August 20, 2023, 03:28 PM
Nestled among the cliffs at Dawn Treader's edge, the river flowed into a waterfall; standing so close to where the cliffs fell away to a steep drop, Andromache could see nothing but the gentle roll of fog below. It reminded her, in a way, of Myros. They'd lived in a mountainside forest blessed by the nymphs, an ancient place whose history stretched far enough that all memory of its origins had been lost to time.
She turned away from the edge, intending to follow the river back down to the valley. Yet the princess soon found herself distracted; the dark yawn of an opening in the stone beckoned to her. Andromache broke away from the river, picking out a careful path to what she assumed was a cave's entrance.
A narrow tunnel greeted her. She glanced behind her and briefly considered calling for Nikolaos. Then she turned and pressed into the darkness, deciding abruptly that no demigod should live in fear of something as simple as a dark tunnel. For several heartbeats she forged ahead in suffocating darkness — and then the tunnel opened to a dimly lit cavern. The back wall of it was broken in places, some jagged openings nearly large enough to fit a wolf. Both light and mist filtered in through the broken stone.
She peered out of one opening near to her own height, and the view took her breath away.
She turned away from the edge, intending to follow the river back down to the valley. Yet the princess soon found herself distracted; the dark yawn of an opening in the stone beckoned to her. Andromache broke away from the river, picking out a careful path to what she assumed was a cave's entrance.
A narrow tunnel greeted her. She glanced behind her and briefly considered calling for Nikolaos. Then she turned and pressed into the darkness, deciding abruptly that no demigod should live in fear of something as simple as a dark tunnel. For several heartbeats she forged ahead in suffocating darkness — and then the tunnel opened to a dimly lit cavern. The back wall of it was broken in places, some jagged openings nearly large enough to fit a wolf. Both light and mist filtered in through the broken stone.
She peered out of one opening near to her own height, and the view took her breath away.