The delver could not refrain from discharging his annoyance with the suggestion. "Here we go with that again. I keep trying to tell you all that I'm not here by any special providence. I think you're all putting too much faith in something that may not even be a factor."
"I only know what I am told and what I see," Holli replied simply.
"I just see a coincidence," Ryson insisted. "But no one else seems to agree." With a shrug, he turned his attempt at conversation back to the subject of the Lacobian desert. "Anyway, I'm just warning you that I really have no idea where to go when we reach the sand. I remember everything that Mappel told me, but I don't think it will help me choose one direction over another. I just want you to understand that."
"I understand that we are both on a mission. You will do what you must, and I will guard you."
Holli did not let the conversation deter her from scanning the rocky terrain. Small rock formations filled the area amid a barren landscape. Brown hills, basically appearing like large, rounded boulders buried half underground, broke the level plane of the horizon to the north and west. Any signs of Dark Spruce were far behind them. Cactus and sagebrush presented the only break from the hard surroundings, and their own brown, dry, harsh appearance accomplished little in offering any cheer.
Again, Ryson could not help but notice the ever watchfulness of the elf guard. "Did you know that watching you do that can be very unnerving?" he asked. "You've been looking around in every direction since we started. I have to admit you have me more nervous than I think I've ever been. I keep thinking that something's going to jump out at us. It was hard to deal with in the forest because we couldn't see very far. Now, that we're out in the open, I've been able to deal with it a little better, but it still gets me uneasy when you look behind us. What is it that you keep looking for?"
Holli spoke as if the answer should be obvious. "I watch for things which may or may not be there. If I do not search, I will not be prepared."
"But shouldn't one look around here tell you that we're not being followed or that nothing waits ahead of us in ambush."
Holli simply could not agree. "Things change from moment to moment. What I see now may change within an instant. I will not know unless I check."
"So you never rest at this?"
"Not while on duty."
The delver considered the proposal. He understood the initial inspection, which fit with his own delver instincts, but to keep examining the same thing, that sounded more like tedium. It was a delver's desire to find something new, not to inspect for consistency. He knew he would find it irksome to reexamine the same rock formations over and over again just to remain alert. For him, for all delvers, there were other ways to sense change or even danger. The sounds of loose rocks being disturbed ever so slightly, tracks off in the distance, or the scent of an intruder; these warnings would gain a delver's attention, but constant visual inspection seemed arduous at best.
"I imagine it would get pretty boring just looking around at the same stuff all the time," he remarked. "There hasn't been much going on since we got out of the trees. I don't know what you could be looking at, but we can see for a pretty good distance out here. Not much is happening."
"That is exactly what a guard wants to see," Holli acknowledged.
Ryson raised an eyebrow as he considered the short statement. "I guess that's true. I suppose if things kept changing you'd be pretty nervous. Let me ask you this, have you ever been ambushed by anything?"
Holli answered without hesitation, though a note of displeasure drifted among her words. "Not while at a post, and not on escort, but once on patrol."
"What does that mean exactly?" Ryson seized upon the response, hoping to coax something new from the tight-lipped elf guard.
"A post is a fixed position. It is the easiest duty. A guard will take a position and remain there for extended periods of time. Since we do not move, it is much easier for us to spot an intruder. On patrol, we must move about a designated area. Since we are moving, it makes it easier for an intruder to spot us first. That would give the intruder an advantage. An escort is by far the most difficult. It covers a wide scope of the land. There is usually no designated area, and there is little time for the guard to become acquainted with the territory. It is what I do now."
"That's the most difficult?" Ryson wondered allowed, trying to compare the differences in his mind.
"Absolutely. Consider what we now face. We travel in an ever-expanding path, we have no idea what lies ahead. It is next to impossible to maintain continuous points of reference. Our surroundings change with every step."
"I see. And you've never been ambushed while escorting?"
"No, it is what I excel at." Holli showed no sign of pride. She stated it as a simple fact.
Ryson hungered for more information about this elf. He wished to know what might propel someone to remain ever so vigil. "Can you tell me what happened when you were ambushed on patrol?"
Holli frowned. It was obviously a topic she did not like to remember, but again, she did not hesitate in replying.
"It was early after my final training. I was patrolling the eastern edge of our camp. I chose a path too high in the trees. I mistakenly believed it would give me the best vantage point. It did not provide sufficient cover. I was spotted by a raiding party as I made my rounds."
"What kind of raiding party?" Ryson asked with obvious curiosity.
"A group of elves from another camp."
"Really, other elves? You'll attack each other."
"Just a humans and delvers will," Holli responded, this time with a tone of indignation. "Elves compete much the same way as other races. In harsh winters, there is always a struggle for food."
"So that explains why you need guards. I was wondering about that. From what Lief said, I gathered that the threats to the elves disappeared when the goblins and the other dark creatures disappeared. I couldn't understand why the camp needed guards."
For the first time, Holli spoke with a passion as she quickly came to defense of her accepted role. "There are many reasons for guards. We can warn of wild animals, secretly turn away curious humans and delvers without them knowing we are even there, and also fight off an angry tribe of dwarves out looking for trouble."
