Maelstrom, p.18
Maelstrom, page 18
"Well enough, thank you. I managed to secure a position here at the Volstrum. And you?"
"Oh, I ran off, got married, and had a daughter. Other than that, not much."
"You have a daughter?" Galina smiled. "I wish I'd been so lucky."
"Whatever do you mean?"
"The family saw fit not to breed me. They said I wasn't powerful enough."
"The same thing happened to Svetlana—you remember her?"
"Of course." Galina moved closer, clearly unsure of how to react. "I'm sorry for all I put you through. I could blame it on my upbringing, but the truth is I desperately wanted to belong, and mocking you made me more acceptable to the others."
"I accept your apology," said Natalia. "If there's one thing I've learned of late, it's that the family can be quite ruthless when it wants something. You obviously know about the circle here. I assume that means you're working with Tatiana?"
"I am. She recruited me right after being appointed grand mistress."
"I needed someone I could trust," said Tatiana, "and Galina proved quite valuable after her graduation."
"In what way?" asked Natalia.
"I was waiting to be selected for a court assignment," explained Galina, "but when they assessed my power, they declined to offer me anything. As a result, I was stuck here with nothing to do."
"She ended up helping me," said Tatiana. "A sort of assistant, if you will. More and more of Marakhova's time was taken up with politics, and it fell to me, as her designated successor, to pick up the slack."
"So she knows everything?"
"Not exactly. She can use the circle here and certainly knows one exists at Stormwind Manor but has never actually seen it, let alone committed it to memory. As to your own circumstances, she knows little, other than the fact you left the Volstrum under less than ideal circumstances. If you wish to tell her your tale, feel free. She is completely trustworthy. However, you don't have the time at this precise moment."
"I don't? Why not?"
"Because I'm going to show you how to memorize this circle, of course!"
The Disgraced
Autumn 1108 SR
* * *
"This is ridiculous," said Anushka. "Here we are, loaded up with our daily haul of magerite, and we just sit down here, waiting."
"Be patient," said Katrin. "If we tell them our secret, they'll only push for more. This way, we at least have time to think."
"I don't need more time to ponder my miserable existence."
"Then ponder this," said Athgar. "How can we escape?"
"That's easy," said Anushka. "We don't. Did you forget our guards control the box that lifts us from the mines? What would you have us do, escape their custody to be forever entombed in stone?"
"I know the situation is bleak, but it won't always be so."
"What are you getting at?" asked Katrin. "You're not suggesting that one day they'll let us all go?"
"No, of course not, but people make mistakes, and that includes our captors. We must be mindful of our surroundings and learn all we can."
"Why?"
"To be prepared, should an opportunity present itself. At the very least, it will give us something to do."
"I still don't understand," said Anushka.
"Think on this for a moment," said Athgar. "Suppose you decided to take that pick and sink it into the head of one of those guards. What do you imagine would be the result?"
"Death, most likely."
"Clearly, but I'm talking about the immediate effect. Here you are, standing over the body of a dead guard. What happens next?"
"I'm not stupid enough to kill a guard."
"You're missing the point," said Athgar. "The idea is to try to reason out what the enemy would do in those circumstances. It might not be you who kills him; maybe some other prisoner goes berserk and does it."
"In that case," said Anushka, "we need some additional details."
"Such as?"
"Does the guard cry out as he dies?"
"Let's assume he does."
"Then that's easy. Guards will come running from all directions. They'd probably beat the attacker senseless."
"Agreed," said Athgar. "Now, what happens in the rest of the mine as the guards all swarm him?"
He saw the realization dawning on her.
"They would leave it unguarded."
"Precisely."
"Are you suggesting we have someone attack a guard?"
"No, at least not yet. This is merely a way of taking stock of our situation. If we are to ever escape this place, we'll need to know what our options are."
"I see what you mean," said Katrin. "Attacking a guard might make a distraction, but it doesn't get us out of here."
"Correct," said Athgar. "So the question is this: what would precipitate an evacuation of the mine?"
"Uncovering a golem?" offered Felix.
"Or some other type of monster," added Alfie.
"I doubt that's a possibility," said Athgar.
"Why would you say that?"
"How long has this mine been in operation?"
"More than a century."
"And in that time, how many creatures has it unleashed?"
Alfie's face fell. "None."
"So then, what else is a possibility?"
Ulyana shuffled forward. She was the quietest of the group and seldom said much of anything. "A cave-in?"
"Now you're on the right track." He was about to say more but then heard a guard approaching.
The fellow paused to look at them. "You won't find much standing around here."
"We're just resting," said Katrin.
The guard shrugged his shoulders. "If you want to starve to death, that's your business." He continued on his way.
Anushka spat on the ground. "I hate them," she said. "I'd kill them all if I had a chance."
"We all would," added Katrin.
Athgar returned his attention to the task at hand. "Has there ever been a cave-in?"
"Yes," said Alfie. The others looked at him in surprise. "What? I've been here the longest. I've seen one myself."
