Hole-y Relics

L

Laggy Lagiacrus

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Original poster
"Bah, three months and I still can't make heads or tails of these runes. Three months! Ah well, maybe this dig will help. Come along, we don't have all day."
Waving his partner over, Alan Burrows began making his way to the entrance, the stone steps shielded by a recently – and hastily – erected wooden canopy. It didn't keep all the sand out, but it stopped the entrance from being blocked. Desert excavations were always a pain, and not least because of the clothing that he had to wear – granted, the headscarf and such were practical, keeping sand and heat and such off of him. However, that was not to say he liked them. Taking a sip on his canteen – making sure to preserve it – Burrows moved forward with all due haste, eager to get to the main chambers, where he believed the key to the runes would be found.
 
Mollie trotted behind the man, her black hair, fell pat her shoulders, her green eyes were fixed on the man in front of her. The young woman was eager to learn though she wasn't the most practical dresser. She wore a black dress, fairly frilly and small dangley earrings in the shape of a moon with stars hanging off them. Her face was quite pale, her hair mostly covered her face though. The young woman's lips were pale like her face though today she wore a light pink coloured lipstick. She wore doc martin boots which came up to just above her ankle and carried the equipment which was pressed against her chest lightly. Mollie moved beneath the canopy, her feet clopped down the stone steps. "I'm c-c-oming Mr Burrows. I'm sure everything will be fine" Her voice sounded gentle though it held that unsure ring about it. Mollie was a caring person and hold only been in this job for a few months though she tended to Mr Burrows need, that included carrying equipment around, keeping track of his findings and even just making him the odd drink. She was a positive outgoing person who had a passion for archaeology and hoped to be what Mr Burrows was some day. Mollie followed him through the passage not daring to say anything else.
 
Burrows was astounded by Molly's lack of practical dress sense - it was the desert, not Paris. Still, she was a reliable assistant, and having a pretty one following you around all day made you look better than you actually were. Nevertheless, her primary reason for employment was to assist him in his research, her unintentional raising of his profile merely an auxiliary function.
"Mollie, be a dear, and pull that lever."
It was a simple enough command, that had been executed many times. Burrows assumed that, by pointing behind himself in its general direction, that she would know what he meant. Unfortunately, he was pointing to the one that had not been used, not the one that pulled the stone slab blocking their way, out of the way. He hadn't tested the lever, but he was fairly certain it held a pretty harmless function, given that the one next to it merely opened a door. The map was the focus of his attention - a worn piece of thick and durable cloth that he had burned into his brain.
 
She dressed well but just in the wrong scenario. Mollie was a kind and caring person though she wasn't the most bright at doing things, even if it was a simple task. She looked up at him and then smiled slightly. "Of course sir." She then placed down the tools and wondered over to the lever, gripping it with her hand and then pulling it down slightly. Her eyes seemed to sparkle with curiosity. What on earth did this unusual piece of contraption do? She was so sure he'd been pointing at the right one. Mollie then gulped and watched as a pit opened directly beneath her feet and she then landed on the floor two metre's below the surface. "Errr sir? I've hit a light snag in the procedure..." She rubbed her head and gaze up with confused eyes. The young woman then stood, brushing herself off and then looking up. "I think I've sat on a skull..." She grumbled, kicking the earth around beneath her feet. She then turned on a torch and pointed it down onto the floor. "Yes that is in fact a skull. Mr Burrow's I think you'll find this find different to all of the other's you've come across here."
 
Stupid girl.
"Well then, what are you waiting for? I can hardly see it, can I?"
Peering over the edge of the pit, Burrows made no attempt to help his assistant up, expecting her to pass the skull up. Then, he remembered that she was his responsibility, so he would get an ear-bashing from his seniors if they found out he left her in a pit. Thus, he reached his hand out, ready to pull her up if need be. He was stronger than he looked, and he doubted that Mollie weighed that much.
She's probably turned anorexic from the amount of sweat that dress would have made her lose.
Gesturing for her to get a move on, he began actually processing what she had said. A skull, in these ruins, different from the others. Given her track record, he supposed she thought a hole in it was a third eye socket, whereas it would actually just be a result of her fall. Still, he had nothing better to do, apart from investigate the runes. Again.
 
