by Kelly Blount
“Boonum? Is that you?” whispered Brooklyn.
The animal purred in delight.
Ryder motioned for them to follow him around a corner and into a small room lit with only a single torch.
He turned and shut the door.
“Okay, here’s the plan. We’re going to sneak out of here with the Grishma hunting party this morning. You need to put on these clothes and try your best to act like men! We’re leaving shortly,” he said as he thrust a pile of clothing at each of the girls. He turned around while they changed.
“Here,” he said, “We can’t take any chances. Tie your hair back and put on these hats.”
Within minutes, the girls had transformed into young Dratunian men.
“Where did you get these clothes?” asked Brianna.
“Let’s just say the guards that were watching you are going to be very chilly when they wake up,” said Ryder.
Brooklyn had to laugh.
“Okay, let’s get out of here,” said Ryder.
They crept up the stairs and on to the main floor of the castle.
“Try to act casual,” he said as they wandered through the sparsely crowded room, Boonum at his side. They walked up silently behind a group of ten men.
“Are we ready to depart?” asked Ryder.
One of the men turned around. “Yes, we’re just waiting for the King to dismiss us.”
“Who are they?” asked another man.
“Ah, just three men I convinced to join us on the hunt,” Ryder said.
The man eyed Ryder’s comrades before nodding his head. “They need weapons,” said another man. “Over there,” he said, pointing to a table covered in swords, axes, and flails.
Each girl chose a razor sharp sword and stepped back in line with Ryder.
After waiting a short time, the King appeared at the far end of the hall. He took a seat in his massive throne and beckoned the hunting party to come near.
“Each of you has made a very brave choice by deciding to join the expedition to hunt down and kill Grishma. This dreadful beast has terrorized the people of Dratun for ages and her reign of fear must stop. We know now her treachery has no limits and she will not stop until she controls all of Necoh!”
“Yeah!” cried several of the men.
“Grishma has killed many Dratunian warriors and I don’t expect all of you to return. That said, whoever is responsible for bringing back Grishma’s head will forever be in my good graces,” said the King.
“I will!” shouted one man.
“No, I will!” shouted another.
The King stood and smiled. “Good! That’s the type of attitude I expect from my warriors! Now go, all of you, onward! Find and kill Grishma!”
The men whooped and hollered as King Zandel led them through the front doors of the castle and to a herd of black stallions. Each of the men climbed on a horse and galloped toward the open city gates.
Boonum followed dutifully.
Oh thank goodness, thought Brooklyn as they raced through the gates.
They rode through the morning and well into the afternoon. Each step away from Dratun felt like a weight lifting off Brooklyn’s shoulders. She watched in amazement as they followed the path back to the woods where Grishma last attacked her and Algid.
Just when Brooklyn thought she couldn’t ride any further, they pulled over to allow the horses to rest and drink from a stream. The men stretched their legs and went to relieve themselves in the woods.
“I’m hungry,” whispered Brianna.
Ryder pulled a knapsack off the back of his horse. “Here,” he said, handing each of the girls a leathery strip of dried meat.
Deciding it was best to remain as quiet as possible, she chewed on the tough meat and cupped handfuls of water from the stream.
After resting a bit longer, the men got back on their horses and galloped off toward the approaching woods.
Her legs felt like jelly by the time they stopped for the night and she needed Ryder to help her get off her horse. He gave her a knowing look and tilted his head toward a clearing a few feet away from the other men. She nodded and managed to get Brianna and Emlyn’s attention without making a sound.
“This spot looks good,” said Ryder. They built a large fire and snacked on nuts and lera berries. The other men stood around a slightly larger fire a short distance away.
One of them shouted, “Hey, we’re leaving at sunrise for the Halias Swamp. Sound good?”
“Yup,” replied Ryder.
Both camps stoked their fires one last time and then everyone lay down on the cold dirt.
Brooklyn didn’t dare close her eyes. She just laid there motionless and waited until she heard snores rising from the men at the nearby camp.
After she thought it was safe, she crawled on her stomach over to Brianna, Emlyn, and Ryder.
“So what’s the plan?” she whispered.
“We each are going to get on a horse and lead the rest of them as far away from them as possible,” said Ryder, looking toward the slumbering men. “Then we ride until we get home to the caves.”
The girls nodded in agreement and slowly crept toward the resting horses.
Brooklyn ran her hand down the mane of the horse she had been riding earlier and coaxed it to stand as quietly as possible. The others did the same and soon they were all mounted and holding the reins of at least two other horses.
Nudging her horse, Brooklyn began to direct the animals away from the group of sleeping men.
Ryder wasn’t as successful and one of the horses he was holding onto whinnied as he attempted to steer him away.
“What in Necoh is going on here?” shouted one of the men.
“Quick!” cried Brooklyn.
They cantered off into the woods, holding the reins of the multiple horses as best as they could, the men chasing after them, screaming the entire way.
Once they decided it was safe, they dropped the reins of the extra horses and continued to ride toward the caves.
“When will we get there?” shouted Brooklyn.