"You can turn away a delver?" Ryson responded with disbelief.
Holli answered as if reading from an elf guard's manual. "A delver will often follow that which most calls to his curiosity. If a delver is moving toward an elfin camp, the delver can be led away by creating diversions, or offering a mysterious sound or smell in an opposite direction."
Ryson nodded. He could not argue the point but he did make a mental note. "I'll have to remember that. Anyway, what happened with the raid?"
Holli's voice repossessed its heaviness. "Two of an opposing camp's party came from below me using the thick branches as cover. I was lucky to escape their capture. I fled back to the inner camp and warned of the raiders. It was my greatest failure."
"If you weren't captured, and you warned your camp, how can you consider that a failure?"
"A guard’s responsibility is to find the raiders before they find you. I was located and ambushed. I was forced from my position without discovering the party's size. It was not what I was trained for."
"I see." Ryson saw the signs of discouragement on Holli's face. He felt the need to console her. "But that sounds like a long time ago. You must have done much to make up for that mistake."
"Perhaps."
Ryson did not allow the near defeated response to stand. "No, not perhaps. You must have. I consider that a fact and let me tell you why. This is no small affair we're on now. Mappel must trust you greatly. He knows what this is all about. Ever since I met you elves, all I've heard is how things will never be the same and how crucial this whole affair is. Do you think he would send just anybody in the desert with me? Besides that, he's letting you carry that sword. You must know what kind of honor that is."
"It is indee
d an honor, but also a great responsibility."
"Oh, I'm sure it is."
Ryson smiled as he noted the disappointment fading from his companion's expression. He let silence overcome them, hoping the encouragement would drive any further misgivings away from his escort. As they moved, now in quiet, he took an opportunity to check things out for himself. Not only did he look off into the distance, he sniffed the air and listened to the wind. He considered those things Mappel told him of the algors and what he might sense in order to find them. Unfortunately, at this moment, he remained unsure of where to travel when they reached the sand.
Thinking of the sand, it was at that moment that Ryson closely examined the ground. Something troubled him. He watched as he stepped down into the mix of sand and rock. He could not pinpoint his alarm, but he did not like how the ground reacted to his step. He was about to say something to Holli, but suddenly, she dropped nearly out of sight.
The elf guard made no sound as her step took her through a camouflaged hole in the ground. When her foot penetrated the veil of sand and rock, her momentum carried her downward through a sizeable gap which measured two arm-lengths across. She showed no sign of panic. She remained in control and used her forward momentum to propel herself to the far side of the opening. Her right hand found solid ground, and she managed to stop her fall. By that time, her entire body, up to her neck, remained submerged under the surface of the ground. Only her head and her right arm remained within the delver's sight.
Ryson leapt over the circular opening. He knelt in front of the elf and took hold of her hand. He also reached into the opening and grabbed the back of her shoulder.
"Hold on, I'll pull you out."
As he began to lift her up, he heard a distinct clicking noise echo up through the hole. The sound grew louder and quicker. The delver could not identify the noise, but he knew whatever was causing it was moving towards them. He continued to pull Holli free, but he leaned forward to look over her shoulder and into the hole. His eyes quickly penetrated the darkness. He made out the trace outlines of a far reaching tunnel. It was tubular in design, fairly tall and very wide.
His attention seized upon the source of the noise within this underground cavern. It moved towards them through the shadows. It skittered through the tunnel in awkward sideways movements, its many legs tapping over the sides and bottom of the tunnel. It crawled vigorously, its intent clear.
As the creature closed upon Holli's vulnerable body, it bounded into the light that cascaded through the opening. Ryson felt nothing but pure aversion to this thing. A grotesque mix of spider and crab, grown to enormous proportions, it veered up with open claws. Bone-hard pinchers the size of tree limbs and two eyes extending out of its face brought similarities to the crab. The rest appeared like a giant spider with most of its round body covered in thick black hair. Its six legs were jointed high in the middle, and they propelled the creature directly towards Holli.
Ryson pulled with all his might. He tried to free Holli from the hole before the creature could get any closer. She was halfway into the open air when the first claw reached up and took her by the waist.
Again Holli made no sound. She attempted to twist free but could not break the grip. She turned her head to look down at whatever held her. If it brought fear to her, she made no sign of it. She quickly took her free left hand and brought it to her side. The other claw grasped it just as quickly. She hovered halfway out of the hole but fully in the grip of this monster.
Ryson continued to pull at her but the claws fought back. The delver held on with all his strength even as Holli sunk further out of his sight. His grip around her right armed tightened, and he dug his knees into the soft sand. He braced himself against the ground swearing not to give up.
"Let go of my arm!" Holli commanded.
"What?!" Ryson exclaimed with ever-widening eyes.
"Let go of my arm!" she shouted forcefully.
The strength of her voice was so resolute, he almost obeyed without thinking. He did not, however, release his hold.
"If I let go, it'll take you in!" he managed to blurt out as he continued to struggle against the force which opposed him.
"Do it!" Her eyes blazed with such fury, her mouth formed a grimace out of pain and anger. "Do it now!"
