Chapter Eleven
The wooden door was unlocked, maybe the Hunters thought it was hidden well that they didn’t need to lock it. It took a while for my eyes to get used to the dark. I slowly and carefully sneak through the narrow tunnel, making sure I wasn’t making any sound. They say if you are unable to use all your senses the other senses work better, that didn’t work for me. I could hear the damp drips falling from the ceiling of the cave above, the drips echoed around me. Still I could see hardly nothing, I had no choice only to feel the walls as I walked. There is no way I could have done this wearing my armour. A little while later I’m sure the tunnel was getting lighter, and if I’m not mistaken I could hear voices a head or was that in my head? I still have no idea where Roar is but as this tunnel only leads one way I’m not likely to get lost yet.
Now my tunnel had come an end, the end was a huge cave below my feet. I carefully look over the edge. The Hunters were actually living in this cave, below was table, chairs, beds and everything you would need to make a home. The Hunters are living no different to bandits or outlaws and they Hunt us, they are the beasts. “Right so what is my next move?” I say to myself. It was dawn as I entered this cave so why are they not in bed, where are they? Out hunting? If so are they due home now? Well I’ve come this far time to explore.
I carefully climb down and walk past the cook pot and fire place. It hasn’t been used tonight there’s no sign of heat from this fire place. There are many other tunnels to explore so I go through the smallest on the left. Dead end, so I try the one on the right, dead end again. So it looks as though I’m continuing through to the middle tunnel.
In this tunnel I can stand up straight but I choose to still crouch and slowly sneak. I still have my axe on my back but I want to leave both hands free for the moment. As I get deeper and deeper through this tunnel the smell in the air changes, it smells like death. I notice day light shining above me through a small hole, which is coursing small green plants to grow around here. It’s the first sign of life I’ve seen since entering this cave.
This cave is a lot bigger than I expected with endless tunnels and hide outs but also with many dead ends. My only chance of finding anything in this cave is to follow the smell of death and hope that death isn’t Roar. The smell gets stronger and so does the terror through my bones. I stop, this is the room I can feel it.
I take a deep breath and peer round the corner, someone is there sat with their back to me, a Hunter I think and they are alone. I run my eyes around the rest of the room. Another fire place, bed and to my shock cages, lots of cages. Please don’t let Roar be the dead guy in that cage. I sneak closer to the Hunter, is he asleep? Yes he is asleep, fast asleep slumped on his chair; the smell of beer is now stronger than the smell of death.
For now I choose not to attack this Hunter, instead I sneak past each cage and investigate whether Roar is in any of them. The dead Nord is not Roar; I have no idea who that poor man was. The next cage is empty with bones and blood in it, then the next has, oh my Gods, it has a werewolf in it! Is that Roar? Why hasn’t he changed back? I rush over to the half dead beast. “Roar? Roar?” I whisper. “Roar, look at me.” The beast ignores me. I start to try and open the cage. It won’t budge. Then something pulls me away and I spin round, the Hunter is now fully awake and is just about to pull out his sword. I reach over my right shoulder and grab the handle of my axe. The Hunter doesn’t have time to take a swing at me as he’s already in need of ducking from my full swing. My axe misses him, I try again, and still it misses him. So I try again and again I will not stop swinging it until it splits his skull in half. The Hunter still hasn’t bothered drawing out his sword he simply doesn’t have the time to. There’s no sign of any of us winning this fight as I’ll probably get tired of swinging this heavy weapon or he’ll get tired of ducking but still I don’t give up. Then finally I feel my axe hit his head armour and the horned weapon falls to the floor revealing the Hunters face we both stop.
“Amber?” The Hunter says in shock. I look straight into his eyes. “River?” I whisper then say nothing else; we lower our weapons and just stare at each other catching our breaths. “River, I thought you were dead.” I say still in shock. “And why are you here? What are you doing here?” River starts to look round. “Amber you must get out of here, actually why are you here?”
“I’m here to rescue my husband.” I say pointing to the beast in the cage, who still hasn’t taken any notice of us.
“You’re married to that?” River asks confused.
“Well he didn’t look like that when I met him.”
“Amber you are a strange one.”
“Look are you going to help me or not?” I say getting inpatient. “I need to rescue my husband.”
“Well at least you can rescue the correct one.” A weak voice calls out from behind them. We both spin round quickly and look over to another cage I hadn’t seen inside yet. It was Roar, in human form, thank the gods. I run over to him and hug him through the bars. “My love it’s you, it’s you.”
“So you’ve married to a Nord and a beast?” River asks still not moving from where he was stood. Still holding on to Roars arms I turn towards River and answer. “Yes, well no, it’s hard to; look I need to get him out. Help us and I will tell you everything.”
River walks over to the cage that Roar has been locked in and unlocks it Roar looks so weak. “Amber you need to get out the Hunters will be returning soon and when they see I’ve helped you…” River pleads. I jump into Roars arms. River walks over to the cage with the beast. “So you want me to unlock your other husband?” I let go of Roar and turn towards River again. “My other?” Then I realise what he means. “River no, I’m married to just, look can we just get out of here?” River leaves the beast locked in his cage and walks closer to Roar and me. “You need to head back the way you came; they will be returning quite soon.” River hands Roar his sword that at one point was going to use on me. “River come with us, I don’t want to loose you again.” I place my hand on Rivers shoulders and then look at Roar, like a daughter asking her father if she can keep a pet dog. Roar finally speaks. “They will kill you when they see what you have done.” “So will the Companions.” Says River. We all know he is right. “We will just have to risk it.” I say, “staying here we are all dead, if we get out that’s at least one more day alive, so River come with us and live one more day.” River smiles the way I remember him smiling. “Sounds good to me.”
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