“I don’t know. Tigran? Is it Ariazate?” Lucius looked to the boy.
“I don’t think so, not from that direction. She’d be coming from the north.”
Mylitos turned to look at Lucius. “Is…is it more of those things?”
Lucius shook his head. “I don’t think so. I don’t feel their presence like before.”
“‘Feel their presence’? What happened in that cave, Centurio?”
“We don’t have time to go into that now. Speed of foot is our best defense now.” He shoved Mylitos lightly.
They broke into a slow jog, continuing their northerly path. Lucius kept an eye on the lights, now more numerous and moving toward them. He didn’t know if they’d been spotted or if the lights were merely moving into the area; he wasn’t inclined to stick around and find out.
“Do we keep going or look for a place to hide?” Mylitos yelled over the howling wind.
“Tigran, do you know a cave or place we can get out of sight?”
The boy shook his head vigorously. “We don’t go on this mountain. I do not know its secrets.”
Lucius could hear the fear in his voice. Whether it was the di inferi or the temple and its gods he didn’t know, but after what he’d seen and witnessed, Tigran’s caution was wise and warranted.
Lucius sighed. “So, for now, we run. Go!”
A glimpse of Selene’s moon peeking through stormy clouds blanketing the sky brought a glimmer of hope and a small idea.
“My Mistress, do you see who tails us?” Lucius cast his thought to the moon.
“They mean you no good, that is all I see. They do not pay homage to me, my brave soldier.”
“Do you know a place we can hide? Some cave entrance your light as fallen upon?”
“Aye, stay along the path you are on; keep the mountain on your right shoulder. You will know it when you come to it. I will ensure you are not discovered while there is still darkness. After my brother returns for the dawn, I can help you no more in the day.”
Selene’s voice warmed his chilled body and his fatigue ebbed. “Thank you, my mistress.”
He felt her affection though she didn’t say anything else. Plunging forward, he caught up to his compatriots, not realizing he’d fallen behind while he talked with Selene. With a plan and a destination, he stepped around them and took the lead, setting a steady pace. He knew they would find a place to rest. The thought buoyed his spirits and lightened his step. The confidence of his stride must have inspired Tigran and Mylitos who forged ahead behind their leader.
When he came upon the entrance, it was like a bell sounding in his heart, struck by Selene’s benevolence. He cast her a quick prayer of thanks and found the entrance to a cave. If she’d not alerted him to it, they’d have passed it by. It stood barely four feet in height and opened such that it was nearly impossible to see from most angles.
Crouching down, he poked his head inside and breathed deeply but only got the scent of his scarf. He pulled it down and inhaled again. It smelled clean, or at least free from animals and their scents. He wished they had a torch to see what might be hidden within, but he knew that was a foolhardy wish on a dark night when enemy eyes sought him. He gave one last look over the path they’d walked down, the wind and snow quickly removing any evidence of their existence. With Selene’s assurances and nature hiding their tracks, he plunged into the cave.
After a few feet, the cave opened enough that he could stand, though he walked with his hand in front of him so he didn’t strike his head on a low hanging edge. The helmet would protect him, but it would still hurt. When he felt like he’d gone far enough to find air that was still and unbothered by the gusts occasionally forcing their way into the cave’s mouth, he sat down and ordered Tigran and Mylitos to join him.
Pulling his helmet off he pulled his cloak up and over his head, he tugged the scarf down so he could take a drink from the skin in his satchel. The ice-cold water felt like it was going to burn the inside of his mouth. He thought he felt a few crystals of ice in it.
“Don’t drink from the water. It’s too cold. It’ll chill you from the inside,” Tigran instructed. “Put your skin under your cloak next to your body. And if you can take off the armor for now, it’ll help.”
“What do you think, Centurio? Is it safe enough to take off our lorica?”
Lucius nodded. “We are being watched over. They won’t find our hiding spot tonight. Listen to Tigran.”
They helped each other remove their armor, setting it aside in case they needed to suit up quickly. Fishing some jerky and dried fruit from his satchel, Lucius sat down to fill his belly before attempting to get some sleep. It would be a short night after spending so much of it out on the mountain side.
“Bundle up good and try to get some sleep. Tomorrow won’t be any more hospitable than today.” He wiggled until he found a patch of ground that would suffice and quickly fell asleep, too tired and too overwhelmed to think about all that had happened in the last twenty-four hours.
EIGHTEEN
A faint trickle of light found its way into the cave, giving a vague outline of the entrance and the walls nearest it. Leaving his helmet off to avoid the shine of steel, Lucius peeked out of the cave once his eyes had adjusted to the light. He had to squint against the sun reflecting off the snow.
He didn’t see disturbed snow indicating anyone had passed, at least not since the snow had stopped. The snow filled most of the cave’s small entrance, only leaving a gap of a couple feet. They’d have to force their way out and forge their way north. If they stayed another night, they might never get out of the cave. They’d just be three corpses found in the spring thaw. The sleep had done them all a world of good, rejuvenating bodies and minds, at least enough for their needs.
“See anything, Centurio?” Mylitos asked.
“Just snow, lots of snow.” Lucius returned to depths of the cave.
“We should fill our waterskins with snow so it’ll melt as we go. Also, we’ll want to tie some thin cloth over our eyes to prevent snow blindness.” Tigran pulled out a strip from his bag and wrapped it loosely around his wrist.
Lucius nodded. “Those seem like sensible precautions.”
He had seen occasional snows in Belgica as a boy, but they didn’t often stay long in the lowlands forest near where he grew up. The first serious snow he’d experienced was in the mountains of Dacia. Those had been the highest mountains he’d ever seen at that point, but these Caucasii Montes soared higher. They took turns packing snow into their water skins, tucking them under the layers to melt and stay unfrozen.
Bundled up, they forged out of the cave and resumed their trek north. The going was tough as they had to force their way through the thick snow laid down over night and piled high by the wind. Still feeling the vigor of his encounter with the trio of gods, Lucius took the lead, wading through the snow to create a path for the last member of his command and their adolescent guide. As his mind drifted to the friends he’d been ordered to abandon to carry out the mission, then the friends who’d sacrificed themselves, he felt his mood dip and sour. It was only when he slipped and nearly went down the side of the mountain that he forced his mind back to the duties of surviving the present.
“At least this will slow down our pursuers,” Mylitos called, breaking the silence.
“Shh.” Tigran placed a finger over his lips. “You’ll wake the thunder snow.”
