The young monkey squeezed through a curtain of hanging vines. Something glinted between the thick roots — a smooth silver scale he had never seen before.
He picked it up and turned it in a warm beam of sunlight. It flashed like a tiny mirror. Something about it felt important.
Bramble followed the scale deeper into the green shadows, calling out, 'Hello?' But only echoes answered.
The scale grew warm in his palm. The air smelled sweet, like crushed leaves and wet earth.
A wide stream blocked his path. The scale pointed downstream. 'Okay,' he whispered, 'let's go this way.'
He stepped onto a fallen log, balancing carefully. It wobbled beneath his feet, and the water rushed below.
On the other side, he pushed through another curtain of vines and stopped. A forgotten waterfall tumbled into a sparkling pool.
The silver scale rose from his hand, glowing bright, then dropped into the water with a soft plink.
Bramble crouched at the edge and splashed the cool water. Ripples spread across the pool, catching the light.
He grinned and threw another handful. A rainbow appeared in the misty spray.
He splashed again and again, laughing at the colors. The waterfall sang beside him.
He lay back on the warm moss and watched the light shift on the water. What a wonderful hidden place.
