Page 131 of Kingdom of Embers and Ruin

With one last look over her shoulder toward the north, Maude walked to the longboat that would carry them all to the entrance of the Knotted Caverns and whatever dangers lay inside.

The ocean was still as their boat slid across the surface, sending ripples out and alerting any life beneath the water of their presence. The full moon illuminated their path toward the Caverns, highlighting a small beach on its shore big enough to dock a boat on. Their group was silent and observant of their surroundings, any small sound catching their attention.

Maude felt the boat beneath her slide onto the sandy beach as they quickly crossed the small distance from Ahland’s shore. They disembarked efficiently, spreading out onto the sands to search for any raiders that may be hiding there. Weapons drawn, they cleared the beach before searching for a way to get to the hidden entrance of the Caverns.

The smooth stone of the island twisted and curled in on itself, making it difficult to find a stepping point to climb up the rocks. Maude had her bow drawn with an arrow already in place, watching everyone's backs as they scoured the Cavern's surface.

“Over here,” Herrick’s low voice called out from the shadows.

Hakon followed his brother’s voice.

“I can’t see a gods damned thing,” Hakon muttered, Gunnar huffing in agreement.

Maude sighed, snapping her fingers and creating three fireballs to hover over their group.

“You could’ve just asked, you know,” Maude snarked, her face serious but her voice teasing.

“But where is the challenge in that?” Hakon said, a charming half smile appearing.

“There is a staircase just up ahead,” Herrick continued, ignoring them all. “It’s hard to see from here, but once we're on it, I think the moon will be more than enough light to get us up to wherever they lead.”

“That’s comforting,” Liv remarked. “Let’s take the mystery steps up then.”

She waved her arms forward as if she would push them all up the stairs. Maude stifled a laugh and shook her head, following Herrick. Eydis was in front of her, her hair covered by a hood similar to the way Maude wore her mother’s shawl. Noticing her attention, Eydis glanced at Maude for a moment and gave a shy smile.

“It makes so much sense to wear a hood if you have bright hair like ours,” Eydis commented. “I just followed your lead.”

Eydis nodded to Maude’s clothing. Her mother’s shawl was wrapped around her waist as it always was, with the hood up to cover her crimson hair. Though it was braided and pinned behind her head, Maude kept the hood up to keep her anonymity as well in case her father had more spies watching.

The thought sank in her gut like a stone. They needed to be quick about retrieving thedalkr Hela.

“I like it,” Maude said, swallowing her anxiety. “The look suits you.”

They reached the top of the winding staircase quicker than Maude expected. At the top, they found a flat space with archaic runes scratched into the surface.

Careful not to step on any of the carvings, they searched for an opening or a doorway into the Caverns. Herrick remained close to Maude after they cleared the stairs, becoming her shadow as she ran her fingers across the smooth wall. Grooves were etched into the swirling stone, but none that gave Maude the idea that there was an opening hidden within them.

“I can’t find anything,” Liv grumbled after thirty minutes of searching. “We’re running out of time.”

“It’s not even midnight, Liv,” Gunnar reminded her.

Maude ignored them. She stood in the southeastern corner of the rocky enclosure, her back to them. Herrick stood close behind her but was looking up into the sky, tracking the movements of the moon.

An awareness washed over her, like the one she felt in the temple. Out of the corner of her eye, to her left, she noticed a spot where the two walls met. The crack in them was irregular, and Maude had the strongest inclination, which was to run her finger over the seam.

At the highest point of the wall Maude faced, the runes for all six elements were carved in a straight line. In the moonlight, the runes seemed to pulse with life before shadows covered them again like the symbols had been absorbed into the stone.

Reaching up above her, Maude placed her finger as high as it could reach. She began to run her finger down, but a strong hand caught her wrist before she could continue.

“Maude,” Herrick said from behind her, his chest up against her back. “Don’t do that, it could be a trap.”

“Do you feel it, too?” Maude asked, her glazed eyes never leaving her hand.

“Yes,” Herrick shuddered. “And it doesn’t feel friendly.”

“I think this is the way in,” Maude replied quietly.

Herrick paused for a moment before he reluctantly released her wrist.

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