THE LIGHT IN THE NORTH

CHAPTER 6 - To Find a Path out of the Dark

Sergeant Svir was in her office when she heard Dan’s urgent thoughts. She listened for a moment, then interrupted.
Never mind how, or why, just now, she thought. First things first. Flood doesn’t matter. You’re injured, and so is Hogweed? All your elves are missing, inside the cavern? Sit tight, Dan, help’s on its way.
She instantly messaged General Vandenesse, who was already trying his best to organise some defence against the water that was now pouring through the camp. Bewildered by another urgent need, he floundered across to General Herdalen, who’d come out to help, and did the first sensible thing he’d done in a long time.
“I need your help, Gran,” he said. “This is worse than we thought. There’s a rescue to organise. Will you do that, while I try to cope with things here?”
Gran clapped him on the shoulder encouragingly.
“Indeed I will. What’s happened?”
“Sergeant Svir took the message. Stream got log-jammed, higher up, then burst. Washed the gates away. One fairy injured, one goblin injured, and six elves missing.”
“Missing! How?”
“Down the cavern, with the water.”
“Which team?”
“England.”


Gran cared for all the sprites in his charge, he would have been just as worried whichever team it was, but the knowledge that Ace and Will were lost inside the mountain tugged at his heart. He thought fast, and called Ross and Alnus over from where they were banking up doors with sandbags.
“Ross, find Lieutenant Foxfield. My compliments, and would he get rescue equipment from stores and report to me with his team.”
Ross tore off, knowing the lieutenant was filling sandbags.
“Alnus, you go to the hospital. Ask Lieutenant Polesie to fly straight to the floodgate pool, and bring any supplies she needs carrying back here to me.”
“Yes, sir,” said Alnus, and jumped off, with a splash.
The second years were crowding around now, anxious to know what was happening. They all knew it was Ace’s team up there, and when the floodwater had hit camp, they’d known something had gone very wrong. Gran stood still, and held off questions with upturned palms, as he tried to contact Ace. Nothing. When he opened his eyes, he saw Sergeant Svir talking to Sergeant Olt.
“I can’t raise any of them, either,” said Sergeant Olt bleakly. “I want to go up there – but one of us needs to stay with the rest of the second years. You go, Arda. The fairies will be upset and frightened.”
“Thanks, Luke,” said Gran. “Which fairy is injured, Arda? Dan? Then take a friend of hers and fly off at once, will you? Don’t wait for us. Reassure them that help’s on its way, and don’t let them try anything dangerous.”

A moment later, Sergeant Svir took off with Dan’s partner, Carda, and Lieutenant Polesie swooped up to join them. Alnus came jumping back carrying a bag of first-aid equipment, and Major Gourdon was with him. Then Ace Foxfield and his team were running across, splashing through the floodwater with coils of ropes on their shoulders and torches and lanterns in their hands.
The news had spread fast, and by now, nearly all the recruits were standing by, looking frightened, the water lapping around their ankles forgotten. Ross staggered through the crowd with a box he’d been given to carry, almost in tears.
“Is there any chance for them, sir?” he asked.
“If they’re still alive, we’ll find them,” said General Herdalen. “But I won’t lie to you, Ross, they could all have been drowned.”
The young sprites cast their heads down in grief and worry. But into the silence, one voice rang out.
“Betch isn’t dead,” said Dale.
Gran looked round, startled. Dale Knightwood, of course! He began to feel some stirrings of hope.
“You’re sure, Dale? That’s wonderful. And if Betch has survived, maybe the others have, too.”
He nodded to Lieutenant Foxfield.
“Formation, maximum speed.”
But Dale spoke again.
“Can I come too?”
“And me,” said Phil, in a strange voice that no-one recognised.
“You couldn’t keep up,” said Gran kindly. “And you wouldn’t know where to go.”
“But I do,” said Major Gourdon, “and I couldn’t keep up, either. I’ll bring them, you get off.”
Gran fell into formation with the team from England 1, and they jumped off in a blur. When they’d gone, Sergeant Olt helped Major Gourdon settle who else would go, because nearly everyone wanted to. But in another few moments, Major Gourdon left too, escorted by Dale, Phil, Ross and Alnus.
Sergeant Olt looked around at the stricken young faces.
“It’s no use saying, don’t worry,” he said. “You’re worried sick. So am I. But in the army, we don’t let worry stop us from doing our duty. And our duty right now is to help General Vandenesse restore order to the camp. Back to work, everyone, please.”


