“The tunnel ahead is blocked, we must go back,” said Gideon. The others turned toward the entrance, but sure enough, the tunnel was completely dark, filled in with rocks and debris.
“I don't think it's over yet,” said Ranelle as she heard the mineshaft walls groan and crack.
“She's right,” said Lara, laying her hand against the mineshaft wall.
“Then what do we do?” asked Charlie, terrified.
“We have to go deeper into this shaft,” said Gideon, pointing toward the debris they’d been clearing the last few days.
“Go deeper?” asked Charlie, sounding panicked at the thought.
“We don't have time to debate,” Ranelle said, gathering whatever gear she could grab as the dust began to settle in the shaft air. “Gideon’s right, we need to move further in to see if there’s any other way out!”
The miners each nodded their agreement.
“What about Abree?” asked Lara. “She’s hurt.”
“Gideon,” said Ranelle, thinking quickly, “can you cut off the sleeve of your shirt and give it to me?” He raised his eyebrows, understanding her intentions.
“Here, take this clean water too,” he said as he handed over his leather water bladder.
“What are you doing?” asked Abree, looking fearful for the first time since Ranelle had met her.
“We need to clean and wrap it,” said Ranelle, trying to put on her best nurse’s demeanor and ignoring, for the moment, who she was attending to. She took the water bladder Gideon had offered and the ripped length of sleeve and set them down by Abree's injured foot. Since whatever was left of her boot was covering the injury, Ranelle couldn't see how bad the damage was yet.
“You’re going to have to remove the boot,” said Gideon.
Ranelle nodded. Her stomach lurched as she untied the boot and looked at Abree.
“This is going to hurt.”
“Then I’m sure you'll enjoy it,” Abree replied through bared teeth, as she closed her eyes tight, preparing for the pain. Ranelle looked at Gideon and mouthed ‘on three.’ Gideon nodded and waited as Ranelle mouthed a silent countdown. On three, the two of them slowly slid Abree's tattered boot off as the girl jumped from the sudden pain and screamed.
“Take slow deep breaths,” said Ranelle, “the worst of it is over.”
Abree nodded, panting as tears streamed down her dirty face, leaving streaks behind. As Abree worked to find some composure, Ranelle inspected her injury. The foot was bloody and showed signs of deep bruising, but there was barely any swelling. Confident that the appendage wasn’t broken, Ranelle cleaned the blood off Abree’s foot and attended to the many scratches and small gashes that the fallen rock had left behind.
“These boots are so old, it's a wonder they protected your feet at all,” said Gideon as he inspected the remains of her footwear.
“They were my mom's extra pair,” Abree replied, wiping the tears from her smudged face.
“Well, we can only bandage it up and help you walk for now,” said Ranelle.
“Help me walk?” said Abree skeptically.
“We don't have another set of boots, and yours are toast,” said Ranelle, chucking what was left of Abree’s tattered boot to the side. She turned to Gideon, “Do you have the salve you used on my headache?”
Gideon reached into his chest pocket and pulled out the small tin. He handed it to Ranelle, and she popped the top off, applying the medicine to Abree's wounds. When she was done, Gideon helped wrap the foot up with the sleeve ripped from his shirt.
As Ranelle and Gideon helped Abree up, the mineshaft began to tremble, rocking back and forth as the miners tried to keep upright.
“This way!” bellowed the team leader as he steered Abree and Ranelle deeper into the mineshaft. Charlie and Lara gathered any gear within arm’s reach and hurried after them.
“Grab those lanterns,” Ranelle called to Lara and Charlie as she could barely see the mineshaft ahead in the darkness.
“Got them,” called Lara as she and Charlie came up behind the trio with two lanterns along with whatever mining gear they’d found.
As they approached the debris they’d been working to clear for days, most of it had been shaken apart by the groundshake and luckily, they were able to walk right over it.
“Where’re we going?” cried Abree, wincing painfully with each step.
“This mineshaft’s been off-limits for ages, who knows how far it goes,” said Gideon trying to hurry the group along. “I figure we’ll just keep moving until we find a safer place to stop.”
