Chapter 29.2 - Tunnels


Xantia knew better than to sleep. Despite being exhausted she knew that if she closed her eyes there was every chance that she would never wake up. The others in the party clearly felt the same. No one even bothered to set up their bed rolls, they simply draped their blankets over their shoulders.

"Tomorrow we will reach our destination," Emerek said.

"Is it far?" asked Scarface.

"No, but it will be difficult to enter. The power I took from the priestess back in the town still flows in me, but I fear it might not be enough."

Around the fire everyone other than Drander, the captain, stiffened and looked down. A sorcerer in need of more power took it from either an enemy or a slave. Neither options were available.

Emerek pointed two fingers at one of the twins next to Xantia. He snatched his hand into a fist. The woman screamed and hit the ground.

"No!" her sister shouted. In one fluid motion she pulled her short sword from its scabbard and pounced at Emerek. The Bloodknight captain was ready. He bashed her with his shield. She hit the ground hard.

"Tie her quickly!" Emerek commanded.

Within moments Scarface and the large man named Noldorae had joined their captain in restraining the shield bashed woman. Emerek still held his fist tight causing the other twin to scream and writhe on the ground near the fire. Once the male Bloodknights had finished tying their victim's hands and legs Emerek released his fist. The woman went limp. She shakily raised herself onto her elbows. She looked in horror at her bound sister. The captain strode over and hit her with a vicious backhand. She collapsed unconscious at Xantia's side.

Emerek pulled out his dagger and walked over to the bound twin. She had stopped kicking and straining against her bonds. Her eyes were dilated in fear, but she had composed herself.

"Why me? I have served you faithfully. Why not her?" she nodded her head in Xantia's direction. "Or Noldorae? His stupidity has failed you before. It will fail you again."

"I will need Noldorae's strength. And Xantia, if she is telling the truth about knowing the thieves' strengths and weaknesses, is more valuable than you. Rest assured that if she is lying she will be the next to die."

"And my sister? What do you plan to do to her?"

"She will continue to serve faithfully or she will also die."

The woman took a deep breath and released it slowly. "I am ready."

Emerek licked his lips excitedly. He quietly muttered the words of the ritual while the knife rose slowly. Once the words ran out he plunged the knife down. She grunted, but did not scream. Xantia looked away in disgust.

What is wrong with me? Time among the barbarians has definitely made me weak if I can't stomach the sight of blood.

Once the woman was dead, and the ritual was completed, Emerek put his shaking hands into his robes and extracted a red enamel amulet. He knelt on one knee and indicated to everyone else to do the same.

Pressing the red disk to his forehead he spoke clearly. "Liege, your faithful servant Emerek wishes to hear your counsel."

They all waited on one knee. Time passed. Xantia hoped no response would come.

Suddenly the amulet on Emerek's forehead heated up. Instantly his mind's eye was taken to a large marble floored room partially lit with flickering braziers.

"Emerek. Do you have good news for me?" Liege Marext asked.

"We enter the tunnel tomorrow."

"Then why contact me now?"

"A question."

"Yes?"

"Earlier this evening a winged one flew overhead. Gretch the Hunter was riding it."

Emerek read the surprise on his Liege's face.

"That answers a riddle that was puzzling me. Next time you see him slay him and bring me his head. The flier will need to be killed as well. It is tainted."

"As you wish. One other question."

"Yes?"

"Xantia, the female assassin with white hair. She has joined our group. Can she be trusted?"

Liege Marext pondered before answering. "My trust of her equals my trust of you."

"Very well, my Liege. Within a day the Evara will be laying at your feet, ready to be slain."

"She had better be." The connection between their minds was severed.

"What news?" the Bloodknight captain asked. "We could hear your questions but not his replies."

"We are to kill Gretch when we next see him. But she," he pointed to Xantia, "is trusted. She lives. For now."

***

There was no terrain that Gretch the Hunter knew better than bare rocky mountains. Making sure he was constantly downwind he stalked the two barbarians through the darkness. Every so often a chip of granite would come loose below his feet and bounce down the slope, but he was sure that the howling wind concealed the sounds. The barbarians were talking loudly, oblivious of his approach. The short haired one was standing dangerously close to the ridgeline.

