by Blink, Bob
“Not yet,” Ash’urn said. “I sense this was a convenient place to keep us until our fate is decided. However, once they learn of us and that we are foreigners, I can see little reason they would waste any effort to do otherwise. It would be the more expedient solution to solving the matter of our presence.”
“That means we need to find a way out before that happens,” Rigo said.
“I think that would be wise,” Ash’urn agreed, “but as you noted, it won’t be easy.”
They looked around the small cell they were sharing. Rigo walked over and checked the lock on the door. “This will be easy enough,” he announced.
“Perhaps we shouldn’t take any action right away,” Daria suggested. “They have just put us here and might be watching. Maybe we can learn something useful from those who have been held here for a while. If we let them see we can get out of this cell, we are revealing something of our special capability. Unless we have a plan to get away, I think we should appear helpless.”
“We’re going to have our chance to talk with some of our cellmates,” Kaler said pointing. “Looks like a bunch are headed over to have a look at us.”
All five of them turned toward the front of the cell which was made entirely of metal bars set into the rock except for the metal door. Six men, all looking husky and strong were indeed headed their way.
“What’d you do to get thrown in here?” the one at the front of the group asked after stopping a few feet short of the cell entrance.
Ash’urn stepped forward and in his thickest Lopalian accent replied, “We are simple travelers. It was not explained to us why we were arrested and brought here. We are innocent of any crimes.”
“Isn’t everyone,” the man replied unmoved. He let his eyes wander over the group. “At least three of you aren’t from Lopal. That’s enough to bring trouble by itself these days. What could have brought you to Lopal?”
“We are explorers. We were heading for the Ruins when we were stopped,” Rigo added. “It is true some of us aren’t from Lopal, but we have committed no crimes against Lopal.” This wasn’t exactly true. They had killed a number of soldiers, but Rigo thought of that as self-defense.
“Well, you best pray to whatever gods you worship as you are in deep trouble now.”
“What is likely to become of us and why are we separated in this cell?” Ash’urn asked.
“You are in the cell because they haven’t decided what to do with you. That’s the usual procedure. Once they do, they will either release you, take you somewhere else, or make you part of the prisoner community. Don’t get your hopes up. I’ve been here more than ten years and I’ve never seen any resolution other than adding prisoners to the work force. It’s the simplest solution you see.”
“What would that mean?” Daria asked.
“For the men, into the mines one shift a day, seven days a week until you die of overwork or accident. Or until one of the critters takes you. For the women, you’d provide amusement for the troops here. Both of you are quite good looking. I can see you would be very popular.”
Daria clenched her fists in a manner that suggested anyone who tried would have a bit of surprise on his hands.
“How long before they decide our fate?” Rigo asked.
“Depends on who they need to ask about you. One to two weeks I’d guess.”
“We’ll need to find a way out of here before then,” Kaler whispered to Rigo.
“You’re one of the miners?” Ash’urn asked.
The man nodded. “I’m Darr’yl. I’m sort of the head man among the prisoners at the moment.”
“How come they allow you to wander around freely?” Ash’urn asked.
Darr’yl smiled. “Have you had a look at the walls in this place? Or the door in? No tools are allowed in here, and only wooden spoons and such. There is no way to cut through and get out. We can’t cause any trouble in here and it takes a much smaller force to watch us.”
“How come you’re not in the mines?”
“There are two shifts a day. The second shift went into the mines almost two glasses before you arrived. The rest of us returned from the early shift.”
“What about food?” Jeen asked. They hadn’t eaten in some time and all of their food had been confiscated with their other belongings.
“Two meals a day,” Darr’yl said. “One in the morning and another before second shift leaves. You missed both. You’ll have to wait until morning.”
“How many of you are there in here?” Rigo asked.
“One thousand, one hundred and forty-six,” Darr’yl said with certainty. “We lost one on the morning shift.”
“There can’t be room for that many in here,” Kaler said surprised.
Darr’yl laughed. “This is only the front chamber. Most everyone lives in the back. There are two large rooms back there. If they ever let you out, I’ll show you around.”
“How long before the second shift returns?” Rigo asked.
“Six more glass. Why?”
“And are the guards likely to come and check on us?” Rigo continued without explaining.
“Nah. They know you’re safe enough in here.”
That was good enough for Rigo. They didn’t have a lot of time and any useful planning would require them to understand their situation. He walked up to the front of the cell and wrapped his hands around the lock to obscure what he was doing. Moments later he pushed the door open.
“They aren’t going to be happy when they find that unlocked later,” Darr’yl said after his initial surprise.
“It will be soundly locked with us inside when they check,” Rigo assured him. “I’m hoping you will keep our little escape secret.”
Darr’yl smiled with an inner glee. He didn’t know how the young man had managed this, but he would try and find out. In the past his people had experimented with the locks at night when the cells were empty to try and learn how to open them. Sometimes the guards placed someone inside they wanted access to. They had never managed to defeat the locks. This one had done so effortlessly.
