Free Chaos Bound by Rebekah Turner Page A

like to see that.’
    ‘You’re hilarious. Where are we going?’
    ‘You’ll see.’
    ‘Is it much further?’
    ‘Not far now.’
    ‘Because I want to get off this horse.’
    ‘I know.’ Roman’s shoulders shifted as he guided the horse sharply to the right.
    ‘You’ve gone off the road,’ I told him. ‘Do you know that? You’ve gone off the road.’
    ‘I know.’
    ‘You do also know what else is around here, right?’
    ‘I do.’
    ‘The Swamp of Rot. We’re not heading for it, right?’
    ‘Lora. Be quiet and trust me.’
    I bit my lip, reminding myself the walk back to the city would be a pain in my backside, as well as my sore hip. Besides, I didn’t have a magical uniform to ward off bandits. Why Roman would be taking me towards the Swamp of Rot was beyond madness. I could already smell its toxic fumes mixing with the sweet pine smell of the forest.
    We travelled a little further, the horse weaving between the pines that gradually became twisted and bent. The acrid smell strengthened and I gagged a few times, knowing we couldn’t be far from the swamp now.
    Then, just as the horse’s hooves squelched into boggy ground, we stopped at the base of a rocky incline. The horse hesitated. Roman made some encouraging clucking noises and guided him up a narrow path among the rocks.
    A cave entrance appeared half way up, a narrow slice of darkness in the limestone. I scowled, and it crossed my mind to slide off the horse with as much dignity as I could muster and stomp back to the city. Roman chuckled as if he could sense my thoughts. Mashing my teeth together, I willed myself to keep my complaints to a minimum.
    We stopped just outside the cave. Roman dismounted and lifted me down with an easy grace. He took the horse’s reins in one hand and beckoned me to follow. The horse shied nervously, looking as reluctant as I felt. Roman paused to rub its nose, making soothing noises before coaxing into the darkness. I watched them disappear, pretty sure rubbing my nose wasn’t going to make me any more enthusiastic about this cave business.
    ‘I must be insane,’ I grumbled and stepped into the gloom, pulling my cane from my belt. I'd seen movies in the Outlands where people went in caves. They never ended well, what with the blood-sucking cave monsters and everything. One of the problems with The Weald was that the blood-sucking cave monsters could be real.
    ‘Just walk straight ahead.’ Roman’s voice came from somewhere in the dark.
    Blinking, I waited until my eyes adjusted and saw we were in a short tunnel. A dim light dusted my arms, and I saw glow-worms nestled tight in the limestone. The air smelled of damp dirt, the ground uneven and laced with plant roots and mossy rocks.
    I quickened my pace, my cane helping me over the rocky obstacles. Roman and the horse were silhouetted against the dim light ahead and I caught up, finally stepping out of the cave and into fresh air.
    A grassy clearing sprawled before me, tinted in the warm tones of the descending sun. We were still within the rocky hill, but the clearing was open to the sky. In the dimming light, I could make out thick patches of buttery daffodils and spots of maple saplings, their branches bursting with spring green. Something that looked like a small shelter in white stone and wood was propped next to a sturdy looking sapling. Near it, a ring of stones outlined a well-worn fire-pit.
    Walking through the field, my feet landed on a cluster of frothy, long-stemmed flowers and the smell of garlic tinged the air, making my mouth water.
    Roman joined me, looking smug. ‘Nice, isn’t it?’
    ‘Who else knows of this place?’ I asked.
    ‘No-one.’ He tethered the horse near the shelter. ‘I found it when I was young and prone to sneaking off by myself. Not many people came this way, being so near to the swamp.’ He took a deep breath. ‘But the air is sweet in here. Always has been.’
    I eyed the shelter, which tilted to one side. ‘Did you