19

Exploration and Enchantments

Candle stepped through the moongate at Gwavas and out onto flat summit of the mountain overlooking Hanternos. She blinked in the sun, the cool, thin air a shock to her lungs as she inhaled the scent of baked rock and fragrant mountain plants. The view was heart-stoppingly beautiful, the perspective of the skyline she had known her whole life breath-taking. Hanternos far below looked small and inconsequential - like a toy village resting at the bottom of the valley floor.

Lord and Lady Enys had not heeded the Mester's warning to camouflage the village with means magical or mundane. Candle frowned down at it and hoped her parents were not fools. Her gaze shifted to the horizon, where to her delight, the sea was clearly visible in the distance. It was like being on top of the world, the closest she would ever get to experience the joy of flight.

"Come on, slowpoke," said Delen, cheerfully pushing her in the back as Candle gazed out across the sky. "I can see why it's called Dawn Watch, but why in the Night did the Ancient Ancestors feel the need to build these castles in such ridiculous places?"

The wind buffeted them as she spoke, blowing her words away, and making Candle sway as she struggled to keep upright under the weight of her pack. She eyed the sheer drop down the western face of the mountain. It would be impossible to climb. The place was impressively defensible.

"Walk and talk," said Jory, steadying Candle absentmindedly with one hand, as she wobbled in the gusts. He set off across the rough sandstone of the uneven plateau at a brisk pace. Candle strode after him being extremely careful where she placed her feet. The others following them in single file.

"I mean, how long did it take them to finish the moongate up here," said Delen who seemed to have no problem balancing her pack.

"Months!" said Locryn, "Absolutely ages. Imagine lumping all those materials up this mountain! I heard they had to make the last part of the climb with ropes."

"But why did the Ancestors bother to build it," said Delen. "It makes no sense."

"Pasco says he heard the Ancient Ancestors used to fight dragons from up here," said Jory, his mind clearly not on the conversation as he scanned the area ahead.

"Awesome," said Delen.

"That doesn't seem likely," said Locryn. Pasco shrugged.

"He says it might have been Revenants. Demons roamed free in those days, they weren't locked away in the Night Nation," said Jory, looking around. "This way, come on."

"Night!" said Delen, "Can you imagine?"

"It's just something he heard once," said Jory, absently as Pasco shrugged. "Look there's the hollow. We'll need all the protection from the elements we can get up here. I hope we don't get blown off the top tonight."

The wind was very strong, pushing them insistently to one side so that they had to lean into it to stay upright.

"That's something else we need to teach Meraud," said Delen. "How to sign, so Pasco can talk her fingers off for a change."

"Add it to the list," said Locryn. Pasco grinned back at Locryn and made a rude gesture.

"He says he's looking forward to speaking to Meraud, and no I won't translate that," said Jory. Candle grinned back at Pasco. "Lessons will have to wait," he continued, "at least until we've set up the tents and had something to eat. Now let's get on with it or we might be sleeping in the rain."

The threat of sleeping in the rain worked wonders and in a short while they had the canvas tents set up a short distance from the moon gate where a natural dip in the rock provided shelter from the driving wind. There was a small and brand new looking stone circle offering protection from undesirable spirits, just wide enough to surround the tents.

To the side of the circle was a rough stone structure, that looked like the remains of a bothy. This unassuming structure was all that was left of the castle of the mountain. It didn't look like much, just some crumbling walls. The Dawn Watch bothy on the slopes below was in much better repair but was built in the same style. It occurred to Candle that they must have been built as a pair.

Once the tents were pitched as safely as could be they set about setting up vast swathes of the green and brown netting that they had brought from the Keep.

"Home sweet home," said Delen, looking around approvingly. It looked pretty primitive to Candle, but she wouldn't have traded it in for her comfortable bed in the manse far below for all the moonsilver in Havi.

"Right," said Jory, dusting off his hands. "Our orders are simple - firstly and most importantly we are to keep hidden. If anyone sees us here the whole project becomes pointless. So someone on watch at all times got it? Fires only for cooking. Be prepared to put them out at a moment's notice if you hear the warning sounded. If the watch sounds the alarm you drop what you're are doing and hide? Got it?"

