Remembrance

by SJ Moquin

  A whoosh of air rose to meet Gwelle. One moment they were running, and the next nothing. There was nothing there. Raiden’s hand slipped from her grasp as she fell, her back scraping down the rocky slope as she tumbled and bounced downwards. Rolling to a stop at the bottom, a groan escaped her lips. Every muscle and limb hurt. She tried pushing herself up, but pain shot through her arm. Rocks bit into her hip where she lay curled on one side. Where was Raiden? Did he fall too? She’d vaguely heard another crashing sound.

  “Gwelle, Gwelle. Are you alright?” Large hands were brushing hair from her face.

  Raiden, she thought with relief as another wave of pain shot through her. She tried speaking, but only a groan escaped at first. “I… I’m fine.”

  Raiden made a scoffing sound at her words as he helped her up. The sting of scrapes and bruises covered her legs, but it was her arm that felt the worst. She held it snug against her chest, afraid to move. The guttural, deep growl behind her made the small hairs on the back of her neck stand up. A monstrous black form prowled along the edge of the ridge they’d tumbled down.

  The beast picked its way along the crumbling dirt, trying to find a way to its prey. For a moment she stood frozen, part in shock, part in fear. She’d never come face to face with terror, real terror, until now. Light from the two moons shone down on the sleek black beast, illuminating its glowing eyes as they bore into hers. Too soon Raiden whisked her away, helping steady her as they ran. The creature roared behind them at their retreat.

  They were off any known path or trail now, deep in the hillsides north of Nova-Zera, but still they ran putting as much distance between them and the dire lyx as they could. The steep ridge wouldn’t hold it long. Raiden ducked vines and limbs, Gwelle mimicking each movement despite the sharp pain in her arm. The terrain grew even more dangerous as they moved in and out of the hollows and gulches dotting the forest.

  “There!” Gwelle called out, pointing despite the surrounding darkness. Up ahead, a faint light shone. Was it another expedition? Kana or Rix? She wasn’t sure, but the minuscule light drew her to the blue-green glow. A small creek came into view as they drew closer. There in the hillside the creek disappeared where the light glowed.

  “A cave?”

  “Looks like it.”

  “Is it safe?” Gwelle whispered, keeping her voice down. Raiden hadn’t replied when the night prowler roared again, deep, long, as if waiting on their reply.

  “I guess we’ll find out. I don’t see anything better around.”

  They jogged towards the small opening, not sure what they’d find on the other side. Squeezing through the jagged opening in the rocky hillside not much taller than herself, they made their way through the water. A soft glow led the way until the space widened several meters ahead. Raiden stood up and continued, leading them deeper as the light grew brighter the further they went into the cavern. The cold stone walls glittered like stars in the night sky as they followed the trickling creek through the winding paths. Up ahead, another opening appeared, larger than the one they’d used to enter the caverns. Larger and brighter. Whatever caused the light was just through that opening. She stepped through the rounded opening after Raiden, drawing up short. Her breath caught in her throat.

  Thousands of glowing, silken strings hung from the tall cave ceiling, creating a magical world apart from the one above. She’d seen nothing like it, not in all her watching archives, digging through holodeck programs, or traveling space her entire life. Nothing compared to the soft blue-green glow around them.

  “Why haven’t we heard of this place before?”

  “It’s not on any map I’ve seen,” Raiden replied, his voice soft and just as in awe.

  Their eyes darted around the large cavern. Gwelle shook her head, the cold seeping into her arm. Something didn’t seem right. Every creek, every landmark within a five-day radius was marked on maps already, or so she’d been told. Why hadn’t this cave been? Had they wandered that far off charted territory? She walked deeper, the walls sparkling around her as she went.

  “Let’s head back. This looks like a dead end,” Raiden decided after looking around. A roar echoed from far away. The dire lyx had tracked them, but with his size he wouldn’t be squeezing in the way they’d come. “Or maybe hanging out wouldn’t be bad for a while.”

