flew upwards towards a thick vegetation area as the others watched him while sitting on their brooms. As he cleared the branches in front of him to reach the rocky surface beneath it, two white giant birds ca out flying from their nests that were perched inside it. They cawed so loudly that other birds joined them in protest. Mozia had to retreat.
The birds ca out in large numbers to attack them, but before they could, Adrianna ford a shield around all of them. The birds pecked the solid air but couldn't get near any of them.
"Go away intruders!" shouted one of them.
"We have co here to find the cave's entrance. Please help us," Adrianna communicated with it. "We an no harm."
The bird flapped its wings and slowly flew away. Rest of the birds followed it. It beca eerily still. The moon had shifted and its rays were now falling on this side of the steep slope of the hill. Adrianna beca desperate when the birds didn't help her. "All of us are going to move together now," she ordered.
She started inspecting the hill for any signs of the cave. A few minutes later the bird ca back. "Co this way," it said and dived. The wizards, witch and the elf followed it.
The bird perched itself on a small tree that was projecting out. It turned its white head towards the moon. Everyone watched with bated breath. As soon as the rays fell on the tree, its leaves swayed in a wave and it tilted a little revealing the cave's entrance. Adrianna smiled.
"Thanks!" she said to the bird. It bobbed its head and crooned before flying away.
The team entered the cave one by one. Haldir led them. He lit a torch right on his broom's head and slowly they flew across the cave. "Whatever happens, don't walk on the ground," his voice echoed. There was a rustle of dead leaves as sothing passed over them.
The cane slled cold and as they proceeded further, the cold only increased. The air beca stale with the sll of decaying animal carcasses and rotten vegetation. The cave winded to the left and suddenly there was ice on the walls all around. The flicker of the torch reflected its yellow on the ice. The cave beca narrower to the extent that at one point of ti their bodies were scraping sides in a tight part.
Cold wind seeped through the cracks. And then suddenly there was a gust of snow blowing inside from the other side.
"Where are we going?" asked Mihr for the first ti shielding his face with his hand.
"To the north, to et the white witch," replied Adrianna.
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