The Land of Miu (3rd edition)

by Karen Lee Field

  At that moment, Min jumped forward and swung his axe at Siptah. The clash of hard wood and stone echoed around the cavern. Each boy deflected the other’s strike, both grunting with the effort. They swung again.

  Djal remained perfectly still, his eyes shut, the bone poised. Everyone, but Kate, ignored him.

  Alara had problems of her own. Three teenage Miuans spread out before her in an arc. All three stepped forward with barbed spear points aimed at her waist. Kate hoped Alara remembered the rock behind her. She had little room to back away. But what else could she do? It was one against three.

  Struck with fear, Kate stared helplessly at Alara.

  Then, leaning back on her right leg, Alara swung her left leg in a wide arc hitting two of her assailants in the jaw. They staggered back. One hit his head against the rock behind him, and blood spurted from his nose to cover the front of his thick leather tunic. He moaned in agony.

  Feet firmly back on the ground, Alara quickly twisted around and managed to block the swing of the third Miuan’s spear. Within seconds, she had him stumbling backwards across the cavern.

  Kate breathed a sigh of relief. She had never imagined that a princess could be so nimble and quick.

  Alara and Siptah continued to fight Min and his henchmen. Yet Kate’s attention was drawn back to the boy they called Djal. He wasn’t wearing the leather tunics the others wore. He wore a cloak.

  As the energy increased, it gushed through his body and clothing, lifting the ends of the cloak until it looked like he had wings. Underneath the cloak, his clothes clung tightly to his body. Ripples of energy flowed through his small frame. The bone shook in his outstretched hand.

  Kate stared at the wizling. What was he doing? Why was it taking him so long to do anything? His concentration intensified. Kate saw beads of sweat rolling down his temples.

  Alara jumped into Kate’s line of vision. The point of the spear thrust at her came to a halt where her stomach had been a moment earlier. Kate gasped and rose to her feet. She couldn’t just hide behind a rock. Alara and Siptah were out-numbered, they needed help. One of them would be hurt if something wasn’t done. Kate moved a step closer, and then she hesitated. What could she do to help?

  A flash of light ran around the circlet of gold upon Djal’s head. Kate watched in amazement as the light moved swiftly around and around. The intensity quickened, faster and faster, brighter and brighter ...

  Kate ran forward two steps. “Watch out. Djal is—”

  Siptah instantly turned and kicked Djal in the thigh, and received a blow from the side of Min’s axe as a consequence. He fell to his knees.

  Djal staggered, blinking his eyes in surprise. The circlet fell to one side. He reached up to push it back in place, but yanked his hand away with a yell. The pulsing light burst into the air, striking the cavern roof with tremendous force. A shower of dust and splintered rock fell on the Miuans below.

  For a moment, Kate lost sight of everyone.

  “Kate!” Siptah roared through the dust. “To the tunnel. Now!”

  Kate hesitated. Where was Emma? She didn’t remember letting go of her hand. It was too difficult to see anything, even her sister, who should be standing by her side. For a split second, she panicked.

  “Emma!”

  “Kate?” said Emma, her hand touching Kate’s waist.

  “Hold onto my dressing gown and come with me.”

  The two girls stumbled through the blinding dust. They moved over the uneven ground, their hands scraping against rock.

  “Run, Emma,” said Kate, her voice nothing more than a croak. Where’s the exit? Please ... let this be the right way? Her throat hurt. They ran on. Kate found the tug on her dressing gown almost comforting.

  In the tunnel, their vision clearing now, they kept running.

  Two heartbeats later, a loud crack forced them to dive to the ground and cover their heads. The light vanished altogether as the rock above the cave entrance crumbled to the ground.

  Chapter Six

  Bewildered, Kate stared at the tiny particles of light passing through the gaps in the fallen rocks.

  Alara and Siptah are trapped on the other side. Now what are we going to do?

  She sighed and turned to look around, but the light wasn’t strong enough to see by. “Emma? Where are you?” she called.

  “I’m here,” came Emma’s just audible reply.

  Kate followed the voice, tripping on loose pebbles and falling to her knees. Realisation hit her. She and Emma were alone. She took a deep breath, and on her hands and knees, she edged her way forward until one hand found Emma’s foot.

