Felon's leg buckled under protest as Yan released him. He hit the snow but felt now anger at what Yan had done. It was impossible to as he had seen yet another of them die, "His poor sister," he thought as Weiss slowly sank into the snow; his eyes already lifeless, "Be with the Gods in their halls; be with the Gods as they feast for your victories. Be free from the strains of this world, be free from its pains," he finished the quiet prayer and struggled to his feet, standing heavily on his good leg."
He limped towards Yan, who's tears had started to flow freely, "You did what you could; that is all we can hope to do," he knew his words sounded empty, like wisps of air, meaning nothing but to break the silence that had crept between them. However he meant them in utmost sincerity, "Yan do not forget him, but you do need to move on, for now; we cannot keep dying out here, we need to protect those still living."
A shout went up, too late to change anything. Weiss turned his head away from her, the last glance he would ever give. A black spear went through his waist, his spine broke on contact. Blood spattered outwards painting the snow a deep red. He was dead before he hit the ground. She was frozen in place by fear and shock as it all happened before her eyes, helpless to stop it as the events unfolded.
He had appeared just in time to save her life earlier this day and now Jovy could only watch as he died. She had been the closest; she should have been able to do something. Anything. She should have been willing to give her life for him. So why couldn't she do something? She closed her eyes and turned her head away, refusing to look any more.
The cry of warning took Aryana by surprise, having jumped off the horse she was heading toward Yan to help with Felon when the spear struck. Crying out in surprise when she heard Yan's cry, she quickly turned her head toward Weiss, perfect timing.
The sicking crunch and instant lifelessness of her comrade put a thick and heavy lump in her throat, an immediate feeling that she was unable to go on began to float in her mind. What was the point of fighting when death was always so close? Hanging her head, she once again felt responsible for the death of a soldier.
Be strong
The simple words that her father often stressed hit Aryana just as hard as the death of Weiss, she had made illogical mistakes in the battlefield and did not intend on doing it again. Placing her hand on Jovy's shoulder, Aryana urged her to go on,
"We did all we can, we shall properly mourn the fallen when this battle is over, but as of now it is not and we have a sworn duty. You may not be part of this squad, but as a soldier you have a responsibility to protect the innocent." walking over to Felon, Aryana put his arm over her shoulder, "We must go."
Rinus nearly shouted in rage and frustration as he and the others finally arrived and surrounded the wounded survivors with their shields. He stared vengefully at the figure of the Horseman as it disappeared into the trees, as though the pain in his eyes might strike where their weapons could not. It was a useless gesture, one that they could no longer afford. This was not the time for emotion. He turned away from the retreating shapes of the Easterners and focused on the matter at hand. The captain did not look again upon Weiss' body; those still living were his ward.
"Hurry, we must go!" A final arrow flew from the darkness and struck his shield, as if to punctuate their need of haste. They turned and fled up the hill after the caravan, leaving the battlefield silent and motionless in the dead night.
~~~
The entrance to the mine was a low, squat door frame nearly hidden beneath a large overhanging cliff. Boulders and piles of loose stones littered the ground around it, and the rustic boards it was fashioned of were sagging precariously to one side. Several lengths of bent and broken metal railing lay in the rocks nearby. The mood of the place was like that of a discarded tool; it was not an inviting path.
But to the fleeing villagers and their protectors it meant a desperate chance of escape. They waited while Shilas checked to make sure the tunnel was clear, and he returned with a grim nod. The soldiers stood guard outside while he led the villagers into the mineshaft. The door itslef was only wide enough for three people, and they squeezed in at a painfully slow pace.
Rinus counted them as they entered. Over three hundred had left Highburn; only half of that number were left. The countless bodies that lay in the forest below were like a headache to him; a dull throbbing guilt that pressed on his mind. The torch-lit faces of the villagers who slowly trudged past him betrayed their own feelings and fears, their own realizations. The journey had reached a tipping point; it was finally dawning on the civilians how dire their situation was, how closely Death crept. They stood before an utter darkness, a black pit through which they had to tread, and they were afraid. Some cried softly, some stared wide-eyed and clung to themselves, and some shied away and hesitated at the door, unwilling to face what lay ahead.
