10 In the Tunnels

CHAPTER 10 IN THE TUNNELS Tag fell for what felt like forever. THUD! He landed on cold, damp mud. "Blaze?" Tag called. "Skyla?" The tunnel was dark. He couldn't see a thing. "Tag!" Skyla replied. She was right next to him.

Tag hugged his friend, glad that she was okay. "Where is Blaze?" Skyla scurried a little way ahead. "She's over here!" Skyla said. "We need to untie her." They pulled at the webbing around Blaze's beak and wings until they came free. "Peep!" Blaze called. "Peep, peep, peep!" "We have to stay quiet," Tag whispered. "Blaze, can you light the way for us?" There was a rustle of feathers. Slowly, the tunnel grew brighter as Blaze's feathers glowed.

Tag, Skyla, and Blaze walked through the tight, narrow tunnel, wondering what had happened to Monty. "There you are!" a voice said behind them. "I'm afraid I got a little lost in the tunnels when I went back to fill in my holes and to grab your weapons. Moles don't see too well, you see." Monty handed Skyla and Tag their weapons. "Thank you for helping us, Monty," Tag said. "But how did you know where we were?"

"I am a friend of Grey's," Monty told them. "He told me about your quest and about the Ember Stone, and he asked me to find you." "Are you from Valor Wood?" Skyla asked. "Moles and many other creatures used to live in this part of Perodia—before Thorn and The Shadow destroyed everything up there." Monty pointed aboveground. "But we moles still live underground here, and we use the tunnels to spy on Thorn." "That sounds dangerous!" Skyla said.

"Thorn and his spies don't know about the tunnels," Monty said. "We fill in our holes so they never see them. You are safe down here. But we must hurry. We need to get you all to Valor Wood." Skyla and Blaze followed after the little mole, but Tag paused. "Wait!" he said. "We can't leave without my sack." Blaze pointed at Monty. "That's what I've been trying to tell you," she told Tag. "I saw the sack fall into a hole!" Monty grinned as he pulled something out from behind him. It was Tag's sack. "As soon as I heard the wolves, I knew you were in trouble. So I tunneled up and grabbed your sack before Thorn's spies saw it."

"Thank you!" Tag said. He looked inside the sack. The Ember Stone was safe. "Monty," he said as they continued on, we saw prickle ants and crag beetles marching toward Valor Wood. And locusts and tiger bats filled the sky. When that horn sounded, the wolves ran off to join the march. Why are Thorn's spies all together in The Shadowlands now?" "What is Thorn planning?" Skyla added. "They are preparing for a battle," Monty said quietly. He stopped and turned to the friends. "They are preparing to attack Valor Wood."