  “Are you all right? Are you hurt?” Kate pulled her sister into her arms and held her tight.

  “I tore my pyjamas.”

  “That doesn’t matter. Come on, stand up,” said Kate, helping Emma to her feet. “You’re not inju—”

  A stone clattered across the ground.

  Alarmed, Kate pushed herself up onto her feet. She grabbed Emma’s hand and pulled her farther down the tunnel, her fingertips gliding along the wall to guide them.

  “Kate? Emma?” It was Siptah. “Why are you running away from me?”

  Kate let the breath leave her body. “Thank heavens. I thought you were on the other side of the cave in. I thought we’d have to find our own way. I didn’t know what we were going to do.”

  “We were right here all the time,” he said.

  “Alara is with you then?”

  “Of course.” He sounded surprised. “She’s right here. What’s wrong, can’t you see her?”

  “No. I can’t see anything,” replied Kate.

  “I can see you,” he said, his voice matter-of-fact. “I think the wind was knocked out of Alara.”

  Kate was confused for a moment, then she realised why Siptah could see them but they couldn’t see him. “Aw, you have cat’s eyes. You can see much better in the dark than we can.”

  Suddenly a figure moved into the tiny beams of light. Kate jumped, surprised that she had been looking in the wrong spot altogether. The two shadows grew larger as the princess and her bodyguard walked along the tunnel towards them.

  “We can see quite well when there is a light source,” said Siptah, “but in complete darkness, we are just like you.”

  Kate nodded. “We need a torch.”

  “We don’t have one,” replied Siptah. “We must leave here now.”

  “But ...” Kate didn’t finish her protest. Why bother? They didn’t have a torch and there was no point complaining about it.

  “The tunnel is narrow. It will be difficult to guide you.” Alara spoke in short gasps.

  Kate heard the princess try to clear her throat.

  “Hold out your arms,” Alara continued. “We will move slowly, and the tunnel walls will help guide your feet. We will tell you when there is an obstacle in your purr-path.”

  ***

  Kate wasn’t sure how much time had passed. Her arms ached from holding them out at right angles to her body, her fingertips were sore. She had dust in her eyes, up her nose and down her throat. She needed a drink.

  No one had said a word for ages. She supposed they would be concentrating on where they put their feet, but realised that only she and Emma had difficulties in the darkness.

  She hated every moment of it.

  It was all very well following the kittens—she shook her head reminding herself they were not kittens—following the Miuan princess and her bodyguard, she corrected herself, farther into the ... where were they, anyway? In a mountain? Under the ground? Kate didn’t know, but she had a feeling that they weren’t where she imagined them to be. The thought didn’t make sense to Kate. She shook her head again. One thing she couldn’t shake away was the feeling that the farther they walked, the farther away from home they would be. It was insane to continue this journey, but what was she going to do about it?

  Kate stepped on a loose stone. Her foot slid sideways, but her body refused to move as quickly.
A deep groan gushed up from the pit of her stomach. Her right shoulder scraped against the rough surface of the wall. Her feet left the ground and scuffed the opposite wall. The ground rushed up to meet her. The side of her head bounced off the hard stone.

  “Kate!” Emma yelled.

  Stunned, Kate lay still. She could hear movement around her. A hand grabbed her unscathed shoulder. Warm breath touched her cheek as someone leaned over her.

  “I think she will be fine,” said Alara. “Nothing is broken.”

  “I will carry her,” announced Siptah.

  Kate wanted to say no. She didn’t want to be carried, but the words were stuck in her mouth. Siptah bent over her, easing her up into his arms with the help of Alara. Emma was crying.

  “The tunnel is wider now,” said Alara. “Emma, take my hand.”

  More shuffling.

  “We will lead the way,” said Alara. “Kate will be fine with Siptah. It is not far to the next cavern. We will find torches there. Everything will be fine.”

  Kate let her face fall against Siptah’s chest. She found the pounding of his heart reassuring. The side of her head ached ...

  ***

  The name echoed inside her brain, the voice muffled and distant. Why did they keep repeating her name? Why couldn’t they let her sleep? She was dreaming about the kittens turning into people and walking blindly through a tunnel. Such a strange dream, so real.

