Page 58 of Knight of Chaos
Ingrid pulled on the reins turning her steed around. “There is no sense in us sitting here, pondering life’s mysteries. The way is barred to us here. Let us go find another way to enter—unless, of course, the two of you would like to continue whining about the matter,” Ingrid smirked with a teasing wink to Theobald.
“Saucy wench,” her husband laughed. “I shall make you pay for that comment later this eve.”
“Let us hope the eve will find us in the lord and lady’s bedchamber and not beneath the branches of a tree. Let us away,” Ingrid said kicking her heels into Valor’s side and sending him into a trot.
They left the castle grounds far behind them as they continued to follow the river downstream. The cliffside that Calbridge sat up against slowly began to descend until the land and the river were at last on the same level. They reached a small beach area with more stones than sand. ’Twas there that they dismounted, knowing they did not want their horses to stumble on the uneven ground. Bushes had grown up against the cliffside and Richard began poking his sword into the foliage to seek the opening to the cave system.
Ingrid followed Theobald to a nearby group of sturdy trees. They had just looped the leather reins around a tree’s branches when Richard called out.
“’Tis here!” he stated whilst waving them forward.
Ingrid and Theobald walked hand in hand. Once they reached Richard, they saw he was already in the process of attempting to light one of the torches that had been left just inside the entrance to the cave. Luckily for them, John had mentioned several would be readily available. Without a torch, they would not get very far in the blackness of the cave.
With their torches lit, they moved aside the branches of the bushes and entered the darkness of the cave. A musty smell of wet dirt and heaven only knew what else hit them first before they were plunged into the inky black surroundings. Their torches threw odd shadows onto the walls of the cave, and they narrowly missed the webs left from spiders hoping to catch their unsuspecting prey.
A sudden fluttering echoed around them as they stood still listening. Before long, the sound became louder. They all ducked, and Ingrid gasped when a whole colony of flittermice flew overhead seeking to exit the cave. They had obviously not cared for the intrusion of humans.
By Saint Michael’s Wings, I hate caves, Ingrid thought before rising once more to her full height.
They continued forward, moving slowly to keep from stumbling on the uneven ground beneath them. When they came to a fork in the pathway, they stayed to the right, knowing this way would eventually bring them to the cellars and dungeon of Calbridge Castle. The way heading left was only a dead end, or so John had informed them.
“Will we ever get there?” Ingrid hissed, feeling as if they had been in the cave for hours.
“I doubt we have much further to travel, my dear. Have a bit of patience,” Theobald urged as he pushed aside another spiderweb blocking their path.
“I do not care for caves,” Ingrid finally admitted aloud as she continued following her husband. “I always have the premonition that the walls will collapse in on me and no one will ever find my body.”
A grunt left Richard as he followed behind them. “I understand the sentiment, my lady, but we will arrive soon… I hope.”
Theobald reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze. “We most likely have not traveled all that far, my love. ’Tis just the fear of what lays ahead on a pathway we have not tread before that has you feeling uneasy and causes the time to seem to drag.”
“Let us hurry and be done with this infernal tunnel. I do not know how much longer I can stand feeling confined,” she murmured.
She warily looked above and around her for any signs that the walls would give way, then she continued to follow Theobald. At least if there was a cave in, she would die with her husband by her side. She supposed there were worse ways to leave this life.
There was no sense of how much time passed them by as they continued their way forward. They took a wrong turn at one point, ending up before a blocked passageway where the walls had indeed fallen, cutting off the path. Ingrid refused to give in to her fears as they retraced their steps whilst praying that they would find a usable passage that would finally reach the cellars of Calbridge Castle.
After several more twists and turns, they at last came upon several crates and barrels stored in the depths of the castle to keep their contents cool. Ingrid shivered when she felt a cold blast of air coming from the room that opened up to them. Bright torchlight blinded her momentarily until she became accustomed to the light. She took a deep breath to calm her frayed nerves. A sound of rattling iron bars had the trio reaching for the hilts of their swords. They pressed forward down a long corridor and came to several cells. One of them held multiple knights. From the standard on their tunics, Ingrid presumed they were a part of her garrison.
One knight stepped forward as the spokesman for the lot. He eyed them with a skeptical look. “Where does your allegiance lie?” he asked with one raised brow. His fingers clenched at the metal bars.
Theobald stepped forward. “I am Theobald Norwood, Earl of Calbridge. This is my lady wife, Ingrid de St. Maur, and our traveling companion, Lord Richard Grancourt. We are here at Empress Matilda’s command.” The men held hostage began to bow with murmurs ofmy lordandmy ladyas they paid their respects.
The spokesman heaved a sigh of relief. “Thank the heavens. You serve the Lady of England.”
“We do,” Ingrid replied stepping into the light of the dungeon. “What is your name?”
“Sir Walter Bryche, my lady. Lately, Captain of the Guard until we were taken hostage. Have you come to rescue us from the madman who reigns above?” the knight asked as the other men came closer to the barred door, looking eager at the prospect of deliverance.
“Aye, as soon as we can find the key to release you or pick the lock,” Theobald replied looking around at the walls hoping a ring of keys would have been left behind.
Richard pressed forward reaching into his cape. He pulled out a leather pouch and from within two long metal spikes. “Allow me,” he said with a smirk.
Ingrid gave a short laugh. “I would have never thought of you as someone who could pick a lock.”
Richard knelt on the ground and put both pieces together into the opening where the key should go. “A necessity, I assure you, my lady, that has come in handy from time to time.”
“If you say so, Lord Richard,” Ingrid replied watching closely as he fiddled with the iron tools in his hands.