“Come,” let me show you around,” he said. First, of course, he introduced the men with him. The five detainees introduced themselves.
Altogether they spent more than two hours wandering around the interior of the cavern. It was far larger than they could have imagined, but as Darr’yl had pointed out it was of the tough stone and no one had found a means of breaking through. In most places it was extremely thick, the cavern well inside the mountain of rock that formed the exterior. In the thinnest places it was still nearly as thick as the length of Rigo’s arm. Those places he could measure by reaching through the narrow slots that served as windows and air passages to feel the outside. Light was provided by the few windows and the overhead openings and a few strategically placed torches that were lit.
The floor was almost uniformly stone, with only a few patches of dirt that had settled in low points over centuries. Those were treasured spots, and the leaders, men such as Darr’yl had claimed those spots for themselves. It became apparent very soon that only men occupied the inner chambers. Daria asked about that.
“As I told you, the women are all taken for sport for the guards. Sisters, wives, girlfriends. They are all taken away when they arrive here. None are ever seen again. We can only guess what happens to them.”
The men slept on the hard stone, with a single blanket for cover or to use as a pillow. There were no conveniences to speak of. Food was brought in and the men took the plates, wooden bowls and spoons, and ate wherever they chose to sit. The bowls and spoons were collected after a glass. Darr’yl said they were counted, and if the number came up short, the following meals were short by that number. There was little the bowls or spoons were good for anyway, so they were seldom held back.
A section of the river flowed through the vast chambers. It entered from below ground with enough current that no one had ever been able to probe the source. It flowed through the chamber, split artificia
lly into three tributaries. One flowed through all three rooms and provided fresh water to the inmates. Another filled a large pool in the back of the innermost chamber before flowing out and eventually rejoining the main stream. That pool was used for bathing. The final served as a flowing flush system for waste after the men urinated and defecated in the specified area. The combined waters flowed out of the side of the chambers to the outside world, flowing down into a deep pool and then through the wall itself.
“What about the river?” Daria asked. “Does it offer any options for escape?”
“Well below where it passes to the outside are slots cut into the stone much as the air vents you have seen. The current is very strong there and anyone who goes down there finds it impossible to swim back up. Several have tried and failed. The slots are high enough, but far too narrow for a person to pass through. They are cut into the same stone and therefore cannot be enlarged. We have looked.”
“How did you do that if the current prevents someone from returning?”
“Once we were able to procure a length of rope. We used it to lower a volunteer into the water and then pull him back. It was a close thing, but he reported what I explained to you upon his return. He also reported the bones of those who had tried that means before.”
“So no one has ever escaped?” Kaler asked as they completed their walk around.
“Never,” Darr’yl replied. “One or two have made a break for it while being transferred between here and the mines. They were shot down before going very far. Several have wandered off into the mines. Most were never seen again. One might like to believe they escaped but it is far more likely they were lost and starved in some dark corner or taken by the creatures of the dark.”
“What are these creatures?”
“No one knows. Officially they don’t exist, but sometimes you can hear them. We all believe they are real, but no one alive has ever seen one.”
Finally they had seen enough and it would be less than a glass before the second shift returned, so they returned to the cell. Darr’yl watched as Rigo relocked the cell, then tried the door.
“You must teach me this? In fact, you might find being locked inside has its advantages. I have passed the word against it, but once the guards have gone for the night some of the men here might come to visit the women. They are a rough lot and have been without female companionship for some time. Stay well away from the entrance. They will not be able to get through, but word will have spread that you were out of the cell, so some will certainly come and try.”
“Thank you for the tour,” Rigo said.
“I will ask the men to keep their ears open while in the mines. The guards talk, and some word of your fate might circulate.”
With that he waved and turned to go back into the inner chamber leaving them alone. Less than a half glass later the massive barrier door was raised, and soon several hundred worn and tired men stumbled through and into the cave. Most glanced their way with a tired interest to see them there, but as a group they headed back to where they could wash and sleep. The guards remained at the entrance, and once the count was complete, stepped back outside and lowered the door once again. If Darr’yl was correct, that was the last they would see of them until morning.
“What do you think?” Kaler asked after the activity had subsided and they were left alone once again.
“Getting out of here is going to be difficult,” Rigo replied. “I tried to push against the stone and I couldn’t do a thing. It is far too thick.”
“What about your fireballs?” Daria asked.
“If they would do anything it would take a great many. They would not be silent or go unobserved. I suspect we would all be dead from multiple arrows before I could break through.”
“Looks like we could use Burke about now,” Kaler said.
“Even if he or his friends could get us out of here, they would more than likely take Jeen and me and leave the rest of you to rot. That isn’t a solution,” Rigo said pointedly.
“Even once we are out there is the matter of where to go,” Ash’urn reminded them. “The trail into this place allows little in the way of hiding places. There is only the one way to go.”
“If we could get into the mines there might be a chance,” Kaler said.
“By then we would be separated,” Daria reminded them. “Jeen and I would be carried off for the amusement of the guards. That means there would be a lot of dead guards and Jeen and I would most likely be dead.”
