listening for a moment. The tapping still came distantly. At least he believed he was headed down the right tunnel. And from here, he could Slide back to the upper mines or even out of Ilphaesn altogether. “My father could hear it, but controlled it. He wanted me to learn to control it too. That was part of the reason he sent me here when he did. But instead, being here taught me to listen to it. There’s almost the sense of a song…”
“You know you sound crazy when you talk of listening to the metal?”
Rsiran laughed softly. “I know. About as crazy as the fact that I can Slide.”
They walked further into the tunnel, finally reaching the end of where the miners had reached. Lorcith lit the walls all around him. But there was no sign of whoever mined here. The steady tapping continued.
Could it be somewhere else? He knew of only these tunnels, but hadn’t the boy alluded to other access? Maybe there was a different set of tunnels and a different person mining.
“The tunnel just sort of stops right here,” Jessa said.
He sighed. “There isn’t anything beyond here. Just more rock the miners haven’t cleared.”
“Then what?”
In answer, he Slid them from the mines. They emerged back outside on the flat rock before the barred entrance to the mines. Sudden moonlight seemed bright, bathing everything in a soft glow. Even without Sight, he could easily see the outline of the rocky shape of Ilphaesn, the stilted scrub trees growing on the mountain around them, and the flickering lights of Elaeavn far below.
Jessa punched him lightly on the shoulder. “A little warning? My eyes do need to adjust.”
“Sorry.”
“Why did we leave? I thought you came here for answers?”
Rsiran sighed in frustration. “That is why we came.” He walked around the clearing and looked up at the rocky face of Ilphaesn rising above him. The massive mountain spread out and around, pushing off toward the plains north of Elaeavn and then west before falling steadily off into the sea. “I need you to help me see if there are other ways into the mountain. Maybe another cavern, some other way to mine the lorcith.”
“This is massive, Rsiran. Even in good lighting, it could take me weeks to search for some other way into the mountain. And searching at night creates other disadvantages. At least in the daylight, I can search for changes in shadows, flickers of movement. Here, at night, all I will see are gradations of grey.”
She didn’t need to explain any more. He understood the limitations. Just like his ability to Slide was limited by what he could see—at least to do it safely—her Sight was limited by the amount of light. It just never seemed that way.
“Then we’ll have to come back tomorrow.”
Jessa laughed. “You’re serious?”
He shrugged. “We have to see if there’s another reason for Firell to have all that lorcith. It can’t be coming from the city. Their supply is already limited, and the quantity he had aboard his ship would practically drain the guild.” But how would Firell get a supply from the mines? And why? Only Elaeavn smiths could work with lorcith.
Jessa studied him for a moment before nodding. “You know I’ll help. Whatever it takes.”
There was another place he needed to investigate, one he knew wouldn’t please Jessa. The area behind that wall of crates in the warehouse was intentionally blocked. Rsiran knew there was something more to that space, if only he could reach it. And he knew how to get there, only… Jessa would worry. Maybe he would leave her behind for this one.
She squeezed his hand firmly. Not for the first time, he felt as if she could practically Read him.
Chapter 11
R siran stood on the face of Ilphaesn. Though bright sunlight streamed around them, there were spaces where shadows still lingered. Near the top of the mountain, a trace of white snow remained, only visible as a faint reflection of light. They finally stood protected from the wind that had
“You know you sound crazy when you talk of listening to the metal?”
Rsiran laughed softly. “I know. About as crazy as the fact that I can Slide.”
They walked further into the tunnel, finally reaching the end of where the miners had reached. Lorcith lit the walls all around him. But there was no sign of whoever mined here. The steady tapping continued.
Could it be somewhere else? He knew of only these tunnels, but hadn’t the boy alluded to other access? Maybe there was a different set of tunnels and a different person mining.
“The tunnel just sort of stops right here,” Jessa said.
He sighed. “There isn’t anything beyond here. Just more rock the miners haven’t cleared.”
“Then what?”
In answer, he Slid them from the mines. They emerged back outside on the flat rock before the barred entrance to the mines. Sudden moonlight seemed bright, bathing everything in a soft glow. Even without Sight, he could easily see the outline of the rocky shape of Ilphaesn, the stilted scrub trees growing on the mountain around them, and the flickering lights of Elaeavn far below.
Jessa punched him lightly on the shoulder. “A little warning? My eyes do need to adjust.”
“Sorry.”
“Why did we leave? I thought you came here for answers?”
Rsiran sighed in frustration. “That is why we came.” He walked around the clearing and looked up at the rocky face of Ilphaesn rising above him. The massive mountain spread out and around, pushing off toward the plains north of Elaeavn and then west before falling steadily off into the sea. “I need you to help me see if there are other ways into the mountain. Maybe another cavern, some other way to mine the lorcith.”
“This is massive, Rsiran. Even in good lighting, it could take me weeks to search for some other way into the mountain. And searching at night creates other disadvantages. At least in the daylight, I can search for changes in shadows, flickers of movement. Here, at night, all I will see are gradations of grey.”
She didn’t need to explain any more. He understood the limitations. Just like his ability to Slide was limited by what he could see—at least to do it safely—her Sight was limited by the amount of light. It just never seemed that way.
“Then we’ll have to come back tomorrow.”
Jessa laughed. “You’re serious?”
He shrugged. “We have to see if there’s another reason for Firell to have all that lorcith. It can’t be coming from the city. Their supply is already limited, and the quantity he had aboard his ship would practically drain the guild.” But how would Firell get a supply from the mines? And why? Only Elaeavn smiths could work with lorcith.
Jessa studied him for a moment before nodding. “You know I’ll help. Whatever it takes.”
There was another place he needed to investigate, one he knew wouldn’t please Jessa. The area behind that wall of crates in the warehouse was intentionally blocked. Rsiran knew there was something more to that space, if only he could reach it. And he knew how to get there, only… Jessa would worry. Maybe he would leave her behind for this one.
She squeezed his hand firmly. Not for the first time, he felt as if she could practically Read him.
Chapter 11
R siran stood on the face of Ilphaesn. Though bright sunlight streamed around them, there were spaces where shadows still lingered. Near the top of the mountain, a trace of white snow remained, only visible as a faint reflection of light. They finally stood protected from the wind that had
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