Soldiers faced that Black Pit every time they answered the call. They saw it almost as clearly as the back of the man in front of them. It never grew any less horrifying; only the strength of the soldier grew. The strength to do exactly what needed to be done without regard for the gaping darkness below their feet. It was hard.
"Rider!"
Rinus looked sharply at Io and then followed her pointed finger to the treeline, where the form of a horse and rider suddenly loomed. He tensed and turned to face the arrival, taking several steps forward and readying his blade. He squinted for a moment as the rider drew close, and his eyes grew wide. "Jutani!"
Jutani's horse was limping and covered in bloody gashes. Dried foam covered its lips; its mouth was held agape, gasping for air. Eyes wide open and ears laid back, the beast was jumpy and shaking. Its muscles vibrated and spasmed uncontrollably with every step. Jutani dropped his blood-smeared sword to the ground and climbed down off the saddle, and then the horse collapsed, one of its legs snapping at the joint. It whined pitifully for a moment and then lay still, breathing in wheezing gasps.
Otlina ran to their comrade's side. "Gods Jutani, what happened to you?! We thought you were dead!"
"Wolves. Large ones." Jutani grimaced and pulled a dagger from his belt, then knelt down next to the steed. His hands were covered in blood as was his sword nearby, and his shield was gone. "They chased us for hours." He quickly slid the knife into the horse's temple, and the animal ceased to stir. Everyone remained silent for several seconds, shocked by Jutani's sudden appearance and news.
"Wolves?" Buyir asked at length. "We saw no wolves in the valley at any point. Where did they come from?"
"I don't know. They appeared suddenly in droves and hunted us for hours, relentlessly. I do not know why they abandoned the chase just in time for me to reach you; perhaps they were frightened off by your numbers?"
"They're waiting to corner us in the mines." Cossan replied darkly. The others looked at him sharply, some with skepticism and some with fear. Rinus shot him a reprimanding glance, then turned an eye on the dark trees around them.
"There is no helping it now. What will happen will happen, and we stand a better chance in there than out in the open." As he spoke the southern sky was suddenly lit by dozens of flares! Their red light smote the mountainside and the cliffs and shone hauntingly on the up-turned faces of the final villagers. The soldiers hurried them through the entrance and then went in themselves, descending into the narrow mineshaft.
[HEADING=1]Chapter 2: Darkness[/HEADING]
The tunnel was wider and taller than William had expected. He was able to easily walk alongside three other villagers, and the stony ceiling was not constantly attempting to decapitate him. The walls and floors were irregular but not impassable; steps of a fashion had been worn into the dirt and stone by years worth of laden feet. A good number of torches had been passed along as soon as they entered the mountain, and so the area immediately around himself was no wholly dark.
The tunnel went steadily downward from the entrance in nearly a straight angle, so that William could see the heads of everyone in front of him in the crowd. He could make out the form of Shilas at the front, leading them bravely into the depths. There was another man that William looked up to.
"Walk!" he heard hissed quietly from behind him. He turned to see a bent old woman guiding a young boy who was completely wrapped in bandages, even across his eyes. He had fallen and she was hoisting him back up to his feet.
"Let me help you!" William quickly took one of the boy's arms to steady him. The woman started suddenly and almost glared at him, but caught herself and muttered a hoarse 'thank you'. William stared at her hard for a moment then kept walking, keeping a strong hold on the boy's arm. Aiding the child helped stave off some of William's own fear and uncertainty, and he was thankful for it.
~~~
Shilas led them further and further underground; several miles now they must have traversed. They passed other, smaller tunnels and crude rooms carved into the rock where miners may have once taken rest. Soon he began to lead them through some of these side-tunnels, in a waving pattern to throw off pursuit. Here and there the wooden supports that held the ceiling in place seemed to be on the brink of collapse, and the villagers hurried past these spots uneasily.
Finally they came to a large, hollowed out intersection that looked as though it had once been a meeting of several important routes. Their tunnel continued on directly before of them, headed still downward; the other ran perpendicular to it, and looked to ascend to the left. A third, smaller tunnel seemed to start in this room and descend. The walls were more square here, with thicker and more frequent support beams. A pile of old barrels sat in one corner, their wood preserved by the dry air.
"Here ends my knowledge." Shilas said. "I have never ventured any further."
