by Cathi Shaw
Caedmon didn't reply.
Once Kiara was in the tunnel, Caedmon climbed down the rope himself and swung into the passageway, looking at the strange eerie glow that seemed to come from the walls.
"This place doesn't feel ... natural," he said suspiciously.
Kiara had to agree with that. There was an unnatural feel to the entire tunnel. But she was still confident that this marked a safe way across the glacier and maybe even out of the mountains.
"Who do you think created it?" she asked Caedmon. "What do the legends say?"
He shook his head and looked back at the drop into the ravine behind them. "The legends mention no place like this," he said as he reached out and touched the glowing wall. He jerked his hand back. "Feel this, Kiara."
What was he on about now? Caedmon was far too suspicious, she thought but she humored him by feeling the wall of the tunnel. Her fingers immediately sank into the wall. It was unnaturally warm and moist. Kiara pulled her hand back and looked at Caedmon in concern. A sliver of doubt worked its way into her mind.
"It feels like it's ..." She paused searching for the right words.
"Alive," Caedmon answered for her and backed toward the entrance, more nervous than she'd ever seen him before. But he was being ridiculous. Did he not want to find a safer route across the ice fields? Kiara looked down the tunnel, the path disappeared around a corner and she had a sudden compulsion to follow where it was leading.
"Come on," Kiara said to him, irritably. "We might as well see where it ends."
Caedmon held up his hand. And she paced back and forth impatiently as he drove a spike into the wall to secure the rope. A loud shrieking suddenly ripped through the tunnel as thick red liquid began to ooze from where the spike was impaled.
Kiara stared at it, her mind cloudy and confused. "Caedmon?" she asked uncertainly, as raw fear began to replace her confusion. Then the floor began to tip. Kiara watched as Caedmon used his unbelievable speed to grab the rope in one hand while reaching for her with the other. Without thinking she grasped his hand just as the floor disappeared completely and her feet fell out from beneath her.
"Caedmon!" she cried in terror as they dangled from the rope.
He pulled her toward the entrance and for once Kiara was glad that he was so strong. He tugged her upward until she was able to scramble onto his back. As they dangled from the rope the entrance to the cave seemed to be closing above them. Kiara stared, positive her eyes must be playing tricks on her as fear immobilized her.
"Can you reach the pack?" Caedmon shouted.
"What?" she asked, her voice a sob.
Caedmon shifted. "My pack, can you reach into it?" He groaned with effort as she clung to him and he held onto the rope with both hands.
Kiara looked at the pack, which was pressed against her belly. "I think so."
"There are two knives in the side pocket. Can you get them?" he asked, strain clear in his voice.
In reply Kiara, reached in the pack and dug for the knives. Her fingers closed around the handle of one. She pulled it out and then the other. She handed them to Caedmon but both his hands were occupied.
"Whatever you do keep holding on," Caedmon instructed as he bit down on the knife handles. Then he began to swing them on the rope toward the entrance, which was now barely large enough for them to fit through. Using their combined weight, he swung the two of them until they cleared the entrance. Then before Kiara could ask what was next, he let go of the rope and jumped into the chasm. Kiara screamed.
With a knife in each hand Caedmon slammed first one then the other knife into the ice walls. As they found purchase he began scaling the ice wall. A loud howling sound was now echoing through the entrance they had just vacated. Caedmon climbed faster. And Kiara was happy for his unnatural speed. She wrapped her arms around his neck and shut her eyes tightly, fear coursing through her body. Finally, Caedmon pulled them out of the chasm on the other side of the ice field.
Caedmon dropped her unceremoniously on the ground and then collapsed on the ice, huffing and trying to catch his breath. "Well, you got us to the other side," he puffed with a grin.
Kiara stared at him in horror. He was joking after what had just happened. This man was insane.
She lay beside him shivering on the ice. After a moment, it occurred to her that it was bright daylight again. Kiara stared in confusion. When they had lowered themselves into the chasm there had been a storm approaching.
