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Rani places her hand on Muda’s shoulder and bows her head to him.
“Brave beyond your years,” she says. “You are my hero.”
Muda thrums with pride until I’m not sure he won’t burst. He nods enthusiastically, sputters, then he darts a glance at Khiara. Khiara motions that he should bow, and Muda’s eyes widen. He drops into a bow so fast that he bumps heads with Rani.
“Oh!” he exclaims, stumbling backwards. “I am sorry. So sorry. I?—”
“Nonsense,” Rani laughs. She laughs, here in this dank dungeon torture room. She’s been held captive for who knows how long and yet she still retains the ability to laugh and find joy in little things. “But I do think it would be best if you led the way now.”
Confusion gives way to horror then to pride on Muda’s face in fast succession. He vigorously nods and leads the way to the door. The rest of us fall in behind him. Khiara is right behind Muda and Dilacs motions for Rani to go next. Dilacs and I bring up the rear, walking side-by-side.
Muda has the only torch and it’s light barely seems to cast as far back as I am. It’s almost like following a will-o-the-wisp into eternal, oppressive darkness. Dilacs grips my hand and I tighten mine on his.
I keep thinking that at any moment we’re going to be ambushed. Guards will emerge from the dark, surround us, and that will be that. Our great escape will be over, and we’ll all meet our grim fates.
But nothing happens. We do have to backtrack a couple of times which is even more nerve wracking but none of us dare to speak or do more than follow the young Urr’ki through the dark maze. Once Rani advises him on what she thinks is the right direction, but even that she does in a soft whisper. None of us want to bring attention on to ourselves.
At last, we’re in the hallway I think I recognize. It’s hard to tell because they all look mostly the same. One door stands open. Muda leads us past, and I stare into its dark confines as I walk by. It makes my heart skip and a shiver run down my spine.
The torch barely illuminates the room that is carved of pitch-black stone. What I can see is tiny. I can’t believe they keep people in such small cells, but then what do they care? And I wonder how long Rani was trapped in there, alone.
“A little bit further,” Muda says softly.
I’m lost. We twist and turn until I can only hope that we’re finding our way out.
“What happened here?” I whisper.
The hall is filled with scattered debris and then we come to a door frame that only the remnants of a door remain on bent and twisted hinges.
“Heh,” Dilacs grunts and Khiara looks over his shoulder at the two of us.
“He did,” Khiara says.
“You helped,” Dilacs says.
“Yes,” Khiara says, nodding his agreement.
“Oh,” I say, looking with renewed appreciation at the mess.
It isn’t long before we’re in a hall that has a lit torch. That makes the hair on the back of my neck stand on end because it can only mean that guards come this way regularly. Or someone does.
Muda leads the way to a door and we all crowd into a room with barrels on racks around the walls. We squeeze inside and Dilacs shuts the door behind us after looking both ways down the hall.
He nods at Khiara, and they do that thing they do where they have an entire conversation without words. They go to one of the racks, take hold, and drag it over in front of the door. It must be really heavy, judging by the way they grunt and their muscles bulge straining with the effort.
Door blocked, Khiara and Dilacs go to a grate in the floor. They take positions on either side, crouch, and wrap their fingers through the iron bars. They grunt as they lift and the grate squeals as it pulls free.
“Khiara, you go first,” Dilacs says. “I’ll lower the Queen, Muda, then Gweneth.”
Khiara doesn’t take time to argue or debate. He dangles his feet over the edge of the hole then slides out of sight. A splash echoes up from the hole as well as an odor that makes my stomach flip in revolt.
“Oh, that’s foul,” I say, covering my nose.
“Unfortunately, yes,” Dilacs says. “My Queen?”
He holds out one hand to Rani. She walks forward without a complaint and takes his offered hand. She sits and slides her legs into the hole. Dilacs lowers her down out of sight then grunts at Muda.
“Her first,” Muda says.