Rinus decided that they would rest then, for a time at least, for they had two hours of mountain behind them and had heard no sign of pursuit. The villagers gathered tightly together on the floor and tried to sleep, and the first shift soldiers stood around them. Rinus ordered that the tunnels be scouted a ways, and then went to bed himself, though he did not sleep.
Welcome to the second chapter of our grand tale! We are underground now, as you can see, in the perilous mine shafts beneath the mountains. You will soon have a decision to make: which tunnel the group will continue through! Oh, the suspense! Oh, the drama! Oh, the humanity!
But for now, the captain has ordered that they be explored a ways while the villagers rest, so that is your current task. Decide amongst yourselves who will explore which tunnel, and make sure to use the buddy system.
As the villagers began to settle, Jovy found herself drifting already. The change from the freezing cold was welcome and she felt as if it would have been easier to rest now though she was too worried to.
She didn't take the first shift with some of the other soldiers, knowing that the villagers wouldn't feel quite as safe under her protection (especially in her current state) as they would from their own soldiers. She would spend this time getting medical attention; her arm definitely wouldn't be getting better on its own. However, with little idea of any of these people, she had no choice but to follow after Felon as he was treated, gleaning as much as she could about her new allies as she could. He was the more serious case anyway right now...
As she glanced over the makeshift camp of villagers laying down and unpacking bedrolls, fresh memories started to force themselves into her mind; those moments after the battle when she was the only one left. Her allies lying slaughtered and desecrated in the bitter crimson snow. How useless to stop any of it as the Easterners stormed their caravan, cutting down every man, woman and child that stood in their way.
She tried to push the memories away, knowing that now was no time to be thinking in this way and telling herself that she could grieve for her fallen allies and Weiss later when there weren't more people on the cusp of joining them in their afterlife. But she couldn't do that either. The images stayed present in her mind, causing tears to build up in the corners of her eyes.
She lowered her scarf and took a deep breath of the damp air of the mines. She was dying inside but she had to hold herself together right now...
Okay, that works I think.
It probably doesn't in some way that I should have noticed, but I'm sure you guys'll let me know soon enough if that's the case.
Yan held his torch while staring blankly into the darkness. In his mind the moment of Weiss' death was stuck on replay. Fortunately, Weiss hadn't screamed, or it would have haunted Yan for many nights to come, but the images were more than enough.
Suddenly he felt a heavy hand on his shoulder, and when Yan turned he was greeted by Samuel. "We are all going to die someday, boy, and there are worse ways and times to go."
So emotional, Samuel thought. Yan had a good eye with the bow, he had showed courage when put to test, but his heart was too big for the army. The same sensitivity that was common with so many new recruits these days, like if they were all but alien to the concept of death, or thought it didn't apply to them and got surprised when they found themselves to be wrong. Surely, Samuel had not been like that? He probably had. In that moment he felt very old.
Samuel's face finally softened up. "We have orders to scout this rat-hole out while the townsfolk are restin'. Care to keep an old man company?"
Yan nodded with one of the tiniest of smiles on his lips.
Zeig wandered into the large cavern, it was dimly lit despite the many torches around him and he could only get a slight idea as to the layout of the cave. It was dank, and despite the abundance of bodies now inside the mineshaft, Zeig couldn't help but to feel an air of loneliness and a sinking empty feeling. Looking around the cavern at the townsfolk, he began to feel alone and frail, his lips and knees started to slightly tremble. Glancing behind him he saw a family who was supporting each other, he saw children, grandparents, a father... a mother. Zeig suddenly lost all feeling in his legs and he fell to the hard ground, his body trembled for a moment before he broke into full out sobbing.
Soon after the attack started, Zeig had lost track of his mother due to being knocked to the ground by a suddenly flurry of moving bodies. After a moment of confusion and disorientation, Zeig found himself being picked up by a man and thrown over the his shoulder. Out of the corner of his eye he could see his mother, calling out to her to get her attention he lifted his head to get a better view. His mother, while still maintaining the worried look on her face, breathed a sigh of relief that her child was not hurt. Taking off into a run, she quickly progressed toward her young son, the small family had forgotten about the battle and merely rejoiced in the fact they would soon embrace each other.
