Page 34 of The Piper's Pursuit

Katerina heard a man’s voice not too far away. He was either humming or softly singing. She strained her eyes and saw one of Hennek’s guards. He seemed to be relieving himself beside a tree. Steffan was at her shoulder, and he saw the guard too.

Katerina focused on the opening in the ground. It was too narrow for them both to squeeze in at the same time, so Katerina braced herself, hands on the sides of the hole, bent forward, drew her knees up, and lowered herself down into the opening.

Her feet touched rock. She slid her hands along the sides of the passageway. A glow came from below. She could just make out a series of wooden rungs below her, and she took one step, then another, down into the darkness.

***

Steffan watched as Katerina lowered herself into the ground. He should tell her to stop, but his voice might alert the guard.

As soon as Katerina was in, he went in after her.

The hole was almost completely dark, but he could just make out the rungs of a ladder below him. Katerina’s head bobbed below, and he followed her down.

They finally reached the bottom. The floor was uneven, like the floor of a cave, and he caught up with Katerina and placed his hand lightly on her shoulder. This time she didn’t flinch or shrink away from him.

They kept walking toward a light that was faint but distinct in the otherwise pitch-black cave. A sound drifted to his ears, a tapping or far-off banging. Katerina had her hand out in front of her, and Steffan kept one hand on the wall beside him.

The cave wound around a bend, growing brighter as they went. Suddenly they could hear voices. A large room opened up in front of them, with torches set into the walls. He and Katerina both plastered themselves against the wall of the cave.

Children, about six or seven of them, were facing the opposite wall. Steffan watched them, hardly believing what he was seeing. They were using picks and chisels, digging something out of the rock.

A big, stout man stood guard. He was so close to where they were standing, Steffan could smell an odor coming from his body—like garlic and unwashed feet. If the man turned his head, he would see them.

Katerina seemed transfixed, her eyes wide and her jaw clenched as she watched the children. Had she seen the guard?Don’t make a sound, he longed to whisper to her.

But she was silent as she stared at the children. Was she relieved to have found them? Or anguished at what she was seeing?

Was this all of them? This was only a small portion of the children he knew were missing. Were there more? A tunnel at the other end of the large cavern seemed to indicate there might be more to this mine, especially if it extended underneath the town, as Katerina suggested.

He squeezed Katerina’s shoulder, finally getting her attention, and motioned toward the dark corridor through which they had come. Katerina stepped back so they wouldn’t be seen by the guard.

Most of the children were very small, maybe only seven or eight years old, but there were two children who were taller than the others. One of them turned and looked straight at Steffan and Katerina. His eyes widened, and Steffan put a finger to his lips, praying the boy would not betray their presence.

Katerina glanced at Steffan, then moved back slowly and quietly. Steffan waited for her to go first, watching the guard, but he still seemed unaware of their presence. As they made their way back through the corridor, a cracking noise, as if Katerina had stepped on a stick, broke the silence in the narrow corridor.

She began to walk faster. The tunnel brightened as a light came from behind them. The guard must have been coming after them with a torch.

Steffan’s hand slipped off her shoulder as she all but ran, slowing only as they approached the steps leading up. She climbed quickly and Steffan stayed close behind her.

“Who is there?” a masculine voice boomed behind them. Steffan didn’t bother to look behind him as he was nearly to the top. He heaved himself up and out of the opening, scrambled to his feet, and he and Katerina ran, plunging into the forest.

They both ran down the hill, dodging trees, leaping over bushes and fallen limbs. Steffan stayed just behind Katerina in an effort to keep his body between her and any arrows that might be directed their way. He hadn’t seen the man who’d been guarding the opening, but he was no doubt nearby.

They continued to run until they were at the bottom of the hill. Then Katerina veered to the right and headed toward a small shelter built of wattle and daub and open on the two sides facing away from the hill.

They both were breathing hard. Katerina closed her eyes and pressed her hand against her chest, over her heart. “We found them.” She drew in a deeper breath. “Thank You, God, we found them.”

“You found them. You are amazing, Katerina. Truly.”

She smiled and shook her head. When she’d caught her breath, she said, “I want to go back there, shoot that guard, and take all the children out, this moment.”

“I don’t think it would be that easy. There must surely be several more guards down there.”

“You’re right. We mustn’t be arrogant and get the children killed. Do you think we could leave for Hagenheim tonight?”

“We could leave as soon as we saddle our horses.”

“Let us go.”