  Gwelle nodded. She dropped the bags that had crisscrossed her body as they’d ran. She needed sleep, and so did Raiden if they were going to hike all the way back to the colony. Reading her thoughts, Raiden pulled off the lightweight jacket he wore and draped it over her shoulders, careful of her arm before fixing a spot on the cold ground to sit.

  At first she sat stiffly, his warm body just a breath away. The cold shifted and grew around her, seeping into her sore body. Before long, he wrapped her in not just his jacket but his arms. Had she scooted over? Had he? She couldn’t remember. All she could think of was how right this felt. Raiden Vargas. The boy she’d swore to hate forever was digging his way back into her heart, and at the moment, she didn’t mind. She’d worry about it more if they made it back home. No. Not if. When. She’d have a lot to worry about then. For now, she curled into his side and let her eyes close, his warmth washing away doubts and pains as she drifted off into a troubled sleep.

  Chapter Nine

  The Way Back

  Gwelle woke with a start. Her heart raced as blackness pressed in around her. Slowly, the glowing cavern came back into view at the same time the coldness registered in her bones. Shivering, she sat up and looked into the soft glow of the room. A myriad of aqua colored stars plastered the cave walls and ceiling. Gone was the warmth of Raiden beside her and she instantly missed him, his strength and companionship. A slight tremor went through her despite telling herself he was fine. Gwelle had tried so long to rely on no one. She didn’t want to think what it meant, that a cold numbness having nothing to do with the temperature in the cave gnawed at the center of her chest.

  “Raiden?” she whispered into the dark of the cavern. Sitting up, careful of her arm, she looked around again. “Raiden?” This time the tremor in her voice was audible despite her trying to stay calm.

  Footsteps echoed in the room just before Raiden appeared from the corridor they’d entered earlier. “Hey! You’re awake. How are you feeling?”

  Raiden’s smile stretched across his face, much too broad. It looked wrong on him; unlike the smirk he’d taken to giving her more times than not. Something was wrong, and he was trying to keep it from her.

  “Cold, tired, hungry. Pick one.”

  “What about sore? Your arm is still hurting, huh? I think you need to let me take a look at it.”

  “Since when are you a medic?”

  “I’ve got skills!” he said with a wink.

  “Ha! Yeah, right! I’ll pass thanks,” Gwelle said, holding her arm close.

  Honestly, she knew it was broken. Overwhelming nausea rolled through her every time she’d moved it. It felt just like the time she’d broken her arm sliding down the conduit tube when she was eight.

  “Here. Let me at least make you a sling. It’ll help hold it still until we can get back.”

  Gwelle watched as he took the jacket and fashioned a crude sling to rest her arm in. “How did you get by without so many scrapes and bumps?”

  Raiden adjusted the makeshift sling around her neck. “I just rolled with it,” he quipped with a shrug.

  His face was close to hers as he grinned at his own joke. She gulped, trying to look away but couldn’t. His hands lingered on the knot he’d just tied at the side of her neck, his fingers tickling her cool skin with their light touch. She dragged her eyes from his. They seemed even greener in the strange light around them.

  “What were you doing?” she asked, changing the subject as he sat back on his heels.

  He raked a hand through his ebony hair, seeming to decide whether or not to tell her the truth. “I woke and decided to check the entrance of the cave.”

  “And,” she prompte
d when he didn’t continue.

  “It’s a little before dawn. The dire lyx is still there. And it’s been joined by two more.”

  No wonder she was still tired. They’d probably only slept a couple hours at most. But now they had a much bigger problem than lack of sleep to contend with. “That’s not all, is it?”

  “They’re digging in or trying to.”

  “What do you mean digging in?”

  “Where the soil is soft because of the creek, they’re digging. I can only imagine it’s to get past the narrow entrance.”

  “That won’t work, right? They’re too big. And the soil turns rockier the deeper inside you go.”

