“Shall we?” Ryl said as he waved the flaming blade toward the opening.
“Aye.” Aelin grinned as he stepped across the threshold of darkness.
Chapter 24
The first step into the darkness of the gate was a disconcerting feeling. Much like stepping through the hidden entrance to Vim, it wreaked havoc on the senses. He admired the strength and mental fortitude of Aelin, who walked through without regard.
The confidence was admirable. Ryl was convinced it would be a fight to ensure that the boy survived long enough to learn the valuable lesson of patience. He chuckled to himself. On his present tract, it would be a valuable lesson for him to truly embody as well.
The bright green flames of the Leaves splashed along the stone walls of the interior of the gate. The light flickered as the flames rolled over the serrated edges of the blade. Once inside the gate, the area was clear from debris, and the ground again lost the sponginess that had plagued the area outside.
Evidence of the inferno that had decimated the once mighty gate were present nonetheless. Black scars charred the walls closest to the entrance, leaving a stain on the precipice of the ceiling. The air inside was thick. A thin cloud of smoke still hung in the air, having been sheltered from the cleansing gusts of the winds outside.
The survey of the room was brief, as aside from several unlit sconces on the walls and the solitary door, there was little of note. The remaining section of gate, the thick wooden and metal barrier that separated them from Cadsae Proper, had been left closed. It was secured with a massive wooden bar, similar to the one Ramm had destroyed on the opposite side.
Ryl walked to the gate, placing his hand upon the rough wooden panel. He moved his ear close to the wood, listening for sounds of activity outside. The expected noises of conversation, the heavy step of thick boots were entirely absent. The slight groan of the doors as a gust of wind pressed upon their surface was the only hint of motion.
“Aelin, I could use your strength. Give me a hand with this bar.” Ryl waved the young tribute over to his position.
As fearless as he had been crossing the threshold into the darkness, the confidence had waned once he reached the interior of the chamber. Aelin’s wide eyes darted from shadow to shadow, regularly returning to the door in the eastern wall of the room.
Since the vicious slaying of his family during his apprehension, this would be the farthest he’d been from his home in The Stocks. The hesitance was short-lived as he snapped out of his daze, striding to assist Ryl. With the pair working the chains, the massive bar moved easily into the slot cut into the wall to their right.
Ryl called Aelin to a stop as the bar neared the intersection of the two mighty doors.
“Hold here,” Ryl ordered. “My cloak and tattoos will likely be known by all at this point, and your clothing and brands will give you away. Though I don’t fear the interaction, we might be wise to seek disguise. Follow me.”
Ryl stowed the magical weapon before tying his horse off to the end of the drawbar, assisting Aelin as he did the same. The darkness seemed less thick than it had moments before. The insidious feeling had departed along with the steady pain in his left arm. He subconsciously rubbed the skin with his opposite hand. Though the stabbing discomfort had subsided, the area in the center of his arm still throbbed.
The door to the interior pathway had been left slightly ajar. Ryl stalked toward it, attempting to peer through the crack. A slight orange flicker spoke to a torch burning somewhere down the narrow stone pathway.
Ryl paused a step from the doorway. His ears were alert, tuning into any hint of sound from within. He looked back over his left shoulder, nodding to Aelin, who walked cautiously a step behind. Using the dull end of the dormant blade, he pushed the door open. The heavy metal hinges squealed as it swung ajar. Though the hinges voiced their protest, the thick wooden door moved with unexpected ease. The panel slammed into the stone wall behind it with a sharp crack that thundered through the interior.
Ryl sighed as he shook his head. Their approach, through quiet, had been less than stealthy. The openness of the square, the only approach to the Pining Gates, necessitated the action while the sun was still in the sky above. He was loath to give up hours waiting for the sun to set and the cover of darkness. If any had missed their approach, their presence had been officially announced.
With the door open, Ryl peered carefully into the entrance to the tunnel. He poked his head cautiously around the corner for an instant before retracting it again. From what he could recall from his entrance to The Stocks close to a decade past, he knew the tunnel stretched into the darkness for several meters before turning to the right. The distant torch, set just off the corner of the hallway illuminated little. The light burned low; its flame sputtered.
Something about the scene felt off to Ryl. The alexen in his blood echoed his concern as it swirled anxiously through his veins. He turned his head to the left to warn Aelin. The youngster stepped from behind his body, squaring his frame into the opening of the doorway.
Before he could voice his concern, Ryl noted a shadow blot out the flickering light of the lantern in the periphery of his vision. The twang of bowstrings releasing their deadly cargo echoed through the narrow corridor.
Ryl screamed in protest as he snapped time to a stop. Aelin’s face was frozen into a look of confusion as Ryl dove toward him. The tribute
