Storm Island Expedition

Tears in the Hills

"Brenden, we're lost."
"Shut up Tanya!  We're not lost."
"Oh?"
"Yeah.  I'm certain of it."
"Brenden that is the ninth time we passed that lichen over there."
"Oh please, all of them look the same.  You're the one imagining things."
Tanya could only roll her eyes.  She could only note that they had made such great time getting to this region, only to waste it getting lost in a cave system.  It had been nearly ten days since they first started to map it.  Now, she was convinced that they might never make it out of there.
"Look, it might just be faster if we pick a spot in the wall and start digging our way out."
"I said 'shush' Tanya."
This was the first cave they had found when they arrived in the hill region.  Brenden was certain there would be something to find in there. So far, Tanya had only seen rocks, more rocks, a few bits of moss or lichens ... oh and more rocks on the cave walls.  The only reason they were still alive was due to Brenden's dumb luck finding out the lichens on the wall were edible.
"I knew I should have traveled with those two mages or another party" was all she could mumble to herself.

Brenden's attempt to make a map had proved disastrous. At this point, it reminded her of a child's first attempt at drawing, only worse.  Eventually they came across a junction in the caves.
"See, I told you."
"We're still lost."
"Yes.  But this is new."
"Great. So we've achieved finding a new spot to get lost in?"
"Why are you so sour?  Look, we just need to listen for air flow or something and that will tell us which way to go."
"Or something?  When was the last time you traveled through caves?  Where did you even learn this sort of orienteering?"
"Learned it on my own.  It's a natural talent."

Tanya was fed up with him.  "Look you just go down that way a bit.  I'll go this way.  Don't go too far though.  Just look around a little and come right back here.  In fact ... use that sword of yours to draw a line in the dirt.  Follow it to come right back here."  She sternly pointed to the spot of the junction. "You got that?"
"Yeah yeah.  I got it."

She started on her own for several paces, half expecting Brenden to scream in terror or something. The tunnel she started down reached a point where it narrowed, she could squeeze part of the way, but eventually the path was just too tight for her.  She began to backtrack.
"Brenden?"
No reply.
"Brenden?!?!" she yelled out.  "Why is it like this with him?  All you had to do was walk a few feet, look around and come back.*
She followed his trail in the dirt. Eventually the trail came to an abrupt stop, as did his footprints. Cautiously, she pulled out her mace and in a low tone "Brenden?"
For a few moments, no response and no one appeared.  She had a passing thought that Brenden would try the childish prank of trying to sneak up on her and scare her, but he had already tried that once before, and got smacked my her mace, so she doubted he was even that dumb enough to try it again.  But after several moments, she began to actually worry about him.
"Brenden?  Where are you?"

She began to go further down the tunnel, but with no sight of her companion.  And no sign of anything that might have taken him.
The tunnel eventually branched off into several smaller tunnels, any of which she could fit through, but she had no idea which path Brenden might have followed.
She felt a slight rush of wind behind her. She wheeled about ready to expect anything, but there was nothing there.  Another gust, or was it something breathing behind her?  As she attempted to turn about, she felt something trip her up, and then a slight blow to the head. Then darkness.

Some time later, she woke up and saw Brenden asleep not too far from her.   They were still in a cave, just one she did not recognize.
A wild looking man was squatted next to her, his eyes red.
"Did you see it?" he asked.
"See what?"
"It was there with you, in the tunnel.  Did you see it?"
She was starting to get scared at the stranger.  "No, I swear.  I saw nothing."
Brenden began to stir, mumbling out an 'ow'.
"Did you see it?" the man asked Brenden.
"See what?"
The man didn't even bother to ask further.  He just turned away, picked up his bow, and ran off.
Tanya got up and started to chase after him.  "Wait! You have to tell us how to get out of here!"
The man was already gone.
"Get up you useless excuse for a map!  We have to find him."
"Why?"
"Unlike you, he might actually know how to get out of here."
"You saw the look in his eyes ... that nut job is more dangerous than anything else in here right now."
*You wanna bet?" she glared right at Brenden.
"Uhm ... maybe I was wrong.  OK ... let's go."
They dashed down the tunnel as the strange man went. It was nearly a hundred paces before they heard shouting.   A little further on, they could almost here what he was saying.  All they could tell was 'I have you now!'

When they caught up to him, they could see a large open cave.  There were arrows and blast marks everywhere.  The man was nearly berserk, shouting about to something in the room.  Whatever he was attacking, neither of them could see.
On the far side of the cave, they saw a small opening leading to light.
"Daylight?" Tanya asked.
"Guess so."
They looked at each other, then the man, then scanned the cave.  Whatever he seemed to be attacking might be gone and no longer a threat.  Neither was in the mood to fight the man.
"We just circle around him, stay out of his line of sight and whatever he is fighting." Brenden suggested.
"That might be the most sensible thing you've said all week."
Both made a dash for the exit. Neither made it very far as it felt like something hit them both from the side.
When they recovered and sat up, both saw the man in the center of the cave looking about, almost fixated on the other side of the room, not even looking in their direction.
"Wha ... what hit us?"
"Maybe that nut job fired a Wind spell or something.  Just get up and come on."
They made it just a few mere steps before they tripped and fell down again.
"What's going on?" Brenden was starting to panic.
"Just get up and run you klutz."
As they tried one last time to run out, the bezerk man ran in their direction.  In one hand, he seemed to be holding a vial of something. In the other hand, they could see he was charging up a very powerful spell.
The man screamed in their direction and let loose the vial and surge of fire.
An explosion rocked the cave.

Tanya managed to crawl her way to the exit.  She was barely conscious, but knew she was badly burned, and had a broken arm.  Perhaps something else might have been worse.  When she let out a cough, it was extremely painful, and she spat out blood.
She turned around and saw the wild man, badly burned as well, doing what she thought was taking a boulder and smashing it on the ground.  The man was only muttering 'I got you! I finally got you!'
She wouldn't dare to stay any longer and didn't want to risk asking the lunatic to help her.
Brenden somehow came over to her and started to help her up.  But before he could help to raise her up, and carry her off, he was somehow dragged back into the cave, screaming.
The wild man turned around, almost in glee as he smiled "another! ANOTHER!"
He pulled out another vial and charged up another spell.
This explosion was enough to knock Tanya down the side of the hill, and knock her out.

I heard the explosions and rushed to see the smoke coming from the hillside.  By the time I arrived, I could see that up the hill with the smoke, was a cave in.   Whatever was up there and caused the explosion, was probably not coming out.  When I looked down, I saw a woman on the ground.

I rushed down, but saw she was badly injured.  Burns, cuts, and some injuries that were worse.  At first I did not recognize her, but she seemed to smile for a second as if she recognized me.
"Well" she weakly spoke "at least we finally made it out."  She pointed to her backpack, and I noticed the journal.  It was the same one as I had.
I was going to ask her what her name was and what I could do to help, but it was too late.
I checked for a pulse or breathing, nothing was there.
When I opened the journal, I saw the name 'Tanya' on the inside covers. A few pages in, I saw a reference to someone named Brenden who traveling with her.

Then a loud screeching sound came from the smoking rocks above me.  The sound was as if a creature was in pain, but I couldn't see anything.  A few moments later, some rocks tumbled down the hillside.  I knew something had to have disturbed them, but I saw nothing.

I buried Tanya on the side of the hill in as deep of a grave as I could make.   I didn't know what to say after I laid that last of the rocks, so I turned and headed north with the setting sun to say its goodbyes for me.