Aglahad and the Dead City (In Tharbad: Volume Three)

20

While the rest of us approached it with care, Lofar strode forward and placed his hand on the parapet. He let out a small whimper of disbelief at what we all now looked upon. We lowered our torches and stood gaping into the far distance below us.

"The light," Finduilas said. "Where does it come from?"

"Glow-moss," Lofar answered. "I have heard it said that it grew in the deeper parts of Khazad-dûm."

Far below us and stretching into the distance was an immense cavern. The roof above was in utter darkness but as they descended, the walls glowed softly with a blue-green light. At the very bottom, stretching off into an iridescent haze, were the remains of hundreds of small buildings.

"This must be the outskirts of the city," Lofar said. "One of the living areas."

Now I had an idea of the cavern's true size. I could not fully judge the distance but it seemed that the furthest houses must have been over a mile away. I could only guess at what lay beyond the soft green mist but the distant sound of rushing water suggested that a tall waterfall fed the river that flowed through the cavern.

At length, Finduilas stepped away from the wall. "Which way?"

I handed my torch to Aglahad then took the map from my tunic while the others gathered around. "Let me see. This must be this cavern. So over there to the left is the stair to the Lower Deeps." I folded the map and took back my torch. "Be on your guard. This dragon may yet live. She could be in any one of these halls, slumbering on her hoard."

At this, Lofar stepped among us and glanced up at each of us as he spoke. "Hear me, all of you. We're in the domain of the Dwarves. Here there is no day or night. I suggest we rest when we're tired and eat when we're hungry. Speak in whispers. Sound carries far in the halls of the Dwarves."

We walked along the concourse towards the great facades of hidden halls, carved into the walls of the cavern.

"This seems to have been the administrative area of the city," I said.

The carved columns of an archway loomed above us. Strange mushrooms grew at the bases of the columns. Darkness lay beyond.

"Come, let us see what we might find," Finduilas said. She wrapped her fingers around Calmegil's grip and walked through the archway. The air was thick with a familiar mustiness. After a few moments, a pale blue light swelled in the darkness like a quickening dawn. Above our heads, hanging from long chains, were dozens of brazen lamps.

"Are they Fëanorian?"

"The light of those lamps, Aglahad, is constant. I have never seen such as these."

"I thought you said that you used to live here."

"I lived in Nogrod, not Belegost. I visited Belegost a handful of times with my brother. We were always greeted at the Gate Hall and then led though a passage to the Upper Levels from there."

As we moved among high oak tables and stools, the lamps lit at our passing. The size of the hall became apparent when we could no longer see the walls.

"We should not wander too far from our path," Finduilas suggested.

We all agreed and I turned towards the outer wall.

"Is this place some kind of library or archive?"

It wasn't long until Aglahad's question was answered. The blue lamps brightened as we drew near to the wall of books before us.

I couldn't help a little chuckle. "Oh, how I would like to spend a hundred years reading these." But I knew that as soon as I picked one up it would crumble to dust in my fingers.

"You stay here then," Lofar growled. "We'll find the sword."

I grinned at the Dwarf and looked around for Aglahad, holding my torch aloft when I couldn't see him. But it wasn't for lack of light that he was made elusive. I walked around one of the high tables and found the boy crouching in an empty space where one of the Dwarven lamps had broken free of its chain. The bronze casing was bent and tarnished and the crystal lay in pieces around it. As I neared him, Aglahad picked one of the shards up and held it before him.

"Keep it," I suggested. "It may be of use."

He handed the shard to me then took another from the floor and slipped it into his tunic.

After leaving the hall, we continued along the concourse, past more grand archways, towards the rock face marked on the map. "The stair should be through an archway on the left," I said.

After we reached the landing of the stair, it wasn't long before we found our way blocked by fallen masonry. Our shadows quivered across the walls of the stairwell.

Finduilas stood at my shoulder and looked down at the map as I unfolded it. "Are there any other stairs on this side of the cavern?"

"No. The nearest way down is at the other side, beyond the Great Hall."

Soon we were back on the concourse and striding back towards the Gate Hall stairs. We moved with a renewed yet unfounded confidence until again I had to look at the map. As we slowed, I looked up at the facade of another great chamber.

"The Hall of War." I made the announcement out of interest and had no intention of waylaying ourselves but Lofar was already striding toward the doorway.

"These barracks would have slept nigh on a thousand warriors."

"They were housed close to the portcullis," I said, leading him onward. "See those passages? They lead above the stairwell. If anyone breached the Doors they would be trapped on the stair by the portcullis and fired upon from above.

We paused at the doors of the Hall of Discourse and again crowded round the map.

"This is where my brother conducted his affairs with the elders of the city. He was an ambassador to King Thingol for a time."

Lofar cleared his throat. "The history lesson is fascinating, Siriondil. But I am more interested in the next chamber."

The Treasury stood beyond another unmarked hall and was secured by a huge, bronze door, embellished with ornate knotwork.

Lofar leaned on the doors and pushed half-heartedly. "They had time to lock the doors before they abandoned the city." He reached inside his tunic. "Give me a moment." He held what looked like a narrow pipe-weed pouch but as I watched, he unfolded the soft leather and teased out two lockpicks.

I looked across the great chasm as we waited for him to do his handiwork. Apart from the tiny metallic scraping as he tried to pick the lock, there was utter silence. The outer walls of the Lower Deeps were lined with small, dark windows and balconies. Six Deeps I counted here. The map showed a seventh beneath the floor of the cavern. Behind me, I heard a soft clunk and thud as the tumblers of the lock turned. I was about to turn away from the view when a pale blue light bloomed in one of the windows across the abyss. Finduilas joined me at the parapet.

"What could it be?"

"Perhaps our host. Or something worse."

The Treasury was filled with chests and strongboxes; a line of vaults lined the back wall.

"This is your library," Aglahad said as Lofar gazed across the chamber.

"Aye, laddie. Give me an hour and I'll have all these open."

"There is no time," Finduilas said. "There are lights in the Lower Deeps."

"This, Ranger, is the reason I came." The Dwarf moved off towards the nearest chest. "Among other reasons."

Finduilas started to follow. "We shall return, Lofar. But now we need to move."

"Is our destination not in the Lower Deeps?"

"He has a point, Finduilas. Perhaps we should make early camp here."

Aglahad dumped himself on the lid of a large chest, its timbers creaking. "I for one am tired."

"Lofar," I said. "Can you lock the door?"

The Dwarf grinned. "As easy as unlocking it."