“It’s important. After our meeting, you’ll know soon enough,” Jastillian said. “Everyone will know.”
“Please,” I said, my voice hoarse. “I’ve come for Erlam’s help.”
She stared at me, sizing me up. “All right.” Lurlane nodded, and she and her men stepped out of our way. “I suggest the two of you clean up before you see the council.”
“Thank you,” I said as we passed by.
“You owe me, Jastillian,” Lurlane said. “Big.”
“I know.”
We passed through the steel gate. Immediately inside were barracks, training grounds, and forges for the guards. Groups of dwarves performed training drills, fighting in formations. Others fought one-on-one, attacking their opponents with their axes. Unlike the children, these adults swung with purpose and precision. Farther along, dwarves wrestled each other to the ground, half-naked, with sweat glistening from their bodies. The dwarves hadn’t sent out any monster-hunting parties like the elves, yet it looked like they prepared for war.
There were other dwarves working instead of fighting—pushing carts with materials and supplies from the mines to the forges, or making weapons and armor. Everywhere, people were busy. We made our way to the edge of the military zone, up a flight of wide stone steps, and stopped. My mouth dropped open. Jastillian grinned at me.
We stood before the stone heart of Erlam. Because of the dwarves’ skill with stonework, the mountains literally opened up, like a giant had taken huge bites out of them. The dwarves used the mountain for their foundation, supports, and construction materials—carving, cutting and polishing the stone into the shapes they wanted. Tunnels, bridges, ramps, and archways connected tier after tier of buildings, disappearing into the darkness of the mountain.
“What do you think, lad?” Jastillian asked.
“Amazing,” I breathed, the words barely leaving my mouth. I stood gawking until he clapped me on the back.
“We’d best get a move on.”
I liked the Cave City, as Erlam’s inner city was called, better from a distance than I did once I was inside. Streets and tunnels were narrow, and buildings crowded together. There was enough room to breathe and move, but it made the space tighter than I liked. The narrow tunnels and low ceilings made my breathing speed up. Even after all my years in the White Mountain, I’d never gotten over my dislike of being closed in.
Deep, low, faint voices echoed throughout the mountains. The sound bounced off the walls and ceiling, so I couldn’t pinpoint where it came from.
“What is that?” I asked, straining my ears.
“Singing. We dwarves like to sing while we dig. Makes the work go faster.”
We traveled on paths clean of any debris. There were a few staircases, but most of the walkways were carved into ramps so it was easier for the dwarves to transport materials. It did make for a lot of rising and falling, though. Some ramps were steep enough to make me slip.
As we moved farther into the city, darkness overtook us as the enormous cave blocked out the light. Torches had been placed everywhere. With Jastillian’s permission, I picked up one to carry. Dwarves had excellent eyesight even in the dark, but I didn’t. I could have used my power for light, but I didn’t want to draw attention to myself.
Every building we passed was constructed of stone, some carved right out of the living rock of the mountain. The gray, brown, black, or white-veined buildings were far more smoothed and polished than any building I had ever seen before. Because of the way the dwarves dug, using the natural contours of the rock layers, the level of the ground rose and fell.
We walked by one building; I ran my hand over its smooth, cool surface. There were no bumps or uneven grooves. I remarked on that to Jastillian.
“Aye. These buildings need to be strong, in case of earthquakes or falling rocks, though we also take pride in craftsmanship for its own sake. And this city is also a fallback position if we get attacked and can’t hold the field. All our important buildings are here, such as the treasury, food stores, historical artifacts, records. You know, Erlam was very different when it was first constructed, all those years ago.”
I nodded. “I know. Erlam was originally a small mining town. How in the gods’ names did it get like this?” I waved my arms across the expanse.
“We needed more materials, and dug deeper and deeper into the mountains. We also liked having a good defensive readiness, and what makes for a better defense than a mountain itself? We have a saying, ‘The mountain won't move, and neither shall we.’”
I smiled. “Good point, but what about earthquakes and avalanches? How do you keep the mountain from collapsing on you?”