They continued digging for three more days. The hole in the glade was truly enormous, as was the pile of dirt, roots, and rock they removed from it.

There was no sign of anything ever having been buried here.

Tuuka rested on his shovel as he surveyed the result of their efforts.

"Well, missy, how much deeper do you want to go?"

Amelia rested her pick on the ground, rubbing the small of her back with one hand. The center of the hole was at least ten feet deep. They had dug in a very shallow bowl shape, so even near the edges it was still four or five feet deep.

"According to the story, the caretaker must've dug this. The others were a baby and somebody badly wounded. But I suppose somebody else could've helped." she looked around for a few moments. "But I really can't see why they would've buried much deeper than this."

Tyni nodded in agreement. He was currently working the barrow, waiting for Tuuka to fill it.

"I don't know what else to do, though! I talked with Alder and Lark, and we couldn't think of a better place to look. Maybe we dig for the rest of today, and see how things go?"

There was a clang of metal on stone. Picker had continued digging while the others spoke.

"Aaaaghh! Another stone! Without the rocks, this would be so much easier!" grumped Amelia.

The goblin patiently probed around the rock with his shovel, trying to find its dimensions. The small ones weren't too bad to work out, but the big ones required group effort. They had already uncovered a few boulders large enough that they had to pull them out of the hole with ropes and levers, which took a long time.

A few moments later, he whistled to get everyone's attention.

"Look." was all he said, pointing at where he had been working.

This time it wasn't a boulder, but a stone slab. Picker had managed to find one corner, and combined with the smooth surface of the top, it was obviously not just a rock.

"Huzzah!" yelled Amelia, rushing over to help out. The others joined them.

With all of them working together, it was only a matter of a few minutes before they had uncovered the entire slab. It was rectangular, roughly three feet wide and seven feet long. It was made of a very hard, dark grey stone, and extremely smooth.

"This looks like a sarcophagus, actually," said Tuuka. "Did the story say anything about that?"

"I don't think so. I've only seen the pictures. There might have been a grave, though. So maybe?"

Picker dug down along one side far enough to see that the lid was only about four inches thick and that the stone container it topped went considerably deeper into the ground.

"That's going to be extremely heavy. We'll need proper tools to get that off--crowbars, hoist, lifting frame, the works!" said Tyni, staring at the stone lid.

"Can't we just wedge it to one side so we can peek in?" asked Amelia. She placed both hands on the edge of the slab and made to push.

"Missy, that thing probably weighs the better part of a ton. No way you're gonna shift that," said Tuuka, shaking his head.

"It moved!" she gasped and kept pushing.

Against all odds, the cover slid along its long axis, until it jammed against the dirt on the far side. It had only moved just over a foot, but they could see inside.

"It was heavy, but slid very easily!" Amelia said, dusting her hands off.

They all gathered around to peer in.

"It's only a foot deep? I don't understand" she said.

Tyni knelt down, trying to peer along the length of the inside, his head almost flat on the ground at the edge of the container.

"Hah! It's shallow at this end, but that's because those are steps! This isn't a sarcophagus, it's an access stairway!" he said, scratching his head.

"Ok, I was not expecting that! How on earth did that get here?" marveled Amelia.

They spent a few minutes clearing the earth from the far end to allow the lid to slide all the way open. The stairs were the full width of the interior, about two and a half feet wide, and were very steep. They led into a tunnel that was too dark to see into.

Tyni stopped Amelia from entering. "The air is probably bad, it's been sealed up for a long time. Better to leave it 'till the morning. We'll bring out lamps and helmets and explore properly."

"He's right. Air it out, come back prepared, that's the way." agreed Tuuka. Picker nodded as well.

"Okay, I guess you guys are right. I just want to get this seed thing away from Alder."

With that decision made, they gathered their tools and equipment and headed back to the cottage. As the last few nights, there were steaming baths waiting for them when they got to their rooms.

As they had finished early, Amelia walked into town and posted the letter to Gran she had written previously. She had almost forgotten it in the excitement to start digging. It had been left on the dresser in the living room since then.

The trip into town didn't take long. She was surprised, though, to see strangers there. Not that she knew very many of the townsfolk, but they all dressed similarly--hard-wearing farming gear, wool, flannel, and the like. The pair loitering outside the market stood out for their suits and fedoras, in addition to their dark glasses. The sedan they were leaning against also stood out--not too many of that type around the area, either.

She was so surprised she almost decided to turn back, but couldn't think of a good reason why. So she continued towards the market.

"Evening!" she called to them as she opened the door. Both men bobbed their heads and fingered their hats politely, but didn't say anything.

"Hello dear! Those tourists still out there?" asked Sandy as the door closed behind Amelia. The apple-cheeked matron wiped her hands on her apron, dusty from cleaning shelves.

