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He’d been lost for weeks now. He must have been. He’d not kept an accurate record of the passage of time. For what had felt like many days he’d been unable to walk because of his wounded leg that had bled a great deal, but had thankfully, healed. But, as soon as he’d been able to get on his feet, he’d set out.

He knew what to seek. A breeze, that he could follow to its source, but there was no breeze. The air was stale, and slightly hot tasting. As was the water he’d discovered. And the lichen, coating the walls. It was neither tasty nor satisfying but he’d vowed to do whatever was needed to stay alive. To return to Sereh, and Skaldi.

Sometimes, he was convinced someone or something else shuffled along behind him in the shadowy tunnel. He’d stop abruptly, but so would the noise. He’d even shouted, ‘Who’s there? What do you want?’ but no response ever came aside from his voice echoing back to him.

And then it happened. One night, as he slept and dreamed of Sereh in the arms of another man with long flowing auburn hair, he felt something walk by his foot. He woke, heart pounding with fear, to scoot towards the wall constantly to be found at his back.

‘Who’s there?’ he croaked, voice roughened from lack of use. Again, there was no answer. This time, though, it was different. He heard someone else’s breath even above his laboured breathing.

This time, he really wasn’t alone.

Long moments went by and he sat, rigid, waiting for whatever it was to do something. Anything.

Finally, he heard something unheard for the whole time he’d been trapped. The voice of another man.

‘So, you’re really here then, as well as me? I’ve been following you for a long time. I thought you were a figment of my imagination, as has so often happened in the past.’ The voice was even rougher than his with lack of use. It broke on more than one word.

‘Yes, I’m here,’ Erann retorted, pleased to encounter someone capable of speech. He wasn’t being followed by a wolf-dog or another creature more likely to kill him than aid him. ‘I am here, and so it seems, are you?’

‘Yes,’ was followed by another cough. Erann found himself relaxing. He wasn’t alone.

‘Do you know how to get out of here?’

‘Alas, no,’ the other man coughed again. Erann sighed. He’d not thought he would, but all the same, it was disappointing. But, if the other man didn’t know how to escape, then Erann could at least find out who he was.

‘Who are you? Why didn’t you speak to me sooner? I’ve called out before, you know. You’ve been following me a long time. You’ve always ignored me before now.’

‘Well, you’re a miracle to behold,’ the figure rambled. Erann tried to make out some part of the other man. But it was impossible. He turned his head, determined to decide which side the other man was on. He was barely listening to the one-sided conversation, he seemed to be having.

‘If I could see you, that is. I’ve been here, alone for so long I’m not sure how long it is any more. Never before have I met another person in this hellhole.’

‘Who are you?’ Erann demanded again, frustration thrumming through his voice. He didn’t need to hear such disjointed thoughts. He didn’t want to know how long this other person had been trapped. He needed to escape. He needed to get to Sereh. He burned for her touch.

‘There’s no need for names here,’ the other man rejected. ‘But if you want, you can call me, oh, I don’t know. How about Erann.’ A hint of amusement touched the other man’s voice.

Erann barked with laughter at the statement.

‘Well, I can hardly call you Erann for that’s my name. Now tell me who you are and what your name is?’

In the impenetrable dark, Erann couldn’t tell what the other person was doing. Even with his overly sensitive ears, so used to straining for a sign of any noise in the tunnel, he was shocked when he felt the other person actually touching his face. He’d not realised they were so close.

‘Erann? Your name is Erann? Did I hear that correctly?’

‘Yes, I told you that. Now tell me yours?’ All this time waiting to encounter someone in the dark, and now he found himself growing irritated. And then, he felt cracked hands over his face. Still, the other person didn’t respond. He held Erann’s face until he angrily batted the roughened hands away. ‘Stop doing that,’ Erann shouted, putting his hands up to push the other person away. Moments later, he heard a hastily inhaled breath and was appalled to realise whoever it was seemed to be sobbing.

‘What’s the matter with you? Please don’t cry. I didn’t mean to be so rough. I’m sorry. But, it’s strange, having someone else feel my face. I’m sorry,’ he finished, even though his words felt inadequate. The sobs stilled into hiccupping gasps, and finally to more normal breathing. Erann waited impatiently for whoever it was to talk again. He stifled his frustration realising the stranger would only speak when they were ready.

Beside him, a draft of air passed over his face as the man walked a few steps away. He reached out to grab them and pull them back, but was too slow. In only moments there was nothing but silence. Where had he gone? And why after following him, was he walking away?

‘Come back. Don’t leave me here alone. At least tell me your name.’ Erann was surprised to hear the panic in his voice. When he heard no response other than the echo of his voice, he shouted.

‘Don’t leave me here. I’m sorry if I offended you. Come back now. Please, we can start again.’ He listened intently, trying to ignore his gasped breath and the echoes of his shouting, but he heard nothing. He stumbled towards the sound, resolved not to losing the other man, but instead of rushing onwards, he crashed into the sides of his prison. Pain exploded where his nose and chin hit the wall.

‘Argh,’ he shouted. ‘Wait for me,’ he gasped, bending to stem the flood of blood from his nose, but he must have hit his head too, and he slumped, into the channel which had been providing him with water. His head pulsed, his nose screamed, and instead of following the other man, who was not a figment of his imagination, he concentrated on breathing, and driving back the pain.

‘Of all the stupid things,’ he cried, listening to his voice echo back to him. He lay back, reaching for his backpack, but his head was spinning violently. The only thing that helped, was to close his eyes.

When Erann woke, he was wet through and shivering in his sleep. He was unsure why he was wet. He lay wrapped in furs from head to toe. He looked around in confusion forgetting for a moment the deep impenetrable darkness. He coughed and heard movement near his head. He sat upright abruptly, blood ringing in his ears, his nose and chin pulsing.