Mako held her stare. Tempted to look away, Rema forced herself to remain locked onto Mako’s eyes until he finally spoke, “We are opposed to Barjon and his cruelty. But we will get into that later.” His face was blank, not revealing any emotions. He reminded her of Darmik.
“Well, what about me?” Rema asked. “Why did you save me? Was it because you knew my parents?” Even though he had promised her parents he would protect her, it didn’t make any sense. Why didn’t he reveal his identity when he visited the horse farm? Why all the secrecy?
“Partly,” Mako answered. “To fully understand, you must consider the situation from my point of view.”
Her eyes widened. Was Mako going to use her as a hostage? Did he intend to ransom her off in order to make Barjon look foolish? Would Mako give her to the king in exchange for a list of demands? Rema glanced to the door, wondering if she could find her way out of the fortress if need be.
Mako sighed. “You’re safe. You are not a hostage.” She hated that he could read her face and body language so easily.
Rema didn’t quite believe him. She’d been confined to her room, everyone was being secretive, and Kar and Maya were even avoiding her questions.
Mako rubbed his eyes and yawned. “I promised your mother I would watch out for you. Also, I chose to save you, not to ransom you to Barjon, but to have access to what you know.” He crossed his arms and walked toward the center of the room.
He saved her for her information? She had lived in the king’s castle for weeks, engaged to Lennek, friends with Darmik, yet she didn’t possess knowledge of any value.
“Like I said,” Mako continued, “the people here stand in opposition to Barjon. You’ve been living at the castle, attending events. You had access to what our spies have not.”
Spies . . . like the mysterious person who told Ellie the key was coming? How far did Mako’s influence reach? And was Mako the one in charge of the rebels? Or was it someone else?
“What happens to me once I tell you what I know?” Rema said, pretending she knew something in order to ensure her safety.
“Well, I personally hope you will join our cause. From purely a tactical point of view, you should remain here. The King’s Army is searching the seven regions looking for you. But I won’t force you to do anything you don’t want to.”
Rema shuddered, imagining Lennek’s rage. She remembered the time on the cliff overlooking the ocean when he threatened her and pinched her arm, half-holding, half-hanging her over the edge, and when Lennek found her and Darmik alone in her bedchamber, landing Rema in the dungeon to be executed for treason. “I assume Darmik is leading the army?” she asked, trying to keep her voice level. With Lennek, she knew what to expect. However, with Darmik, she had no idea what she was dealing with.
“Yes, he’s been searching the villages near Greenwood Forest. Anyone suspected of harboring or helping you is killed.”
“But Darmik let you take me?” Perhaps merely a strategic move on his part?
Mako nodded, pacing the room. “He is desperate to find this location. I believe he’s using you as bait. He’s been attempting to track us since he let you go.”
The door opened, and a young man entered. He also wore the uniform everyone else did, but with an additional element—on the crest above his left breast, the horse’s head had a gold crown.
“Yes, Commander?” he asked, never looking Rema’s way.
“Close the door,” Mako ordered.
The young man did as instructed. He appeared to be a little older than she was. Although he was rather plain looking, his quick, easy movements were graceful, and he exuded an air of confidence.
“I want to introduce you to . . . Rema,” Mako said a bit awkwardly, like he had forgotten her name and was trying to recover without notice.
Rema stood and nodded.
“Rema, this is my first in charge. I’ve just bestowed the rank of captain upon him.”
The young man’s eyes quickly scanned her body, finding nothing of interest. “This is the girl from the castle?” he asked Mako, ignoring her.
The captain stood, holding his chin high. He seemed to lack manners and social skills. Rema couldn’t tell if he was simply arrogant or if he thought himself too important. Perhaps he was someone of consequence since his uniform had the additional mark on it. Still, there was no reason to be unfriendly.
“Yes,” Mako replied, “this is her.”
“Shall we begin the interrogation?” he asked.
