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The agony in Sam’s scream was unmistakable and the response was immediate. Even before the air was once again filled with silence, a large hole had appeared in the side of the hill and the eager explorers lit torches, preparing to enter. Tor walked up to Brin and placed a hand on his shoulder. “We may need you in there.”
Brin did not look up. “And she needs me here.”
Tor walked away, knowing arguing would be pointless. Ellen would take good care of Sam and Brin would only get in the way, but he could see it would be impossible to remove him from her side. Taking a torch from Patrick, he led the way through the hole. The tunnel was narrow and low, forcing the men to walk with their backs bent. Ban suggested he remain behind, but Grimmel reminded him that they were both needed to obtain the next clue, so he had to suffer the indignity of crawling on his hands and knees.
“How did you bring yourself to do that?” Dal asked Brin, wiping the remains of vomit from the side of his mouth.
Brin ignored him, looking at Ellen. The arrow needed to be removed quickly, but he was not prepared to try until Sam had been given a sedative. His hope had been to hit directly into her muscle, where the arrow could be removed from the soft flesh relatively easily. Unfortunately his manipulation of the arrow had embedded it too close to bone and pulling it out would be difficult. On top of that, it was dangerously close to an artery, which he would have to avoid cutting at all costs. Not only would the extraction leave a gaping wound that would bleed profusely, but her body may not be able to cope with the additional pain. There was a risk her heart would give out. He needed her unconscious. Ellen had the potion ready within a minute, but time went slowly for Brin as he watched Sam struggle to breathe through the pain, making it seem more like an hour. Ellen asked him to lift Sam’s head slightly and together they managed to tip the sedative down her throat, both sighing with relief when she swallowed it.
The relief was short lived. As soon as her body started to absorb the mixture, it reacted badly. Violent convulsions overwhelmed her and she began to froth at the mouth.
“What is happening?” Dal yelled as he dived onto her legs, holding them still. Ellen held down her uninjured arm while Brin lay across her body, desperately trying not to be thrown off. The convulsions subsided and they began to relax their grip on her.
“She must be having an allergic reaction,” Ellen panted, quickly grabbing Sam’s flaying arm as a second round of convulsions gripped her.
“She is embedding the arrow deeper into herself with each movement. We have to get it out. Now.” Brin stared at Ellen, who nodded. They both knew Sam was still awake enough for the procedure to kill her, but there was no alternative. “Liselle, get over here,” he shouted.
Liselle, who had been watching her husband disappear into the tunnel, rushed over. She took over from Brin, keeping Sam’s body as still as possible, while the elf positioned himself ready for the extraction. As soon as there was a temporary lull in her convulsions, he warned the others that he was ready then pulled hard on the shaft. Sam screamed loudly, then fainted. The arrow shifted slightly, but did not come out. The blood flow increased making it harder for Brin to get a good grip on the projectile. On the third attempt, the arrow came free and blood spurted out, covering them all. Brin and Ellen worked quickly, Brin applying pressure to the wound while Ellen sang a healing enchantment. When the blood finally stopped flowing, Sam was deathly pale; she had lost far too much of the sanguine fluid. Brin laid his head on her chest. She was breathing very shallowly, but her heart was still beating strongly. He collapsed beside her, overcome with relief.
“What was that?” Tor asked as Sam’s scream echoed through the tunnel.
“Should I head back?” Torrick enquired, worried that the rest of their party was under attack.
Tor shook his head. “The ladies have Brin, Oak and Modo to look after them, as well as Samson, and I am sure that even Bellak would be some use if a defence was needed.” He started walking down the tunnel again. “The sooner we get to where we are going, the sooner we can get back.”
They continued for what felt like miles, all the while the air getting stuffier, making breathing progressively harder as they walked. The tunnel twisted and turned, preventing them from seeing far in either direction. They had no idea if the entrance had remained open, or how they would open it again if it had closed. Though this had crossed everyone’s minds, none of them wanted to voice the question, as though speaking it out loud would make it a reality rather than a possibility.
After an hour, Tor called a halt. They had all brought water bottles with them and took a quick drink. They drank sparingly, not knowing how long their water supply would need to last. The tunnel was getting hot, making them sweat. Ria had borrowed a pair of trousers from Dal for the expedition and had the legs rolled up as high as she could, exposing her calves and a large amount of thigh. Patrick almost made a comment about what a nice sight it was, but stopped himself before the words formed in his mouth. By the torchlight he could make out at least one knife secreted about her person and he knew from experience how well she could use it.
