In all, there were four carts. The wagon cart and bench carts were in the middle. On the ends were more bench carts, but those bench seats had no backs, and it appeared, in the dark, that they had leather handholds for each position on the benches.
“Elrose,” Trevin said, walking up with the sorcerer, “we sent your large gear through on a previous trip, so it’s already on the other side near the bridge gateway. Everyone load your stuff in this cart; we will then tie it down with a tarp. Maelen” — she turned toward the seer — “I’d suggest you and Gastropé put your staves in the cart as well. The ride through the mountain is a bit bumpy and you’ll probably want to hang on in the cart.”
“Do we go all the way through the mountain?” Jenn asked.
Trevin smiled and nodded. “Almost straight through at this altitude. It’s about two leagues.”
“I thought we had to be at the bridge at fierdrise? I don’t think we can make that,” Gastropé said.
Trevin just chuckled. “Oh, we’ll make it; it’s only about a ten-minute journey.”
Gastropé looked at the wooden carts on metal rails. “We’re going to be traveling at twelve leagues an hour on this contraption?”
Trevin chuckled and nodded. “Up and down numerous inclines and through several large caverns and over a couple of large chasm bridges. So, as I said, you may want to hang on tight.”
Maelen and Gastropé secured their staves quickly in the cart. It was hard to say, but Jenn thought Maelen may have turned a shade of Gastropé gray. Elrose shrugged and put his pack in, his dark skin color hiding any signs of nervousness. Jenn and Gastropé placed their packs in the cart and one of the Aetóên she did not know began covering the loaded cart with a tarp.
“We recommend those new to this trip sit in the seats with backs and sides.” Trevin gestured to the second cart with the pews. “The aetós, of course, use the backless benches for their wings. I sit up front next to Gnorman, our engineer.” She gestured to rather short, rotund fellow who suddenly appeared beside her.
He was about half her height, had a huge head in proportion to his body and an even larger nose. He was dressed in a weird single-piece outfit that appeared to be pants with a large bib covering his chest, with suspenders over his shoulders holding them up. The outfit was vertically striped with grey and white bars. He had a nicely fit bright red shirt on under the bib, tucked into the pants. On his head, he wore a cap with a large front brim made of the same grey and white striped material as the pants.
Jenn suddenly realized that this Gnorman must be a gnome. She had heard of the legendary engineers and craftsmen, but had never actually seen one in person. Gnorman the gnome? That seemed just a bit trite, but she knew it was not polite to question other cultures and their traditions.
“If any of you, say Gastropé, want a more exciting ride, you can sit up next to me in the front,” Trevin continued. “You are more than welcome to grab and hold on tight to me.” She grinned mischievously, “And I, of course, will hold on to you in return!”
“Uhh...” Gastropé was not sure how to respond and it took him a few seconds. “Thanks, but maybe on the return trip or something. I’m thinking I’d better follow your advice for newcomers.”
Trevin smiled and shrugged. “Have it your way, then. It would have been a lot of fun — for me, at least.” She turned and headed toward the front cart. “Everyone aboard! Anyone with motion sickness issues should take the sides and aim outward with your breakfast!”
They climbed aboard the cart. There was plenty of room; the benches could easily sit three to four people across. Jenn and Gastropé took the second-row pews and Maelen and Elrose took the one behind them. Hethfar and Danfaêr took the benches behind Trevin and Gnorman; only two aetós could fit on a bench given their large, gorgeous wings. Treyfoêr and four other aetós, including the two that had assisted Elrose and Maelen, filled the back cart.
“Everyone seated and ready?” Trevin called back to the party. Jenn and Gastropé nodded towards Maelen, who called out, “Middle car ready!” From the rear car there was a loud hooting noise and what sounded like a cheer. Jenn took that to mean they were ready.
Trevin looked back and smiled before shouting, “Gnorman, power up! Ahoy, gates! By the order of Niall, open the mountain to our train!” Suddenly the sides of the train lit up as previously dark crystals lining the edges of the carts began to glow with yellow and white lights. Ahead of them in the new light, Jenn saw a large portcullis in the side of the mountain start to rise with a loud rumbling noise. Not squeaky, though; the portcullis was surprisingly well oiled.
Suddenly the carts rocked slightly as the magic powering it hit the wheels — or something like that, Jenn decided. Gnorman pushed forward on a lever between him and Trevin and the cart slowly started lurching forward. Clack, clack, clack went the iron wheels on the iron tracks. Rather amazing, Jenn reflected, how they were using magic to propel iron wheels on iron tracks. Iron was notoriously resistant to magic.
As the portcullis locked into place above them, the carts lumbered through into the side of the mountain. A few feet into the tunnel, they saw a side room off the tunnel with a group of gnomes in armor waving at them. Trevin waved back, and feeling the mood, Jenn and the rest in the middle cart did as well. The aetós in the rear car made hooting noises as they passed the gnome guardroom. As they moved into the tunnel it got darker, the guard room having apparently lit up the opening quite a bit. Within a minute, the only light came from the carts themselves. The dark stone walls with timber shoring were rather eerie, Jenn thought.
“All systems ready, mistress!” Gnorman stated loudly over the clacking of the wheels.
“Then give our metal mount her head, Master Engineer!” Trevin yelled back. Gnorman grinned at her and shoved the lever further forward. Suddenly the carts lurched forward, accelerating to what could only be called a breakneck speed, slamming Jenn back into her seat and forcing her to quickly grab for the metal bars in front of her.
“Shit!” Gastropé shouted beside her as the carts began careening madly down the tunnel. Jenn was just starting to get her breath back when suddenly she was thrown forward as the carts dipped and headed down a very sharp incline. It had to be at least sixty degrees. Jenn and Gastropé both yelled in fright as the carts plunged down the dark tunnel. Wham! They were thrown to the left, Gastropé slamming into her, and then they tilted the other way as the cart started turning in the other direction. The hooting from the aetós behind her and ahead of her rose to a higher level, echoing eerily in the tunnels. She was going to lose her lunch, she knew it.
“Ahoy, gates! By the grace of Niall, we have arrived in good order!” Trevin shouted ahead. Jenn blinked. What had happened? The carts had been diving downward at an impossible descent rate and she remembered thinking she was going to lose it, and now suddenly they were exiting. She was leaning closely against Gastropé, his arm around her holding her tight.
In shock, Jenn took a deep breath as they entered the light. She could feel fresh, cold mountain air in her lungs as they emerged from the tunnel, the carts veering hard to the left as they exited. What had happened? Why was she in Gastropé’s arms?
“Well, what do you know? That was only ten minutes!” Maelen stated.
Jenn sat up quickly, looking back to see the seer peering at a pocket chronometer.
“You mean ten hours!” groaned Gastropé, removing his arm from around Jenn, but saying nothing to her.