Eternal Darkness (The Cimmerian Cycle #1)

Chapter 15

Chapter 15

While she was thinking both boys moved away, clearly uncomfortable by the silence made by their lack of conversation. It was with a deep sigh that she stood up and went over to where the twins had built a roaring fire to set up her bedroll. At least she could look into the flames and forget what she was doing and relax. Perhaps she could laugh at a few of Leo’s jokes or tell them all about the first time she had tried chocolate. However as she lay down on her bedroll thoughts of sleep invaded her mind and she willed herself into a peaceful slumber.

Leo woke her several hours later and she got up and got ready, not speaking to anyone. She felt, hurt, angry, confused and generally muddled up. Koran didn’t hate her. Mik loved someone else. It was all too much for her. She walked in total silence, and even the boys had not much to say anymore.

She was so lost in her mind that she didn’t see the environment changing around her. The trees were getting taller and further apart. The others didn’t take much notice either; they had been wandering around in a forest for far too long to care anymore.

The group walked slightly spread out, but still close enough to reach out and touch each other. They had just walked beneath a large fir when the ground shifted beneath them. Kiayani gave a scream as they fell about eight feet into a pit below them. The others gave a little shout each, a cry of surprise. With a heavy thud they hit they hit the hard dirt ground. Kiayani landed on a tree branch and she cried out in pain.

“Ouch…” she said, her eyes watering.

She looked over at the others who were still frozen with shock.

“My arm,” Leo moaned. He moved his right arm gingerly.

Koran stood up slowly, using a tree branch as support, “is everyone all right?”

The twins both stood up looking unreasonably scratched. Mik was looking up and around.

“We fell into a pitfall trap,” he said touching the dirt wall.

Kiayani pulled herself up, dusting the dirt off of herself.

“How do we get out?” she asked Koran.

He was examining the branches which had been used to cover the trap.

“We can try making a ladder,” he said calmly.

“That might be our only chance,” said Mik looking at Koran.

The twins heavied the branch that trapped Leo’s leg and attempted to stand it upright. Their biggest problem was the fact that the hole was only about five feet across. There wasn’t much room to manoeuvre. Kiayani watched as the boys used their knives to strip the branches of their leaves and cut groves for rungs to sit in. She just tried to stay out of their way. When they had constructed half a ladder Mik called Kiayani over.

“Hey Kiayani can I borrow you for a second?”

She nodded and made her may across the uneven dirt floor towards them.

“Can you put your weight on the first rung please?” he asked.

“Okay,” she said placing her foot on the branch.

She put a bit more pressure on it and with a large crack it snapped beneath her foot. She jumped back in shock.

Koran collapsed onto the ground, shaking his head as he did so.

“It’s no use,” he said, sounding defeated, “We will just have to wait and see what is going to happen.”

Kiayani didn’t understand what he meant, “What do you mean wait?” she asked.