The rumbling continued, shaking rocks and dirt loose as the miners stumbled on. Suddenly a jolt hit the shaft so large that the mineshaft floor seemed to fall out from under their very feet. As they landed back on the ground, they stumbled, trying to regain their footing. Ahead, the shaft appeared to widen slightly, with a rock overhang on either side of the pathway.
“Over here!” yelled Gideon, hoping that the overhangs would provide temporary safety from falling debris. As the miners reached the overhead ledges, they split into two groups. Gideon and Ranelle got Abree safely to one side. At the same time, Lara and Charlie huddled under the other, with one lantern lighting each side.
The groundshake lasted for several more minutes, bringing down debris and dust into the mineshaft. After the shaking had finished, Gideon’s idea had proved sound as all five miners were untouched. The pyrus lanterns blazed on, illuminating the dark, dust-filled tunnel around them.
“When should we move on?” asked a scared Charlie who was huddled elbow to elbow with Lara.
“I'm not sure if the groundshake is over yet,” said Ranelle eyeing the shaft ceiling.
“It should be for now,” said Gideon as he slowly stood to stretch out his cramping muscles.
“How do you know?” asked Lara, eyeing him with doubt.
“Because,” Gideon replied as he and Ranelle helped Abree to her feet, “I’ve seen mining reports. There’s always a main event with several minutes of smaller follow-up activity. That's it.”
“I’d rather keep moving myself,” piped up Charlie, unsure if anyone cared for his opinion.
“Agreed,” said Ranelle, nodding, “I want to see if the tunnel opens up anywhere.” She looked at Gideon, waiting for his approval.
Returning her nod, Gideon waited as Ranelle once again took her place under Abree’s arm before they steered the injured girl further down the shaft. Lara and Charlie followed shortly behind. As the group moved on, the light from the lanterns carried by Lara and Charlie projected shadowed figures on the mineshaft walls ahead of them.
“It's so quiet,” said Lara after several minutes of walking, “what are we going to do?”
“Don't worry,” answered Gideon, “up ahead should be an old mining station with supplies that we need.”
“A mining station?” asked Ranelle. “How do you know?”
“I've seen a diagram of it,” he explained, “I was planning on our team being the first to reach it after all these cycles since the mineshaft was closed off.”
“How far ahead is it?” asked Lara, holding a lantern out so that they could see as they walked.
“It shouldn't be too far,” said Gideon, “of course, it's been cycles since the maps were made. They could be inaccurate.”
“That doesn't inspire confidence,” Ranelle whispered, so only Gideon and Abree could hear. In her current state, the female team leader wasn't paying attention anyway.
“She's really pale,” said Lara, raising the lantern to shine on Abree. Luckily, the pyrus light also revealed another outcropping just ahead.
“There!” Ranelle called out as she spied the formation, “don't worry, Abree, we’re stopping to rest.”
Ranelle could feel the girl slump against her, losing the rest of her energy. The last few paces were slow as they struggled with the added weight. By the time they set her down on the ground, Abree was barely conscious.
“How did she get so bad, so q
uickly?” asked Charlie.
Sure enough, Abree’s forehead was sweaty, her skin was pallid, and her breathing was labored.
“She’s either lost more blood than I realized, or she’s having some sort of tremor,” Ranelle huffed with irritation, “I have to check her bandages.”
“Let's get her comfortable,” Gideon suggested.
The others began to offer supplies from their sacks to help. Lara reluctantly gave up her water bladder as Gideon pulled out his small tin of salve. Ranelle knelt next to Abree, who was now shivering uncontrollably. She sighed, then reached up over her head, tugging off the holey overshirt she had on, and offered it to Abree.
“Here,” she said, holding it out.
“Real–ly?” Abree sputtered, still shivering.
“Yes, you need it,” said Ranelle as she helped the injured girl pull the overshirt on over her tired body. “Now I have to clean your wounds.”
