The Maze

by Trudie Collins

  Chapter 7

  It took them three days to find the maze. Each morning, lunchtime and late afternoon, Brin or Oak would climb the tallest tree nearby to confirm that they were heading in the right direction. No paths ran through the forest, so the cart and wagon had to be abandoned and all of their supplies and personal belongings carried. Seth and Torrick managed to find ways of strapping most things to the horses and the donkey. It meant the people had to walk instead of ride, but that was much preferable to carrying everything themselves.

  The first day was hard. Walking used different muscles to riding and everyone was exhausted by the time they stopped for the night. The second day was worse as the newly used muscles stiffened overnight, making each step uncomfortable, but nobody complained. A number of streams ran through the trees, so they had a good supply of water, and River and Oak found plenty of edible plants to accompany the game that Tor, Ban, Seth, Dal and Brin caught. Things could have been a lot worse and everyone knew it.

  Each night they managed to find a clearing large enough to make a camp in and Ellen and Bellak knew spells to contain fire, allowing them to cook their food without endangering the nearby trees. The effect the forest was having on Brin and the two sprites was remarkable. All three grew up living in trees, or surrounded by them, and never truly relaxed when they were away from them. Although River was a water sprite, her people only ever made their homes next to lakes, rivers and streams that could be found in or near large expanses of woodland. Smiles never seemed to leave their faces and their happiness seemed to infect the rest of the group, especially Sam and Grimmel.

  Each evening, Brin would go exploring and always managed to find a small enclosed clearing he could take Sam to, where they would not be seen by prying eyes. The first night, Sam had been wary of removing her clothes out in the open, but Brin had easily managed to overcome her inhibitions and demonstrated how exciting making love on a bed of heather could be. The energetic sex after walking all day meant they both slept well each night, despite the ground being hard and uncomfortable.

  It was mid morning when Tor walked out from the trees and was confronted by a large hedge, tall enough to prevent even Ban from touching the top. It took the rest of the day to find the entrance.

  “Frack,” Seth exclaimed. “How big is this thing?” They had not even covered the length of one side, despite walking for most of the day. Nobody answered him.

  “I wonder if there really is a spell covering it,” Dal said, picking up a stick and attempting to throw it over the hedge. Just as it looked like it might clear the top, there was a loud bang and the stick fell to the ground in flames. “I will take that as an affirmative,” he continued as he stamped on the remains of the stick, putting out the fire.

  “Please do not try that again,” Liselle pleaded. “I am too old for sudden loud noises like that. You nearly gave me a heart attack.”

  “Sorry,” the young man replied, genuinely contrite. “I did not know that would happen.”

  “She has a point Dal,” Tor told him in a serious tone. “Think carefully before doing anything in or around the maze. From what we have read, it may be a very dangerous place. The spell may have been designed to kill you.” Dal paled slightly as Tor looked about him. “This applies to everyone. Do nothing without getting everyone’s agreement first.” They all nodded. Tor looked towards Patrick. “That includes you.”

  The expected reply of ‘why me’ did not come. Maybe spending time in jail had done some good after all.

  The decision was made to spend the night outside the maze and attempt entry the next morning. It was unlikely that they were in any danger until they were inside, but they posted a double guard just in case. Having two pairs on watch at a time meant that nobody would get a complete night’s sleep, but they all agreed that the extra precaution was advisable. Brin still found time, and a suitable place, to have some fun with Sam. It would be their last chance for privacy for a while and they made the most of it. Tor took charge of rostering the guard duty and put Seth and Dal together. It was their last chance to sort out whatever their problem was. If they were not on speaking terms by the morning, both would be left behind. It would be too dangerous in the maze to risk anyone being injured or killed because those two refused to communicate. He also made sure the couples were rostered together. He could not guarantee that they would keep watch properly if they were constantly looking back into the camp to make sure their partner was sleeping peacefully and he trusted each of them enough to know they would concentrate on their duty if their lover was by their side.

  Tor had a slight smile on his face as he told Patrick and Ellen that they would be on opposite watches, with one sleeping while the other was awake. The smile turned into a broad grin when he explained they would need to get used to that sleeping routine when they had a baby to look after. He was expecting a reaction from Patrick, but was taken completely by surprise when Ellen punched him hard on the arm. He got a little satisfaction from seeing her rub her hurting hand, but knew that he would be doing the same himself in the morning as his arm muscle was bound to stiffen up overnight. He made a mental note to only tease Patrick when Ellen was not within earshot from then on.

  Tor and Ban volunteered to take first watch with River and Grimmel. Everyone was pleased to see those two finally admitting their feelings for each other openly; they made a good couple. Partway through the night, Seth and Dal were awoken by Tor to take over watching the maze entrance. He bluntly informed them of his decision to leave them behind if they were not acting maturely towards each other by dawn and walked off to find somewhere to settle down for the rest of the night before either of them could protest.

  They took up positions as far away from each other as possible, without making it look as though they were avoiding each other. Their backs were to the camp and their eyes were intent on the gap in the hedge that served as the entrance to the maze. Neither spoke, though both were desperately thinking of a way to start the much needed conversation.

