I awoke to find my room full of people. My sisters were trying desperately to keep the others from waking me.
"They all came in at once. The cave people said they just had to talk to you. The King and others told them about your trip and they are not happy. They keep calling you weird words and names I don't understand," Set told me.
"They have questions. They need answers. Tell them to meet us in the sitting room, Sisters. We will all be more comfortable there than here."
It took a bit, but they agreed. After they left, I got dressed and we joined them. Nearly as soon as I entered the room, the dwarfs assaulted me with shouting, finger pointing, and pounding on books they were holding. Calmly, I found a place to sit. They continued to shout. My sisters sat with me as we calmly waited for them to shout themselves out. This took longer than with humans or elves. When it looked as if they would never stop, King Gorval, Lanara, and a few of those who watched my vision yesterday entered. Gorval silenced them with only a look.
"What does this accomplish?" he asked as he sat with us, "How does shouting at them, at her, change anything? You have our records, what else do you need?"
"Sire," one began plaintively, "it is obvious they have deceived all of you. No one, not even a seer," he said with a sneer, "can see what is written here. They, somehow, spun this fantastic and ridiculous story for reasons unknown. We only want the truth."
The other shouters mirrored his attitude, grumbling about being devious, sly, and untrustworthy. Gorval and his group whispered low among themselves. Nana, cautiously, slipped in and laid food and drink in the midst of all of this and motioned for us to eat. We seven and our four companions ate as the two groups of dwarfs tried to come to an agreement. Dwarf stubbornness made Gorval's group insist the records and viewing was the truth as well as making the others insist it was all lies.
I stood and silenced them all, "Good people, I wish I knew how to end this debate. I can only give you my word that none of that was made up nor fabricated. Have you asked the High Fathers or Hengi Jomfru to verify what I saw?"
They all, the dwarfs, burst out laughing, even Gorval. I looked at my sisters, but they didn't see the humor either. I remained standing as we waited for them to stop. Seeing that I was serious, they ceased.
"Kayla, one does not consult the High Fathers or Hengi Jomfru as if calling upon a friend. There are protocols that must be strictly followed and lengthy rituals performed to gain such an audience," one explained, "Matters such as these are for us to work out. They cannot be bothered with such triviality."
"When do you seek them? What matters are worthy of their audience?" I asked politely.
All of the dwarfs, Gorval included, exchanged looks. None of them could think of anything that would be worth bringing before their deities.This seemed rather strange to me.
"Do any of you visit your temples and shrines? Pray? Call to them to guide you? Anything?" I asked, seeking the answers not only in words by also in their glows.
Everyone of them radiated shame. They were so concerned with protocol and mining that they neglected their spiritual sides. They tried coming up with reasons, excuses, why they had not, but each crumbled before they were voiced.
"Let us make this deal: Go to you holy places and ask for guidance in this matter. If it still bothers you, return and take up this debate."
Relief washed over them as they agreed to my proposal and filed out of the room. Gorval said nothing, but patted me once on the shoulder, nodded, and left.
Nana, who had been just outside the room, re-entered, beaming, "You girls learn fast. Instead of defending yourselves, you make them defend their positions. Truly brilliant."
"It was not a ploy. They place such a high opinion of their deities yet do not consult them. Other races we have met seek out the guidance of their gods constantly. It just seemed odd they would not," I told her.
"We joban can get tunnel vision, focus on one or two things to the exclusion of all else. Maybe this will wake them up a bit," she said, smiling.
We agreed. Pushing that aside, we went to the dining room where all the reports still took up two-thirds of the table. We continued looking over the records, seeing if there was any way to fix the Mech in this realm. Alas, every report said only gears made from metal from Mechanicus and by Mechs in that realm could restore a Mech to "fully functional and properly programmed". This shattered any hope of fixing it and we resigned ourselves to the conclusion that it had to be destroyed.
Over lunch, we asked Echo how deep she or her kin had gone into the tunnels. Neither she nor they knew dwarf numbers, but told us of seeing the Duergar "nests" a generation or so back. The Duergar would not permit the bat-dragons in their living areas, even if the ceiling was very high and they were cloaked in darkness. Something about "remains and excrement" being the main complaint. We asked about their invisibility. She said they could not maintain it for very long and they had to hold their breath to "vanish". Intelligent Echo saw where we were headed.