It was the bitter coldness of the water that struck Ace first, agonising cold, that made your whole body rigid with pain. He couldn’t react at once to the shifting rocks beneath his feet, and after that, everything happened so fast. One moment he was stumbling, and the next he was surrounded by the cruel cold, and it was taking him with it. He didn’t realise he was being washed into the cavern until he saw it getting darker. In a panic, he clutched at the wall of rock, but it was smooth as glass and wet, his fingers slid across it uselessly. Then the light was totally extinguished, and the water was all around him, roaring in his ears, numbing him with pain, dragging him down almost vertically, banging him against walls of rock in a narrow place. He didn’t even notice it was ripping his clothes and his skin. He knew, for an instant of piercing clarity, that he only had a few more seconds to live, before he drowned, and he thought of Will. But just as he knew he had to open his mouth and breathe in water before his lungs burst, he was swirled around and tossed upwards, and his tortured gasp found air, not water.

He was on his back, his face was scraping rock, and he was moving just a little slower. A tunnel, not vertical any more. The desperate struggle to survive drove away panic and pain. He fought to stay on his back, where his mouth could find air, though he swallowed a lot of water as it splashed across his face. He spread out his arms, trying to feel where he was, because he couldn’t see. It was total blackness, not a glimmer of light anywhere. Now and then, his fingertips touched rock, but there was nothing to catch hold of.
Ahead of him, he heard a sudden yelp of pain, and it lifted his spirits. Someone else was still alive down here. A moment later, he knew why he’d heard it, as his head was banged against rock, and his body was twisted and sucked through a narrow hole. Instinctively, he filled his lungs while he could. He could feel by the pull of the water that they were going down again. This shaft wasn’t quite as long as the first, and when the water squeezed him out at the bottom, he was able to kick the ground with his feet to help him break the surface again. But straight after that, he felt himself falling through the air. It was wonderful to be able to breathe, but falling when you couldn’t see a thing was terrifying. He landed with a splash, in deep water. He went down, but with a few kicks of his legs he was up again, breaking the surface, gasping for air.
He could hear that he was in a wide space now. Some big underground cave, maybe. He moved his arms a little, not really swimming, he was too spent for that, but just enough to keep afloat in the constantly churning water. The noise in the cave was very loud. It sounded as if water was pouring into it from several directions. He took another deep breath, then tried to yell above the noise of the water.
“Hello! Anybody there?”
He caught a shouted reply, without being able to distinguish a word. But he didn’t head towards it. It was as if his brain had shut down every function but survival, and now that he had – so far, anyway – other circuits were clicking back on. He was juddering with cold, nearly crying with pain, very frightened and close to panic, he could see nothing, nothing but blackness, and all he could hear was the water. But he could sense where Will was. Behind him. He turned away from the voice, and swam back.

To his amazement, he found himself soon able to crawl out of the water, across a fairly solid stretch of small stones, for all the world like a little beach. He crawled over to Will unerringly, and used his hands to work out that Will was on his back, unmoving. Ace turned him over and thumped his back, and Will heaved and coughed up water, then drew a gurgling breath and threw up all the water he’d swallowed.
Ace held him tight.
Easy, he thought. Take it easy, I’ve got you.
Will struggled to his knees, and his hands went out to Ace, touching his face, his hair, making sure he was really there, really still alive. Then they clung onto each other tightly for a moment, heads resting together in exhaustion.
Anyone else? thought Will.
Someone – over there – I’ll message.
Fran, was that you? thought Ace, but there was no reply.
“Try shouting,” said Will, and together they shouted Fran’s name, and this time, they heard two voices. They couldn’t hear what they were saying at first, but suddenly it grew a little quieter in the cave, as if one of the waterfalls had been turned off, and they could hear each other.
“Where are you?” Fran called.
“Opposite you, I think. Who’s with you?”
“Betch. We’re in the water, hanging on to a piece of wood.”
“I’ve got Will. Have you heard anything else?”
“Thought I heard another splash.”
“You need to come over here, there’s a bit of a beach. I’ll come and get you. Start shouting so I know where you are.”
Ace struck out across the churning cauldron, heading straight for the voices.


While he was gone, Will crawled over every inch of the little beach, feeling carefully, in case there was someone else lying there, maybe unconscious. When he felt Ace getting nearer, he moved across to help pull the others out of the water. All of them were moving slowly, sluggishly, through cold and shock.
“No-one else on here,” said Will.
“Fran – is Peter still alive?” said Ace.
“Think so – everything strange – hard to be sure.”
“All shout!” said Ace. “Peter! Wayne!”
There was no answer.
“What about Hogweed?” said Will.
“Didn’t fall in,” said Ace. “Saw him fall clear of the cavern. Do we know that Peter and Wayne fell in?”
“Peter did – saw him,” said Fran.
“Wayne, too,“ said Betch. He tried again to shout, and was promptly sick.
“They must be in here by now,” Will choked. “I’ll go.”
He touched Ace’s hand, then slid into the water, searching methodically around the edges of the cave. He had to swim under what felt like a waterfall, and guessed that was where a stream was pouring in. Then his hand felt a foot, cold and clammy, and his heart was banging in his chest. Not a dead body, please, not a dead body. The foot was in the water, but the rest of the body was lying across another little beach. Will crawled out of the water again, and realised he’d found both of them. They were tangled together, both of them were breathing, neither of them was conscious.
Ace! Found them both! Alive, but out cold.


