Page 9 of Always
We hiked much farther than I expected before the snakes finally began to thin and then stop altogether. The path steepened and turned rocky. My arms ached under the load of the bags, and I stumbled over a sharp stone.
As though Lance had been keeping one eye upon me, he pivoted and steadied me, before peering back through the darkness. His lips pursed together in displeasure. “We must go faster,” he said tersely as he relieved me of one of the satchels.
“You set the pace, and I shall endeavor to stay with you.” Again, I wanted to prove he hadn’t made a mistake in bringing me along.
He said no more, but lengthened his stride, climbing with a nimbleness of a hare and making my efforts look all the clumsier in comparison. Even so, I strained to remain close behind him, determined not to lag even when my lungs burned, my sides cramped, and my legs trembled with the exertion.
I was relieved when the tunnel narrowed, forcing us to slow down and crawl on our hands and knees. As we pushed the satchels along, I calmed my breathing and steadied my shaking limbs.
When we finally arrived at a ledge that opened into a cave, Lance lowered himself first, dropping easily to the dirt floor. He held out the torch, revealing a small cavern that seemed harmless enough.
After he secured the torch, I handed him first one satchel then the other. I dangled my legs off the ledge, intending to lower myself the way he had. But before I could gather the courage to jump, he reached for me, fitting his hands at my hips and effortlessly lifting me. For an instant, as I was suspended, I could feel the power of his arms and upper body. I had seen the king’s guard always from a distance and had known they were the fiercest, fittest, and fastest men in the land. But I hadn’t understood the reality of their position and strength until now.
He lowered me to the ground as carefully as he had the princesses but released me without a second glance. I might be awed by his prowess in aiding our escape, but he clearly was not enamored with me.
“Where do we go from here?” I took stock of the cave, which was riddled with cobwebs and dust as though no one but spiders had been in it for decades.
“We find the exit.” He crossed to the opposite wall. There he kicked at a lump and caused dust to plume into the air. He rolled the lump over to reveal a leather shoulder bag.
“See if there’s anything in the supply bag we can use,” he instructed as he moved to the wall and began tapping it with the hilt of his sword.
I knelt next to the bag and brushed away the dust. Gingerly I lifted the flap, and a hemp rope fell out. Before I could dig deeper, Lance was already shifting aside an enormous stone, leaning into it with his shoulder. He strained, his muscles bulging as the scraping rock gave way to crumbling pebbles and an opening. Mist sprayed into the room, bringing the scent of wet rocks and soil. Along with it came the rushing sound of water.
At the same moment, the distant shout of voices wafted from the tunnel hole behind us. I shivered and stood. The Saracens had made it past Lance’s comrade. I had no idea how much time we had before they’d be upon us, but I suspected it wasn’t long.
Slinging the dusty pack over my shoulder, I picked up both satchels and carried them to the cave exit where Lance peered out. I wasn’t sure what he could see through the darkness of the night, but when he spun to face me, his expression was etched with determination. He grabbed the rope from where I’d left it and began to rapidly uncoil it and hand me one end. “Tie this around your waist.”
As shouts echoed in the tunnel, I hurried to do his bidding, but my fingers fumbled over one another in my haste.
“After I leap,” he said brushing aside my fingers and cinching the rope for me, “I want you to jump with the princesses. Hang onto the bags and don’t let them go.”
Jump?I couldn’t squeeze a response past my constricting throat.
He hesitated, glancing at one of the bags. Then he lifted his gaze to mine. “You’ll be fine.”
I could only nod mutely. In the flickering from the torch, his eyes were dark and brooding and yet somehow comforting.
“I’ll be waiting for you.” His voice was calm, almost soothing. “I’ll have the other end of the rope and will use it to find you and the princesses.”
I nodded again.
He took the pack from my shoulder, strapped it on his, and then moved to the cave entrance, where he climbed outside and stood on a narrow ledge, the rope tied to his waist. “Once I disappear,” he called over the roaring, “count to ten before following me.”
Only then did I notice the rapidly flowing water pouring down over the ledge and forming a wall in front of him. A waterfall. We’d come out of the tunnel at the backside of a waterfall. For a second, I stared at the cascading silver sheet and spraying diamond drops. The waterfall was magnificent even from the back.
“Throw the torch in after me,” he commanded. Then he spun and launched himself into the air.
I gasped as the water swallowed and carried him away, its steady crashing reminding me I would have to do the very same thing next. The realization paralyzed me. I had no idea what was at the bottom. What if I fell and hit rocks? What if I drowned? What if I let go of one of the babes?
Panic threatened to propel me back. But at shouts that were much too close, I realized I had no choice but to jump. I crawled out onto the ledge and stood. My legs shook, as did my hands. I situated the bags one on each arm, made sure they were securely sealed, and then tossed the torch into the rushing water.
Immediately darkness surrounded me. I hadn’t counted to ten as Lance had asked, and I didn’t know if ten seconds had passed or ten minutes. But at an urgent call from the cave behind me, I knew I’d run out of time.
I closed my eyes, whispered a silent prayer, and then jumped.
Chapter
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