Wychling

Chapter 39

Tal's senses were sharper than they had ever been. Without light to guide her she naturally leant on Suma's exceptional faculties. It was more than just hearing with his ears; it was his ability to trust his senses, applied to her own. It was his instinct of what changes in the environment meant.

Suddenly the draft passing over her bare arms spoke volumes about where they were headed. The smell, and sound of rotten water reverberating off the tunnel walls gave her the directions in which the tunnel opened. The occasional flash of light carried far further, and she found herself being blinded by it, as it made the darkness that much more impenetrable.

They had been moving for what felt like miles, in complete silence. Shimon had led them through the largest, most secure looking door she had ever seen. All steel bands and enormous bolts; moved by a great wheel in the centre and polished maniacally to a shine, as if anyone ever saw it.

~Idiots~ she thought, almost reflexively.

Then they were in one of the wider tunnels, with a deep fast flowing river of rotten water flowing to their right side. A good three paces away was an identical path on the other side of the low tunnel, one pace across, barely enough for Suma to stand on. She could see that Ulrich was having to crouch to save his head from banging against the low ceiling, and she had already checked the Watchman on Suma's back to make sure his metal helmet wasn't about to scrape loudly on the stone floor.

The tunnel was fine for her though. Most times it was nice being five foot two and a half; as well as people underestimating you, it was also very rare that she found a place she couldn't explore, and what a place it was! Other than the smell, she couldn't believe she had never been down here before. It was a maze that mirrored the one above, but if you could get to know it, you could move from one side of the city to the other quicker than anyone.

It was dark, but as the medium sized circular tunnels met the larger ones a crossroads formed. All of this was informed by her other senses and Suma's overlaying her own.

She was still getting used to that. Like his thoughts, they were available if she was looking for them, but instead of reaching towards him, she looked closer at things, and the extra information was just there, accessible. The same for hearing and smell, although, for obvious reasons, she wasn't abusing that particular sense.

~Trust me little Mouse, neither am I, today~ Suma said.

Tal smiled. This would take some getting used to, but it was nice. She had never had a friend like this. Rodney had always looked after her, but he was her Big Brother, he was meant to. Besides, lately he had been chasing girls, and it was like he had suddenly realised that she was one. They had been fighting a lot, but not scrapping like of old. Now he just repeated her Father's admonitions about her behaviour like he didn't do the exact same things...hypocrite.

Her older, older brother had moved out years ago with his wife, and he was like a distant relative that came to visit for the midwinter festival. Uppity git. Rodney and her both thought he was pretentious.

Constantly lording it over them and spinning tales that always began with "when I was a boy..." or, worst of all "Mother would never..." Tal was always desperate to hear about her Mother, even from that pig, but her Father's eyes would go uncharacteristically hard and it quickly became awkward.

She would remain still as a mouse, hoping against hope, but she had never discovered much in those conversations, other than how much social grace her oldest brother lacked. She had asked Rodney, but he didn't remember her much either, he had only been five when she died. She had been three. All she had was a vague picture of bright red hair and the world's most beautiful smile. She sighed. One day she would find out about it all, but not for a long time yet.