"What happened to the storm?" she gasped.
Caedmon swallowed as he caught his breath and sat up looking around. "I think we were in the chasm longer than it seemed," he said hoarsely.
Kiara stared at him. Then she shuddered as she remembered the howls that were only now fading. "What was that?" Kiara asked him, her fear raw in her voice.
Caedmon shrugged off his pack and began putting his knives away. "The legends of the ice field speak of ancient monsters. Monsters who have an intelligence of sorts and set mental traps to lure their prey." He paused.
Kiara remembered how she was drawn to the tunnel; sure it was a safe way through an ice field when realistically it didn't make any sense that such a thing could exist. She sat up and swallowed in horror. Had some hungry ice monster tricked her?
"Do you mean I was ... brainwashed or something?" she asked.
"Lured by the beast, would be a more appropriate description," Caedmon said. “Kiara your waist.”
She looked down and saw the blood seeping through her tunic where the rope must have dug into her skin. He gently lifted her top to reveal deep gouges in her flesh. She didn’t feel a thing. "But why weren't you affected?" she asked as Caedmon began digging through his pack for medical supplies.
Caedmon shrugged. "You fell into the chasm, remember? Perhaps the creature affected you while you were hanging around." His lips twitched with humor. "I was on the field so it couldn't touch me."
Kiara shivered as she remembered the floor falling out beneath her feet. She closed her eyes, her body beginning to shake, with cold or residual reaction to what had happened she didn't know.
"Hey," Caedmon called and she opened her eyes. He stood up and held his hand out to her.
She swallowed and put her hand in his. He pulled her to her feet and into his arms.
"You're okay," he whispered into her hair and hugged her hard.
Kiara sunk into his embrace. Feeding off his strength until she felt the horror of the crevice retreat.
"Thank you," she whispered as she pulled away.
He smiled. "No, I think I should thank you."
Kiara looked at him, puzzled.
"I think my feelings about the accuracy of legends may be shifting thanks to you," he said with a grin. Caedmon looked up at something in the distance. "On more than one count."
Kiara turned to see what had caught his attention. Approaching them were two small figures, shuffling across the ice purposefully. It looked as though they weren't alone any more.
****
The small figures approached with remarkable speed for their size. They were tiny, no more than child-sized, but had wizen features that suggested great age. Their appearance on the ice field was completely surreal. Kiara couldn’t stop herself from staring.
In addition to their odd appearance, the newcomers were dressed in nothing but brown robes that hung off their small frames. Hoods covered their hairless heads and their feet were bare.
Kiara rubbed her eyes, wondering if her injuries were worse than she thought and if she was hallucinating. But Caedmon was watching them as well.
"Caedmon?" she asked softly. "Are they real?"
He closed his eyes briefly and nodded before turning to her. "They are the manach."
The manach were a mythical group of holy folk who lived in seclusion from the rest of the world. They were believed to have strange powers. Some said they were real but many believed they were just a legend of the northern realm.
"You've encountered them before?"
&nb
sp; Caedmon shook his head. “No, I didn’t think they were real.”
“Of course you didn’t,” she murmured under her breath as the creatures approached.
“Caedmon Forborrow and Kiara Carnesîr.” The first wizen creature halted as it said their names. “We have anticipated your visit for many moons.”
Kiara glanced at Caedmon, uncertainly.
“Come,” they beckoned. “You need warmth and food. And we can care for your wounds. Come. Come.”
Caedmon looked at her and shrugged then began to follow the creatures across the snow. “You heard him, Kiara. Food and shelter. It’s a better offer than the last creature we encountered here,” he said when she hesitated. “And besides your wounds do need treatment. I have no medical supplies in my bag.”
Unable to argue with his logic, Kiara followed Caedmon and the strange creatures across the ice.