“If we continue to ride at this speed, we’ll reach my home by nightfall,” he responded.
“Wait!” shouted Brianna. “Look! What’s that, up ahead?”
Brooklyn squinted and tried to make out the large shapes emerging in the distance.
“It’s the royal carriages!” shouted Emlyn.
They rode up to the carriages and dismounted.
Brooklyn and Ryder picked through the food and medical supplies in one of the carriages, while Emlyn and Brianna looked for blankets and extra clothes in another.
“I found him!” exclaimed Ryder.
“Found who?” Brooklyn asked.
“It’s my friend, Cridifer. Grishma turned him to stone and then gave the statue to you as a wedding present,” said Ryder. “My mother said she can fix him as long as I get him back to her in one piece.”
He picked up the statue and tied it to the back of his horse with some extra rope he found in one of the carriages.
“We shouldn’t stay too long,” said Ryder.
The others agreed and got back on their horses with their new supplies packed in makeshift packs made from blankets and spare rope.
The horses galloped past beautiful waterfalls and they waded through babbling creeks.
Finally, the caves loomed in the distance.
“We made it!” Ryder shouted out in relief.
They slowed their horses down and tied them to a nearby tree, next to a stream.
Each of the riders unpacked their supplies and carried them to the cave entrance.
Before entering, Ryder turned to Brianna and smiled. “We’re home! Can you believe it?”
Brianna had tears in her eyes. “It’s been so long!”
“Come on! Let’s go, everyone should be inside waiting for us!”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
RYDER RUSHED INTO THE CAVES with Boonum and the others close behind.
“Mother! Moth
er? We’re home!” he shouted. He waited for a response before yelling, “Hey, Mother, where are you?” he yelled.
He went one direction and Brianna went another.
“Hello?” she called.
Brooklyn and Emlyn kept looking for signs of life until they heard an ear-piercing scream.
“What’s wrong?” Brooklyn called as she attempted to find Brianna. When she found her, Brianna had sunk into a puddle of tears on the floor.
Ryder rushed into the room seconds later shouting, “Brianna! What happened?”
Brooklyn’s eyes swept the room. It had been destroyed. Papers were strewn everywhere and the furniture lay shattered in small pieces on the floor.
Ryder got up and raced into the next room. “No!” he cried.
The others were just steps behind when Brooklyn realized they were entering Ryder’s mother’s storage room.
“Mother’s ingredients,” whispered Brianna. “They’re all… ruined.”
Everything had been thrown to the ground and shards of glass dotted the few remaining shelves that were still attached to the wall.
“Who would have done this?” asked Emlyn.
Brooklyn and Ryder looked at each other and knew the answer.
“Grishma,” they answered in unison.
Brianna threw herself into Ryder’s arms and cried. “Where’s Mother? Do you think Grishma got her?”
Ryder embraced her. “I don’t know, Bri. Stay with Emlyn and Brooklyn while I look around a little bit more.”
She nodded as he took one last look in the storage room. He was just about to turn around and leave when a purple vial wedged in between the last shelf and the wall caught his attention.
Oh thank Breka! He picked up the transporting potion and shoved it in his pocket. I’m going to be able to get her home!
“Ryder? What did you find?” asked Brooklyn.
“Oh, it’s ah, nothing. I’ll be right back,” he said as he left the room to look for other signs of Grishma or his mother and friends.
He returned a short while later. “They aren’t here,” he said. “I think they may have gone deeper into the caves. That would have probably been the safest place to hide. But Grishma, she was definitely here.”
Brianna began to cry again. “What are we going to do, Ryder?”
Ryder looked at them. “I think the safest course would be for Brianna to take Emlyn further into the caves. Do you think you can remember the paths Mother and Father showed us when we were younger?”
Brianna shrugged her shoulders. “Maybe?”
“I think it’s our safest option. Grishma wouldn’t survive down here, but you know how to, Bri. Do you think you can do it?”
She sniffled and then nodded. “Yes.”
Emlyn spoke up. “But what about you and Brooklyn?”
A serious look crossed Ryder’s face. “I’m going to take her to the Zonam Mountains to find a moonbow and send her home.”
She felt like she had been punched in the gut. “What? You’re going to send me home? I can’t leave now!”
Ryder grabbed her hands and looked into her eyes. “Brooklyn, I have to get you home safely and this might be my only chance!”
“What about Grishma?” she asked.
“When I gave my word to the King of Dratun, I wasn’t lying. I will find that hideous beast and finish her off once and for all.”
“You can’t do it by yourself!” Brooklyn cried.
“Yes, I can and I will! Look, I’ve made my decision. Your time in Necoh is over, you need to go home and pretend none of this ever happened.”
Brooklyn was too stunned to reply.
Ryder walked past her without looking back. “Come on, Brianna. We need to round up and pack as many supplies as possible for you and Emlyn. I want you to stay deep within the caves until I come back for you.”
The girls followed him out of the room and began picking through supplies in the kitchen and setting them out on the cracked counter.
Ryder disappeared and came back with some of the supplies they had stolen from the hunting party and a few items from the carriages.
