A/N: I won't delay you any longer, so read on ;)
"Leave your things." Every head in the room turned. His voice was high and clear, almost like a girl's.
"Bring only one set of extra clothes," he continued.
Wide-eyed with confusion and now fully awake, the girls quickly carried out the guard's orders. They quickly assembled into their lines and followed him out of the room where they joined the other guards waiting for them. There were more than the usual Lynn noticed. There were the twin silver guards, the head guard in green and the other one in navy blue. But there were also a few new ones; one in russet red, another in dark brown and a final extra boy decked in cloths the colour of sand.
Lynn clutched her bundle to her chest and followed the other girls into the tunnel. What was going on? Was it so dangerous that extra security was being enforced? The walked to the end of the tunnel, their collective footsteps only slightly louder than usual. At the fork in their path where they usually turned left to enter the path that led to the rest of the underground chambers they instead turned right; the passageway to the Prince's chambers.
Though she could not see the others' faces, she could feel their confusion mirroring her own. They were led down the right corridor and up a flight of stairs that led directly off of it. Up and up they climbed, none of them making a sound. Small shrouded windows began to appear on the walls as they ascended through the Prince's underground palace.
So the Prince was summoning them, she thought. But as they passed the stairway that led up to his rooms without so much as a second glance, Lynn was no longer sure. She could feel the surprise and worry radiating off the other girls as they continued on their route through this unfamiliar part of the castle.
Five more minutes of hushed walking and the girls finally came to a stop. She could not see from her place at the end of the line but Lynn could hear the jangle of keys and a series of familiar clicking sounds. She tried peering out of the window closest to her but all she could see was dense, dark green shrubbery.
The line surged forwards once more and stifled gasps floated back to where she stood. Her breathing quickened and she could not contain the smile that broke out on her features. She gasped while her eyes squinted of their own accord. A sharp prod from behind reminded her to keep her feet moving.
She looked around, blinking several times to accustom herself to the relative brightness of her new surroundings. They had entered into a small clearing. Trees- conifer, firs and all manner of evergreen trees- at least two hundred feet tall enclosed the glade, beyond them an opaque darkness. Weak sunlight filtered through the nearly impenetrable canopy of the surrounding trees, casting dappling shadows onto the uneven ground. More than once she stumbled on one of the many thick and gnarled roots that protruded form the earth, which seemed to stretch on and beyond the clearing.
She looked back and saw the colossal tree from which they had emerged and that dominated the centre of the circular field. It rose into the air like a crooked old man; bent double, almost triple, the uppermost branches almost sweeping the ground. So that was the Prince's castle.
The bark was a deep black colour, darker than ebony, almost charred. They neared the edge of the clearing, drawing closer to the darkness of the unbroken forest. It was silly but as she gave the old tree one last glance it looked almost as though the other trees were wary of it; giving it a wide berth yet their upper branches drew inexplicably towards it, shrouding it in shade. It reminded her strangely of the Prince, twisted branches and all.
She turned and faced forward just as they entered the forest's darkness. The drop in temperature was almost instantaneous, raising goosebumps on her skin. She chafed her arms and wondered where they were being led. The comparative gloom of the forest made the light in the shadowy clearing positively blinding. Were it not for the torches the guards still held aloft she would have fallen flat on her face with every few steps; the floor was even more uneven here than before.
It felt cold and slimy, especially through her thin slippers. The leaf litter was so deep in places she often found herself submerged to the knee in dead leaves and other natural debris. The path they followed was a narrow one, barely escaping the way of the trees; often a fallen branch forced them to hitch their skirts up and clamber over. They walked on though the forest, treading its sunless floor, not a word passing their lips.
Beyond the path, which was only wide enough for them to walk in single file formation, she could not see anything but bark and the moss and lichen that covered it. Yet it all felt eerily familiar. Waves of fear swept through her as she walked, causing her to stumble even more than she already was. She was sure she'd been here before but how was that possible? The forest was silent aside from their own loud footsteps; there were no bird cries, no buzzing of insects: no sign of life at all. She kept her eyes fixed on the ground in front of her but still managed to fall. As she picked her self up, the feel of rough branches and thorns scraping against her cheek brought a flash of recognition so strong she fell down again. Her nightmares. She'd been here in her nightmares, almost every other night since she'd arrived. How could she have forgotten? She heaved herself off the muddy earth and kept her eyes downcast, too terrified to look around.
