Lassuni's War

Chapter 7

An hour passed before they reached the cave mouth, horses and riders caked with snow, icicles hanging off the horses' bridles. The cave opening was wide and tall enough to admit a rider on horseback, one at a time. Vercingetor went first, which Lassuni considered reckless.

"General, let the Guards go first. There's too much opportunity for ambush." She drew her sword and reined her horse to a halt.

Vercingetor entered as if he hadn't heard her, then stopped, dismounted, and walked several feet ahead into the gloom and out of sight.

"General," Lassuni called, "What are you doing?"

No voice answered, and she spurred her horse to follow in the direction he had gone when a flare of light stopped her. Vercingetor returned carrying two lighted torches, and handed them up to her.

"Here, these should make it easier to make our way through." He remounted his horse, took one torch back from her, and started again deeper into the cave. "I know these caves, Captain. To my knowledge, I'm the only one who does."

Again, speaking before thinking, she said, "That may once have been true but you don't know that now."

"I appreciate your concern, Captain Lassuni. However, until about a year ago this cave dead-ended roughly a mile in from the other side. My men completed the connecting tunnel a month ago."

"A mile? How long is this cave? And how were you able to dig through solid rock?"

"The caves are honeycombed throughout the underside of the mountains, like an abandoned beehive. The walls in many places between each cavern were less than a meter thick. We'd punch through one wall only to find ourselves inside another open cavern. It went on for many months like that. My men created a network of connected caves that stretch for nearly ten miles underneath the mountains. It's a two day ride to other side, into the Ringossa Valley. We'll take a break a little further on to eat. I'm sure we could all use something warm in our bellies by now."

As they rode deeper into the cave Lassuni wondered if Vercingetor knew where he was going. She turned around in her saddle once and saw the Ghost Guard following behind in single file like apparitions in the dark, every other one holding a torch. She tried to count how many there were, but as the tunnel curved to the right some were lost to sight around the turn. A quick estimate told her at least twenty Ghost Guards accompanied them, possibly more.

They picked their way through the narrow passage that eventually led to a large grotto. In contrast to the dark entrance cavern: here blue ice covered the walls and ceiling, glowing with light reflected in, but where the light came from was a mystery. Stalactites and stalagmites created a labyrinth of crystalline rock through the cavern. Vercingetor rode on along the edge of a pool of dark water. At least the floor wasn't solid ice, for which Adovana was grateful.

"Why are these called the Burning Mountains when they're made of ice?" she said, more to herself than anyone.

"Because," Vercingetor called over his shoulder, "they were formed by molten earth many ages ago. They've been quiet so long even the legends of how they came to be have faded. But the name the ancients who first lived here gave them has remained through time. Perhaps someday the mountains will wake and remind us."

"Hope it's not today," Lassuni muttered, glancing around at the ice and rocks. Being deep inside the mountain, underground, was unnerving. The soft clopping of the horses hooves mixed with the bell-like dripping of water, beating a slow cadence. They passed through room after room, some with ceilings of ice, giving a soft light throughout the caves. She reined her horse up and peered into a darker area of the cave.

"General," she called, "did you find any animals in here when you were digging through?"

Vercingetor looked over his shoulder at her. "No, why do you ask?"

She nodded her head toward a dark area. "I'm sure I saw something move back there."

Vercingetor looked where she indicated. "Are you sure? Perhaps a shadow from our torches?"

"I don't think so." She looked behind them at the Ghost Guards. As she did, the one who had stitched her chin rode up next to her.

"What is it?" Grannus asked.

"Are all your men accounted for?"

He glanced back, looking down the line of riders as if counting.

"All are here. Is there trouble?" He put his hand to the hilt of his sword.

"It may be nothing, but stay alert. We may have been followed."

He nodded, and turned his horse back to rejoin the other Guards.

Lassuni wondered if this day would ever end. It had been one thing after another since she'd ridden off with Vercingetor. The man seemed to be a moving vortex of trouble.

They continued on, and though Lassuni kept careful watch, she saw no further sign of anyone in the shadows. Perhaps she had imagined it, she thought. But still something prickled at the back of her neck, as if unseen eyes were watching.