Well done, Ace thought back, but said no more, knowing that Will would be trying to bring them round. Still shaking with cold, he tried to think. Part of him was full of astonished joy that no-one had been killed. But another part of him was now starting to worry about the next problem. How to get them all out of here. He tried messaging, but couldn’t reach anyone outside.
Weird. Will could still hear me. But Fran couldn’t. Though we’re not on the mountain now, are we? We’re in it. They’ll know by now. Trying to help. But what can anyone do? Can we get out of here? No obvious exit. Water pouring in through tunnels. Doesn’t get higher, means water’s getting out somewhere. Could just be seeping down. No use to us. Might be something in the roof. But there might not be. And no way of getting up there, anyway. But I have to get us out of here somehow. Back the way we came? How do we get through the water? Perhaps someone will stop it. Wait a minute, yes… Clover saw us fall. She’d send for help. If it was me, the first thing I’d do would be to make sure no more water came down that way…
Ace? Will’s thoughts interrupted him. Bringing Wayne back, he’s not unconscious, he’s in shock. Huddle round him, try to warm him.
Ace reached into the water, pulled Wayne out.
“Going back for Peter…”
“I’ll help,” said Fran.
Ace and Betch huddled around Wayne. It didn’t generate much heat, but the contact was reassuring. Wayne couldn’t speak, but he managed to move his hands.


Peter was unconscious. Wishing desperately that he could make himself move faster, Will felt him all over and found a large wet patch on the back of Peter’s head that wasn’t water. It was sticky. Blood. But it was congealing; the cold had seen to that. Fran cradled Peter in his arms, shaking him, warming him, trying to bring him back to life. It was all they could do. Will crawled around the beach, feeling for any other flotsam that might help them get Peter back to the others. He couldn’t think any further than that. Deep down, he knew they were all going to die. He just wanted them to be together.
His hand banged against something. It was metal, it was heavy. He felt it carefully, suspicion growing in his mind. Yes, it was part of the sluice gate. If that was here, maybe something else was. Yes, still attached at one end, a good length of chain. But how to get it off? Couldn’t see to expand a link, in the dark. Force it. Knife. Slowly, agonisingly, Will felt in his pocket to see if his knife was still there. It was. But was it wide enough? Yes, just. He slipped the blade into a link and twisted, hard. The blade broke, but the link opened, just enough. Will tugged, then sat down hard as the chain came free.

One thing at a time. It was the only way to cope. Don’t think what lay ahead, don’t think about how many solid tons of mountain were on top of them, don’t think about six tiny elves, battered, weary, sore and cold, floundering around a churning pool in a vast black cavern. Somewhere, there had to be a branch. Enough of them had hit him in the face on his own wild ride through the tunnel. He found one, but it was a bit thin, and he searched further, hoping for something more substantial. Right at the water’s edge he found what he was looking for. He slipped into the water, and pushed it along.
“Get him onto this,” he called to Fran. “I’ll tie him on with this piece of chain.”
“Got you,” said Fran. It wasn’t easy handling Peter’s dead weight, and the branch bobbed away a few times before they managed to balance him, but once they had, it was easy enough to wrap the chain around him to hold him on. Then they swam off, each pushing one end of the branch, and trying to keep it steady in the water. At least they were so cold now that being in the water didn’t feel any colder than being out of it. It was then that Peter began to come round, just at the worst moment. He was crying out, and struggling against the chain, and nearly had them all under the water, but Fran managed to calm him and they crawled ashore once again.

