Lem closed the door to his hut as if he were going to bed, but
instead, he began his preparations to leave. He changed into the clothes he had
been wearing when he found the underground village and folded up the extra
shirt and pants that Running Wolf had given him. Taking two cords that he had saved for this purpose, Lem tied the shirt and
pants to his knees as improvised kneepads. He clipped his small flashlight to
his belt, slung his pouch with some dried food it in around his neck and tied
his shoelaces together draping his shoes around his pack. Standing up, he took
a deep breath. He was ready.
Lem walked to the door of his hut and cracked it open just wide
enough to peer out into the darkness. He couldn’t see them, but he knew they
were there. Even at night the warriors stood guard blocking each exit. It would
be tricky getting past one of them, but first, he had to make it across the
wide cavern without causing any sound or attracting any notice.
Concentrating on each step, Lem inched his way along the path that
he knew well from weeks of study. He had never moved so slowly in his life, so
painfully slowly. His muscles ached under the strain, but he didn’t dare go any
faster. With each step, he felt out the ground in front of him before he placed
his foot. Then he lowered his toes first and gently his heel followed. He had
tried just walking on his tip toes to start with, but after almost losing his
balance a few times, he changed his tactics.
Inch by inch, Lem made his way to the other side of the village. Once
he reached the archway and the huge boulders that covered the floor underneath,
he sank to his knees and crawled over them one by one, feeling his way
carefully. It was in anticipation of this that he had made his kneepads, and
they served him well.
The journey which would normally only take a few minutes, felt
hours long. Only when his outstretched hands finally hit the rock of the cave
wall near where he had entered all those days ago did he allow himself to take
a moment to rest, but even then, he hardly dared to move. Up above his head
somewhere on the ledge by the tunnel entrance stood a guard.
This would
be so much easier, he thought contemplating his next move, if I could just somehow climb up the side of
the rock. Hmm, some animals can do that, can’t they? I wonder if those skills
could be transferred to humans. Probably not. After all, humans don’t have the
sticky hands and feet that some animals do. Lem let his mind wonder over
the possibilities. But, what if there
were some way to imitate that characteristic in people? Wow, the possibilities
could be endless. Hmm. A soft noise brought his distracted mind back to
task. That’s a thought for another time, He
told himself. Right now, I’ve got to
focus.
Bending down ever so slowly, Lem picked up a handful of dirt and
small stones. Gripping it tightly, he began inching his way around the cavern
wall to the steps that led up to the ledge. Breathing as quietly as he could
and taking one cautious step at a time, he slowly made his way to the top
counting the steps as he went. Once he reached the ledge, he knew that only a
few feet away stood the guard. He froze. He hadn’t heard a sound, but he got
the feeling that the warrior knew someone was there. It might just be his
overactive imagination, but he couldn’t take the chance. He would wait a moment
before moving again.
There he stood in the pitch darkness only inches away from being
caught. The sound of his breathing seemed to pound in his ears, so he opened
his mouth hoping that would help. The air seemed to crackle with tension. Lem
thought he heard the whisper of light cloth moving and instantly started to panic.
The guard only had to reach out his hand, and he would feel him. He had to do
something. Not moving his feet, Lem slowly and quietly bent his knees to squat
closer to the ground. He waited a few seconds and then carefully bracing one
hand on the ground, while not letting go of the dirt and rocks he had picked up
earlier, he picked up his leg with the other hand, so he could more easily and
more quietly move, and in this way, he shuffled over to the opposite side of
the ledge, his leg muscles screaming under the strain. He was glad for the
darkness at this point. He could only imagine how ridiculous he looked. He felt
like a frog. Hmm, some frogs could stick
to the sides of walls, couldn’t they? Focus, focus. He told himself
roughly.
Once he felt the edge of the rock platform, he froze again and
listened and waited. After what seemed like an eternity, his nerves couldn’t
take any more. The adrenaline rushed through his veins, and he began to fear
that his breathing was getting louder. He had to make his move. He took the
dirt and small stones and measured out the distance in his mind. He would have
to throw them, so they would land at the bottom of the steps. If the guard had
detected his presence, that distance might be believable. He would also have to
throw them low, so they wouldn’t make much noise when they landed. Anything
loud would be too obvious, but the warrior might believe a soft sound was
someone trying to sneak by. Concentrating on the direction and distance, Lem
threw. It was perfect. The small stones, muffled by the soft dirt, made only
the lightest clatter, but it was enough. Lem felt more than heard the guard
leave his post.
He didn’t waste any time. As quietly as he had been moving but
with a new sense of urgency, Lem made his way down the tunnel. Fortunately, he
remembered this passage well. It ran pretty smoothly and straight. With his
hand feeling the wall as he went, he was able to move a little more quickly. However,
in his newfound haste, he forgot to be cautious. When he came to the end of the
passage where it opened up into the small room, Lem squeezed through the tiny
opening and immediately hit his head on a low-hanging jagged edge.
Momentarily stunned by the pain, he sucked in his breath and
reached up to feel the quickly forming bump. His hand felt something wet and
sticky, and he knew he was bleeding. When a wave of dizziness hit him, he sat
down on the rough ground to catch his breath. Feeling his head again, he tried
to determine the extent of his injury. The last thing he needed to do was leave
a blood trail. He untied the spare pants he had been using as a knee pad and wound
them around his throbbing head.
Rising to his feet slowly and shakily, he continued his journey,
but this time, he held his hands out in front of him in addition to feeling
along the ground with his feet. Eventually, the ceiling of the tunnel began to
get lower, and he had to scoot along on his elbows. Daring a little light, he
pulled out his flashlight, and covered the end with one of his pants legs that
hung down by his face. The dimmed light was barely enough for him to see immediately
in front of himself, but it still helped. Just when his battered and bruised
body felt like it couldn’t take any more, he saw the moonlight streaming in at
the end of the tunnel and knew he was almost out.
Crawling through the small opening, Lem wiggled out into the soft
glow of light in the forest and sank to his knees in relief. He was out! He had
made it!
Suddenly, his joy was interrupted by a low snarl from his right.
Looking over, Lem’s blood froze. There glaring at him hostilely, stood five
dragons. With teeth bared, they began to circle around him.
