Page 80 of Lady's Steed
He headed down the left passage, rougher hewn than the previous tunnel. The torch he held remained steady. No air moved through this passage, making Avera wonder if perhaps Gustav was right. Why did she trust Opal?
Gut instinct? Knowing Opal had spoken to her mother was certainly a part of it. The fact she’d freely relayed information also helped, but at the same time, the guardian had only meted out enough to whet Avera’s curiosity. Why the rush? Surely, given the fact Avera could dispel the mist with her blood they could have spent a few minutes learning more about Zhos and the threat it posed.
The seed of planted doubt led to Avera looking back more often than ahead. Was second-guessing every decision part of being a ruler? What of the angst that would follow if she made the wrong choice? Being responsible for Daerva had been bad enough, but now being told the world depended on her, a woman who until recently had been practically a nobody? How had she gone from being unimportant to being the focus of so many?
“Another fork,” Gustav stated, and this time he didn’t argue, just took the left turn.
Avera couldn’t say how long they walked. The torch sputtered as the oil soaking the rag burned off. Gustav paused to extinguish it and replaced it with a rag newly soaked.
During that moment of intense darkness, Avera’s other senses heightened. Her nose twitched, detecting a new scent amidst that of rock and dust. What was that sweet scent? Her skin pimpled as the air suddenly felt colder. She heard a whisper, not of a voice, but more like something dragged across stone. Were they no longer alone?
“Let there be light,” Gustav declared, holding up the newly lit torch.
While it might just be paranoia, Avera took no chance. “I thought I heard something.”
“Me too,” Josslyn piped in. “Glad to know I didn’t imagine it. This place is spooky enough as is without me making up things.”
“From behind or ahead?” Gustav didn’t mock them.
“I don’t know.”
“The horses don’t seem unsettled.” Gustav’s remark had Avera eyeing Luna at her back. The mare appeared steadfast for the moment.
“Just advising you in case.”
The noise didn’t repeat or at least couldn’t be heard over their footsteps and the clomp of hooves. Anything hiding in the tunnels most likely fled at their noisy approach.
Gustav eventually said, “Tunnel’s getting bigger, and I think I see light.”
Had they already found the exit? The hope of exiting this dark and somber place had them all hastening their steps. The glow of the torch multiplied as Gustav stepped into a cavern.
A place of wondrous beauty.
Avera gaped as she looked around at the huge, naturally hollowed space.
Stalagmites and stalactites jutted from the floor and ceiling, the flames of the torch reflecting off their sparkling surfaces. The walls held a layer of moss that glowed faintly. In the center of the cave, a small lake, the waters smooth and reflective, but also clear enough to see the pebbled bottom. No plants grew. No fish swam. Closer to the center, a dark spot indicated a sharp drop. Probably the spring that fed the lake.
“Is it safe to drink?” Josslyn asked, glancing at Gustav.
“Dunno. Don’t see any bones, though, so that’s a good sign.” A reminder that the Lake of Tears had its edges littered with the carcasses of the wildlife that took a fatal sip.
“How can we test it?” Avera asked. While they had flasks still mostly full, refilling them might prove challenging on their route.
“We need something to drink it. I don’t suggest we volunteer, though.” Gustav glanced at Josslyn’s horse which wandered close to the edge.
“Perhaps we shouldn’t take a chance,” Avera stated as Josslyn’s mare lowered her head.
“No.” Josslyn slapped her horse on the rump, sending it cantering away from the water.
“Let’s see what the water does to fabric,” Gustav suggested. A good idea since the Lake of Tears had a corrosive effect that began to deteriorate materials the moment they touched its waters.
Gustav dipped one of the rags he’d brought for the torch. It emerged intact. “Not acid at least,” he surmised.
“But is it poisonous? We can’t tell by wetting a tiny piece of cloth.” Josslyn planted her hands on her hips and frowned at the lake.
“Personally, I say we avoid it. We have water.”
“For the moment. Opal said the trip would take about a day, but also mentioned she’d never done the crossing herself.” What if it were longer? The Spire extended many leagues, and underground, they couldn’t tell how far they’d travelled given the tunnels slightly curved and they’d taken two forks.