Ace came straight to Will and held him tight, brushing the water off his face and trying to warm him. Then he found the others by touch, pulling them close so he didn’t have to shout so loud.
“Let’s think. We’ve got to get out of here.”
“Are you sure it’s worth it, Ace?” said Will, still leaning against him. “We’re together – all of us. We won’t last much longer. We’re too cold. Hypothermia – we’ll just fall asleep, and we won’t wake up. Or if we do, it’ll be on another shore, and in a greater light.”
“I understand,” said Ace. “But I’d rather die trying. What do you think, Fran?”
“I agree with you, Ace, but what is there to try?”
“Betch?”
“I don’t want to die in the dark. I hate this place. Anything, Ace, just get us out of here.”
“That’s all right,” said Will. “I’ll try to get out if that’s what you all want. So long as you know that there isn’t much time. Wayne’s going already. We’ll probably all die, only more painfully, and more alone.”
“OK, those are the pluses,” said Ace, valiantly trying to crack a joke. It would have worked better if his teeth hadn’t been chattering so much. “Wayne and Peter can barely move, we’re all cut and bruised, pretty badly, I guess. But against all the odds, we’re still alive, and we’re not giving up without a fight.”
Will squeezed his hand to let him know that was OK, and Ace continued.
“You noticed it went a bit quieter? I think that was when the water stopped pouring out of the hole we fell through. That means there’s help up there. Someone’s sending the water another way. All we have to do is find the right hole, and start crawling up it.”
What they’d do when they got to those vertical shafts, he didn’t want to think.
“We can’t find it by feeling from the water,” said Will. “Fell too far.”
“I would give anything, absolutely anything, for a light right now,” said Ace.
“Hey, wait a minute,” said Will, and Ace felt a jolt of hope. Whenever Will said that, he’d thought of something good.
“What?”
“My matches – in a tin. I wonder…”
Ace waited while Will carefully reached into his pocket. If the tin was still there, he had great confidence that the matches would still work. Will had made that tin, and he’d made it to be waterproof.
“Still there!” Will gasped.
“Well, it would be,” said Betch, also trying to keep people’s spirits up. “Your pockets are so crammed, nothing ever falls out.”

Will wiped his fingers on his face, trying to dry them, before he opened the tin and struck a match. They all stared, blinking at the sudden flare, and taking in each other’s appearance. How ripped their clothes were, how many oozing cuts laced their pale, cold skin. Will let every millimetre of wood burn, by moving his fingers from one end of the match to the other. Seeing how bad the others looked, and realising how bad they must look themselves, had been a shock to them, but seeing a light, even such a tiny light, had been uplifting. It seemed to help Wayne, who started to move a little.
“Feel sick,” he said.
“That’s good, Wayne,” said Betch. “You’ve got a bellyfull of melted snow, get rid of it, and you’ll feel better. Come here, that’s it, I’ve got you.”
While Betch was helping Wayne, Ace was thinking hard.
“Unless I’ve lost my bearings completely, the hole we want is over there,” he said to Will, moving Will’s own arm so he’d know where he meant. “Move over that way, Will, and stand up. Light another match and hold it as high as you can. I’m going to try to look beyond it and spot that hole.”
“ ‘Kay, Ace,” said Will, and crawled away.

While Ace was looking for the hole, Will used the light to take in every detail he could. He noticed that they’d all lost their boots – that wasn’t good – but also that floating near to them was a very large branch indeed. That could be useful. The match went out.
“One more, Will; move it around a little, so I can catch the gleam on the rocks. I think I’ve got the place, but I’m not sure.”
Fran looked too.
“Over there,” said Ace pointing. “You think?”
“Yes,” said Fran. “Direction’s right. Will, I will never, never laugh at you again for keeping so much in your pockets.”
Will laughed a little.
“Great,” he said. “Listen, I don’t want to wet my hands while I’m holding the matches, but there’s a massive branch in the water just to the right of me – could one of you get it? I think it might be useful.”
Ace and Fran dragged it ashore.
“It’s not quite so cold when you move about,” said Ace, trying to sound cheerful. “Betch and Fran, can you get Wayne and Peter to stand up? Will’s right, if they fall asleep, they’ll die. We have to keep them moving.”
“Can we spare a match to help Peter?” said Fran. “That cut on the back of his head isn’t the problem – it’s this big swelling that’s coming up on his forehead.”
“Ah,” said Will, “that would explain. Yes, there’s about a dozen left, where are you?”
“Next to me,” said Ace. “Come on over.”
“Help me, Will,” said Fran. “Can we pool it?”
“Sure. Deep breath, Fran, then when we’re together, I’ll strike the match. We have to see fluids draining away to make the swelling go down.”
They knew it had worked when Peter started groaning.
“Another one going to be sick!” said Ace cheerfully. “Myself, I could do with a drink. D’you think this stuff’s OK?”
“Should be,” said Will. “It’s swallowing air too that makes you be sick.”
“Good,” said Ace, scooping up water in his hands. “Nearly drowning always makes me thirsty.”