  Dal found the courage first. “Seth,” he started, a little hesitantly. “I think there is something I need to tell you.”

  “No,” Seth replied in an abrupt tone, which softened as he continued. “Please, do not say anything. I think it best if we just both pretend nothing happened by the riverbank.” He refused to look at Dal as he spoke, worried the turmoil he was going through would show on his face. He did not see the tear roll down Dal’s face as he voiced his agreement and tried his best to ignore the hurt he could hear in the young man’s voice. He was doing the right thing. His feelings for Dal were strong, a lot stronger than they should have been, but he would not have been doing either of them a favour by admitting it. He knew he was hurting the young man deeply and could not bear to see the effect his words were having, but it was for the best and he hoped that Dal would see that one day.

  They did not speak again until they were relieved by Patrick and Samson. “Come on,” Seth said to Dal. “If you are not too tired I will give you another lesson in hunting. It will be our last chance for a while,” he added as his gaze fell on the bushes making up the outer wall of the maze.

  Dal accepted the invitation, glancing down at Samson as he did so. He shook his head and headed after Seth. “What is wrong?” Seth asked, seeing the gesture.

  For the first time since their kiss, Dal looked him directly in the eye and was pleased to see the other man did not look away. “I am probably seeing things, but I am sure that wolf just smiled.”

  Seth laughed. “You are not going mad. That furry face displays more human expressions than most men do.”

  The sun was just beginning to rise when the two men returned. Tor was already awake and noticed that they were once more behaving as friends. “I am glad to see you have sorted out your difference of opinion,” he said in response to their greetings.

  “What difference of opinion?” Seth asked then headed off to start making breakfast.

  “Are either of you ever going to
tell me what the problem was?” Tor asked Dal, who blushed slightly, shook his head and ran off to assist Seth without answering the question.

  Tor looked up to the sky. “Remind me never to have children.”

  When everything was repacked back onto the horses, Tor announced a slight delay. He wanted to know more about what they would be up against so he thought a few tests on the outer hedgerow were in order. Torrick took up his sword and slashed at the greenery with all of his strength. The sword broke in two but not one leaf was damaged. Next Bellak attempted to blast his way through by conjuring up a fireball and hurling it at the hedge. Everyone took cover in the trees before he threw his ball at the target, which exploded. When the smoke had cleared, it was evident that the fireball had been the only thing to be destroyed as the maze did not even display any sign of heat damage. Ellen knew an enchantment for making plants grow and she sang it gently to the maze. It had absolutely no effect on the hedge. At this point they gave up, agreeing that the only way through the maze was by using the designated pathways.

  Late in the morning, they found themselves crowded round the entrance, each mentally preparing to go in. Torrick had taken his wife aside and almost begged her to remain on the outside, but she had refused, explaining to him how unbearable it would be for her to wait for him, not knowing if he was alive or dead. She would rather face death than be parted from his side. He unwillingly accepted this and was still holding her hand tightly when they followed Tor inside. Each member of the party held their breath as they crossed the threshold of the maze, and loudly exhaled in disappointment when nothing happened.

  “Weren’t we supposed to feel a surge of power or something?” Sam asked Bellak, who shrugged. The path through the maze was wide enough for them to walk three abreast and was surprisingly bright. Sam had been expecting shadows to be cast, but absolutely none were present. It was almost as if the sunlight was managing to pass through the shrubbery. Sam was not the only one to notice this.

  “If the maze was created by magic, anything is possible,” Ellen explained when Ria posed the question.

  “Which makes it even more important to think before acting while in here,” Tor reminded them.

  The path did not go very far before turning to the left. As they rounded the corner, they realised that they had not yet entered the maze proper but were merely in a walkway leading up to the real entrance. In front of them stood an archway framing what appeared to be some sort of door made of water. Instructing everyone else to stay back, Tor approached carefully, but was quickly pulled back by Patrick.

  “This quest is all about you,” he reminded the Prince. “We take the risks first.” He could see Tor wanted to argue, but instead he nodded his head and stepped back, allowing Patrick to move forward on his own. “There is a plaque here,” he called back, studying a large metal plate attached to the side of the archway. “It is not written in any language I can read though. Send Sam to me,” he instructed.

  “Why me?” she asked as she nervously approached. “Just because I can understand languages when spoken, doesn’t mean I can read them. Besides, I have already had proof that I can only understand modern languages. I could not understand Brin when he was talking in High Elven.”

  Patrick gave her an exasperated look. “Please try.”

  Sighing dramatically, she gazed at the plaque and was astonished to find it was written in English. “You can’t read this?” she asked Patrick doubtfully.

  He shook his head. “It is all just a jumble of symbols to me.”

  “Well that answers one question,” she said and read the inscription. “I have good news and bad news,” she called back. “The good news is that, according to this plaque, we have indeed found Ukland Maze.”

  “So what is the bad news?” Patrick asked.

  “It warns you to enter at your own risk,” she continued. “The only exit is at the centre and many dangers will be faced on the way.”

  “Nothing we did not expect. What else does it say?”