Rema sat down, her blood running cold. She glanced to the closed door. There were three swords on the wall next to it, but she was still weak and had no training with a deadly weapon. These men were obviously skilled.
Clearing her throat, Rema faked confidence and said, “If you expect me to cooperate and answer any of your questions, I suggest you start behaving and be cordial. Otherwise, you’ll get nothing from me.”
The captain turned and stared at her with an incredulous look across his face. “Excuse me?” he exclaimed. “We rescued you!”
“We?” Rema said, while standing to face the young man. “I was unaware of your involvement in the matter.”
“Well, I wasn’t there, but I helped plan the escape.” He took a step toward her.
“You mean, you weren’t deemed necessary for the mission?” Rema said. “Still learning how to wield a sword?” Rema wanted to put the arrogant bastard in his place. She’d dealt with enough threats from Lennek and King Barjon to last a lifetime. She didn’t need this man irritating her too.
His eyes widened, and he took another step toward her, his hands clenching into fists at his side.
Mako’s hand flew to the young man’s shoulder, his knuckles whitening as he squeezed the captain. “There will not be an interrogation,” Mako said. “Rema is still recovering. If she has any information of value, I’m sure she will share it when she feels better.”
“If? What do you mean, if?” the young man yelled. “We just planned a near impossible rescue mission, it worked, and we have her here in our possession. She better have information, and she better share it.”
Rema raised her hands to her hips, about to say something nasty right back to him.
“And what’s with her blonde hair and blue eyes? Is she from Emperion?”
“Savenek,” Mako said, “that is enough. Go to your office. That’s an order. I will be there shortly.”
Savenek’s eyes narrowed at Rema with a look of hatred. For Rema, the feeling was quite mutual. He turned and stormed out of the room.
Wait—what did Mako call him? Savenek? The young man Vesha was in love with? How could she have feelings for such an arrogant person? Savenek wasn’t even that attractive, but he was definitely mean and hateful. Why did Mako bestow the rank of captain upon him? It didn’t matter. She would have nothing to do with the insufferable man.
“Well, that didn’t go as I hoped,” Mako mumbled.
“It’s doesn’t matter,” Rema replied.
“Actually, it does. Now that you’re up and about, you’re going to start training with him.”
Rema’s legs buckled, and she fell onto the chair once again.
Darmik
Using a burnt stick from the dead fire, Darmik sketched the three pictures on the back of one of his maps before they vacated the cave. Outside, he and Neco replaced the rocks, covering the entrance as best they could. Once done, Darmik stood and observed the area. There were two trees to the left, another one slightly to the right and back. Only one of the pictures had trees situated in such a manner.
Having eliminated one of the options, Darmik studied the remaining two. Since they were traveling up, away from the dense forest, he chose the cave with only one tree. This particular picture had only a few stars and, to the untrained eye, meant nothing. But to Darmik, the stars revealed a particular constellation southwest of their current location. The pair set off in that direction. It was daytime, and Darmik had to rely on his memory to keep them on the right cou
rse. Shortly after they started hiking, dark clouds rolled in and it started raining. Cold and wet, the friends traveled over the rugged terrain in silence.
When evening came, the rain lightened to a soft mist. Just when it became too dark to continue, they stumbled across three oddly shaped boulders. Looking back at the picture, Darmik realized that these rocks were at the edge of the scene he’d copied. He turned slightly north. After ten yards, they came to a cluster of stones just like the picture. Neco and Darmik moved the rocks aside and discovered another cave with three new scenes.
The proceeding days followed the same course of events. They woke up early, ate, hiked all day through treacherous weather, and stopped at a rebel camp once it became too dark to travel any further. Three days later, they entered a cave only to discover it void of the firewood and maps they had come to rely on and expect. With the temperature dropping, they decided to spend the night in the cave anyway.
Darmik ducked and entered, tossing the firewood he just collected in the center of the darkened cave. Neco pulled out some flint.