Will put the matches away very carefully before doing the same. Then Ace stood up and said, “Right, here’s the plan. I want you to swim out with me, Fran, to where we think the hole is. We’ll take the chain, and we’ll climb up out of the water, and we’ll clamber over that rock until we find that hole. When we do, you keep the chain, and see if you can find anything to fasten it around, then let it hang into the water. I’ll dive back in and swim back, and help the others across. Wayne and Peter can cling to the branch if they can’t swim, and we’ll push them across.”
“There’s no need to do that, Ace,“ said Will. “Betch and I can manage. Just shout when you’re ready. It’ll be easier to find Fran and the chain if you’re there too.”
“True. OK, if you’re sure. Then, of course, all you have to do is climb up the chain, and we can pull anyone who’s struggling.”
“That’s brilliant,” said Betch. “You’re awesome, you are.”
“That’s only stage one,” said Ace. “But if I can, Betch, I will find a path out of the dark.”


The hardest part was climbing the wet rock with no boots. Time after time, Ace and Fran slipped back into the water, grazing knees and shins already sore. Time after time they tried again, until Ace found a reliable ledge. It was only a toe-hold, but it gave them some purchase, and allowed them to search the rock for fingerholds that would pull them up higher. They climbed a few feet, and Ace was beginning to think their aim was off, when his questing hand felt a big ledge above him. Surely this was it? A trickle of water falling on his head made his hopes soar, and gave him the energy to heave himself over.
“Over here, Fran! This is it. We’ve made it!”
Fran felt his way up too, and they both collapsed, heaving for breath. Ace was in a lot of pain, one of his ankles was really hurting, but he had no time to worry about that.
“Can’t shout,” he panted. “I’ll message Will.”

Fran was too exhausted to wonder how he could. He just started feeling around for somewhere to fasten the chain. But there was nothing. Every rock surface was polished and smooth. In the end, they just had to hold it, but Betch and Will managed to climb the rock face, using the chain simply as a guide, and by then there were enough of them to pull Wayne up. Peter was moving a little better, though he had a fierce headache, and managed to take some of his own weight, to help them. Wayne was slightly more alert. Being made to move around had helped him.
“Being a nuisance,” he mumbled. “Sorry.”
Ace just hugged him.
“Hang on for me, Wayne, please hang on,” Ace murmured just to him. “I’m going to get you out of here.”
Everyone was dripping wet again now, and shivering uncontrollably.
“If this is the right place,” said Ace, “then just ahead of us should be the shaft we fell down before we were thrown into the pool.”
“I can touch the roof, here,” said Fran. “Still solid rock.”
“You can reach? That’s helpful. Keep feeling, Fran.”
Ace edged forward. It was horrible moving into darkness. Even with your hands held out in front of you, you didn’t know where your feet were going to go. Suddenly, one of his feet went down into nothingness, and he yelled, but before he could fall, Will was there, grabbing his hand and pulling him back. They knelt down and felt with their hands.
“Big crack here – water below us,” said Will. “We must have shot right over it before.”
“It’s not wide, though,” said Ace. “Even I can stride over it now I know it’s there.”
He crossed and felt around.
“Seems OK this side. You still got the chain, Fran? Pass it along so everyone’s holding it. Then if anyone slips down anywhere, we can pull him up.”
Carefully, they all crossed the crack in the rock, then inched forward, until the noise of the water was left behind, and the only sounds were the chink of the chain and their own laboured breathing. Ace kept down, crawling, sweeping a hand in front of him, until the rock curved up before him, into a wall. He stood up, reached and felt. The air felt different.