They soon set off again, with much grumbling and complaining. Minutes later Tor turned a corner and pulled up sharply, causing Ria to walk into him. In front of him was a large cavern. The light from his torch reflected off numerous mirrors that had been placed round the edge, illuminating the entire chamber. He could faintly hear running water and looked around for its source, spotting a small trickle of water running down the cavern wall at the far end. He made his way to it, dipped his fingers in and placed them to his lips. It was cool and fresh. He cupped his hands underneath, allowing them to fill up, then drank deeply. By now, the others had entered and were investigating their surroundings and the men took the opportunity to stretch their aching backs.
“There is absolutely nothing here,” Ria declared. Apart from the mirrors, the chamber was bare. “Where is the next clue?”
“We were told we need the short and the tall, so there might be a very small crawl space up high.” Torches were raised high as six pairs of eyes looked upwards. Grimmel refused to take part, claiming that he stretched his neck enough just speaking with Ban yet alone trying to see any higher. Every inch was searched, but no hidden cubby hole could be found. The walls were smooth, too smooth for the cavern to be natural, meaning they could not climb for a better view.
“Wait a minute,” Seth suddenly called out to Torrick. “Wave your torch again.” Torrick did as instructed while Seth glanced at the wall above him. “Did anyone else see that?” he asked.
“I definitely saw something,” Tor confirmed. “Move your torch one more time.” This time everyone was watching. Though no hole or tunnel entrance could be made out, a shadow caused by the torchlight did not seem to fall quite right. “Something is up there, but I am not sure what.”
“How are we going to get that high? It is hard enough to see up there yet alone reach it.”
“Let me try,” Ria volunteered. “I used to be an acrobat, remember.”
“Among other things,” Seth whispered, not quite quietly enough. “Ow.” He rubbed his arm where Ria had thumped him. She may look like a sweet and innocent female, but she could hit like a man.
Ria placed Ban close to the wall, his hands cupped ready for her to step into and his knees bent. From the other end of the cavern, she ran towards him, springing upwards the moment her foot touched his hands. At the same time Ban stood up, pushing his arms high, launching the young woman into the air. Having confirmed that there was definitely a small ledge above them, she then attempted to throw a torch while in mid air. On her third try she was successful; the lit torch balanced on the edge, threatening to fall down for a moment before coming to a rest. The hole that was revealed by the light was tiny.
“I should be able to get through there, even if I have to crawl on my belly,” Ria observed. “If one of you stands on Ban’s shoulders, I can climb up you both and reach the ledge.”
Patrick was quickly mounted on top of Ban, both leaning against the wall for support, and Ria expertly made her way up Patrick’s back and onto his shoulders. She pulled herself onto the ledge then, lying flat, wormed her way into the hole. Her progress was slow, but she did not have far to go. Soon her way was blocked. Rolling over onto her back, she looked up and swore loudly. She could see a number of scrolls on a small ledge above her, but there was no way she could reach them without sitting up, and even this small task was not possible with such a low ceiling. It could be done by someone with a shorter backbone, but was an impossible feat for anyone of her size, even with her flexibility. Turning back onto her stomach, she wriggled her way back out, banging her elbows and scraping her bare skin on the rough stone floor as her clothes rode upwards.
“Sorry gentlemen,” she called down once she had readjusted her clothing, “but you will need to send Grimmel up. I can see some scrolls, but I cannot manoeuvre myself into the right position to reach one.”
The dwarf looked up. “You have got to be kidding me.”
There was no way the dwarf was going to be able to climb up Ban and Patrick the way Ria did so he stood on Ban’s hands and reached up towards Ria. Ban straightened his arms enough for Ria to reach Grimmel and she pulled him up, scraping his shins on the way. Taking the torch from her, he crawled into the gap on his hands and knees and was able to stand when he reached the end. Turning round, he easily reached one of the scrolls and was able to quickly crawl back again. He threw it down and Tor deftly caught it. He unrolled it and read it out loud.
Take many friends to Ukland Maze
For in its heart the next clue lies
Four and one puzzles must be solved
For each mistake, a companion dies
“Short but to the point,” Patrick observed dryly. “Why do I have the feeling that I will be volunteered to be the first to attempt each puzzle?”
