Chapter 13: Chasm

Their arguing starts up almost immediately. We're barely in the tunnel past the third door at the other side of the room when Graldor snarls and spins on Blossom who gazes up at him with her most innocent look. Surely a sign she's up to no good.

"Hands off," the dwarf wizard snaps. "I catch you in my pockets again, little thief, and I'll seal your mouth shut."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." She sniffs as she strides past him, water skin now slung over one shoulder, but I catch her wink and grin over her shoulder, the way one hand slides into her pocket and I sigh over the pending drama.

"Hand it over." I close the distance quickly, now directly behind Damaris, Graldor pushing up against me as he attempts to reach around me to grasp the halfling. She darts

sideways, tucking herself against my hip and out of his range while Fleur hangs back with Vosh and Damaris scowls at me over one shoulder.

"If you don't mind," she snaps, "we're heading into unknown territory and I could use the help."

I shrug but address Blossom again instead. "Just give it back, would you?"

She blinks her large eyes at me while the dwarf swears softly and digs into his pocket with a grimace. "I'm innocent, I tell you."

"You're a thief," the wizard grunts the obvious like it should be a surprise accusation, lunging for her while I hold him off and the paladin in the lead sighs heavily like this is my fault. I didn't recall agreeing to wrangle a pair of spoiled children when I had them all freed not so long ago. "Who can't use the magical items you stole from me. And are likely going to lose or damage said items so I can't use them either. Give them back."

She shuffles sideways, tries to shift around me, but I have a hand on the back of her shirt and Fleur quickly steps up to fill in the gap between me and Vosh who's closed the distance. Blossom sees she's cornered and instantly pouts, but she hands off the rune stone and the heart of the statue both, sticking her tongue out at first Graldor and then me as we exit the end of the tunnel suddenly.

I look up, nearly too late, Damaris hissing softly while Graldor, his head down, hands eagerly stowing his returned prizes, almost steps forward one too many times. Both of my hands instinctively fall on his shoulders, jerking him backward from the sudden, deep plunge he was about to take over the edge of the quiet, underground chasm.

"Oaks preserve us," Fleur whispers while my pounding heart echoes in my head and I look up and around at the shocking sight of the towering cavern before us. "Well caught, Webb."

Graldor shakes off my grasp but nods his head, backing slowly toward the mouth of the tunnel again. Barely a stride from the edge the ground drops off, into darkness so deep and profound I'm positive there's no end to the fall. I have zero desire to find out if I'm right.

It's dark in here, though there's enough ambient light from the walls, a faint glow almost like natural iridescence, I can begin to make out shapes in the distance. As I blink into the low illumination, I realize I'm looking at a bridge, narrow and made of stone, the

head of which begins a few steps away along the edge of the cavern wall. An arching entry of stone stands over this end, climbing upward in graceful welcome. Closer inspection shows the ledge we stand on continues past the bridge entry and, when I turn to look in the opposite direction, curving away to my left, I realize it does the same that way, too.

"The bridge is blocked by something." Fleur points while Damaris squints and shakes her head and I admit I'm doing the same. I can barely see this end of it, let alone the full expanse or how far we have to go to cross. It feels like miles, though it's doubtful that's true.

"How far does it go, Fleur?" Damaris turns to the elf and asks the very question I'm pondering but the ranger shrugs.

"The full way across," she says and it's unclear if she's being purposely obtuse. "Perhaps a hundred feet? There's a tunnel at the other end. I'm assuming it's an exit."

"And the blockage you see?" I wish I had her keen sight, hating being lost in the dimness and relying on someone else for such vital information.

"Some kind of boulder or stone formation," Fleur says.

"Agreed," Vosh nods. "Though its shape is irregular. Perhaps a rock fall from above has created a barrier."

"And possibly weakened the bridge." Blossom shivers next to me, so close to me again I can feel her little body shake. "Is there another way across?"

Graldor pokes her. "Afraid, thief?"

"Cautious," she snaps back. "No rogue worth her weight takes risks if she can find a safer path to the same result."

