Knowing Yourself - A Medieval Romance

by C.M. Owens

Chapter 19

  Kay’s world was reduced to hesitant footfalls, the pained intakes of each breath, and the darkness that pressed in from every side. She had lost track of time and space. The torch created a flickering sphere of visibility immediately around them, but beyond that was a twisted, dream-like world of dripping water, fluttering bats, falling rocks, and musty, rank smells. The tunnels seemed to twist and turn without logic. She could have sworn that they doubled back enough times to be directly beneath the keep on at least five separate occasions.

  There was never a glimpse of light, never the sound of pursuit. Never the remotest sense that saviors were coming to draw her away from her captor.

  She tripped over an outcropping for what must have been the hundredth time. She turned her head toward Galeron’s in the gloom.

  “Please, can we rest for just -”

  His left hand crushed down firmly on her arm, jerking her against him, and the torch flamed toward her face in a threatening gesture. She bit off her request with a quick intake of breath, turning her head from the glare and heat. He continued the forward trudge as quickly as they could manage across the rocky terrain.

  A flutter of panic swirled through her heart. Until now Galeron had been many things, but a calm current of logic had always underpinned each of his actions. In this maze of inky tunnels and chaotic turns, however, his demeanor has begun to drastically change. He had taken to muttering to himself at intersections, cursing the uselessness of his lists and charts. His clutching grip on her arm had long since cut off the feeling in her hand. His movements had become short, furtive - the penned-in actions of a caged rat.

  He stumbled to a stop before yet another separation of the tunnels, and Kay wearily looked around her. The combination of the strength of his grip, the heat of the flame, and the jagged pain in her legs meant that escape was the furthest thing from her mind. She was barely able to focus on staying upright, on remaining by his side in the labyrinth of stagnant pools and slimy slabs of stone. Kay knew these networks ran for miles and featured deep drop-offs and jagged pits. Every footfall was a risky proposition.

  Galeron yanked her into motion, taking the left-hand tunnel, and her arm scraped a sharp-edged protuberance as she made the turn. She hissed in sharply, biting down on her pain, feeling yet another raw wound open up and trickle blood. She almost wished that she could spot a glimmer of light behind them, even if it meant she was injured as a result. At least then she would feel these red path markers she was leaving behind were acting as clues for any who followed.

  She chuckled wryly. Unfortunately, she was the one who had the sharp vision. Reese was the one who -

  She drew in a quick breath, the thought coming to her. Reese’s talents were in his ability to pick sounds out of chaos, to hear the slightest murmur of information in a sea of noise. If she could just …

  Her legs were dragging as she desperately struggled to keep up with Galeron, and she now paid focused attention to what she was doing with them. Galeron had already come to accept that she was less than stealthy in how she was able to move. Perhaps she could use that to her advantage.

  The next time she moved her right foot, she let it hop along the surface of the floor, giving out an even rhythm.

  Tap. Tap. Tap.

  She glanced up at Galeron, her breath caught in her throat, but he did not hesitate a moment in his forward progress. He did not show even the slightest break in his wandering gaze as he pushed forward.

  Her heart soared. Perhaps she could do some small part in helping Reese to find her. She knew with absolute certainty that he was behind them; was tracking them. He would rescue her, if only she showed him the way.

  Another turn, another slab of pebbled rock, and Kay’s left leg was dragging.

  Tap. Tap. Tap.

  Kay was careful to wait a long minute before her next signal, to give Galeron time to move them forward, to pick out a path amongst the rubble. He stared intently into the darkness between a pair of forks, choosing the one most likely to bring him out to his chosen destination, whatever that might be. Kay did not care any more. Her entire focus, her reason for being in this God-forsaken, dripping, guano-infested tube was to send her signals back to Reese. To draw him in to her.

  Tap. Tap. Tap.

  Galeron pulled up short, skirting them around the edge of a pit at least five feet on a side. Kay glanced down as they eased around its circumference and her heart plummeted. If Reese were to take one step too many in the pitch black he could easily tumble forward into its depths, could be mangled on its sharp-edged bottom … she forced the thoughts out of her mind. Reese would manage it, even in the darkest night, even in the inkiest state of blindness.

  He would come for her.

  Another eternity passed, another endless series of tripping over ridges in the floor and slamming her head into low jutting outcrops. She had scraped her elbows, knees, and temples on every manner of rock she could imagine. She began to wonder if they would ever leave this purgatory of granite. Perhaps they were doomed to wander in the flickering dusk for an eternity.