“I think this is it. Try another match, Will.”
It took longer this time to get a match to light. The first few disintegrated.
“Picking up damp from the air. Or I’ve dripped into the tin,” Will muttered, but finally one caught, and they all stared upwards eagerly. But the view was sobering. The shaft was wide and smooth and they couldn’t see the top. The tiny light didn’t reach that far.
“Thank goodness for that chain,” said Ace.
“What use is it?” said Fran, despairing. “We can’t climb that.”
“There’s got to be a way,” said Ace. “Come here, Will… get back to back with me, and stick your legs out, see if we can climb it that way.”
“Oh, I get you. Good idea.”
It didn’t work. Even back to back, their legs didn’t reach both walls of the shaft. But once Betch and Fran had got the idea, they volunteered to try it, knowing their legs were longer. Fran fastened the chain into his belt before he started.
“Once you get to the top it won’t be easy,” Ace warned. “Remember how we got squeezed through a narrow hole before this last drop?”
“If the top of the shaft is narrower, we might be OK,” said Betch bravely. “And let’s hope the chain’s long enough, too.”
The four at the bottom waited quietly, not wanting to distract them. They were aching with sympathy as Betch and Fran grunted and groaned, painfully inching higher and higher. After a while, they got into a rhythm, and made good progress, but after that, it obviously got very painful indeed. They could hear Betch making sobbing gasps, far away. Then they heard voices, agonised, desperate, as Fran and Betch reached the top and tried to work out what to do.
“Can’t reach… bit more… “
“Can’t bend any more, too squashed… ow!”
“I’ve got a hold! I’m going to have to heave up, get ready to move apart… grab my legs…”
“No, I might pull you down. I can reach the other side, I’ll brace myself.”
There was a horrible moment of screaming and scuffling, and Ace and Will got ready to try to catch anyone who fell. But after some loud panting, they heard Betch again.
“I’m good – heave yourself, Fran! Now!”
More scuffling, then they lost Fran’s voice, and for a while heard nothing but Betch’s painful sobs. But then they heard the chain rattling down through the hole, and more yells of pain from Betch as he let go of the rock face and grabbed the chain, then more scuffles as Fran pulled him through.
“Ace! We’re through!” shouted Fran. “Can you find the end of the chain?”
“Well done, you were terrific!” shouted Ace. “Not yet, but I’m working on it.”
Will helped him search, but it wasn’t within their grasp.
“Let me try,” stuttered Peter. “Bit more reach.”
Peter just managed to get his fingers to it, but he couldn’t jump, so Ace and Will boosted him up until he caught hold.
“Walk up the wall, Peter,” Ace called. “Fran will pull, but you need to help him.”
“ ‘Kay,” gasped Peter, valiantly trying to ignore the pain and dizziness that were threatening to swamp him, and he too slowly made it up the shaft. Then they sent Wayne up. He was less able to help himself, it was all he could do to hang on, but he was much smaller than Peter, and Betch and Fran could heave him, though it took what skin was left on their hands to do it. They knew their hands were raw and bleeding, but they still struggled on.
“Save your strength now,” Ace shouted. “Will and I will just climb.”

Will went first, finding it very hard. He wasn’t cold now, he felt as if he was on fire, and he hurt in so many places he couldn’t count them. But he went as fast as he could, not liking to think of Ace waiting below, in the dark, alone. Strong hands pulled him through the hole at the top, and he fell to his knees, gasping, tortured breaths all he could manage, while Ace made his climb up to join them. He was in no better case when he collapsed, panting, next to Will, and it was a while before he could move. But when he did, his words were alert and cheerful.
“Sounds a bit more roomy here, doesn’t it? Time to try another match, I think.”
But none of them would light. Water had got into the tin now, somehow, probably dripping from Will’s hair.
“Never mind,” said Ace. “It was a miracle any of them lit, and we’ve got this far. Let’s feel around. We’re looking for another shaft, but a horizontal one. We bobbed along on our backs for ages, remember? It was the only place you could breathe.”
They all remembered, and began to get a picture in their minds of what they were looking for. The trouble was, there were two shafts leading out of the chamber they were in. Ace crawled along each one a little way, feeling for any clue that might help. But both were wet, both were wide. The only difference was that one seemed to climb a little.
Don’t look down, thought Ace, and decided to trust to instinct.
“This one,” he said firmly. “I’ll go first, and feel for cracks and holes. Then you, Fran, in case we have to help anyone across anything. Peter and Wayne in the middle, then Betch. I need you to bring up the rear, Will, so I can feel how spread out we are.”
“So hot, now,” croaked Fran, as they shuffled around, sharing out the chain’s length to keep them together.
“Me too,” said Ace. “I’m burning up. Better than being cold, though.”
Will didn’t know if they realised they were all coming down with pneumonia, but he didn’t say anything. If they didn’t, now probably wasn’t a good time to mention it.


After the torment of the vertical shaft, it was a relief to be on a gentler gradient. The rock beneath their knees and feet and hands was smooth, too. But crawling at all on hands and knees that had already lost their skin was agony. Yet even that was easier than the thought of trying to walk. They were too dizzy and too exhausted, and too bewildered by the dark.
But Ace kept going, setting a very slow pace, but encouraging and cajoling every time anyone stopped, to cough or groan or sob. Time after time, his hands checked the sides, checked the roof, making sure he wasn’t leading them astray down some side shoot. Every minute, he spoke to the others in turn, reassuring, asking if they were OK. He knew they weren’t, and they knew he knew, but it helped.
They’d lost all sense of time. Even the pool in the cavern was a distant memory, and breakfast on the damp mountainside had been in another lifetime. Every minute felt like an hour, as they painfully put hand in front of hand. It seemed as if there would never be an end. Even Ace didn’t realise it, but they were going slower and slower. At last, Wayne collapsed, and no-one could help him. Ace tried to turn, but it made him so dizzy, he had to put his head down on the rock. Just for a moment. Just a moment’s rest. Then he’d get them going again. His eyes closed.


