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Her breathing quickened as she stared at the rock-covered ceiling before she finally let her eyes fall on the room. She felt herself go white with fear, the coldness of it rushing through her so quickly her skin prickled with goosebumps as a shiver ran up her spine.

She knew this room, this alcove. It was where she’d cooked her meals.No! I am in his lair.

Throwing herself forward so she was seated on top of the stone table, she continued to look around.

Where is he?

He wasn’t in the room with her. Wherever he was, she didn’t want to be there.

She wanted to run and hide.

Amalia turned so she could put her feet to the floor and jumped down, but immediately lost her footing. She managed to save herself by falling to one knee. Her legs felt like nothing more than soft, cooked spaghetti.

Dizziness swam through her, but the adrenaline of fright gave her the strength to move. Getting to her feet, she made her way to the entryway and leaned against it to steady herself before she peeked her head out.

She could see the entrance to the cave, but she would have to walk past multiple alcoves to get there.The ward.He would have put it in place by now since he wouldn’t let her escape.

That would mean she would have to hide inside of his lair until she knew he was gone.

Trying to keep her footsteps quiet, she checked that he wasn’t inside each alcove when she travelled deeper inside his lair. She often had to right herself with the wall and stop so that she could breathe through the wavering dizziness that tried to make her collapse.

Shaking her head to clear her constantly wavering vision, she continued to move until she walked through the main room, thankful that he hadn’t been inside of it. She couldn’t hear him, and she couldn’t see him, until she made it to the fork in her path.

Her chest tightened with fear when she looked down the tunnel that led to his trophy room. The firepit that was usually unlit was bright with flames.He is preparing.She bit back a sob before quickly turning the other way.

Her knees tried to buckle with each step while her hands shook against the wall.

She managed to reach the cavern with the stream without being noticed and ducked behind the waterfall so she could crawl into the shallow hole. Amalia bent her legs so that she could rest her head against her knees while wrapping her arms around her shins.

The cold air made her tremble just as much as her emotions, and she prayed that she would just fade away.

I want to disappear from the world.

She didn’t want to be here anymore, had very much wanted to die.

Although she hoped Strolguil was dead and was relieved that she hadn’t woken inside of that castle-like mansion, she hadn’t wanted to wake here either.I do not want to face fire again.She dug her nails into her calves.

Her eyes threatened to close.I feel so weak.

Not wanting to rest, in fear she would be found when asleep, she peeked her head up to look at the water. She also checked the entrance through the waterfall to the cavern to make sure he wasn’t there.

Her eyes drifted over the small path behind the fall where she had walked, and where she could possibly run to if she was found.

The stream wasn’t in the centre of the cavern. There was a great and long space between it and the entrance, but the other side had just enough space that the Dragon would be able to lay there against the wall.

She also eyed the stream. She didn’t know how to swim.I could drown myself.She would rather that than the agony she would feel.

Just when she was about to get up and try to do just that, she heard a noise.

The sound of the waterfall rushing did little to hide the yell she heard. The yell of hername.

With a quiet squeak, she held her legs tighter and pushed herself further against the wall. She couldn’t get deeper than she already was.

For a long while, she heard nothing.

Please do not come here. Please do not find me.

She knew what Glov had told her about being able to be found here. Amalia just hoped her scent was faint since she felt that way. That perhaps with so little blood inside her, she couldn’t be followed.