The Winter Prince (The Lion Hunters:01)(35)

But beneath our talk and laughter there came the ominous sound of a cataract of falling pebbles. They skittered down the curved wall across the flank of the painted deer, and came to rest at Cado’s feet. Tegfan called from the other side of the passage, “Should we go up until the ground settles?”

I looked with question at Cado, and he nodded. Into our sudden stillness a larger eddy of earth trickled down the rock wall. “Take the prince outside,” Cado said calmly.

More slender than any of us, Lleu slid through the narrow passage with barely an effort. I went after him, and called back to the others in a low voice, “Follow at once, as close as you can.” I picked up a lantern and put a hand on Lleu’s shoulder to guide him forward; and the ceiling closed in behind us.

Tegfan croaked, “Go,” and the three of us ran up the tunnel. We could hear, could always hear at our back the inner groaning of the disturbed hillside. Stones fallen from the ceiling struck at our heels. We were halfway to the outer cavern when the floor itself buckled, and Tegfan fell. I turned to give a hand to him, and shouted at Lleu, “Go on!” But there was no time. “Shield your head!” I cried then, and struck Lleu between the shoulders with such force that he was shoved stumbling perhaps ten steps farther up the tunnel. Off-balance, I too fell sprawling forward; the lantern hit the floor and flickered out. Then I could find neither strength nor courage to pick myself up as the ceiling fell in about my ears, and I did not dare to stir until the rumbling and crashing stopped.

When all I could hear was my own uneven breath, I moved to get up, but a fallen beam held me pinned to the floor by one foot and the opposite wrist. I moved my free arm a scant few inches and found, by chance, the lantern. Lleu’s voice came unsteadily out of the dark: “Medraut?” kraucan

I answered quietly, “Lleu? I still have the lantern: Come light it.”

I stretched my arm to him; he found me and clutched at my hand. He was on his knees, crawling, afraid to stand. He whispered, “Your hands are like ice.”

“Light the lantern,” I returned.

He did, revealing what was left of the shaft. Behind me, where the debris went deeper, Tegfan lay senseless, buried up to his waist. Behind us both, the fallen earth and rock sloped upward to the tunnel’s roof to fill the shaft beyond. There was no sign of Cado or the five others who had been with him.

“You’re not hurt?” I said to Lleu. He shook his head. The lantern quaked in his hand, so he set it on the floor.

I stretched my free arm toward Tegfan, but could not reach him. “See if—,” I said to Lleu, then barked out, “No!” as he began to climb the pile of debris to reach Tegfan. “Distribute your weight. Lie down and stretch up the slope.” He obeyed numbly, and felt for the pulse in one of Tegfan’s limp wrists. “Don’t use your thumb,” I directed.

Lleu said at last, “He’s all right.”

“Hold the lantern up there: can you see any sign of the rest?”

“There’s nothing, sir,” Lleu whispered.

“Help me.” I could not sit up, trapped as I was; propped awkwardly on an elbow, almost flat on my back, I struggled to shift the beam that held me prisoner. But even when Lleu pulled with me we could not move it. “Take the lantern,” I said quietly, “and go for help. Don’t run; we may not have much air. If there is another tremor, don’t come back. Did you mark the way out?”

He nodded. “But sir—,” he began. “Are you hurt?”

I shook my head. “But Tegfan must be. And the rest of us, Cado—” I bit the words off, scarcely able to speak aloud what I was thinking. “Six men!” I gasped, incredulous. “Six men, and I responsible!”

Lleu bent, impulsively, to drop a quick kiss on my forehead before he took the lantern and started up the tunnel. I watched him go, the light with him growing more distant. When he turned the corner there was only a faint bloom of yellow warmth against the far wall: and after that nothing but blackness, and I alone.

I can hardly bear to tell of this.

I thought I must go mad waiting there for very long. But soon, soon, four men from the upper shafts came down with lanterns and shovels. Tegfan—he was senseless through all our cautious work to free him, and I started to splint his legs as best I could before we carried him out. But the roof began to tremble again. We abandoned the tools, for it took all four men from the upper shafts to carry Tegfan. The tunnel shuddered and rattled as we half ran, half crawled upward, dodging showers of clay and dust. It was agony to put weight on the foot that had been trapped; I dragged myself behind the others, frantic lest I should cause their destruction as well.