The next morning, and we actually knew that it was morning this time around, we got ready to get going again. It wasn't just me and Gash'zur either. Gib and his squad would accompany us as well. It was something almost unheard off. None of the goblins or forgeborn could say when the last of their kind had ventured forth beyond this outpost. At some point in the past some must have gone where we were headed though as an actual path existed. Just as well as the thought of going mountain climbing with snow and ice around us was enough to send shivers down my back. That couldn't really by anyone's idea of fun.
The descent was, at least up here, hewn into the rock of the mountains once again. It was only sensible. That way neither snow nor ice would trouble us. We didn't have to worry about avalanches either. The tunnels had regular windows providing us with fresh air, some light and a breathtaking view of the mountain range. Among other things that meant it was damn chilly in here as well though. Especially the goblins suffered from this cold as they really weren't used to it. Even the forgeborn among our number seemed to notice though.
It would get better as we descended but not by much. The goblins had gotten clothes fit for the climate for themselves and we were bringing some additional blankets and other supplies as well. Making camp would still be a challenge. In theory there should be a suitable spot at the bottom end of the descent but no one had checked on it in ages. We could only hope for the best and prepare for the worst. There really was no other way to go about it. One way or another we would have to make do.
I was especially glad to be out of the worst of the weather as a snowstorm hit the mountain range not long after we left the outpost. We weren't spared everything though. As the tunnels hugging the mountainsides were open in places the cold wind howled around us quite fiercely at times. It was bad enough that we all raised the hoods of our cloaks and ducked out heads low to keep the wind out of our faces. It was hard to even just breathe whenever I had to look up however briefly.
That wasn't the only issue either. For one the tunnel was rather narrow. It didn't leave much room for either me or Gash'zur. The steps of the stairs weren't exactly carved from the rock with someone of our size in mind either which made descending a little awkward. The worst though were the long flights of stairs themselves. There were landings at irregular intervals, especially whenever the stairs changed direction, but the sheer length of the stairs in between these landings was mind boggling. That we had ta walk looking down these flights of stairs pretty much the whole time didn't help either.
The storm eventually abated for the better part. Thus I was left fighting mostly just my sense of vertigo at the seemingly endless flight of stairs below me. Finally we reached a landing that was larger than the others. It still was barely large enough for all of us. Gash'zur and I volunteered to sit on upwards leading stairs we had just descended to make a little more room for everyone else as we made a break to have a meal and rest our feet a little. While the goblins prepared some food and warm tea to go with it I in turn gathered Mana to heat some of the stones around us. It still wasn't exactly cozy but better than before for sure.
The meal was as hearty as trail rations could be and the warm tea hit the spot. Together these things put some cheer back into us. Gib still seemed a little worried though. I cleared my throat as he made the rounds to check on everyone. “What's on yer mind?”
“I'm a little worried that we're cutting it a little close regarding our timing.” He ran his finger s through his beard. “We might get to the bottom a little late and we'll still have to see about setting up camp down there. We don't know if the rest stop there is in good condition or usable at all. With this weather spending the night without a proper camp is not a good idea.”
I thought about it for a moment and nodded. He was right. Setting up for the night without a proper camp was just asking for trouble. “We could spend the night inside the tunnel if we don't have any other options. Either at the bottom or one of the last landings.”
Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.
He nodded thoughtfully. “That would be our last resort. I'd still prefer a proper camp if we can somehow manage to set one up though. We have to make sure we'll be well rested before trekking out into the shimmering wastes. I know only stories but those suggest that the desert isn't a place where you would want to let your guard slip.” Finally he clapped his hands. “Up everyone! We need to get going again!” He clapped his hands once more for emphasis.
As he prompted us to get going again we started our descent anew. We weren't just going down though, with every step we moved a little further towards where the Shimmering Desert met the Ringwall Mountains. Among other things this meant that less and less snow, or later rain fell, as we could see when looking out through the occasional window in the tunnel.
The Desert was supposedly one of the driest places imaginable after all. Probably due to the mountain range surrounding it shielding it from most rain clouds. Most rain and snow came down well outside the desert and the rivers supposedly came mostly down on the outside of the mountain range as well. I had no clue if that was actually true but I probably would find soon enough.
As we finally reached the bottom of the stairs I was about ready to drop dead. Walking continuously downstairs like that was hard on the knees and the feet both at the same time. I wasn't the only one who felt that way either. I couldn't help but grin as some of the goblins made halfhearted, exhausted exclamations of joy as the seemingly endless stairs ended at long last. Then Gash'zur opened her mouth. “And now imagine going all the way back up again.”
A series of groans erupted from everyone's mouth. I was no exception either. I elbowed her for good measure as well but she just chuckled as we shot her dirty looks. I decided to add my own two crowns at that point. “Just don't bring anything back up that you don't need to bring.”
As everyone chuckled a little more I took a moment to look around. The stairs terminated in a room that could be mistaken for a natural cave if one were not to look too closely. From most angles the entrance to the stairwell disappeared behind some stalactites and stalagmites. Only there was no moisture that would have allowed formations like that to form. Either they were downright ancient relics from an age long gone by or they were artificially formed as well.
The same was true for the rest of the cave. At a first glance it might have looked natural enough but it really wasn't. I joined Gib who had approached the exit together with one of his forgeborn squad mates. Even up here they never moved alone. Those habits were too deeply ingrained to easily abandon. I stepped up to them. “Is this the rest stop you mentioned?”
He shook his head and pointed down the barely visible path outside the narrow cave opening. “No. That supposedly is a little bit further down the path.” He pointed yet a bit further ahead. “It is built into the hillside of that hill there. The last noteworthy elevation before the plains of the Shimmering Waste.”
I tried to judge the distance but wasn't quite sure how far it still was. An hour at our current pace? Maybe a little less? And we didn't know if that rest stop even still existed. Worse, the sun was already setting. “We won't be heading out to it though?”
Both he and the forgeborn nodded. “We'll spend the night here. This spot is defensible enough. We'll cover the exit with one of the extra blankets we brought. That way we can risk a little light.” He turned to look the cave over. “It won'T be terribly comfortable but we'll manage. At least we'll have enough room for everyone to stretch out properly.”