THE SWORD Teo reached the base of the mountain and ascended its flank. A stone building materialized out of the gloom. He circled around it, laying Ana on a bench built into the wall. She moaned softly. The recessed windows had been sealed long ago with a crude stone-and-mortar job, but over time some of the larger stones had come loose. Teo cleared an opening, then crawled inside. After he had lifted Ana in as well, he wedged the stones back into place. The room was dark, so Teo lit a candle and looked around. Two skeletons lay curled in the corner around a makeshift firepit, the colorful tatters of their clothing indicating they were Ancients. Pieces of broken furniture sat in a pile next to them. Ana was shivering violently, but she was more alert now that she was out of the wind and rain. Her arms were crossed over her chest as she huddled inside her cloak. Teo knelt beside her, brushing water off her cheeks with his thumb. Her face was very pale, and her lips were blue. She smiled feebly. “N-n-nice hike. Wha-what’s for d-dinner?” Teo grinned back at her. “Hot soup. I’ll get a fire going. You have to get dry right away. Are you able to change into some dry clothes?” She nodded, then changed her mind and shook her head. “M-my p-pack.” “Oh yeah. It fell down a pretty deep hole, huh?” He considered the dilemma. “Okay, I have extra shirts in my pack. You can change into one of those, then warm up in my bedroll while I make some broth.” She poked a trembling finger out of her cloak. Her blue lips curled up mischievously. “N-no p-p-peeking!” Teo burst into laughter at Ana’s audacity. Is there anyone else like her in the world? He brought her the shirt from his pack, then laid out his bedroll on the floor next to her. Returning to the firepit with some cooking implements, he built a pyramid of sticks and lit the kindling. The cedar pieces took the flame readily. “Thanks for leaving it for me,” he said to one of the Ancients. The skull stared back at him without answering. When the broth was almost ready, Teo turned around again. Ana was reclining in the bedroll, wearing his oversized shirt and using the rucksack as a pillow. Her gown and chemise dripped from the ceiling. Teo was glad to see she was no longer shivering. He removed his wet jerkin and changed 404
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