"What happened? Did they evacuate the mine?"
"No, they sent down more guards to keep the place safe, and then the rest of us dug out the bodies. Not a pleasant experience."
"And this is?" chimed in Felix.
"What about the time those workers collapsed?" suggested Alfie.
"Oh yes," said Katrin. "An entire group of workers were digging down one of the side tunnels, and they all fell unconscious. They said some kind of vapour was released."
"Vapour?" said Athgar. "What do you mean?"
"They were searching for magerite and found an iron deposit. News of their discovery was taken to those in charge, and they decided it might be worth investigating further. They began digging out the ore but passed out when a terrible smell was released. Out of twelve miners, ten died."
"Yes," added Ulyana, "and two guards died trying to save them, all from a shortage of breath."
Athgar was intrigued. "What about the survivors?"
"They were sick for days."
"Sick, how?"
"They had difficulty breathing and were dizzy."
"And they had terrible headaches," added Felix.
"So what happened to that section of the mine?"
Katrin laughed. "That's a story in and of itself. They decided whatever it was could be burned out."
"I presume that was unsuccessful?"
"Oh no, it burned, far more so than they expected. I didn't see it myself, but I heard the fireball was worse than that of the strongest Fire Mage. I remember the rest of the tunnels were smoky for weeks. It was so bad they suspended mining."
"Did they evacuate?"
"Not until after the fire."
"Say," interrupted Felix, "you're not suggesting we look for more vapours?"
"No," replied Athgar. "That would be too dangerous, but at this stage, even the rumour of something like that might be enough to upset the applecart."
"What applecart?" said Alfie.
"Never mind him," said Ulyana. "He'll figure it out, eventually."
Katrin chuckled. "Alfie can be challenging at times, but he's a good friend. Now, let's get back to this whole idea of escaping, shall we? What would be the next step?"
"A good general knows his enemy," said Athgar.
"Are you saying you've led warriors?"
"Let's just say I've seen a battle or two. Now, as I was saying, we need to know everything we can about our captors."
"Such as?" asked Katrin.
"Well, for one thing, how many of them are down here in the mine, as opposed to being up on the surface?"
"Anything else?"
"Yes," continued Athgar. "What is their quality? Are they trained warriors, or merely thugs?"
"What does that matter?" asked Ulyana. "They still have weapons, and we don't."
"It matters a great deal. A trained warrior will run to a battle, ready to fight by himself, if need be, but a thug will avoid one unless he has numbers on his side. It sounds as if there are more prisoners here than guards, but how badly do we outnumber them?"
"How should we know?"
"That's just it," said Athgar, "we don't, but we can find out."
"How?"
"By observing them."
"That would take forever," said Anushka.
"Have you something better to do with your time? You were the one complaining about having nothing to do. Well, now's your chance to rectify that."
"How do we count them?" asked Felix. "They're constantly moving around."
"Guards are individuals, just like us."
"They're nothing like us," spat out Anushka.
"They're still individuals. Pay more attention to their appearance. Look for anything that might identify them, like a scar or skin blemish. Even something they wear sets them apart from the other guards. If you see them this way, you'll become more familiar with their patterns."
"Patterns?" said Katrin.
"Yes," said Athgar. "Everybody has their own habits. Think back to your time at the Volstrum. Do you remember your instructors?"
"Of course."
"And what makes them memorable? Was it their appearance or their behaviour?"
"A little of both, I suppose," admitted Anushka.
"Then that's what you're looking for. The point is, if I describe the guard who's tall and blond, you should know exactly who I mean."
"We have a blond guard?" said Alfie.
"It's only an example," explained Felix, before returning his attention to Athgar. "What else do we need to do?"
"It would help immensely if we could somehow remove the magebane from the water."
"Not much chance of that," said Katrin. "This place is full of would-be mages. They're hardly going to make a slip-up like that, and we can't go without water."
"Could we maybe find an alternate source?"
"Like what?"
"I don't know. Are there sometimes pockets of water amongst the rocks?"
"Not that I'm aware of."
"It's too bad we're dosed up," noted Anushka. "Creating water is a spell I've mastered."
"I wonder…" said Athgar, his voice trailing off.
"Go on," urged Katrin. "What is it you're thinking?"
"It's only the beginning of an idea. How long does it take magebane to wear off?"
"Half a day, at least, but you'd have a hard time going without water in this place."
"But what if you didn't dig?"
"Then you wouldn't eat."
"True," said Athgar, "but if, for example, Anushka went without water, eventually she'd be able to produce her own, then we could all drink fresh, untainted water."
"She'd need a container to hold it. Otherwise, it would absorb into the floor. The other problem I see is the rest of the group would still be dosed with magebane."
"Not if they're down here long enough. You said it yourself: we're stuck down here until we find more blue magerite. It would be easy enough to draw it out until our powers returned. As to a container, I admit that poses a bit of a challenge, but I doubt it's an insurmountable one."
