"Is it a long way through this tunnel?"
"No just a few more turns and we will be there," Ayesha said.
"Did you visit often?" I asked.
The question seemed to be for curiosity's sake but the main reason was me trying to distract myself from the narrow space we were walking through. It kept winding through what felt like miles of rock.
As a newly developed 'self-diagnosed' claustrophobic, it was making my condition worse.
'Why in all of my thirty-five years have I never realised this was something I won't like?' I wondered.
Probably because I've never been forced into narrow or tight spaces. I knew one thing though, I did not like this one bit.
"Yes we came with our aunt to get medicine and roots every month" Ayesha answered.
"Oh? Was your aunt an apothecary?"
"What's an apo-cary?" Abu glanced over to ask. Ayesha looked back curiously as well. I realised they were unfamiliar with the term.
I have to keep reminding myself that we were from different backgrounds and what may be common terms for me would be totally foreign to them.
"Ah, it's someone who makes and gives out medicine to those who are sick, was she someone like that?" I asked
I watched the puzzled look on the twins' faces before Ayesha's face lit up as she made a connection.
"Yes she took care of our leader's mother who was always screaming, she would quieten after aunt gave her a drink" Ayesha seemed to have love tagging along with her aunt.
"I guess she was more like a nurse," I said.
When they looked puzzled again I corrected "Caregiver, she was a caregiver"
'This is definitely a different place entirely from what I'm used to', I sighed.
In about the same time that Ayesha promised, the path opened out into another cavern town.
This one seemed less damaged and from this distance, I could see two men at the entrance of the town as if they were guarding, so there were obviously survivors even though there was some destruction around the periphery.
'I hope I can get some answers here' I thought.
But then I noticed something concerning.
Ayesha dropped back towards me and her gaze looking at the two men was very wary.
The closer we got to them the closer she pulled to me and the more anxious she became.
The glow of the few still burning buildings in the distance cast flickering shadows around that felt like they were crunching to attack.
It made me start to grow anxious just looking at it.
My heartbeat thudded in my ears and the twins had now latched onto my sleeves. Their anxiety made it obvious that the two figures that by now blocked the path ahead may just be the equivalent of wild dogs.
The first man, tall and lean, stepped forward towards us, his smirk dripping malice and perversion. He even licked his chapped lips looking me up and down.
Even fully covered as I was I felt bare and vulnerable. A disgusted shiver ran through me.
"Well, well, what do we have here? An outsider with a toy blade. You planning to butter bread with that thing?" He asked, though he kept glancing at the blade.
My grip tightened on the miniature sword I had always kept in hand, its polished edge catching a shard of light from the glowing embers ahead.
Now I wish we had gone to the other cavern first, though there was no way I could have known what I would encounter here and it was too late to retreat at this time.
These two holigans were sure to give chase if we tried running away. They had that look about them.
"Step aside," I said, my voice low, painting a picture as if I am calm, I'm not calm. "You don't want this."
The tall jerk smirked. "Oh, but I do sweetheart, why don't you come with us and we can have some fun?"
"Over my dead body!" I said, assault was something that I had no tolerance for. I would rather kill than let them take me.
"Guess I'll soften you up a bit then," he said.
Jerk number one lunged without warning, swinging a crude iron rod toward my head, most likely in an attempt to knock me out.
Luckily I was watching closely so I pivoted sideways, the rod whistling past my ear. I snapped my wrist sharply and the miniature sword slashed across his forearm, just deep enough to make him stagger back and wince.
He cursed, glaring at the bloody gash.
"Lucky flick."
"Step back you two," I said to the twins trying to make some room so they won't get hurt.
I then moved in before he recovered, ducking under his next swing and thrusting upward, the blade's tip nicking his shoulder.
The jerk growled, now not thinking of keeping me alive anymore, and overextended with a heavy downward smash.
I sidestepped and swept my foot in front of his ankle like I had seen in the movies, sending him crashing to one knee.
Without hesitation, I stabbed at his throat suddenly with the sword. Puchi…Shplitch..the blade slid into his throat and as I pulled back my arm a fountain of blood came out.
My hand that held the sword shook as I stepped back watching as the man dropped to both of his knees. His hands reached up trying to stop the blood gushing out of his neck as he looked up at me incredulously. Unable to believe that I had given such a fatal wound. He collapsed sideways and back like a deflated floaty, still twitching.
I looked down at the body that had fallen in front of me, thinking how easy it had been to kill him. Not the fight, no, that was the most difficult thing I had done in my entire life.
No, what I found easy was how quickly a life could be snuffed out.
How delicate we really are.