Fourteen
They walked in silence. Brice kept his eyes on Keelin, directly in front of him. He didn’t want to look any further.
And then the air moved across his face. It carried a fragrance that brushed away the staleness of the tunnels, a staleness he hadn’t been aware of, but now realised had been all-encompassing, like the rock pressing in. He drew the aroma in—damp leaves, and something vaguely compost-like.
The others must have felt this too, because they increased their pace. And when they rounded the next corner, and the cavern opened up, cool refreshing air rushed over them, and to Brice it felt like life itself. He took a long, deep pull, and then ran towards the lip, jumping up the rock, barely brushing it with his hands. He lifted his head and looked to the sky, water sprayi
