Chapter

She had driven most of the way to the mountains and the caves. Vin had unhooked Mike and had him hobbled in a small grass patch just below the caves. He had insisted that they have lunch before they went exploring. He had also insisted that Anna drink both ciders. He had noticed that she had been a little more sensitive to sounds and the sunlight then the day before.

"Got somethin' for you," He reached over to a package he had brought along with the basket, Anna's book, the canteen and the buffalo blanket. He had set it off to the side while they ate.

"Something for me?" She looked across the basket at him, her green eyes showing excitement.

He had wrapped the present in the paper from the laundry. He hadn't had anything else to cover it in, so he had used that. He felt bad that he didn't have proper paper, but he also knew that she would need these. He handed her the package.

She took the package and set it in her lap. "A present for me?" Her hands glided over it. She looked over at him, He was leaning on his left elbow. His hat was pushed back, off his head, and his hair curled around his face. She saw a touch of worry in those blue eyes. She opened the package, revealing a pair of high top moccasins. They were much smaller then Vin's. She ran her hand over them; they were soft to the touch. She looked up from them, tears showing.

He moved to her quickly. "You don't have to wear them if you don't like 'em." He was reaching for them.

Anna realized he thought she didn't like them. She could see the flush of embarrassment come into his face and eyes. "Oh Vin! They are beautiful." She looked up at him. Taking them out, she put one of the soft skins against her face. "They are as soft as a kitten."

He was on his knees, a little confused. If she liked them, why was she crying? He moved back to sit on his heal, looking at her. She did seem like she liked the moccasins.

"Would you help me take my boots off?" She moved her feet out from under her and looked at Vin expectantly.

Vin smiled. Reaching down he gently took her booted foot in his hands and very carefully pulled the boot off. Setting it to the side he removed the other one. Then he helped her start to pull the moccasin up onto her foot.

It was a perfect fit. She looked up at him. "It fits perfectly…" her astonishment showed in her voice. "How did you do that?"

He grinned. "Good guess" He winked at her. He wasn't going to tell her where he had gotten them or how long ago. He'd let that ghost stay a ghost…

He made sure they were laced properly before they headed up the small trail that led to the caves. He brought the canteen and a torch he had made. He watched her carefully. When he saw that she was getting a little out of breath, he'd find some reason to stop and show her a flower or a rock or an animal track. The path was steep, but it was a trail that switched back on itself. So you walked up hill heading one way for a short distance and the cut back, still going up hill, and continued going up the mountain in a continual 'Z'. Taking their time, they reached the cave entrance in about three quarters of an hour. Vin usually walked it in twenty minutes.

"I think these caves are really old." He pulled a match from his pocket and struck it on the entrance of the cave, touching match to torch. "The Indians I've spoken to around here say their grandfathers, grandfathers spoke of the drawings, and they are not of this tribe." He saw her face in the torch light. She was like an excited little girl. The torch light didn't seem to hurt her eyes like the sun did. "Don't wander too far off, there be a couple big holes in the cave floor." He felt her press closer as they started into the cave. "Might want a watch out for grizzlies too!" He saw her head snap around. He gave her grin, and a wink. "Just teasing…"

Vin led the way down into the cave. He had been counting to himself and when he got to 100 twice he turned to Anna. "Stand right here, don't move."

"Where are you going?" Her voice carried a touch of worry..

He didn't have to see her to know she was afraid. "Not very far." He looked back at her. "Gonna give us a little more light." He took several steps to his right and there was a torch in the wall. He lit it and continued on around the room, lighting torches as he went. About half way around, he had to search for the torch, finding it on the floor on the cave.

They were in a massive cavern. The ceiling had to be a couple hundred feet high and there were columns hanging from the ceiling. They came to points on their ends, some had water dripping off them. There were pools of multi colored water in what looked like crusted basins. There were columns that started at the floor and rose up. Some of them came to a point at their top, others were round pillars.

As he completed the circle, he put the torch he held in a crevice. He came back to her. He remembered the first time he had come in here. As he had carefully walked the floor he had found a couple of old torches and the next time he had come back with an armload. They could hear the water dripping off the columns.

He watched her do as she had done the day before. She slowly looked around. Looking at one spot as if memorizing it, and then moving on to the next. She was about half way around when he saw her smile at something. "What do ya see?"

She glanced over at him, then raised her hand and pointed to an area where a column rose from the floor.

He stepped up behind her, seeing where she was pointing to. He smiled to himself. "Looks like an old mans face…"

The column at the base was about the size of the oak tree from yesterday. In the lumps and bumps, crevices, cracks and crannies there was an area where a set of eyes, a nose, lips and a whitish material that looked like a beard.

