He replied to my question, “Dranths come from eggs, like many other lizard species do.”
“Those must be damn big eggs then,” muttered Heather, tossing her black hair over her shoulder.
Arghen smiled at her, his amber eyes alight. “Indeed they are.”
“What do you feed them? The dranths, I mean?” she asked.
Oh, right. I’d forgotten she hadn’t been with us anytime Stalker had eaten.
“Meat,” Arghen replied to her.
Heather blinked. “Just meat?”
“Biology really isn’t always that different from here than it is at home. At home, most lizards eat meat, too, although they eat things like crickets and insects,” I said. “Which, really, are a form of meat, I guess.”
“Lizards do that here as well,” said Arghen. “Or at least on some species of insects thereof.”
I gulped. “I’m guessing those particular species are sized for dranths then.”
“Yes.”
I shuddered, remembering the huge flowers I’d seen from time to time on the surface world and wondering if the bees that serviced them were as big. Apparently I now had my answer.
Heather said with incredulousness in her voice, “You can’t mean that!”
“I can, and I do. Stalker’s favorite type of insect is groundhopper.”
“Don’t you mean grasshopper?” I asked.
“There is no grass underground. They are called groundhoppers down here. And I mean what I say. Always.”
I reddened a little as Heather asked, “What do they eat? The groundhoppers, I mean.”
“Meat as well,” he replied. “They tend to feed off carrion.”
“Wait a minute,” I said. “Let me get this straight. You mean that everything underground is a meat eater?”
Arghen nodded. “For the most part.”
“Including Under-elves?” asked Heather, curious.
“Do you not eat meat?” he countered.
“Well, yes, but we eat things like vegetable and grains, too. Some people live on nothing but salad-like things and breads. We call them vegetarians. My Aunt Ye-jin is one, and a dish called kimchee is among her favorite things to eat.”
Arghen shrugged. “We do eat things like cultivated cave moss, fungi, and other things that grow in the dark, but we are primarily carnivores. That was one of the adaptions made with the last of the magic when the Under-elves turned their backs on the surface world after the Disjoin was created. I have been endeavoring to adapt to having more than just meat since meeting my Goddess Quiris and deciding to live on the surface.”
Auraus said with wonder in her voice, “I had no idea that Under-elves had changed so radically.”
He replied with a smile, “But not so radically if someone like Dusk can be born to an Under-elf mother and a Surface-elf father.”
Auraus returned his smile fondly, obviously thinking about the amber-eyed Surface-elf, as Arghen went on. “Most of what lives underground are strictly carnivores. That is why a need for patrols to keep clear the areas around the city-states came about. However, once beyond the area of a city-state, either you are smart and strong enough to survive on your own or you do not make it to the next underground destination. Therefore there is not much regular contact between different city-states. When a merchant convoy comes to a city-state from another, it is a cause to be remarked upon instead of a regular sight.”
That caught my attention, and I interrupted him. “Wait a minute. So there are monsters that travel the travel tunnels outside of the city-states?”
“Not travel—live. Or lie in wait for those who travel them.”
Ragar’s cat ears perked up at that, and he smiled fiercely.
“Why didn’t you tell us this before?” I demanded.
Arghen said, “I thought it would be obvious. Wherefore did you think I was riding on ahead?”
“I thought you were just keeping a lookout for Under-elves!”
“That, too, but at the present moment I am more concerned about what else may be out there. When we come to the areas patrolled by the city-state we are headed for, then I will start being concerned about Under-elves.”
I frowned. He should have told me that there were other dangers lying in wait, though learning that there were monsters out there really didn’t surprise me. This world was a far more dangerous place than New York City; I’d already had ample proof of that. Back home I didn’t have to worry about ducking giant birds on my way to the bus stop, or avoiding pit traps of spiders that were big enough to crush me by sitting on me while walking in Central Park.
“So what is the name of the city-state we are headed for?” Auraus asked with only a little tremor in her voice.
