Page 24 of The Queen's Crown
The next two days followed a similar pattern. They floated along the tunnel river, switching torches every few hours, eating small meals here and there, and sleeping on occasion. Just when Sabine thought she couldn’t handle another minute in the mountain, she saw a faint light ahead. A minute later, the river exited the tunnel and entered a valley. The boat hit the bottom, and the soldiers jumped out, pulling it up onto solid ground.
Markis helped Sabine out of the boat. Her legs felt weak from being cramped in the small boat for the past couple of days. She reached up, stretching. The air felt wonderful and refreshing. Unfortunately, the sun had already set and dusk had descended over the land. At least tomorrow she would feel its warmth on her face.
“It’s a good thing we exited in the evening,” Markis said. “Otherwise, our eyes couldn’t have handled the bright light.”
Sabine hadn’t considered that. She glanced around. “Do we walk from here?” She doubted their horses were on another boat following behind them.
“We have a place not far from here,” the stockier soldier said. “We will eat and sleep there for the night. There will also be horses there for us to use.”
That sounded like a perfectly reasonable plan. As she started walking, she realized it felt as if the ground were moving up and down ever so slightly.
“It’ll take a day or two to get your balance back,” Markis said as he watched her.
She nodded and continued on, thankful to be on solid ground even if it didn’t feel so solid right now. They traveled for another mile before coming to a small wooden house with a pen out back, filled with half a dozen horses. Inside the house, there were several bedrolls and a hearth piled with wood. That was about it. The four of them ate and then went to bed.
They set out on horseback early the next morning. Now that it was lighter out, she could focus on her surroundings. They were traveling in a valley between two steep mountain ranges, both of which appeared to have an abundance of black rocks and bright green moss covering them. There were a few trees scattered throughout—mostly pines. As they went, the vegetation became thicker and brighter in color.
That night, they stayed in another empty house. Sabine suspected these houses had been built specifically for soldiers to use when traveling through Lynk. She had yet to see a town or village.
The following day, as they rode their horses, Sabine noticed what appeared to be buildings carved into the side of the mountain. “What are those?” she asked, pointing toward the top of the mountain to their left.
“Homes.”
She squinted, trying to get a better look. The structures seemed to be part of the mountain, as if born from it. The only reason she even saw them was because whatever they’d been constructed with, the material stood in contrast to the green foliage and the black rocks.
“I can’t imagine trying to build those.” Markis whistled. “That’s mighty impressive.”
“Peoplelivethere?” Sabine asked, needing clarification. All she could envision was a little girl leaning out of a window and plummeting to her death.
“Do people typically not live in houses in Bakley?” the soldier in the back asked.
“They do,” she replied, irritated by his snide comment. “But our homes aren’t hanging on the side of a mountain. They are on flat, solid ground.”
He chuckled. “That sounds boring. And dangerous.”
“How is having a house on the ground not safe?” she asked.
“If an enemy approaches, you’re not at an advantage.”
As they rode, she thought about that. This was a military kingdom. Everything, it seemed, reflected that. It made sense. Her own kingdom was the same. Since farming was Bakley’s primary focus, the land, people, stores, and lack of a military reflected that.
A terrifying thought suddenly occurred to her. “Is the palace on a mountain like that?”
Both soldiers laughed, neither one answering her question.
The four of them traveled along the valley, between the mountain ranges, for several days. The farther north they went, the warmer it became. They finally left the valley, heading toward the mountain. When they reached it, they took a path carved into the side of it. The narrow trail wound back and forth as it gently ascended.
The sun started to set just as they reached the top of the mountain. Sabine didn’t know what she expected to find, but this certainly wasn’t it. An entire city stood before her. The homes looked like they hung over the edge of the mountain. Most of the structures were several stories tall, all constructed with stone. In Bakley, most of the homes were made from wood, and only the castle and the duke’s homes were made from stone. Toward the center of the city, the buildings were even taller, maybe five or six stories.
“We’ll walk from here,” the soldier leading the way said as he dismounted.
Sabine slid off her horse, her legs shaking from the journey up the mountain.
Two young boys wearing loose pants and sleeveless shirts approached. They smiled and then took all four horses, leading them away.
“Follow me,” the one soldier said as he assumed the lead. Sabine and Markis did as he asked while the other soldier walked behind them.
They took what must be the main street since it went straight through the city. Along the way, they passed several storefronts. Some had displays of fabric, others beads and jewelry. On top of the stores, lines strung from one window to another across the street, laundry hanging on them to dry. Sabine peered down one of the side streets. It, too, was lined with stores and homes. However, it only went fifty or so feet, right to the edge of the mountain.