"And there's his chair." She pointed over to their left.

Vin looked over at where she was now pointing and saw the chair. It was high up on the wall, water flowed over the back and seat, there were arms, one was a little higher then the other but it was a chair. He chuckled. "I ain't never seen it that way." He pushed his hat off his head and started looking with new eyes.

Vin turned as she turned. "The water is bitter, but drinkable." He pointed to a pool that was about twenty paces away. "Pool there is ice cold…"

Anna moved a step back, moving against his body. "It's cold here too." She was still looking around.

Vin opened his coat and stepped up to her back and encircle his arms and jacket around her body. He felt her lean in against him. He bent his head down to her neck and ear. "Better?" He felt her nod. He had closed his eyes, drawing in a breath filled with her. He nuzzled his chin down against her neck. "There is a couple more spots I want you to see."

"There's more?"

His eyes were still closed. He breathed her in again. "Last time I was in here I spent a week." He opened his eyes, shuffled his feet, turning her to the right. He stopped when he got to the spot he wanted her to see. "See the green colored strip?"

"There where the tall red column looks like it's been piled up." She felt warm and safe in his arms.

"Yep, that's it. Now, on the right, between the green and the column---."

"The dark spot?"

"There is a hole. A real small tunnel. I just kin fit through it. Goes back maybe fifty paces and then opens up into another room about half the size of this here place. Looks like this place, but there a man could probably walk for days through the tunnels that that go off the room." He un-wrapped his arms from her and stepped to her side, looking closely at her. She looked tired. "Might best we head back up." He saw her disappointment.

"No, please I want to see more!" She reached out and took his hand and pulled him toward the tunnel.

"No, we ain't going there. If your up too it, I got another place in mind, bit of a walk, be we can walk and not crawl."

"Yes, I'm ready…"

He led her over to the far left side of the cavern. "Stay here." He handed her the torch from the wall and walked over to the torch to his right and went back around the cave, putting the other torches out. When he had come back to her, he put the torch he had been carrying out, and placed it where the one she was holding had been.

Vin looked at her as he took the torch from her. "Ready?"

"Ready." She reached out and took his hand. She smiled up at him.

Her hand felt warm in his. He turned, put the torch out in front of him and located the passage he wanted. They walked side by side, holding hands for quite

awhile. Vin kept an eye out for his marks. He had showed Anna where to look for them. "Keep them on your left going out and it will take you back to the big chamber and then look for the X's all the way out to the surface." He also showed her the strange drawings on the cave walls. She asked to stop and look at them. Taking her book she wrote and copied the pictures. They continued on.

It was about twenty minutes when he stopped her again and lowered the torch, dropping it about waist high. He took her hand and walked forward.

The torch light reflected off the wet floor, light playing off the wet rocks and then there was no reflection, it was a hole in the floor. It was like a well.

Vin let go of her hand and bent down, found a loose rock. He turned and looked at her. "Listen." He pitched the rock into the black hole. After several minutes, there was the sound of the rock hitting water. "Wouldn't want to fall in there." He took her hand and led her away from the spot and then they walked on, twisting and turning through the maze.

He came to a very narrow crevice. "Gonna need to slide through here. It goes for about thirty steps. Just before you come out on the other side, gonna have to slide down a little." He looked at her. "You sure you're up to this.

"Yes, please...let's go on." She smiled at him

"I'm gonna put the torch in front of me." He lifted the torch and started it through the gap. Looking back at her, he took her hand, and turned sideways, and started to slide between the walls. He sidestepped, feeling her following. The wind from the torch blew the flames back toward his face; he raised the torch slightly and moved his head back away from the heat, but continued to move through the narrowing walls. "You ok?"

"Just don't let go…" Anna's voice sounded a little scared

He squeezed her hand slightly and continued on. "Gets a might slic---" He felt his foot slide out from under him. He tired to catch himself, but with one hand on the torch and the other in Anna's, the best he could do was jam his right shoulder into the wall. He wedged his left foot and knee into rocks and tried to regain the slick footing. The right side of his face smacked into the rock wall. He felt pain explode across his cheek, but he got his foot back under him. He had heard Anna's indrawn breath as he had let go of her hand before pulling her down with him. She had not let go of her hold on him. He remained wedged against the narrow passage, blinking the pain away.

"Vin…?" Anna tentatively took a step, feeling her way with her moccasins. She felt her toe slide and she stopped where she was. She could touch his shoulder but she didn't. "Vin?" She still had a death grip on his hand.

