"Sir," said Hideoshi, straitened himself as he addressed Sergeant Degmah, "we're on our way."
"Why the halt?" Sergeant Degmah demanded, folding his arms as he glared at Hideoshi.
"This boy knows another way down to the bottom of the plateau, sir."
"But he's a Valashian! Might be a trap!"
"Most of the soldiers here can't climb down a cliff, even if ordered to, sir."
"What of it? It's orders!" Said Sergeant Degmah. But lowering his eyes, he muttered to himself, "I don't enjoy thinking about that climb myself."
He raised his eyes to Hideoshi again, pulled at his beard, then ordered loudly," Halt, everyone! Wait for further instruction!"
After announcing this, Sergeant Degmah trudged off towards the tower in the center of Valash.
"I'm freezing! Why didn't you tell us about this other way back inside, Illari?" Galen moaned while stomping his feet and rubbing his hands.
Hideoshi looked around him. Most of the soldiers of the Third Company were moving about in a futile attempt to warm themselves while chatting, including his brother Takashi. Nevsky, however, stood still and aloof. His arms were folded tightly, his pale lips were pressed together firmly, and his glazed eyes stared into nothingness. Only his brown hair fluttered feebly in the icy wind.
"What's up with him now?" Thought Hideoshi.
"Nevsky!" Called out Hideoshi. But Nevsky remained unmoved, frozen as ice, without even the slightest flicker of an eye.
"Nevsky!"
No response.
Suddenly, Hideoshi understood, as clearly and sharply in his mind as an icicle is clear and sharp, Nevsky's lack of response, his bleak stare, his stiffened jaw.
"He still won't accept what happened," thought Hideoshi. "He refuses to face that he's by himself since his family's all dead, but he knows that he must-and he's petrified. He's built up a frozen fortress of ice around himself, his thoughts. A fortress that will shatter into thousands of bits that'll dissolve into nothingness upon the first hard blow."
Hideoshi slapped his tingling hands to prevent numbness, while staring at Nevsky.
"I don't know why, but I'll see if I can shake him out of this," he thought.
A slushing of snow caused him and the other soldiers of the Third Company to pause their thoughts and doing. Sergeant Degmah, red-faced and puffing his cheeks, waddled up to them, followed by several other officers. Then Sergeant Degmah halted, and rang out:
"Boy! Your secret way better lead us down to the plains 'cause if you're lyin'- you'll get it!"
"I'm not lyin'! Follow me!" Illari called shrilly, skipping blithely and waving his one arm, then marching off with a beaming face.
The soldiers of the Third Company began to march, following the officers and Illari's lead. Some shifted their packs on their backs, adjusting them for comfort and security, while others plodded with half-closed eyes and drooping shoulders. All soon fell into two uneven lines that wound through the streets of Valash before entering into the house that they slept in some nights before.
But this time, they entered the great doors directly across from the entrance, and descended the stairs that seemed to drop down into the ground directly in front of the doors. Down the smooth steps they tramped until they reached a passageway, while was lit with a pale, white light that streamed down from shafts. In the passageway were five doors, two behind the company, and the other three beside and before them. Illari dashed to the door on the left, reached for the handle with his one hand, and swung it open while dangling from the handle.
"You'll want lights," he said before striding into the darkness.
The subdued chatter that was present before subsided as echoes became prevalent, and the air grew thick and damp. Hideoshi, Nevsky, Takashi, and Galen stuck together during the gradual decent, though none of them spoke.
Hideoshi glanced about him, and, from the flickering orange lights, discerned that the walls were painted in vivid colours, such as red, green, purple, and yellow. At times he could make out figures-soldiers, trees, beasts, maidens- all on a dark blue background with gold stars, just like those painted on the vaulted ceiling in the house above.
"I wish I knew what the paintings were, what they mean, who made them, and why," Hideoshi thought.
