Hilda - Lycadea (25 page)

After filling the pots, William shrunk the
boxes again, put them in his pockets and asked Hilda if she was
done running. "Water's done, so we can go back and see if there's
any food around."

"Good thought, I'm feeling a bit dizzy
myself."

That worried William. Hilda being dizzy was
an alien concept. But perhaps it had to do with the strain of the
day, and her not being herself without her magic.

Together they got on the broom. William made
the pots with water float behind it, and carefully then manoeuvred
the broom and its watery train back up the mountain.

"Good that you're back. Rebel has not
returned yet," Maurizio informed them, his face showing delight at
the sight of all the water.

"Maybe I should go look for her," Hilda
suggested.

"Look for who?" Rebel's voice came around a
tree just ahead of her.

"For you," Hilda said.

"Why? Am I lost?" Rebel grinned as she held
up a few dead animals. "These were, so I decided to take them home.
I hope they're edible."

Kerna confirmed that Rebel's catch should be
safe to eat.

"Fabulous. I'll go and undress them. If one
of you can arrange for some place to grill them, that would be
good." Rebel pulled a big knife from somewhere in her leather,
skin-tight clothes and walked off, whistling something
mysterious.

"I'll never understand how she puts all those
things into pockets you can't see," Maurizio said as he shook his
head, watching Rebel go.

"Nor do I. And it looks like we'll be doing
most of the cooking, Maurizio," William said. "The ladies are not
feeling too well. Hunger, probably."

Hilda had sat down with Kerna. They both had
a cat in their lap and were silent. Kerna was silent very often,
but such behaviour from Hilda... William was not sure what to think
of that.

Using some magic, William located a few roots
and something that could be called green carrots. Those things
would have to do as vegetables for their meal. After a little
while, the two undefined creatures were roasting over a fire, while
the vegetables were boiling in what was going to be a kind of soup.
Its smell was debatable, but nobody complained once the food went
round.

After what probably was supper, Hilda said
she wanted to go for a little walk. Kerna asked if she was allowed
to accompany her.

"Of course, silly thing. You've been through
so much with us, you can come along," said the witch.

"And how about us?" Maurizio asked.

"You can do the dishes," Hilda grinned over
her shoulder as she picked up Grimalkin. Kerna, almost out of
habit, took Obsidian, who let her as if it was the most normal
thing in the world.

"Don't get lost, Hilda," William warned
her.

"You can find me!" her voice rang out from
the tree-like plants among which she had disappeared with
Kerna.

That, the wizard knew, was true. Not as easy
as through the link they used to share, but he could find her.

"Dishes," the captain snorted. "Now
really."

"Yes, really," Rebel comforted him. "Someone
has to do it."

"While we work out something like the rig, to
get to the village comfortably," William added.

"Oh. Comfortably. I like how that sounds."
Maurizio's face lit up. "I'll do the dishes then, be it
uncomfortably."

"Your choice," Rebel grinned. "Come, wizardly
person. I have some ideas on how to build our new rig."

"Very good. Let's see what the feminine touch
has to offer," William said as he got to his feet.

Rebel told him what ideas she had, using a
few smaller trees, or some thicker branches. "We can make some kind
of raft from those, I think, tie the beams together with those long
weed-things over there."

The two lost themselves in the design of the
new rig, and as darkness fell they already had the basic shape
made. It looked like quite a good thing. They even had decided on
something that could make for reasonably comfortable seats,
something that Maurizio was very pleased about.

"I am sure that Hilda and Kerna will
appreciate that as well," William said. "Speaking of witch... Have
they come back yet? I've not seen them in a while."

Rebel and Maurizio shook their heads. Their
attention too had been too much taken up by the rig-making.

Each of the three picked up a torch William
had lit. Rebel and Maurizio would go left around the mountain,
William right, the way Hilda and Kerna had left.

"Back here in about an hour," William
suggested. "That should be enough." He then set off into the
thicket, taking care not to set fire to it with the torch.

