LITMIR.BIZ

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how she was, and Rosalyn and Milo and the others in the village. They seemed so far away and that life so alien, he could barely remember what it felt like to rise up every day with his only expectation being hard work at the forge.

      Suddenly he felt a touch on his wrist and looked over to see de Loungville in the dim light signaling it was time to move out. Erik reached over and nudged the dozing Biggo, who nodded and nudged the man next in line.

      Erik rose and moved out after the sergeant, who passed through the opening to the gallery, and turned right on the walkway, heading upward. In the deep darkness, Erik could only sense the size of the place, and he was about halfway around the circular path when the man holding the torch emerged from the side passage. Suddenly Erik could see the entire gallery and he involuntarily stepped back against the wall. The floor was lost in the gloom below, despite the torch light, as was the ceiling above. A faint draft of air rose up, and it carried a damp, stale odor.

      Erik wished he hadn’t known the pathway was so narrow and the fall so great, as now he walked with considerably more discomfort. He moved on, and followed de Loungville upward into the darkness.

      At several points along the way they encountered entrances to new tunnels, and they paused to see if Calis had marked any, indicating they should leave the upwardly spiraling path. They never saw any marks.

      There were wide places, as if ledges had been carved into the rock of the mountain, to allow more comfortable movement, and places where the men could sit. Erik had no idea how long they had been following Calis, but he knew his legs hurt. The constant upward climb was taking its toll.

      Suddenly they saw Calis ahead in the gloom. He said, ‘This area is deserted.’

      The men seemed to relax at that, and de Loungville said, ‘Praji, is this like that dwarven place you spoke of?’

      ‘Not that I’d recognize,’ said the old mercenary. He was short of wind and obviously pleased to be halting, even if only for a few minutes. ‘Mind you, I have only tales, but it’s been described to me several times by different people who’ve been there.’ He looked around. ‘This place … I don’t know what it is.’

      Calis said, ‘There are dwarven mines back home and I’ve been through a couple. They have galleries and such, but this is something different. No dwarven hand built this place. This is no mine.’

      Erik heard Roo’s voice coming from behind. ‘This looks like a city, Captain.’

      Erik turned and heard Calis say, ‘A city?’

      Roo said, ‘Well, something like it. Those tunnels lead to other places, maybe. Sleeping quarters or places to store goods. But those wide places, if you noticed, are in a pattern: there’s one for every two entrances along the way, and they’re all of uniform size. I think they’re like market areas.’

      ‘Then this would be some sort of central passage, like a boulevard in a city, only it moves up and down instead of north and south,’ said Biggo.

      ‘Who would have built such a place?’ asked Erik.

      Calis said, ‘I don’t know.’ He changed the subject. ‘We’re about at ground level, so I’m inclined to start looking for a way out. I’m going to explore the next corridor we come to. I want the men to make camp at the next “market” area we find.’

      ‘Is it sundown already?’ asked de Loungville.

      ‘I’d judge it an hour past,’ said Nakor from behind.

      ‘More like two,’ answered Calis.

      ‘How do you know?’ blurted Roo.

      Calis smiled in the dim light. ‘I’ll be back before dawn.’

      With that he moved ahead, and the weary column of men followed after until they came to the next wide space on the trail, where they gladly settled in for a night’s rest.

      Erik discovered he had no sense of time in these caves. Calis had mentioned to de Loungville that it had been two and a half days of travel, which in his judgment accounted for a twenty-mile journey from the hillock to the foothills of the mountains, and then a gradual climb into the interior of a large peak. Erik felt as if it had been a lot farther, but he realized that so much of the trek had been up the spiral path inside this mountain.

      Earlier that day. Calis had said he was convinced the entire region was deserted, but there was something in his voice that hinted to Erik there was more that he was not sharing. Despite Erik’s constant pledge to himself not to seek trouble but to mind his own business, he couldn’t help but wonder what it was that seemed to be lurking behind the Captain’s words.

      One fortunate result of Calis’s exploration was his saying that he thought they were getting close to a way out of this maze of dark passages and tall caverns. At one point he had hesitated between two large tunnels, one angling down into the mountain, the other veering once again upward. Erik sensed Calis had wanted to take the other tunnel, the one heading deep into the heart of the mountains, but he kept them moving upward. Erik wondered what had drawn Calis to that other tunnel.

      Late the next day, the soldier carrying the bundle of torches said they were running low. Calis acknowledged the report, saying nothing else.

      Erik felt an unexpected stab of fear at the thought of being in these mines without light. They had been extinguishing the torches when they slept. On the first night he had awakened in total darkness and had to fight back the urge to shout in alarm. He had never awakened to so utter a blackness, and he had lain there listening in the dark. He realized he was not the only one awake, for he could hear the rapid breathing of men not able to sleep in such conditions, and the quiet weeping of one or two who felt terror so profound he could understand it even if he couldn’t name it.

      Another fitful night was spent in utter darkness, and then they resumed their march. At noon on the fifth day they broke for the midday meal, more dried rations. Water was a problem, as they had only two large skins and a handful of smaller ones, filled at an underground pool the morning before. But there was no sign of water anywhere nearby, and Calis ordered the men to drink as they had in the desert, one mouthful, no more.

      As they were readying to move out, a distant clatter rang through the tunnel, as if someone had dislodged rocks. Calis motioned for everyone to stand still. After a while de Loungville whispered, ‘Rock slide?’

      ‘Perhaps,’ answered the Captain. ‘But I need to be sure.’ He pointed up and toward the left. ‘If I am correct, somewhere up ahead you should come either to an opening that leads directly to the surface, showing you some light, or a big passage leading up and away to the left. Ignore any passages that clearly lead downward or off to the right.’ He smiled slightly. ‘You should be on the surface by the time I catch up with you. I will follow as soon as I am sure there is nothing behind us.’

      ‘Do you want a torch?’ asked de Loungville.

      ‘I can find my way without one. If we are being followed by the Saaur, I don’t want any light to show them where I am if I get too close.’

      Erik wondered how he could find his way through the dark, and, even if he could, how he was willing to give up the torch’s reassurance, scant as it was. Calis moved down the line, offering a quick tap on the shoulder or nod to each of the men as he passed them.

      De Loungville motioned for hand signals only and indicated they should follow him. Erik discovered he was now second in line. He peered into the gloom, barely able to see ten feet beyond the sergeant into the murk, as the flickering torch in the middle of the line caused the shadows to dance. He fervently hoped that Calis was correct and they were getting close to getting out of these caves. They moved forward.

      Faint noises echoed through the passages as the torch burned low. De Loungville judged Calis had been gone for almost a half day. The men were tired, and it seemed an appropriate time for sleep.

      Motioning for a halt, he whispered back, ‘How many torches?’

      The answer came, ‘We have two after this one.’

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