By the time General Herdalen got up to the floodgate pool, the stream was flowing briskly again, at its normal thaw time volume. But he was aghast at the devastation it had caused on its journey down the mountain. So much water, so fast – a lot of it now on the camp – but a deadly amount had gone down that hole. His first action was to make sure no more water was flowing down that way. Reassured on that point, he looked around. Dan and Hogweed were being taken care of. What he wanted now was to talk to Clover. He messaged her, asking where she was, but Clover’s answer was almost hysterical.
We’ve found a boot, and it’s Will’s! We found the place where the water comes out again, but they haven’t come out again! Only a boot!
Steady, Clover. A boot can get through where a person can’t. They could be trapped, and if they are, we’ll get them. Now you’ve got us some very valuable information. Soar, will you? I need to see where you are.
The general couldn’t see her at first, but when he climbed up and crested a ridge, he could. Far, far below, and further round the mountain. It gave him a good idea of the path the water would have taken.
Come back up here now, he messaged. You’ve done well.

Rapidly then, he gave his orders to Lieutenant Foxfield.
“We’re going down. It could be a long way. I’ll go first, and you next, your team can form a chain behind us, for communication. We won’t be able to message underground…what? What are you looking at me like that for?”
“With respect, sir, I don’t think you should go down. It’s too dangerous. I can do it just as well. Maybe better. I’m a lot younger than you, sir. There may be horrible holes to squeeze through.”
“I know it’s dangerous! Think I’d ask someone to do something I wouldn’t do myself?”
Gran’s eyes glittered angrily, dangerously, but Ace Foxfield bravely stood his ground.
“No-one thinks that, sir. But if anything happened to you, who would lead us?” he asked quietly. “You know what I mean. This isn’t six elves at stake. It’s the whole realm.”
Gran stared, and listened.
“I can’t ask you to take that kind of risk.”
“You’re not asking me. I’m volunteering.”
“All right,” said Gran. “I won’t forget this.”
The lieutenant’s team had already tied the first ropes, and were shining powerful torches into the cavern. Ace and his second, Holly, wrapped the ropes around their waists and slithered down, feet first, torches in hand. Everyone crowded around to watch as the lights disappeared. When they reached the ends of the ropes, they tugged, and another pair followed them, to take over at that point and allow Ace and Holly to go further.

Major Gourdon arrived, with Dale and Phil, Alnus and Ross. Gran knew it would help them if they had something to do, so he asked them to make more rope. Judging by the distance to the place Clover had found, they were going to need a lot. Major Gourdon went to look at the casualties. They were well on the mend, thanks to Lieutenant Polesie and Carda. He wanted them to go back to camp and rest, but they wouldn’t hear of it, and he didn’t insist. Clover and Rose had got the fire going and started brewing tea for everyone without even needing to be told.
Clover put a cup into the general’s hand, as he stood at the cavern’s mouth, listening to the shouted messages being relayed to him.
“Thank you. The lieutenant says he’s reached a sharp drop, a vertical shaft. They’ve stopped to drive in a piton and start a new rope.”
He smiled encouragingly, trying to hide the terror he was feeling. A few more minutes, and they would know if there was a heap of drowned and broken bodies at the foot of that shaft. Clover wasn’t fooled. She closed her eyes, smiled shakily at the general, and went straight to Rose. The two of them clung together in wordless agony. Around them, all was action and concentrated effort. At first it seemed as if all they could do was wait. But then Clover said, “No, that’s not all,” and Rose knew what she meant. They turned towards the Tree, and stood there, holding hands. General Herdalen saw them, and added a silent plea of his own.


