The Long Road

[00:00:01] The Thieves Guild by Jake Care Episode 59 Not having any way to track time, Mela and Dala walked along the road for as long as they could, using two more torches in the process. They made good time as the road was intact and mostly free of rubble.

[00:00:37] How much longer? Mela asked, Dala stopped and looked at her sputtering torch. Not long, but we should probably rest. We don't want to exit while exhausted. Mela nodded. That's a good idea. I'm not sure how much longer I can walk.

[00:00:52] The two decided to rest and then finish the trip out of the cave the next day. Dala sat down and started to remove her boots as Mela looked into the distance. We only have four torches left.

[00:01:05] They were in the middle of the road and there was nothing to prop the torch on so Mela held it. How long will this take do you think? Dala wiggled out of a boot and set it on its side.

[00:01:18] As she stretched and set her head on the boots she replied, Not long, the exit must be a good way south and we're not sure if this road is absolutely straight.

[00:01:27] Just keep track of the torches and if we get down to two, let's continue even if we're still tired. Dala added with her eyes already closed. The exit cannot be far. That will work. Mela replied. As Dala rested, Mela decided to investigate the cave and the road.

[00:01:47] They were clearly in a tunnel but it was difficult to tell if it was natural or carved out of the stone of the mountain. Mela couldn't fathom how a tunnel that large could be carved out of rock. So she assumed it was natural.

[00:02:01] The road had a decorative curb that was made out of single-lad bricks. The walls of the tunnel rose just beyond each side of the road and varied indistence from a few feet to as many as 20 feet from the curb. As she examined the wall, something caught her eye.

[00:02:18] Walking up the road in the direction they were heading, she noticed a sconce holding an unlit torch. Removing it from the wall, Mela returned it to the camp. She hoped they wouldn't need it but it was good to have.

[00:02:34] Mela woke Dala as her torch started to die out. Mela showed her the new torch but they agreed to not change their plan and to move on after Mela got her rest.

[00:02:44] Mela lowered her head but found it difficult to sleep with the ghostly sounds echoing through the tunnel. The noise had lessened considerably once they left the giant cabin and the sounds were easy to ignore as they walked and talked.

[00:02:59] But with eyes closed the ghostly sounds reached deep into Mela's skull. She eventually fell into a fitful sleep. Mela awoke to Dala shaking her shoulder. Time to go. As they walked, Mela kept an eye on the wall but all of the torch she found were already spent.

[00:03:17] Dala broke the silence by saying, I have only been to Harvest House once but I don't remember much of the visit. Can you tell me about the outside? Mela was relieved that Dala had thus far not asked her about her past.

[00:03:31] They had chatted first about things they had in common weapons sparring and dealing with men who assumed that they were weak. They laughed over stories where they had defeated one arrogant man or another,

[00:03:45] asking about the city was similarly safe to Mela. She could talk for hours about its secrets both beautiful and the ugly. The time went by fast as Mela described to Dala a city she had never really seen.

[00:04:00] Several hours later they had fallen to silence until Mela finally spoke up, she could not deny the truth any longer. We chose the wrong direction. Dala continued to walk, not saying anything. Dala, we need to go in the other direction, we walked too far.

[00:04:19] This is leading us into the mountain, not out of it. Dala stopped and turned to face Mela. I know, but we have no choice, we don't have enough torches to make it all the way back.

[00:04:29] We could feel our way along the curb of the road, but what if it splits or it is damaged and a chasm opens across it? Do we have a choice? Mela wasn't sure how moving deeper into the mountain would solve anything.

[00:04:43] This road has to lead somewhere, the wind that blows through the tunnel is strong and is coming from that direction. Dala pointed down the road. Also, we know that there may be torches ahead of us on the wall. There are nothing but spent torches behind us. Mela nodded.

[00:04:59] What about food? Have you seen the rats? Mela shook her head, she had been focusing on the walls looking for torches. There are rats, if we need to I can kill them. Dala patted the knife at a waste. I'm skilled at knife throwing.

[00:05:15] Mela was horrified at the idea of eating a raw rat and hoped that they wouldn't have to resort to that. With no other options, they walked on in silence. Dala broke the silence. You want a harvest guild member? Are you?

[00:05:30] It was the first time Dala asked specifically about Mela. The question came so suddenly that Mela stammered before replying. What why would you ask that? Your description of the city and the things you've seen. That isn't something a member of our guild would experience.

