Chapter 7

The underground river had been discovered on the second day in the caves, but the difficulty of judging its depth had made it a place to be feared rather than used. Now, linked together by ropes, the Mallrats felt their way along the side of the water filled ravine, following the dim light of Jay's torch. Amber listened as Ram muttered stories to Brady, keeping her occupied with his voice as he now had neither hand free.

They had been walking for hours. At first the passageway was wide enough for two to walk side by side. Now it had narrowed and the river rushed past dangerously close to their right hand side. It had been that way, dipping and writhing through the rocks, for the best part of two hours now. In the dim light, from the very end of the chain, Amber could see little sign of the geography changing. It took another half hour at least before the torrent at the side of her seemed to slow and the rock below her felt smoother.

"When did you get so good with kids," Amber whispered when the group reached the relative safety of a wider tunnel that was now steadily rising.

"Oh, there's a lot you don't know about me," Ram chuckled as they climbed. He had his hand on Brady's head and the little girl laughed as she tried to remove it.

"But apparently not much you don't know about everyone else," Amber replied. "That hardly seems fair."

"I just sit back and make observations," Ram drawled. "I can't help it if people are so predictable."

"Ah, but one of your predictions was wrong, wasn't it?" Amber was now able to walk at Ram's side and together they brought up the rear of the party. "Jack and Ebony? They came back."

"Indeed they did," Ram nodded, successfully removing his head from Brady's hand where she was now trying his own trick on him. "But that doesn't necessarily mean that no part of my prediction came true. Caves like this, with hardly any light and very little space, just the two of them, trying to stay together and stay sane. Who knows what could happen."

"So you still think something happened between them?"

"And happened in the caves, yes."

Amber fell silent and they walked on for a while listening to the sounds of the others up ahead. Eventually, Amber spoke again.

"If, and it's a big if, Ram," she said. "If you are right, what does that mean for the tribe when we meet up again?"

"If I'm right, and I usually am," Ram grinned, "whatever happened between them will have been short-lived, passionate and intense. At least at first anyway. Knowing Jack's sense of loyalty and Ebony's distrust of any feeling that might in any sense weaken her, they'll both be trying to pretend nothing ever happened. At the same time whatever did happen will still be there in their memories, festering like an old wound."

"Ugh!" Amber shivered. "What a wonderful way with words you have Ram!"

The group stopped and Ram felt the rope that joined him to the rest of the group go slack. Trudy came over and took Brady from Ram. Fixing a piece of string around Brady's wrist, with the other end tied firmly around her own, Trudy straightened up.

"Jay wants to stop here for the night," she said, smiling. "At least, for what he thinks is the night. He's found a sort of alcove we can put the buckets and everything in and it's flat enough for us all to lie down and sleep for a while. Brady and I will keep a space under a blanket for you and Bray, Amber."

"I'll come and join you in a bit," Amber replied, handing over the blankets she was carrying.

"I suppose Jay will be wanting some of these for supper?" Ram asked, holding out the bucket.

"I don't think we're eating tonight," Trudy laughed. "Jay want's to make the food last as long as possible. I'll put it with the rest of our supplies though."

"She certainly seems to know what Jay wants," Ram breathed as Trudy disappeared in the direction of the torch light.

"Stop trying to stir things up!" Amber snapped. "Trudy is no more attracted to Jay than Ebony is to Jack, or I am to you!"

"I merely tell it like it is!" Ram laughed. "Attraction is a powerful thing. Sometimes you don't notice it until something makes the penny drop, like a catalyst in a chemical reaction. Once it's there, however, and you're aware of it, ignoring it will not make it go away. Especially not when you're faced with the object of your attraction every day!"

"Well, then, oh mighty oracle," said Amber, her voice dripping with cynicism. "What do you suggest to get rid of it?"

"Oh, it's a simple enough remedy," Ram whispered, tugging the rope that tied Amber to him so that she stepped forward until only her infant son filled the gap between them. She felt Ram lean forward until his breath traced a line up her neck. When his lips were level with her ear he whispered: "Give in."

****

Ebony eased the door aside and stepped quietly into the room. She couldn't sleep. She hadn't slept the first night here either. All that time lying curled up in a cold, damp boat or in a cold, dark cave and she had dreamt of the time she could lie down to sleep in a soft bed again. Now that she had one, she found her thoughts plagued with memories and daydreams that chased sleep away like strong coffee. Most of those, no, all of those thoughts were about the chalet's only other occupant. The one whose room she was sneaking into now.

Wrapping the blanket around herself, she sat down in the round basket woven chair and curled her legs under her. By the bright moonlight shining through the window, she could see his clothes scattered on the floor. One boot lay on its side, the other was right way up but at an odd angle to the wall. The jacket hung on the back of the door. The shirt hung haphazardly over the end of the bedstead. The t-shirt was crumpled in a heap on the floor. So were the jeans. The socks lay close by.

Ebony raised an eyebrow. The devil on her shoulder was wondering just what he had left on under that duvet. The angel on her other shoulder reminded her he was with Ellie, and that nothing good ever came from meddling in other people's love lives.

Closing her eyes, she let her mind go back to the caves, to that kiss. The feelings of shock, fury, indignation and rebellion that had immediately filled her when he had first pressed his lips against hers. The way they had faded into helplessness as she had realised, with yet another shock, that Jack was stronger than she was. The shiver that had run down her spine and through her entire body when their tongues met. How fast her heart had been beating when he pulled away from her. How fast she had felt his heart beating. How hungrily their lips, and bodies, had collided that second time. The passion that had coloured that kiss and everything that had happened since.

A movement from the bed brought Ebony's eyes open with a start. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw he was still asleep. The noise had just been him rolling on to his side. In the moonlight, something caught Ebony's eye. She rose quietly and tiptoed over to the side of the bed. Just visible above the covers were the tops of four scratch marks, each a straight, parallel line about a centimetre apart. Reaching out a hand, Ebony matched each of her four fingernails to each of the scratches. If she was right, the scratch from her thumb should start just below the level of the duvet. She gently brushed it down slightly. The fifth scratch mark stood out clearly. It appeared the kiss they had been trying so hard to forget now had five brand new witnesses.

Jack murmured in his sleep and rolled back onto his back. It was time to go. As quietly as she had arrived, Ebony made her way out of the room, pausing at the door to cast one more glance over the sleeping figure in the bed. Perhaps sleep might be enticed by dreams.