The smell came gradually at first, carried on the whisper of a breeze, stealing into their olfactory senses. Lynn wrinkled her nose vaguely making note of it. But as they progressed the odour became overpowering and she had to clasp her hands to her mouth and nose to keep from being sick.
It was a chance glance but she saw it's source as she turned her head. To her immediate right, so well hidden that there was no way anyone would stumble across it unless they knew it was there, was a path not dissimilar to the one she was being lead up now. She only got a fleeting glance but at the end of the short path she could see a procession so far away they looked like ants emerging from a cavernous hole in the ground. The stench was unbearable.
---
They walked on for ten more minutes or so, most of it uphill, before they finally reached their destination. The excitement in the air was now tangible. The guards parted the last few trees and motioned for the girls to pass.
They squinted in the sudden abundance of light, raising their arms to their faces to shield them from it. It was indeed a sight to behold:
They had entered another clearing, completely unlike the nightmarish jungle they had just emerged from. The trees above them had parted just enough that a few real rays of sunshine cascaded down into the centre of the clearing like a shimmering waterfall of light. The grass was blindingly colourful in comparison to the gloom they had just emerged from while small daisies dotted the little field swaying gently. But beyond them was where the true beauty lay.
The sound of trickling water drew their eyes upwards. A small waterfall, a baby really, surrounded by river rocks and boulders weathered smooth over the years. Water cascaded down the granite rock face and gathered at its base creating a small clear pool just deep enough to bathe in. It flowed on to form more of a river than a stream that flowed on and beyond the clearing. Lynn felt her spirits soar.
The girls walked towards it hesitantly glancing at the guards from the corners of their eyes. But when their young jailers retreated to the edges of the clearing on the borderline of light and shadow surrounding them, they took it as their cue to proceed.
***
Lynn sunbathed on the ground in her wet clothes, her bare toes nestling in the cool grass. There was nothing comparable to the freshness of the outdoors; it was only now that she realised how much she had missed it. She let the little sunlight there was caress her face and warm her cheeks. Sonia was lying down nearby, an arm flung over her face as she snoozed; Penelope and Maria were making daisy chains.
Ada and the twins were still bathing in the pool, screaming and shrieking as another splashed water at them.
Off the pool there were two rivers running side by side. Separated only by a few large boulders the serene stream so perfect for bathing had a sister of raging river rapids; a mass of churning white water. They were careful to keep their distance.
"Hey," grumbled Sonia opening one eye. "I'm trying to get some sleep here."
"Oh, lighten up Sonia!" teased Penelope already walking towards the waterfall for a second round of swimming.
"Just remember not to go past the large boulder or the river," she warned.
Soon Lynn and Maria joined them as well, until only Sonia was left sitting on the grass. The girls looked at each other with the same glint of mischief in their eyes. They cupped their hands gathering water and tiptoed to where the snoozing girl lay.
"Aaaaiee!" she shrieked. The girls ran for their lives into the safety of the pool.
Within minutes a full-blown water fight was in swing and the girls ran around the clearing laughing and screaming. Lynn clambered atop one of the larger rocks bordering the stream in an attempt to get away from the onslaught of water, exhilaration making her reckless.
Maria and Lille jumped in the pool attempting to attack her from behind. Lynn squealed and edged as far away as she could while maintaining her balance on the slippery river rock.
Ada quickly caught on as well. "I'm gonna get you~" she sang, cupping her hands to hold the water as she advanced.
Lynn shrieked and scooted further on the rock. The other girls too advanced, each issuing threats of an imminent soaking.
There was a larger rock just nearby. Now if she just jumped hard enough, and perhaps with a little running start to get her going, she could definitely make it.
"You'll never catch me!" she retorted, showing off her biceps before unsteadily getting to her feet.
She took a step back and to a running head start. She surged forwards and leapt.
Lynn sailed through the air for a moment and landed hard on the rock she'd been aiming for, overshooting just a little. She landed on the shiny, mossy side of the rock, the side nearer to the rapids that she'd thought, and slipped. She screamed.