Ryson let go. He watched in absolute shock as Holli was completely sucked into the hole. She was gone.
He knelt stunned for but a second. He darted his head back to the hole. They were not directly below him as he hoped. The creature had backed away from the opening. It would not allow its prey any chance of escape.
Ryson watched in horror as the two claws remained firmly attached to Holli's waist and her left arm. It pulled her closer to its open mouth which included two large, white fangs. Ryson was about to leap into the hole in hopes of saving the elf when Holli's quick movements held him in place.
The elf, even while in the clutches of such a fiendish creature, found the strength to use her right arm. Her hand flew to her waist in a blur. Her fingers gripped the hilt of the powerful and magical sword which remained at her side. As the blade flashed out of its sheath, it caught the drifting sunlight. The blade glowed like fire and it lit up the entire tunnel for as far as Ryson could see.
The creature reacted violently to the blast of light, seemingly more out of fear than pain. It did not drop Holli from its claws, but it pushed her further away from its face. The two eyes of the monster recoiled. As they did, Holli brought the sword crashing down between them. The light from the sword flashed with even greater brilliance. The blade burned as if immersed in flames, and it split the creature nearly in two. The monster collapsed to the ground with a crunch as dark liquid spilled from the huge gash.
Holli leapt clear and back towards the hole. She watched the dead creature for long moments before checking her own wounds. Her waist and arms were cut, but all wounds appeared merely superficial.
Ryson gracefully lowered himself into the tunnel beside the elf. He spoke with obvious concern.
"Are you alright?"
"I'll live," the elf responded with obvious disgust.
"How's your waist?"
"Abrasions. Slightly bruised. They should be cleaned, but perhaps we should not waste the water."
"Don't worry about the water. I can always get us more, even in the desert. Just take care of yourself."
"I should be dead for such carelessness." Her voice was hollow, made even colder by the echoes of the long reaching tunnel.
Ryson was taken aback by Holli's abruptness. Her response was more confusing than the appearance of this mutated creature.
"What are you talking about?" he questioned.
"I'm talking about what happened here. I stepped right into a trap. You talk of how Mappel trusts me. Now you see how I repay that trust."
"Hey, ease up. I barely noticed the hole and I'm a delver. I should have seen it long before you fell in."
"I am an elf guard. I can not afford to make such mistakes." Her voice was cold and bitter.
Ryson shook his head vehemently. "That's ridiculous."
"It is not ridiculous. What if you had fallen? If I had lost you to this thing, how could I have explained it to my captain, to Mappel?"
Ryson could not accept the harsh self judgment. He pointed to the remains of the creature with near ferocity. "Do you even know what that thing is?" he demanded. "I've never seen anything like it. I doubt you have either."
"I do not know what it is," Holli answered with a near lifeless tone.
His pressing eyes bore down upon her. "Then how could you have been prepared for it?"
"I must be prepared for everything," Holli responded quickly. "I was warned to watch for the unknown, the unexpected. I did not fulfill my duty."
Ryson heaved a heavy breath. He was determined not to allow the elf to hold on to such a perception. "What is your duty?"
Holli answered swiftly, and with more than a hint of self-disdain. "To protect you, to see to the safe con
clusion of your mission."
"Was I hurt?" The delver's simple question echoed through the tunnel.
Holli remained silent.
"Was I hurt?" he asked again. His expression demanded she speak the obvious answer.
"No," she allowed.
"Then you have not failed in your duty. You were told to watch for the unexpected. That's a very vague instruction. You dealt with this monster better than I could have. And neither of us got hurt. I can't ask for more than that."
For a moment, Holli appeared slightly relieved. Her sternness, however, returned quickly. "Be that as it may, I can not allow such a thing to happen again. As you have said before, yours is a mission of great importance. If we must face such unexpected obstacles, then I must heighten my awareness."
She checked her ire long enough to apologize for what she felt was previously inappropriate behavior. It was the duty of an elf guard to remain watchful over those they escorted. They would give orders when safety was at risk, take command when danger presented itself, but they were to always remain in control. They were also to give continuous respect.
"By the way, forgive me for shouting orders at you, but I needed my right hand. I could not free my left. I believed that the sword was my only hope."
Ryson waved aside the apology. He took no offense at the time, and none now. "I would have yelled, too. As for the sword, it looks like you thought right." Ryson's gaze locked upon the shimmering blade of the sword. Strangely, it did not hurt his eyes to stare directly into the glowing metal that brought near daylight to this dark tunnel.
"That sword seems pretty special," he remarked with obvious interest. "It even gives off its own light."
"It is not a source of light," Holli confessed, "it simply magnifies the light around it. That is part of its enchantment. Do not underestimate that power. It can catch the faintest gleam and offer enough light for travel into the darkest of caves. For example, it can catch the light which flows through the hole in this tunnel from a great distance. We could walk far and deep. We could turn corners and descend steep banks. We could reach a length where are own eyes would sense no light at all. The sword, however, would still capture the light which flows from that opening. It is only in an enclosed place where light is completely blocked will the sword fail to offer illumination."
Delver Magic Book I: Sanctum's Breach Page 15