Mollie looked up at him with saddened eyes though it was unlikely he would see this. "I think it's best you come down here, this skull could be part of a skeleton." She smiled weakly though she then gently took hold of his hand offering to help him down if need be. Her hand shook slightly showing how slightly anxious she actually was. Did the girl weigh much? Not really. Eight stone three was all the 5ft 4 woman weighed. As a child she wasn't the worlds slimmest and was picked on the majority of the time, affecting both her confidence and her school work. In some ways this was one of her only chances to do what she actually enjoyed in life. Her black dress wasn't that thick, in fact it was rather low cut, the fabric was rather light, the dress only coming up to her knees. She wore a long black coat which covered her body up well. She hated showing flesh, even if it was just her arms. She rolled her sleeves up and then watched him silently, not daring to say anything else.
 
Shrugging nonchalantly, Burrows clambered down, taking great care not to disturb anything. After all, if she was right, then it could make for quite the discovery. If she was wrong, then she was cleaning the dishes once they got back to the accommodation. Either way, he was a professional, and had to follow up as such. The skull was observed, with skeptical eyes, but he couldn't see anything - maybe because he hadn't a normal skull to compare it to, but more likely because he needed to look at it closer.
"And what do you think is so odd about it, my dear?" He asked, his tone never ceasing to seem either uninterested or just flat-out bored. That was just how he was though - and he wouldn't change for the world.
 
Mollie sighed and then pulled a lantern from the rucksack which contained the majority of the equipment. She lit the candle inside and then placed it on the floor besides the skull. Using her hands, the young girl was able to easily shift any sand surrounding the remains. Her green eyes were fixed on what she was doing. Her hair covered her eyes again though she could see perfectly fine, even in the slight darkness which surrounded them both. She then smiled and began to dust away with a brush. Mollie's tongue poked out of the side of her mouth in concentration as she uncovered more of the body which seemed to had belonged to a male. Soon enough she found he was resting his hand on top of something. Using her knuckles she lightly tapped the partially covered object to find it was hollow, though something was inside. "Mr burrows?" Her voice was soft and gentle once more. She smiled and then moved out the way. "You've found something."
 
"Well then, what are you waiting for? Uncover it! That's what I'm teaching you to do, isn't it?"
Give a man a fish, and you feed him for the day. Teach a man how to fish, and you feed him for life. Burrows was working on a similar philosophy - if he made it so she knew what she was doing, instead of just tailing him the whole while, she could make the discovery of a lifetime. And, despite his disregard for politeness, deep down inside, he just wanted what was best for people he didn't hate. Squatting, he brought out his mini maglite, shining a small beam of light onto the object, attempting to find something abnormal on it.
 
Mollie looked up at him and frowned lightly, she then proceeded to do what he'd asked of her. She wasn't able to pick up the fact he was sarcastic and emotionless the majority of the time. The young woman seemed very unaware of things that were going on around her. She wasn't the most easiest person to put up with. She wasn't bright, yet she wasn't stupid either. Her child hood hadn't been easy, for she was often singled out and judged by most. She watched as he kelt beside her and then sighed. Looking at her watch the girl sighed. "Shall I start making dinner sir? It's half five." She stod up and then pulled out her note book, scribbling a few lines on one of her pages and then closed it again. She looked up at Alan Burrows and then silently awaited his reply.
 
"Yes, sure, do what you like."
Though it could have just been passed off as an offhand response, Alan Burrows was actually paying so little attention to his partner, that her question had not even registered. She could have asked him if he wanted his heart carved out with a wooden spoon, and she would have received a similar result. He examined the object, turning it over in his hand, wondering what on earth it could have been before. It was evidently made of some sort of clay or similar material, but it didn't feel so. Not the texture or weight, but it just didn't feel like clay. As if there was something so much more within it, something of intangible power. It was drawing him in, his gaze drawn to it, as if something was forcing him to look upon it.
 
Mollie placed her hand on his shoulder. "Your not even paying attention sir." She then smiled. "We have all day tomorrow to explore all the possibilities of this new finding. You have bags under your eyes. It's like your turning into a panda bear." Her voice now held a playful tone and her face seemed to light up. Mollie wasn't the most boring person you'd ever meet, the young woman was the only source of fun in the whole expedition. She could make even the most miserable sod smile or at least smirk. Despite her bad past she had over come most of her fears. She picked up the only source of light which was the lantern and then looked up silently. "You may have to help me attempt to clamber out. Is there anything particular you desire for Dinner?"
 
"Hm? oh, right. Dinner. Something with lots of carbohydrates."
Dusting off his trousers, Burrows rose, rolling his shoulders as he did so. There was a reason why he specifically asked for plenty of carbohydrates in his meal, and it wasn't just because he wasn't paying attention. No, it was because the desert nights were cold, and he needed to keep his energy levels up, lest the cold sap his strength. In an almost robotic manner, he brought himself to the wall, and put his hands together, forming something Mollie would be able to step on to raise herself to higher ground.
 