Just as abruptly as Zeig's mother was running toward him she had stopped, her mouth hung open in shock and her body wavered back and forth, an ugly arrow protruded from her stomach. Zeig lost his breath, he tried to call out but found he had no air with which to talk. He struggled and twisted in the man's arms, desperately trying to escape his grip and run to his mother. At the very least he wanted to hold her in her last moments and say goodbye.
****************
Aryana strongly gripped the torch in her hand as she fully explored the large cavern, it took her no more than a few minutes to get a strong idea of the layout. This cavern was no doubt some sort of an intersection for the many miners that had once worked here, the large wooden beams gave support to the large area.
Four routes. Up, down, down and down. These tunnels needed to be explored, and quickly. The group could not blindly wander into a tunnel just to find a few miles down that it was a dead end. Jumping into action Aryana decided to explore the left tunnel that appeared to slope upward, heading over to the entrance she face the group in the middle of he cavern,
"I plan to explore this tunnel, going alone would be unwise. I request that someone come with me to ensure safety."
Felon limped towards Aryana, putting only a small amount of pressure on his injured leg; he had gotten it bandaged but one didn't take an arrow like the barbarians without permanent damage. He refused to stay down though, instead he would make himself useful, "I will accompany you through that tunnel," he said calmly, not betraying the fact that he wanted nothing more than to just sleep.
Emma was tending to the children at this point. Since the last raid, many of them were either injured or alone and it broke her heart to see that. As she helped the doctor stitch and bandage the wounded she saw a little girl on her own, clutching something in her hand, tears brimming in her eyes. Emma excused herself and walked to the girl, "What is it little one? What are you doing all alone?"
The girl just shook her head and remained silent, but placed something in Emma's hand when she stretched it out. It was a beaded necklace; and suddenly it came to Emma, this girl was all along because she had no one else to go to. Emma took a deep breath and took the girl's hand, "Come with me I'll get you something to eat."
The left tunnel sloped upward gradually and was considerably wide; once a major thoroughfare it seemed. Natural steps had been worn into its floor, much like in the tunnel they had descended from, and there were sturdy wooden supports at regular intervals. Aryana and Felon passed only one gap in the wall, where a large boulder or group of loose stones had apparently been removed.
Ten minutes into their walk they came upon an intersection. The tunnel they were following continued its path upwards, while the smaller intersecting tunnel appeared to descend on both sides. A large rock could be seen in the rightward tunnel, obscuring their view beyond it.
There was a sudden growling and scratching of nails against rock, and a large badger appeared out of the left tunnel! It stopped and stared at them for a few moments, then scurried back into the dark, content to mind its own business. The noise of its scuffling quickly faded.
~~~
Yan and Samuel's tunnel was narrow and rough; the walls were rocky and jagged, and the ceiling was at times low enough that they had to crouch. This way appeared to have been dug around the stones in its path. While still keeping in the same general direction, it wound about a good deal, and became steadily more erratic as they went on.
Presently they came to a place where the descent had become too steep and the path too narrow for them to easily continue; below them the tunnel took a five foot drop and then wound around a tight bend between two faces of rough stone. A makeshift metal handle had been attached to the edge, though it had long since broken.
To their right there was a gap in the wall, just wide enough for a man to squeeze through. The light of Yan's torch revealed that it ended just a few feet away in a small vertical shaft, the sides of which were smooth and stained a dark reddish color in places.
~~~
The doctor had to work to steady his hands as he treated the wounded, and constantly wiped sweat from his brow. His stomach was in knots. He had calmed down a bit now that things were quiet, but the constant responsibility to all these hurt people weighed heavily on him. Practicing his healing art was usually a source of peace for him, but right it felt like a penalty.
He finished the last stitch on Orson's chest and took a deep breath. He offered the soldier a small smile, then stood up and walked to Rinus while Beni began cleaning up the blood and getting Orson more comfortable.
"He is... he's bad." Iemben wiped the blood from his hands as he approached Rinus and Cossan. "His heroics on the battlefield opened up his wound again. It's going to cost him." The doctor shook his head in both sadness and exhaustion.
"He will die?"
The doctor looked up at Rinus' face with a pained expression. "Yes."
"Soon?"
"A day at the most."
Rinus nodded solemnly and glanced at the soldier laying helpless and dying among the other sick or wounded. It was hard to watch, the death of a soldier in this way, harder even than seeing a comrade die beside you in combat. This was not the kind of end that Orson deserved, slow and ponderous in a dark place deep beneath the earth.
