Not too much later Raelea shivered slightly as the chill darkness of the mage’s teleport faded away, she said, “Here ya go an’ I’ll need tha token back.”

Handing over the small disc that allowed the carrier to bypass the teleport interdiction which covered the whole mountain Raelea said, “Which way to the Gatehouse Guardroom?”

“Door on tha left there, oop the stairs, fourth on tha right.”

“Thanks.”

Raelea walked through the door into the darkness of the lower gatehouse, normally there would have been some light seeping in through the arrow slits that looked out into the gated and porticullised corridor but it was sealed solidly by huge stone blocks that had been dropped from the ceiling. Raelea shivered, remembering the thump as they’d dropped which had shaken the mountain itself.

Pools of magical light lit her briefly as she walked along the corridor and up the stairs in the hallway above she walked to the fourth door and pushed it open.

Walking in she was momentarily taken aback by the bright images on the wall opposite the door, it showed a busy camp with Fae moving around between more than three dozen large tents.

Wondering she said, “By the Gods, that camp is almost larger than my old tribe’s camp. How many of them are we looking at?”

Hilde sitting at a table with mounds of paper covering it in snowy looking drifts said, “We must have really pissed them off, normally a full hunt is five Fae Chanar and their personal armies, maybe six or seven for a particularly large uprising, what you can see there is sixteen of them bastards and all their Fae. I’m thinking this isn’t about bringing us to heel, I’m thinking there will be no Dwaris left if we don’t win.”

Raelea said, “We better do that then, how?”

Hilde looked at Raelea sideways and said, “I was hoping you’d know that, Hargreve keeps saying you’re the key.”

Raelea shrugged and said, “Your brother knows something I don’t then.”

Snorting Hilde said, “Of course he does, bloody Seers never tell you plain what they know or what you’re to do. Growing up with him was a real pain in the arse once his magic came in. He said something about ‘the meddlesome will know’, you got any idea what he meant?”

Nodding slowly Raelea said, “Yes. But I’m going to have to do something I didn’t want to, something very dangerous. Dangerous for me and for everyone around me if it goes wrong. I-I’ll need your permission as the authority of this place, permission you’ll have to give without knowing exactly what it is I’m talking about. I can’t tell you any more.”

Shaking her head slightly and chewing at her lip Hilde said, “I’d be lyin’ if I said I was exactly easy about it. But I trust me brother and I know something of the secrets that Powers make you keep, so, I give you permission to do as you must. Try not to kill us all, ok?” She cracked a grim smile, “Though if what will happen is painless, it’ll likely be better than what those bastards outside’ll do.”

Raelea shrugged and said, “I don’t know what will happen if it goes wrong.”

Hilde chuckled and said, “You’re not improving my worry there Witch... but go do whatever you have to before I think on it more.”

Raelea said, “I will see you soon, I hope.”

*******

Walking out of the gatehouse she wandered off deeper into the Dwaris caverns around the gatehouse looking for a quiet out of the way place she wouldn’t be disturbed for a short while. The rock here was as filled with holes as the sweet almost nutty flavoured cheese that the Dwaris had with almost every meal. Cheese Pif could not resist, she’d caught him with an entire wheel a while back, she still had no idea how he’d managed to swipe it because the bloody thing was almost as big as him.

She found the perfect spot a dusty dead end on the far side of a snarl of twisting damp tunnels. Sitting down with her back against the wall she took a beep breath and focused on the deep learnings, she was going to try to touch their true power. The power of the Maker.

Gut trembling and closing her eyes she breathed all the way out.

The air burned like acid as she breathed in and heat spread from her seared lungs throughout her body but there was no pain. Flames arose around her and she could feel that they held fierce searing heat but she wasn’t burned.

Her eyes snapped wide open.

With a hollow whump the flames rose around her until they licked at the ceiling, crackling and snapping with violent fervour. But the heat she knew they held fell until it was more like a warm hug from a loved one when you’d fallen and skinned your knee rather than the killing scorching heat flames like these should have been throwing out.

She felt more than heard the question of what she sought, why she sought it, and what she intended to do. The flames momentarily pulsed much higher and a burst of heat sizzled in the air. A warning of the cost should her request be deemed frivolous.

Calming herself she held the ideas of what they faced and why she felt she had to take this step in the forefront of her mind.

She felt the regard of a vast consciousness scrutinising everything she was and everything she presented. After long nervous moments she felt a tiny tiny portion of the vast pool of power behind the consciousness break free and settle into her body.

The presence receded.

Screaming in pain she jackknifed on the floor of the corridor as runes etched themselves into her skin. Along her arms, torso, legs, and across her hands.

But the pain was only fleeting. When it was over she felt wonderful, overflowing with energy and good health.

Breathing easily and highly relieved she stood up and the glassy crust on the melted stone around her crackled under her weight. Intense heat had scorched the area around her, if the deep learnings had found her wanting that may have been the fate of the entire mountain.

Her heart soared and energy coursing through her she ran back to the guardroom where Hilde waited.

As she walked in Hilde’s widened in surprise, “What? How? I know tattoos and you were not gone long enough to get anything that complicated.”

Raelea shrugged one shoulder and said, “I asked the question and got the good answer.”

Frowning Hilde said, “The good answer? What was it? What would the bad answer have been?”

Holding up her arms in front of her Raelea looked at the tattoos and said, “I have no idea what the question was or the answer. But I do know the bad answer would have killed me in an intense fireball, the really bad answer would have extended that fireball to the entire mountain.”

Hilde opened her mouth to speak then shook her head and said, “I have no idea how Witches work so I’ll just assume you actually know what you’re doing.”

