that he wasn’t there now.
She kept one hand on the rock wall, the other on her sword hilt, and squinted into the distance. ‘Is that the light up ahead that you’re talking about, Dray?’
You can see it?
‘I can. It must be the way out.’
I certainly hope so, Maudi.
A pinprick of light showed in the distance. The ground rumbled beneath her and she tripped over the uneven rocks. Drayco waited for her to scramble up again before breaking into a jog.
‘Jarrod must be waiting for us at the entrance.’
If he is, he’s not answering me.
The mouth of the cave widened as they approached.
Something’s not right, Maudi.
She slowed, dropping her hand from the wall and drawing her sword. It sang as it cut through the air, glinting in the increasing light. Holding it in a guardposition, she rested her other hand on Drayco, feeling the tension in his neck.
I don’t think the sword’s going to be of much use, though.
‘Why not?’
You can’t fight a mountain with it, and right now, the mountain is the problem.
A tremor shook, the ground rolling like a wave.
‘What was that?’ she whispered, gripping the hilt with both hands.
Feels like an earthquake to me. A big one.
Rocks tumbled around them.
‘Run!’ she screamed.
The ground churned as she bolted towards the opening. Pebbles and dirt rushed down the walls, turning into torrents that piled in mounds of debris. Dust billowed and she choked, the taste of chalk in her mouth. The ground opened up behind them, and they raced to stay ahead of the rifts. The acrid smell of sulphur filled the air.
The entrance was only a breath away. It framed a landscape of twisted trees and swamp. Tangles of branches were draped with sea-green moss, hanging like tattered kelp at low tide. A murder of crows took flight from bare limbs as they approached, their squawks and caws drowning out all but the tearing ground.
‘Keep going!’ Rosette yelled as the roar of the cracking mountain hammered her ears.
They burst through the entrance onto a narrow track and skirted the cliff face. There was no sign of Jarrod, and no time to investigate. She sheathed her sword, then raced down the trail to the edge of the marsh. They hit the swamp running, muck sucking at Rosette’s boots and caking her bare legs. The hem of her skirt and cloak were heavy with ooze, forcing herto a slow-motion trudge. Drayco moved in a series of leaps, mud up to his belly fur. He kept his chin high, his long black whiskers brushing the surface as he sank deeper into the mire. He grumbled obscenities in her mind. The stench was nauseating.
What do you think died here, Maudi?
The hoary trees quivered and shook, branches crumbling as they fell.
‘Everything,’ she answered, shouting to be heard.
We’re going to add to it if it gets any deeper. We can’t swim in this sludge.
‘There’s higher ground this way.’ She motioned for him to follow, touching his neck as she veered out of the depths. Not far ahead stood a large oak, branches spread wide over a knoll—an oasis in an endless black mire.
The ground firmed as they reached the roots of the tree. It was still alive, judging by its olive-coloured leaves and the odd acorn among the twist of branches. Rosette turned, her sides heaving, mud dripping down her legs. A deafening sound boomed from the cave, the mouth now obscured by boulders, rock and rubble. Dust clouds shot towards the summit, slowly settling like a mist on the newly reshaped rock face.
‘Jarrod?’ she whispered.
The entrance to the cave, and to the portal, was gone. Save for their breathing and the squelch of mud, everything was silent.
Drayco narrowed his orange eyes, staring back the way they’d come. That portal’s lost, I imagine.
Rosette grimaced. The mire was seeping in between the laces of her boots, saturating her socks like noisome glue. She wiped her hands on an edge of her cloak before brushing back wisps of hair that had escaped her long braids. ‘If the
She kept one hand on the rock wall, the other on her sword hilt, and squinted into the distance. ‘Is that the light up ahead that you’re talking about, Dray?’
You can see it?
‘I can. It must be the way out.’
I certainly hope so, Maudi.
A pinprick of light showed in the distance. The ground rumbled beneath her and she tripped over the uneven rocks. Drayco waited for her to scramble up again before breaking into a jog.
‘Jarrod must be waiting for us at the entrance.’
If he is, he’s not answering me.
The mouth of the cave widened as they approached.
Something’s not right, Maudi.
She slowed, dropping her hand from the wall and drawing her sword. It sang as it cut through the air, glinting in the increasing light. Holding it in a guardposition, she rested her other hand on Drayco, feeling the tension in his neck.
I don’t think the sword’s going to be of much use, though.
‘Why not?’
You can’t fight a mountain with it, and right now, the mountain is the problem.
A tremor shook, the ground rolling like a wave.
‘What was that?’ she whispered, gripping the hilt with both hands.
Feels like an earthquake to me. A big one.
Rocks tumbled around them.
‘Run!’ she screamed.
The ground churned as she bolted towards the opening. Pebbles and dirt rushed down the walls, turning into torrents that piled in mounds of debris. Dust billowed and she choked, the taste of chalk in her mouth. The ground opened up behind them, and they raced to stay ahead of the rifts. The acrid smell of sulphur filled the air.
The entrance was only a breath away. It framed a landscape of twisted trees and swamp. Tangles of branches were draped with sea-green moss, hanging like tattered kelp at low tide. A murder of crows took flight from bare limbs as they approached, their squawks and caws drowning out all but the tearing ground.
‘Keep going!’ Rosette yelled as the roar of the cracking mountain hammered her ears.
They burst through the entrance onto a narrow track and skirted the cliff face. There was no sign of Jarrod, and no time to investigate. She sheathed her sword, then raced down the trail to the edge of the marsh. They hit the swamp running, muck sucking at Rosette’s boots and caking her bare legs. The hem of her skirt and cloak were heavy with ooze, forcing herto a slow-motion trudge. Drayco moved in a series of leaps, mud up to his belly fur. He kept his chin high, his long black whiskers brushing the surface as he sank deeper into the mire. He grumbled obscenities in her mind. The stench was nauseating.
What do you think died here, Maudi?
The hoary trees quivered and shook, branches crumbling as they fell.
‘Everything,’ she answered, shouting to be heard.
We’re going to add to it if it gets any deeper. We can’t swim in this sludge.
‘There’s higher ground this way.’ She motioned for him to follow, touching his neck as she veered out of the depths. Not far ahead stood a large oak, branches spread wide over a knoll—an oasis in an endless black mire.
The ground firmed as they reached the roots of the tree. It was still alive, judging by its olive-coloured leaves and the odd acorn among the twist of branches. Rosette turned, her sides heaving, mud dripping down her legs. A deafening sound boomed from the cave, the mouth now obscured by boulders, rock and rubble. Dust clouds shot towards the summit, slowly settling like a mist on the newly reshaped rock face.
‘Jarrod?’ she whispered.
The entrance to the cave, and to the portal, was gone. Save for their breathing and the squelch of mud, everything was silent.
Drayco narrowed his orange eyes, staring back the way they’d come. That portal’s lost, I imagine.
Rosette grimaced. The mire was seeping in between the laces of her boots, saturating her socks like noisome glue. She wiped her hands on an edge of her cloak before brushing back wisps of hair that had escaped her long braids. ‘If the
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