The party picked their way through the paths opened before them by their slint guides, and they had just reached a clearing, which looked vaguely familiar to Tyloren. He stopped to look around, and suddenly heard the sounds of swift footsteps heading back through the greenery. Tollaman emerged first, and called something out to Mahoo in a hoarse whisper, his eyes darting left and right of the clearing as if he were looking for somewhere to hide. Then he motioned to Tyloren, Loman and Lenora to follow him and headed off to the trees on the right.
"Quick!" hissed Mahoo, "We are not alone!"
As one, they dashed for cover, following Mahoo, who was in close pursuit of Tollaman. The slints had evaporated into thin air, it seemed, and all was silent apart from their own heavy breathing and what seemed to Tyloren their very loud heartbeats as in the roots of tangled shrubbery, the five tried as best they could to find cover, being totally ignorant of who or what was in the forest with them. Tollaman motioned to all of them to lie flat and make no sound, and they felt very exposed, as there was little ground cover apart from a few ferns and grasses. They would just have to chance to luck that they would not be visible to who or whatever was now very loudly crashing through the bracken. The tall bushes at the southern end of the clearing now parted, and a broad Lo emerged, in his hand a leash and attached to that a large ugly beast called by the lo's a sniffer. A second lo followed on, and the two chalk-white faces conferred in a chatter of whines and clicks that sent terror into Tyloren's heart. The beast between loman's shoulders started to writhe and Lenora struggled to bind it closer to his body with the cloak as quietly as she could, but it started to emit muffled sounds in answer to those of the two tracker lo's with their sniffer. They peered around them, and the sniffer stood rooted to the ground, its large nostrils straining in all directions as it scanned for scent. It turned its leathery head in their direction, and the lo's followed its gaze. Just as they made to move towards the inadequate refuge afforded by the low bushes where Mahoo and the others were hidden, a sound of voices and running footsteps came clearly from the opposite side of the clearing, and the two great lo's lumbered off in that direction. A small scout group of slints was causing a diversion it seemed, and the sniffer was dragged, at first reluctantly, but then eagerly after the more obvious target. Loman lifted his head and his eyes were rolling, his face beaded with sweat as he struggled to control the beast on his back. He was not alone in wondering just how he would fare in Athrak when he planned to remove the cloak from his shoulders and feign total Lo-dom. Would the entity be controllable, or would it betray them all?
Tollaman, who had left them momentarily, now reappeared, and motioned to them to follow, leading them off quickly deeper into the forest. He was furious that his slints hadn't picked up the trail of the lo's in time and he jabbered to Mahoo in a low voice as he led. The episode meant they had to choose a different, more indirect route, and it slowed them. The slints came and went in agitated clusters, and urged their charges on at a fast pace.
"The scout group managed to lose the trackers," Mahoo informed the others, "but we must be careful. They are still out there somewhere, and the sniffer picked up our scent. It may yet lead them to us!"
The going was tougher and the day was passing hour-by-hour as they continued. They were now taking a circuitous route to the rock face and they could not chance stopping, so their stomachs felt empty and their legs tired as they struggled on. It was very evident that this was anything but an afternoon stroll. It was worrying that lo's were out searching the area, and they didn't know if there were others, or if reports had been sent on to Ataxios of activity in Nithrania. Whatever the answer to those questions, they had no other option but to continue and they plodded on relentlessly. When they eventually reached the foot of the rock face, it was at a more easterly point than the one Tyloren had climbed down at. The slints formed scout groups at the base and Tollaman set about giving Mahoo directions as to the best way to reach the cave mouth high above them. Mahoo nodded, and then called the others close to him in a whispered command.
"The slints are going to remain in position until we are far enough up the face to be fairly hard to see, and then they are going to split up and return to the valley. If they see any signs of our pursuers, they will try to head them off," he said. "We must be swift and as silent as possible. Food will have to wait." Hurriedly they all said their goodbyes and thanked Tollaman, who solemnly acknowledged them with a nod of the head. They could see from his eyes that he was far from confident of their success, but he and his slints had played an invaluable role in their progress so far, and they had almost certainly protected them from harm.