“This should be enough to last quite some time. Just remember to ration your food and drink plenty of fresh water,” he said. “Also, I want Boonum to accompany you two. He’ll protect you.”
He reached down and stroked Boonum’s chest. “Do a good job, boy! Keep them safe!”
Then he turned to Emlyn. “I’m so sorry you were pulled into this mess.”
She looked too numb to respond.
Next, he pulled Brianna in for a crushing hug. “I’ll see you soon, okay?”
She began crying again and it was almost more than Brooklyn could take.
“Don’t cry, Bri, it will be okay! You’ll find Mother and the others further down in the caves. Besides, who knows? Maybe the hunting party will have already found and killed Grishma by the time I get there.”
Yeah right, I’m sure they haven’t made it very far without their horses, thought Brooklyn.
“Do you really think so?” asked Brianna, tears glistening in her eyes.
Ryder smiled, attempting to sound confident. “Of course, anything is possible!”
He squeezed her one last time, then kissed her on the head before he released her.
“Take the main passageways and always stick to the right,” he said.
They walked down further into the caves and stopped at the underground stream. Ryder grabbed two long sticks off the wall and dipped them into the middle of the body of water that contained the brightly glowing mass. He skillfully turned the sticks several times until they looked like glowing sticks of cotton candy.
“Here,” he said, handing Brianna and Emlyn each a stick. “This will provide you with light for days. When it starts to fade, simply dip it in the water and it will recharge.” He picked up one for himself and one for Brooklyn before they left the room.
They continued to walk down past the underground stream and turned right several times before standing in front of a vast cavern.
“Straight through the largest opening, then stick to the right, right?” asked Brianna.
“That’s it, Bri, you got it,” said Ryder as he smiled, blinking back tears.
He wrapped his arms around his little sister one last time. “Please be careful and remember—I’ll be back for you as soon as it’s safe!”
Unable to say anything, Brianna just nodded.
Emlyn took her hand and led her away. They crossed to the other side of the large empty room. Just before they disappeared into the opening, Brianna turned around and shouted, “I love you, Ryder!”
“I love you, too, Brianna!” he shouted back.
Then just like that, they disappeared around the corner into the darkness. Ryder stood there, motionless, unable to move a muscle.
Finally, Brooklyn put her arm on his shoulder. “I’m so sorry, Ryder.”
Dropping to his knees, he covered his face with his hands and began to sob.
Brooklyn crouched down, took his face in her hands and looked into his striking forest green eyes. “It’s going to be okay, Ryder. I know it is. You’re going to kill Grishma and your family will finally be able to live in peace!”
Without hesitating, he reached forward and kissed her passionately. She shivered as he ran his hands through her hair and down to her waist.
Just as quickly as it started, he pulled himself away. “I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have done that!”
“Really? Why not?” she asked as she pulled him back toward her. Their lips melted together for a second time. She felt warm and tingly as he held her tightly against his body and kissed her neck.
Closing her eyes, she thought, there’s no way this can end. I can’t let him send me home.
A deafening cry shattered the moment and the two quickly separated. Terror shot through her body, instantly replacing the tingles. “Is that Grishma?”
“Yes, come on!” Ryder reached down and picked up one of the glowi
ng torches, then grabbed Brooklyn by the hand and shot across the open cavern.
“This way!” he said, pulling her in the opposite direction than Brianna and Emlyn had just gone. Brooklyn didn’t ask any questions, she just followed him as quickly as her legs would carry her.
They wound through turn after turn and squeezed their bodies through tight crevasses. Clutching Ryder’s hand, adrenaline coursed through Brooklyn as she continued to run.
They continued to dash through the underground network of caves until they came to another vast room with three options. Selecting the furthest cave to the left, Ryder raced toward the dark, narrow passage. He held the glowing torch in front of him until he spotted what he was looking for. “We’re almost there!”
He finally stopped and they stood panting for several moments before either of them spoke. Brooklyn managed to calm her breathing enough to ask, “What are we going to do?”
Ryder held the glowing torch up to the side of the cave and revealed a series of ledges that snaked all the way up to the top, where she could make out a faint light.
“This is how we’re going to get out,” he said.
“You expect me to climb up that?” asked Brooklyn. “Isn’t there some other way out?”
“Not with Grishma so close behind. I’ll go first, just follow my lead and we’ll be out in no time.”
He propped the torch against the side of the wall, shining a dim light on the first several ledges that led out of the cave. Before he began to climb, he pulled Brooklyn in close and kissed her one last time. “I’ll give you another one when we get to the top,” he said with a smile.
He stepped on the lowest ledge and turned to pull himself up onto the next, which was at eye level. “See, that wasn’t too difficult.”
Brooklyn meticulously followed his footsteps and managed to pull herself onto the same shelf without too much trouble. They repeated the same process. Ryder would move from one shelf to the next and then Brooklyn would follow.
The light above was becoming brighter and they were getting closer to the surface with every step.
“Brooklyn, you’re doing really great!” said Ryder.
She tried not to look down, but when she managed a quick peek, she almost stopped breathing. “We’re getting really high.”
