A Castrovel Adventure: part 3, Chapter 38

In which Vaeol and the others explore the Barrow

From the Daylog of Vaeol Zheieveil u’Zhasaele Zolaemaue be’Son

17. Vealae, 24,542 - the Barrow (30th day afetch)
We introd the Barrow right at dawn, for we needed to bring our light anywise. Master Mearthil and I cast witchlights on wands. He also cunningly set darksight on Kazos and Tolamad, whereby they could scout ahead without forewarning anything lurking within.
For our outseech team, we chose him and me, Semuane, Tolamad, Kazos, Krastaes, and Oshis: thus two Elves, two Outriders, and three Korasha, whomof my twain wore heavy harness. Semuane and I wore our breastplates as well, though under the burrow’s shortness we could not wear helms, forwhy the crest-fans would scrape the roof. Even so, we the tallest had to stoop, achesomely after a long while. Only the Korasha could stand upright, and even their antennae brushed the top. For weapons, we forwent bows and swordbills, Oughtful to the tightness, we bore only handaxes and handshields. We each bore a good coil of rope. Tolamad had also gotten a hammer and bag of spikes from his clanhold, which we might use to set rope, should we climb.
The burrow wound waveringly into the crag. Though almost wide enough for two to walk beside, the floor bent low, which made such fare awkward. Instead, we must walk on its midst in lone row. Whether it was worldly or delved I could not tell. Even with our lights, I could see little but short stone patches and our shadows upthrown great. I could mainly follow and watch for any word from our leads, who went ahead beyond sight. Instead, I strove to feel any eldritchness. I misdoubted Master Mearthil was not doing samely, right before me while he came nigh behind Krastaes and Oshis, who led with shields high and axes ashoulder. Somewhile, Semuane would reach and hold my arm, so much to settle her own worry as to steady me.
We came to a room Tolamad named the main hall, which at last was tall enough to let me and Semuane stand straight and stretch. We beheld bare walls oddly chiseled and pocked, and rubble strewn below. Tolamad outlaid etchlikenesses had once shown. Yet after his folk had scoured clean this warren, they had taken hammer and chisel and had wrecked all spoor they could find of the Moqeva’s livelihood. While my thought blessed this choice, another share rued. From Mearthil’s face, I could tell he shared my mind, for we could have learned something helpful from these lost works.
Five burrows led from the main hall. Kazos showed us one and told it goes to the Queen’s Room. Tolamad asked doubtfully, for he knew this path but not the stead Kazos bespoke. This brought a short striffle, for Kazos wished to go straightaway while Tolamad wished to overlook all he knew and seek any changes. At last, Kazos shrove the Queen’s Room was a dead end, at which we deemed to seek it last.
Meanwhile, I had withdrawn to the hall’s midst, knelt, and shut my eyes. I stilled mind and slowed breath, let my thoughts fade. All wits faded, but one.
A hum rang through the stone. I felt it through the floor, though I could not tell whence it came.
Smoothly I rose and strode to Master Mearthil. I mind-spoke, which forecaught him, though doubtlessly he knows this Lashunta knack: ~Rali eriveari,~ “Something weird outstays,” I told. Wordlessly he eyed me, and then nodded. He went to Tolamad and Kazos and whispered they should scout at their keenest. His word did nothing to asoothe Kazos’s fear. Yet the clanhead shirked not, but took his stead at the fore.
I cannot well bewrite the following daytide, for it yielded a bewildering warren of burrows, room, slopes, none taller than the intreadway we had first taken, and all so bent as could only behoove bodies that fared snakelike, and not those who walk afoot. Semuane and I stubbed our brows more times than we could tally, and my antennae rubbed rawly on the roof. Our backs and necks ached from walking stoopwise. Of the five clefts that led from the main hall, we followed four, though we found but bare stone and rubble.
The fourth burrow ended at a gap, which widened, so that Semuane and I could stand straight, but sloped downward and dropped into the earth’s depth. We would have slid down to doom, had not a queer twisting path screwed more shallowly down its sides, bowed, but maybe a spanworth wide. We could with hardship crawl downward along, though where the twisting burrow and the gap ended we could not see. Kazos faltered when he beheld it while Tolamad quoth here was the furthest he had ever come.
Master Mearthil wished to go down and find what awaits at the bottom. Yet Kazos balked, and I could see the others were nigh to breach as well. I reminded the Moqeva’s mindsight I had met in Candares, which he had given within his cleft, of fleeing our wild forebears into the earth, and the secret steads and dreads it had crossed to find fastness. Thus I knew why he wished to seek the bottom, for what secrets might be found I can only wonder.
Yet I also harkened that the Moqeva, though crippled, had legs. I tried and missed to reckon it or us crawling down untold heights into the darkness. So I asked Master Mearthil how the Moqeva with legs could have used this sloping stair. He answered that the Moqeva’s weirdness had let them take shape of snakes, whereby they easily fared over such landmarks. I answered his word made good thought, but that we with legs could fare downward far less easily. If we met any plight theredown, I beread, we would be caught on a tight ledge, and could not stand, could not wield any weapon bigger than a knife, and could not help each other, else to crawl back upward on hand and knee, to which the others eagerly yaysaid.
At last Mearthil shrove wisdom and yielded. Instead, he put forth we should tie our ropes together and lower him down, whereby we hopefully would reach bottom. Yet Semuane naysaid and quoth she was honor-bound to ward him and see him safely back to Qabarat; instead, she should go down. In trend, this brought strong word from Krastaes and Oshis. They gainsaid that a Damaya should go unhosted into such plight, and that instead one of them should go, until I outspoke that she is half a Korasha’s weight, and furthermore we should need their strength to haul the rope down through so great a depth. This shamed them to yield.
So we tied all our ropes, and knotted a noose at the end, which Semuane used as a stirrup. Then bare of harness (to spare weight) and only a knife in her belt, the three Korasha softly lowered her into the gap, and after Master Mearthil worked darksight on her eyes, until she faded from our witchlight. Tightly they outyielded the rope until Oshis held but the end looped on his waist, dangling her more than a hundred armspans underneath.
Meanwhile, I used the tide to crouch at the gap’s edge. I laid hands on stone, shut my eyes, and cast my mind down into the gloom, after Semuane. I sought anything that might give word or plight of her stand. I witted the warm dwimmer of her darksight outseeking the gap, our witchlights crackling overhead, and almost nothing else, but the slight hum I had ereward recked.
I opened eyes and saw Master Mearthil likewise crouching on the far side. He held my gaze and nodded reckfully, acknowledging that he also witted. I waved a finger upward, for the weird hum came not from underneath, but rather back toward whence we had come.
At last, on Semuane’s call, the Korasha hauled her back up. I was never so relieved and when she strode up the slope, walking while they reeled her in. Against myself, I hurried forth and kissed her. She named me fool for worry, whereat I answered I was no more fool than taking weapon-trial dares from outland outriders. Then she donned harness, and we readied to leave.
Ere we came to the main hall, we twice became lost by taking wrong paths, each whereof cost more than a belltide to find way back to the thoroughfare, and sorely tried Kazos’s and Tolamad’s new friendship while they striffled to reckon the path. We reached there weary and outworn, and even achier since our last rest. After some talk, we chose to leave for topside and againcome tomorrow.
The others were waiting when we came from the cleft. Kaure rushed and hugged me when I showed, and would not let me free. After getting out of harness and a long stretch, we held a long mindshare, which asoothed both our minds. My head yearns for sleep even while I write this log.
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