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CHAPTER SEVEN: PART TWO
Sydney came to awareness feeling warm and comfy. Somebody's body was wrapped around hers, and it felt very, very nice. She smiled and let herself drift back towards sleep. Then, a familiar voice made her eyes pop open and drove sleep far, far away. "Sydney." The man behind her sighed in his sleep. In horror, Sydney did a quick check and was relieved to discover that both of them were fully clothed. Still, the question remained as to how she and Nigel came to be sharing a bedroll, twined together like the husband and wife they had pretended to be. Frantically, Sydney searched her mind for answers. Bits and pieces of the night before floated through her head. She vaguely remembered dancing across the dining room while she and Nigel sang a very off-key duet as well as a weird conversation about Martians. They hadn't drunk anything but the water from the river, which might have been spelled. Besides, she felt too good for the craziness and memory loss to be alcohol induced. Whatever the spell had been, it left her feeling peaceful and content. What worried her was that anything could have caused it--the water, the rabbit, the room. She grimaced and reached for more memories. A picture or two whizzed by, but they were going so fast that she couldn't catch them to examine them. It seemed as if the night would have to remain a mystery. If she had been shocked by their position, she knew Nigel would be mortified. Quickly, she untied the roll and gently prised Nigel's arm from her waist. It was rather difficult as it seemed not to want to let go. When he mumbled in his sleep, she patted his arm soothingly, stopping to see if he'd wake up. He didn't, so she managed to free herself and slip into the chill air of the morning. Lying with Nigel had certainly been more comfortable. Their fire had gone out sometime in the night, but their little globe still cast a dim glow. Sydney packed up their things before waking Nigel. He blinked sleepily, frowing as he tried to recall the night before. "Good morning, Sleepyhead." "Sydney, were we drunk?" he asked, sitting up. "Spelled, I think." He shook his head. "I remember...I remember...I don't know what I remember. It's all very fuzzy. Did you hug me?" Sydney stopped what she was doing and thought about that. "I have no idea." Nigel drew his brow together as he fought to get out of his bedroll. As he emerged, Sydney handed him the last piece of rabbit from the night before. Because they would be travelling in tunnels below the city for the next two days, she was going to have to gather enough food for them. Besides meat, she had seen some berries that she knew were safe to eat. She just hoped growing in this land hadn't warped them. There was also supposed to be an orchard around here somewhere. She was going to send Nigel in search of it. With enough apples, berries, meat, and water, they should make it through to the other side fine. She was telling her plan to Nigel, who was listening intently, when a strange look went over his face. His eyes widened and dropped from hers, and his face flushed crimson. Sydney stopped in mid-sentence to demand, "What?" "What what?" Her eyes narrowed. "What's wrong?" He raised a hand to assure her," Nothing." "Nigel, tell me what's going on." "Nothing," he repeated. "It's just...what do you remember about last night?" "Bad singing and Martians, why?" He just shook his head. "We were acting very strangely." Sydney sighed. It seemed he was embarrassed for whatever he was remembering. "Don't worry about it. I don't remember much, and neither do you. Let's just pretend it never happened and move on." He gave her an unreadable look but said, "Okay." Their hunt for food was pretty successful, and Sydney was sure they'd have enough to last for their two days underground. That taken care of, they started looking for the secret passage Yorn had told them about. He said it would avoid the most dangerous part of the Wounded Lands. It was right where the guide said it would be, behind a sliding panel in one of the bedrooms. "And we're sure this is quite safe?" Nigel asked, peering into the darkness. Sydney held up her light, shining it down the dusty, damp, cobweb filled corridor. "Safer than up there." "But what if there is some giant spell-mutated spider just waiting for something juicey--mainly us--to get caught in its web?" "Don't be so melodramatic." "Did you see the bird out there?" "If you want to walk above, be my guest," she declared with just a hint of exasperation. His eyes rolled up to look at the stone ceiling, and he shook his head. "No, this will be fine." Sydney went into the tunnel first, with Nigel huddled close behind her. The scene around them was so familiar after all the craziness they'd been through that it seemed like one of their normal relic hunts. It was so similar that Sydney made a mental note to look for traps. After all, the original owners of the castle had built this tunnel for something. "Makes you less homesick, huh, Nigel?" Sydney said playfully, glancing at him over her shoulder. "Yes, these tunnels are positively brilliant," he replied sarcastically, but Sydney noticed his eyes were glowing and he was moving