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Author's Note: In reading this chapter, you may get the idea that Kali is slow or stupid. She is not, she's just been stuck in a cliff all of her life! ^^; Okay, so read on... Chapter Two The sun shone across the valley once more, and yet again, the cliffs sparkled beautiful reds, oranges, and golds. However, on the other side of the valley, there was a cliff with a giant cave entrance behind it. It was too well hidden to see from the other side of the valley, the side of which Kali had grown up most of her life. However, it stood there now, might, brilliant. Waiting, calling to be found out by any stranger who dared to come across the valley. Inside, Kali lay on a bed of pine needles and leaves. She awoke with a pain in her back, and groaned. As usual, she ignored the pain. She was used to it, since she had grown up in caves. However, she was not used to the bright light that shone into the cave. The light could reach only so far, so the back of the cave was a mystery. But this was not Kali's home cave. It was another. And she had no memories of the previous night. Gulping, she stood up, shielding her eyes with one hand. She could see most of the front of the cave. There were shelves close to the back, and bins under them. But other than that, it was mostly empty, except for pine needles and leaves, which were strewn across the floor. Kali walked out of the cave. Unexpectedly, she reached the edge of the cliff and almost fell over, but managed to regain her balance. She looked down, the entire world under her feet. This cliff was even higher than the one that Kali often went to to think. Kali examined the cliff edge. Unlike the cliff that Kali was used to, there was no ledge. No way for Kali to get down except for long jumps and climbing like a mountain climber, with robes. The edge was so steep that the rocks were constantly rolling down the side of it, leaving a large pile at the bottom. So she was stuck. There was no way to leave. But how had she gotten here in the first place. Kali turned and looked back at the back of the cave. Most likely, there was an inside tunnel that came out further down and/or up. But without a lantern, it was impossible to see your way through there. The only way to leave the cliff was to know your way around the dark tunnel. It was then that the thought struck her. So, this must have been the bandits cave. They must have been real, and her mother had not lied. Kali cursed herself for not believing her own mother, then stood up and turned to go back into the cave. Leaning against the cave wall, Kali sighed, and gazed into the valley, wondering what the bandits would do to her. Would they leave her too starve? Would they kill her? Where they cannibals? Worries flowed through Kali's mind, and she had to sit down, sick to her stomach. "So. You're awake," said a deep voice behind her. Kali turned, expecting to see a large, beefy man with tattoos, long hair, and a patch over his eye. Instead, she saw a boy, not much older than herself, standing in the shadows at the back of the cave. She couldn't make him out much, but she knew he wasn't a pirate. Kali did not reply to his statement about her being awake. Instead, she just turned back and gazed at the valley. Whoever he was, she did not like being imprisoned on the cliff. The boy did not say anything, but just turned around and left.
The sun was low in the west when Kali awoke from a deep sleep. She had not remembered falling asleep, but it didn't matter. Her aching head just begged her to fall back asleep. But she stood up, instead, hunger getting the better of her. She walked over to the bins under the shelves and looked in. Empty, of course, Kali thought bitterly as she put the lid back on. Desperately, she wished for someone to rescue her. Childhood dreams were suddenly forced to reality, dreams of her being held prisoner, and a mighty prince would save her and everyone would live happily ever after. Except there was no prince. Kali sighed, and sat down, leaning against the cave wall. She was about to fall asleep again, when someone came to her. "Oh, good, you're awake again." It was the same boy who had come that morning. Kali could see him better, despite the setting sun. Forgetting manners, and introductions and all, Kali said, eagerly, "Do you have any food? I'm starving." The boy, astonished by the girl's sudden interest in food, and no introductions, shook his head. "No, I don't have any food with me. But if you want, you can come down to the main cave and eat with us." Kali snorted. "How? I can't even see you accept for a little of your face, and it's even darker back there. I can't see. I do not know the turns of the tunnels, if that is what's back there. I don't have a chance." The boy shrugged. "Well, what does it matter. If you don't want any food, that's okay with me. But it gets stale after the long walk back up here, so I can't bring you any. And anyway, it's not that bad. I have a torch, it'd light the path, and you'd be able to see." Kali, not wanting to go down in the dark, started to protest, when he interrupted her. How rude! Kali thought, then remembered that she had not introduced herself. "Let's go. You have to eat, whether you want to or not." He walked further back into the cave, then lit a torch. Kali sighed, then followed him down the tight tunnel.
