The Winter Born [COMPLETED]

Chapter 34 - No More Secrets

Laila stands in front of the gaping mouth of the giant cave, its teeth sharp and looming down onto her, but she stands straight. Cathellyn had left just minutes ago after stupidly crying in a ball for the boy that just rode a horse into this very cave. 

She taps her foot on the rustled leaves. The boy wore nice clothes, wealthy ones so he is obviously not an Outlander. Then what is he? Some soldier from the other lands that decided that he wants to live in a cave with a horse? He's quite comely too, for a soldier. And Cathellyn hugged him, kissed him.

Kissed! Laila is not a fool, she knows her sister well enough to know that she will not cry for some boy that she just met for two short days. And her sister is no charmer. Not as good as her anyway.

She looks towards the sky to find that the sun is already setting, the clouds bleeding with purple and orange. Laila smiles to herself. It would look better if it were red.

She turns her gaze back to the looming cave. It's dark, dark enough that Laila could not see what it holds inside. And that makes her all the more excited. Tingles run through her body while she hastily makes a torch from a thin wood trunk and wrapping it with her scarf. She takes the two stones from her pocket and pouts a little when she is reminded of something.

The corpses of the rabbits would have to wait. Their bellies are already full of the gunpowder and Laila intends to blow them up to the heavens before she saw Cathellyn and the strange boy. She kneels down where her torch is waiting and scraps the two stones together, making a spark.

The flicker of fire is enough to light the torch. And with a smile, she stands up and looks to the dark cavity of the cave as if it's calling her inside. Her hand goes to her waist to feel the dagger she stole from her twin. The dead rabbits will have a friend when their innards are spilled to the air. Laila could almost smell the delicious scent of burnt flesh.

She steps in, holding her torch high and slowly, the light of the setting sun ebbs away as the darkness consumes her. Laila does not feel scared, thrill and excitement fills her to the brim. One more corpse to blow up, she thinks. One more life to take. She licks her lips hungrily.

There seems to be a pathway, a clearing free from rocks that sits by the wall of the cave and she follows it, the torch illuminating light in the darkness of the cave. As she walks along the trail, Laila focuses on the constant dripping of water not too far away.

It almost calms her a little being in the hollow cave. Even in the insides of the cave, the rocks' teeth at the celling are sharp and jagged and not too high up. A little rattle of the earth and it would fall down to kill her. 

And for some vague reason, the thought does not frighten her. That kind of death is better than most of the Outlanders get. But Laila wants to die seeing the thing that she loves the most-- blood. Scarlet and crimson liquid gushing out of sliced flesh--  better yet, burnt meat. The thought almost makes her mouth waters as a delightful chill runs up her spine.

Her long legs are becoming strained as her patience thins. Where the hell is that boy? There's a dot of light far away and Laila's heart beats faster for a moment. This cave leads somewhere-- it's a tunnel, she realises.

Laila quickens her pace, stumbling over rocks with her eyes set on the bit of dim light at the end of the long tunnel. The light is upwards almost at the ceiling of the cave, and Laila follows the trail in wide steps, her breath quickening with excitement.

The light gets brighter and soon the torch becomes useless as she nears the light. It's filtered by a curtain of vines and is not at all big, just enough for.. her heart beats faster. Just enough for the boy and the horse to pass through. She smiles. Sneaky little bastard.