Then she turned her attention to the treasure pile.
It was a mountain of the finest pieces of gold and other priceless metals, of fine jewelry and art, of weapons and crockery. And it was all sitting in a pile while the rest of the cave looked quite primitive.
Inspiration struck, and next thing Sunshine knew, she had a rag in hand and was sorting through the mess. She found a candelabra studded with jewels that she cleaned and set atop the fireplace. Several solid gold plates were put in a neat stack on the shelf above the table. A pair of matching goblets was added to complete the set.
Somewhere along the way, she started to have fun, and the cave began to look quite lovely. This only spurred her on, and she dug back into the treasure pile with renewed vigor.
She found an elaborate necklace far too heavy to be worn and hung it over the door instead. She found a beautiful end table with inlaid jewels and set that as a nightstand. A thick rug with gold tassels was put in front of the fireplace. She hung several decorated shields on jagged rock points in the cave walls.
“How lovely,” she breathed as she lifted a gilded bodice from the pile. It was more like a metal bustier, in fact, crusted with jewels and carved with fine detail. She would never have cause to wear such an impractical garment, but she could certainly appreciate the beauty of—
“You broke the ward.”
She spun around to find a dark outline filling the frame of the door she had indeed left wide open. She couldn’t see his silhouetted face, but she still knew it was him.
“It only works if the door’s closed,” he said.
“I was letting in some fresh air.”
“Someone could have found you.”
“I was keeping an eye out.”
“It’s not safe.”
“I was being careful.”
“You were being stupid.”
She set the bustier down and planted her hands on her hips. “We may be temporary allies, but that doesn’t give you the right to insult me.”
There was a pause.
“If you think that was insulting, remind me to never let you hang around my brothers.” If she wasn’t mistaken, there was humor in his voice.
He stepped inside, closing the door behind him to seal the ward, and looked around. “I like what you’ve done with the place.”
“Things needed a little sprucing up. And you certainly have no shortage of decor.”
He was silent for a moment, still taking in her decorating efforts. “I’d never used it like this before.”
“The treasure you stole?”
He nodded.
“Why not?”
His shoulder lifted briefly. “I just took it, threw it in a pile, and went to get more.”
She laughed. “Well, if you ever need a decorator again, call me up. I could do this all day.”
The silence fell again, and she wished he would come closer so the fire would illuminate his face. As it was, she could only catch the faintest shimmer of his gold eyes.
Then she remembered what she should actually be asking about. “Did you discover a way past the wards?”
“Yes and no.” He finally ventured in, walking over to sit on the edge of the cot.
“Care to elaborate?” she finally asked when he didn’t speak again.
