The Quest (The Sons of Camelot Book 2) (14 page)

Chapter Twenty One

“There’s no way out,” John said after they had searched the tall rock walls that surrounded the meadow for hours. Even with Alpina’s gift, she had seen no opening either. “We’ll have to go back through the cavern.”

“That would be disastrous,” Alpina replied. “No doubt, Merlin held her off for a while, but by now, she’ll be back to her regular, ugly self again.”

John did not respond. He was straining his mind in order to come up with a plan.

“By the way,” Alpina started in, “I noticed how quickly you fell for her pretty face.”

“I was under a spell,” John replied.

“Wish I could cast such a spell,” she grumbled.

“Trust me,” John replied. “You already did.”

“I hope so,” she said, squeezing him tightly.

“Is there any chance that your blackbird can fly?” John asked.

“Only with her hooves touching the ground,” Alpina answered.

They started another circuit around the wall of the meadow with the two stallions accompanying them to either side.

“They are a beautifully matched set,” Alpina whispered as they came around to where they had begun only moments before. “It would be a shame to have to leave them here, but we might have to in order to escape.”

“I had hoped that wouldn’t be the case,” John replied as they completed their circuit. “But I’m afraid that we’ll have to make a dash for it back through the cavern.”

As they approached the cavern opening, John drew up on the reins. “They’ll follow us, but I wonder how far they’ll get before she stops them?”

“She’s not going to stop them,” Alpina whispered.

“Of course she will,” John replied. “We’re protected on your mare’s back, but they have no such…”

“Hush a moment,” Alpina said, interrupting him.

He became silent and listened. It was very faint, but he thought he made out the sound of water plunging into a pool. “Is that a waterfall?”

“I think so,” Alpina replied.

“I don’t remember seeing a waterfall,” he answered.

“Neither do I. See if you can follow the sound of it.”

It took a great deal of concentration to follow the sound of the tumbling water. Several times, John closed his eyes in order to hear more clearly. It reminded him of what Alpina had told him about how the Picts fought in the fog. “Closing your eyes really does help.”

“So does covering your head when you’re cold,” she laughed. “We savages know a thing or two.”

The sound of the plunging water grew closer and closer, but they still could not see it. Searching the darkness, John saw nothing but the shadows of the rock wall, trees and a few random boulders that had tumbled down from above.

“There!” Alpina shouted, giving John a start.

“Where?” he asked.

“Just ride straight ahead,” she replied. “Trust me.”

John had been weary of hearing that word, but it didn’t seem to have the same effect that it had before. He continued forward, though all he could see was a stone wall in front of them. Just as John was certain that they were about to ride directly into the wall, his entire vantage point suddenly changed and they were riding along a wall.

“An illusion,” Alpina pointed out. The wall in front matched up identically to the wall behind, blurring the corner.

As they rounded the corner, another small basin appeared. In the bottom of the basin, a stream flowed until reached the rock wall adjacent to the opening of the cavern and then disappeared.

“That’s the stream that flows through the cavern, no doubt,” John commented. He turned his attention back to the waterfall that plunged off of the cliff and into the pool from which the stream began. Above the pool was a thick mist that obscured their view. “I’m afraid that we’re no better off.”

“Keep going,” Alpina said, pointing toward the waterfall. “There’s an opening.”

Though John could see nothing in the thick fog that surrounded them as he urged Lon dubh into the pool, he did as Alpina directed.

“A little bit to the right,” she said. “Good. Stay steady in this direction.”

Though he would never have believed it, John found that they had left the fog and were traveling through the thick darkness of another stone cavern. He could hear the sound of three sets of hooves and the soft breathing of Alpina in his ear as they continued steadily forward until he could make out the pale light of an opening up ahead. Before he knew it, they were riding out of the tunnel with the full splendor of fading stars above them and a soft glow in the sky in the distance. The two stallions were still at their side and they were on the treeless slope of a mountainside.

“It’s near dawn,” he said. “I wonder where we are?”

“We are free and we are together,” Alpina replied. “Keep going. When it gets light, maybe I’ll be able to pick out a landmark.”

A short time later, as they continued along the slope of the mountainside, daylight came and Alpina lit up along with the rising sun. “I know exactly where we are. We’re almost home,” she laughed.

“This doesn’t look much like Leeds,” John chuckled. “So, where are we?”

“Do you see that long, bare crooked ridge with the stone spire sticking up about halfway down?”

John followed the direction of her pointing finger until he saw the stone spire. “Yes.”

“On the other side of that ridge is a valley and in that valley is Auchavan.”

“Your home?” John asked, surprised by the revelation.

“Up until now,” she replied.

A thrill went through him as he realized that she had just hinted at the fact that she had a new home. Perhaps that home would be with him. As they continued toward the distant point, John pulled up on the reins. “You know, I could catch Ganador and let you have the mare to yourself.”

“That’s okay,” she replied. “I sort of like it here.”

“I was hoping you’d say that.”

John remembered how the witch had been unable to work her magic on Alpina. “There’s a lot more mystery surrounding you than I first realized.”

“I am a woman,” Alpina teased. “It’s supposed to be that way.”

“You can see through fog, you have impressions of the future, your horse has invisible, protective armor around it and a witch is unable to put you into a block of ice. What other secrets do you have?”

“That’s about it,” Alpina replied.

“Why don’t I believe you?”

“Why shouldn’t you? Don’t you trust me?”

John had no response and he didn’t care. They were free, they were together and he trusted her. What more could he desire?

Having been lost in the bliss of riding with the feel of Alpina pressed against him, it suddenly occurred to John that his father, Thomas, Dufton and Merlin would have no idea where they were. “Shouldn’t we look for the others? Send a fairy or a sprite or an elf or something? So they’ll know where we are?”

“Are you mocking me, Sir John?”

“No. Well, maybe a little, but don’t you think we should send word to the others so they don’t search the entire Cairngorms or go back to Nimueh’s cavern to find us?”

“I was thinking that we’d send one of my brothers to go look for them when we got to Auchavan.”

“Brothers?” John asked.

“Three of them,” she responded. “And I’m the baby. They’re constantly complaining about having to tend to the cows and miss out on all the adventure the country has to offer them these days, so they’ll probably have a fight in order to decide who gets the privilege of running the errand.”

“Cows,” John chuckled quietly and touched his spurs to Lon dubh’s side to pick up the pace. “You have no idea how much I hate cows.”

The End

To be continued in:

The Dragon

by Kim Dragoner

Coming Soon!

About the Author:

Kim Dragoner
is a history buff and Arthurian enthusiast. Please find her at:

www.kimdragoner.com

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