The manach lived in an enormous tower made entirely of ice. Kiara rubbed her eyes when she saw it, certain that they were playing tricks on her. The tower did hardly looked strong enough to bear the weight of even one person and yet the manach indicated it was their home.
The tower was also larger than it appeared from the outside. Kiara didn’t know how it was possible. It seemed to be an optical illusion of some kind. Inside the building was vast and they found many more manach all of whom greeted them by name.
Despite the building’s structure of ice, it was comfortably warm within it. Kiara and Caedmon were led in different directions. When Kiara hesitated at being separated from Caedmon, the small wizen creature accompanying Kiara halted.
“He will be fine,” she assured Kiara.
“What?” Kiara asked in confusion.
“Caedmon will be fine. You are worried about him. You should not worry. We are here to help you. You would not survive the ice fields without our help.”
“What about that thing that almost killed us.” Kiara shuddered remembering the creature in the ice.
“Yes, you woke an ancient one.” The wizen creature smiled, her face creasing. “He was very hungry. It was his cries that alerted us to your presence.”
“What was it?” Kiara asked.
The manach looked thoughtful. “There are many old beings that live in the ice. They are dormant until awoken. They have lived for many years by doing what that one tried to do to you.”
“It tried to eat us!”
“Yes, it was hungry. Such creatures do not mean harm. They are only trying to survive. There are others that you must fear more than the ancient ones.”
Kiara stared as the creature led her into a small chamber and nodded toward the bed. “Rest while I find you food and a healer. Then we will talk.”
Kiara sat down on the bed, determined not to rest. But she found herself almost instantly becoming weary. And her waist was now aching with a throb that she was certain would prevent any kind of sleep. But the bed was so inviting with a soft mattress and warm blankets. And it had been so very long since she’d known the comfort of a bed. Sighing, she sunk into it and before she could think about what she was doing, she drifted into a deep slumber.
****
“Kiara. It is time to wake.”
Kiara opened her eyes uncertain where she was. She sat up quickly reaching for her dagger and finding that her injuries didn’t ache. She looked down. She was clad in a loosely fitted white robe. Her fingers probed her waist only to find smooth skin.
“The Healer came while you slept. You are well now.”
Instantly she wondered if she had been drugged. She remembered falling to sleep so easily. But how could her wounds have been healed without her knowing.
“Be calm, Kiara. Be calm. You don’t need to know the answers to everything, you know. I’ve brought you food.”
The wizen one handed Kiara a tray laden with potatoes, vegetables and bread. And against her will her stomach rumbled loudly. Unable to help herself, Kiara began eating hungrily.
“Caedmon?” she asked, when her frenzy for food had abated.
“He is well. He also slept and is now eating. Do not worry. You will see him soon but men and women do not share chambers while here. I know that will be hard for you.”
Kiara stared at the small figure wondering how she knew about her longing to be with Caedmon.
“You are safe while with us. But we can’t protect you forever,” she added. “We will help you get to Séreméla but you must be careful when you arrive there.”
“What do you mean? How do you know what is going on in Séreméla?”
“We know more than you can imagine. You, all you Marked Ones, are all in great danger. Do not trust the Elders.”
“What?”
“They wish to harm the Marked Ones. You must band together. You are the only hope for the future.”
Kiara stared at her.
“Find the other Marked Ones before they kill them all. It is your destiny.”
Afterward Kiara could never say how long they’d been with the manach. At times it seemed like hours and other times it seemed like weeks. But finally they were told they must continue with their journey.
The manach led them to the very edge of the ice fields.
“Go and be well, Marked Ones. Remember your destiny.”
And with that they left.
****
It took them five more days to leave the mountains.
As they starting hiking downward, the landscape slowly changed. Finally pine trees began to appear. Kiara let out a yelp of joy when she saw the first real tree and ran over to hug it. Caedmon stood laughing at her.
"What?" she cried. "I could care less if I see snow and ice ever again."
"Well, you're likely to see snow until we reach the outskirts of Séreméla," he told her as he sobered. "It is winter after all."
