Roar - Goldilocks Retold

Part 5

FIVE

Ursula sensed rather than saw the secret passage open up into a space so wide it could only be a cave. The escape route was older than the castle, for the current keep had been built on top of it. Her grandfather had told her that their people had once lived in caves, when the snow on the mountains was deeper, the river had flowed higher and they'd shared the valley with bears.

She'd believed the tales when he told them, but her brothers had only scoffed at them. Of course, Gidie and Eudes had promptly announced that if there were any bears left in Berehaven, they would hunt them and use their skins to warm their beds.

Beds that were cold now, and would be forever, for her brothers' boasting had been silenced by some foul hand.

Ursula dashed away tears, glad no one could see them in the dark. There was no one left to see them. Better to think about bears than her brothers. Her grandfather had said she would know when the secret passage brought her to safety, because the bears would guide her.

What bears she'd see in the dark, she didn't know, but she did know she'd been walking most of the night, and still she didn't feel safe. If only she could transform herself into a bear – not the man-sized ones she'd heard lived in the mountains, but the huge ones that her grandfather's tales told about. Three times the size of a man, and weighing three times that again. Such a bear would have to live in a cave, for he wouldn't fit through the door of a house.

A cave like this one.

Ursula quickened her step, wanting to get out of this huge space to where she could touch the walls again. Somewhere safer, where no one and nothing could come at her out of the dark.

Was there light up ahead? She headed for it instinctively, never considering that the lightbearer might be one of Vauquelin's soldiers.

Luckily for her, the tunnel she entered was empty. A hole in the rock above sent down a shower of watery daylight – dawn, Ursula realised. She'd been walking all night. No wonder she felt like her body had turned from flesh to stone, almost too heavy to drag another step.

The dimly lit passage walls had a reddish tinge to them, like dried blood, but a closer examination revealed that the red was patchy. If Ursula squinted at it hard enough, it almost looked like a herd of horses, running in the same direction as she was headed. Following the horses seemed like as good an idea as any, so she did.

There were more holes now, some in the ceiling above, and some in the walls, so she could see when horses gave way to deer and some sort of large, shaggy cow. All running away from something, like she was. Running to safety and not death, she hoped fervently.

Her tunnel opened out onto a wider passage. One way led into the dark, while the other headed toward daylight. Ursula chose daylight, but she hadn't gone three steps before she came face to face with a bear.

She let out a whimper of fright before she clamped her lips together, praying that no one had heard. The bear certainly hadn't, for it was just a picture on the wall. How anyone could draw a bear on a wall that looked like it was snarling at anyone who approached, Ursula didn't know. Another three steps carried her past the picture, and she turned to look again.

Now the bear didn't look fearsome at all. It appeared to be staring down the passage into the darkness expectantly, sniffing the air. Behind him, more horses galloped toward her, heading into the cave, not out of it.

Whoever had painted these pictures wanted her to take shelter down the dark passage, and not leave the cave. Her grandfather? Or someone even older, for who knew how old these tunnels really were?

The only bear who wanted to guide her was painted on the wall, and he made it clear she should stay in the cave. Perhaps...she should. At least she could lie down and attempt to get some sleep. After a rest, when the sun had climbed higher in the sky, then she could see what lay outside, and whether it would be safe to go home.

Decided, she trudged into the dark. As she rounded the corner, so the bear vanished from sight, the air seemed to grow warmer with each step, like she was approaching a chamber with a fire. But a fire would give light, and the only light came from behind her, so she stuck her hands out in front of her to feel the way.

Her fingertips touched cold stone, and finally, Ursula stopped. The wall curved here, as far as she could reach, and she was too tired to take another step. So she lay down on the ground, tucking her cloak around her as closely as she could, and closed her eyes. Sleep was waiting.