"That still leaves us trapped in the mine," said Katrin.
"Yes, but at least we have another piece of the puzzle."
"So I don't drink anymore?" asked Anushka.
"No, drink normally for now. All of this will do us no good without the rest figured out. We'll keep going on as we are, but observe everything we can. Even small details could spell the difference between escape or disaster."
* * *
Athgar sat up with a start, an image of Natalia still fresh in his thoughts. For weeks he'd been tormented by this vision, yet nothing could clear it from his mind. In his dream, he struggled to reach her, but no matter how fast he ran, she faded into the distance.
The sweat poured off him, and for a moment, he wondered if he hadn't fallen ill. To make matters worse, there was a distinct chill in the air, making him worry about how he would keep from freezing to death once winter arrived.
He lay back down, pulling the threadbare blanket over him once more, but despite how hard he tried, he couldn't calm his fears. Deep down, he knew the family wanted Natalia to have more children. How far would they go to satisfy that desire? The thought made him shudder. His mind wouldn't rest, so he rose, making his way to the window, and pushed the shutter open a bit, taking a deep breath of the cold night air.
Guards wandered around, wrapped in warm cloaks, carrying lanterns to light their way. Unlike in the mines, there were no worries about vapours above ground, so they used whale oil to fuel their light sources. It left a distinct smell of fish in its wake, which only added to the oppression of the place.
Beyond the palisade, he could see the tops of trees, their wild nature mocking his inability to be under the canopy of green. All his life, he'd lived amongst the forests. The mine and the buildings above it marked the land he loved like some savage scar. The vision before him brought only more despair, the feeling of hopelessness growing within him, but he could do little to suppress it.
He thought of Oswyn and smiled. The chance of seeing her again was slim, especially in his current mood, but at least he had the satisfaction of knowing she was safe. He'd once dreamed of her running through the forest as a young woman, the Orcs following her. Was that a prophetic vision or only a wish for her to enjoy a future free of strife? He struggled to remember the details. No, there'd been the sounds of battle. It appeared even in his dreams, she lived in a world of conflict.
The thought sobered him. He was the High Thane of Therengia. That kingdom, his home, would not submit to the ever-present threat of the Petty Kingdoms, not while he still lived!
He felt anger building within and fed it. Better to die trying to live free than be a slave the rest of his life. Another guard wandered by, his lantern bobbing as he walked. Athgar looked around at the other huts. They were poorly made, with gaps in the walls that let the cold in, yet they had one thing in common—they would all burn nicely, and what better way to feed a fire than with whale oil?
He turned from the window, securing the shutters, not that they made much difference from the icy wind outside. His eyes took in the prisoners crammed into this particular hut. There must've been close to thirty of them. He was saddened by the thought of how many might die before they could taste the air of freedom.
* * *
The next day he was unusually quiet as they descended once more into the mines. His companions, sensing his mood, chose not to engage in conversation. It wasn't until they picked up their tools that he finally snapped out of his aloofness.
"I've been thinking," he said at last. "We've discussed several things over the last few weeks but never committed to taking any action, aside from observing, that is."
Katrin took an immediate interest. "What are you proposing?"
"It's time we took stock of what we've learned. Where are we on counting guards?"
They all turned to Anushka, who'd been put in charge of gathering everyone's observations.
"Our best estimate puts the number at thirty," she announced. "That's for down here in the mine, of course. The full complement of the place is a little harder to estimate as we don't have a clear view of what goes on outside the palisade. The best guess would be at least a hundred."
"And the worst guess?" asked Athgar.
"More like two hundred." She shrugged. "As I said, we have little to go on concerning above ground."
"Anything else we should know about?"
"Yes. A number of the guards form a faction of sorts."
"Meaning?"
"They watch each other's back and take retribution on those prisoners they see as causing the most problems."
"How many in this faction?"
"Five," said Anushka. "We refer to them as Scar Face, Left Limp, Patchy Beard, Tall Man, and Sneer."
"Sneer?"
"Yes. He has a disfigured lip, probably from a wound at some point. It gives him a mocking expression."
"That's a pretty small gang."
"Agreed, yet they seem to have a lot of influence over the rest of the guards."
"In what way?" asked Athgar.
"They're all afraid of these five individuals."
"Interesting."
"Interesting, good?" said Katrin. "Or interesting, bad?"
"A little of both, if I'm being honest. On the one hand, they're liable to help each other quite readily."
"And on the other?"
"If we target all five," said Athgar, "there's a good chance the others won't intervene."
"And how do we do that?"
"I'm still working on it, but it's another piece of the bow."
"The bow?" said Alfie.
"Yes, a bow has many parts, all of which must work together."
"What parts does a bow have?"
Athgar smiled. "It has limbs, a grip, a nock at either end, and, of course, the string. You also need an arrow if you're to make it useful."
"You know a lot about bows."
"That's because I used to craft them."
"That's all well and good," said Katrin, "but much of what we came up with is simply conjecture."
