Aglahad and the Dead City (In Tharbad: Volume Three)

22

We fell for what seemed an age. As I tumbled through the damp air I closed my eyes and saw the far green country under a swift sunrise that Glorfindel had once spoken of. It seemed like a distant memory to me now, like all the others.

But then I felt a soft hand on mine. Finduilas was gazing at me with tears welling in her eyes. But even though we both knew that this was the end there was a peace behind those tears. Even as I felt my spirit struggling to escape its fate I saw acceptance there. I had a vague awareness of our torches falling with us and of the blurred shadow of Lofar pushing falling masonry towards the walls.

Then there was cold darkness.

It seemed that my body knew it was under water long before my mind. It was only when my lungs seemed about to burst that I stared about me, trying to find which way was up.

I frantically kicked my legs towards what I thought was the surface. When at last I sucked in cool, sweet air there was the soft green glow of the moss all around me.

I heard Lofar spluttering as he struggled to keep his head above the water but then Finduilas made reassuring sounds as she swam towards him. My first thought, to my shame, was of the map. It was only then that I realised that there were only three of us.

"Where is Aglahad?" I looked around frantically, treading water. "Aglahad," I called. But there was no reply. Lofar seemed to have calmed down and as my eyes adjusted I saw that Finduilas was helping him swim towards a dark hole in the shaft wall.

I called the boy's name again as I rummaged inside my tunic for the lamp shard. Still there was no reply and I started to swim after the others. But then behind me, there was a great splash and then a gasping sound.

"Aglahad?" I turned back and held out the shard. The boy's dark shape sat bobbing in the water before me. I couldn't help laughing with joy.

He smiled through his matted hair. "A fine day for a swim," he spluttered.

"Come," I laughed. "We seem to have found a short cut." We followed the sounds of the others and I held the shard aloft as they clambered over broken masonry at the water's edge.

"As it happens," rumbled Lofar as we stood dripping into the shallow water, "I was long due a bath."

"Dwarven engineering indeed," Aglahad ribbed.

"It is as though we have fallen down a giant's well."

"It's an overflow shaft," the Dwarf corrected. "For the lake above. The outflow must've silted up."

"And it overflowed into this hall?" Finduilas said, looking at the opening in the wall.

"Another cave-in?" I offered.

Lofar examined the broken masonry around the opening. "Something put a hole in this wall. And I doubt it was an earth tremor."

We stood at the opening and passed the miruvor around as we undertook a weapons check. The soft but constant white noise of falling water filled the silence.

"I lost another throwing knife," Finduilas sighed.

Aglahad took out his lamp-shard and we ventured into the dark. He held it aloft and took the lead but he almost flopped into the water as he lost his footing.

"Take care," he said as he regained his composure. "There are steps here."

"Aglahad," I said and held out my staff.

"Are you sure?"

"As long as you do not lose it."

We felt our way down the short stair, slippery with mud, until I was waist high in the water.