William walked in what he hoped would be a
sensible pattern that would give him the best chance to find his
witch. However long though that he walked, there was no trace of
her, of Kerna nor of the two cats.

William called out Hilda's name, but nobody
responded. The only reaction he got, and he wasn't even sure if
that was because of his shouting, was the uneasy hoot of some night
bird of Lycadea he could not see. It sounded eerie enough for him
to increase the light coming from his torch. But also that did not
show him any sign of Hilda or Kerna.

After a while he had the impression that he
was walking in circles. The unfamiliar territory, the strange
sounds and the anxiety that his witch had disappeared did not make
him feel much better. He resigned and found his way back to the
cave, where he found Rebel and Maurizio. They had not found the two
missing persons either...

As the two walked off, both carrying a cat,
the first stretch was done in silence. Hilda and Kerna both felt
unpleasant and did not need conversation.

The path led past high trees and skinny
plants that reached up high as well. There were strange blue
coloured bushes with thorns fit to make wands of and here and there
were flowers in odd shapes and even odder colours. The foresty
environment was much to blame for that of course, as it held back
most of the sunlight. Not that there was any significant sunlight
remaining at that point of the Lycadean day.

Hilda hated being silent. It was not like
her, but being without magic was not like her either. She felt very
grumpy about it all over again and kept her mouth shut. Any wrong
word from someone would make her take her frustration out on that
person, and Kerna was just too nice and helpful and good to have to
take the brunt.

"Hilda?" Kerna suddenly broke the
silence.

"Hmm?" No words, Hilda, the witch thought to
herself. No venting, no bad stuff.

"I'm a bit scared."

Hilda stopped her walking and turned to the
young woman, realising that Kerna had spoken the only words that
were not wrong. "No need for that, Kerna. You have me and the two
cats to protect you." She put an arm around Kerna's shoulders.
"Look, it's just you and me and these two here on this
mountain."

"Maybe there is more here, things we don't
know about."

"So what? If it comes then-" Hilda fell
silent. Then what? She had no idea how to fight off even the
smallest animal if it were to charge at her now. The cats would
have to do most of the fighting. If they knew what that was. "Maybe
we should return to the others."

Kerna nodded, barely visible in the now
quickly fading light.

They turned around.

"It's that way. I think." Kerna nodded
somewhat in a direction.

"Are you sure? I think we came from there."
Hilda pointed. "Oh, wait. Maybe the cats know." She bent down and
set Grimalkin at her feet.

Kerna put Obsidian next to his sister. Two
pairs of yellow eyes stared up at the two women who stared down at
them.

"Go, find the way to William," Hilda tried to
encourage the two cats who did not feel inclined to move anywhere,
fast or otherwise.

The cats looked at each other for a moment,
nuzzled each other and then looked at the witch again.

"I think they don't know either, Hilda,"
Kerna said.

"Crappedy crap," Hilda muttered, picking up
Grimalkin again. Somehow the feel of a cat in her arms made her
feel better.

Kerna quickly took care of Obsidian.

"We're going that way," Hilda decided,
pointing in the direction which she hoped was the same as she'd
done before.

Kerna did not object, so together they walked
ahead. Until the make-belief path ended in several of the
blue-coloured, viciously-thorned plants.

"Suck an elf," Hilda growled, "what idiot put
those there? They weren't here when we came this way."

Kerna remained silent as they went back where
they came from. As they more or less arrived there, she tugged
Hilda's sleeve. Usually that was unforgivable, but this was not the
time for Hilda to argue over it. "Hilda. I think we should go
there. I see some light."

Hilda peered to where she expected Kerna to
point. Darkness made that rather complicated. Still, Kerna was
right, there was light ahead. "See, I told you we are on the right
track. Come, William is probably out of his mind for worry by now."
She did not know how right she was.

The two walked and stumbled towards the
light, in vain trying to avoid rubble on the path.

"Strange though, the light is very red. I
don't remember that the fires that William made being so red."