"Let us work on it. There are ways into these places that even dwarfs don't know. Callie, I will return, do not think otherwise," she spoke as she flew out.
We watched her fly away. We finished lunch and went back to the records. Since we accepted it had to be destroyed, we looked for weaknesses, vulnerable spots. Obvious, lava, eventually, would do it. The records spoke of "critical deactivation" which occurred when enough gears or the right gears were removed. This would mean sticking our hands inside and pulling it apart. We would put that aside as an option. Cold, water, crushing, and other methods of destruction seemed to do little or nothing to Mechs. So, we concluded, intense heat seemed to be our only choice as far as how to destroy it.
Callie was a bit distracted and kept looking for Echo's return. I, Alice, and Lisa understood her worry better than the rest of our sisters.
We took a break to clear our heads and uncross our eyes. Walking outside, we looked out across the mountains. To many, mostly humans, this would be a scene of emptiness. "Lifeless" mountains huddled under accumulating snow and ice. "Inhospitable" to all life and "useless" as a place to live. We, however, knew very different. Before my sight, beings moved across the mountains' surfaces, invisible to many, living happy and free upon those slopes. Inside, each mountain held thousands of dwarfs, Drow, Givagar, plus untold numbers of bat-dragons, Stone people, and a multitude of creatures. We wondered if Thantos' map was helping change those perceptions.
Echo returned as we gazed over the mountains. Callie's mood improved instantly. Echo seemed very pleased with her results.
"We can get there without being seen, " she told us happily, "I don't know the meaning, but their living area is marked with this."
She went to the ground and scratched dwarf markings on the dirt. When she finished, Callie read the number as sixty-eight, meaning the Duergar were sixty-eight levels below where we stood. Echo recognized the Keeper from my visions and told us where his "quarters" were in relation to the rest of the gray ones. Unlike the rest, his area was carved and shaped into a house of sorts, with a door that could be closed and locked. She spoke of how the rest parted before him and obeyed his every word. Any negative comments about him were in whispers and far away from him.
Echo's tale was interrupted by a couple of Darrknots, both of whom seemed to hold a high rank. They looked a bit angry.
"Ladies, our partners have shared a journey your friend here and many others took today. We did not authorize such activities. Upon who's authority did she undertake this action?"
We looked at each other, wondering how to respond. Would they believe it was Echo's idea and we didn't know what they were doing until after it was done? Hadn't their bat-dragons already told them?
As we pondered, Echo flew off Callie and hovered before the Darrknots. She proceeded, without fear nor hesitation, to explain how the bat-dragons had started out just seeing if they could get there without detection. Only when they had achieved that did they take up scouting the area and finding the Keeper's personal dwelling. She also told them that they, the bat-dragons, were free to go anywhere they chose and did not need to be authorized.
"We go or stay as we please. Only your partners are bound to your rules. I and those still in the caves are not. so, understand that, two-legs, or next time, we won't share."
The two Darrknots barely showed their embarrassment at being put in their place by such a small creature. They apologized and left to avoid further chastising. Echo returned to Callie's shoulder, puffing a bit from exertion at flapping in place and telling off the dwarfs. We headed back inside to let Echo rest.
Nana met us at the door, smiling broadly, "While I couldn't hear her words, I could tell Echo was giving them the what-for. Good for her. Some of our fellows need to understand that the dwarf way is not the only way."
She walked us back to our research. Tunnel maps had been brought to us that were marked with the places gray ones were found. We noticed a curious thing. Large areas had no marks at all. There were key places in those areas as well and they were above and below places they had been. We brought this to Nana's attention. With only a brief look, she told us those were "family areas". Some "houses" were completely inside the stone and only engraved panels told that it was some one's home and not a public place like the armory or storage.
"The Duergar do not know before hand where people live or what is public. So, why are these areas avoided?" Lisa pondered aloud.
We started looking around Callie's home as an example of a dwarf residence as Nana said most were similarly furnished whether below or above ground. Rugs abounded as many dwarfs went barefoot all the time. Tapestries hung on the wall depicting a variety of subjects.