Finally, after what seemed like hours of walking, Kali and the boy reached a cavern in the cliff side. The boy set the torch down in the torch-holder, then sat down on a glittering rock in the center of the cavern. "Wow. It's beautiful," Kali marveled. She hadn't been aware of such beauties in the cliff. Kali had always thought it was nothing but dull, dust-colored rocks. But here, this was beauty. Stalactites hung from a ceiling of crystal. Stalagmites pointed up from the ground, as if they were trying to reach the heavens. Columns, where the stalactites and stalagmites met, stood around the cavern, more majestic than the roman pillars. At least Kali thought so. The boy didn't say anything, just kept walking. He'd been here before, and he did not need to linger on the beauty of the room. Instead, he sidestepped a row of columns, and disappeared behind them. Kali slowly followed, and they headed up another tunnel. After walking a few steps, they turned and found another cavern. There weren't any beautiful decorations. It was boring. Just like my cave, Kali thought. "Sit down." Kali sat. The boy walked over to the other end of the room, where there were shelves carved into the stone rock. He grabbed a clay jar and started preparing something to eat. Kali picked up a twig on the floor and started pushing some pebbles together with it. "So, do you have a name?" she asked, playing with the pebbles. "Gary." "Just Gary?" Kali asked, looking up. "Yeah." "You don't have a last name?" The boy, Gary, turned around and walked over to her. He held out a clay bowl, full of some kind of soup. Kali took it, then said, "Well?" "Do you have a last name?" he countered. "Yeah." "Then what is it?" Kali hesitated. "What's it to you?" "You don't have one, do you? Well, do you have a first name?" he inquired. "Of course I do!" "Then you could at least tell me that." "Why should I?" Kali asked. "I told you mine. Please don't be a baby about this." "Who's being a baby! My name's Kali." She looked at the bowl. It was full of a clear liquid with orange chunks and meat floating around in it. She looked at it in disgust. "It's not poisoned," Gary said, observing her disgusted look. "Then what is it?" "Chicken soup." "What's a chicken?" Kali asked. Gary looked at her in surprised. "You don't know what a chicken is?" "No." "Then what do you eat?" "Berries, fruits, basically anything that is edible and comes from the forest." "So you're a vegetarian?" "What's a vegetarian?" "A person who doesn't eat meat." "I guess I am. I can't recall my mother making anything with meat in it. What's in the soup?" "Chicken broth, chicken, and carrots," Gary answered. "I still don't know what a chicken is." Gary sighed. "Haven't you ever been to the city?" "No. I'm not allowed to go anywhere near these cliffs, and to get to the city I have to go through them. Plus, even if the cliffs weren't here, my mother wouldn't let me go fifty feet away from our cave. Which reminds me, how long do I have to stay here?" "You can't go back to your cliff." "What?! Why not?" Kali asked, puzzled. "No one is supposed to know that we live here. If you go back and tell that mother that you--" "It's kinda too late for that. My mother already spins tales about hermits and pirates who live here so--Did you say 'we'?" Kali said. "Just me, my dad, and my grandpa. Who do you live with?" "Just my mom." Gary nodded. "Why did you decide to move out here?" "I had nothing to do with the decision." "Really?" "My mom just came here when my dad died. It struck her like a lightning bolt. She was so grief-stricken that she moved here and forgot everything good in her life. Including me." "Doesn't she cook for you?" "You wouldn't understand." "Did you know that you're not the only one who lives in those cliffs?" "Gary!" exclaimed a voice from the shadows. They both turned and saw a man with gray hair held back came in. "Grandfather," Gary said, standing up. "We have to get out of here. The old witch across the valley is going on rampage. She's extremely angry." His grandfather's gaze fell on Kali. "I found her in the woods, stumbling around like a drunken sailor." "Yes. I know. Hmm… Gary, come over here. I need to speak with you alone." Gary followed his grandpa outside the room, Kali watching as she was left alone in the cavern. |