Mahoo, being strong and lithe, set off first at a rapid pace, and the others followed on. Lenora's long legs made the climb less arduous than it was for Loman's bulk, but he was strong. Tyloren found himself last in the line, and had to work very hard to keep up. As he started to climb, he looked back and Tollaman was staring silently up at him, his hand raised in salute. Then he was gone, disappearing swiftly into the bush. Mahoo stopped every so often, searching for the easiest route, trying to remember everything that Tollaman had told him, and rock-by-rock they made their way up. The light was failing fast now and the going became increasingly difficult. More than once they stumbled, and Tyloren's hands and feet were sore from grappling rocks and stones. He stopped to look back and felt both encouraged and queasy at how high they now were. Surely the cave mouth would not be much higher. He sensed rather than saw movement at the foot of the rock face, and strained with all senses to grasp what it was. Unfortunately, there was little doubt, and his skin crept in the knowledge that the lo's and the sniffer were still on their trail. He was losing touch with the remainder of the group and picked up his pace in order to close the gap, hoping fervently that the trackers would not take it into their heads to scale the rock face after them.
At a point where an outcrop of trees grew on a wide plateau of rock, Tyloren caught up with his companions and found them seated. Gratefully, he also sank to the ground, his back to a young tree, and leaned his head on its trunk, feeling nauseous from tiredness.
"Eat and drink something, Tyloren," said Lenora kindly, "you must be very tired."
"They're still after us," was all he could answer. "I felt them at the foot of the rocks as we were climbing."
"Loman felt them too," she said patting her husband's arm, "we are almost there now and must enter the cave by night, but none of us will be in any position to carry on if we don't rest a while." From his water bottle, Tyloren took a long swig, reached into his bag for a little bread and cheese and in between mouthfuls, answered,
"If they catch us, we won't be entering any caves. We must press on." His hurried meal in his hands, he came shakily to his feet, and shouldered his pack again.
"You're tougher than you look, Tyloren!" grinned Mahoo, "and of course you're right. If you can carry on, then so can we." He stood, and turned to Loman and Lenora. "Are our friends close, Loman?"
"My 'passenger' has quietened down," he replied, "so I don't think so."
"What about you Tyloren, what do you think?"
"I don't know, let me concentrate a minute." He took a deep breath and allowed his mind to empty in an effort to pick up traces, and was at once aware of a flood of think-talk coming to him. He knew in an instant that the balance of things was very wrong. Mahoo saw his agitation, and also closed his eyes, sinking deep into the crystal positioned on his forehead. His help aided Tyloren to extract meaning from the jumbled impressions. This was not good; Jazlyn was lost, the Wandmaster was unconscious and Vilma was very concerned. Tyloren and Mahoo witnessed all this, and were affected by the confusion coming through. It threw them off guard momentarily, and that mistake was costly. Into their mind's eye came a terrifying vision. A man-shape, pitch black and with an insectivorous head, swaying from side to side, bug-eyed and taunting. It stared straight at them, and Mahoo and Tyloren joined forces to eject the vision from their minds, it slowly faded
, leaving behind it only cold, gut clenching fear, which froze their hearts.
"Ataxios!" breathed Mahoo, and looked gravely at Tyloren, who nodded and replied,
"Let's hope he doesn't know what we are planning, or where we are, but even if he does, we still have to try." So they put tiredness behind them and climbed. The way was manageable with care and they made progress up the face, though Tyloren doubted if he would have been able to find his way alone … although…. there was at the back of his mind a nudging, welcoming invitation to return to the crystal cave. The touch of the crystal on his memory had left an image in some corner of his mind; after all, he had been trained as a priest of the Wandguard Temple, protector of the crystal trove there. He had trained his senses to recognize their different 'personalities', and could tune his mind to them. The crystal cave was an enormous geode and he had stood in its heart, and briefly he had come to know it. As he brought this memory back to the forefront of his mind, a glow shone forth in the gathering dark from a point above and some distance left of where the party now stood.