“Yes, Mother,” Abree harassed weakly as she laid back slowly onto the rucksacks donated by Charlie and Lara.
Ranelle shot her a look of distaste before peeling the bandage back to see her wounds. Wincing, she removed the blood-soaked cloth and observed the swollen red flesh around the gashes left by falling rocks.
“She’s lost too much blood,” Ranelle informed as she gratefully accepted Gideon’s other sleeve to use as a fresh bandage. She knew if she didn't find something to treat the injury, Abree would get weaker, possibly losing her life. Ranelle reapplied the numbing salve to the wounds, wrapped it back up, then stood to stretch her legs. She caught Gideon's eye and motioned for him to follow.
When they were well out of earshot, Gideon leaned up against the wall of the mineshaft wearily, crossing his arms over his chest, looking at Ranelle expectantly. “How bad is it?”
“She’s still bleeding despite how tightly I’ve wrapped it,” she replied, “it won't get better without help.”
“What are you thinking?” Gideon inquired, eyeing her tensely.
“Well, when you saw the drawing of this tunnel up ahead, did it list supplies at all?”
“No, but the miners used it exclusively as a supply station so there could still be provisions there.”
Ranelle nodded, quietly planning. “We need to keep moving ahead, try to find that supply station, and hopefully there are medicines we can use.”
“It would be better if we leave the others behind,” Gideon suggested, looking down the mineshaft, “at least until we check that it’s safe first.”
Ranelle nodded. She hated to admit it, but she was relieved to have Gideon there with her. She also knew that it was best not to risk moving Abree until they found a better way to care for her injured foot.
As the two of them returned to the outcroppings where the others sat resting, Ranelle cleared her throat to get their attention. “Listen up, guys,” she said, kneeling so that she was eye level with the others, “Gideon has seen drawings of a mining supply station that’s supposed to be up ahead.”
“We’re hoping to find supplies we can use,” Gideon explained as he knelt next to her.
“Lara,” Ranelle said, “can you and Charlie stay and look after Abree?”
“You're leaving us behind?”
“We’re coming back,” Gideon reassured, “but this really is our best chance.”
“I'm sick, aren't I?” asked Abree weakly, startling the others.
Ranelle nodded. “But, if there's medicine in the supply station, hopefully we can get you better and on your own feet again.”
“Ha–ha,” Abree said darkly.
“Do you really want to risk your life for someone who attacked you while your back was turned?” asked Charlie, glaring at Abree.
“Look, let’s just get this done,” Ranelle said sternly, “she needs to get better so we can keep moving.”
“Exactly,” Gideon agreed as he got back to his feet, “we have to move past our issues if we’re to make it back to our families.”
“What families?” asked Lara sharply. She was right; each of them were orphans, except for Gideon.
“Until this is over, we are family,” said Ranelle, “and we have to figure this out, wherever it takes us.”
Lara bit her lip while she thought for a moment before giving Ranelle a curt nod.
“We’ll watch her.”
“Thanks,” Gideon said more cheerfully than seemed appropriate at the time, “The map that I saw showed a supply room about five minutes’ walk ahead, I’d say.”
Ranelle leaned in next to Lara, giving her a thoughtful gaze. “If there happens to be another groundshake,” Ranelle whispered so that no one else could hear, “get yourselves to safety.”
Charlie and Lara exchanged looks. They nodded with noticeable relief and understanding that she didn’t expect them to risk their lives for Abree. Ranelle then stood, placing one of the satchels they’d managed to grab during the groundshake, over her shoulder.
“Ready?” asked Gideon, already sporting a bag he’d been able to retrieve during the commotion of the cave-in. Ranelle nodded, taking one of the lanterns, and motioned for the Regent's son to lead the way.
Chapter Nine
As Ranelle and Gideon walked on without the others, the tunnel was dead quiet, giving both miners a feeling of unease.
“Alone at last,” Gideon kidded with a small smirk, attempting to break the awkward silence.
“So, you planned all of this, huh?” said Ranelle sheepishly.