"Lynn!" yelled the girls. They rushed forwards to help, splashing through the water to get nearer. Two of the guards quickly moved forwards.
Her fingers scrabbled over the slimy surface, desperate to find a place to grip. She looked down and saw white frothy water churning below; currents strong enough to drag away even the strongest swimmer.
"Help!" she screamed, sliding further down the rock.
The stream was too deep in the middle to wade through and even though they could swim to Lynn there was no way any of them would be able to pull her up without some means of anchoring. The other side of the river, though more vicious, was narrower.
They quickly crossed the pool to get to the other side formed a human chain with Ada at the front and one of the guards holding Maria at the end of the chain firmly in place on the riverbank. The young German waded slowly through the churning water towards her, pushing against the current. She got as far as the nearest boulder but the amount of pressure the water forced on her prevented her from coming any closer.
"You'll have to jump!" she called, straining to be heard over the roar of the water. "Jump and I'll catch you when you float by."
Lynn gave her a panicky look and dug her fingers deeper into the rock. It would be very close; if Ada didn't catch her she'd be swept away by the current. But there was no other choice. She looked at the girl's determined face.
"I'll catch you," she promised.
Lynn closed her eyes and released her hold on the rock praying she wasn't making the biggest mistake of her life. She fell feet first allowing the icy water to rise up above her head, muffling her hearing. She was tossed end over end like a leaf in the wind, water filling her mouth and nose making it impossible to breathe.
Lynn gasped as her head finally broke the surface of the water. She felt Ada's firm grip on her arm and suddenly a barrage of water crashed against her as the older girl fought against the current. She struggled to stand up but the torrent of water swept her feet from under her and she was dragged down once more.
She flailed in the water, fighting to keep her head up while Ada used all her strength just to maintain her hold. The other guards looked on warily, not being able to enter the stream for fear of being swept away themselves. She thought desperately of the Prince and why they were not calling for him to help.
Lynn struggled to grab Ada's hand as the girl's grip slid from her forearm to her wrist, the water viciously trying to pry them apart. Then suddenly Ada let go altogether.
Lynn slid forwards a few feet before she was grabbed once again. But this time Ada couldn't hold on.
"Lynn!" she screamed.
She felt her fingers fumbling to hang on, desperately trying with just the tips of her fingernails. But Lynn was too weak and the current was too strong, until at last she was swept away.
---
Ada and the others watched horrified as Lynn was carried away down the stream, her gurgled cries for help barely audible over the roar of the rapids.
"Lynn!" she screamed again, wading forwards and breaking Sonia's grip on her waist.
"No!" shouted Sonia, yanking her back.
"You want me to let her drown!?" raged the girl.
"We'll have a better chance if we follow along side the river. Come on."
The girls quickly retreated towards the bank and ran along the riverbank as fast as they could, looking for any sign of Lynn. The guards ran with them and though their faces did not show it, their movements betrayed their worry.
Ada led the group, her long legs and fear giving her speed. Please let her be okay, please let her be okay, please let her be okay-
She jerked to a stop.
"No," she breathed.
Breathtaking though it was, at that moment no sight could have been more terrible. The girls crowded around the rocky outcrop that was the waterfall's head, much larger than their own waterfall, and stared openmouthed in disbelief at the dizzying drop below.
Ada sank to her knees, covering her face as the tears welled up in her eyes and streamed down her cheeks.
The roar of the falls drowned out their cries.
---
A/N: Happy New Year's Eve!
I haven't really proofread this chapter but it was surprisingly fun to write. Getting the scenery right was tricky though. What did you guys think? Nice reviews would make my new year~ *hint hint*
A massive round of applause to LePaige and Sucker4Stories who have followed and reviewed this story from the beginning. Thanks so much guys :')
Thanks also to Felix, AliceAshleyCullen, DestinyCharmer, Ccmc, Kate0722, Kylie, Contaminated, Potterdancer616, talkstoangels77, pinkalarmclock and anyone else I might've missed who reviewed and/or added this to their alerts.
Thanks again everyone, have a Happy New Year and see you in 2010! =D