Grinning Raelea said, “Probably for the best. When will we attack?”

“What?! Attack? Are you crazy?”

Raelea shook her head, “No I’m not. We can cower in here for however long it takes for the Fae Chanar to eventually bash their way in or we can go out there and drive them off because there is no relief coming for us. We are it. You said there’s sixteen of them, I hope that means you know who they are and have some idea of what they can do. Because I’ll need that information and once the Brandanbarg have engaged with their armies when I kill as many of them as I can get my hands on.”

“How are you going to kill them? I’m not saying it’s hopeless but i’s been tried many times before.”

Raelea smirked and said, “Same way as Spaendt. Curses affect them just the same as any other mortal. I can use spirit powers of invisibility, intangibility, stealth, and I still have my shield breaker gauntlets so once I'm close they will fall.”

Hilde said, “But they’re not mortal, they are immortal.”

Raelea raised a brow and said, “That my curses affect them tells me they are mortal. True immortals, the Gods, spirits, and the Unmentioned Lords, they cannot be affected by them.”

Still shaking her head in denial Hilde said, “We know they’re immortal, they have been around since the oldest of our tales but... it is true they have not always been in the tales of the rocks. It doesn’t really matter if they’re not true immortals, they’ll be around forever, they’ve proved that.”

Raelea’s new runic tattoos flared and punching her fist into her hand she said, “No they won’t. Because I will break them. I have been granted the power to do so.”

Hilde took a step backwards, throwing up her hands in front of her and said, “Alright, alright! Every instinct I have just screamed at me to get far far away from you! So whatever that was, save it for the Fae Chanar.”

Thoughtfully Raelea said, “Odd I wasn’t trying anything. I just got a little angry that they’ve brainwashed you so damn effectively. You’ve been blinded to your own strength by their lies. You don’t even know how strong you are. I’ve fought them multiple times and your shield feels as strong if not stronger than theirs have. You yourself also feel as strong in magic as Corvus and he’s certain he could defeat some of the High Fae Chanar. If my words are not enough, perhaps you should ask yourself why your wards can protect an entire city and it’s surrounding farmlands from those hugely powerful monsters. Hugely powerful monsters might I add that have well honed skills and abilities specifically aimed at finding people hiding from them.”

Hilde went quiet, looking thoughtful.

With a satisfied smile Raelea nodded and said, “Just, just give it some thought. Ok?”

Hilde returned the nod and looking distracted said, “Aye I will… You still want to attack don’t you?” When Raelea nodded Hilde sighed and said, “Fine, I’ll get the General and Fheargus to join us… to discuss the how of it.”

Raelea smiled and said, “Could you get Krarrnic as well? I want to do some scouting because I’m probably the only person who can safely and that.” She gestured at the image on the wall shaking her head, “That doesn’t give us the full story.”

“Sure. Just be very careful, some of the Fae Chanar… as you say, they have extremely powerful senses.”

*******

The sally port closed behind her, invisible, intangible, and with well trained completely silent steps Raelea moved toward the Fae Chanar camp. She felt the Cavern wards briefly make her skin twitch over her whole body as she walked through them, she carried a token that should allow her through with no notice but her dual nature still made the spirit-wards catch slightly.

Moving quickly but quietly she approached the camp itself.

She shook her head, there weren’t even any real wards around the camp, just an easily bypassed weak spirit ward and a suite of basic comfort wards, vermin, dust, and temperature.

Raelea shrugged as she moved into the camp, their arrogance was her gain.

As she crept out of the camp much later, she’d overheard several conversations, paid close attention to which of the Fae Chanar the Fae seemed to serve and in a stroke of luck saw an argument between two of the Fae Chanar.

The beginnings of a plan was starting to gel in her mind but she wanted the input of the other rebels.

She waved to the Chanter who’s bonded elemental held up the huge stone plug that normally closed off the sally port as she re-entered the Caverns. The Dwaris in the caverns around her seemed happy and hopeful, moving purposefully about their tasks. A distinct and welcome difference to when she’d walked through here under guard not that long ago.

A quick small casting and she located the token she’d given Hilde and headed toward it.

The dining hall was raucous with voices raised in happy noise. It was dinner time and since the rebels had taken over the food was plentiful and good for the first time in memory for the Dwaris who hadn’t lived free at Graemont city. Spaendt had been a stingy prick and kept rations both short and poor.

Walking up to the table where Hilde and Fheargus sat with several of the leaders of the Caverns she said, “I’ve discovered some interesting information. Where should we talk?”

Fheargus glanced around the table and looked at Hilde then said, “Spaendt’s old office, best to keep the rumour mill as quiet as possible.”

Raelea nodded and said, “Ok. Do you know where Krarrnic is? I’d like him to confirm some things for me.”

Hilde said, “He was hunting through the back tunnels, saw him on my way here.”

Raelea said, “Still calming angry spirits? By the time he’s done these caverns will be more peaceful than they’ve been in forever.”

Hilde said, “Peace in these caverns has only ever been a dream, a dream you and Krarrnic are making truth. We can never thank you enough for that.”

Raelea said, “Happy we could help but you were well on the way to it yourselves.”

“We may have got there eventually but we’ve been in hiding for two hundred years. It wouldn’t have happened any time soon.”

Raelea said, “We’ll have to agree to disagree there because I’m certain you would have at least started very soon. I’ll go get Krarrnic and we can push a little further forward, what I just discovered will make that much easier.”

Holding a forkful of beef dripping with gravy Fheargus said, “We’ll be done with dinner soon.”

Smiling at the small hint, Raelea said, “Ok back soon.”