"Dang blasted…" He rumbled as he drew in a breath. Vin knew his right foot was now on solid ground. He un-wedged his left knee and foot and making sure the floor where he put his foot was solid he straightened. "I'm ok…" He felt her fingers tighten around his and he gripped her hand again. "Ready." He knew they were just short of the opening.

"Yes, if you are?"

His answer to her was to slide the sole of his moccasin along the floor in a scraping motion, hoping he was scraping any slick scum from the floor surface. Another ten steps and he saw the opening to the room. The ceiling that had been several inches to several feet suddenly began to lower. Vin had never had problems coming out of the opening, but he didn't want to take a chance. He continued to scuff his way. "Anna, this is where we need to crouch down a little and then we're gonna step out onto a shelf. Don't move too far off the wall." Vin did a little sideways crouch, felt his foot hit ground and slid down and out. He stepped to his left and helped Anna out of the crevasse. She immediately stepped to him. Holding the torch up, he saw the torches he had left the last time were still there. He touched his flame to them. The torches spit and sputtered for a few brief seconds and then gave a circle of light to their little area.

"Ok, we need---."

"You're bleeding." Anna saw a spot on his right cheek bone. There was a dark spot and what looked like blood had run down his cheek.

"I'll be alright. Lets get down off here and then I'll wash it off." He knew his shoulder hurt, and his knee, where he had wedged it against the rock wall, was probably bleeding from the feel of it. He smiled down at her. "Were gonna sit down right there." He pointed the torch. "And then I'm gonna drop down a couple feet and I'll bring you down."

They sat down and Vin slipped over the side and dropped down. "Be right back." He turned and walked away a few feet, finding what he was looking for, a spot to put the torch. Once that was wedged in place he walked back over to Anna. He could see she was already starting to see why he had brought her here. As Vin had walked the few feet away with the torch small flashes of light reflected off the surrounding area.

"Wait until I get all the torches lit…" He stepped up to where she was sitting, raised his hands up and beckoned her to come to him. He felt his hands go around her waist and he was slowly bringing her down. Her feet touched the floor. He took her by the hand and led her over to the torch, knowing there was a rock there she could sit on.

"Madam…Have a sit." When she was seated, he hunkered down in front of her. "I want you to close your eyes." He saw her close her eyes. "Now don't open 'em until I tell you…" He grabbed the torch and made the rounds to all the torches he had lugged in here. "Keep 'em closed." He had spent several days just getting enough torches and packing them into this room. With each torch he lit, the room seemed to grow brighter and brighter.

He moved back to her. Setting his torch back into the rocky gap he stepped over to her. "Still got your eyes closed?" He hunkered down in front of her.

"Yes…" a smile touched her lips, a sly one.

His breath caught in his throat as he looked at her. She had dirt across one side of her face. Her duster was covered in brown, green and black smudges. The light reflecting off her hair made it a deep red color. She looked so beautiful sitting there, her long red eye lashes against her cheeks, a little pout on her lips.

"Vin?" She turned her head slight, listening.

He realized he hadn't moved or spoken in that few minutes.

"Sorry, was making sure everything is ready." He looked around. "Keep your eyes closed." He reached out and took her hands in his. "Keep your eyes closed." He stood up, bringing her to her feet. "Keep your eyes closed and walk forward." He stepped backwards, pulling her with him until he got to the spot that he wanted. He let go of her right hand and moving around behind her, leaning in close to her ear. "Keep 'em closed…" He stood just behind her left shoulder; he smiled at the glittering sight. "Ok...Open them."

Anna opened her eyes to a world filled with glittering, flickering light. The cavern ceiling was about fifty feet tall. Every where she looked light reflected off the walls, the ceiling, the rocks, and the floor.

"I think they're some kind a crystal… not like diamonds. "Vin's voice was a soft whisper.

The room seemed to take the light of the torches and reflect it back making it brighter. There were flashes of reds, blues, greens and oranges off the walls and the ceiling. Every where Anna looked, there was color and light. "It is the most striking and beautiful thing I have ever seen." Her voice full of awe. She turned to him and reaching up kissed him on the lips. "Thank you…" She looked up into his eyes, seeing him smile down at her. She also saw the want in his eyes, and she wanted him too! She started to kiss him again, but he moved away from her, walking back to where the torch was.

She was a little confused, she had seen the want in his eyes and he had walked off. She saw him turn and offer her the rock seat again. She moved to stand next to him looking at the light reflecting all the way around the smaller cave. "Your cheek is cut." With more light she had seen the blood. It had dried down the side of his face.

Vin reached up and gingerly touched the lump he knew was there. He un-slung his canteen and taking the cap off, he handed it to her. "Ought to drink some water." He waited until she had taken the canteen then he turned and headed over to the right of the rock chair.

