Magic
Part II
Rosemarie Hauer
Rocks and stones broke loose beneath his feet as Vincent climbed up the rough cavern wall. There was an opening overhead, and he hoped fervently that it wouldn't be too narrow for him to fit through. Breaking away a few chunks of rock, he finally squeezed through the crevice and lifted himself into a low corridor which opened into a faintly illuminated shaft. Cautiously edging closer to the light, he inhaled the smell of fresh air. He craned his neck to look up along the shaft, but it seemed endless and impossible to climb, so he withdrew his head and sat down to massage his aching ankles. The intensely bitter taste was back on his tongue and he closed his eyes against the wave of nausea that washed through him. He licked his lips and froze with terror when his tongue didn't encounter his prolonged canine teeth as usual. His eyes flew open and he stared down at the backs of his hands. The russet tufts of fur were gone, and the bare skin shimmered whitely in the pale light from above. Still his mind would not acknowledge the truth. Even when his muscles convulsed and his tendons ached with the incipient change, he refused to resign himself to the transformation.
"No," he heard his own voice reverberate through the tunnel. Not now, he prayed silently. Not like that. Not when I have no control over it.
Tears left a trail of coolness on his cheek before everything around him went black.
*** Catherine woke with a start. She hadn't meant to fall asleep, especially not in so uncomfortable a position. Raising her head, she looked around herself disorientedly. Was she only imagining things or was it brighter in here now? She looked up at the thin beam that slanted in through a crack in the ceiling, but there was a faint blue shine from outside as well. On her hands and knees she crawled over to the opening to peer around the corner. To her surprise she saw Vincent holding a softly glowing object in his hands as he investigated the broken wall at the far side of the cavern. Relieved to see he was back, she called his name, and to her surprise the light went out immediately. He turned and walked toward her and when he squatted down beside her, she realized that his hands were empty. Before she could make a remark, he began to speak.
"We should be able to get through there," he explained, pointing at the wall behind him.
"Where did the light come from?" she asked.
"It's daylight, filtering in from above," he said, and she realized that he was misunderstanding her deliberately. "Many places below are connected with the surface more or less directly through shafts and crevices. Sometimes we place mirrors so we can make better use of the light, but in this case..."
"...there are no mirrors," she finished for him.
"If there had been, they would be broken by now," he added.
She nodded. "And what about the light you held out there?" she demanded.
His expression closed. "What did you see?" he inquired, and she couldn't shake the impression that he sounded wary.
"I awoke and thought I saw you holding some sort of light out there," she explained.
He shook his head thoughtfully. "You know I require very little light to see by," he said evenly.
Catherine noted with surprise that he was evading her, but before she could reply, he was on his feet again. She watched as he returned to the broken wall and continued to remove rocks and stones. She rose and went to him. "Let me help," she said.
He paused, inclining his head as he looked at her. "That won't be necessary, Catherine. Please step back a little. I don't think this will take long. Maybe you should rest some more. We do have quite a walk ahead of us."
"How long will it take us to get back home?" she asked.
Heaving a sigh, he said, "We won't be able to return home right away. The cave-in cut us off from the direct route to the home tunnels."
"Then where...?" she began.
"I've created a place," he interrupted her question, "deep in the farthest reaches of the tunnel system. Sometimes I go there, spend some time there..."
"To find yourself," she said.
"Among other things, yes," he conceded. His reply puzzled her but before she could ask, he added, "I have a supply of food there, and we'll be able to rest before we set off for home."
*** Catherine thought that she must have dozed off again, for when she looked up, Vincent was standing before her, studying her thoughtfully. She cast him a smile and he returned it wearily.
"We can go now," he said, extending his hand to help her up. She watched as he bent to retrieve his cloak. He shook off the dust before he placed the heavy garment about his shoulders.
Catherine felt tired and hungry, and the thought of the impending underground hike did nothing to lift her spirits. Vincent's hand closed around hers and he gave it an encouraging tug. "It's not that far," he reassured her.
Walking through narrow tunnels and crawling through low passageways in near darkness took its toll on Catherine. Fortunately she had a tiny flashlight which was a vast consolation, although it was too weak to properly illuminate the way before her. After an hour or so the light flickered and died and they walked on in darkness.
She wondered how it was possible that Vincent could see anything at all down here, but she trusted him implicitly, and simply holding onto his warm, strong hand as she trailed behind him made her feel better already.
Suddenly Vincent stopped. "What is it?" she asked with concern.
"We will have to climb a little," he explained evasively.
"Climb?" She didn't relish the thought of climbing rocks in total darkness.
"I...will carry you," he offered. "It's not a long climb."

"You don't have to carry me," she protested, releasing his hand. "If it's not far, I'm sure I can feel my way up there."
He was silent for a long moment, and she hated the fact that she couldn't see his face.
"Very well then," he said at last, taking her hand again. He pulled her gently toward a wall and put her palms against the rough stones embedded there. Judging from what her probing fingers told her, the wall must go up at an angle of almost ninety degrees. Before she could voice her concern, Vincent turned her slightly so that she stood directly facing the wall. Then he positioned himself behind her. "I will give you directions," he promised, and she was grateful for his reassuring presence at her back.
Once they started climbing, it went better than expected. He explained to her where she would find her next handhold and made sure that she didn't lose her footing. At one time he suddenly froze and pressed his body against her. A shudder ran through him, and Catherine thought she heard him release a muffled groan.
"Vincent?" she asked into the darkness, glad that she could feel the reassuring pressure of his stomach and chest against her back as he held them both in place. "Are you all right?"
"Yes," came the quiet reply and they resumed their climb.
It was with relief that Catherine pulled herself over the edge of the wall at last. Vincent followed right behind and sat down beside her where she had sagged to the moist ground in order to catch her breath.
"We're almost there," came his comforting voice. "But please stay on your hands and knees for a while. The ceiling of this corridor is quite low."
"Vincent," she gasped, still out of breath. "Can we please rest for a moment?"
She heard the rustle of his clothes as he settled himself beside her and drew her onto his lap. Tears of relief gathered in her eyes as she leaned her head on his shoulder and allowed herself to relax.
"I've missed you so much," she murmured into the coarse fabric of his cloak.
His hand came up and he cupped his warm palm around the back of her head. "I'm here," he whispered, caressing her ear with the pad of his thumb.
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