Twisted Worlds

Chapter 2 The Cimmerians

Melna couldn't believe her eyes.

There were people... Houses... And animals; everything a normal village would have. Except this village was underground, in a cave.

How strange, Melna thought as the wagon pulled her on down the sloping ledge. When they got closer and closer to the ground, she looked up to the cave ceiling. The big gaping hole made the sounds of birds above ground echo throughout the dome loudly. The sun shone through the trees scarcely, and by the time it reached the ground where the village was settled it really made no difference to the darkness.

They walked through the walkways which wound around tiny little huts and fenced in animals. There was no grass anywhere, so Melna could not see how the animals seemed to be so well fed. The tiny huts were made of mud, and the roofs were of yellowed grass. Women peeked their heads out the doors and stared as the group filed through the walkways. Any who were out of their homes bowed to the man on the black horse and he paid no attention. Some of the men who travelled with them went off in different directionson their horses and soon it was only the man on the black horse leading the wagon that pulled Melna.

They walked up a winding slope of cave stone that lead up to a sort of landing. When up on the landing, Melna could see the moat of water surrounding the rather small, curcular shaped rock that the village sat on. Everything was nestled so closely, Melna wondered how they had room for the animals. When she returned her gaze to the front view of her body, she saw a large and well constructed house sitting upon the landing. It was painted red, and when they entered the courtyard her feet met a silky, smooth ground and she looked down to see a polished cave floor with mosaic like swirled colors painted onto it. She thought it was actually pretty. It added a nice touch of color to the otherwise bland village that resided under the ground.

The wagon stopped and the man driving came around to untie her. She still held her close, and walked to the entrance of the red home. The man with black hair dismounted his horse and walked up to them. He was quite tall, and his suit or armor made him look a little scary and dangerous in Melna's eyes. His black eyes stared her down, accompanied with a furrowed brow and perced lips.

"I suppose you're wondering why we've brought you here and who we are," He said and looked to the floor.

"Yes." She replied.

"Well, I've got no time to explain it to you. You'll have to ask someone else when you've been asigned a home." He said and snapped his fingers in the direction of a man standing not far off. The man came over quickly.

"Have Tulen come," He said and the man scurried off. "Very well then, I'll leave you to it." He walked off into the red home and not long after a woman in a plain white dress and brown sandals came out.

"Hello, my name is Tulen," She said. "Let's get you changed, and then I'll asign you tasks and your hut." She untied Melna's hands, for which Melna was gratefull and released her form the grip of the man.

She lead her around to the back of the red home and down some steps into a smaller more dingy courtyard. In it women sat on small wooden stooles with wooden buckets of water in front of them. They were doing laundry, washing and ringing faster than Melna's eyes could keep up. They threw the wet clothes into a small wagon where a man was standing by, watching with the same kind of degrading stare that the leader had. All of the women wore the same thing Tulen did; a simple ankle length white dress and brown sandals.

Tulen lead her into the red home through a back door, and form there they travelled down a narrow hallway and into a room with a wardrobe and and a bed.

Tulen opened the wardrobe and pulled out a white dress. She held it up to Melna and nodded.

"It should fit." She mumbled. "Now then, I'm told you want some answers."

"Yes... I've just been kidnapped, of course I do! First of all, where am I?"

"You're in a cave."

Melna sighed. "Yes, I know. But... Who are you people? And why do you live in a cave?"

"We are called Cimmerians. We live in this cave because it was the way our anscestors lived as well. It may seem strange to outsiders, but we are a reclusive people by nature. Our village is called Cimmeria."

Melna nodded. She thought it absolutely ridiculous to live in a cold, dark, damp place.

"Listen... I know what you're thinking. This is a horrible place to live. And you're right... If I could get out I would. But women are not allowed to leave, under any circumstances. So, before anything else is said, let me apologize. I'm sorry you've been captured by the Lord."

"What?" Melna was taken back by Tulen's words. "Why are you not allowed to leave?"

"It's been this way for many years. Ever since we started getting sick... The sickness spreads through only women, and it affects our ability to have children. It's happened in all our settlements around this land. The leader's were afraid it might spread to the women above ground too, so they've kept us from going up there for such a long time. But at least our settlement is placed in a nicily lit cave. We actually get sunlight, while most other Cimmerians don't."

"Wait, there are actually more settlements in different caves?"

Tulen nodded. "Most of them can be reached from this cave as well. We have a very tightly knit community." She smiled, but Melna perceived it to be a fake one.

"Well, I'll leave you to change. Afterwards I'll ask you some questions to decide which task you'll be asigned." Tulen smiled once more and left the room.

Melna sat on the bed. So does this mean I'll never be able to leave this place... Ever? Her head sank down to her chest and she inhaled sharply. Just as she was getting settled with new people, as always her life changed abruptly. And now she wasn't so sure it would be for the best.

When she changed and Tulen came back, she was then taken back outside the red home and lead to a small hut that rested near the moat of water. The inside was plain and simple. A bed on the main level, a small tables and a pair of chairs, a couple of chests and a hearth. There was a loft in one corner of the hut and a bed resided up there as well.

"This will be your hut, you'll be sharing with a girl named Crenna. Now, I'll begin asking you questions so that it will be easier for me to deduce which occupation will be most promising for you. Anything else before we begin?"

Melna shook her head sullenly and sat at the small round table, readying herself for the prolix of questions Tulen was about to subject her to.