The breaking of Northwall by Paul O. Williams

Author:Paul O. Williams [Williams, Paul]
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Non-Classifiable, Science Fiction & Fantasy - Science Fiction, Nonfiction, Miscellaneous items
ISBN: 9780345292599
Publisher: New York : Ballantine, 1981.
Published: 2010-03-07T00:00:00+00:00

the night, after another supper of rabbits, this time flavored and stuffed with seeds and bulbs.

"Good," said Jestak. "I was getting awfully tired of meat."

"You have gotten outside of enough of it."

"True. But I will be glad to get into blackberry country, or a good cattail swamp. The roots will make the meat mild. Well, I suppose we had better go. Let us walk at first. I am heavy in the stomach."

They had walked and run until past high night, when finally Tia said, "Jes, I am so weary I do not see how I can continue." They stopped, and only then, in the utter silence, did they hear a distant horse.

"It cannot be the Shumai. It must be an Emeri patrol. I see. Presti is not only patrolling the plains. He plans to patrol the foothills as well. He must want us badly. They must be in camp. You wait here. I am going down to see. The moon is bright enough."

"Be careful."

"I will. Don't run away."

"I am too tired to crawl away."

Jestak worked his way down the hill until he could see a small fire, and several men sleeping. He knew there would be guards, so he did not go closer, but watched for a time. Meanwhile, Tia waited, then sat at the edge of an old mud slide by a steep ravine. The ground felt funny, almost spongy. She bounced a little on it, and it gave way beneath her, carrying her downward on a slant into a deep hole. She hit finally on a flat floor. Feeling outward, she found it was strangely smooth. She was in some sort of cavern, and it was unutterably dark. Faintly, she heard Jestak calling above.

"Here," she called, "down here." He could not hear her. She risked a loud call in the note of the mountain owl. Above, Jestak stopped. He repeated the call, as well as he could, but more softly. Then it came again. He was sure of the direction now, and walked cautiously that way. It came again, as if from the ground. He felt forward and found a hole.

"Tia? Where are you?"

"Down here. I am in some sort of hole. The ground gave way under me. Be careful."

"Can I get down?"

"I think so. It is not far. But be careful." 198 The Breaking of Northwall

"Wait. I will cover the hole as I come down." Carefully dragging a broken branch, Jestak laid it across the hole and let himself down into the darkness.

"It is some sort of cave," she said.

"No," he returned, feeling the floor and wall. "It is a ruin."

They decided to stay the night, and slept together on the dark floor, among old earth smells and great dryness. Tia woke first after the sun sent a filtered light down through the dry pine needles above them. She stood and looked around, then drew her breath in a little shriek that brought Jestak instantly upright. She pointed. They were in a room, now dimly lit, made of the ancient artificial stone.

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