Part 16 (1/2)

It took several minutes before Ariana could gather enough courage to reach out in the darkness. The place where the candle had been was just a sticky spot on the wooden holder. She had slept too long. Her candle had burned out.

”Oh no,” she cried out. ”No.” Her voice echoed around her.

Panic nearly suffocated her. She would never be able to stand it alone in the dark. Never. She wouldn't be able to find her food. Her water. She'd die. She'd surely die.

A feeling of total desperation overtook her. She found herself praying that she might die quickly. Then Ariana buried her face in the warm fur, and for the first time since the early days of her capture, she wept uncontrollably.

”Ya sure we won't be spotted?” Laramie asked as he followed White Eagle along an unmarked trail.

”Leaning Tree watch,” replied the brave.

The answer satisfied Laramie and he picked up the pace. Each man led one of the mustangs, saddles again in place after a struggle to get the horses to accept them. But White Eagle insisted it would be safer for them to walk through the trees rather than to ride. The horses had now quieted to the saddle, but accepting a rider in the saddle would start the battle all over again. They had no time to lose.

As it was, it was getting dark by the time White Eagle pushed aside a small bramble bush and motioned Laramie into the mouth of a hidden cave.

They had moved in a short distance when White Eagle stopped and lifted a lantern from a hidden place in the rocks. Silently he lit it and then moved stealthily on.

Deeper and deeper into the cavern they went, winding first one way and then angling back another. Laramie was counting on his friend to eventually get them to the right placea”and to make sure they would find their way out again.

They had walked what seemed to be a long way when White Eagle stopped and put a hand to Laramie's chest.

”What is it?” Laramie whispered, the hair on the back of his neck lifting eerily.

”No light,” responded White Eagle.

”No light?”

”No candle,” repeated White Eagle.

Laramie felt his whole body tremble. Had something happened to Ariana? Was the whole effort in vain? He closed his eyes and willed strength back into his body. White Eagle began to move forward again.

They pushed their way through one last opening and entered a wider hole in the rocks. Laramie could see the pile of furs and blankets in the corner. Were they too late?

Then the blankets s.h.i.+fted. And she was looking at him, her eyes wide and terrified, pale cheeks stained from the cave dust mingled with her tears. Her hair hung about her shoulders in a tangled ma.s.s of uncombed curls, and her face looked gaunt.

”My candle went out,” she gasped, then with a look like a wild thing, she turned her face back into the furs and began to weep again, her whole body shaking.

”I had to crawl about in the dark toa”” she continued along with the sobs. ”I had toa””

But she could not go on. The two men exchanged glances. One felt as helpless as the other. What could they do to comfort her? How did one rea.s.sure a distraught woman? What unspeakable terrors had she experienced in the darkness of the cave?

It was White Eagle who moved forward, handing the lantern to a stunned Laramie.

He knelt on the rock floor beside her bed and reached out one hand to her shaking shoulder. ”It's over,” he crooned softly. ”Over. Soon you go. Soon. You safe now. Alone no more. Safe now.”

As he talked he patted her shoulder rather clumsily and pushed back her hair. It reminded Laramie of one gentling a terror-stricken horse. Gradually the words and the human contact brought calm to the frightened girl. The sobs lessened. The shoulders stopped their shaking. Ariana began to fight for control.

”We light two candles,” offered White Eagle. ”Three candles. We light whole cave.”

Ariana giggleda”somewhat giddilya”accompanied by hiccups. She forced her way up from the blankets and furs and dabbed at her face with a corner of the woolen throw.

”I was so scared,” she admitted, apologetically, without looking up. ”I had waited so longa”I didn't know the way outa”I thought you'd never come. Never.”

”We come,” said White Eaglea”and he lit a fourth candle for good measure. ”Tomorrow you go.”

Ariana seemed to ponder his statement. For the first time she lifted her eyes to Laramie. Her face was still pale, her cheeks smeared, her hair in tangles. ”Is it true?” she asked simply.

He nodded. He was still afraid to speak. He had never seen anyone look so desperate before.

Self-consciously she pushed hair away from her face. For the first time she seemed to realize her present state of disarray.

”I can't believe it,” she said at last, her hands fluttering nervously. ”IaI thought I'd never see the light of day again.”

Laramie finally found his legsa”and his voice. He moved forward with the lantern and set it on a small ledge of rock. The light spilled out in fanciful splashes, joining with the candles in lighting up the rock walls of the cave, making deeper shadows where the light did not reach.

”We'll leave in the morning,” he promised her.

She fidgeted nervously and cast her eyes about the cave.

”IaI guess I can standaone more night,” she finally managed and swallowed hard.

”I'll stay,” said Laramie quickly, though he had intended to guard the cave's mouth and watch for signals from the valley.

White Eagle nodded. He seemed to understand.

”Both sleep,” he said. ”Long ride with new sun.”

White Eagle gathered his lantern and left them, admonis.h.i.+ng them again to get a good sleep in preparation for the next day's hard riding.

Laramie had nodded in agreement, but he wondered just how much sleep they would manage.

”When did you eat last?” he asked her.

Ariana looked puzzled. ”I'm not sure,” she replied honestly. ”IaI lose track of time.”

He nodded, then crossed to the food supply. It was almost gone.

”You'd better eat,” he said and handed her a piece of the pemmican, then went for the little pot of water.

She appeared calm now. He marveled at the difference in her as he watched her dutifully chew away at the tough meat.

”I'm sorry it took so long,” he began. ”It didn't work like we'd planned.”

She sat silently.

”It must have beena” He couldn't finish the thought. He didn't really know what to say.