Hilda agreed in silence, but kept going.
Light was light, and light meant people. Well, usually. They'd just
have to be careful at first. The notion hit her like a brick.
Perhaps she should let Kerna go first. Hilda was not very
proficient in this careful stuff.

There only were a few trees between the women
and the red light. Hilda held Kerna back as the young woman started
to walk faster. "Let's first try and see what's there."

"Why? It is good there, Hilda. Come."

Hilda now held Kerna back with more force.
"Are you kicked in the head by a baby dragon? Who knows what's
there?" Maybe she wasn't doing to bad in the careful arena after
all.

"It is what we are looking for!" Kerna pulled
herself free and ran away, towards the red shimmers.

"Suck an elf. Now what." Hilda looked at Grim
in the reddish shine. "Come, we have to rescue your sibling."

-=-=-

Hilda crashed through the remarkably dry
undergrowth and saw Kerna disappear into an opening in the
mountain. From inside the rock formation the red glow leaked out,
setting the area in a very strange glow, as if everything was
glowing or burning from the inside. Smaller rocks and boulders that
lay everywhere cast long black shadows.

The witch felt the urge to call out Kerna's
name, but thought again. That would inform anyone inside that cave
that she was out there, and that in turn would take away her
element of surprise, one of the few things she still had. A moment
she felt entirely helpless without her magic. Then she stomped her
foot on the ground.

"I can do this. If that kid can go in, I can
too. She hasn't screamed so far."

Hilda set her jaw and walked to the opening.
Before actually stepping inside, she inspected what was there. Not
much, except that the rock itself seemed to emit the red light. And
a few feet into the rock, the corridor that was there, already
turned to the left, so there was not much to see.

"Right. Here we go," she told Grimalkin. At
that moment she heard a scream. From Kerna. "Crappedy crap!"

Throwing all caution into the wind, Hilda ran
into the corridor, finding that it had to be designed by a drunk
spider. It kept winding in tight turns. The experience was so
bizarre that it felt as if she was only turning around something
and not moving forward at all.

"Kerna! Hold on! I'm coming!"

"Hilda! Hurry!"

The voice from Kerna did not sound scared at
all, Hilda noticed. That encouraged her to turn and twist even
faster, as she was curious now to see what was going on. And
where.

"How long does this twisting corridor go on?"
Hilda yelled.

"I don't know!" Kerna called back. "I wish it
would end, I am getting dizzy - Oh, I'm out now!"

Hilda kept pushing forward, wondering when
the stupid slalom she was doing would finally come to an end. The
rocky path however did not seem to give up, there was more and more
and more.

"Kerna, can you still hear me?"

"I can! What's keeping you?"

"I'll suck an- uhm... I don't know. I just
keep seeing more walls and turns!"

"Try saying that it ends and then walk
on!"

Hilda stopped her walking. Surely Kerna could
not be serious. "Kerna, dear, are you well?"

"I am! Just say it!"

Hilda shook her head. "This stupid tunnel
ends now. I'm beyond sick of it, and dizzy as well." Nothing
happened. "So much for good intentions and all that." She walked
around the next bend and was out of the tunnel.

"Dragon balls, how did you know that?" Hilda
asked Kerna who stood there, grinning. "And wipe that grin before I
help you. No laughing at the witch."

"I didn't know, really," said Kerna. "I just
said it as I was despairing and the tunnel stopped. It worked for
you didn't it?"

"True," Hilda nodded as she looked
around.

They were in a cave. It wasn't very high, but
quite wide, and it looked as if it went on forever from where they
were standing. The red glow was everywhere, steady in some places,
pulsating brightly in others.

"Funny smell here," Hilda noticed, twitching
her nose.

"Do you have any idea what this place is?"
Hilda looked around, to discover that the opening to the tunnel had
disappeared. "Or how to get out?"

Kerna shook her head. "No."

"So am I right in assuming we're lost?"

Kerna bit her lip. "Yes."

Two cats struggled themselves free of the
arms that held them and at their leisure wandered off. Hilda and
Kerna stayed put and watched where the two black animals went.