Somewhere in the dark

 Her very words were music to Milo's ears. He couldn't believe he heard her correctly. Still, she was all he needed and he wasn't even looking for her. Yes, he'd need to be in her good graces. But then again, he didn't have any friends. They were all dead or far away. Even her brother. No one could say he was even alive.

Milo longed to see him, but he couldn't think about such matters. They needed to keep moving. 

Luckily, they didn't go too far in the cave. By morning, he was certain they couldn't go back the way they came in. He'd heard voices.

"But why?" She looked at him so distressed. He put his index finger to her lips. They needed to hide.

Naturally, they must have felt their way into the darkness a third of the way before she remembered the firestick. It was quiet and he said it was time. Of course, once the light was lit, he wished they'd stayed in the dark. 

To both their surprise, there were skeletons cemented into the walls. He put his hand over ChaCha's lips before she could scream. She could not escape his embrace, and for a moment he felt as if he couldn't be here without her. He promised they would not become the pale bones and pushed on. 

"Your father's men must be looking for you," he said so quietly.

ChaCha said she didn't believe that. "Assasins in disguise."

Milo only nodded, she was probably right. Earlier, he'd led her by the forearm, but now he took her hand as if she was someone to protect. 

The climate of the cave was still cool just as the walls were smooth now and less lumpy with bones. Perhaps they were farther than most who came before them. Milo couldn't be sure if this was good or bad. Suddenly he felt a breeze, but it was warm. He stopped in his tracks and her face collided into the backside of his makeshift backpack (which was no more than a threadbare sack knotted with rope for straps).

"What is it?" ChaCha whispered.

"I dunno," Milo sighed. It was probably nothing but a dead end.