"Look", he said, pointing to it, "the cave is revealing itself for us". The others looked in the direction of Tyloren's finger and saw for themselves the gentle halo of light around the cave entrance. As they stood, they heard a faint scuffling sound from down below, which woke them from their reveries.
"Come on" urged Loman, "or we'll have unwanted company and then things will really get interesting."
In a final burst of effort, they forced their tired legs onwards, and Tyloren found he now led the way, being attracted by the crystal cave waiting to welcome him back into its heart. It was a comforting call, and he knew it was not malicious, simply a mass of energy, which he was able to feel and respond to, as if he, himself were part crystal. The warmth of the force seemed to feed his being with strength and Tyloren drew upon it, sucking it in and growing in reserves.
"WELCOME," it resounded to Tyloren's receptive mind.
"ENTER."
He found himself at the mouth of the cave and his heart sang in harmony with the tune he heard. His face broke into a smile as he breached the threshold and he was at once uplifted; on his heels came his three companions, and Mahoo was also riveted by the power coming from the ancient crystalline walls. Though Loman and Lenora admired the soft glow in the dark of the evening, they were not attuned to the energy in the same way as Tyloren and Mahoo, and Lenora begged,
"Tyloren, show us the way! They are on our trail! There's no time!"
On hearing her words, Tyloren used his training to detach from the connection with the crystal cave and regain his faculties. He didn't need to, however, because the cave gently detached from him and allowed him to function. Now he searched the cave, trying to find the way out and back into the tunnels of Athrak, probing his memory as to where he had first emerged into the glow. There was no light, and he had to feel his way. He was sure the geode guided his footsteps as he moved unsteadily forward.
"Come on, Tyloren! We will be caught!"
Instinct took hold of him, and he stretched his two hands out in front of his body, using them as antennae, detecting delicate changes in the energy field. He paused at a point in the depths of the cave on the right and moved forward, his three companions pressing in behind him. He slid his hand onto the sharp crystal clusters on the wall and found a smooth glass-like surface, which he recognized. His hands moved up and down and further around the crack in the geode's wall, and he slipped silently out of view and into the total darkness of the rock passage behind it.
When he was sure he was retracing his footsteps, he re-emerged and motioned to the others to follow him.
"I hope you will fit", he said to Loman. "I was very thin when I got out of Athrak, and I'm not exactly porky now!"
"I will breathe in!' came the reply, ‘but you three had best go first, so that if I block the way, it will prevent those we do not wish to follow us, and not keep you skinny ones out!'
Tyloren's discovery of the way out of the cave into Athrak had lifted their spirits, and despite their peril, they chuckled as first Tyloren, then Mahoo, Lenora and finally Loman squeezed their way through the crack, and sidled along the glassy walls into the total gloom beyond. The crystal cave, as if in answer to their need, dimmed its light and became a dark cave in the side of a hill once more.
Tyloren was relieved to slip between the rock faces and into the opening in the depths of the geode cave even though it was pitch dark, and the others soon followed, though Lenora, due to her ungainly height had to stoop, but she whispered that she had been doing that all her life, and that she had developed a technique of walking with her knees bent which still enabled her to go quite quickly. Loman, however, was large and had two heads, so that if he bent forward, his own head scraped the opposite wall, and if he stood upright, the lo head crashed into the wall behind him, and as he was well-built with broad shoulders, he found the going very uncomfortable.
"I don't think I'm going to make it the way you got out, Tyloren. You were nothing but skin and bone then, and I'm twice your size now even though you've regained a bit of flesh.'
"Well you seem to have squeezed yourself through so far, so let's keep hoping and in the meantime, let's move down this passage a little further. I want to get some distance between us and any possible trackers.' Mahoo chanted low under his breath and took four crystals out of the leather pouch at his waist; a soft blue glow emanated from his hand. He seemed to be holding some kind of light source, and he passed one each to his three companions.
