“It is that way” Ed said “so have you gotten the price?”

“Yes yes” Eathel unpacked the stolen piece of cake “here take it so that you may tell me the private affairs of the guards and the secrets of the maids, oh thou most magnanimous oracle”

“Reading too much really can be bad for one's psyche, huh” Edmure said during his bites. “ So have you heard that Mathilde has a new…”

So they talked and talked about gossip in the castle, they were too transfixed by their conversation and Edmure by his cake, too notice that they were going deeper and deeper into the fortress

.

They wandered through halls not seen by men since the invasion; the stone around them unworked and stacked upon themself without adhesives or clamps yet they were also more.

Now silent still in trance the walked forwards always forwards. Edmure stumbled through the dark, his feet hitting an outcrop from the naturestone, their torch long extinguished, there was nothing he could see.

His breath grew rapid and irregular, he let himself fall on the floor, thankfully not injuring himself. Then he heard it: Tap Tap Tap Tap.

What gruesome monster has come to finish me?

Now on high alert he noticed the steps were steadily growing more quiet.

I am such a fool!

“Eathel! Eathel you have to stop” Eds voice was thundering to the silence which dominated their surroundings.

“What, where, who? Ed is that you, where are we?” said Eathel to his friend.

“ I do not know, probably still in the castle. The two boys turned to each other desperate to see a familiar sight.

“Am I blind or can you also not see?” Ed asked. “Wait there something shimmers! I think it's your belt buckle and and also your sword”

“Your sword glitters faintly.” Eathel said.

Eathel still felt a compulsion to follow the path to its end, the strongest pull coming from his waist. While the noble child still pondered about their situation, Ed finally found his firestarter and kindled a flame to ignite his torch after a while and some promising and some clear failures he finally succeeded.

Light and shadow danced around the walls. Their play was mesmerizing to young Eathel. He watched them hunt each other on stones, all of them looked to be untouched by tools, until he saw a face.

He widened his eyes ,tightened his jaw, sweat formed on his forehead, a tremor hit his chest and his legs began to shiver. He wanted to look away, run away and try to forget but he had to look to make sure it was not him. so Eathel turned his head towards the engraving he was now face to face with the face adorned with antlers. Eye in eye he was a captive to the angry face.

Eathel managed to break away the image still burned into his mind. Not yet quite free he saw his friend also starring on the wall. He ran and tore Edmure away from the wall.

“Eathel, what is going on? First we end up here and now the wall, the face?” Edmure asked “let us just leave and forget about all this” he gestured wildly around.

“Yes we need to go, now!” Eathel said and took the lead back the way they came, still holding his friend's hand, once he realized he let it go immediately.

Thank the ancients he has not noticed, or he would call me a scared girl until I have to leave. He shuddered at that thought.

They ran through the ancient way, Eathel and Ed both barely could contain their excitement seeing the first stone clearly touched by tools, their happiness was cut short, they came into a room their only problem was that it had three exits and not just two.

Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

“Shit” They exclaimed at the same time.

Ther was the path they came from, and one 90° to the right and one to the left. Looking for anything to influence their decision they went over the room but there was nothing, not even a smell, just gray stone, rough gray stone.

Edmure went from one path to the other sniffing had no results listening neither there was only silence.

Suddenly he noticed something, he went from pathway to pathway at least 20 times, for good measure he also went to the one they emerged from.

Allthewhile Eathel was sleeping in a corner taking advantage of the shit free corner, snoring peacefully.

"Eathel, I know which way we have to take, it is the right one!” said Edmure.

Eathelstan's eyes shot open, his hand instantly seeking his sword handle.

“What, tell me how?”

Ed explained to his friend how the pull is stronger on the left path than on the right. They soon took the pulless one and went on their way, their torch was dangerously close to going out, so they ignited their last torched just before the light was snuffed out.

After a long while of following the uninterrupted corridor the flame was burning low. Eathel was now thankful for the trance, at least he had not to endure the reeking mice shit, flattened on their way down it had all the time to release its foul odor.

They went and went and as thanks for their efforts they encountered another crossing, an obstacle which was easy to overcome, they just followed the flattened shit.

Eathel gave his friend his waterskin who had already finished his own, who took it, drank a small sip and nodded. They even shared their travel provisions which existed of old bread Edmure could sneak out of the kitchen.

Still no end in sight, their torch finally lost its fuel and went out. Now in absolute darkness they just followed their path alway going right when given the feared choice.

“Ed we are going to make it, we will find a way out?” Eathel said as much to Edmure as to himself.

“Of course we will this is just our first adventure we could not possibly die, our parents would not approve” Said Edmure

“Yes I can imagine father coming to my grave, what have I always told you about keeping yourself safe?” Eathel said, imitating his fathers gruff voice.

Ancients please keep us safe if not for our sake then for our fathers and Eds Mother. Eathel thought of his small prayer.

Eathel added his own to the rats excrement, stemming his back against the wall so as to not lose his balance. Maybe Ed did it too, Eathel could not remember. He could hear his belly rumble and feel an emptiness he as a noble child has never felt.

“Edmure, stop screaming! What is it? Have you lost your mind?” Eathel said it was because of his friend's strange behavior.

“Maybe someone will hear us and rescue us, I don't want to die here, I don't want to contribute to this stench here” Ed said.

Convinced by the argument the both screamed alternating depending on whose voice has recovered more. The only success they had was to scare away all the mice which didn't instantly die by heart attack.

Something was different, Eathel at first he could not point his finger on it but he realized the floor was on an upwards tilt, the air grew even colder around them.

Hope blossomed in his heart finally they would be free from the subterranean nightmare, just a bit more and it would get warmer again and the hall would be illuminated by the wall torches. He would be able to stop the roaring of his belly and most importantly he could sleep in his bed again.

He asked if Edmure knew how much time passed but no answer came, he could have imagined his friend to have given up if not for the steady steps next to him. He gave his friend his waterskin who had already finished his

It was exceptional, Eathel could see the walls, not that they were special but that he could see anything at all. He hurried up and soon he could see the light source, it was a rotten door which had many holes and missing pieces.

The door even still with its condition would not butch, they stemmed their bodies against it but no chance. They tried pulling, still it was stuck. They double and triple checked it had no lock.

Eathelstan screamed and kicked and punched all to no avail, he started hitting his head against it partly out of frustration partly because he realized how dumb he was.

“Good, you finally calmed down!” Ed said to him.

“I was not that bad!” Said Eathel

“You wouldn't even react when I called your name.“ Edmure said and started hacking down on the door with his sword.

Finally free they stepped out smiles were plastered on both faces when they saw the sun shining in their faces. They took a step outside on a small balcony-like outcrop enough for them to comfortably lay on it and still being their own length away from the edge.

Eathel took deep breaths, finally he could inhale fresh air again, and the smell was wonderful, no mouse shit, not their own, not any shit. Concerning only was strong flowing water crashing against rock.

He took a step towards the edge and looked down.

Shit he thought.