  Galeron suddenly stopped, and her eyes dropped down in automatic concern, looking for another gaping chasm. The cavern floor was a sturdy, rough surface of layers of rock and loose debris. She glanced over at Galeron in weary confusion. To her surprise his gaze was sharply forward, and, following his stare, she drew in a breath. There was the slightest hint of light from up ahead. A wavering of less-than-pitch-black which drew her heart with the strong allure of the wafting smell of fresh baked bread.

  They were reaching escape.

  She didn’t care that Galeron clutched her arm with an iron-firm grip or that her legs were throbbing with pain. All that mattered was that they got out of these claustrophobic tunnels and reached the safety of fresh air. She needed to sprawl, just for a moment, on soft sand.

  He was in motion again, and for once she was coursing with fresh energy at his side, pressing toward the light which grew in luminescence with every step. Soon it was throwing the faintest of shadows against the rock, and then they rounded the corner.

  Kay’s heart plunged into the hollow depths. Open before them was a sinkhole at least six feet across, its darkness stretching further than her eye could fathom. She gave a kick to a small stone. It skittered, bouncing, along the length of its depths before releasing a tinny clank from the floor far below.

  Galeron’s voice squeaked with stress. “Our last hurdle to freedom,” he croaked.

  Kay turned in astonishment. “You cannot be serious,” she gasped, looking again at the open space. “There is no way I can make it across that - not in my state!”

  Galeron’s eyes sharpened on her own. “There is one way out,” he stated, his fingers twitching. “No other plan, no other lists.” His shoulder gave a spasmodic jerk. “Either you make it across that or you fail trying. One choice or the other.”

  Kay’s heart thudded against her chest, and she looked out over the expanse. Her legs were shooting daggers of agonizing pain with each movement, and her body was on the verge of collapse. “I have not slept in thirty hours,” she protested.

  Galeron shook his head. “This is completely logical. There is the way out. Now we reach it.” He released her arm with a push, taking a step back from her. “Only thing to do is run at it. Run, and jump. That’s the sensible thing. The way out.” His voice had gotten short and sharp, and he sounded as if he was trying to convince himself as much as her.

  Kay thought of refusing, but looking again at the wild swirl in his eyes, she knew there would be no hope there. His mind was a logical machine which was going haywire. He saw this route as his best way to safety. While he wanted to bring her along with him, in the end his survival was the most important factor.

  She had to make the jump.

  She took a few steps back, forcing herself to block her exhaustion from her mind, to shut down every nerve ending to her legs. She narrowed her focus on the ledge, on the other side of the pit. She had to make it
there. No matter what it took, she had to land safely on the other side.

  She visualized the leap, visualized the strong spring of her legs, and visualized the thrill of reaching the firm ground beyond.

  Then, with a deep breath, she ran.

  Her feet were pounding into the ground, and somewhere beyond her was excruciating pain, but not within her world, not in her realm. Then she was launching, flying, the slow motion of the fall into the leaves, the suspension of time from the dropping into Reese’s arms, and she felt the warmth of his love, the caress of his embrace …

  SLAM.

  Her chest collided with the far edge of the cliff face. The wind was knocked out of her; her world went twisty, fuzzy, and nearly faded into black. She scrambled with her arms for purchase and dug her feet in scrabbling agony. Her fingers clutched at a fault line in the floor in front of her, and her boots found purchase on a thin ledge perhaps five feet down the rocky edge. Her breath came in long, deep heaves. Her world rocked in jumpy waves, but her body did not slip further.

  She had made it.

  Her cheek pressed against the edge of the pit. She could just see over its top to the open cave mouth beyond, to the stretch of sand and the ocean beyond. The crashing waves were the sweetest sound she had heard in her entire lifetime. She drew in another staggering breath. She did not even try to drag herself up from the ledge she stood on. She could feel in every tendon of her body that simply holding in place would be the most she could manage. She would have to wait for Galeron to make the leap and pull her to safety.

  She carefully turned her head, looking back to where he stood in the half-light of the incoming daylight. He tossed the torch down into the pit, and she watched it descend, falling its way down until the light winked out of sight.

  He turned then, drawing his sword out of its scabbard, looking with wild eyes back into the darkness of the cave network. “I know you are in there, Reese,” he cried out, his voice sharp with suspicion. “Come out and show yourself. Or do you fear you cannot best me?”

  There was no response, and Kay wondered if Galeron’s mind had finally become overwrought with the strain. Was Reese truly only a short distance away from them? Had he been able to track them through that pitch-black maze of rock and chasm?

  Galeron bent down with his left hand, picked up a rock the size of a chick, and turned partially toward Kay. “Step out now, Reese,” he warned, his voice cooling. “Do not make me prove the soundness of my logic by dislodging one of her hands, so you are forced to act.” He drew back his arm, and Kay’s heart thundered against her ribs. Surely he would not -

  There was a footstep, and from the darkness Reese emerged with his sword in hand. A wave of relief engulfed Kay. Tears streamed down her face as he held her gaze for a long moment, then turned to face Galeron head on.