“There are not many city-states, my lady, so I at least know the names of them all. My own is called Relkanav, but that is nowhere near here. Though I am not completely certain, I believe the city-state we are headed for is Chirasniv.”
“What do you know of them?”
“Practically nothing. I can assume that Chirasnivians have customs like the city-state I hail from, but I cannot be certain of that. Be that as it may, we cannot presently walk into the city-state as we are. Just for being who you are will immediately mark you as Surfacers.”
“Well, when night falls,” I said, and then face-palmed myself. I said dryly, “Night isn’t going to fall, is it?”
Arghen shook his white-haired head, and I echoed it. Of course it wasn’t. We were underground.
I asked, “So how are we going to avoid getting caught? Sneak around?”
“We are not going to sneak,” he replied. “The way a city-state is set up it is impractical for that. We will have to be bold. Lise, you and Heather are going to become Under-elves like me, and Auraus and Ragar are going to become our property.”
“WHAT?!” snarled Ragar. “If you think after having escaped captivity more than once that I am just going to hand myself over to you, then you had better reconsider that!”
Daringly, Heather put a hand on Ragar’s arm. He whipped his head around and growled toothily at her, and she flinched and withdrew her hand.
Immediately Ragar apologized. “I am sorry, Heather. I did not mean to scare you.”
“That’s okay,” she said, a little breathlessly. “But I see where Arghen is going with this. You and Auraus can’t be made up to look like Under-elves. You’re just too different. But Lise and I can play the part by whitening our skin and hiding our lack of ears.” She turned to Arghen. “I assume that this means you have something on you to change the color of Lise’s and my skin?”
Arghen nodded.
Okay, that was it, I thought.
“Arghen?” I managed to force out between clenched teeth. “Can I have a word with you privately, please?”
He looked puzzled but said, “Certainly, Lise.”
I took him about twenty feet away back up the tunnel. “And just when were you going to discuss this with me?” I asked in a low, angry tone as I spun to face him.
Arghen blinked in surprise. “When the time was appropriate. I did not want to burden you with extraneous things, before, and the time to speak was appropriate just then.”
“Do you remember me still being the leader at all?” I hissed. “Do you remember Dusk telling me to listen to you as if you were him?”
Arghen nodded his white haired head.
“Well, haven’t I listened?”
He nodded again.
“Well, why the hell aren’t you giving me that courtesy of leading, then?” I whisper-screamed at him. “You already know how to lead. Dusk already knows how. Now it’s my turn to learn, and you are undermining my authority! Have I done so badly as all that which makes you want to take over for me?”
Arghen looked stricken. “No, you have done well enough, Lise!”
But I didn’t stop my tirade. Or rather, couldn’t stop. “You were the one to suggest that I should be learning to lead battles in the first place and then backed up Aurau
s when it came down to Dusk and me a few days ago! But ever since the keep fell you have been undercutting me. Oh, it started with little things at first, but lately it’s been getting worse. And this last bit with the plans for makeup and disguise that you didn’t even tell me about before we left the keep is the last straw. If you don’t want me to have the training to be the leader, then just say so and I’ll step aside. Or if you truly mean what you’ve said, as you say you always do, then only advise me when I need to make decisions!”
Arghen’s face was regretful. “I am sorry, Lise. I did not think this through enough. On the other hand, there is something for you to learn from this as well.”
“You’re damn right you didn’t think,” I muttered. Then the rest of what he said kicked in. “What do you mean by that?”
“A good leader sometimes knows when to follow someone else’s lead,” he said.
I stopped and thought about that. It made sense to me; after all, it was his home territory. “Okay, Arghen. You’re right, and I’m sorry for snapping,” I apologized. “So, when you do feel the need to lead, could you phrase it as advice to me instead of a command to everyone? Please?”
He nodded. “I see I have a few things to learn myself. I am sorry as well, Lise. I will try to not let that happen again.”