"What is it here that would bar the Foot from passing through the stone and entering? I feel like it should be right in front of me," Callie said aloud to no one specifically.
We all began pacing, hoping to work the answer out,.talking aloud.
"The spots where they were found was worked, smooth, and polished."
"The lower levels are rough cut and without adornments."
"They hurt bat-dragons to have enough room for one Duergar to pass between them."
"Living things block them both directions. Kin on the ceiling keep them from going up and from going down through the floor."
"But the kin are barely touching the stone. A bunch of feet and nests just touching the stone keeps the Foot from going through."
"We need to know how the Foot works. Jordsonn said he instructed others on its use. Surely those instructions were written?"
We all stopped, "RECORDS!" we shouted as one.
Nana and a couple of others had been watching and listening. They jumped when we shouted.
"Records of what?" Nana asked, "The Foot? Yes, we have those. We'll see if someone can unearth them," she said and turned to instruct another staff person.
"No need," I told her, causing her to turn back to us, "We can call them to us."
The seven of us converged in the center of the room as they watched. Placing our hands together, palms up, we called for Jordsonn's instructions, written by him, on the use of the Master Miner's Foot. A very old scroll case materialized in our collective grasp. We took it to the table. Gently, we opened the case and pulled out the ancient scroll inside. With great care, we unrolled it, revealing Jordsonn's signature and a riot of dwarfish script. Once fully opened, Callie began reading it silently. Soon, she found what we were looking for and read it aloud.
" 'The stone or metal to be crossed must be without any other material upon it. Clothe of rug and tile are impenetrable. Wood of any thickness is impenetrable. Glass is impenetrable. There must be enough room between stone or metal and any other material for the one holding my Foot to stand fully. If he cannot, then he cannot pass. Rug upon the floor leaves no room between clothe and stone to stand. Wooden shelves against the wall likewise leaves no room. Stone, however, as well as metal of any thickness is easily crossed and breached. Such, alas, is its fatal flaw. A mountain can be passed though with ease, but a ladies' veil is impenetrable.' "
"That is the answer," Nana whispered, " the rugs, tapestries, shelves, and other furnishings keep the one with the Foot from passing through. We've been adding more stone and steel when a thin veil would have done the trick."
She sent a few staff to get Lanara to properly document this and show it to the King. While we waited, we looked for anything to turn off its power or turn it down. Aside from a wooden case, glass case, or cloth bag, it said nothing other than containment. It, like the Rod, radiated its power continuously without any way, other than containment, it could be dampened. The instructions warned that, if dropped or placed on or in stone or metal, one could lose it as it might pass through it and continue unhindered to unknown depths and unexplored areas. We concluded that the Keeper had such a place to house the Foot. We also concluded that, somehow, the Foot had imparted this information to the Mech during the many years they were encased together.
The staff returned with Lanara, a couple of councilors, and King Gorval. We were rather surprised by his appearance.
"You ladies are providing so much information that I got weary of hearing it second or third hand. Now, please, tell us what you found."
We showed them the ancient scroll. It took a bit to explain how we came into possession of it. Nana's confirmation did little to cap their anger at our pulling out such a rare item without permission. A message was sent to the archives to alert them as its location. During our wait, we pointed out the fatal flaw in the Foot. This caused them all to sit in shock. I could sense all of them remembering the layers and layers of stone or metal they had placed at strategic areas to keep out the Duergar.
Lanara voiced their frustration, "Cloth! Paper! Rugs and tapestries! An item that goes through mountains and acres of metal is stopped by silk and parchment! Why? Why limit it so? It makes no sense!" she ranted, standing up and pacing as she spoke.
"To dwarfs, you, it makes no sense," Callie told her, "Which, I think, is exactly why it is so. Dwarfs, particularly joban, think big, strong, powerful. Just as you stated, such thin and fragile material would not even occur to you, and allow those possessing the Foot free access to all parts of Stahendring or other cities. Those who might have thought of such things would, most likely, been non-dwarfs and, therefore, ignored."
