The Elder's Path by J.D. Caldwell

holes that let in some light.
    “That explains why it’s so freezing in here,” Lyn said absently to herself. The sound of her voice reverberated off the f rozen walls, and the sound was small in the shadows of the cavern. Lyn moved forward, running her hand idly over the sheen of ice on the nearest wall. Despite her unease in enclosed spaces such as these, she found the light refracting from the ice incredibly beautiful, and was enraptured by the twinkling room. Noticing yet another tunnel on the other side of the cavern, she took a last look and progressed forward.
    As she walked slowly forward, the sputtering light of her torch revealed little in front of h er, and she found her thoughts wandering. Something nagged at the corner of her mind but she couldn’t pinpoint it, and continued about her contemplations. Suddenly it struck her with an immediacy that set her heart to pounding. She could hear something.
     
     
    Chapter 6
    5 th day, 10 th lunar cycle, 700 th age of Arc
     
    “Alir and I have found refuge in a cave. There is an incredible storm raging outside, and it is simply unsafe to go out. Neither of us like being cooped up in here, but what’s worse is that I do not think we are alone. Yesterday I went deeper in the cave to do some exploring, and I could have sworn I’d heard something. I am ashamed to admit that I did not possess the fortitude to continue on and discover what it was. But that was yesterday, and today is a new day. I will venture forth and see what I can find. Though, I hold hope that I was wrong, and nothing is all I shall find.”
     
    The icy cavern seemed much less inviting Lyn’s second time through it, probably because she had to fight herself each time she took a step forward. She had deliberated for some time on the noise she had thought she heard, and she had convinced herself it was possibly just the wind. But that hadn’t stopped her yesterday from turning directly around and returning to camp. Today, however, Lyn had decided she had to either explore the dark tunnel to make sure they were safe, or leave altogether. Unfortunately, that latter choice was not much of an option; the snow had continued in torrents and had piled up at the cave entrance, effectively blocking their exit. Worse, the ravine which had brought them here had apparently collapsed with the weight of the snow and closed itself off. As such, Lyn and Alir found themselves stuck in the cave for the foreseeable future and therefor obligated to search out the noise. Loathe as she was to go alone, Lyn felt it necessary to leave Alir with their equipment in case she did get lost and required him to find her. This is how Lyn found herself sliding along the icy wall of the open cavern towards the dark portal and whatever lay within. She took small steps, each punctuated by a pounding heartbeat and quickened breath.
    She moved in to the tunnel and stopped, waiting to hear the sound that had stopped her so abruptly the day previous. But she heard n othing over the sound of the wind whistling through the cracks in the cavern ceiling and resigned herself to moving forward. With bated breath, she proceeded into the darkness and waited once more for the sound. Counting the seconds, she waited until she could no longer hold back her breathing and let loose a relieved sigh. She smiled to herself, glad of the small victory, feeling the tension leave her shoulders in a rush.
    “You fool, getting scared of the dark like a child,” she said aloud, her voice carrying down into the dark. No sooner had she turned about to return, no longer interested in pursuing further, than the noise returned. It was a deep and low rumble, more a feeling in the walls and floor than an audible sound. Lyn stiffened and caught her breath once more, her eyes wide and locked forward. She feared to turn once more and gaze into the depths, scared of what she might see. She closed her eyes tight, trying to block out her fear. But the rumble came once