The dragon rumbled a soft chuckle, tossing his head lightly in amusement. Her small warmth against his scales was a comfort as he moved down the rocky beach, eyes scanning from the shallows to the rocky slopes above.
The island was much bigger than he'd originally thought, a deceptively long stretch of land tucking in behind the sheltered face he'd brought Ash to the previous night. Abruptly he reached the end of the rocky shallows, nearly half his body dipping into the water as he pushed onward to get around the high wall of rock that still stretched out. He'd thought they might round the tip of the island and find themselves back on land on the other side. His eyes widened as he rounded the end to find a narrow channel of even deeper water running a shadowed path right through the rocks.
Yan's heart pounded at the sight of it but he very slowly turned his head to eye Aishling. 'I think that...goes inside,' he offered in explanation. The rocks seemed to continue on into shallows just a little ways further down where he was certain would just round them back to where they'd started. Looking to the high walls of rock before them, though, the sunlight only illuminated the entrance as the slope of the island above sheltered the rest.
Peering inside he did notice a faint glow that seemed shrouded in mist. Perhaps it was another opening he'd missed with the light teasing from the other side, but the dragon was hopeful that it was something more that he'd simply not noticed by the light of the moon when he'd flown them in. Automatically he paddled closer, too curious to not at least explore his find.
The channel was only just wide enough to fit him through with a few wriggles whenever a paw or his tail got stuck on a jutting edge. He was certain most human ships would never be able to navigate it, which only solidified in his mind how it would be a good hiding place.
Only a few lengths further dropped them into darkness, the air thick with the mist he'd noticed from the outside. It was colder, but only just, and the dragon pressed on to let the faint light ahead guide his direction. The low, narrow rocks gradually opened wider as a higher ceiling of rock stretched above them. It was barely visible in the darkness even to Yan, but he felt and heard it as fewer rocks brushed his scales with open water enveloping him instead and the faint sound of splashing echoing around them as he paddled along.
'Do you hear that?' he reached out to her, even his mind's voice quiet as though they should be cautious.
