Lief’s eyes stung with tears. In Del he had never cried, fearing to be thought unmanly. But here and now, he felt no shame.
He could feel Barda, motionless beside him. He could see Jasmine nearby, her green eyes dark with pity. Filli was sitting bolt upright in Jasmine’s arms, staring at Manus in wonder, and Kree was perched on her shoulder, still as a statue. All of them were caught and held, as he was, by the sound of Manus mourning his lost people.
Just then, behind Jasmine, in the corner of the square, Lief saw something move. He blinked furiously, thinking at first that his wet eyes were playing tricks. But there was no mistake. One of the huge paving stones was tilting!
He made a choking sound as a cry of alarm stuck in his throat. He saw Jasmine glance at him, startled, and turn to look behind her.
The stone was moving noiselessly from its place. Beneath it was a deep space glowing with warm light. Something was moving there!
Lief caught a single glimpse of a red-tufted head, and peering black button eyes. And then, with one, quick movement of a long-fingered, blue-grey hand, the stone was thrust completely aside. In moments, dozens of Ralads were clambering out into the open and rushing towards Manus.
Gaping in amazement, Lief turned and saw that exactly the same thing was happening at the other three corners of the square. Stones were sliding open and Ralad people were popping out of the holes beneath like corn from a hot pan.
There were dozens of them … hundreds! Adults and children of all ages. All of them were clapping, laughing, rushing to greet Manus, who had sprung up, dropping the flute, his face alight with joy.
Hours later, bathed, filled with good food, and resting on soft couches of bracken fern and blankets, Lief, Barda, and Jasmine looked with wonder at what the Ralads had made in a few short years.
The cavern was huge. Lanterns filled it with soft light. There was a stream of water at one side, running into a deep, clear pool. Fresh, sweet air blew softly through pipes that ran through the chimneys of the houses above and opened to the sky. On the ground were cottages, storehouses, and a meeting hall. There were even streets and a central square like the one above their heads.
“What labor it must have been, to hollow out this cavern and make a hidden village here,” Lief murmured. “It is like the secret tunnel their ancestors dug under the palace in Del. But so much larger!”
Barda nodded sleepily. “I told you the Ralads were tireless workers and clever builders,” he said. “And I told you they would never abandon Raladin. But even I did not suspect this!”
“And, plainly, Thaegan and the Grey Guards do not suspect it either,” yawned Jasmine, who was lying back with her eyes closed. “The Guards camp above this very spot, with no idea that the Ralads are below.”
“We had no idea, until they showed themselves,” said Lief. “And they only did that because they heard the sound of the flute.”
Jasmine laughed. She looked more peaceful than Lief had ever seen her. “It is good. The Shadow Lord must be very angry because the Ralads have slipped through his fingers. The more time the Guards take searching for them, the less time they will have to trouble us.”
Lief watched Manus, who, surrounded by his friends, was still describing his adventures and the dangers he had faced since last seeing them. He was scribbling on a wall of the cavern with some sort of chalk, rubbing marks out almost as soon as he had written them.
“Do you think Manus will still lead us to the Lake of Tears?” he asked.
“He will,” Barda murmured. “But not for a few days, I suspect. And that is good. It will force us to rest, and it is rest that we need, more than anything.” He stretched lazily. “I am going to sleep,” he announced. “It is still day, but who can tell down here?”
Lief nodded, but Jasmine made no reply. She was already asleep.
Soon afterwards, Manus turned away from the wall and went with his friends to the square in the middle of the cavern. All the Ralads seemed to be going there. Lazily, Lief wondered what they were doing, but in moments he understood.
Soft music filled the air — the sound of hundreds of flutes singing together of thankfulness, happiness, friends, and peace. The Ralads were celebrating the return of one they thought was lost. And Manus was among them, pouring into his own flute his heart’s joy.
Lief lay still and let the music wash over him in waves of sweetness. He felt his eyelids drooping and did not fight it. He knew that Barda was right. For the first time in days they could sleep peacefully, knowing they were safe from harm and surprise. They should take all the rest they could while they had the chance.
They passed three more days in Raladin. In that time they learned much about the Ralads and their life.
They learned, for example, that the little people did not stay below ground all the time. When it was safe, they spent their days outside. They tended the food gardens hidden nearby. They checked and repaired the pipes that brought air to the cavern and the alarms that alerted them when people approached the village. They taught the children to build and mend, and simply enjoyed the sunlight.
One thing they never did in the open was to play their music. They could not risk being heard. They played only underground, stopping immediately if the alarms warned them of intruders. It was a miracle that Manus had found the flute by the fountain. It had been lost and forgotten years ago, while the Ralads were still digging their hiding place in secret. It had lain in its place ever since, as if waiting for him.
On their fourth morning, the companions knew that it was time to leave. They were much stronger, well fed and well rested. Jasmine’s wound had almost healed. Their clothes were clean and dry, and the Ralads had given each of them a bag of supplies.
They climbed to the surface with heavy hearts. They had no further reason to stay, but none of them wanted to go. This time of safety and peace had made the task ahead of them seem even more grim and terrifying.
Now, at last, they told the Ralads where they planned to go. Manus had told them to keep this secret for as long as they could, and now they found out why.
The people were horrified. They clustered around the travelers, refusing to let them pass, clutching Manus with all their strength. Then they began scribbling on the ground so fast that even Barda could not understand what they had written.
“We know the Lake of Tears is bewitched and forbidden,” Lief told them. “We know we will face danger there. But we have faced danger before.”
The people shook their heads in despair at their foolishness. Again they began scribbling on the ground — many, many signs of wickedness and death, with one sign larger than any other and repeated many times.
“What does that mean? What is it they especially fear?” whispered Lief to Manus.
Manus grimaced and wrote a single, clear word in the dust.
Jasmine frowned. “What is Soldeen?” she asked. But Manus could not, or would not, explain.
“Whatever this Soldeen is, we must face it,” growled Barda. “As we must face Thaegan, if she pursues us.”
The Ralads drew together at the mention of Thaegan’s name. Their faces were very grave. Plainly, they thought the travelers did not understand their peril, and that meant that Manus was doomed to die with them, for he was determined to be their guide.
“Do not fear,” Lief said grimly. “We have weapons. If Thaegan tries her tricks on us, we will kill her!”