  Galeron’s laugh seemed to border on hysteria. “I knew it,” he announced, holding his position between Reese and Kay. “It was the logical answer. Of course you would be back there. You could not resist her, of course. You had to follow. And now I can ensure that you do not bother either of us any more.”

  Reese’s eyes remained on Galeron, watching his every motion, but his voice carried clearly to Kay. “Are you all right? Is your ledge sturdy?” His voice was tight with concern.

  Kay took in a long, deep breath, forcing herself to wipe all thought of pain and weakness from her mind. Reese was undoubtedly injured and exhausted – and he was preparing for a swordfight with a master. Every ounce of his focus had to be on Galeron’s prodigious talents. She could not distract him in even the slightest way.

  “I am perfectly fine,” she assured him with the most steady voice she could manage. “My hands have a solid grip, and my feet are planted. You do what you need to do.”

  Reese’s shoulders visibly relaxed at that. He swung his sword into a high guard, dropping down lower into a balanced stance.

  His challenge rang down the rocky walls.

  “Let us begin.”

  Galeron flashed into motion, driving hard at Reese, swinging his sword in a glittering arc and aiming for his right shoulder. Reese turned against the motion, catching the blade high, letting Galeron’s momentum carry him down and past. He spun on the ball of his foot, whipping the tip around to drive into Galeron’s side, but Galeron had already leapt back a half step, moving out of range and resetting his guard across the front of his torso.

  Galeron’s voice was reedy and tight as he jabbed again, keeping a distance between him and his attacker. “Of course she claims she is all right,” he taunted Reese, his eyes wild. “She is a consummate liar,” - slash – “and she wants you to be distracted” – slash – “from the danger she is in.”

  He whirled, and Reese leapt back, the blade missing him by mere inches. Galeron’s eyes glowed. “Kay’s legs are barely able to hold her up,” – stab – “and she fought against nearly overwhelming pain these last few miles.” Their blades rang against each other. Galeron gave a low laugh. “Look, she’s slipping. I imagine she has only a few seconds left.”

  Reese’s eyes flashed with concern, darting for a moment to Kay. Galeron spun at him, drawing his sword across Reese’s arm and leaving a red stripe as Reese’s dodge was a hair too late.

  Kay’s heart leapt. “Reese!” she cried out in anguish. “I am fine, Reese,” she insisted, pleading. “Focus on Galeron.”

  Kay could barely breathe. Both men were consummate swordsmen – and both would give their lives before abandoning this fight. Both were exhausted, injured, and deadly focused.

  They could easily both die.

  Reese had to do something to tip the odds – but what?

  Galeron chortled again. “She’s slipping …”

  Insight struck Kay.

  It wasn’t just that Galeron was a superb swordsman, equal to Reese. It was his psychological manipulations that were giving him an edge. He was riling Reese, distracting him from his ability to stay focused on the battle at hand.

  And two could play that game.

  She forced her voice to be calm and sure. To mask any sense that she was injured. “Reese, I knew from that very first time we spoke, that there was something special about you. That your respect for me, your care for me as a person, was far beyond any other suitor.”

  She heard the clangs, the steely swish of a sword through air. She focused on her words.

  “When you held me, in the chapel, after Uther’s attack, I knew. When you stood beneath me, at the cliff, and held out your arms, I knew. When you offered to challenge Jack, I knew.”

  Galeron’s attacks had gotten more jagged with each passing word. His next swing went wild, and Reese’s counter drove him back a half-step, nearer to the edge.

  Galeron blew out his breath, clearly exhausted. He wove on his feet. Then bright focus lit his eyes. “She’s suddenly good with words,” he sneered. “When has that woman ever told you the truth about anything? About her name, who she was, anything at all. She has a forked tongue!”

  The pain of the charge stabbed through Kay’s heart, ripped through her soul, and her vision swam from the tears that welled up in her eyes. It was all true. She had lied for so long …

  She called out the one thought which sustained her, which kept each foot placed after the last, which glowed through her soul.

  “Reese – I love you. What I say now, I say it because I mean it. Because I want you to live. I want both of us to live, and love, and be together. Forever.”

  Reese blinked, and awareness came into his gaze. It was as if his body shimmered into new life. As if every muscle relaxed, realigned, came back into cohesion again. His eyes focused in on Galeron, but now they held a quiet determination; an inner calm.

  Kay could see him deliberately push down the soul-deep weariness which must be soaking him through.

