Collapsed Tunnel

The maenad lost patience and ran at me. I used my staff like a spear, jabbing it into her shoulder. She shrieked and staggered back. All at once, perhaps loosened by the thunderous noise, rocks began to fall around us, and there was an ominous rumble overhead.

Something struck me a glancing blow on the head and I fell backwards, half stunned. I struggled up onto my knees and caught a quick glimpse of Alice’s terrified face; then the tunnel came down with a grating, grinding, rumbling roar, and everything went black.

I opened my eyes to see Alice bending over me. The candle had burned very low and was now little more than a stub. There was a bitter taste in my mouth. A piece of leaf lay under my tongue – some healing herb from Alice’s leather pouch.

‘Getting really worried, I was,’ she remarked. ‘You’ve been unconscious ages.’

B6 C10