I stuck out my hand. “Thanks for that, Arghen.”
He clasped my forearm with his pale hand in a warriors’ grip. “Shall we return to the others?”
I nodded as I returned it, and arm-in-arm we walked back to the others.
Heather raised her black eyebrows at us but mercifully didn’t say anything. I ignored her as Arghen and I mounted up and we headed down the travel tunnel in leapfrog fashion like we’d been doing before.
CHAPTER 8
Some time later Arghen rode back towards us out of the dimly-lit tunnel ahead. That was unusual enough that I immediately signaled a halt.
“What’s up, Arghen?” I asked him as he drew near enough to talk quietly.
“We are coming to a Cavern of Convergence,” he said.
“What do you mean by that? What is it?” Heather asked.
“A Cavern of Convergence is a large cavern where several travel tunnels intersect. There will be at least three, if not more, other travel tunnels out of there leading to different Under-elven city-states,” he replied.
“So there isn’t a direct route to this Chirasniv?” I asked.
“Not really, as there are intersecting tunnels all through the Sub-realms, and city-states that can be reached by each will be marked on the tunnel mouths. There are quite a few such caverns that will be encountered between city-states. And if you do not pay attention to the markings at each Cavern of Convergence, you can get lost. Or be sent in circles. But be warned, though the tunnels are marked clearly in Under-elf fashion in the general travel tunnels, the closer in to the city-state, the more obscure the tunnels turn.”
“Then how do the rare Under-elf merchants that you mentioned get around?”
“Messengers between city-state Councilors set up the route beforehand, and the Councilors of the city-state the merchants come from informs him or her the proper paths to take. Once the merchants have come and gone from a city-state, the travel tunnels to it are changed.”
“How?” asked Heather.
“Certain tunnels near the city-state can be rearranged, and the openings to such can be opened and closed. They are called the Shifting Tunnels. How these work, I do not know. That is a Council secret.”
“Maybe hydraulics?” she mused out loud.
Auraus and Ragar looked confused at what Heather said as I shrugged in reply to her.
I said to Arghen, “So, really, any one of the tunnels could lead to the city-state.”
“Not exactly,” he replied. “Some do. Some do not. If we are not careful, we may choose the wrong tunnel to follow. But that is not an issue as of yet.”
“So how do you know the right way to go?” Heather asked.
“I do not. That is why I scout ahead,” the Under-elf replied. “Looking for marks.”
“What about Ragar’s tracking skills?” she asked.
The mountain-cat-elf flashed her a brief grin as Arghen said, “These are Under-elves in their home territory. There will be precious little in the way of tracks to be found.”
“But not scent,” Ragar said, tapping the side of his snout.
“And these Under-elves are traveling with Surfacers,” I added. “Surely they won’t be cleaning up spoor as they go?”
Arghen looked both surprised and thoughtful. “Those are good points, everyone. Especially if Jason, who has to know that we will be coming for him, is alert enough to help us figure out which way to go.” He looked at me. “Perhaps it would be a good idea after all to have Ragar scouting with me when there are choices to be made in the tunnels.”
“How would Jason be able to help you find him?” I asked.
“I do not know, but I have faith in his ingenuity. I suggest to you that we fan out and look for clues when it is safe.”
I clutched his arm. “Will there be Under-elves in the cavern?”
He shrugged. “I do not know. This is why I came back before the light from your torches could reach it. You need–I mean, I suggest to you that you have everyone wait here while I scout to see if it is clear of hostiles. If it is, I will return for all of you.”
“What if it isn’t?” I asked.
“Then there will be a fight,” he said simply.
“We will ride to help you if there is. Don’t forget, Heather and I have our iron.”
“Let me determine if that is necessary first, if you please.”
I thinned my lips. No matter what I said, Arghen wasn’t listening to me. Deciding that time was better spent having him go than arguing, I said with annoyance, “Be careful.”