The dwarfs around us nodded, seeing the logic as Callie laid it out for them. Lanara sat down with the rest, having vented her frustration.
"Now what? Cover everything is cloth and paper? That does not sound practical," Gorval observed.
"Not everything, Sire," Lisa chimed, "But we may be able to catch the gray one and the Foot with strategically placed materials into a well-laid trap."
The distraught dwarfs suddenly perked up. Lisa, Callie, and the dwarfs began charting plans and paths to herd the Duergar into well disguised and multiple traps. The rest of us grew rather bored and excused ourselves, which seemed to go unnoticed by them.
It was late afternoon. The sun was nearly halved by the mountains and most of the outside area of Stahendring lay in shadow with streaks of orange light. There were very few people about and light from the windows was piercing the shadows. Set, Dawn, Echo, and Bo, who were also bored, went flying in the darkening sky. We watched them as they enjoyed sailing in the swirling winds the peaks created.
The one sent to the archives saw us standing in the near dark. He radiated mirth.
"Sisters, I will let you know what I am going to tell the King. Until I asked if they were missing the scroll, they did not know they even possessed it. Wherever it had been stored, its removal did not cause a change in the stacks or shelves. This caused the head archivist to order a complete overhaul of every item in the archives."
We laughed with him and a bit more as he left to tell the others this news. We remained outside until all light left the sky and the stars shown brightly. We were commenting on the stars when Nana called for us to come and get some dinner before the King and council ate it all. Our fliers were recalled and we went inside to join the others.
Grand plans lay everywhere. Even as they ate, parts were planned, dismissed, re-planned, and dismissed again. I do not know how they understood each other in all that noise.
After the food was gone and dishes taken away, they still argued. We left them to it as we headed to bed. I am not sure they noticed us one way or the other. Echo asked to stay with me and Set until Callie came to bed. She did not like being alone. We gladly welcomed her. Bo went with Alice and Dawn for the same reason and was as warmly accepted. Echo found a suitable dark corner and bid us goodnight. Set, Vanity, and I got ready for bed in a slightly darker than usual room. As a "treat", Echo ate two glowing grubs before she settled in. Once ready, we covered our crystals and went to bed.
"What is it here that would bar the Foot from passing through the stone and entering? I feel like it should be right in front of me," Callie said aloud to no one specifically.
We all began pacing, hoping to work the answer out,.talking aloud.
"The spots where they were found was worked, smooth, and polished."
"The lower levels are rough cut and without adornments."
"They hurt bat-dragons to have enough room for one Duergar to pass between them."
"Living things block them both directions. Kin on the ceiling keep them from going up and from going down through the floor."
"But the kin are barely touching the stone. A bunch of feet and nests just touching the stone keeps the Foot from going through."
"We need to know how the Foot works. Jordsonn said he instructed others on its use. Surely those instructions were written?"
We all stopped, "RECORDS!" we shouted as one.
Nana and a couple of others had been watching and listening. They jumped when we shouted.
"Records of what?" Nana asked, "The Foot? Yes, we have those. We'll see if someone can unearth them," she said and turned to instruct another staff person.
"No need," I told her, causing her to turn back to us, "We can call them to us."
The seven of us converged in the center of the room as they watched. Placing our hands together, palms up, we called for Jordsonn's instructions, written by him, on the use of the Master Miner's Foot. A very old scroll case materialized in our collective grasp. We took it to the table. Gently, we opened the case and pulled out the ancient scroll inside. With great care, we unrolled it, revealing Jordsonn's signature and a riot of dwarfish script. Once fully opened, Callie began reading it silently. Soon, she found what we were looking for and read it aloud.
" 'The stone or metal to be crossed must be without any other material upon it. Clothe of rug and tile are impenetrable. Wood of any thickness is impenetrable. Glass is impenetrable. There must be enough room between stone or metal and any other material for the one holding my Foot to stand fully. If he cannot, then he cannot pass. Rug upon the floor leaves no room between clothe and stone to stand. Wooden shelves against the wall likewise leaves no room. Stone, however, as well as metal of any thickness is easily crossed and breached. Such, alas, is its fatal flaw. A mountain can be passed though with ease, but a ladies' veil is impenetrable.' "
"That is the answer," Nana whispered, " the rugs, tapestries, shelves, and other furnishings keep the one with the Foot from passing through. We've been adding more stone and steel when a thin veil would have done the trick."
