Summer was in full swing by the time they had one site left to calm, for more than a hundred days they had travelled the vast length and breadth of the plateau. They’d put down the angry and the hungry, soothed the traumatised, cured the diseased and in one case the few survivors in a tribe who had preyed on the weak or unwary were now exceedingly weak but very wary themselves after they’d ambushed what had looked like an easy mark.

They’d been travelling along the mountain range which marked the southern boundary of the plateau for days heading toward where a group of Dwaris Fae had been driven from their deep tunnels under the mountains after an unsuccessful rebellion. Their angry spirits must be sent to their rest the same as any Oruc Fae or raised spirit.

Their time travelling hadn’t been totally wasted because they’d contacted almost every roaming tribe on the plateau. The tribes they’d contacted almost universally reacted the same way as the Spotted Foxes, show that is was not a hopeless task and they would provide all aid they could but until then the danger for the long lived but slow breeding Oruc was too great.

When they got to the final site the spirit swarm was a dark blot writhing and twisting in mid-air polluting the spirit world with cries of grief and rage. Now very well practiced Raelea swung herself off Horse’s back and walked forward with her Implement’s now rebuilt and safe for spirits spirit ward active. As she knelt and started speaking the words of the banishment a shimmering dome formed over her, waves of golden light washed out from her kneeling form, each wave taking dozens of wailing spirits with it.

As the last of the spirits faded from view her murmured words trailed off and the waves of power stopped, her face showed only peace as she sat there with an unfocused gaze enjoying the total quiet and the satisfaction of leading troubled spirits to their rest.

Shaking her distraction off she said, “It is done. I could feel the calm spread into the spiritworld all over the plateau.”

Krarrnic assumed the Mantle of the Shaman and gazed into the spiritworld with well trained and experienced eyes, his voice surprised he said, “What have we done? I have never seen the spiritworld like this, every spec of the pollution is… gone. The spirits of the plateau are gaining power at a rate I would never have believed was possible. I have no idea what the implications are but this will certainly have far reaching effects.”

“It can only be a good thing for the spirits, can’t it?”

“The spirit realm in this place is vibrating with the power being fed to it, that can only increase the strength of the spirits. This can only lead to good outcomes… for the spirits, for the peoples of the plateau? I don’t know. Evil people exist, who will have greater strength because of this. All I can hope is the good people will be able to combat their desires.”

“As it always is.” She sadly shook her head, “As it always is.”

They were hailed by a rough voice speaking heavily accented Fae, “Oi, what you doin’ ‘ere, ‘erdboy?”

While they were distracted a dozen short, bearded people covered in intricate geometric tattoos, wearing heavy plate armour and heavily armed had surrounded them. That in itself wasn’t quite so disturbing, the nearly dozen crossbows aimed at them was.

Krarrnic had a shocked look on his face and didn’t respond straight away.

The probable leader (the one without a crossbow) impatiently said, “Got shit in yer ears ‘erdboy or are ya just stupid? What you doin’ ‘ere?”

Raelea said, “There’s no nee-”

Cutting her off he said, “Shut yer mouth… whatever you are. I’m talkin’ to the ‘erdboy. Not ‘is pets, speak again an ye’ll get a bolt in yer gut. So ‘erdboy, what… you… doin’… ‘ere…? Nice an’ slow since ya seem to be dense ‘n all.”

Krarrnic looked at Raelea and shook his head minutely then said, “My apologies Castan, I wasn’t aware we were in the area those under the mountain claim and patrol.”

Glaring he said, “Well ya are an’ if ya know me rank ya know the rules, any ‘erdboy caught ‘ere needs to see the Lord o’ the Mines. So come along quiet like or get shot n’ dragged, either ways fine by me an’ keep yer pets under control. Should do ya a favour an’ shoot that Goblin anyways, stupid stinkin’ things.”

Pif glared at the Castan and the hand the patrol couldn’t see flared into blue-white flames, but the flames subsided when Raelea sent a quick message to trust Krarrnic and wait.

Krarrnic said, “I know the rules as well as any other so please don’t threaten my companions, that is not allowed under those rules.”

“Yeah an’ what you goin’ to do or say about it? Who would know shit about it out ‘ere? So pull yer ‘ead in and shut it before ya annoy me, cause there ain't no Fae Chanar out ‘ere ‘erdboy."

Krarrnic said, “There is no need for any unpleasantness I will come willingly.”

“We see even a hint of you mantling up and the Chanter’ll destroy any spirits you got with ya an' if either of yer pets do anythin’ they’ll be shot so tell ‘em.”

“My companions understand you well enough.”

The Castan shook his head, “Didn’t say that, you will be tellin’ them and you will also be held responsible for their actions. Eh, actually don’t bother. Any of ya do anythin’ I don’t like and all of ya’ll be shot. An’ I don’t like much. We’re moving.”