  “She’s coming to.”

  Droplets of water fell onto her lips. Parting them, she welcomed the cool liquid onto her tongue.

  She struggled to open her eyes. She blinked when she saw Alara kneeling over her and Siptah standing at the princess’s shoulder.

  Emma’s face appeared, her eyes bright. “Alara said you passed out. Is that like sleeping?”

  “A bit.” Kate looked at Alara. “Did I feint?”

  Alara nodded.

  “Yep,” replied Emma, with a big grin. “Siptah carried you all the way to this cavern.” She lifted her head and pointed at something out of Kate’s view. “See, we have light now.”

  “I can see.” Kate closed her eyes. Her head ached. “Was I out for long?”

  “No,” said Alara. “We were almost here.”

  Kate reached up to touch the tender lump on the side of her head. She felt terrible. Her head hurt, her arms ached, and the taste of bile touched the back of her throat. She swallowed a few times to try to force it back down.

  She opened her eyes and looked at Siptah. “Thank you.”

  Siptah’s expression didn’t change. He lowered his eyes. “I will prepare to leave,” he said to Alara. “And I need to fasten a new arrow head onto my spear. It will not take long.”

  “Can I help?” Emma was on her feet in an instant. She ran after Siptah, the sleeve of her pyjama top hanging by a few threads.

  Leave? Kate groaned. She wasn’t ready to leave. She needed more time.

  Kate watched Alara rummage through a pack. Where had that come from? The princess removed a worn leather pouch. “This will help,” she said, dabbing an oily substance to the side of Kate’s head, and then spreading some more on the shoulder wound.

  Kate’s eyes watered. “Eek! The smell is terrible.”

  Alara smiled. “Only for a moment, then you will start feeling better.”

  “Where do you get the ingredients for medicines? I haven’t seen a plant or animal since I got here.”

  “These tunnels and caverns are no longer used by my purr-people,” replied Alara, placing the pouch back in the pack. “However, we have use of many fertile caverns. We also live close to a number of openings to the world above, where we keep livestock and grow crops. We have access to everything we need.”

  “Oh.” Kate didn’t understand, but she didn’t have the energy to ask questions.

  “Drink this.” Alara lifted Kate’s head and tipped another leather pouch towards her. Kate took one small mouthful and spat it out.

  “Kate, what is wrong?” asked Alara. “It is only water.”

  “Sorry, I have a terrible taste in my mouth,” replied Kate. “I’ll have a drink now, please.”

  She swallowed a mouthful, but couldn’t manage any more. It made her feel sick in the stomach.

  “Thank you,” said Kate, when Alara lowered her to the ground.

  “We must go soon,” said Alara, replacing the cap on the pouch, “but I fear you are not well enough.”

  I’m not. “I’ll be fine. Just give me a minute.”

  A minute was all she got.

  Siptah and Alara were eager to be on their way. They helped her up. Kate grabbed Siptah’s arm as the cavern spun. Weak kneed, she took a deep breath and hoped the contents of her stomach stayed down. She tried to focus on something, anything. She took a quick look around the cavern.

  It was identical to the last one, just a different shape and size. Rocks covered the ground. A platform lay in ruins in the middle of the cavern. A stone well, with a roaring fire reaching angrily for the ceiling, the Fire Well, the only relic remaining.

  “Look, Kate,” said Emma, jumping up and down. “Siptah has given me an important job to do.” Emma spun around to show Kate the pack strapped to her shoulders. “It’s got important stuff in it.”

  Kate tried to smile, but found it difficult. “Where did the packs come from?” she asked, stalling for time.

  “We hid them here before we left, for our return trip,” replied Siptah. He held her arm securely. “Can you walk? Or—”

  “Yes,” replied Kate quickly. She didn’t want to be carried again. It made her feel stupid and embarrassed. Taking a step forward, she turned slowly and forced the smile to her lips, but that’s as far as it went. It didn’t reach her eyes and Siptah frowned at her suspiciously.

  “Ready?” Alara adjusted her own pack.

  Kate looked at Siptah. As he leaned forward she saw that he, too, wore a pack. He dropped a leather pouch filled with water into the spare pocket of her dressing gown.