"We could try following the narrow way around the cavern." Fleur points and I'm feeling a bit more confident knowing she can see where that path leads. I need to learn to trust. "But as far as I can tell, neither direction ends at the other side. From what I can see, there are only other doors."

"Two on the left," Vosh says, "and one on the right." She checks again and nods to him. "Correct."

"Can we make it past the barrier on the bridge?" Damaris seems impatient despite the fact if we've learned anything it's rushing into things can only get us deeper into trouble.

Surely she knows better? Even Blossom is preaching a bit of care and if she's nervous, the paladin has to listen to reason.

"I'm not sure," Fleur says. "At least, I know I could climb it. But the rest of you?" She glances back at Vosh, lowering her lashes a moment. "Apologies, friend troll."

"None necessary," he says. "There's a good chance if the bridge is damaged from a rock fall that my weight could put the rest of you in jeopardy anyway. And, if not, any barrier will likely be of little consequence compared to my strength." Practical even in the face of the possibility he may have to remain behind? He's a bigger person-no slight intended-than I am.

But I'm not so sure I'm happy to hear that hint of something uncomfortable in his voice. Why does he sound relieved by the prospect of staying here? "We're not leaving you behind," I say then, understanding it even as I speak in a rush, temper heated at the thought.

Vosh seems startled then nods to me. "Thank you," he says. "But you may not have a choice."

"There's always a choice." I turn to Damaris. "As I see it, we have a few options."

She nods, eyes tight in the corners, dark brows drawn together. At some point her tight bun has come loose and the long, thick ponytail of red hair spills over her shoulder, masking the dragon's face on her surcoat. "Split up," she says. "Two check out the right, two the left and the other two take the bridge. Meet back here and report on our findings."

My stomach flexes at the thought of doing so but I don't argue. "Or we all go right, or left, or over the bridge and explore together."

"We'll cover more ground and faster in pairs," Graldor says.

"And put ourselves at greater risk if something happens," Fleur murmurs.

"The bridge is the most obvious exit," I say, disliking all options. I scratch at the embed in my arm as the BL quivers in response to thinking about breaking up our little party and accept its warning. "Why don't we send the lightest two forward to inspect the rock fall and go from there?"

Everyone nods their agreement while my stomach unknots from its clenched state and the ME and EM on my arm quiver this time. Mental and emotional influence over the rest

of the group has my implant tingling. No change in numbers but the faint white glow is encouraging. If the others notice my embed they don't comment. Does that mean they either don't see it or have their own so they don't care? Before I can bring it up, Blossom turns and heads for the bridge, the others going after her and I rub one more time at my forearm while trying not to worry too much about what the embed really means.

Time enough to ponder it when we're free.

I pause at the head of the bridge, Fleur and Blossom already partway across, light on their feet while I stare down into the darkness past the carved arching entry of the span and realize I'm not going to shed my questions so easily. What does the embed mean?

Where did it come from? And why do I feel like I'm a mouse in a maze, like I'm caught in some trap I need to find my way out of? All for what? Who is behind what's happening to me and why, why can't I remember anything?

Vosh's deep gasp next to me jerks my head up, pulls me from my slowly spiraling melancholy and back into the moment as he lurches forward a step, toes brushing the edge of the bridge, one arm extended, utter shock and a hint of fear on his face as if he's only just noticed something we missed.

"Come back!" His deep voice booms at the exact moment the elf and the halfling reach the mound of fallen rocks just visible to my adjusting vision in the distance and the darkness.

Too late, they are already climbing the stones, small figures agile on the rocks. At least, they attempt to. But when they begin their ascent my aching eyes seem to play tricks on me even while the troll at my side stretches upward to his massive height and bellows out a roar that echoes back from the walls of the cavern, swallowed by the black below and above. Has he reverted again? Do we need to fear him? Has the spell somehow taken hold or has he lost control of his base instincts?

Those questions race through my mind faster than I can think them, silenced when something answers the troll's challenge, something that moves and discards the elf and halfling like toys before exploding upward to tower over the center of the bridge and my fallen friends while Vosh runs forward with his eyes glowing red.

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