Larkspur Mittel: The Lark & Owl Trilogy

23 - Cause and Effect

Hero, Adelmus, Ivan and Aggie chased the dragonfly as it mapped a direction through the tunnels which they hoped would soon bring them above ground again.

They followed one tunnel for ages it seemed as it sloped downwards, directing them further below ground, twisting and turning like the path of a serpent. At some point, they made a sharp turn to the right into another tunnel. Here, the walls changed from a black basalt to a lighter brown, and aside from the patter and clapping of their footsteps and the humming of the dragonfly's wings, there was no other sound.

There was no evidence of sysipals or serpents any other living creature. They were relieved that the soldiers had not followed them, and for a brief time they felt safe. The air was dank and smelled of earth now, while the crystals in the walls still flashed as they approached and lit their way.

"Right, I know it may not be the time to ask, but what is going on?" Ivan finally asked, a little breathless.

Hero and Adelmus glanced at one another.

"She stole some food from the marketplace!" Adelmus offered, "the soldiers saw her, and knew where she was from!"

Hero frowned at Adelmus.

Both Ivan and Aggie were too smart to believe that any of this was just about stealing food.

"Look, I saw it," Ivan nodded towards Hero's satchel, "I saw the thing she has in her bag...it opened the grate."

"Oh right, um, well," Aldelmus looked down at his feet as they walked on.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Ivan carried on, though it was clear he felt left out.

"No, it's not that I don't want to-" Hero began, and bit her lip.

She glanced at Aggie who trudged on ahead of them, oblivious to their conversation. Ivan noticed, and looked at Aggie too and then back at Hero. He seemed to understand that she did not want to tell him everything just yet.

"Adelmus is partly right - I did steal some food," she said carefully.

Adelmus was pleased, and walked a little taller.

"I also took something else- I saw it hidden in a grate under to a bag of almonds, and so I swiped it. That thing you saw," Hero lied.

"What is it then?" Ivan asked.

"I don't know exactly," Hero lied again.

She was thinking of the change in Aggie's face when she'd pulled the globe from her satchel.

Aggie, meanwhile, continued to pay no attention to them, and dragged her feet across the ground as she walked. She was not herself, thought Hero, that much was true.

They could all see that.

The ugly countenance in her face, and the flaring eyes had frightened Hero and Ivan. It was as though, upon seeing the globe, she'd been possessed, and there was nothing they could do about it. Now, Ivan tried to hold Aggie by the elbow a few times as they walked. But Aggie flinched at his touch and shook him off. It was strange not to hear the high pitched lilt of her voice or her clever, laughing banter with him.

They had to get her out of here and find some help, thought Hero.

As though she'd heard Hero's thoughts, Aggie stopped and slumped against a wall.

"We can't stop yet Aggie. I know it seems like we've been walking for hours-"

"We have been walking for hours," Adelmus remarked.