a little more confidently. "It's been awhile since anyone's been down here. Any tracks have been covered." "How many people as crazy as Yorn do you think are out there?" This time, she turned all the way and raised an eyebrow at him. "Well, besides us, I mean." Sydney grinned at him and shook her head. "Come on, Nigel." The tunnel was actually in pretty good shape considering its age and the battle that had raged above it. Of course, there were still some signs of deterioration. Besides the cobwebs, there were also fallen stones and rotted wood--not to mention the rodents and really ugly bugs. Occasionally, Sydney heard Nigel stumbling and checked to see if he was okay. Most of the time, he would shrug or grimace in answer. These sounds were as familiar to her as the feel of her crossbow or the steel of her knife. She was more concerned when she hadn't heard him stub his toe for awhile. Expecting to see him sitting on the floor refushing to move until he had a little rest, Sydney turned. "Are you all right?" The corridor behind her was empty. Frantically, Sydney searched her mind to remember when she had last heard Nigel stumble or had talked to him. Her eyes widened as she realized it had been quite awhile. "Nigel?" she called, then louder, "Nigel!" There was no answer. The corridor around her was eerily silent. She couldn't even hear the squeaking of rats anymore. A shiver went down her spine. "Nigel!" She heard the panic in her voice and tried to clamp it down. She listened hard, hoping to hear him call out to her, even if it was faint. There was no sound in response. Pictures of hiim unconscious and hurt flooded her mind. She shook her head to clear it, determined to hold on to logic. Sydney closed her eyes, searching the corridor in her memory for anything she might have seen and dismissed that could have hurt Nigel. She couldn't think of anything. Nothing natural could have fallen on him; she would have heard it. "Damn." Resettling her pack, bow, and quiver, Sydney started back down the way she had come. Her footsteps echoed loudly around her, and the walls didn't seem as friendly or familiar as before. She had lost Nigel many times over their two and a half year partnership. It seemed that someone was always kidnapping him or forcing him to do things at gunpoint. This felt different, though. All those other times, she had a plan. She knew who had Nigel and her mind quickly worked out a way to get him loose. But now, she didn't know where he was, and the walls weren't telling her anything. She bent and took the knife out of her boot. It felt comforting and familiar in her hand. She had held it this way so many times that it was almost a part of her. It had been with her before her crossbow, before Nigel, before she got her teaching degree. Before she found Nigel, it had been more reliable than any of her assistants. Feeling more confident, she crept down the corridor, mostly ignoring the paths that led away. Nigel wasn't one to wander off. Besides, she could see the dust in them remained undisturbed. Sydney brightened the light to make sure she didn't miss anything and followed her tracks backwards. She was immediately glad she did because she saw a trail through the dust of one of the branching hallways. She crouched to study the disturbance and saw one faintly defined footprint of about Nigel's size and signs of something being dragged through the dirt.. "Nigel?" she called. It echoed back to her, but there was no other sound. "Nigel, if this is a joke, it's not funny." She knew that it was a ridiculous thing to say as soon as it came out of her mouth. With a shake of her head, she followed the trail right to the end of the corridor. It ended in a small room that looked like it had been used for storage. Sydney swept the light from her globe around the room. It was mostly empty, with only cobwebs and a few bits of rotten wood that might have been the remains of a table inside. And one other thing. He was crumpled in a corner, face down and very still. Sydney made a very undignified noise and hurried to his side. Quickly, she checked his pulse, afraid of what she would find. Relief flooded through her as she felt a slow but steady beat. "What happened to you?" she asked softly as she carefully turned him over. His face was very pale, and he had a small scratch on his cheek. Sydney touched it gently, wincing because she knew that Nigel hated pain. There also seemed to be bruises forming, not only on his face but on what she could see of his neck and chest as well. She brushed the hair from his face and placed her hand on his forehead. He felt cold and clammy. "Wake up, Nigel." She patted his face gently with her palm. "Come on, wake up. Come back to me." This got no reaction whatsoever. She tapped him again. A memory of the night before flashed through her head and she added, "If you don't, I'll tickle you." A hiss sounded from behind her, and Sydney whirled, snatching up the knife she had lain on the ground beside Nigel. The creature was so unexpected that the knife almost fell from suddenly numb fingers. It looked almost human. In dim light, Sydney might have mistaken it for a very tall man. That is, if she didn't look in its eyes. The eyes were blank red pits