Caidoz

Chapter 19

   I watched in bewilderment as Cancer froze up on the first step down. She seemed glued to the spot, transfixed and paralyzed. "What's wrong? Is there someone down there?" I asked.
   The alien girl did not answer me, nor did she make any indication that she had heard.
   "Cancer? Why what's bothering you?"
   The mechanical owl circling around my head jabbed me sharply with his beak.
   "I get it, I get it! Give me a second." I frowned and cautiously peared over her shoulder. The glowing light of the birds' eyes provided a visual into the looming darkness. I only heard a low mumbling of peoples' voices, similar to the sound of rustling as they spoke in whispers and undertones of their whispered plans for the Quest, as if they were worried another would hear their ideas and plans and realize their "plan" was correct, whether it was fact or not.

   "That's just the other guests here. If you're worried about that, don't be. We usually do not brawl in inns. Here we respect one another and even sometimes help provide for each other."
    She still didn't move. I noticed her entire body shaking. "Are you cold again? Is that common with Caidozians or something?" I was frustrated that she continued to be silent. "Ali?" I looked, puzzled, at the steps again.

   Then, I saw it. No railings, as was common with the usual inn. Who cared for the safety of Questors when there was always seemly another person to take the fallen one's place? Cancer told me she had fallen off a cliff, and here she was expected to walk down long spiral stars made of iron to the bottom with barely any light or safety. I studied her again.
   Her alien green eyes with a strange blue rim circle stared into nothing. I thought of all I knew about her body language. I knew she was silent when I was.

   To tell the truth, however, I didn't know much about females. I suppose they weren't much different, and used my own to determine her thoughts. Whenever I did that, I was depressed, and this made me fail to eat properly for days. But that didn't seem her problem. I thought harder. Was she maybe... scared of heights? That would fit perfectly, and thinking about it, falling from a cliff for hours wouldn't have improved this fear. Especially when she received two broken wrists from it. I waved my hand in front if her.
   She flinched.

   "I... can't." That was all she said. I felt a pang in the pits of my already broken heart. It was strange. I hadn't felt much there for a very long time, and I had beileved I hadn't one at all. Because of this, it took a while to realize what it truly was and it only made me feel more of it when it was revealed in my mind. Deep pity. I couldn't force her to do what she was so frightened of. There was no other way though. We were both tired and needed to rest and eat.

  "It won't be too bad." I said.
   She tried to take a step forward only to collapse backward on one knee, shoving herself as far away as possible from her fears as if it were an invisible wall which repealed her backways in terror. I realized thus was no ordinary fear. Thus was pathological. An idea formed in my head and I rumaged through my satchel. I pulled out the blanket and without another thought, tore off a strip of cloth. I pressed it against her eyes.

   She she sat up straight. "What are you doing?" She asked.
   "Blindfolding you. You will not be able to see where we are going and will be able to move." I tied the material around her head in a firm knot.
   "We are still going down there though, and I need to see. Or else I may trip and then...."
   She gave an involuntary shutter.
   "I'm here, just step when I say."
   She turned her head in the direction of my voice.

   Her owl pricked her finger violently in a dive bombing swoop.
   "Youch! I decided I don't like these things!"
   Who does?
   The princess got to her feet. She seemed more relaxed, though she still seemed extremely nervous. Her breathing was slightly ragged.
   "Ready?" I asked.
   She turned her head over her shoulder and I was glad she had the blindfold on or she would've probably given me a scary glare.
   I walked to her side. "Step down."

   She tentatively placed her leg over the edge of the step and, very slowly, she leaned weight upon it, her body tense and shaking as she sharply placed the other leg on the step in order not to fall without her usual visual.
   "Next one." I could've sworn I heard a exhausted exclamation of anguish and fear which took the form of a held and trembling sigh. Very slowly did we progress, but never could I find it in myself to protest.

   I knew she was doing her best-- Even if that very best was one tiny movement after another, shifting with a small creak on the old stairs which made her nervously jump in worry every time thus occurred in which I would have to contain my growing irritation with a spreading frown of impatience and reassure her that that the stair would indeed hold despite her fears. That it had held for many a traveler and Questor, most adult and nowhere near out small weight. That it was simply growing old, but that it would stay and last a long time after we had been long gone. Finally, she attained something of a pressured confidence of her situation, forcing each step unpon herself in a strange contained manner of dignity.

   However, I saw to the light of the owls' eyes that we still had a long way to go.
   A shadowy figure was coming up the stair at a quick pace and I moved to the side to let him pass quickly. He did so and the man paced up the rest of the way without another look of a regard for myself.
   "Okay, next step Ali." I turned to see her a few ahead of me. "Wow, you're doing great Princess! You did those last few without me fine."

"What?!" She started to panic and stumbled to the side.
   I ran down and grabbed her hand toward just she almost tumbled off the stairs.
   Cancer hissed in pain, but didn't let go.
   I pulled her toward me and she regained her stability on the stairs. Not until she fell on me. I hadn't meant to do that. My face was pure red and I wondered what she was say.
   "Thanks! Thank the moon you were there!"

   I blushed even harder if it was possible. Argh. Stop being so crimson, I'm her companion, she will... wait. Oh, she's still blindfolded. I sighed in relief.
   "However... I thought you were still beside me." She said, a note of confusion entering her voice.
   "Hey, this time it was you who left me." I crossed my arms.
   "How much farther? I hate to say this, but I don't like... heights." I rolled my eyes.
   "I figured." She angrily stepped away from me.

   "Let's just get off these stairs before the owls try to stab us to death again." She said.
   I quietly told her when to step. Soon we had reached the bottom. Doors wrapped in a circle around us and dreary halls moved to other sections.
   The owl around my head hooted loudly and Cancer's did the same. They took off in the same direction, small wings fluttering.

   I started after them, but remembered Ali couldn't see. I quickly untied the cloth around her eyes before the owls' light left us.
   She had closed her eyes underneath.
   I tapped on her shoulder.
   "Huh?!" She woke with a start. Then she furiously shook her head. "Got to stay awake."