What are they doing?

Gretch found a small depression in the stone and decided to watch them. They moved away from the edge and found some slight shelter from the wind. Gretch wished he was closer to them so that he could hear their conversation. They pulled blankets out of their sacks and attempted to rest. To kill them now and take the box would be easy, but curiosity tugged at him.

What has brought them to the same mountain as the sorcerer?

Gretch decided to wait and watch.

***

Alam rose damp, stiff, and sore from behind the rock that sheltered him and Tajar from the freezing winds. The sun was obscured by cloud that covered the top of the mountain.

"Looks like rain, or worse, coming," said Tajar who had woken before Alam. "We'd better find this cave soon."

The two friends walked back up to the split boulder and found the rock they had placed on the ground. They cast their gaze around looking for anything that might be the entrance to a cave.

"I don't see anything," said Alam. "Do you?"

"No. There's nothing here."

Alam took a breath to steady himself before approaching the ridgeline and its sudden drop. He got to his knees and crawled over to the edge. "It has to be down there."

"I hope not," said Tajar as he knelt down beside Alam and peered over the edge.

"What's that?" asked Alam. Some thirty paces below the ridgeline there was a line of rock which protruded slightly from the rock face.

"It looks like a small lip of rock," Tajar answered.

"How do we get there?"

"Rope." Tajar pulled a length of rope out of his travel sack and tied one end of it around the split boulder. He threw the rest of the rope over the edge.

"I will go first," said Alam. Just thinking about the drop brought cold sweat to his forehead.

It is only fear. I have conquered it before.

"Don't be stupid," argued Tajar. "You'll probably faint half way down and fall to your death."

"This isn't a negotiation. I'm going first. Already people have died because I accepted this quest. I would rather die than have you die."

"So would I," laughed Tajar, "but... Hey! Stop!"

Alam grabbed the rope. He twisted it twice around his arm. His heart pounded in his chest.

It is only fear.

Before he could think his way out of it he swung his legs over the precipice. His legs dangled sickeningly below him. Bile washed up into his mouth.

"Twist your leg around the rope!" shouted Tajar.

Alam did as instructed and slowly, hand over hand, descended.

"Keep looking at me," said Tajar. "Don't look down!"

The rope bit into his hands and rubbed painfully on the leg that it was twisted around but he stayed holding on. Blissful relief flooded into him when he felt solid rock connect with his feet sooner than expected.

"Thank the heavens!" a smile broke out on his face.

"Don't just stand there smiling like an idiot, is the cave there or not?" Tajar called down.

The ledge that Alam found himself on was only one pace wide. Beyond it the drop continued mercilessly. Alam tried to ignore the certain death that awaited if he should slip, and turned his attention to the rock face in front of him.

"Yes, but it's strange."

"In what way?"

"It's more like a tunnel than a cave, and it's round. Perfectly round, like a circle."

"Is it big enough to fit inside?"

"Easily," answered Alam. "I'm going in."

"Wait! I'm coming down."

By the time Tajar had reached the ledge Alam had examined the the tunnel as far as natural light allowed. It was tall enough that Alam did not have to stoop. A thin puddled line of icy water, lay at the bottom of it.

"We're in the right place," said Alam holding up a small, damp, earthen bottle. "Someone else has been here."

"Brother Unher or the trapper guide that accompanied him do you think?" Tajar asked as he examined it.

"Does it matter? At least we're in the right place."

"How far back does the tunnel go?"

"Let's find out."

Alam started walking back into the darkness.

"Wait, Alam! A little patience!" Tajar brought a tinderbox and two wooden torches out of his carry sack. Once lit, he passed one to Alam. "Now you'll be able to see."

"How long will the torches last?" asked Alam.

"I'm not sure. I bet they won't last as long as we want them to."

"We had better be fast then."

The two friends set off down the tunnel. After forty or so paces the tunnel had a bump in the floor that was high enough to stop water being able to travel any further down it. After the bump the tunnel headed gently downwards. Although the angle was walkable it was still disconcerting with wet, slippery boots.

"Tajar, what do you think would make such a cave?"

"Nothing natural, that's for certain. I don't like it."

"It seems like it's taking us to the heart of the mountain."


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-Y. V. Qualls

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