  “I hope so. But it looks like we may need to find another way out. I don’t look for them to give up soon, and we’re here with little to no food, and you need help.”

  He was right. They needed to get out of here. Staying together, they worked their way to the far side of the cavern, the glowing lights leading them along the rocky ground. They searched the perimeter of the large room, every nook, every alcove, and dead end where small tunnels formed off the main cavern.

  It wasn’t until they reached the farthest side of the cavern that Gwelle saw glowing light come from an indention in the rock face. Raiden took the lead, slipping through the narrow crevice. She followed closely in the dim aqua light. The tight tunnel sloped down, her feet slipping on the smooth rock surface beneath her. She reached her good hand out, steadying herself against the glowing wall. The strange lights rippled under her fingers despite the hard surface she felt beneath them.

  The tunnel twisted and turned but never branched off or opened into another chamber. The deeper they walked, the colder it got. Gwelle’s teeth chattered as she tried holding them still. With only one good arm, she couldn’t even rub her arms properly. Raiden turned every few seconds to check on her. His face was always the same, tightly etched with concern.

  She wished he wouldn’t look at her that way. It made her feel weak. But she knew weak wasn’t the right word. It was simply the word she allowed her brain to fill in to keep her thoughts manageable. If she really thought about the softness growing inside her, she’d have to apply a much stronger, much more passionate term and right now she couldn’t do that.

  Only the drip, drip, drip of water somewhere in the cave and the echo of their feet filled the silence around them as they wound deeper and further into the caverns. Had they passed this spot before she wondered? Everything looked the same to them in the soft, aqua glow. Gwelle blinked as the tunnel seemed to narrow and widen before her eyes. A wave of dizziness rolled over her, and her feet tripped on the cold stone surface. She was hungry. They hadn’t eaten before setting off, saving their only rations for later. But when the glowing lights brightened considerably, causing her eyes to water and heat washed over her, she knew it was more than just about missing a meal.

  The dark-haired girl stumbled and reached out for Raiden who’d been only a couple paces in front of her. She grasped for him, but he wasn’t there. The entire tunnel darkened as another dizzy spell hit her, this time, harder, shaking her until her knees hit the cold stone floor.

  “Gwelle…” There he is, she thought, hearing Raiden’s voice call for her much too loudly as her eyes shut and the icy floor rose to meet her.

  Whispers. She couldn’t make out what they were saying, their words meaning nothing to her at first, just noise filling the blank space in her mind. Were they back at the settlement? That didn’t seem right. The last she remembered she was in the cave and it grew dark. Dark, like now. Why couldn’t she open her eyes? Panic filled her as the whispers grew louder, clearer.

  “She doesn’t belong here.” The voice was harsh, deep.

  “She was hurt,” a much softer, tinkling voice replied.

  Who were they talking about? Gwelle wondered.

  “You shouldn’t have brought her here. You must return her. Now.”

  “Let me help her.”

  “She doesn’t deserve your help or your pity. She’s one of them.”

  “She’s worthy.” There was a strength in the words the softer voice spoke.

  “How do you know?”

  “I’ve watched. They are not all the same.”

  Silence filled her mind as she waited to wake from the strange dream.

  “Do what you must.” The deep voice faded.

  Everything faded. Gwelle floated along on nothingness. Soft, warm. It engulfed her like a giant fuzzy blanket. The purple one, she had as a girl. She slept with the blanket every night after dad died, pretending it was the warmth of his hug once again. The memory she’d tried forgetting rushed to meet her. The first time remembering hadn’t hurt, she thought as she embraced the feeling.

  “Gwelle? Gwelle? Can you hear me?” Her eyes fluttered open to see Raiden’s handsome face hovering close to hers. The cold from the cavern seeped back into her limbs.

  “What happened?” Her voice was strange, echoing around her as she lay on something soft. It took a moment for her to realize that her head rested against Raiden’s chest as he held her in a half sitting, half reclining position on the hard floor of the cave.

