Dragon Dreams (8 page)

We all freeze. I feel around for my backpack and find the flashlight.

CLICK.

Everyone talks at the same time.

“Ouch!” I say.

“What happened?” Rapunzel asks.

Moriah says, “Why on earth were you running, Alex?!”

“How was I supposed to know you all were going to stop!” Alex says.

I can’t help it—I start to laugh. We’re a four-princess pile-up.

Rapunzel and Alex giggle. Pretty soon, we’re all laughing.

“Uh-oh,” says Moriah. She looks around. “Where
is
everybody?!”

The rest of our class is gone. They
must have turned in to one of the other tunnels. But which one?!

“What are we going to do?” Alex says.

No one answers.

“Um… I think we’re going to have to find a gnome to ask for help.”

All eyes turn to me. “Wait a second! I said ‘we,’ not me!”

“Come on, Emma,” Alex says.

Even Moriah chimes in. “Please, Emma!”

I’m pretty nervous about the idea of talking to a strange gnome, but I choose one of the tunnels. Rapunzel, Alex, and Moriah follow close behind me. There’s a not-so-happy-looking gnome coming toward us. I stop and take a deep breath.

“Excuse me, Mr. Gnome, sir, but we’ve lost our way.”

He mutters something about “interfering Royal Council and underfoot princesses,” and hurries past us. This is definitely
not
going to be easy.

Chapter 11

After
a while, we come to a big stone building carved into the side of the rock. It has a sign that says
The Gnarly Gnome Preparatory School
.

“Well… I guess we’ll find some gnomes to ask here,” says Alex. But she looks like she’s not too eager to go in.

“I bet this time it will be better,” Rapunzel
says, but I can tell even she might not believe it.

“Or not,” Moriah says, when she can’t budge the door. We finally manage to pull it open, but it takes all of us. Whew!

The classes are in session, so we tiptoe. As I look around, I can’t help wondering what it would be like to go to school here. There are
lots of carved statues of dragons and other magical creatures, large pieces of rock with amazing gems in them, and cases full of interesting-looking tools. There’s also a big poster about dragon care that I wish I could stop and read. I almost knock over a stone statue because I’m so busy looking around. Moriah catches it just in time!

“Shhh—be careful!” she says. “We don’t want to attract too much attention. Or we won’t be going on any more field trips.
Ever
.”

Good point.

BRRRINNG
, clangs the bell. Class must be over.

We freeze. “Quick, in here!” I say, and pull open a door.

The good news is, it’s a closet. The not so good news is, it’s a little bit tight for four.

Okay,
very
tight.

Who knew that gnomes getting out of class sound like a herd of wild unicorns?! Or take so long!

When it’s finally quiet again, I peek my head out. I see a gnome who looks like he’s about our age, standing in front of a bulletin board—
alone
. I try to act braver than I feel.

It turns out his name is Justin, and he’s
in his second year at Gnome Prep. I get the feeling he’s not your typical gnome. He actually seems excited to meet some live princesses.

When I explain that we have to get back to our class, Justin suggests we walk into the main village to see if we can find a dragon that can fly us back to our class. He has his own pet dragon—lucky him! But she’s not full-grown yet, so she isn’t big enough to carry all of us.

I think this is a great plan! Moriah, Alex, and Rapunzel are not so happy about the “flying on a dragon” part.

Chapter 12

Justin
takes us on a narrow path up a rocky hill. When we get to the top, we can see the whole village! Moriah gasps. Rapunzel beams. Alex’s eyes get huge.

I open my mouth, but nothing comes out. Because there, in front of us, is a large lake surrounded by hundreds of homes—in all sorts of odd shapes and sizes, with statues
and gardens all carved out of stone. The lake sparkles, and it almost looks like it’s snowing because the gnomes are busy cutting, carving, or polishing stone, with glittery dust flying. It’s like being in a giant snow globe.

There’s only one thing missing from this perfect fairy tale picture.

“But where are the dragons?” I say.