“It is an action to consider,” I allowed, again looking about the cavern. “Let us begin by walking about as though in conversation of our own. Perhaps the proper trail will present itself to us.”
“Excellent,” nodded Famira, also looking about. “Let us stroll to the right, to the first of the openings in the wall there. It is possible our search may be that easily begun and ended.”
There was little reason to disagree, therefore did we make our way across the cavern floor, idly, as though we walked to no real purpose. The females had done as their males, huddling together in groups to weep and seek support from one another, and none seemed to look upon Famira and myself with more than passing interest. The males, deep in the import of their conversations, gave us no whit of their attention, therefore were we soon before the narrow gap in the wall which was our goal.
“Shall we go in?” asked Famira, peering uncertainly through the crevasse to the darkness beyond. “How are we to see where we go?”
“In such a way,” I murmured, stepping quickly to the nearest torch upon the wall. No eyes rested upon us, of this I had made certain, therefore was it best to act quickly. I took the torch, returned to the crevasse, and stepped within.
The light of the torch showed a small, stone-rubbled room, much like the cavern we had come from, yet smaller. With Famira close upon my heels we circled the small area, seeking other crevasses which might lead to that for which we searched. A barely seen fold in the wall, hidden by the shadows cast by our torch, formed a private nook from which even the torchlight failed to seep, yet the nook went no farther and was not repeated other places about the wall. We had discovered no more than a dead ending to our hopes, therefore did we take ourselves back to the main cavern.
“Best we replace this torch and later seek another,” I said to Famira, suiting action to words. “We would not wish our doings to arouse curiosity.”
“Indeed,” murmured the female, gazing past my arm. “A woman of Hannil’s comes to join us, yet I am sure she saw naught of where we went. Should she ask about the torch, say we borrowed its use to comfort us.”
I turned slowly to look where Famira looked, pretending unconcern, and therefore saw the approach of Deela, she who had been used by Telion and Lialt. The female came with a smirk of private amusement, her steps of a slowness to allow her hips a lazy swing. Though no male gazed upon her, still did she move in a manner to give her masters pleasure.
“Ah, the High Rider’s wench,” said she, halting some two paces before me to widen her smirk. “I was pleased to learn you are indeed less than I, even in your man’s eyes.”
“No creature is less than a slave,” said I, letting my eyes run slowly over her. “Why do you fail to wear your chains where all might see them? Do you believe none see their mark?”
“I am a woman of men, not a slave!” she hissed, all amusement gone away. “It is you who is more the slave! Those Belsayah found it necessary to force me to their pleasure, I, who am meant only for the highest! You, however, are meant for all, which was clear when the High Rider sent you from his furs to the side of another! The red-haired rider used you till you wept, I saw, with Ceralt’s full approval! Hannil would never do me so, for I am his alone!”
“Perhaps Hannil does not care to allow opportunity for comparison,” murmured Famira, seeing the way my chin rose at Deela’s words. The slave-female spoke words of deliberate insult, perhaps thinking herself safe from my wrath. The wrath she thought herself safe from had been long in building, yet venting it upon the small slave female would have given little satisfaction.
“Ceralt knows his worth,” continued Famira in a purr, “yet Hannil seems uncertain of his. You say our riders forced you to their pleasure. Was your own pleasure so much less than theirs, so much greater with Hannil? I somehow think not, else you would be less filled with venom at having been returned to Hannil.”
“You lie!” hissed the female, much like the venomous sednet, her fingers curled to claws. “Hannil is Ceralt’s superior, and all will be shown this when it is he who frees us from the consequences of Ceralt’s foolishness! I will then throw your lies in your face, for I will be the woman of the only High Rider!”
The female spat her words, then turned and hurried away before Famira or I might show our contempt. We watched her join those other two females of Hannil’s tent, then Famira turned diffident eyes toward me.
“Did Ceralt truly give you to the one called Telion?” she asked, a hesitancy in her question. “I had thought Ceralt wished you for his own.”
“Ceralt felt he had cause to give me punishment,” I growled, then smoothed the growl from my voice when Famira flinched. “It is a thing done by males when they find themselves displeased or disobeyed. Telion, however, was far from displeased. Shall we try the next crevasse?”
“I think it would be best,” said Famira, a small quiver in her voice. “I prefer other subjects than punishment.”
I took another torch and entered the second crevasse, seeing immediately in the light spilled forth that this second was not like the first. A wide corridor opened before us, bound on either side by walls of stone, leading away into the darkness beyond the reach of the torch. Famira gasped and urged me forward, eager to see where the corridor led, yet I took the time to examine the corridor walls before continuing. A warrior does not turn her back upon unknown stretches, yet the walls yielded no more than further nooks such as that in the first crevasse. Knowing my back secure I continued on, through the corridor and to its end, Famira close by my side, perhaps half a pace behind. Upon reaching the far end we both halted, Famira with a larger gasp, I with a frown.
The chamber which confronted us had no relation to that which had gone before, save that it, too, was taken from the rock about us. Nearly as large as the cavern without did it appear, forcing me to raise the torch so that I might see ahead toward the far side. The walls and floor appeared smooth and polished, untroubled by the rubble of stones which lay elsewhere, colored black and gray by that which had smoothed and polished them. Symbols of some sort appeared in the floor before us, as though sunk into the stone and covered over so that smoothness was retained even over their presence. The symbols held no meaning for me, nor for Famira, yet I felt they held great meaning for others, perhaps the others I felt all around, their eyes unseen yet seeing all. In the midst of the chamber, all lines drawing toward it, stood a carving of stone, a large seat upon which sat a figure, unmoving and immobile, yet somehow poised for movement—of evil. The figure was male, unclothed and in great heat, its arms up and hands clasped to make a circle, its stone manhood enraged and quivering, eager to plunge deep within its intended victim. Famira moaned in fear at the sight, adding to the trembling which I, myself, felt, and quickly did we leave the entrance to return up the corridor.
“Was that where we must go?” whispered Famira at last, visibly shaken. “If so, I believe I shall beg to be left behind. What was that monstrosity?”
I felt I knew who the carving represented, yet I said naught, perhaps to hide the unsteadiness of my voice. I, too, would have difficulty in passing that figure, yet refusal would only bring death. I was preparing to speak on the subject, but a sound came from the outer cavern which intruded upon thought.
“Do you hear that?” asked Famira, turning her head in the direction of the sound. “What could have happened out there?”
I, too, was curious, yet I felt it wiser to keep the torch from the crevasse entrance while Famira hurried to see the source of the disturbance. She, in shadow, peered out into the main cavern, then immediately turned and ran back to where I waited.