Kiara nodded. "Yes, that's true but the snow we'll see is real snow not the insanely evil ice snow of the last month." She shuddered.
Caedmon smiled in understanding. They had both had more than enough of the mountain weather.
That night they made camp under a copse of trees, built a large fire and ate their fill of the rabbits that Kiara had caught and cooked over the fire. Even though they were still outdoors, as Kiara snuggled up to Caedmon in his sleeping roll, she felt for the first time in a long time that they were going to be successful in their journey. She could almost feel the end in sight.
She tried to imagine what it would be like to be in Séreméla with her mother and sisters again. She frowned as she shifted in the sleeping roll. It was going to be different. She had become used to sleeping with Caedmon. That would surely end once they reached Séreméla. She knew Brijit would not have approved of their sleeping arrangements. But even though they shared the bedroll out of necessity, Kiara was surprised to feel a pang of disappointment at the thought of going to bed alone again.
She frowned trying to make sense of her thoughts. Despite their unconventional sleeping arrangements, Caedmon had behaved as a gentleman throughout the journey. The sharing of a bed had been necessary but had also been a comfort to Kiara. She didn't want to think about it ending. But she knew that too soon it would.
The next day they arrived at the outskirts of Revuover, the largest city in the Five Corners and the closest one to Séreméla. As they broke camp that morning, Caedmon dug his ring out of his bag.
"I suppose your ring was lost in the cave in?" he noted when he saw her watching him. Then added a touch sardonically, "I thought at least one of us should have a symbol of our wedded bliss."
Kiara rolled her eyes at him. They'd agreed that they should revert back to the story Weylon had given them with the minor edit that now they would be going to meet Caedmon’s mother in the Outlands.
Kiara raised her eyebrows at him and pulled her silver chain from around her neck, the gold ring still hanging from it.
Caedmon whistled. "Ah, me lass, my ring was so important to ye that ye had to wear it near your heart," he teased, taking on a strong Outland
accent.
"Oh, stop it." She hit him playfully on the shoulder. "I figured that since it was gold, it must be worth something so it wouldn't be wise to stuff it in a bag that could be looted at any point." She took it from the chain and put it on her the middle finger of her right hand.
As they weaved through the semi-crowded streets of Revuover, Caedmon narrowed his eyes at Kiara.
"What's wrong?" she asked finally.
"You don't look much like a new bride," he noted gesturing toward her dirty leggings, tunic and jacket. He wrinkled his nose at her short hair. Kiara glared at him. She knew it had grown to a shaggy mess over the two months on the road but there was no need to make faces. "You look more like a boy playing at being a man."
Kiara's temper flared but then she saw some of the other women in the streets. Even the most rustic peasant in this part of the country seemed to dress in skirts and frills. And she couldn't see a single woman with close shorn hair.
Kiara grimaced. "Well there's not much I can do about it now, is there?" she asked Caedmon angrily. "I lost the one dress I owned in the cave in. And I like my hair this way."
“You only owned one dress?” he asked incredulously. Then seeing her angry expression, he held up his hand in mock defense.
"I know. I'm not blaming you, Kiara, it's just that if we don't want to draw attention to ourselves, we should be putting some thought into how to acquire a proper dress for you." He grimaced as he looked down. "And some clean clothes for me," he added gesturing at his stained and ripped clothing.
Kiara frowned but she knew Caedmon was right.
"We can get away with it at this end of Revuover but as we go further into the heart of the city, your current state of dress will draw notice." He paused and then grimaced at his own dirty appearance. "As will my own. But don't worry, I have an idea."
Caedmon took them to an inn where he'd stayed often when he was in the Army. He told Kiara that the middle-aged woman who ran the Inn had been very fond of him. It turned out Mistress Clare was rotund motherly woman with a perpetual laugh in her voice and smile on her face. She was delighted to see Caedmon and he soon showed that he was almost as adept at weaving a tale as his brother Teague was.