Chapter 68: Derlin Cards
"I don't see anything," Irwin said, his eyes roaming the rocky passage. "Unless they remained motionless for ten minutes, it should be clear."
"Alright," Basil said, standing up and stretching.
Irwin followed his example, shivering from the cold. They had been sitting here for a while, long enough for his legs to start cramping and his body to cool down. Seeing as he wasn't able to summon his flame of fear of drawing attention, he couldn't wait for them to find a spot to rest.
The female ranger, who was able to see things almost as fast as him, rose from behind a nearby rock, and Basil turned to her.
"Sairadi, go inside the hideouts and scout for any dangers. If you see anything, rush back," Basil said, and she nodded before rushing away.
"Alright. Head back to Hutch and the others. We will stay there for at least an hour as I send out new scouts," Basil said.
Irwin nodded and headed back towards the main force.
A short while later, Sairadi returned, and Basil signaled everyone onward.
In a surprisingly short time, the entire army was gone from sight. The narrow passage had a set of well-hidden tunnels that led into a cavern system, and except for some guards, everyone was hidden inside. A set of well-crafted doors that looked like rocky surfaces from the outside were replaced. Finally, out of the open, a soft chatter had begun as everyone spread across the cavern system.
Irwin and Daubutim had gone to the backside of the quiet cave that Hutch and Gallom's blazers had taken as theirs. He sat with his back against a wall, flame out to warm himself while the others held whispered conversations. Daubutim sat beside him.
He glanced at the noble youth's hand, noticing the third card slotted in it, and suppressed a sigh. When he'd first met Daubutim, he had only one card, and it was considered useless yet still dear to him. Then he'd gained the shield and, finally the armor in two of the portals they had gone to. And now? It wasn't even that long since then, and only the armor card remained, while his original two cards were replaced with completely different ones.
I should really ask him how he is doing, Irwin thought. As soon as they were back in Degonda, or at least somewhere safe, that was. But first, they needed to help Basil and the others close portals. And for that, they might have to get stronger. His hand drifted to his pocket, and he was both relieved and sad as he felt the cards. Daubutim had gathered four common cards and just given them to him. As soon as he saw them, he felt stupid. How could he have forgotten to look for those himself? If Daubutim hadn't snuck them along, he wouldn't have had any cards to feed Ambraz if they needed to reforge something.