"They are sun-catchers," he said simply. "If you leave them in the sun, they build up light hours and you can awaken them when you need." Tyloren was impressed, and looked at the small crystal giving out its soft glimmer in his hand. It felt warm, despite its blue colour, which suggested ice. With the aid of their sun-catchers, the small group progressed deeper into the heart of the mountain, Tyloren in the lead desperately hoping he would be able to remember his way. He too was doubtful that Loman would be able to squeeze through all the little nooks and low passages that he seemed to remember scrambling along in his escape. After about half an hour they came to a dark passageway, which intersected their path. It went in two directions, and Tyloren was pretty sure he had come from the left, but didn't want to risk making mistakes so soon, so he motioned for everyone to sit down and rest a while in order to ‘feel' which way to go. They sat in silence while he concentrated, and from back along their own narrow passage came the sound of high pitched whines and clicks. Loman's hump started to writhe, while he himself became very still.
"They haven't found our exit point from the cave," he said eventually and in a whisper. "They probably think we carried on up the rock face. The sniffer is our only problem. If it can find a trace of us at the back of the cave, then it may help them to discover the opening. But it's dark in there now, and it's going to be very difficult for them to see anything." They stayed silent, listening, and in time the hump on Loman's back settled into quietness again.
"I think they've gone," he said simply, "but that doesn't mean they won't be back. They may decide to send a sniffer down after us to see what it roots out, and they've got sharp teeth and extremely bad manners, so let's get going."
"If they do, it probably won't be till morning," said Lenora, "they seem to have written off the cave for the moment."
"In any case we have to get moving," said Mahoo, "Tyloren, can you feel which way to go?"
"I'm pretty sure I came from the left, but I have a very strong impression that I should go right here. I don't want to lead you into danger, and I don't know what to trust, my instinct or my memory."
"Yes, you do, it was your instinct that got you out of this hell hole and into Nithrania," said Lenora gently. "Let the mountain lead you Tyloren."
"And if I'm wrong?"
"Then you're wrong," said Loman.
Mahoo had been standing with his two hands placed on the walls of the rocky tunnel in silence. This place doesn't speak to me, but
I don't feel it is unfriendly. Trust your instincts Tyloren, and we will take our chances with you."
There was a general murmur of agreement, and Tyloren took a deep breath, which he blew out anxiously.
"Very well then, we'll take the right hand tunnel and see where it leads us. Come on." They had no thought of sleep, food or drink. All they wanted to do was to get far enough away from the cave as they could, and into the mountain's heart hoping Tyloren would be able to lead them to the crystal trove of Athrak.
The light-catchers glimmered frostily in the total darkness of the tunnel, and from somewhere way off there was the sound of water, probably some underground stream. Tyloren knew without a doubt now that this was not the way he had taken when he had escaped, and felt the terrible weight of responsibility on his shoulders as he led these three fine people with him into the unknown. His thoughts returned to the boys left behind by Loman and Lenora, and he shivered at the thought that he might be depriving three young children of their parents, and not just temporarily.
The tunnel was fairly easy going, high enough that Lenora only had to stoop slightly, and wide enough for Loman to traverse comfortably.
"This tunnel is not natural. It has been worked," said Loman, "and I fit so comfortably that it was probably dug out for Lo's."
"That means we should be very careful. We might come up against some here. Maybe it's their way out into Nithrania. The group hunting us must have got out of the mountains from somewhere," said Mahoo. "Do you feel we're going into or out of the mountain, Tyloren? Is it possible that the rocks are trying to guide you safely out again by another route?"
"No, I don't think so."
"Nor do I," whispered Lenora. "The mountain feels like its crushing down on me, like it's getting heavier. I spent fifteen years in these tunnels and I got to know them well: their drafts, their damp. I'm pretty sure we're heading inward." Loman placed his hand on his wife's shoulder, and said, "We'll get out again Lenora."
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