Page 84 of Tashama
“I cannot smell the fresh air.” Her tone of voice suggested the notion had lifted her spirits slightly.
“We can do it, Tashama.” He continued to crawl. Only a few feet away, he discovered an opening, no more than a quarter-sized round, leading up through the caves, and through this, a tiny ray of light filtered. He took a deep breath as he grew concerned about how Tashama would view the finding when she reached his location. He moved forward again.
When he paused some distance from the shaft of light, he waited for her to catch up, but when she didn’t touch his foot in the time he had calculated she should have reached him, he called out to her, “Tashama, are you nearly to me?”
She whispered back as she held her hand to the light, “The breath of fresh air.”
“Yes, but my flame flickered again.” Though he hated to deceive her, he feared he might lose her to the shaft of light. “There must be more fresh air in front of us. Come to me, Tashama. I feel better when you’re able to touch me.”
“The light feels good on my fingers.” She examined the way it bounced off her fingertips as she wiggled them through the light.
“Tashama,” he said in desperation as he watched her, “I heard the tinkling of a water sprite. There must be water ahead.”
She turned her small face toward him. “What did she say?”
“I cannot understand them. You must come this way and tell me what they say.”
“They’ll know the way out.”
After several tense moments, she touched his boot.
He sighed deeply. “You don’t know how much it means to me to be able to feel your touch again, Tashama.”
“I don’t hear the water sprite.” She cocked her head to the side. “Are you sure that is what you heard?”
“Yes, just like at the lake. Are you ready?”
“Yes.” This time her voice showed resolve.
He moved much farther ahead this time as he could hear her struggling to keep up with him. He smiled as he felt her touch his boot much more quickly this time, and after allowing her a shorter rest, he continued again.
For nearly another hour, he made the crawl with encouraging words concerning the sounds the water sprites had made, while she, so desirous of finding them, followed him in earnest. Then, as the narrow opening spilled out into a cavernous structure, he stared into the cave. “We’re here, Tashama.” He looked for a way to get to the floor of the cave, some 60 feet below them.
“And the water sprites?”
Her hand wiggled his foot. He smiled. “I hear running water nearby and can smell the fresh water flowing from above ground into the cave.”
“Let me see.” She pushed the sole of his foot to get him to move.
“The climb down looks awfully dangerous. Let me find a way out of here, then I’ll guide you.”
She waited while he pulled himself from the narrow passage that widened at the mouth, then she crawled forward. When she arrived at the opening, she took a deep breath. Aleron clung with his fingernails, gripping the moss-covered rock below her, the tips of his boots poked into willow footholds.
She stared in disbelief. “Oh, Aleron,” she whispered. “However did you manage to climb out of here?” A rock jutted out from the passageway, and she reached up and touched it. He, meanwhile, contemplated how to bring her out of the passage safely.
“I don’t have much to hold onto here.” He climbed toward her. “I’ve contemplated having you climb onto my back, but I’m afraid you might pull me from my meager holds. I’m not sure you’ll be strong enough to pull yourself up by the handhold above your head. That’s how I came out in the first place.”
“I will have to try, will I not?” She sat at the edge of the opening. She dangled her feet over the edge, then turned slightly to grab hold of the rock. Placing her weight on her arms, she dangled precariously against the wall.
“Your toes will not reach the next step. Try to reach for the next handhold to the right of your shoulder.”
She looked at the rock, then reached down as her toes slipped against the rough surface, and her arms wearied. “I cannot hold on much longer.” Her breath came quickly.
“To your left now. There’s a place for your left hand just beneath your left shoulder.”
She looked down, then reached for the next rock, but nearly lost her grip with her right hand as she scrambled to get her footing. He pushed her left foot into a stirrup-like formation.“We must keep going, Tashama. You do not have the strength in your arms to make such a climb, and you’re already shaking quite a lot. I will guide you.”
“Okay.” She waited for him to find the next best move. Then, as he found it, he reached for her leg and tugged in his direction.