“Well, this is definitely not what I thought I’d be doing today,” said Gideon, wiping sweat from his brow. Despite being deep in the ground where the air was damp and cold, the lantern that Gideon carried heated the air uncomfortably as they passed through the unending tunnel.
They traveled on in silence until they came upon a slender stone pillar set against the tunnel wall. Atop the pillar was a small dish with an oily substance pooled at the bottom. As Ranelle and Gideon reached the column, they exchanged looks.
“How did this get here?” Ranelle gawked at the pedestal, running her fingers across its rough surface, then poked a finger into the liquid pooled at the bottom of the basin. She withdrew her hand, rubbing her fingertips together to feel the consistency of the oil.
“Pyrus?”
Ranelle nodded. The oil, or pyrus as it was called, was used all over Alysium; it lit mining tunnels, buildings, as well as lamps lining the roadways across each burrow.
“How long has this been here?” she asked, eyes wide.
“This tunnel has been blocked off from people for many cycles…since the last cave-in I guess,” said Gideon, pulling out his strike stones, “but I don’t think it ever goes bad.”
Hoping the pyrus would light and burn slowly to light their way back, Gideon bent slightly, striking the stones against each other. As sparks fell through the air, they landed on the aged oil, causing it to spit and sputter. Without hesitation, the pyrus lit and grew, blazing with brilliant light, sending ripples of color down the mineshaft walls.
The two of them smiled at each other with relief and continued past the pillar, eventually coming upon yet another just a few minutes later. Ranelle started counting each one as they came upon and lit them. Ten...eleven...twelve. They glanced back over their shoulders, watching the last pillar glowing brightly. Each one lit before it grew dimmer and dimmer as they traveled along. Eventually, the lights resembled dancing fireflies in the distance.
“It shouldn't be much further,” Gideon assured.
Ranelle noted a lack of confidence in his voice. It was only a few short moments later, however, when a fork in the mineshaft suddenly appeared ahead of them. Restoring his trust in his own memory, Gideon rushed forward with sudden determination and excitement. Ranelle grinned as she had to jog to keep up with him.
When they reached the fork, they saw it was separated by another stone pillar. A dish of pyrus sat on top of this column like the others. Pausing briefly, Gideon pulled out his strike stones, hitting them deftly together. The st
ones cast sparks showering down upon the oil until it ignited. After the pool of oil was fully lit, they checked the two tunnels that lay ahead.
Each shaft was framed side-by-side with thick aged wooden beams. The two tunnels appeared to be like the rest; however, the walls of the new mineshafts were darker than usual. As Ranelle and Gideon gazed up at the large wooden doorways, Gideon smiled and pointed up to the top of the one on the right. The large beam that framed in the top of the door had large letters carved deep into the wood, forming a sign:
STATION 1
“You were right!” said Ranelle as she beamed at Gideon. “We might have a chance after all!”
Gideon couldn’t help but grin with relief. His shoulders relaxed as his tension began to melt away.
“Now we have to find what you need for Abree,” said Gideon holding the lantern out in front of him, casting light across the station tunnel entrance.
“Hopefully we find a lot more than just medicines, or none of us are going to last very long,” Ranelle replied, her smile faltering.
“Lead on then,” Gideon urged, handing the lantern to her so that she could proceed.
Ranelle nodded, walking forward down the long-abandoned shaft with caution. Stepping carefully, she touched her fingertips to the smooth stone wall. After a minute, she paused mid-step, Gideon nearly running into her.
“What is it?” he asked, confused by her unexpected stop.
“What do you see when you look at this wall?” she asked.
Gideon frowned and gazed at the wall stupidly.
“A wall?” he asked slowly. “Why, am I supposed to see anything different?
“Put your hands on it and tell me what you feel,” she suggested as she placed her own hand on the wall to demonstrate. Gideon raised an eyebrow at her but followed along. The moment his hand touched the stone, his smile instantly faded.
“That's impossible,” he said, sliding his hands up and down the wall frantically, “There's no way the whole tunnel can be like this.”
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