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With no conversation to occupy her, Myranda's mind wandered. Just as he had instructed her to do, at each branch, she carefully felt the walls, turning in the direction that was smoothest. Soon the tunnel was glass-smooth, and almost perfectly straight. The grade grew gradually steeper, making it difficult to keep footing. Strangely, the sound of echoing drips of water was absent. Hours passed as Myranda gave Leo his quiet time. The second torch since they had awakened had to be replaced, signifying a full day of walking, climbing, and crawling. Myranda made ready to sit and rest, but this time she was not even scolded or encouraged. Her friend merely gave her a stern look that prompted her to proceed.
"How much further?" she asked.
"I can't be sure," he said. "We are close."
Silence followed.
"What is wrong? You were so talkative before," she said.
"Nothing is wrong. I just want to get to the end of this tunnel as quickly as possible. You can't hear it, but I can. This mountain is groaning. It has something up its sleeve. When it makes its move, I want to be ready for it. That means I need to listen," he said, agitated.
Myranda milled over his words before answering.
"It's just that . . . I can't stand the silence. It cuts through me. I've been alone for so long. Talking to myself, talking to Myn. I just need to hear a voice. I need proof that there is someone else out there. It seems like every time I try to get close, the world runs away," she said.
"The world runs away from you!" he said incredulously. "That is not how I remember it. When we first met, what were you doing? You came into an inn and sat as far as possible from anyone else. You closed yourself to your surroundings, so much so that you failed to notice your money being stolen. When I helped you out, you scurried upstairs and locked the door behind you. You were the one running. That is the trouble with your kind. Everything is always about you until the time comes to find fault. Sickening," he said.
His words were tinged with anger. It added a new quality to his voice, something vaguely familiar. Myranda was struck to the core by his words. Partially because they were so harsh. Partly because they were so true. She did protect herself from those around her. She had ever since she was a child. The only way to be sure no one learned of her feelings on the war was to keep them at arm's length. A part of her isolation was choice.
"I am sorry if my words hurt you, but . . . I just need silence right now," Leo said, less an apology and more a warning. He seemed not to be in control of his emotions, as though something had a hold over him.
A few moments passed. Leo stopped suddenly and shuffled to a wall, putting an ear to it.
"Leo," she said.
He clenched his fists and whipped his head around, sudden fury seizing him.
"What now!?" he raged.
The final word echoed off of the walls relentlessly. The echoes drove into Myranda's mind, stirring her thoughts. That word. That voice. She knew them. The echoes continued. A dark, painful memory emerged. It couldn't be.
"You . . . you were there . . . at the church . . ." she said, detached.
"What are you saying?" he demanded.
She remembered the voice behind her. The voice of the one holding a blade to her throat as she was sent away from the church all of those months ago.
"The church! Where I was kidnapped! You stole the sword! You killed those soldiers! Who are you really!?" she realized.
As if as an answer, the mountain began to rumble and roar. It was deafening. A rush of icy air swept past them.
"Not now! Not now!" he cried, launching himself into a run.
Myn looked anxiously to Myranda. Between the roar of the mountain and the flaring tempers, she was beside herself. Myranda sprinted off after the fleeing malthrope. For once she would not be distracted, no matter the madness that raged about her. The steep, slippery tunnel soon betrayed her as she lost her footing and began to slide. Myn's claws clacked at the floor as she struggled to keep pace with the now helpless human. After a few moments, Myranda splashed down into a numbingly cold pool of thrashing water. The dragon joined her in the pool, unable to stop quickly enough to avoid it. The beast managed to keep the torch she had taken to carrying dry, and leapt out of the water. Leo was waist deep in the icy stuff.
"Answer me! I want to know the truth!" Myranda demanded.
"You want the truth? Fine! This torrent of frigid water is rushing in through our only means of escape. We spent the better part of three days getting through this cave, and the water will fill half of it within the hour. If we stay or flee, we die. If we swim, we may survive," he said.
The reality of the situation swept over Myranda as powerfully as the water threatened to.
"How do I know I can trust you?" she asked.
"You don't. I've kept you alive this far. Now you have to decide," he said, diving into the churning pool.
Myranda cast a nervous glance at the very anxious Myn.
"He is not getting away that easily," she decided.
She dove into the water after him, with Myn reluctantly following. The dragon hated the cold, but was determined not to leave her friend's side.
Myranda wrestled her eyes open. The water was so cold, it stung her unmercifully, and the sound of the rushing water filled her head. Leo was disappearing into the eerie light of the submerged tunnel. She fought the astounding current, clinging to the slick as ice walls with fingers that had lost their feeling after just a few heartbeats in the water. Wavelike swishing motions of Myn's tail surged her forward until she was able to grip the roof with her claws. Neither girl nor dragon could make any headway. Every ounce of effort went to maintaining their position. A slight ripple in the rocky tunnel was enough to keep Myranda from sliding back, but Myn was not so lucky.
The dragon scratched desperately at the wall of the tunnel. She was losing the fight, flailing and slipping backward. Myranda took one hand away from its grip to guide the beast to the hand hold. Now with a firm grip, the two began to slowly pull themselves forward. Leo's form was barely visible ahead, pulling himself along in much the same way. Just ahead of him was the edge. Beyond that there was only light. Daylight.
As the girl and the dragon neared the opening, the current intensified. Myranda's chest heaved as her lungs begged for air. She reached out, managing to grasp the rounded edge of the opening with one hand. With the other, she grabbed the claw of her friend. In a final flurry of effort, she pulled the two of them into the light. The current split at the opening, half flowing into the tunnel, the rest fanning out along the wall the tunnel emerged from.
The latter current caught them, sweeping the pair forcefully along the wall just as Myranda's breath gave out. Spent air burst from her lips and a desperate, raking breath pulled in a lungful of frigid water. She convulsed as she smashed into the rocky edge of the pool. Darkness was closing in about her as she felt a pair of hands grip her arm and drag her from the pool.