Deciding that there must be a better way to save her favorite pair of heels than wading out into the
dangerous swamp waters, Rosella sharpened her big blue eyes, and wandered around a bit more. The more
she surveyed the surface of the water, the more she noticed that there was what appeared to be a sort of
pathway on the lily pads leading from the island to the mainland and the mountain beyond. If she hopped
along the pads, they would take her just close enough to her precious shoes that she might be able to reach
them with a long stick.
As most of the trees were dead in this area of Tamir, Rosella had little trouble finding a fallen limb that was
long enough but still light enough for her delicate arms. With the stick in one hand, and her long red skirt
scrunched up in the other, the princess gingerly hopped from one lily pad to the next, letting out a few gasps
as she nearly lost her balance a few times. Just as the strange path of giant lily pads curved in toward the
mainland, Rosella reached out with the long stick she had picked up, fishing for her lost heels. Awkwardly,
she pulled the little black shoes over toward the lily pad one by one. After they were safely within arms
reach, she tossed the long stick into the water, and scooped up her precious heels with a smile. They were
wet, but they would survive. Deciding it was unwise to hop onto already wobbly lily pads wearing heels,
Rosella chose to finish the path barefoot, clutching her reacquired shoes tightly to her chest.
Making the final leap onto solid ground felt remarkably good to the young princess. She dropped her heels to
the ground and slipped her feet inside with a grimace. They were quite wet, but it beat getting any further
runs in her nylons. Turning her attention the mountain before her, Rosella spied the small crevice at the base.
This looked to be the entrance to the cave, and her pathway into greater Tamir as her memory recalled.
Taking a deep breath, to calm her nerves, Rosella, crouched down onto her hands and knees, and crawled
into the cave. The opening was so low to the ground that the disgusted princess was forced nearly onto her
belly to get inside.
Inside, she stood up, brushing leaves off her dress. Licking her hands, she ran them up and down her legs,
desperately trying to remove any mud from her white stockings. After her catlike actions, Rosella was
satisfied she had cleaned up. She was standing in a tiny globe of light, cascading in from the small hole
leading back out into the swamp. Beyond a couple of feet, Rosella could see absolutely nothing in the
darkness. She shivered and took a step back, knocking over a piece of wood that had been leaning against
the wall. It clattered overwhelmingly loud in the vacuum like silence of the cave. Squeezing her eyes shut
and gritting her teeth against her clumsiness, Rosella glanced down and recognized she had knocked over a
familiar board. She had used it to cross a seemingly bottomless chasm that awaited an unsuspecting victim
in the darkness not far inside this very cave. She would certainly need it again to avoid a treacherous fate.
Picking it up in tender hands, she frowned at its rough splintery texture, but assured herself the discomfort far
outweighed the consequences of leaving it behind. What Rosella did not see was any source of light. On her
previous journey through the cave she had found her way with a modest lantern that painted each step before
her with a flickering light. Whoever had passed though the cave after her, had left the board, but not the
lantern. Without it, she would be engulfed in blinding darkness after only several steps. And the silent
chasm was not the only danger that awaited victims in this cave. There was a vicious troll that patrolled the
darkness. Who knew what he would do if he caught the poor princess! Rosella knew she had to pass this
cavern in order to rescue Genesta and her fairies from Lolotte’s evil plans, but could she do it blind? The
weight of a decision lay before the nervous young girl.