with no pupils. They looked almost like living flames. Plus, there was a faint covering of reddish brown fur over its whole body. Where fingers should have been, its hands ended in sharp talons, and pointed teeth poked out of its large and misshapen lips. Somehow, Yorn had forgotten to mention a crazed, seven foot tall human-like beast. "Well, aren't you beautiful," she said, crouching low, with her knife ready. The monster growled and rushed at her, claws slashing. She jumped back, narrowly missing being disemboweled. The claws slashed out again, and Sydney quickly moved her head, feeling the wind of their passing tickle her ear. The next slash overbalanced the beast slightly, and Sydney ducked under its arm to get behind it. She aimed a kick at its rear, and it stumbled. It was quick, though, and recovered to whirl on Sydney, its eyes blazing and drool dripping off of its yellow teeth. Sydney barely avoided the next slash, which was aimed at her eyes. She was still holding her knife, but she was reluctant to use it. The creature was obviously not human, but its resemblance to one was enough to make her hesitate to kill it. Determined, she kicked for the monster's head. When it connected, it felt like kicking stone. Sydney winced in pain, and the creature growled again and reached for her leg. She was too quick and managed to avoid its grip. Turning, she aimed her left elbow at its face. Because of its height, it was an awkward angle, but she still managed to connect with its nose. She was satisfied to find that the beast's nose could break as well as any human's. The crunch was sickening and there was a lot of blood. Not all of it was the creatures, as it managed to finally rake her bare left arm with its claws. Luckily, Sydney was moving fast and the slash wasn't deep, but it hurt like hell. The creature was even uglier with blood dripping from its nose down its chin. It gnashed its teeth at Sydney, spluttering blood everywhere. She made a slash at it with her knife. It avoided and reciprocated with a slash of its own. This one grazed lightly across Sydney's cheek. It stung, and she knew she was bleeding again. Now, she was really getting angry. At the creature's next slash, she threw up her right arm to catch it on her wrist guard. The claws sliced through, shredding it to ribbons. Sydney used her forward momentum to bring her knee up to what, on a human, was a very sensitive area. It seemed to be the same for hairy man-beasts because the thing doubled over. Sydney hurried to smack it in the back of the head with the handle of her knife. When the beast didn't fall, she did it again, harder. The creature collapsed face first to the floor and lay still. Sydney stayed poised for flight for several moments to see if it would move. When it didn't, she prodded it with her foot. A sensible voice in her mind that sounded a lot like Yorn told her to kill it. Still, Sydney couldn't do it, not in cold blood. She just hoped her decision wouldn't come back to bite her in the ass. Going over to her bag, she took out one of her nightshirts and ripped it into pieces to bind her arm. It stung but she decided it it didn't look too bad as she washed and dressed it. That done, she knelt by Nigel, who hadn't moved throughout the whole fight. He was still pale, and his bruises were darker. Sydney could tell he'd be sore when he woke. She knew there was no way she could carry both packs and bedrolls, the bow, the quiver, and Nigel too. Plus, the two of them had to get out of there quickly. "Nigel," She shook his shoulder. "Wake up." A sense of deja vu made her look quickly over her shoulder. This time, there were no beasts waiting to split her open. Feeling a little silly, she turned back to Nigel. "Come on...Come on. I know you're in there." She leaned closer until her lips were right next to his ear. "Okay, listen to me, Bailey. We are stuck here with a monster that probably wants to eat us. If you don't get up and out of here on your own steam, it might do just that. Now, I need you to open your eyes and help me lug our stuff out of here. Do you hear me?" He moaned slightly in response, which was encouraging. "Good boy. Open up those eyes." "Sydney?" It was just a whisper, and she wasn't completely sure she heard it. She ran her hand lightly down his face. "Nigel?" Slowly, he opened his eyes, blinking blearily. "Where did that truck go?" She smiled and patted his cheek. "You're going to be fine." He sat up slowly, wincing. "Where does it hurt?" she asked in sympathy. "Everywhere. What happened?" Sydney indicated the unconscious beast on the floor. "I think that attacked you. Do you remember?" His face blanched even further. "What is that?" "Didn't you see it?" "No." He shook his head, then put a hand to it and groaned. "I remember walking behind you...and a sharp pain...and that's it." "Do you think you can stand?" She put her arm out to help him, and he stared at it. "What?" "Are you all right?" "It's just a scratch. Now, if you can get up, we need to get out of here before that wakes up." "If the choice is between getting up or being eaten, I think I'll choose the former." He let Sydney help him to his feet and, though he swayed slightly, he managed to keep them. "Well, we're a matching