Ace moved his head. Only a tiny movement, but it sent waves of nausea and pain through his body. Keeping very still, he opened his eyes. Then he blinked. He could see something. Ahead of him, far ahead, he could see the gleam of wet rock. Light? How could there be light? Then he remembered, he was dead. Will had said there would be light. He was aware of a vague feeling of disappointment. He’d thought the light would be better than that.
But then, as consciousness returned, and he remembered where he was, a bolt of excitement jarred his hurt body. Light ahead, someone was coming to help them! Someone with a light. He tried to speak, but couldn’t do more than croak. He had to get the others up, he had to get them moving. With infinite slowness, he turned round, and crawled back to Fran. He patted around until he found Fran’s face.
“Come on, got to go. Think help’s coming!”
“Ace?” said Fran. “What?”
“There’s a light!”
“Light? Where?” said Betch, lifting his head.
Ace crawled past them all.
“Will, wake up,” he said. “It’s morning. Look!”
Will looked.
“Would you look at that,” he said. “That’s beautiful, that is.”
They couldn’t rouse Wayne and Peter at all, but they fumbled around as quickly as they could, standing now. Ace and Will lifted Wayne by his arms, and heaved him along, and Fran and Betch did the same for Peter. The tiny gleam of light was still a long way off, but rising hope gave them the energy they needed, until finally they could see clearly what it was. They’d reached the bottom of the first vertical shaft, and the light was shining down it. They could hear muffled voices, and sharp taps. There was someone up there with a torch.
The relief was so great Will could hardly take it in. He was floating, very near to delirium. He and Ace gently deposited Wayne against the rock, and Will watched as Ace stumbled forward and looked, blinkingly, up the shaft, and took a deep breath to shout.
“Hello! Who’s there?”
There was a scrambling noise above them, then a voice calling down.
“That you, shrimp? Oh,yes!”
Will’s weary mind tried to work out who it was. Only one person called Ace ‘shrimp’ – yes, that was it. The other Ace. Will smiled, finally sure. They’d be all right now. He let himself slump down, next to Wayne, while the two Aces rapidly exchanged information. In a very short time, the silence and dark were replaced by bustle and light, and Lieutenant Foxfield was there, roping Wayne safely and climbing beside him, then coming back down to do the same for Peter.
“We need to get these two onto stretchers,” he told them. “But I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“That’s OK,” said Ace. “Thank you for coming to find us.”
The lieutenant smiled at him.
“When I called through that you were all alive,” he said, “I could hear the cheer that went up all the way down here.”
As he finished roping Peter, he called up the shaft, “OK, Hol! Heave!”, then he climbed again.


It was almost a relief when he took the bright torch away from them. It had been too much to bear. Left alone again, in semi-darkness, they had a little while to think, and it was what they needed. They knew they were safe now, and their ordeal was nearly over. But the enormity of what they’d gone through, was something they knew they’d never be able to share fully with anyone else. They’d faced death together, here in the dark, and depended upon each other completely, with no shame and no pride.
Wordlessly, they reached out for each other, and put their arms round each other’s shoulders, their heads touching in the middle of the circle. Betch’s shoulders shook, and they weren’t surprised to hear a catch in his voice.
“You did it, Ace. You did it. You found a path out of the dark.”
“It was my job,” said Ace, near to tears himself.
“The leader’s task,” said Fran. “Only a great leader could have done it.”
Will couldn’t speak. But messaging Ace, who was right next to him, was easier than breathing. Much easier, right now, the way his lungs were burning.
Only the best, he thought, and fainted.
“We’re going to need another stretcher,” Ace yelled up. “Will’s had it.”
“No problem,” came the answer, disconcertingly loud. They hadn’t realised the lieutenant was on his way down again. “We’ve got enough for all of you, if you want.”

But by the time they were all at the top of the shaft, and they’d each demolished a bottle of orange juice, Ace was feeling a bit better. Not well – not well at all, every part of him hurt – but he decided he wanted to walk out of here on his own feet. He saw Will carefully wrapped and strapped onto a kind of sledge, and when he’d been whisked away, he quietly followed Fran and Betch, who were walking side by side. Behind him, and watching him carefully, came Ace and Holly, gathering up equipment as they came.
Slowly, the torchlight faded away, being replaced by the cold light of day. Real daylight, more and more every second, until Ace had to shield his eyes. He heard a cheer as they all clambered out. Bewildered, he started shaking at the sight of all the familiar faces smiling at him, cheering for him. He couldn’t smile back. It was all too much, and the cheering died away as everyone took in how bad they looked, barely clothed, only rags remaining, and streaked with green over every part of their skin, from fresh and dried blood.
He swayed, but the lieutenant was beside him in an instant, steadying him. Gran came over, his eyes joyful, but being careful not to overwhelm Ace with words or emotion. He could see very well that Ace was barely hanging on, and that one wrong word would set him crying, which he’d hate.
“Well done, Moseley,” he said, just as if Ace was a real officer. He shook Ace’s bloody hand. “You brought your team back safely. Good work.”
The formality was just what Ace needed, it braced him and helped him to control himself. Then Lieutenant Polesie came over, eyes weighing and assessing. Major Gourdon had already gone down to the hospital with the first casualties, but he’d warned her what to expect.
Fran and Betch had submitted to being stretchered to hospital, and Ace knew that he’d have to, too. He wasn’t sure he could move another step. He sank to the ground, and hardly felt it as Gran and Ace Foxfield wrapped him and tucked him in safely, and set off down the mountain, carrying him themselves. His eyes closed at once. Relieved of responsibility, he at last surrendered to the pain that was overwhelming him, and oblivion took him.