Chapter 13: Mountains Cont'd

  "You are."
  "How can you know that?"
  "Trust me, I know." Rheto stretched underneath the ropes, waking at the sound of voices.
  "Ardan, don't worry so much. You'll be wonderful. No one could help but love you. Plus, we'll help you. Won't we Fulkar?" Rheto interjected.
  "Absolutely." Ardan felt a little better, but their words didn't stop the millions of butterflies in his stomach from flying around as if caught in a thunderstorm. He tried to relax, but as the mountains loomed closer he couldn't help, but become anxious. This was most likely going to be one of the most important times of his life and he desperately wanted to do it right.
  "Fulkar, what do I say? When we get there."
  "You should say hello."
  "And after that?"
  "Tell Celeret why you've come. That you want to be taught. Bow when you say hello and be respectful. I'm sure that everything will be fine."
  "I wish we could have practiced while we were still on the ground. I've never met anyone important before."
  "You met me..." Ardan smiled.
  "Yes I did. I suppose that went okay."
  "I didn't eat you." They all laughed as Fulkar turned his head to wink at them. "Stop worrying."
  "I can't."
  "Well, you must. We're here." Ardan's breath caught in his throat. He hadn't realized how close they were. The mountains were shrouded in a thick fog and when Fulkar landed, the mist rolled out from under him in thick waves, spilling over the edge of the outcropping where he set down. Ardan's hands were shaking so badly that it took him three tries to untie the rope. He slid to the ground and tried to straighten his vest, nervously running his fingers through his hair over and over again until there was a deafening crack and the rock in front of them began to move. It opened like a door, revealing a well-lit interior, and the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.