“Maybe we’re in the wrong place,” Neco mumbled as he tried to start a fire.
“Not likely,” Darmik said, taking a seat next to his friend. “We’re just missing something. We’re high enough that we’re at the forest edge. If we go any higher, we’re back to climbing like before. I just can’t imagine the rebels doing that with supplies.” Or with Rema.
“We should spend some time hunting tomorrow,” Neco said. “We need to replenish our food.”
Neco was right; their supplies were dangerously low. Darmik leaned back against his sack. Perhaps they were close to the rebel’s base camp. If that was the case, they could use this cave as their own mini base while searching for them.
The fire fully caught, and warmth filled the cave. Staring at the ceiling, Darmik rubbed his eyes. He had to be seeing things. It appeared there were black marks everywhere. After blinking several times, he looked again. The black lines transformed into a detailed map. He’d seen lines like this once before—when he took a course on maps in Emperion.
“Neco,” Darmik said, pointing toward the ceiling. “A map. Clear as day.”
“Well, I’ll give you it’s a map,” Neco responded. “But it most certainly isn’t as clear as day.” He scratched his chin, waiting for Darmik to explain.
“I bet that’s it! Their base camp.”
****
They spent the morning replenishing their supplies. Neco gathered nuts and berries. Darmik hunted and managed to kill two rabbits. After cooking the meat, they packed their sacks. The friends debated about leaving everything inside the cave; however, if their supplies were discovered by someone passing through, their cover was sure to be blown. Instead, they took their bags with them.
Darmik had the map from the cave’s ceiling memorized. The pair spent most of the day traveling directly south, not ascending into the mountains any higher. When Darmik estimated they were fairly close to the rebel base camp, they went into stealth mode and quietly swung around in order to enter from the west side undetected. As Darmik neared the area, the vegetation lessened and stones littered the ground. Large boulders began to emerge, and traveling became difficult.
“This doesn’t look like a place one could easily survive in,” Neco whispered, attempting to blow his warm breath into his gloved hands.
Darmik thought the same thing. According to the map, the camp should be straight ahead. Darmik didn’t see anything; however, it was difficult to focus on small details because it was unbelievably cold. Crouching low, he neared a large boulder, his legs stiff.
“It should be right here,” Darmik said. He was certain he had the correct location. Where was the camp?
“Maybe it’s another cave,” Neco said. “I don’t think there’s anyone here.” He stood and searched the area in more detail.
Frustrated, Darmik stood and did the same.
“Over there,” Neco pointed toward two boulders that stood side by side. It appeared that there was something at their base.
Darmik went over to investigate. Nearing the large rocks, he discovered a black hole the size of a man.
“Wonder why this cave’s entrance isn’t camouflaged like the others?” Neco mused. He removed his dagger and slid against the rock, Darmik following suit.
They stood listening. No voices or any noise came from within. Neco signaled for Darmik to hold his position. He left and returned a few minutes later carrying a piece of wood and some pines twisted around the top. He lit it, and shoved the makeshift torch into the hole. The ground was six feet below.
“Well?” Neco asked with a smile. “Shall we?” He pushed away from the boulder and slowly entered the black hole.
Darmik lowered his feet and jumped onto hard ground that gently sloped downward. He braced for an attack. Darmik remembered the last time he fought his way through a dark space while chasing Rema. He feared another ambush was about to happen, but nothing did. All was quiet.
“Where are we?” Neco wondered, waving the torch around to light the space.
The hole transformed into a narrow tube-shaped tunnel. Black, jagged rock surrounded them. “Let’s go,” Darmik said, pointing forward.
Even though it was tall enough for them to stand upright, there was barely enough room to pass through, making Darmik feel somewhat claustrophobic. The stale air inside was cold and difficult to breathe.
In the forbidden archive room at the king’s castle, Darmik remembered reading a book once about a great fire that fell from the Middle Mountains like water. It lasted for several days, and then vanished. The book claimed the liquid fire created underground tunnels; however, Darmik had never believed it. Until now.
