Gilda and Alistair walked single file through the large cave passageway. For awhile the chamber had been a narrow tunnel that had been slowly extending outwards, so much in fact that the tunnel gradually became a massive atrium of space that gave the impression of a deliberately hollowed-out network of sorts.
The walls of the space remained the same, glittering solid chunks of blue ice that resembled more sapphires than frozen water. Slight patches of snow dotted parts of the equally bright cave surface, but most of it was as well comprised of the jewel-like ice.
They’d been talking casually since they left camp just a few hours earlier, filling their expedition with some much needed liveliness.
“So you really don’t see movies all that often?” remarked Alistair. “Can’t that get kind of boring?”
Gilda shrugged. “We get a few reels every now and again. I could take another trip to Equestria if I wanted to. Not like anyone at the stronghold could stop me.”
“Then why don’t you? There’s more entertainment and excitement across the pond, believe me.”
Gilda solemnly looked toward the ground for a moment then quickly looked back to him. “I don’t have any business there. No real reason for me to go back. Would be just a waste of time really. Besides, I got enough to worry about with all the dweebs I have to put up with back here.”
He smiled. “I assume I’m no longer a dweeb then?”
Gilda punched him in the shoulder, not too hard but hard enough to prove her point. “You’re still a dweeb, I’m not denying that. Just less than the regulars.”
“And is that just other soldiers or everybody in general?”
“Everybody in general,” Gilda responded without hesitation. “They just don’t leave me alone. Sayin’ I’m doing this wrong and that wrong. And when I tell them off, it’s like I’m breaking the law or something. It’s really dumb. And they don’t let up for another thing, just can’t stop correctin’ me at every turn.”
“Well,” said Alistair with a patronizing pat on the back, “maybe you’d want to change that attitude of yours a tid bit. It can get in the way.”
Gilda glared at him. “You’re startin’ to sound just like them, you know.”
He threw his arms up in defense. “Just giving constructive criticism.”
“That’s what they say too.”
“Then I guess I’ll be quiet now.”
They continued to walk through the chamber, their eyes focused directly ahead at the seemingly endless passageway they traversed. Alistair had stated earlier that they’d be within the cave confines for quite sometime, but it seemed that even he wasn’t sure how long that would be.
Needless to say it was a healthy change from the grueling trek they’d made on the first day through the infinite span of the snow drifts and their accompanying wind vortexes. That had been truly miserable, with the biting cold and zero visibility making a single step off their given route into a hopeless trek to their doom. Thankfully, however, this didn’t happen.
Suddenly, Gilda raised a claw to the air. “Stop,” she said coolly with a commanding disposition he hadn’t yet seen. “There’s something up ahead.”
“Something?” he repeated skittishly. “What do you mean ‘something’?”
“Not sure what. Heavy footsteps. Multiple in several directions.”
Alistair sucked in a large breath of air and let it out slowly, trying his best to center himself under the stress. “Any telling what it is specifically?”
Gilda shook her head. “Can’t tell for certain, but I have a pretty good idea. Follow me.” She began to charge down the passageway without even a glance behind to see if he was following. Breaking into an equal sprint, he moved after her.
The passage stopped at a steep slope that arched upwards at a nearly forty five degree angle. Neither of them could see over its lip, but they both could tell that it led out into a much larger opening, with wide walls and a high enough ceiling to pass for an indoor auditorium.
Alistair’s shoes skidded to a halt in front of the icy climb, knowing he couldn’t make it up on his own. Gilda, who as well stopped at the incline, responded to his wordless thought.
“Get on my back; I can get us both up there.”
Alistair looked at her silently for a moment, his brain slowly processing what she just said. Realizing it, his cheeks began to blush.
“I don’t know about that…” he said meekly, a bit uncomfortable with the request. “I can just wait down here. I’d probably just—”
“Now,” she repeated dryly, staring up towards the large incline. “I’m not sure what were going to be facing, but I’d like it if it was the both of us instead of one of us. Got it?”
Alistair reluctantly nodded and eased himself onto Gilda’s leather armored back. Without a moment’s hesitation, she blasted her wings upwards and sent them hurtling above the slippery slope.
Landing just where the vertical curve ended, Alistair slid off her back smoothly. Looking around the massive open cavern, he froze.
Meandering around the space, moving passively between one another without a hint of noise coming from any of the creatures, was a large pack of snow trolls, so far unaware that two outsiders stood in their den.
They had about them thick white pelts of fur that encased them in a burly shield of matted insulation that both shrouded their bodies from the cold and adequately hid physical identification. What Alistair could tell was that they were massive hulking creatures, nearly twice his height and four times as thick as him.
A large set of black orbs accounted for their eyes, with two holes in the center of its face serving the purpose of its snout. And bellow both of these, protruding outwards in a horrid mangled mess of yellow and black splotches, were a massive set of sharpened teeth, their length and width crowding the creatures entire jaw span and causing them to always keep their mouths at least partially open, never fully concealing their greatest weapon.
Feeling a bead of sweat roll down his forehead, he turned to Gilda, speaking softly but with an anxious edge. “What—do—we—do?”
Gilda stoically surveyed the room with a turning scan and then responded calmly. “We wait for them to spot us. Until then, get ready.”
She lowered her head to her left side and tapped the tips of her talon across the large saber that sat sheathed along her belt. Tightening her grasp around its handle, she breathed patiently.
Alistair too was about to take her advice, when a movement flickered along the corner of his eye. Twisting his head around to face it, his heart quickly sank. Standing across the crypt, both empty eyes trained directly on him, was a snow troll, quietly observing him.
Alistair clenched his fists together to channel his magic directly into his palms, but without warning and breaking his conversation abruptly, the troll raised a claw in his direction, letting out a booming roar that split the air and alerted his companions to the intruders.
Swallowing nervously, he knew what was about to follow.