“We need to be able to look around outside,” Rigo said finally.
“The only way out is through that door,” Kaler pointed out. “You can’t do your lock thing, and even if you could lift it with your magic, the full complement of guards are camped right outside.”
Kaler thought for a moment. “Can you and Jeen working together lift it?”
Rigo shook his head. “I can push or pull things, but I’m much more limited at lifting, especially anything like that door. My magic doesn’t allow me to lift more than I could normally carry.” He looked at Jeen who shook her head as well. She knew she couldn’t move it either. “That door is far too heavy for me to affect. I’m nowhere near strong enough.”
“I’m at a loss,” Rigo said finally. “Maybe we will learn something tomorrow that will help.”
“We probably don’t have that long,” Daria said, unwilling to let the matter rest. She was used to finding solutions and had never found a cage that could hold her before.
“Ahem,” Ash’urn said softly, getting their attention. “I’ve got one small thing that might help. I’m not sure how we would use it, but you should know about it just in case it suggests an approach.”
“What’s that?” Kaler asked.
It seemed that Ash’urn’s eyes might have twinkled a bit and his beard suggested a hint of a smile under the white beard.
“Tur’old’ain’e’lorelm,” Ash’urn whispered softly, and promptly disappeared.
Chapter 42
Roit carefully led his horse across the wooden planks that bridged the gap between land and the ferryboat that would take him and his mount back to Branid. He watched carefully to see if anyone was watching him with more care than was normal, but failed to detect anything out of the ordinary. The horse was tired, more so even than himself. That last two days of almost continuous travel had taxed them both. Even the strong five-year old stallion was tired after the journey. Roit had pushed hard to get to the ferry for the night crossing. He supposed it didn’t really make that much difference if he stayed on the Lopal side or the Branid side tonight, but he’d feel better to be back in Branid.
The horse’s hooves clomped loudly as the animal stepped off the plank onto the wooden deck. Roit could hear the water moving past the boat and smell the damp wetness of the vegetation that grew on the wood of the dock. The horse didn’t like the small motions of the boat as the current gently swayed the vessel, but under Roit’s commands, it settled down and allowed itself to be led toward the gated area in the center away from the water. With the animal secured, the only horse apparently making the trip tonight, Roit settled back against a nearby bulkhead to observe the other passengers. There was no place to hide on this open decked ferry. The only walls were those that encompassed the pilot’s cockpit, and Roit was leaning against one side of that.
There were not many passengers this evening. Night wasn’t the most common time for traveling, and given the raids that were now widespread along the river, even fewer travelers than usual crossed the river. Roit didn’t really expect any trouble. If they hadn’t wanted to let him go, they’d had ample opportunity to finish him off. He’d been totally under their control for days. Still, he couldn’t change old habits and he wanted to know if he was being observed. Off to his left was a young couple with a child. They were huddled together near the railing, their young son enthralled by the adventure ahead. Roit briefly wondered what would have prompted them to cross the river these days. An older gentlemen was standing
more toward the bow, his interest directed down the river rather than in Roit’s direction. That could be a ruse, but given the man’s age, he didn’t think so. That left only the two men near the stern. They were much younger and looked fit enough to be fighting men even though they were dressed in poor civilian clothes. The problem here is that like the others they had been aboard when he arrived. To place men on the ferry in advance of his arrival given how fast they would have had to travel to make it would have shown forethought beyond what he would expect. And to what end? Nonetheless, he would watch them as the boat crossed.
His mission had been a success. At least, as much of a success as anyone could hope for. He was still a little surprised he had elected to make the trip into Lopal and seek out tribal leader Bab’hon rather than simply disappearing after leaving the Duke’s stronghold. That idea had been strong in the back of his mind as he’d prepared to leave. But he’d long admired the Duke’s fierceness and determination, and if anyone could pull this off, he was that man. Roit had a lot to gain if the plan succeeded and somehow without consciously thinking about it, he found himself headed toward the river.
He had traveled alone. For a while he’d considered having a couple of his most trusted men ride along with him, but in the end decided that was just creating additional eyes that would know of the trip. Later that might prove to be a problem. Despite the raids, most of the journey was on the Duke’s land, which thus far had been spared the attacks. Once he was across the river and into Lopal, he would be able to blend in and doubted he would earn much attention.
The first part of the trip had gone smoothly enough, even the river crossing which he’d wondered about. Once in Lopal he headed directly for the home village of the tribal leader Bab’hon. He was the closest leader to the Duke’s properties, and since none of them were really known to him, it didn’t matter which he contacted. Finding the village had been easy enough, although he was intercepted as he approached. He might look Lopallian, but he was a stranger and that was enough. Escorted into the village, he asked to speak to the local king. That was when he learned that Bab’hon had left several weeks before to lead the raids his men were conducting. He was living in his mobile quarters, and no one was willing to tell Roit just where that might be given the state of unrest. It took Roit some time to convince the surrogate leader to assign someone to escort him to the man.