set, anyway," Sydney said cheerily, helping Nigel with his bag. "What do you mean?" She reached out and touched his torn cheek. "Ouch!" "Sorry." "It's okay, but here." He reached in his bag and came out with a shirt and his waterskin. Taking the corner of the shirt, he dampened it and gently washed the blood from Sydney's face. "Does it sting?" "A little," she admitted. "It doesn't look too bad." He took the light from her and brought it up to examine the cut. She grinned at him and pointed at the beast. "He looks a lot worse." Nigel peeked over. "I'll bet he does." The two of them hurried out into the corridor and followed it to the main hallway. Nigel wasn't walking as quickly as he might have been, and he grunted every few steps, but he kept moving steadily. "We need to get as far away from that thing as possible," she said. "No arguments here." They suffered no more mishaps and didn't see the beast again for the rest of their trip through the tunnels. Even so, it was with relief that they emerged out into the sunlight a little more than a day later. The tunnel they were following came to an abrupt halt, but Yorn had told them how to locate and open the door. As they found themselves on another sunny hillside, Sydney blinked and squinted, her eyes watering from the sudden glare.. "Off," she told the globe in her hand before stowing it away in her pack. When she could see clearly, she glanced over at Nigel and saw that he was bruised even worse than she thought. It looked as if the beast had dragged him across the stones on his face. Some of the bruises were fading, though, and he seemed to be moving more easily. "Well, that was fun," Nigel quipped, shutting the door behind them. Sydney gave him a mock grimace. "A little quiet for my taste." "What?" he exclaimed before he noticed she was kidding. Sydney chuckled and hitched the bow a little higher on her back. As she turned, she caught a glimpse of what lay behind them and her mouth opened in wonder. "Nigel, look." He followed her gaze and the two of them soaked in what they had avoided by taking the tunnels. It was both beautiful and barren and it stretched out as far as they could see. The sunlight sparkled off of the multicolored grains of sand, and the reflected light was almost too much for the eye to bear. There was every color you could imagine, and some Sydney had never seen before. It formed dunes and valleys. It was so breathtaking that one could forget that it was made up of glass as well as sand, and that a mere touch of it to bare skin would cut as well as burn. "Wow." "Sometimes the most deadly things are the most beautiful." They contemplated the view for a few more moments before starting down the other side of the hill. It was much like the meadows they had crossed earlier, but a little steeper. At the bottom of the hill, they saw the path they were on led to a small forest. Sydney took out Yorn's map and located it. She followed the trail with her finger, seeing that they could run into the ruins of Lesha anywhere on the other side. Yorn figured it to be about ten days from there, but even he hadn't gone much further than the other side of the forest. "So," she said, "Lorn's best guess as to the whereabouts of Lesha is east off the trail once we leave the woods." "And, after that, we're on our own. Yes, I remember." Sydney folded the map and commented, "I wish we knew how Yorn was doing. It's too bad we couldn't call and check on his leg." "It's probably still broken." "Nigel!" "Well, it is." Sydney rolled her eyes at him dramatically and started purposefully towards the trees. Nigel trudged after her. They saw some wildlife as they walked, but it was mostly normal sized birds, rabbits--or hares--and squirrels. There were some tracks of larger beasts, but Sydney and Nigel didn't see any of them. "Another beautiful day in the Wounded Lands," Sydney said after awhile. "As long as it doesn't rain," he answered. "Who knows what would fall from the sky--knives? Cannibals? Actual cats and dogs?" She smiled and teased. "Maybe an aphrodisiac." He stopped short and stared at her, flushing over every part of his visible skin, even his ears. She thought this blush might actually have gone all the way to his toes. She fought the urge to burst into laughter and kept her face completely straight as she pretended innocence. After walking a minute with Nigel not following, Sydney turned back, her eyes twinkling. "Then you'd be in trouble. How would you handle an amorous Sydney Fox?" "The same way I'd handle any other amorous woman, I suppose." It was Sydney's turn to stop short. How exactly had he meant that? She had often seen Nigel wriggling out of the clutches of amorous women, but she had also seen him give up and go with the flow. Nigel was still red as he moved past her, but he also had a small, sly smile on his face. Sydney shook her head and was about to follow when the strangest picture flashed through her head. In it, Nigel leaned forward intently and ran his fingers through her hair, gently mussing it. Then, he began undoing her blouse. Sydney wasn't one to blush often, but she suddenly felt her cheeks get hot. Where had that thought come from? "Are you coming, Sydney? She was glad that he was ahead so he