They all nodded. He pointed to the small stone circle that ran around the tents. It was barely more than a few feet wide. "That's all we have right now," he said. "Don't roll over it in your sleep! None of the doors has iron in them yet. This place has been deserted for centuries. There are bound to be shades and wights. But that's what we do!"

He sounded quite happy about it, thought Candle. How different to be hunting wights rather than running from them. To be actively seeking them out. A small part of her thought she might throw up. While she had been well brought up to abhor violence she could not help feeling a thrill at the thought of sending a wight back to the Night Nation. It was not like she was hurting a human or any other living thing. The wights were already dead and actively hunted living things. Her hand slipped again to her arm, which was painful to the touch.

"Delen, take the first watch," Jory continued. "Pasco and I walk the circle and check it's still charged and fit for purpose. It's too windy for salt so that's our priority. Locryn and Meraud I want you to make a start exploring the ruin - let's find out what we are dealing with here. Hopefully, it's more than a simple bothy. The Mester thinks it is most likely a redoubt or a fortress or she wouldn't have wasted the resources on a new moongate. Yes?" He looked around. "Meraud keep a sharp eye out for undead and do as Locryn says if you spot anything. We'll meet back here in two hours for a meal and then combat training. Then an hour for devotions. Got it?"

The group split up and Locryn strode off to the back of the stone structure, looking less than thrilled. Candle trailed after him, pulling out a carrot she had stolen off the mess table earlier and chewing on it nervously. She had a strong feeling that Locryn didn't think much of her. She paused at the entrance to the ruin. There was a rough flight of stairs, barely wide enough to admit one person leading down into pitch darkness. Her mind flashed back to the caves below Jotham's mountain, those endless caves.

"Don't you ever stop eating?"

Locryn's irritation jolted her out of her fear and she didn't bother to reply she followed him down the stone flight of stairs into the depths below. This time she wasn't alone, even if her companion was a snide peasant. And, most importantly they knew the way out.

By Locryn's gently bobbing witch light they could see a small damp room, with soapy marbled walls and some ferns growing in a damp corner. Moss clung to the south wall and the air was cool and stale. A faint light came in from a crack in one wall that looked as if it might once have been a window. Locryn poked at one with a finger thoughtfully.

"That shouldn't take too long to fix," he said, thoughtfully, "and then the room should dry out nicely."

He handed Candle a parchment and pencil.

"Can you read and write?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. She nodded, and he made no attempt to hide his surprise. "Make notes please," he said, "and we'll try and make some sort of a map."

"How far do you think it goes?" she asked, peering about in the dark. Her blindfold made everything worse. She could barely see anything and itched to take it off, but she could only imagine Locryn's reaction if she did. He'd probably have a knife through her heart before she could say "wight".

"Some of these old ruins go on for miles."

Candle wondered if all the mountains in the region were riddled with caves and hidden passageways. There were certainly more than was common knowledge. Meanwhile, Locryn sent his light slowly across the room, illuminating each crumbling corner in turn.

"Nothing," he said, disappointed. "Doesn't look like the Ancestors have left us much to work with here. Hang on!" His light hung low over a dark spot in the stone of the floor. They approached carefully, leaning out over the stones. The light didn't penetrate the darkness below. "Careful," Locryn mumbled unnecessarily. He leaned over and dropped a pebble into the void. It took a few seconds to descend and they heard a clunk. "Excellent," he said, unwinding a rope from his waist.

"We need to be careful," he said again, tying the rope securely. Candle resisted the urge to push him in the hole. Down he went, taking the light with him. She waited for anxious seconds before he yelled up that he was on the floor. She swung her legs into the hole, and jumped, nervously, burning her hand on the rope as she went. The floor below was not too far down, but the rough rocky walls pressed in closely on either side. Stretching ahead was a long narrow corridor.

"See anything?" asked Locryn and she shook her head.

"Good," he said. "Let's hope there's nothing supernatural to see..."