The Camelot Spell - Laura Anne Gilman [57]
Further discussion was, to Ailis’s relief, cut short by a flash from the map distracting them all from the topic. They began to look about more carefully and soon found themselves on a level, grassy area large enough, Ailis thought, to hold all of the kitchens from Camelot and room to build a bonfire besides.
The only cover consisted of five or six scraggly, stunted trees, their leaves barely budding despite it being well into spring, and lower, green, prickly bushes. Still, the place seemed safe enough for a short break. Newt was willing to live rough, but Ailis and Gerard both preferred to warm the dried beef strips in some water to reduce the strain on their teeth and jaws. Moving branches aside to see if there was any deadfall to use in building the fire, Newt let out a low whistle and gestured for the other two to join him.
Set into the base of the stone face of the cliff, rising perhaps three times a man’s full height and wide enough for a wagon to enter with space to spare, was the entrance to a cave. More of the prickly bushes grew around it, obscuring any path that might have led to it, but the smoothness of the stone indicated that it was not a recent or accidental opening.
“In there?” Ailis sounded uncertain, hesitant.
The map pulsed strongly once and then faded entirely.
“I think that was a yes,” Newt said.
“Wonderful.”
“Afraid of the dark?” Gerard challenged her.
“Not at all. I’m afraid of what might be in the dark. The map points us to where the talisman is. But it’s not so good on telling us where the danger is. Merlin forgot that bit of help.”
“Next time, we’ll remember to ask for it specifically.”
“Next time?” Ailis’s voice rose until she realized that Gerard had, against all experience, made a joke.
“The horses won’t like it in there,” Newt said. “We should leave them out here. Ailis, you can stay—”
“No,” she said. “No. I—” She took a deep breath. “I will be all right. And I don’t think we should split up. Bad things happen when we’re not all together.”
“Only once.”
“Once was enough. Ailis is right.” Gerard took his sword and the map, and squaring his shoulders almost unconsciously, started walking toward the mouth of the cave.
“Wait a moment!” Newt called. Gerard paused long enough for the other boy to tie the horses’ reins loosely to exposed tree roots. That way each horse would have enough room to move and graze, and should danger threaten, they would be able to pull free rather than end up as another creature’s lunch.
“All right. Let’s do this.” Newt pulled the dagger from his belt and held it in one hand as though he were about to attack a meal. With the other hand, he reached out and took Ailis’s hand. Her fingers were cold from nerves, and he squeezed them once, gently, as though to say, “Me, too.”
Together they walked across the uneven ground to where Gerard waited, and the three of them entered the cave.
NINE
The change from sunlight to darkness was gradual; the light came several paces into the cave before being smothered by the cool darkness. Newt’s eyes adjusted first and he took the lead, still holding Ailis’s hand.
The walls were smooth to the touch. The three were soon able to see tiny flecks of light reflecting from them.
“There’s some sort of crystal in the rock,” Gerard said and then stopped, listening to the odd echoes of his voice moving up and down the walls. “This place is big,” he said after the echoes died down. “Really big.”
“What do you think made this cave?” Ailis asked.
“Magic?” Newt’s voice coming out of the darkness seemed somehow detached from the body that was standing next to her and holding her hand. “Everything else we’ve dealt with has been magic—and where else would you store a magical talisman than in a cave formed by magic?”
“All right, wise man,” she responded. “Then whose magic made it?”
Ailis felt him shrug. “Haven’t any idea.”
The cave narrowed as they walked, then split into two huge chambers; one leading to the left, the other