Mollie smiled and gave a nod. She quickly glanced around and lifted her body up before she moved to help him up also. Her eyes were focused on the man in front of her. "Here sir let me help you." She smiled. Her black hair fell in her face and she could feel her dress ride up at the back. She braced herself, for she knew he would weigh more than she would. Mollie wasn't that strong to begin with. She leaned down slightly though not too far otherwise they would both be back in the pit. Thinking of what was on tonight's menu she finally spoke. "Tonight sir I will be making a chicken curry if that's okay with you. Some lemon meringue will be served for afterwards. It's good to keep your energy up sir." Her voice sounded cheery again. "Shall I make some tea or coffee?" The girl wasn't the brightest but my word she could cook when she wanted to.
 
"Tea, if you please, my dear."
Knowing Mollie would likely not be strong enough to carry him effectively, Burrows had formulated a haphazard plan to get out without troubling her too much. Taking a running start, he managed to clear the ground, and hung onto the ledge with one hand. he reached for Mollie's, and using her support, he pulled himself up. Having more important things to focus on, such as documenting the recent find in his journal, he did not notice how Mollie's dress had moved, nor did he stop to help her up. Given how he had acted on his many previous outings with her, for Mollie to be surprised at either thing would be a strange occurrence indeed. But, nevertheless, he did sense something was not right - he didn't feel bad at all, it was just a gut feeling he felt he had to remember.
 
The woman then stood brushing her dress off before she turned and walked off down the passage until she came out of the entrance. She then opened up the car door to take them back to the encampment, there would be more time for exploration tomorrow. Mollie had worked with Burrows for a few years now. The pair were more or less used to her though sometimes Mollie would winder why then man never dared to smile. Even though the encampment was a few miles away, it was still in the desert. She smiled at the thought of dinner and some warmth. Perhaps more layers tomorrow would be better.
 
Burrows' reason for never smiling was largely down to him being a workaholic and a blatant disregard for social norms, but there was another reason. It was that he smiled with his eyes, not his mouth, or his face in general. However, despite his cold and often rude mannerisms, he did have his occasional moments of compassion and tenderness. While few and far between, they said a huge amount about what kind of person he was - that he appreciated people, no matter how much they may not have been able to see it.
Completely on impulse, he hugged Mollie. Granted, it was brief, he only used one arm, and there was no eye contact as he walked straight past her to pick up th brush he had dropped. But, being a man of few complimentary words, the ones he spoke meant more than they sounded.
"Good job on finding that."
 
Soon she pulled up in front of the encampment they had set up. Glancing over at Burrows she smiled though she then looked away. She finally allowed the words to sink in. She was pleased she'd managed to impress him, even if it was just this once. Mollie clambered out of the jeep, slamming the door quite casually behind her. Mollie then moved through to the large tent, removing her boots and then replacing them with some slip on shoes. One thing those boots were good for was keeping the sand out. Finally the young woman put on a white apron, tying a large bow at the back. "You want your tea now Mr Burrows?" She sounded cheerful now, her findings today seemed to give the woman hope of finally becoming what he was, rather than his clumsy assistant. He'd even bothered to hug her today. She had to admit that it was quite a decent hug. Mollie always was one of the less bright ones, but she was just forgetful and clumsy.
 
"Hm? Oh, yes. If you please."
In actuality, Burrows had drifted off again, into musings of his own. He'd heard legends before, whispers of what the item potentially was. If he was honest with himself, it was the sole reason he had agreed to go on the expedition. But, to archaeologists - nay, any sensible historian - it was only that. A legend. A figment of people's imagination. But, Burrows was no sensible archaeologist, and he severely doubted he was a sensible historian. In that light, he had felt no guilt in looking for the artefact, though he knew he should have felt at least a little guilty for tricking Mollie into coming on what was essentially a wild goose chase.
 
Mollie was oblivious to all most the time. She seemed to be in her own world, imagining things which most of the time would never happen in real life. She wasn't known for her intelligence and though out the past few years the young woman had made it painstakingly clear. Poor naive, clueless Mollie. She was about to embark upon an adventure all right and it would possibly sharpen the girl up a bit too. The problem with Mollie was that she was far too gullible for her own good. Mollie turned on the gas for the fire which would then warm up the kettle which was on a camp stove. Making Burrows a cup of tea was the least she could do to keep out of trouble.But Mollie was quite happy to follow Alan around, even if it was as a lost puppy rather than a handy assistant...
 
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