"Yeah. Who are they? Don't look like they're from 'round here." Amelia asked. Not that she was from around here herself, but she had been accepted by Sandy, and that counted considerably in her favor with the townsfolk.

"Dunno love! They showed up a few hours ago, said they were looking for some place called Toon Wall, or Doon Well, or some silly thing. Never heard of it, I says to 'em. They bought some snacks and sodas and were just waiting around. Not bothering anybody, but they give me the shivers, they do!" the shopkeeper confided, leaning close.

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"Huh! Me too! I couldn't put my finger on it, but something seems does seem off with them!"

Amelia peeked through the front window and saw that the men had moved so they could watch the front door of the market.

"I'm kinda scared to go back out there. I know it's silly, but I'm worried they might follow me back home. Isn't that strange?"

"Can't be too careful these days, love! Good to be cautious. I'll ring Monty and ask him to walk you home." Sandy said, reaching for the telephone.

"That's okay Sandy. I'm just being silly. I'll be fine."

"You should listen to your gut, deary! And mine's telling me to not trust those two! Do us a favor and let Monty escort you. Would do him some good to get out, anyways."

"Okay, I suppose."

"Hello, sweetie! The big man about? Would you mind sending him over to our place? Those strangers are still out front, and I don't want our Amelia walking home alone." Sandy said, then paused as she listened. "Thanks, dear! I'll keep her here until he comes!"

"He'll be over shortly," Sandy said as she hung up.

As she said that, there was a wordless shout from outside, and with a slam of doors, the car roared to life and tore off down the lane.

"What in creation got into them two?" questioned Sandy as she and Amelia stepped out the front door, the dust from the quick departure still raining down.

"Got me! Weird!" answered Amelia. Then she noticed the row of birds perched along the roof edge of the market. They all looked remarkably similar, but she recognized Beige and Blue sitting next to each other, right over the door. They both had a presence that marked them out from the others. Beige winked at her.

A shiver ran down Amelia's spine, and she suddenly felt a strong chill, even though it was a mild evening.

"Now that's something! Never seen so many birds out at once! Those men must have been feeding them or something!" said Sandy as she headed back inside.

Amelia waved to her friends, then followed Sandy.

"I almost forgot! I have a letter to mail. Can I leave it with you?"

"Of course deary! I'll put it in with mine for when the postman comes. Anything important?"

"Not really, just an update on how things are going for my Gran," replied Amelia.

"That's sweet! Most people don't write anymore these days! I'll bet she'll be tickled!"

Amelia didn't feel like explaining that letters were the only way to reach Gran, so she just agreed.

"I guess since they're gone, I'll head back. I just needed to drop off the letter. Thanks!"

"Don't go, dear! Wait for Monty. I'd feel ever so much better if he escorted you, please! Here, chew on this while you wait." she pleaded, offering a thick piece of toffee as a bribe.

"Well, if you put it that way ..." Amelia pulled the waxed paper off the sweet and popped it into her mouth. Sandy always had the best toffees. She wandered the shelves and chewed while she waited for the tinker to arrive.

A few minutes later Monty opened the door and leaned in.

"Everything all right, ladies? Some sort of trouble?"

"It's fine, Monty, fine. There were some tourists outside, and they got my suspicions up something fierce. Didn't want our Amelia out on the road alone with them lurking around. They tore off in a hurry just a bit ago, but who knows what they're up to."

"Right, right. Alright, lass?"

"Alright?" she responded, heading out and waving to Sandy. "Thanks for the toffee and seeing to the letter. Bye!"

The walk back to the cottage was completely uneventful. Monty walked with his hands deep in his jacket pockets and whistled tunelessly. Amelia felt a bit foolish that the man had to go out of her way just because she got a bit uneasy but was glad of his company. She also noticed that Blue and Beige had followed them, and were roughly keeping pace as they went, flitting to trees in front of them then waiting for the pair to pass. It was good to have friends watching over her, she decided.

"I best see you all the way to the door, or Sandy would never let me hear the end of it. It's no trouble, lass. Good to stretch my legs. And I haven't been up this way in years. Would love to see what you've done with the place!" he replied when she stopped at the gate.

With that, they headed along the path towards the cottage. Monty complimented her on how well-maintained the path was. He was quite a bit taller than her, so he had to duck under tree branches, but otherwise it was an easy stroll.

He whistled appreciatively as they emerged into the yard, seeing the well-tended lawn and garden.

"Done right by the place, you have! Haven't seen it since I were a lad, but looks amazing!" he said.

"Thanks! Would you like to come in? I could show you around, and introduce you to some guests I have staying with me."