The pair traveled for several miles and still, the tube seemed endless. The torch was nearly burned down.
“I suggest we stop here for some sleep,” Neco said. “It must be well into the night.”
Darmik agreed. Their torch was gone, and darkness surrounded them. Sitting on the chilly ground, they ate a quick meal and then slept for a few hours.
When Darmik awoke, he had no idea what time of day, or night, it was. They were still in the solid black tunnel without any means to light their way. Nudging Neco awake, they ate a small meal in the dark, and continued. Neither spoke, afraid their voices would carry and alert someone to their presence.
The tunnel suddenly narrowed and sloped upward. Darmik forced himself not to think about where he was, and what he was actually doing, for fear he’d go mad.
The temperature continued to drop, and the air thinned. Their pace slowed.
“So,” Neco breathed heavily, “are we just going to keep on walking indefinitely?”
“Until we find the rebels,” Darmik heaved back. And Rema. He would not stop until he found her.
“Or until you step over the edge of a cliff and fall to your death.”
“Thanks,” Darmik muttered. “Now with each step, I have to pray it isn’t my last. Nice and comforting.”
Neco chuckled. “I keep sticking my hand out to feel the rock walls surrounding us just to make sure we’re still in the tunnel.”
Darmik knew Neco wanted to say more on the matter. Like how crazy this was. And Darmik had to admit, it was insane. They were probably in the belly of the mountain, and who knew how long until they would find a way out. They had better start rationing their food and water just in case. But Darmik knew, without a doubt, they were going the right way. The map led them here, and this had to be the way to the rebel’s camp. It just had to be. He held onto that hope as they continued into the unknown.
****
All sense of time was lost. Darmik figured they had traveled for about three days, but he couldn’t be sure. Almost all of their food and water was gone. Everything was still solid black, the air frigid, and breathing strenuous. The gradual incline increased, and Darmik’s legs burned from the continued rise and non-stop walking. He couldn’t think about his surroundings; he was starting to go
mad.
He was ready to be out of this tunnel.
After what seemed like forever, the slope gradually declined, and they walked on an almost level surface. As least, that was what they thought. Perhaps they were going a little crazy from the continual darkness. Suddenly, Darmik smacked against something hard and fell backwards. “Bloody hell,” he cursed. Neco didn’t stop in time and tripped over Darmik.
“You okay?” Darmik asked, getting back onto his feet. Luckily, his foot had hit the stone first, followed by his leg, so his head was uninjured.
“What happened?” Neco asked. “Did you get turned around?”
Darmik had been walking with his arms slightly out, allowing his hands to lightly drift against the sides of the tunnel so he wouldn’t get turned sideways and smack into a surface.
“I don’t know.” Darmik stood. There was solid rock on all sides. The only open area was the one they had just traveled from.
“You have got to be kidding me!” Neco screamed, the sound echoing in the tunnel. “A dead end!”
“It can’t be,” Darmik mumbled, feeling around again. He was so sure this would take them right to the rebel’s camp. How could they reach a dead end? Did they miss something along the way? Frustrated, Darmik kicked the wall in front of him. A small stone tumbled down.
“Did you hear that?” Darmik asked. “It sounded like a rock fell.”
“Where did you kick?”
“Right here,” Darmik said, taking hold of Neco’s hand and placing it on the wall where he had struck.
Darmik felt along the surface. “It feels like there are several large stones, smoother than the walls.”
“All right,” Neco said, “let’s pick one and push. We’ll see what happens.”
One of the rocks jutted out further than the others did. They each took ahold and shoved. It began to give way, and suddenly it came crashing down, light pouring in from the outside world.
Darmik squinted and moved away from the sunlight. “I thought I’d be happy to see the light of day.”
Neco laughed. “Me too. Guess we’ll have to wait a bit for our eyes to adjust to the light.
Red (The True Reign Series) Page 6