The Dwaris Fae made a circling motion with his hand and the squad surrounded them before they started marching.

For the next two days they were harried across the grasslands of the plateau, every attempt to speak was met with a snarled command to shut up, every attempt to slow down was met with a violent shove in the back and a barked ‘move or get shot’, every moment they were under heavy guard with at least three armed guards watching their every move closely.

It was a good thing they arrived at the fancifully carved portal into the mountain because Raelea was having more and more trouble keeping Pif from attempting to murder their captors, he was targeted by more abuse than either herself or Krarrnic.

The entrance was huge, a great cavernous carved hall flanked by walls carved from the mountain’s bones, regularly spaced slits covered it’s length and it’s ends could be closed by gates of massive iron bound timbers. But even they were not the final line of defence, huge man-length thick stone valves could be dropped to seal the passageway even more securely.

They were herded through a bustling city under the mountain, Dwaris Fae rushing around on their daily tasks and paying almost no attention to the small group. Any Dwaris who happened to be caught glancing at the patrol with their captives looked away very quickly and in some fear or at least that was how it seemed to Raelea. It looked like the soldiers were not well liked by the general populace. Honestly she couldn’t tell why these brusque, arrogant, violent soldiers might be disliked by the populace they lived among, not at all. She could use that.

They came to a cross-roads and Castan Juyille said, “Tek ‘em to tha pens, if there’s any funny stuff, kill ‘em.”

He walked off into one branch as Chanter Pairk led them in the opposite direction along wide clean, well made tunnels and eventually to a rock carved room blocked off by thick iron bars, the Chanter said, “In you go. You’ll get to see Spaendt in a day or two. Unless he’s busy, then it might be up to a tenday. Use your own supplies, if you have none we’ll provide food at a reasonable cost but if you can’t pay, not our problem.”

The room was plain undressed stone with piles of reasonably fresh straw for beds but when Raelea stuck her head behind a curtain which partitioned off the back section of it she found a full Fae style bath with a deep heated pool and a grassed toilet area. All self-cleaning, designed to be as inoffensive as possible and very very welcome.

Excited she shouted, “Krarrnic! Krarrnic! Look at this!”

He walked over and said, “What?”

Pointing she said, “A full Fae Bath! I haven’t had a chance to have a good long soak since the Mountain’s Edge Tribe water caverns and that was so long ago even Pif smells better than me.”

Shaking his head he smiled saying, “Enjoy. I’m going to consult the spirits, once you’ve bathed we should probably talk.”

He walked over to a pile of straw and stretched out as Raelea nodded.

Raelea took care of Horse before she sunk herself deep in warm water and scrubbed herself with handfuls of fine sand from the bottom of the pool. Once she was clean she just lay back and enjoyed floating there totally relaxed for a good while.

Then sighing she got out of the water and a warm scented breeze dried her off as the pool swirled behind her cleaning the water.

She walked over to the hooks where her freshly cleaned clothes now hung and got dressed.

Krarrnic was still sunk deep in a trance when she came back so she hunted through the bags she’d taken off Horse looking for some food, sitting down she started munching on some beast jerky washed down with a thin fermented milk that one of the tribes they’d met recently made and she’d discovered a great taste for, so much so she’d learned how to make it.

Pif was for once not asleep he was leaning against a wall scowling, she sent, “What's up Pffbt?”

“Stupid-hairys hate me, want me to go away for no reason. I make doggie, doggie eat their faces. Show all stupid-hairys, make them go away.”

“Not all of the Dwaris are stupid-hairys and we need to be careful, we could make all the Dwaris go away but that would be bad.”

“Why? They meaner than ColdCloud, made him go away.”

Raelea sighed, “We can’t just make anyone who annoys us go away, ColdCloud was a bad bad person. The stupid-hairys I’m hoping will see it’s wrong if it’s pointed out to them but if they don’t and they keep trying to hurt my friend Pffbt, they will go away.”

He was still scowling but he sent, “Ok nice-nice I’ll wait, trust you.”

She passed him some jerky and they sat there munching in happy comfortable silence.

A while later Krarrnic sat up and shuddered violently, the straw under him rustling. He took a few deep breaths and said, “I do not like this place, these halls and tunnels are swarming with the pained spirits of those killed here by this foul creature’s greed. Dwaris, Fae, Oruc their shades haunt these halls and they burn with anger, so focused on Spaendt that they didn’t even notice me.”

Raelea said, “Not really anything we didn’t know, I have seen the odd spirit but haven’t really paid attention to them.”

She quickly sent, “Don’t say too much Krarrnic I am sure we are watched closely.”

He sent back, “You are right, I am just disgusted and saddened by the pain of so many who died well before their time.”

Krarrnic said, “Well hopefully when we meet the Lord of the Mines I can convince him to allow me to put them to rest. Though the stories I have heard say that is unlikely.”

“Won’t hurt to try.”