  “What’s in them?” she asked as they walked across the cavern.

  “Food, mainly, some ointments, spare foot wraps, just things we might need along the way,” said Alara.

  The bright light radiating from the stone well disappeared when they entered the tunnel. Kate sighed with relief as Siptah and Alara each held a blazing torch. A strong, musty smell filled her nostrils. She heard water dripping in the distance.

  Travelling through tunnels was much easier with light to help them. Siptah set the pace. Kate knew he could have walked faster, but he was thinking of her. She felt guilty about that.

  The pain soon subsided. The nausea stopped.

  They stopped to rest a couple of times, but only for a few minutes. Alara spread more ointment on Kate’s wounds.

  After the third stop, Kate noticed that Emma no longer wore the backpack she had been entrusted with. Siptah carried it instead. Emma began to tire, her chatter at the beginning of the journey becoming less frequent. Their pace slowed even more.

  Finally, Alara stopped beside a huge boulder and told them it was time to eat. Kate’s stomach grumbled with anticipation. She found herself wondering what time it might be. Was it noon? Or was it in the middle of the night? How many hours had passed? She had no way of knowing, because her watch sat on her bedside table at home.

  “Here, eat this,” said Siptah, handing her a cloth with small pieces of dried meat inside.

  There was no smell, but it looked like strips of beef. She bit a tiny piece off one corner and a salty flavour filled her mouth. She closed her eyes and relished in the taste, enjoying every mouthful. She ate several strips. The salt awoke her thirst, so she drank deeply from the pouch she had been given earlier.

  “Ah!” Emma screamed. “What’s that?”

  Water splashed over Kate’s face as she jerked the pouch away to see what had happened.

  A black and orange spider, the size of Emma’s hand, appeared from behind the boulder and crawled towards the group. It reared up, ready t
o strike, showing long, deadly fangs. Its multi-lensed eyes bulged out from the sides of its head, staring at them.

  Emma scrambled to her feet and kicked the spider.

  “No! Do not do that,” Siptah yelled.

  On her knees in an instant, Kate reached over and pulled her little sister backwards. It was too late. The large furry body was squashed against the tunnel wall.

  “It’s OK, she killed it,” said Kate. “Is it poisonous?”

  Siptah and Alara glanced at the dead spider, then up and down the tunnel. They grabbed the packs and their spears.

  “No, it is territorial and lives in purr-packs,” said Siptah. “That was a baby. We have to get out of here.”

  “No way. That’s not a baby,” said Kate. “Look at the size of it.”

  “And it’s dead,” announced Emma. “I killed it.”

  “Believe me. It is a baby.”

  They scrambled down the tunnel.

  “Oh, no, it is too late. She already knows,” said Alara.

  “Who?”

  “The mother ...” The fear in Alara’s voice made Kate look over her shoulder.

  A fat, furry spider, the size of a bear, blocked the tunnel behind them.

  Chapter Seven

  “... and she is not happy,” said Alara.

  Kate stared at the giant spider in horror. Never in her twelve years had she seen a spider this big. It was unnatural. Eight furry legs stretched across the width of the tunnel. Four pairs of beady eyes glared at them from a small head, the large sack-like abdomen at the back almost touched the tunnel roof.

  Yet it was the enormous fangs that terrified Kate the most. They were huge and easily as thick as Kate’s wrist.

  Someone grabbed her dressing gown and dragged her backwards.

  “Come on, Kate,” urged Siptah.

  The urgency in his voice broke the spell. Kate turned and ran. She noticed that Alara and Emma were already a good distance ahead of them. They turned a corner and for a moment Kate could still see a dim light from their torch. Then it was gone.

  A chilling hiss almost made Kate fall over. It came from the spider. Kate looked over her shoulder to find the spider’s body vibrating, and the black and orange bristles on its legs rubbing together. The hissing got louder and louder.

  Kate’s heart raced.

  Siptah shoved her forward. “Run, Kate. It is going to attack,” he shouted. “Run ... faster.” He struggled to breath and talk. “We ... have to ... reach ... the next ... cavern.” A pause. “Not her ... territory.”