"It is not all bad..." Iemben said slowly, looking at the captain's face. "Seiben is stable at least, and the injuries among the villagers are not too serious. Further deaths should be few, I think."
"Thank you, doctor." Rinus retired to his bed, and Iemben let out a heavy sigh. He stood still and collected his thoughts in the darkness, cherishing the moment of solitude. Presently a hand touched his shoulder and he turned to see Buyir, followed by the soldier they had found earlier that day in the forest. It seemed like years ago.
"She needs her arm looked at, doc." Buyir said. Iemben forced a smile and motioned for Jovy to sit, then began inspecting her wounded arm. He tried to be gentle, but his hands were heavy with fatigue.
"It isn't broken," he said at length, "but the bone has been scraped, and the cut is long. Go get my wife to start cleaning it while I ready my tools." He pointed her towards Beni then walked off to retrieve his utensils.
Felon looked as the badger scampered away with a hiss; it looked like it had also been wounded in some scuffle, there had been a long gash on its leg. How fitting how the two were so close right now, both terrified but unwilling to show it, instead giving off an atmosphere that they were fine. He sighed and looked away from where it had vanished, "How justified are we in our actions that something as innocent as an animal is scared of us; how right are we if nothing but our own species can relate with us, and even then we only seek to destroy each other?"
He had half voiced the question to his companion and half only talked to himself, so he wasn't surprised when the question echoed, unanswered between them. He instead motioned to a rock and sat down, "I'm sorry, but I need a quick break, my leg can't keep up with this," another awkward silence between them, "I think we should continue on the upward path; together, I can't wander off on my own in this condition."
After hearing the rumour of wolves attacking one of her her fellow soldiers, Aryana couldn't help but to assume the possibility of wild animals being in these caves. Being already on edge about creatures, the scratching sound and emerging badger startled her into pulling out her sword. Upon seeing that it was merely a badger she put her sword away, however there was still caution to uphold, as badgers can be fierce fighters if need be.
Shaking her head at Felon's comment, she opted to remain silent. All the philosophical and spiritual nonsense that seemingly spewed out of his mouth non-stop contributed surprisingly little. If Aryana wished to write a book about inspirational sayings to help get people through tough times, Felon would be the first person to ask. They were not writing a book however, they were scouting an old, and possibly dangerous mineshaft, they needed logic and quick thinking. With a sigh, she sat down beside the injured soldier,
"I really wish you would have stayed with the villagers and healed up Felon, you are a much better use to us after a good night of healing. But alas, you are with me now, and for that I am glad." patting him on the back, Aryana wanted the air to remain as positive as possible, while Felon's 'musings' were getting on her nerves, she knew it was in their best interest to keep tensions light, "And I agree, splitting up may be quicker, but its much more dangerous. This upward path seems to be more promising, when you are ready, we shall go that way."
"Are those blood stains?" Yan pondered out loud, disbelief in his voice, looking at the red spots covering the narrow vertical shaft.
"Nay," camse Samuel's answer from behind his back. "'Tis far more likely it's simply ore, we are in a mine after all."
"Well, there's nothing to do here until we get some rope, at least. Let's turn back." Yan finally spoke. He didn't have any wish to approach to the dark shaft. Samuel shrugged, and they walked back into the narrow tunnel. Holding his torch infront of him Samuel dropped the short fall, and continued around the corner, Yan following behind. The tunnel was getting more and more narrow now, and Yan now had little hope of it actually leading somewhere.
The mineshaft continued its course for another twenty minutes, keeping a nearly straight angle upwards. Just as Aryana and Felon were about to turn around and go back they came upon a pile of large stones in the middle of the tunnel, held from rolling downward by a fallen support beam. The ceiling and left-hand wall here looked unstable due to the support's collapse. There were several gaps in the rocks, but none big enough to squeeze through. The tunnel appeared to continue on the other side.
~~~
Yan and Samuel kept on into their tunnel until they were virtually crawling through it. The walls and ceiling had become increasingly irregular, and they found themselves squeezing in between massive boulders rather than walking along a carved path. There were no support beams here, and many crudely scratched notes and profanities decorated the walls.