  “That is all the engraving says but someone has scratched a message at the bottom.” She leaned in close to make sure she was reading it accurately. “It seems to be a warning. ‘Do not enter for you will never get out alive’. Wonderful.”

  “Frack.” Modo’s voice could be heard above the general muttering. “I was hoping I was wrong about nobody making it out.”

  “Do we go on?” Sam asked.

  “What choice do we have?” came the reply, so she tentatively held out her hand and moved it into the liquid. Whatever it was made of felt cool and fresh. She withdrew her hand and stared at it. It was completely dry. Close up it looked like clear blue water and even rippled as she touched it, but none of it settled on her hand. “I’m going through,” she shouted and stepped into the shimmering liquid before anyone could stop her. It felt like walking into a waterfall on the point of freezing. It chilled her to the bone and she was unable to stop shaking as she turned around to look back at her companions. “I’m through okay,” she called back, but could not see her friends, so she had no idea whether they heard her or not. She took a step forward to return to them, but found her way blocked by an invisible barrier.

  “Shit,” she said loudly. The liquid portal looked exactly the same from the inside as it did from the outside, but no matter how hard she tried, her hand would not go through. It felt like she was pushing against solid rock. “This is weird, and when you consider what I have been through recently, that’s really saying something.” She fell silent, suddenly realising she was talking to herself.

  Five minutes later, when Sam had not returned, Brin began pacing. Tor watched him for a while before giving his permission for him to follow her. Brin raced through the entrance, his concern for Sam masking any worry he had for his own safety, and ran straight into her, knocking her to the ground.

  “I really don’t think this is the time or the place,” she said, getting up and brushing the dirt from her clothes.

  A cheeky grin spread across his face. “I do not know what it is that is blocking the entrance, but it obscures both sight and sound effectively.” He took her in his arms and kissed her. “Who knows how long we are going to be alone here.”

  Her body began responding to his, so she quickly pushed him away. “You do realise that thing has us trapped here, don’t you?” she asked him, gesticulating towards the liquid blocking the aperture, which was still shimmering as though it was moving.

  Brin placed his hand on it. “Interesting.” Before he could say any more he was pushed out of the way by Patrick, who strode through demanding to know why neither of them had reported back. Brin opened his mouth to explain when Seth’s head appeared. It was really eerie seeing a head with no body attached.

  “Tor wants to know why nobody is coming back.” They explained the situation and he said he would pass on the message. However, when he tried to withdraw his head he found he was stuck. He pulled backwards with all of his strength but only succeeded in making his neck extremely sore and painful. “Now what do I do?” he asked, with a hint of desperation.

  “Have you thought of moving forwards instead of backwards?” Patrick said sarcastically. Seth’s face went red, matching the colour of his neck, as he stepped forward out of the strange liquid that held him captive. It didn’t take long for those on the outside to work out that their companions could not rejoin them, so the depleted group began to discuss their options. Despite the knowledge that they may be trapped inside the maze forever, everyone was still determined to accompany Tor. Grimmel led the donkey to the entrance and tried to persuade it to go through. The donkey pretended to be a mule and stubbornly refused to move forward. They tried a horse instead, but that too would not enter the strange liquid door. A rope was tied around the donkey’s neck and Grimmel attempted to pull the reluctant animal through. This resulted in the dwarf falling backwards through the ‘doorway’ and becoming trapped like the others. It was Ria who suggested they try blindfolding the frightened anima
l. Once its eyes could no longer see what it was approaching, it was happy to be led through.

  This solved one problem for them, but left them with another; there were twice as many horses as there were people left to lead them through.

  “Why did I let Sam go first?” Tor chided himself. “I am sure she would be able to talk them into going through on their own, but now I guess we have to decide which provisions we take with us and which we leave behind.”

  “Men,” Ellen sighed with exasperation. “The simplest things always seem to elude them.” Tor did not take the bait. He merely raised an eyebrow. “We lead two through each you idiot,” she informed him.

  Cloth for blindfolds and rope for leashes were found and attached to the horses, which were then led through. Having successfully overcome the first hurdle, they all headed off down the only path. It was wide enough for two people to comfortably walk side by side and the horses were happy to amble along behind them. For a while, they had not a care in the world. It was a pleasant day, the sun was shining, but not too brightly, and there was a slight breeze that held the scent of the surrounding hedgerow. They also had plenty of food packed on the horses. The only concern was water. They had enough with them to last a couple of days, but without a fresh supply, which nobody expected to find within the maze, they would be in trouble. But that was a worry for tomorrow, not today.

  They followed the path for a very long time before they arrived at a junction. The options were left or right, so they chose left. The next junction was left or straight, so they continued straight. They followed the left then right rule and, like they did when exiting the maze in the palace grounds, they hit a dead end or two, but never changed their tactic. The day dragged on and on. The greenery that seemed so nice and soothing to begin with soon became dreary and monotonous.

  “If only the shade of green would change,” Sam moaned. Even Brin was getting bored with the plant life. Tiredness was setting in and tempers were beginning to fray. Everyone started to snap at each other instead of speaking pleasantly.