[00:05:48] You would have to travel far and wide to every corner of Ness. Also, you said you were a warrior, and our guards don't wander the city like that. Dala didn't seem mad, more curious. Are you a knight protector? Mela could understand Dala's theory.

[00:06:04] Knight protectors wandered the streets upholding the laws and assuring the safety of the citizens. What Dala didn't know was that knight protectors were assigned to specific quarters and rarely were moved to others. No, I'm not a knight protector.

[00:06:20] Mela was still trying to come up with an explanation of her guild when Dala said. But you didn't deny not being a harvest guild member? No. Was all Mela could think to say in response? Again, before Mela could come up with an explanation Dala spoke.

[00:06:37] It's okay. You don't need to tell me your secrets yet. You will when you're ready. She then reached over and put her hand in Mela's into twining their fingers. Mela squeezed Dala's hand ostensibly to keep her from asking more questions,

[00:06:55] but the truth was that in the dark, lonely and eerie tunnel, holding Dala's hand was a welcome feeling. They were down to one torch when Mela found three straight, unlit torches on the wall.

[00:07:09] I think we'll be okay. There aren't a lot of torches, but there are enough that we should be fine as we make progress. Notting her head Dala replied, all we need to worry about is food.

[00:07:21] Mela didn't want to think about that. There was no way she was going to eat the raw meat of a rat. A day later, Mela greedily nodded to meat off the bones of a scrawly animal. Dala had called them rats, but Mela wasn't sure what they were.

[00:07:37] They seemed bigger than rats, but had rat-like fur and tails. Whatever they were, Dala had missed her first few throws at them, and Mela worried that they had waited too long, and that Mela was too weak to be able to throw with force and accuracy.

[00:07:53] When she finally hit one, the two of them screamed out in happiness and hugged. There were a lot of the rats, and they seemed not to fear the two of them or their light, so Dala didn't have much trouble gathering food. The real problem was water.

[00:08:09] They both drank the blood from a few rats, but knew that it wouldn't be enough. They had to find water. Are we going to die under this mountain? Dala asked as the two of them stopped to rest. They were stopping more often

[00:08:23] as their bodies became weaker with thirst. No! Mela exclaimed, Even if the Stam road leads all the way through the mountain, we've made good enough progress that we have to be near the end. Dala killed every rat she could see, but they still grew weaker.

[00:08:39] The only good news was that the supply of torches from the walls was just enough for them to be able to keep their way lit. Mela couldn't tell how many days they'd been traveling two, three weeks, months.

[00:08:51] She couldn't focus from hunger and thirst. Dala hadn't killed a rat in over 24 hours as her aim was becoming less true due to weakness. They held hands out of desperation not so much affection, dragging their bodies forward and supporting each other.

[00:09:08] After stumbling to her knees, Mela looked up at Dala. I'm not sure how much farther I can go. Dala knelt down beside Mela. I wanted to see the sun and sky with you.

[00:09:20] Her voice was a horse whisper, and Mela knew that if she had the tears to do it, Dala would have been crying. I wanted to show youness from the thieves tower to found as park and all of those places I told you about.

[00:09:34] Mela felt a deep sadness over losing the opportunity to share those things with Dala. But they both had come to an acceptance that they were going to die in a dark tunnel full of ghostly wind.

[00:09:48] Then it hit her. Dala had spoken in a whisper, and Mela had heard her. She looked around. The light wasn't flickering off the walls of a tunnel and the wind was nothing more than a breeze. Something had changed. Dala, the sound from the wind is gone.

[00:10:05] Looking around and then cocking her head, Dala replied, Are you something though? Mela closed her eyes and didn't move a muscle. The wind still blew slightly, but the screeching was gone. Everything was deathly quiet. Then it was there. A murmuring in the distance.

[00:10:23] Grabbing Dala's arm with her hand. Mela exclaimed, Those voices. She looked at Dala, and the smile on Dala's face told her that she already knew. Not saying another word, the two scramble to their feet and hugged each other tight.

[00:10:43] With the last of their strength they stumbled down the road, Soon they saw a dim glow in the distance that illuminated the tunnel, Which had at some point grown to almost 10 times the size of the road.

[00:10:56] The light and the voice is grew louder, and as they staggered around a bend, A bright, glorious light blinded Mela. Covering her eyes from the glare, Mela could see nothing as the shouts of men And the sound of stomping boots filled her ears.