Finally they came to the end of the tunnel, or at least the point at which they could not continue. Only a narrow channel remained, just large enough for an arm or a leg, but no wider. It disappeared into the darkness beyond the light of their torch.
Aryana closely examined the obstacle in front of them, clearly there had been some sort of a tunnel collapse or rock slide at some point. This would not be a huge concern to Aryana if not for the steep incline that the tunnel had turned to in the last few moments of scouting. These rocks were rather large, and if they were prodded and collapsed, rolling down the hill could cause a serious threat to the townspeople.
"This looks incredibly touchy Felon, I think the further we stay from this thing the better. Should we just turn around and go back to the cavern?"
Jovy nodded, relieved that her injury had been much less severe than she had been worrying. A lot of other people had been much worse off than she was so she couldn't help feeling as though she'd been lucky, even after... No, she had to stop herself again. It was so easy just to let those thoughts slip into her mind and then she wouldn't be able to shut them out again.
It was luck that had kept them all alive this long, she was sure. Before she might have attributed it to the Syn'Eir but now she thought much less about them. She didn't think any of these villagers or soldiers were being looked over at all, and if they were then the Syn'Eir were wholly ignoring the pain and suffering caused by whatever esoteric plan they had engaged.
At Iemben's command she stood and walked over to the women he had pointed out, eager to have something new to occupy her mind with. She slowed slightly, making sure not to intrude if Beni was already immersed in something, before forcing a cough, "Excuse me..." Her manner was hardly befitting that of a soldier. "Could you, perhaps, be able to clean the wound for me?"
Felon looked at the unstable caverns, "Yes, it looks as if this isn't something that we should toy with, we should turn back, my leg is getting harder to force to continue," he paused for a second, "Although there was another path that we could have taken, I'm sure the God's could give me strength to go that far, this is for the good of us all, a lone vessel such as one of us, could and should gladly give our time for that."
"Yes I suppose you are right, we should first explore the branched off tunnel, then go back to the cavern. Come, let us go I will help you." Felon begrudgingly accepted her help and they made their way back down the tunnel, eventually reaching the fork in the tunnel they paused, "Ready to go on?"
Aryana desperately hoped that this tunnel didn't just leave to a dead end as the next one did, otherwise they wasted valuable time.
Laying against the cold floor of the cave, Orson could do nothing more than stare into space. He felt like there wasn't any energy left in his body, and yet he didn't feel fatigued. It was as if his soul were connected to his body by a mere thread, and it could snap at any time.
Iemben's second patching of his wound had drawn him back from the half-conscious haze he'd been in since leading the wagon from the fray. He didn't know where he was, only that it was dark and that they weren't moving anymore. Beni's gentle cleaning of his wound barely registered to him, but he did notice when she left and wrapped his clothes and a blanket around him.
His eyes gained focus as he looked away from the cieling and towards where she had gone. Standing nearby was another soldier, one whom he did not recognize. She was wounded, but looked otherwise strong. Somehow, he felt some comfort in her presence. As if by him dying, he wouldn't be letting the group down so much as if she were taking his place.
"Hello." he said softly to her, a small smile spreading across his dark face. "When did you join us?"
As Beni went to cleaning the gash on Jovy's arm, the soldier let her gaze wander to Orson. Judging from the looks of him he wasn't going to make it much further than here, but he was smiling. It wasn't a forced smile either, but a peaceful one. He was dying, he was probably painfully aware of that fact, but he was so at peace with it. His cheerfulness set aside a little of her own fear and she almost wanted to smile back.
But she didn't smile. She didn't really have it in her any more to smile.
"I joined this morning. The two soldiers found me wandering the wastes and I was brought to you people, just in time to see the battle begin. The first died before my eyes and the other scouts the tunnels as we speak, though I don't know either by name."
"...What is your name?" She felt that she should know at least one name, even if it's owner would be dead soon.
Orson sighed a bit and looked off into the distance as he heard of the death of another of their soldiers. It felt like such a shame that he couldn't know who it was.
"I am Orson . . ." he said, still looking around with unfocused eyes. He was finally realizing that they weren't out in the snow and forest anymore. "What is your name? And . . ." he was cut off by a short, painful fit of coughing. His eyes clenched shut as his wound protested the movement. But with a hoarse gasp, he took a slow breath as it passed. "And can you tell me where we are?"
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