The Arena (Ultimate Soldier Book 1)
Page 18
The sun had begun to lower into the west when the five of them started this next phase of their journey. Lila and Josef each held a flashlight that they flicked on, and the ladder had been pulled up into the tunnel. It was a challenge to get Katie to crawl through the metal grate that separated them from the smaller branches, but with a lot of gentle coaxing from her brothers and offers of food, she finally submitted.
They took the left branch as Lila had all those days ago. Their progress with Katie was much slower than it had been when Lila and Seeker were alone. A faint scent wafted toward them on the barest whisper of a breeze, a scent that seemed familiar but Lila couldn't place it. Onward they walked, anticipation dulling the pain in Lila's feet and knees. The twilight behind them and the faint smoke smell of the fire were gradually disappearing, to be replaced with the smell of dirt.
At the second branching, Lila let the party to the right, the smaller tunnel that sloped upward. It seemed like forever that they walked, Lila's heart pounding with barely contained excitement. But finally she began to smell the faint citrusy scent grow stronger, and fresh air caressed her face. She trotted forward, the beam of her flashlight bouncing with each step. There it was--the pile of dirt and rocks with a head-sized hole showing a glimpse of sunlight above. She waved the men forward. Josef came running up, and shouted when he saw the sunlight, pumping his fist and grabbing Lila up in a bear hug to twirl her around before setting her back down. Lila couldn't help smiling at his joy even as she tried to regain her balance. Aran and Elan were nearly as excited, Aran letting out a whoop of exitement and Elan grinning ear to ear.
"Let's get this hole widened!" Aran exclaimed, but Josef was already standing on the caved in pile of rocks, poking at a large clump of dirt to dislodge it. Lila wanted to shout to them to be careful but she knew it was useless. She just stood back and hoped they would remember to be careful.
"Almost there!" Josef called, handing a rock down to Aran, who tossed it to Lila. Lila's could see trees through the hole even from where she stood. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Josef heaved himself up through the hole and disapeared into the sunlight on the other side. Aran quickly followed. Lila turned to check on Elan, who held one end of the rope that was tied around Katie's neck. He grinned, giving her a thumbs-up gesture. "Go on, I'm coming," he signed.
Lila climbed up on the pile, and Josef and Aran reached down to help her up. It was so strange--this land looked just the same as that inside the Cliffs. But at the same time it was subtly different--the forest here was older, more open, interspersed with tall straight trees that carried green needles instead of leaves. There were no Bowl trees like inside the Arena. There was a sharp, citrusy smell from the needles that crunched under their feet. Lila helped Josef and the twins get Katie up through the hole, careful of her enlarged belly. Then Elan hopped up to join the rest of the party.
"I can't believe we did it!" Cried Aran, jumping into the air. "We're free!"
"We don't know that," Lila cautioned. "There could be wolves out here as well."
But still, the whole world lies before us, Josef said in wonder. Lila couldn't help but agree.
Slowly, keeping their eyes and ears open for any sign of danger, the group moved forward out underneath the soaring trees. Lila scanned the ground for any sign of wolf spoor, and saw none. Only the slotted tracks of deer and a few little fox prints greeted her eyes.
Lila wasn't sure if it was the tiny gust of air or the sudden feeling of being watched that made her turn to the left, but when she did she gasped loudly enough to bring the men in front of her to a halt. There was the ring of steel as knives were unsheathed.
There stood a white-robed figure, almost otherworldly in its strangeness. The head was smooth and hairless, as was the thin face. The robe concealed any sign of gender. A delicate tattoo traced a circle of vines and leaves around one eye and down the figure's face and neck, disappearing beneath the collar of the robe.
The person raised a hand. "I mean you no harm," came the light, musical voice that was definitely male.
"Who are you?" Aran demanded, knife still held at the ready.
"I am Norad," the man replied. "We have been waiting for you. I am glad to meet you at last, daughter of my brother. Lila, we have waited many years for your return."
Lila's jaw dropped. How did he know her name?
The End.