"Thanks all the same, but I should be getting back. Wouldn't want to intrude." he waved as he headed back up the path once he saw Amelia entering the cottage.

"Thanks for walking me home! Say hi to Maisie for me!" she called after him.

It was good to be back home. She couldn't say why the two people she'd seen had bothered her so much. Maybe she was turning into a local! She grinned at the thought.

As they had the last few nights, the miners had retired to their usual haunts. Tyni was puttering around in the kitchen, Tuuka was in the brewery, and Picker off fishing in the creek. The three had settled in instantly, and she didn't look forwards to having the enlarged cottage all to herself when they moved on. Which would be soon, she thought, as she realized the task they'd been hired for was almost done.

Which brought up a problem she'd been ignoring--namely, how to pay them. The three had done a tremendous amount of work in excavating down to where the seed hopefully was. Room and board was nice, but they surely deserved more than that. When she had offered to hire them, she thought it would be for just a few hours of digging, and had planned to give them some of the preserves and berries she had left. But that was hardly sufficient for the number of days they'd been laboring.

She'd have to see if Lark or Alder had any ideas. Worst case, she'd load them up with food and booze from the cottage, although that felt like a cheat for some reason.

----------------------------------------

The next morning, they set out to descend the stairs they had uncovered. The three miners had hard hats with lamps on the front, along with their shovels and pickaxes. They probably wouldn't need to do any digging, but it was nice to have just in case. Briar had even decided to come along, and she had a large lantern on a pole she usually used for night gardening. She had a trowel in the tool loop of her boiler suit, "in case we find any underground fungus to sample".

Amelia had a small torch, a head-mounted wisp, and a shoulder riding sprite for light, and had her shovel, also "just in case." And emergency candy in the cargo pockets of the boiler suit. Best to be prepared! She had strongly considered wearing her new cloak, but it seemed silly to take that for a short trip underground.

Picker went first since they claimed he had the best sense of smell. He sniffed the air carefully as he went down the stairs, the rest following when he had given the all clear.

Amelia hadn't really known what to expect down here. The night before, they had theorized it would be a vault, built to protect the seed. Amelia was privately hoping there would be piles of treasure. Not just because she wanted to give something nice to her new friends, but because that just sounded so cool.

The room they found themselves in was stone--walls, floor, and ceiling. It was maybe twenty feet square and eight feet high, the stairs coming down right in the center of the room. There was a doorway in the center of the western wall, with a passage that led beyond the reach of their lights.

"A dungeon! Interesting! I haven't heard of one of these in donkey's years!" exclaimed Tuuka.

Picker was sniffing the air again, with a slight frown on his face. He seemed puzzled as he snuffled each doorway, then returned and sampled the air near the stairs.

"Something wrong?" asked Amelia.

He shook his head no. "Realm boundary," he said, with the same flat tone as he had at the gate days early.

The goblin then pointed to the ground by the bottom stair. Their footprints were clearly marked in the dust of the chamber, but there were some smudges that didn't match any of their feet. The smudges seemed to head through the doorway and returned.

Tyni followed Picker's pointing and knelt down to examine the marks.

"Somebody beat us to it! Looks like they've gone, though, by the tracks."

Amelia felt chilled again. She hadn't gotten any warnings from the cottage about intruders, but maybe it only worked in the building itself? She wasn't sure. She was fairly certain they would have noticed anyone coming in along the trail since it passed right by the cottage. And Alder hadn't mentioned anything about strangers, which he certainly would have.

"Do you think it's safe?" She asked, suddenly nervous.

"Sure thing, missy. It aired out overnight, so that'd be fine. Doubt anything was living down here that could bother us, having been cooped up for hundreds of years. Just watch where you step, in case there's any traps." replied Tuuka.

"Traps? Like pits and darts and snakes?"

"Just kidding! Nobody does that for real. Just in the stories. Way too much trouble--easier just to bury it up solid and forget about it. Less maintenance that way, too!" he grinned.

"Oh, okay." Amelia sounded both relieved and a tiny bit disappointed at the answer.

Despite the reassurances from Tuuka, Picker led the way cautiously. He crept along bent almost double, both sniffing and visually searching for anything suspicious. The rest followed along behind, with Briar's lantern held up near the ceiling to give the most light for everyone.

Amelia had always thought it funny how the old dungeon-crawling role-playing games had you move so slow when exploring. Now it made sense. Every shadow, crack, and web looked like a tripwire or some trap, and she was glad they were proceeding so carefully. She was also glad to be traveling with experienced miners, who knew how to spot potential danger.

They had only gone a few dozen yards and were stopped as Tyni and Picker were examining a series of cracks. Amelia happened to look back the way they had come.

"Uh, guys! Shouldn't we be able to see daylight from the entrance still?"