Dealing with Dragons

Linderwall, Cimorene’s home kingdom, is a “very pleasant and prosperous place” (1) that is close to many other kingdoms. There are three primary locations of importance within the novel, all of which are west of Linderwall: the Mountains of Morning, the Caves of Fire and Night, and the Enchanted Forest. Because the Mountains of Morning contain the network of dragon caves that are connected to one another underground, Alianora and Cimorene can access each other’s homes and the Caves of Fire and Night without going above ground. One notable mountain is the Vanishing Mountain, where the dragons’ kingship trial ends. This location also contains the Pass of Silver Ice: a treacherous climb with a six-inch path, where Cimorene first meets Zemenar. While dragons can easily fly though the Pass to access the Enchanted Forest, humans must go through the Caves of Fire and Night.

The Caves of Fire and Night are barred by a magical gate whose spell is known only to the dragons (and Cimorene), because many locations within the Caves are important to dragonkind. Occasionally, the Caves will plunge into complete darkness. The caves also sport a variety of “hot sulfur pools” that the older dragons bathe in to ease their rheumatism, and there is also a “deep chasm with a river of […] melted rock at the bottom” that dwarfsmiths use “for forging magic swords” (94).