markliam2

Princess Cheryl called out warnings when Markliam approached the rocks she knew to be loose. There were places where the gaps were further than it appeared to the next safe step. Markliam accidentially placed his foot on a loose one, and swayed to reagain his balance. At that moment the current shifted and he fell headfirst into the swirling waters.

The current was strong just below the path, and it pulled Markliam downstream. He was sucked to a pool, where the current gathered at the bottom. He was pulled down to the bottom.

Princess Cheryl ran for a vine from the nearby trees. She took a sturdy one to the edge of the pool, in hopes that he could grasp it and pull himself out. But the current, though not in deep water, was strong. He had hit his head on the fall, and was struggling to get his head above water. Princess Cheryl had no other choice; she had to jump in too.

She quickly tied one end to a fallen tree and the other end around her waist. Then she jumped into the raging water. It pulled her down, but the vine held. She was a strong swimmer, and soon she had Markliam pulled to the side, where he pulled himself out onto the bank. Already there was a purple bruise on his head where he had hit it. Sopping wet, they continued.

Presently they came to a meadow, that seemed to be quite safe. But Princess Cheryl no longer knew where they were. The current had pulled them far downstream. They walked along in the sunshine, and soon began to relax.

All of a sudden there was a rumbling in the ground as if an earthquake was about to happen. But then, right underneath them the ground suddenly shifted and tore apart. They were falling into a hole that seemed to go forever. Princess Cheryl screamed. It seemed they would never stop falling. It was dark above them, the ground closed back to its original shape. Still they did not land.

Then there was a great force, and they struck something. All of a sudden Markliam knew what it was. Water. They had fallen into a pool. Soon they were both swimming hard for the surface. Princess Cheryl came up sputtering. �Where are we?� she said.

�I don�t know?� replied Markliam. They both swam towards the ledge they could barely see from one lit torch. It was embedded in the wall. �What�s this cave?� asked Markliam.

There was a cave leading off into another part of this underground maze. They took the torch, and followed it. They passed hollowed out rooms on either side. One was filled with wheat, one with dried corn. One had firewood piled in the corner. Most were empty. As they approached another they were very quiet. They could hear rumblings, a murmer of some kind. Princess Cheryl held finger to her lips in warning.

They turned the corner and there on the left was another chamber, this one lighted, and in it was a small cradle, in which there were two small creatures. One was a human baby, all curled up, and sleeping soundly. The other was small, almost the same size. But it was an animal of some sort, but none they had ever seen before. It had a scrunched up nose, a face like a pig, it was furry all over, and was wrapped up tight in a blanket.

They went over to them. �Why would a human baby be down here?� they asked each other. The human baby began to whimper, and gave out a small cry. Stirrings couls be heard somewhere close. �We can�t just leave her here,� they agreed. Princess Cheryl picked up the baby, and got her to stop crying. They continued on.

Soon behind them they heard the aproach of someone, or something. It was coming quite fast. �Quick! Over here!�, hissed Princess Cheryl, gesturing to another chamber, dark and almost full of firewood. They ran down the small aisle in the middle of the chamber, and behind the last row squatted behind the stack of wood. The noises were getting closer.

Markliam, peeking around the edges of the firewood saw the hall glow at the approach of another torch. In one swift move he grabbed Princess Cheryl�s clock, and used it to extinguish their own torch. �What did you go that for?� the Princess whispered.

�They would have seen,� explained Markliam. He watched carefully as the creatures passed the opening of the chamber, going in the direction that the pair had just come from. They paused right in front of the opening.

�Which way to the flegeling chamber?� a scruffy deep voice came from one, who looked like an older version of the baby creature they had seen.

�This way,� motioned the other. �The Queen wants the human child now. Her wishes must be humored.� They walked on at a brisk pace.

�Oh no!� exclaimed Princess Cheryl, when the creatures were well out of sight. �They�ll know we are here for sure! We have to run!� In a moment they were rushing along the corridor, robes trailing out behind them. At the first torch they went past Markliam relighted the torch. Soon there was a fork in the corridor before them. From one came a blue light, and the corridor seemed to slope downwards even furthur than they already were. The other had a faint yellow glow, like sunlight. It seemed to slope upwards.

As all surface dwellers, they were instantly drawn towards to light they knew. Markliam looked back when they were halfway up the sloping hall, and there he saw the creatures far off. Their light was not well lit, as their speed towards them was fanning it out. The noise was unbelieveable. It was if all of a sudden a siren went out from their throats.

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