couldn't see that her blush rivaled his. "Of course." By the time she was even with Nigel, the blood had left her face, and she was wearing her usual expression. "If you're done tormenting me," he said, "Do you want to stop for some lunch?" "Sure. We've got about four apples left. It's not much, but it should last us for a couple of hours." The two of them settled comfortably in the grass, and Sydney handed Nigel two apples while he handed her the waterskin. Sydney stretched out to eat, letting the sun warm her face. It felt very nice after the cold dampness of the tunnels. Nigel sat hunched over, gnawing on his apple like a squirrel. "Are you feeling all right?" she asked. "No worse than usual, why?" "You still look a bit beat up." He reached up and gingerly touched the bruises on his neck. "They hurt a little, and my muscles are a little sore, but it's not like I were in a fight or anything...Well, if I was, I missed it." "Be glad you did. That thing was ugly." "Sydney," Nigel's voice was very serious, "don't you think it would be interesting to really delve into the history of this place? I'll bet there's a great library at Theri's castle. Think of all the ancient relics that could be buried. Think of all the stories and legends we've never heard. I'll bet Telurra is rich with wonderful lore." Sydney stopped mid-bite. Quietly, she asked, "Are you saying that you'd like to stay for awhile after we find the Staff?" "Not exactly. I just think it would be interesting to see what history is like here." Not knowing what else to say, Sydney teased, "What about missing home? And Karen?" What she really meant was: What about me? What would I do without you, even for a little while? For once, Nigel answered the words she said and didn't seem to hear the ones she didn't. "I'm not curious enough to stay, believe me, Sydney. I'd much rather be sitting at home, with my lamp, reading about ancient civilizations. My apartment's not much right now, but at least it's home." Then, he smiled a devilish smile. "And what would you do without me?" Maybe he had heard her unspoken words after all. Remembering her talk with Mala, Sydney replied, "I honestly don't know." Nigel seemed to think this was a joke and chuckled. She was tempted to go with it and smile, but she didn't. Instead, she sat up and looked into his eyes, putting her hand on his arm. "Nigel, I'm serious. I don't know what I'd do without you. You make the relic hunts easier because of your knowledge, and you certainly make my teaching easier." He looked away. "You don't have to say that, Sydney." "Yes, I do. I don't say it enough. I just want you to know." "Thanks." He still didn't look at her, but she could tell he was touched by the tone of his voice. To lighten the mood, Sydney squeezed his arm and said, "Now, don't let what I said go to your head. I still want you to be able to stand upright...sort of." He finally faced her, smiling shyly. "I'll try not to." "All right. Hurry up and eat those apples. The Staff is calling." He snorted. "It's waited this long, it can bloody well wait five more minutes." After they finished their apples, they picked up and headed to the forest. It took them most of the day to reach it. They made camp right outside, deciding to brave it first thing in the morning. This time, the dream did not surprise Sydney. When she opened her eyes, she knew that it was in her mind and that she was still curled up beside Nigel fast asleep. Slowly, she sat up, watching the trees. The globe that lay on her left was out, but still dim light was coming from somwhere. She could not see the moon, so she assumed it was part of the dream. "Karolyne?" she called softly and waited. It seemed like she waited a long time before the woman in white materialized before her. "Sydney." She was only a few feet away, but Sydney could barely hear her. "You've come to warn me again?" Sydney asked. "Yes. My time guarding the Staff grows short. It is time to pass the task onto another--the one they call Theri. She will care for it well." "I believe you." Karolyne came close and sat down near Sydney. She was close enough to touch, and the relic hunter wondered what the Rainmaker would feel like. Would she be flesh and blood? Could Sydney really touch her at all? "To this end, I am allowed to warn you." "Yes," Sydney replied. "I noticed. Thanks for the heads up about the vines, by the way. I barely woke in time." "This is the last time I will come to you until you find my Staff. Know that it is where you seek and that you are on the right path..." "That's a relief." "Know also that others come. They wish to kill you and take the Staff for themselves." "Bouran and company," Sydney hissed. "I do not know their names, but I know they are not far behind. They will reach this forest by nightfall tomorrow." "Nightfall tomorrow. That doesn't give us much time." The apparition leaned over and put her hand on Sydney's arm. She felt real, but her touch tingled against Sydney's skin. "Be careful, Sydney. Without you, the Staff will never reach its rightful guardian, and I will never be allowed to rest." "I will," Sydney promised, but she was talking to empty air. The Rainmaker had vanished.
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