“I have learned to be careful.” Arghen spun his dranth about and rode away into the darkness. It was eerie to see him disappear before his mount did.
“Should we really be waiting here, Lise?” asked Ragar with a low growl.
I opened my mouth but paused, thought for a moment, and then changed what I was about to say. “Actually, no. I don’t think Arghen’s idea of doing it all on his own is so great. Let’s dismount, put the torches away in the saddlebags, and move forward to the cavern entrance.”
“But Arghen will be expecting us to be here!” objected Auraus.
“And it will be too dark for us to see what we’re doing!” Heather chimed in.
“It is more important to be closer to help Arghen should he need it, Auraus,” I said. “There have been no side tunnels in the travel tunnels, and the only change happens in a Cavern of Convergence, like Arghen said. And Heather, our eyes will adapt to one degree or another. The lichen light isn’t bright, but at least it’s there. Put one hand against the wall and use it as a guide if it’s too dark for you—that’s what I’m going to do. We’ll also lead our horses so we won’t have to worry about them breaking a leg because we’ll know where they’re going to be stepping and can nudge them along. We’ll stop just short of the nexus and wait. If a fight breaks out between Arghen and something hostile, then we’ll be close enough to help him out.”
Auraus nodded agreement with my reasoning, and Heather did too, although more reluctantly.
“Let’s move out,” I said.
We dismounted from our horses and carefully led the mounts down the tunnel towards the cavern Arghen had said was up ahead. I listened as hard as I could as I walked, hoping that I would continue to hear nothing. Instead, as we got nearer to the Cavern of Convergence, I heard the sounds of a fight mixed with the familiar yells of Arghen’s battle cries.
“He’s in trouble. Are we surprised?” I asked Auraus wryly.
“He is not in trouble, I am sure. He is just in a fight,” she said.
I rolled my eyes at her words. “Depends on what his opponent is. Should we hope for monster or Under-elves?”
“Monste
r,” she said without hesitation.
I was unnerved at her quick reply. Out of habit I looked sideways at her, but the dim light of the lichen made it hard to see her expression. I imagined a whole company of fighters as deadly as Arghen, and shuddered.
“Doesn’t matter—we need to help him,” I said.
We peered into the chamber, hoping to be able to see the fight. Arghen had said that a nexus was big, but I didn’t realize how big that was. The ceiling soared up several stories high at a guess, and the other side of the cavern was hard to see. Thankfully, the glowing lichen that dimly lit the travel tunnel in faint colored lights adorned the surfaces here, too. Stalactites, stalagmites, spurs and columns abounded, drip-carved like fantastic pieces of stone ice. There was also a flying something-or-other. By the lichen light, or rather, by the places where the faint illumination was blocked, we could sort of see a monstrously big flying snake-shaped thing. It dodged among the stalactites without error, darting over and over down towards one particular spot and then retreating—the spot where we heard Arghen.
Auraus squealed—partly with glee for the room to fly in, it sounded like—dismounted from her horse, grabbed a torch and lit it, spread her white and gold wings, and launched herself into the air towards the creature.
“Heather! Stay with the mounts!” I exclaimed as I drop-reined Saffron and rushed towards Arghen’s cries, drawing out the iron bar and another torch as I ran.
I glanced back to see that she stood still, shell-shocked at the sight of the flying monster. Ragar shoved his reins into Heather’s unresisting hands as he all but galloped after me out onto the cavern floor. Auraus was already out of sight as the mountain-cat-elf and I dashed to where the whooshing of large, leathery wings mixed with the Under-elf’s yells.
“Hang on,” I cried out to Arghen. “We’re coming!”
At the sound of my voice, the thing in the air paused, hovered, and craned its neck to look our way. Only then did it occur to me that lighting the torches and calling to let Arghen know that we were almost there, also let the monster know that, too. Ooops.
The huge flyer, deciding Arghen was too hard a prey to catch, turned its attention towards us.
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