“I do not think we will want to wait around for you to revive if you get yourself killed, so I think getting them right on the first attempt is a better idea. Anyone ever heard of Ukland Maze?” Tor asked. Nobody had.
“Back to the royal library then. Allias was expecting us to return,” Seth said happily. “I like not to disappoint people.”
“Right. Everyone get a quick drink, refill your water bottles and let us get out of here.”
“Err, are you forgetting something?” a voice called out from above them. They looked up to see Grimmel looking down at them. “How are we supposed to get down?”
“Easy,” Ria said. “Someone get ready to catch me.” Without waiting to see if anyone was in position, she jumped, landing neatly in Tor’s arms.
“Do not ever do that again,” he said through clenched teeth. “What if I had missed you?” Ria shrugged then stood up, laughing.
“Your turn,” she called up to Grimmel.
“Thanks, but no thanks,” he shouted back. “I think I will stay here for a while.”
“Not an option. Jump. I will catch you,” Ban assured him. Reluctantly Grimmel made his way to the edge, then made the mistake of looking down and hurriedly backed away again.
“It is not really that far,” Ria called out.
“Maybe not for you, but it is twice as far for someone my size,” came the reply.
“Are you happy being outdone by a girl?” Seth joined in, grinning broadly. All he got for a reply was loud muttering. The words were not decipherable, but their meaning was clear and Grimmel soon came into view again. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and jumped. Ban caught him easily and gently placed him on the ground. During his descent, there had been a momentary silence, but the muttering started again the minute he felt solid ground beneath his feet.
Seth placed a hand on the dwarf’s shoulder. “You were very brave,” he said gravely. “I will make sure to tell River.” The grumbled words became legible as Grimmel increased his volume and told Seth exactly what he planned to do to him if he ever managed to get the younger man alone.
“Is that anatomically possible?” Ria asked Patrick.
“I do not think so, but I would like to watch him try.”
They were halfway back down the passage when Grimmel suddenly swore loudly. “I have just had a thought,” he exclaimed. “I could have taken every one of the remaining scrolls. That would have really screwed over the other teams.”
“But that would be cheating and we do not want to win that way,” Tor said solemnly.
“You really take the fun out of this sometimes,” Grimmel said in disgust.
They were laughing and joking as they emerged from the hillside. Liselle was waiting for them and Torrick went straight to her, kissing her fondly. “What was that horrific noise not long after we left you?” he asked.
“Sam.”
The laughter instantly died. “How is she?” Tor enquired.
“You had better ask Ellen.” This answer worried Tor greatly and he went in search of the hearth witch. He found her by the wagon, her eyes closed. He gently shook her awake and asked after her patient.
“We need to stay here till the morning,” she informed him. “If she makes it through the night, I think she will live.”
“What!” he exclaimed in shock. “It should have been a simple case of removing the arrow. What went wrong?” Ellen explained all that had occurred, while Tor listened grimly. “You are a fully trained healer,” he said accusingly. “There must be something you can do.”
“She reacted so badly to the sedative I dare not give her anything else,” she countered. “I used magic to seal the wound, but I cannot restore the blood she lost. On top of that, she is burning up with fever.”
“What about Bellak? Is there nothing he can do?”
“He did offer, but he has no knowledge of healing.”
“Damn it,” Tor swore. “This was not supposed to happen.” He ran his hand through his hair in frustration. “How is Brin taking it?”
“Not well. He has not left her side and is refusing to speak to anyone.”
“I will go and have a word with him. This is not his fault.”
Sam had been positioned close to the fire and Brin sat beside her, occasionally wiping her forehead with a damp cloth. He looked ill. He raised his head when he heard Tor approaching and forestalled the words of sympathy by speaking first.
“Can you do me a favour?” he asked, surprisingly politely, given the situation. Tor nodded, so he continued, though his head lowered again to look at Sam’s pale face. “When Hawk arises, will you please explain things to him?”
“Why?” Tor asked cautiously.
“He told me he would kill me if ever I hurt Sam.” He raised his head again, meeting Tor’s gaze. “I think this may qualify.”
Tor sighed and sat down beside the elf. “There are extenuating circumstances. I am sure he will understand.” Brin did not reply. “This is not your fault, you know,” Tor continued.
“Whose fault is it then?” Brin asked, quietly. “I fired the arrow.”