  “You passed out. I’m so sorry. We’ll get out of here soon.” Raiden’s words blurred together as she remembered the strange dream.

  She must have hit her head hard when she fell, she thought, pushing off the boy who looked concerned. She tested her footing. Everything felt fine. Twisting her neck one way, then the other, she raised her arms to check for more bruises or scrapes.

  “Gwelle!”

  Her eyes darted to Raiden where he stood, mouth gaping open. “What?”

  “Your arm.” Raiden pointed to where her injured arm was now moving in motion with the other as she rolled her shoulders. Wait. Moving. She lifted and lowered it again. No pain. “How?”

  Gwelle shrugged, partly because she could without pain, and because she really had no explanation.

  “Maybe it was simply out of place and the fall jarred it back.”

  It was plausible. She tried explaining not only to him but herself as well. His look said he didn’t quite believe the excuse either. He eyed her the same way he had so many times in her life when she was not making sense or about to get in trouble.

  “Maybe,” he said, but he didn’t sound fully convinced. “I’m thinking we should go back.”

  “You know as well as I do when night prowlers get a scent, they don’t let it go. Besides, this has to lead somewhere. A bit longer? I’m really good. Promise.” Gwelle tacked the last on for good measure, still reading the concern in his eyes.

  Raiden raked a hand through his dark hair while leveling his eyes at her. “Alright. A bit longer.”

  Gwelle reached for one of the packs now her arm was better, and they set back off down the winding tunnel. She wasn’t sure how long they’d been following the glowing corridor. Time blurred together underground, but after a while the cavern opened up into a small chamber not as large as the one they’d slept in last night. Raiden found a small crevice in the stone, motioning her over. Before she knew it, the bright light of day had her eyes watering. Never had she been so happy to see the wilderness of Varax.

  “Do you know where we are, or how long we were in there?” Gwelle asked as she watched Raiden study their surroundings.

  “It looks about midday. Means we could be some ways from Nova-Zera depending on the direction we walked.” Raiden spun around, walking to a tree, then another. Finally, she heard a sigh of relief as she watched him point off in a direction. “Home is that way.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Of course.”

  “How?”

  Raiden rolled his eyes at her question but smiled like a mischievous boy when he answered. “That direction is south. Nova-Zera is south of where we camped. So… this has to be the small hill range we crossed on the way through the other day.”

  “And you know all this by looking at a tree?”

  “Yes. Well, three trees
actually. This fluffy stuff grows on the south side of the trees. I just had to find some, and the rest was easy.” Raiden preened at his skills of deduction.

  “Brasidiophyta.”

  “Huh?”

  “The fluffy stuff, Genius. It’s called Brasidiophyta.”

  “You call it what you want. And I’ll call it what I want.”

  Gwelle couldn’t help but tease him, and the broad smile on his face said he knew it as well.

  “So how far does that mean we are from camp?” she asked a little later as they picked their way through the bright forest around them.

  “On foot? Another day at least.”

  Gwelle’s shoulders sagged a little at the news. She’d hoped their jaunt through the caverns earlier had cut off a bit more time. While it had saved them time, it looked like they’d be in the forest overnight again. She said nothing as they walked and munched on the rations which were dwindling fast.

  As the sun sank lower, she felt a knot of fear forming in the pit of her stomach, growing and rising until even breaths were hard to take in the cooler air. Nagging doubts appeared. What if they weren’t heading in the right direction? What if they were only walking into another predator infested area? Raiden assured her they’d be safe. He repeated the words every few minutes, but it did little good to stop her trembling hands.

  “Up there. Look!” he called out just before the sun sank against the horizon, and they’d planned on finding a tree to climb for the evening.

  She followed his finger. Looking off into the distance through the trees to their right, a wide rover trail cut a swatch of brown through the landscape. She wanted to dance and sing. They weren’t out of the woods. Literally. But with a path to follow and possible patrols along the trail, they could find their way back.