Nodding, Bart replied, “Indeed.”
“Then we better get out of here,” Chyfe said. “It’s only a matter of time before Seth and Soth are discovered.”
“Right,” Riyan said. Turning to the three men, he asked, “If we leave you alive, will you swear to keep your mouths shut about us being down here?”
All three men nodded vigorously. “Yes.” said one. “We swear!” said another.
“Alright then,” Riyan said.
“You can’t be serious,” argued Chyfe. “They’ll tell all they know as soon as someone finds them.”
“No,” professed one man. “We will keep silent.”
Chyfe drew his knife and advanced on the men. “I don’t think we can afford to take that chance,” he said.
“I agree,” said Bart.
“But I gave them my word,” argued Riyan.
Bart met his friend’s gaze for a moment then nodded. “So you did.” He glanced to Chyfe and shook his head.
Chyfe was less than pleased about leaving the men alive. Slamming his knife back into its scabbard, he mumbled an expletive under his breath and shook his head.
“Come on,” Bart said. “Let’s get out of here.”
Riyan glanced to the men and said, “I’m sure you’ll be discovered before too much longer.”
“Thank you,” one of the men said.
“We’re not murderers,” Riyan assured him. Then he turned and joined the others as they headed back to the surface.
About the time they were passing through an area lit by one of the burning torches, Chad asked, “Bart, where’s your pack?”
“My pack?” Bart asked. Coming to a stop he cursed, “Damn! I must have left it somewhere back there.” Gazing down the passage, he said, “My picks were inside.”
“You want us to go back with you?” asked Kevik.
Bart shook his head. “No, you go on ahead. I’ll catch up,” he said. “Get to the surface and see what’s going on. We still have to figure a way out of here.”
“Alright,” Riyan said. “Be careful.”
Reaching up, Bart removed the torch burning in the sconce and started heading back through the passage. Walking quickly, he was soon back to where they had left the three bound men. Behind him, the light from Kevik’s staff could no longer be seen.
The three men looked in fear as they saw him approach. He had left his pack leaning against the wall on the other side of the passage from the three men. But it wasn’t there now. One of the porters had his foot hooked in a strap and was dragging it closer.
“Now, now,” Bart said as he came forward to reclaim his pack. “None of that.” Once he had it slung back across his back, he pulled his knife.
The three men gasped when they saw the naked blade. “You promised!” one man wailed.
“Nothing personal,” he said. “But I don’t have as trusting a nature as my friend does. You would rat us out the moment you were found. And we can’t have that.”
“No!” screamed a man as he came closer. Then with three quick strikes, he silenced their cries for good. After wiping the blood coating his blade off onto the pant leg of one of the dead men, he stood up and returned it to the scabbard. Moving out with pack once again on his back, he hurried to catch up with Riyan and the others.
Bart caught up with the others just as they were reaching the surface. Dusk was not far off. “Kevik,” Bart said, indicating where the bowl full of mixture still sat.” Let’s see what’s going on up on the cliff.” Then to Chad and Chyfe he said, “Find Seth and Soth and see what the situation is.”
“Okay,” replied Chad. Then he and Chyfe moved from the mine entrance and headed for the camp.
From their position, they could see Seth moving among the tents, Soth was nowhere in sight. As Kevik prepared to cast his far seeing spell, Riyan commented, “So, the River Man has the last segment.”
“So it would seem,” Bart replied.
“That makes this all a bit more complicated,” stated Riyan.
Bart grinned and nodded. “A little.”
“How are we to get it now?” he asked.
“One thing at a time,” said Bart. “Once we’re out of this canyon and past the stockade, then we’ll worry about how to acquire the segment.”
“Any thoughts on how we are to do that?” Riyan asked.
“Not yet,” he said.
At the camp, Chad and Chyfe had met up with Seth and after a moment’s discussion, Seth began heading for the mine entrance.
Kevik calmed his mind. Then, concentrating on the stockade at the top of the cliff, he cast the spell. Beside him Riyan watched as the image appeared.
Four wagons filled with crates stood in line just within the stockade’s gate. A fifth was only half filled and waited near the canyon’s lip at the top of the steps. Two crates were being lifted onto the fifth wagon’s bed. Once they were in place, the two men who had placed them there walked to the steps and began descending to the bottom.
The rest of the stockade looked pretty much as it had before. Seth and Soth must have done a good job in fooling the porters in believing everything was alright. But how much longer would that last? With the setting of the sun imminent, there could be a change of watch. Definitely the men who were deep in the mine would be coming out for food and rest. Bart felt that time was quickly running out.
“There doesn’t appear to be any increase in the number of men,” announced Kevik.
Bart glanced over to him and said, “See if you can determine how many are up there.”
“I’ll try,” replied Kevik.
When Seth finally joined them, he asked, “The key wasn’t there?”
“No,” Riyan informed him. “We believe it may be in the possession of the River Man.”
“That’s not good,” responded Seth.
“Any trouble?” Bart asked him.
“Not really,” he replied. “A couple of the men bound in the tents started regaining consciousness. But we made quick work of them.” Then he pointed to the center of the camp where the largest tent stood. “We put them all in there.”
Riyan indicated the men on the steps coming down from the top. “What about them?” he asked.
“Just hired porters,” he explained. “They come and go with the wagons.”
Bart nodded as he gazed at the two nearing the bottom. “Take em out and put them with the others,” he told Seth. As Seth was about to leave, he added, “Make sure you do it so the other two near the top aren’t tipped off.”
“You got it,” he replied. Hurrying off, he made his way back to the camp.
“What do you have in mind?” Riyan asked.
“Not sure yet,” admitted Bart. “But one thing’s for sure, we don’t want them on the steps transporting crates when we make our move.” Then he moved closer to Kevik and gazed at the image in the bowl.
Kevik noticed him and said, “I’ve seen thirty armed men which may be guards of one kind or another. Another fifteen are civilians.”
“Up the steps is the only way out of here if we don’t want to float down the river,” observed Bart. “And without a raft or boat, that isn’t a very viable option.”
Down at the camp, Soth had appeared from the large tent wherein their captives were being held. He, Chad, and Chyfe were speaking together as they kept an eye on the men coming down the cliff. In short order, they were joined by Seth. Bart watched as they began moving into position to take out the porters descending the steps.
“I think I may have an idea,” he said. Turning to Kevik, he added, “It’s going to depend heavily on your magical ability.”
Kevik glanced up from the image in the bowl and met his eyes a moment before nodding. “What did you have