She sent a few staff to get Lanara to properly document this and show it to the King. While we waited, we looked for anything to turn off its power or turn it down. Aside from a wooden case, glass case, or cloth bag, it said nothing other than containment. It, like the Rod, radiated its power continuously without any way, other than containment, it could be dampened. The instructions warned that, if dropped or placed on or in stone or metal, one could lose it as it might pass through it and continue unhindered to unknown depths and unexplored areas. We concluded that the Keeper had such a place to house the Foot. We also concluded that, somehow, the Foot had imparted this information to the Mech during the many years they were encased together.
The staff returned with Lanara, a couple of councilors, and King Gorval. We were rather surprised by his appearance.
"You ladies are providing so much information that I got weary of hearing it second or third hand. Now, please, tell us what you found."
We showed them the ancient scroll. It took a bit to explain how we came into possession of it. Nana's confirmation did little to cap their anger at our pulling out such a rare item without permission. A message was sent to the archives to alert them as its location. During our wait, we pointed out the fatal flaw in the Foot. This caused them all to sit in shock. I could sense all of them remembering the layers and layers of stone or metal they had placed at strategic areas to keep out the Duergar.
Lanara voiced their frustration, "Cloth! Paper! Rugs and tapestries! An item that goes through mountains and acres of metal is stopped by silk and parchment! Why? Why limit it so? It makes no sense!" she ranted, standing up and pacing as she spoke.
"To dwarfs, you, it makes no sense," Callie told her, "Which, I think, is exactly why it is so. Dwarfs, particularly joban, think big, strong, powerful. Just as you stated, such thin and fragile material would not even occur to you, and allow those possessing the Foot free access to all parts of Stahendring or other cities. Those who might have thought of such things would, most likely, been non-dwarfs and, therefore, ignored."
The dwarfs around us nodded, seeing the logic as Callie laid it out for them. Lanara sat down with the rest, having vented her frustration.
"Now what? Cover everything is cloth and paper? That does not sound practical," Gorval observed.
"Not everything, Sire," Lisa chimed, "But we may be able to catch the gray one and the Foot with strategically placed materials into a well-laid trap."
The distraught dwarfs suddenly perked up. Lisa, Callie, and the dwarfs began charting plans and paths to herd the Duergar into well disguised and multiple traps. The rest of us grew rather bored and excused ourselves, which seemed to go unnoticed by them.
It was late afternoon. The sun was nearly halved by the mountains and most of the outside area of Stahendring lay in shadow with streaks of orange light. There were very few people about and light from the windows was piercing the shadows. Set, Dawn, Echo, and Bo, who were also bored, went flying in the darkening sky. We watched them as they enjoyed sailing in the swirling winds the peaks created.
The one sent to the archives saw us standing in the near dark. He radiated mirth.
"Sisters, I will let you know what I am going to tell the King. Until I asked if they were missing the scroll, they did not know they even possessed it. Wherever it had been stored, its removal did not cause a change in the stacks or shelves. This caused the head archivist to order a complete overhaul of every item in the archives."
We laughed with him and a bit more as he left to tell the others this news. We remained outside until all light left the sky and the stars shown brightly. We were commenting on the stars when Nana called for us to come and get some dinner before the King and council ate it all. Our fliers were recalled and we went inside to join the others.
Grand plans lay everywhere. Even as they ate, parts were planned, dismissed, re-planned, and dismissed again. I do not know how they understood each other in all that noise.
After the food was gone and dishes taken away, they still argued. We left them to it as we headed to bed. I am not sure they noticed us one way or the other. Echo asked to stay with me and Set until Callie came to bed. She did not like being alone. We gladly welcomed her. Bo went with Alice and Dawn for the same reason and was as warmly accepted. Echo found a suitable dark corner and bid us goodnight. Set, Vanity, and I got ready for bed in a slightly darker than usual room. As a "treat", Echo ate two glowing grubs before she settled in. Once ready, we covered our crystals and went to bed.
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