Rebecka Evertrue's Arc

Chapter 14 of 66

Rebecka stepped away from the mouth and followed her mother deeper into the cave. The passage narrowed, then opened into a second chamber lit by veins of pink and blue crystal. Twenty-two people sat along the walls. Bedrolls. A low fire under a stone vent. Three children close to the adults. Katia laid the sleeping Ninka on a folded blanket and knelt beside her. Marcus set his pack down and drew a short blade. Lark stayed at the mouth with his sword. A man near the back stood up. He was thin, coat torn at one shoulder, hands shaking. He stared at the passage behind Rebecka like he could already hear boots on the ridge. "They followed you," he said. "You brought them here." "Sit down," Rebecka said. "I'm not dying in a hole." He grabbed a satchel and moved toward the passage. "I'll take my chances in the trees." Rebecka stepped in front of him. "If you walk out now, their scouts see you on open stone. They come straight to this mouth. Everyone here dies. Including the children." "You don't know that." "I killed their outrider yesterday. He set a marker before he died. They already know the ridge. They don't know the exact mouth yet. You show them." He tried to push past her. Rebecka set her palm flat on his chest and did not move. A low sound came from the dark behind the fire. Slow breath, then weight on stone. A bear stepped into the crystal light. It was larger than any bear Rebecka had seen, dark fur marked with pale runes that glowed faint blue. A crystal pendant hung at its throat on a leather cord. It did not growl. It looked at the man. Katia spoke without standing. "The cave has a keeper. He lets us stay. He does not let us leave stupid." The bear took one more step. The man went still. His satchel slid from his fingers. Rebecka lowered her hand. "Sit by the fire. Drink water. If you still want to run at dusk, I'll walk you to a safer draw myself. Not now." He sat. His shoulders shook once and stopped. Rebecka turned to Lark. "How many ways in?" "Two. This mouth. A crack at the back a child could crawl through. I can seal the crack with stones in an hour." "Do it." She looked at Marcus. "We set the four arrows I have left for the mouth. Nothing else." Marcus nodded. Katia was watching Ninka's face. The bear settled on its haunches by the passage and closed one eye. The pendant at its throat pulsed once and dimmed. Rebecka let out a breath she had been holding since the ridge. The refugee was seated. No one had run. The mouth was still a secret. Then Ninka opened her eyes and sat up, and said, "Mama. Something is walking in my head."