There was a small outcropping and tucked about waist high was a small little pool of water. Vin untied his bandanna, dipped one of the corners into the water and gently washed the side of his face. The water stung the scrape. He looked over his shoulder and saw Anna had sat down and was looking at the glowing room. He saw she held the canteen in both hands in her lap. He saw her take a drink. Vin rinsed the corner of the neckerchief off and tied it back in place.

As he was starting to turn, a glint caught his eye. There was a crystal about the size of his little finger protruding out of the rock wall that made the basin for the pool. He deftly reached back and pulled his knife. Using the point, he pried the gem out of the rock. He sheathed the knife, using the wetness of the neckerchief, he wipe it clean and tucked it into his pants pocket.

When he turned around he saw Anna put something in her mouth. He saw the startled look in her eyes. He lowered his eyes, acting like he had not noticed.

He walked over to her, bent and picked up the torch. He saw her take a quick drink of water and then cap the canteen. "Got one more spot."

She looked over at him. "There is more?" She got to her feet, slinging the canteen around her head and shoulder as Vin had. She stepped up to him and looked at the scrape on his cheek. "Does it hurt?" It was raw and angry looking.

"Little, feels like just a scrape." He saw her green eyes reflected in the torch light. Saw the look she gave him, he lowered his eyes and pointed with the torch. "Think you could carry a torch?" He turned and started back across the wide area of the floor, toward where they had jumped down. He heard her foots steps following.

"Can I use both hands?"

"Yeah the floor along here is drier and flatter." Vin stopped at the entrance he wanted. He turned and handed Anna his torch and collected two more. "This way." Vin headed into a tunnel just wide enough that his shoulders usually didn't touch the sides and the ceiling on it was high, well beyond the torch light. They moved downward, moving slowly. The narrow passage was mostly just brown rock. Another half hour or so and it angled up sharply. He looked over his shoulder at Anna. She was coming right behind him, concentrating on the torch and where she was walking. "Little steep, then we're gonna come out on a flat again."

Anna looked up at Vin, smiled, and went back to climbing the slope.

Vin made the flat area and holding both torches in one hand, he reached back. "Hold the torch in your right hand, give me your left…" He grabbed her left hand and helped her the rest of the way up. When she was on top, he let go her hand and shifted the torches, one in each hand again. He could hear Anna's breathing.

"Let's stand here a minute." He saw her nod. She was having trouble keeping the torch out in front of her. Her arms were getting tired. Vin shifted the torches again into one hand and leaned over to her, taking the torch from her hands.

"Just a little ways now." He winked at her, regretting it as his cheek started to hurt again. He moved on, carrying all three torches. He moved into a little alcove and set his single torch into a crevasse where he had wedged a rock the last time he was here and had made his little discovery. They rounded a little turn and using one torch to light his way, he used the other to light Anna's.

They moved into a little chamber the size of a small room at the hotel.

There didn't seem to be anything special about it. There were no crystals reflecting the light, no vastness with color.

Anna stood looking at him. He held the torches out in front of him about waist high and made a slow half-pass then raising them up, stepped around her and took the torches and threw them out of the chamber. They were standing in the dark. She could see his outline from the torches that were outside the chamber and she saw him step to her, gently reaching out he took her by the shoulders and slowly turned her.

She gasped. The rocks were glowing. It was as if they were very small little candles, they glowed. "How do they do that?" Her voice was breathy. She reached out and touched the one closet to her. When she brought her hand away, her fingers glowed.

"Don't know. Won't last fer long. It just fades away." Vin remained where he was, letting Anna move among the rocks. As the glow started to fade, he stepped out of the little chamber and retrieved one of the torches he had thrown to the floor. They had both gone out. He reached into his pocket and took out a match. Striking it, he re-lit the torch. He stepped back into the chamber, repeated the way he had placed the torches close to the rocks, then stepped out of the chamber, finding a place to wedge the torch. He stepped back into the chamber. He could just make out Anna's body in the slight glow from the rock. He stood silently waiting for her.

As the glow began to fade, Anna turned, seeing Vin's fame in the light from the torch out side. She moved toward him. He took her hand and led her out of the chamber and back into the main passage. She looked up at Vin. "I have no way to describe it…"

Vin smiled. "You'll think of some'um I'm sure." He reached for the torch. "Need to start heading back." He could see the tiredness in her face.

Anna waited until he had the torch and was getting ready to step past her.

"Vin?" She saw him stop. The torch in his right hand, he half turned toward her. Reaching out she touched his arm. "Thank you for giving me a lifetime of beauty…"

He stood looking at her, then reached up and touched the brim of his hat with his free hand. "You're welcome, mighty welcome…"