  He pulled his sword hilt back toward his hip, expertly pointing the tip between Galeron’s eyes. “She may have lied to me about details, as part of the process,” he agreed,
his gaze carefully reviewing Galeron’s stance, his labored breathing, and his shaky balance. “However, I was the one who hid my true feelings from her, who continued with the façade of the competition with the Curtain Lady when all I wanted was to be by Kay’s side.”

  Galeron snarled. He lashed out in anger, driving a wild blow high and right. Reese neatly caught it on the edge of his blade, tossed the thrust off to the left, and returned to his guard.

  Reese continued, his voice growing stronger. “I am the one who left Kay in peril, who nearly saw her raped by Uther, who watched as she was callously abused by Jack, all because I would not speak out about the growing feelings in my heart.”

  Kay’s heart thundered against her ribs. She could see what Reese was doing. He was drawing Galeron’s rage – dissolving away the remnants of that logical mind and leaving behind a disjointed cacophony of emotion. And, at the same time he was imbuing her with strength. A glowing, powerful, all-encompassing strength which would see her through anything.

  Galeron’s face flushed with fury, and he lunged toward Reese’s thigh, looking to rip open the leg with a pointed thrust. Again Reese drove the blow aside with a ringing swing, causing Galeron to stagger back. Galeron swung his head from side to side, pausing to gather his breath in long draws.

  Reese’s face became firmer, steadier.

  “I was the one who could not face her that last day. I knew if I stood before her, if her soulful eyes looked into mine, that I could never leave her even for a week. I would not honor my vow - not return my mother’s necklace to my brother as I had sworn I would do. It was my weakness that led to this current situation. It is high time I ceased my own lack of being fully, openly truthful.”

  His eyes sought out Kay’s. Her heart stopped, her body resonated with the power of his emotions as a physical force coursing through her.

  Reese’s voice was rich with emotion. “I love you, Kay,” he vowed. “I would be blessed beyond all imagination if you would allow me the honor of being your husband.”

  Galeron’s scream of outrage shook the walls of the cave, and he threw himself bodily at Reese, slicing down his sword with both hands. Reese was thrown back onto one knee with the force behind the blow. Galeron crowed in triumph, spinning in a long arc to whip the blade around to decapitate Reese in a vicious sweep. Reese launched himself forward, leading with his shoulder, driving hard into the center of Galeron’s chest.

  Galeron flew back into space, arced into the center of the pit, and with arms and legs flailing, he began descending into the darkness.

  His voice flared with hysterical fury as he realized what had happened. “She belongs to me!” he screamed, twisting mid-flight. He reached out with his blade, sending the flat of it hard against her right leg as he fell. Then he was past her. There were bumps, and cracks, and he was lost to the depths below.

  Kay screamed in panic as her leg caved in, as her other leg failed to support her weight. Her fingers scrambled to hold her body against the cliff face. She kicked desperately with her boots, her weight slamming down on her already exhausted arms, raining a shower of pebbles down against her face.

  “Reese!”

  The deluge of rocks scattered beneath her feet. Her fingers lost their grip – regained - lost again. She was slipping, her leg was giving way, and she was falling … falling …

  A sturdy grip, as steady as the strongest oak tree, caught hold of her arm, holding her in place suspended above the pit. Reese was there hanging on the edge of the pit by one arm, the other arm drawing her up again. Her feet found the ledge. The arm continued raising her up, inexorably. Soon her chest was safely over the lip of the pit. Another pull, and her body was being pressed forward until she could roll over, exhausted, sprawled in utter exhaustion spread eagle in the mouth of the cave. Her breath came in long, lung-emptying draws as reality finally began to sink in.

  She was safe. Reese had come for her, and she was finally safe.

  There was a movement beside her, and Reese had rolled up onto the ledge, propping himself up on one elbow, gazing down at her in tense concern.

  “Are you all right?” he asked, his own voice rough, his breathing slowly coming under control.

  Kay looked into his warm eyes, lost in their depths. The world coalesced around him and her, as if nothing else mattered, as if this moment in time could go on forever.

  “I am just perfect,” she reassured him with a weak smile. “What did you have planned for us tomorrow?”

  Reese let out his breath with a chuckle, looking down her dust-coated body, the bleeding cuts and swollen bruises visible on every surface of her skin. He tenderly lowered a hand to rest against her cheek, and she nuzzled softly against it.

  “I thought we might become man and wife,” he murmured, his eyes held on hers.

  Kay brought her hand up to run through his hair, and her voice softened.

  “I would like that,” she agreed heartily.

  Reese gave a low groan, and then he was pressed down against her length, kissing her, holding her against him. It seemed that time whirled, slowed, and created a shimmering sphere around them which would last an eternity.