Blue Moon

Chapter 11

Arlo tried to teach Alona how to listen to her surroundings. She was trying hard to understand exactly what he meant. She walked slowly behind him, trying to focus on stepping lightly like he had taught her.

They walked down the long, dark hallway. She tried to listen, but all she could hear was dripping water and the soft echo of their footsteps.

Arlo had informed her that they didn't need to worry about guards from the castle, they were too scared of life outside the kingdom to venture outside the castle's rock walls.

That frightened Alona even more. If the trained guards were scared then she should be too. It helped calm her fears that she had Arlo. She still didn't understand why he saved her.

"Why did you save me?" She whispered quietly as they crept down the tunnel.

He shrugged, "They were going to send you back to the castle, and I knew you'd die there..." He glanced back at her. "Come on."

They walked in silence till they reached the rusty ladder.

"I'll go first. Don't come up till I tell you to." He ordered her, then ascended the ladder.

She took a deep breath, her chest aching as she breathed. She rolled her wrist, wishing the pain would go away.

Arlo climbed up the ladder with ease. Alona watched until the darkness swallowed him.

She heard the hatch creak open. There was no light where he was going.

Arlo peaked his head out of the hole. He gently released the trapdoor and aimed his gun, scanning his surroundings. He stepped out onto the rocky ground and listened. He couldn't hear anything but a slight wind that blew through the cave.

He relaxed and tapped on the ladder.

Alona heard three taps and figured that was the signal. She shoved her gun through her belt and climbed up the ladder. Her bag against her side slightly clanging against the metal every two bars or so. Her wrist was throbbing in pain as she climbed.

When she reached the top she saw Arlo poised and searching their surroundings.

He turned around and closed the hatch, then rolled a rock on top of it.

She looked around and saw the ship in the distance. It sat still and untouched from when they had left it.

She looked around. They were absolutely surrounded by nothing but rocks of all different sizes. She could barely make out a tower of stalagmites in the distance.

"This way." Arlo said.

They crept their way through the maze of boulders. Alona couldn't tell which way the castle was. She couldn't see the glow of a city or hear the sounds of the people in the distance. It was strange to hear nothing but silence. She wished for a plane to fly over, or something to make a noise. 

Alona looked at where the sky should be. Nothing but blackness greeted her. Her mind automatically assumed it was a cloudy night, until she reminded herself that it wasn't actually the sky she was gazing at.

----

Alona rolled over and opened her eyes slightly. Arlo laid across from her, his head was propped against a rock. His tattoos seemed to fade when there was no other light around, almost like they were only reflective of light.

She shivered as the wind cut across her cheeks. Her hair blew into her face and it shocked her once again that it was blue. She had forgotten. 

It was cold. The constant breeze that blew through the cavern was chilling to the bone. It also created an eerie howling, that was distant but always there.

She had asked about making a fire, Arlo had informed her that was suicide. So she kept her suggestions to herself, it was clear that Arlo was a lot more experienced than her.

He was sleeping away, which surprised her. She didn't know how he could sleep knowing they could be murdered at any time.

"Why... are you staring at me?" Arlo grumbled.

"I was trying to figure out how you can sleep at a time like this." She shifted against the huge rock and turned her gaze on a small, distant light.

"I wasn't sleeping." He replied.

He still hadn't opened his eyes. It was kind of creeping Alona out.

"That's bull! You were just snoring like three minutes ago!" She almost laughed, this guy was ridiculous. 

"Shhhhhh....." Arlo jerked up into a crouching position.

"Please. Don't even try to play it off. I know you were slee-"

"Shut up! There's someone close by!" He whisper yelled at her. Arlo pulled his gun into his shoulder.

She jumped up and searched the area. She realized the light had to be caused by something or someone.

"Over there." Alona hid behind a rock and pointed to where the light was.

Arlo peered over the rock he was behind and motioned for Alona to be quiet, something he did often. Alona rolled her eyes and watched the light.

It didn't seem to be moving.

Arlo watched the light then turned to Alona, "Stay close and stay low."

She scanned the area; there were huge boulders everywhere, plenty of places to hide. He moved towards the direction they had been walking before they laid down to rest. Arlo moved around the biggest boulders, all the time moving slow and keeping himself crouched low to the ground.

She followed close behind trying to move as quietly and discreetly as possible.

Alona looked around at her surroundings, to her left was a rising rock wall, to her right was a boulder wasteland. Behind Alona somewhere was Arlo's hidden hideout and that dreadful castle and in front of her laid a town that apparently existed.

She didn't know which way would hold the most hope. Definitely not behind her.

Arlo turned and headed straight for the rock wall. Alona had the jog to catch up. Arlo jumped up onto a ledge then disappeared into the wall.

Alona's heart dropped. Had he really just left her out here? There was no way she could climb that wall.

She looked around the Wasteland. Her eyes found the light it was bigger now, she could make out the figures around the light. There were several people. At least twenty. Alona began to panic, her hands began shaking.

She dove behind a rock against the wall and tried to slow her breathing.

"Over here!" Someone yelled. "I saw them, I swear!'

Her heart thumped inside her chest. She couldn't believe it, he had left her.

She heard a pssttt. Alona looked where Arlo had disappeared. A rope came flying from the darkness and almost hit her in the face.

"Shit." She whispered.

She grabbed on the rope and began climbing up the wall, her wrist screaming in pain again. She almost slammed her face against the wall when Arlo began pulling the rope as she climbed.

She reached the dark hole, Arlo grabbed the front of her shirt, and jerked her inside. She was tossed beside Arlo as he began yanking the rope inside.

Alona pushed herself against the cave wall, her body aching again.

Arlo threw the rope deeper into the cave once he pulled the last of it inside. He looked over at Alona, "You alright?"

She nodded. She figured cussing him out about scaring the hell out of her would have to wait till later.

----

Sawyer :)