“If you look at it like that, maybe you should start blaming Ellen. She gave Sam the potion that caused the convulsion that made the arrow embed itself deeper. Or me. If it was not for me, Sam would not even be here.” He was trying to make the elf angry in the hope that it would snap him out of the depression that seemed to be settling over him, but it did not work. Brin’s answer remained quiet and emotionless.
“Ellen did everything she could. Without her, Sam would already be dead.”
Seeing that there was nothing he could do to help his friend, he left him in peace and went to seek Bellak, who had yet to hear the next clue. The wizard was no help. Since his deception of Sam had been revealed, he had been very subdued, keeping to himself as much as possible. He appeared to take no interest in the clue, worrying Tor deeply.
“Walk with me for a while,” Tor requested. Night was beginning to descend and Hawk would be awake soon. Tor had promised Brin that he would be there when the vampire awoke, so he did not wander far from the camp. Much to his relief, Bellak opened up to him without much persuasion. The old man genuinely believed that he had done no wrong. In his eyes, he had done what was necessary for the good of the quest and had not harmed Sam at all. Letting her believe she was still in her own world was good for her and he could not understand the reaction of his companions. He did, however, feel guilty about Sam’s reaction and was deeply concerned for her. It never occurred to him that making her scream in agony would put her life in danger. He blamed himself totally and would never forgive himself if she did not pull through. Tor attempted to reassure him that it was not his fault, but the words stuck in his throat. It was too soon for him to forgive the old man for the harm he had caused, but it would happen eventually.
Tor arrived at the wagon just as the lid of the coffin lifted. He explained the situation to Hawk in great detail. Saying nothing, Hawk walked directly up to Brin, his face unreadable.
“Have you eaten anything?” he asked.
Brin shook his head. “I am not hungry.”
“Go find something to eat and get some rest. You will be of no use to her if you make yourself ill. I will look after her while you are away.” Brin looked at Hawk, but found himself unable to speak. Seth, overhearing the conversation, held out a bowl of stew. When Brin did not move, Hawk gave him a not so gentle shove. “Now,” he ordered. Lacking both the energy and the inclination to argue, he obeyed, taking the offered food and smiling his gratitude. He ate quickly and soon returned to Sam’s side, ignoring Hawk’s insistence that he sleep first.
The vampire approached Ellen. “I think you should speak to our little elven friend,” he suggested, keeping his voice low.
“No need,” she replied, trying not to smile. “Seth slipped a sedative in his food. He will be asleep within the hour.”
As tiredness overtook him, Brin found himself unable to keep his eyes open, so he lay down close to Sam, placed his arm around her and let sleep envelop him. Ellen waited until she was certain she would not wake him, then placed a blanket over the both of them, before she too turned in for the night.
The sun was beginning to rise when Brin awoke. “Shit,” he swore, when he realised how long he had been asleep.
“Stop worrying,” a soft voice said. Ellen was sitting beside Sam’s inert body, wiping her head with a damp cloth. “Hawk was with her most of the night. I took over about an hour ago.”
“How is she?” he asked, stretching.
“No change. If you want to take over from me, I will start cooking breakfast.” He did not need asking twice. He ran off, explaining that he would be right back. As soon as he had rounded the hill enough to be completely out of sight, he relieved himself and headed straight back, resuming his position by Sam’s side, damp cloth in hand.
Everyone awoke and sat round the fire, eating their breakfast. For the first time since Sam had been injured, everyone except Hawk was together, so the next clue could be discussed. When Tor recited it from memory, only Modo displayed any reaction. “Frack,” he said loudly. “I take it none of you have ever heard of Ukland maze.” Nobody had, so he told them all he knew, which was not much. It was an enormous maze, though he had no idea where. It was rumoured to be made from extremely large hedges with a spell on them, making them impenetrable. Swords broke when used to carve a new exit. Nobody seemed to know who created it or why. Another spell prevented anything flying out and restricted the view from anything flying above it.
“So what is inside?” Dal asked.
“As far as I am aware, nobody knows,” Modo said, somewhat mysteriously.
“Surely people have managed to enter it and someone must have described it upon their return.”
“From what I have heard, though these may only be rumours,” Modo said, his voice suddenly becoming very serious, “many have entered.” He looked at each of them before continuing, making sure he had their attention. His face was as expressionless as stone. “None have ever returned.”