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After a short exchange in which Ehud apparently gave the princess a rag of some sort, he asked, almost hesitantly, “Would a flashlight work better?”

Flashlight? Flash-light. Hm. I wonder if that’s a power. But then Ehud would be empowered. Riure considered all she’d learned about Ehud, then shook her head and laughed. That was out of the question. Then again…

“It isn’t for the light,” Princess Liorah answered slowly. Her voice then shifted, as if she had turned away. “It’s drafty in here, and a draft means air circulation. Air has to go in, and come out.” Ah. Made sense. “Does that answer your question, or do I need to explain what air is and why you need it?”

Well, that was unexpected. Riure wouldn’t think the princess would be either sarcastic or mocking, whichever the previous statement was. Whatever the intent had been, the person she had apparently been talking to flared like a torch.

“Missy, I think we need to talk,” he growled. “I didn’t come over here to be bossed around and talked down to. You’re not my superior — and, in fact, I don’t remember anyone putting you in charge in the first place. You can’t order me around, you can’t tell me what to do, what not to say!”

“Erm…” Riure didn’t know what to say. It seemed like she’d missed part of the conversation. Finding Liorah’s voice again, she concentrated on what the princess was saying.

“See? That one has no exit. It’s airtight, and we would have suffocated.” Her tone was triumphant.

Riure cocked her head thoughtfully. She was almost positive that all the passages she’d felt had had a slight breath of air wafting from them. “Um, Ehud, which passage is she talking about?”

Ehud leaned closer and whispered in her ear, “The one to our right.”

Ah. Riure hadn’t gotten there yet. It made perfect sense.

“Anyone try breaking that?” Princess Liorah asked, and fabric swished. “There’s a reasonably close exit for the air behind it.”

“A mirror,” Ehud offered.

“So not windows?” Riure asked quietly.

“Nope.”

Riure absentmindedly stroked Sadiq’s head, waiting for someone to tell her what to do. She’d rather not walk into a tunnel blindly – however blind she was everywhere else. Having someone with her to tell her things Sadiq couldn’t would definitely ease her fear. A lot. Plus, something was shivering in the air above them, almost like it was stirring a giant kettle they were all floating in. Ever since Ehud had told her the walls moved, she’d tried to keep her senses on high alert. She most definitely did not want to end up impaled on a moving spike she couldn’t see.

A hand touched her shoulder gently. Judging from the most recent exchange, it was probably Rosario. “You, I want to talk to you for a moment,” she said. Yep, it was Rosario. Riure couldn’t mistake that accent. It was as flowing as Princess Liorah’s was clipped.

“Erm, okay…” Riure agreed with a nervous giggle. Nobody ever wanted to talk with her in private. Was this good, or something she should be worried about?

Rosario’s hand gently landed on her shoulder, steering her to the side, probably near the wall. Riure sensed the change in airflow. Master Ziess’ wingbeats moved her hair as he followed her. Riure smiled, grateful for his presence. Whatever was about to happen, she trusted the small warrior.

There was a long silence when they stopped, and Riure felt Rosario’s eyes on her. For once, she was glad she couldn’t meet the woman’s eyes. She wasn’t sure what she’d do if she could read the emotions sure to be there. Rosario’s accent was familiar, mostly because Bator’s accent was similar. When she’d asked him about it, he’d told her that he was of a race of people who all spoke the same way. As a general rule, they all had dark hair, bronzed skin, and dark eyes. Riure had always imagined that dark eyes had more depth than, say, glassy blue ones. Her mother had had dark eyes. Riure had always been able to tell what her mother was thinking due to them.

“Why did you vote me?” Rosario asked, her voice quiet, strange, and wondering.

Riure paused, unsure how to answer. “Hm.”

The tension built as she tried to sort out her thoughts.

“Well,” she began slowly. “I suppose it’s mostly because you needed it. Don’t get me wrong; I know you probably want to be considered as self-sufficient. But… I mean… Grr, sometimes things are so hard to explain!” She snorted laughter out her nose. “Erm, I also noticed the way that you take care of Ehud. Although you speak to him with harsh words, your tone always indicates that you care for him. You’re protective of him, and… well, forgive me for saying this, but I think you love him. Maybe not in that way, but… maybe more like a brother? I don’t know.” She laughed nervously. Before Rosario could reply, she rushed on ahead. “You also took charge when we were forced in here, and, although it kind of got messed up with the princess showing up and everything else, you tried to organize us and find a peaceful solution.” She licked her lips in apprehension. “Honestly, Rosario, hunie (pronounced HOON-yeay, not honey, in case you were wondering, lol), I admire all of that -except pretending to being completely self-sufficient. Sorry. But everyone needs someone, and I’m pretty sure Ehud is your someone. Sorry for being so blunt.” Riure wanted to laugh to relieve the tension, but she couldn’t muster up the courage. She curled her fingers into the coarse fur around Sadiq’s scruff, preparing herself for the onslaught to come.

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