The fog was heavy in the valley, draping itself over every boulder and loop of the path the travelers found themselves on three days later. Their current destination led only indirectly to the Nameless Sword. Arva had an idea for avoiding Einian’s attention once they entered her caves, and that meant taking them to see the fearsome Yudoko.

            Despite the warnings On. Bunri had given them, Celeres was curious to meet the creatures capable of keeping the Zonne Empire at bay. Besides, Arva seemed to have no fears about seeking them out. Still, the journey was harder in some ways than their first dash through Yudoko Territory. While they had not run into any exotic beasts this time, Celeres was not in as good a shape as he had been. Even with the healing proxies, his body ached when he woke in the morning, and simple tasks wore him out more than they should.

            Sanura took over his camp duties whenever her love did not feel up to finishing them. While she took his slowing philosophically, she was just as happy that Arva’s pack antelopes allowed for a far more comfortable camp than they had been able to carry on their own.

            Arva, too, took his own share of camp chores. Wandering the world gathering true names had inured him to the hardships of the wild. By his standards, even the dangers of Yudoko Territory were fairly mundane. Having a full camp with all the necessary items was luxury itself.

            Even better, the weather had been decent so far, with the third morning’s fog being the worst they had encountered. It hugged the ground for hours, hiding everything in the distance and making even their mounts’ heads immediately in front of the riders fuzzy. Sanura found it unsettling, but Arva assured her that he could find exactly what he was looking for in the valley. In fact, he expected to conclude their business with the Yudoko by the end of the day.

            Around midmorning, Arva stopped by one of the boulders set into the valley wall. Some long ago shift of the peak above had thrown the stone down, rolling along until it reached the bottom. Later movements had rained pebbles and dirt down on it, until it was half-buried in the slope, a bare patch of rock jutting from the grass and weeds around it.

            Arva dismounted and crawled on top of the boulder to examine it. Satisfied, he came back and sang three notes. The rock collapsed in on itself, clearing a tunnel that led into the depths of the mountain.

            “Again?” Sanura asked.

            “I’ll hold your hand, brave,” Celeres smiled.

            “Great,” she said sourly.

            “Bring your mounts,” Arva said, grasping the leads for his antelopes and heading into the tunnel. The beasts resisted a bit until a quiet tune from the Cheldean reached their ears.

            Within, it was not as dark as Celeres expected. Some light source hidden by a curve ahead was bouncing off of the walls, giving them just enough to see by. Around the corner they found a pair of lamps set into the wall. Their ornate design seemed at odds with the rough natural walls. The light was the steady glow of a proxy rather than the flicker of oil.

            The tunnel wound its way deeper into the mountain, periodically lit by more of the lamps. The tunnel itself took on a sculpted shape that defied both nature and conventional digging. Despite Arva’s calming proxy, the antelopes bleated protests as their hooves slipped on the stone floor.

            The chamber they entered after a half hour in the tunnel was nearly a cube in shape. Proxy lamps lit every corner, making it look like full daylight in the depths of Tiran. A massive door of burnished bronze in the far wall kept them from going any further.

            Ignoring the door, Arva took out his bedroll and made himself comfortable on the floor.

            “Aren’t we going to try the door?” Sanura asked.

            “It’s locked. The Yudoko will come to us when they’re ready,” Arva explained.

            Sanura wondered if she would ever get a chance to approach unknown people on her own terms, then abandoned that line of thought as useless.

            Hours of waiting resulted only in boredom, so after Arva assured them it was safe, they settled down to nap. That, apparently, was what the Yudoko were waiting for. While the travelers slept, the bronze door swung open and the masters of their land came out. They encircled each human and shook them awake.

            Sanura’s initial impression of them was of upright dogs dipped in lead. They had no fur, but their long snouts gave them a strongly canine appearance. They wore no clothes but were covered with a metallic sheen that reflected the light of the proxy lamps. The hand on her shoulder was cold and heavy. With some concern, she noted their grim expressions and the wicked claws that tipped their fingers.

            By turning her head, she could see a very short version of the creatures looming over Arva.

            “So, now you think you can bring whoever you want into our tunnels?” the short one growled at the Cheldean.

            “They are my charges,” Arva said calmly. “Our business brings us to you, and I could not leave them behind.”

            The short one considered that, idly tapping a claw against Arva’s chest. “What is your business?” it asked.

            “We came to make an exchange with the smiths.”

            “Bah. What poor trinket do you plan to fob off on our craftsmen?”

            “That is for their judgement, Pratyarthin, not yours,” the Cheldean answered.

            “Ah, but who enters our caves is my business, yes?”

            The Cheldean watched the Yudoko passively. It glared back, then stomped away, snarling, “Bring them. If they cause any trouble, kill them!”

            The guards roughly picked up their guests and set them on their feet. Firm nudges drove them through the bronze door. Beyond the entrance stood a massive cave even the largest of birds would find comfortable for flying. The travelers crossed over a bridge that spanned a drop to the very bowels of Tiran, its true depth obscured by shelves and outcroppings decorated with buildings and sculptures. Even from their great height, the travelers could see large arrangements of minerals and crystals that glittered in the proxy lights that shone throughout the cave.

            The Yudoko lead them through rooms and over outcroppings for many minutes. Some of it was clearly artificial, with walls and floors as straight as a farmer’s row of crops. Others must have been natural formations, with the stalactites and stalagmites left untouched. A few rooms defied categorization, looking too wild to be deliberately shaped but too strange to be easily sculpted by nature.

            They entered an area bustling with activity. Yudoko dashed from one place to another, as intent on their tasks as any human in Tagerden. The chatter of bargaining and the occasional clatter of a particularly noisy job reminded Celeres of the market of the capital, except for the alien appearance of the people.

            Still following Pratyarthin, they reached a crystal encrusted cave. A forge in the back had stained much of the wall with its smoke, dulling the glimmer of the minerals. Four Yudoko were in the cave, tending the fire or crafting intricate items with wire, metal, and stone. One huge Yudoko loomed over the other three, instructing them on their tasks. The four ignored their guests crowding at the front of the cave for several minutes.

            The large one finished a discussion with the Yudoko working at the forge and finally made his way over to them. “Well, Pratyarthin, have you started keeping pets?” it asked the small Yudoko.

            “They wanted to see a smith. So see them, Mangalam, and we can be rid of them.”

            “Hospitable, as always, I see. How goes your task, Arva?” Mangalam asked.

            “The gathering continues. I isolated twenty new names on my last outing,” the Cheldean answered.

            “Anything useful for my work?”

            “A couple possibilities. I’m afraid you’ll have to wait for the annual tribute from the college to examine them, though.”

            “Of course. So, how can I help you today?”

            “We are planning to enter a cave complex in a few months. We need something to hide us from hostile eyes.”

            “Flesh eyes or proxy detection?”

            “Definitely proxy. Probably only one set of flesh eyes.”

            “Hmm. Maybe something to make you look like something that belongs there? I can’t guarantee that it will stand up to flesh eyes enchanted by proxies, though.”

            “That should do. With any luck, she won’t know to look for someone hidden by magic until after we’re gone.”

            “And what did you bring to trade?”

            Arva pulled from his belt a silk bundle. Carefully, he folded back the cloth to reveal a dagger. “This blade has been used to trap a prellung flyer. To complete the forging is beyond my skills, but I thought this may interest you.”

            “Delightful,” Mangalam said, taking the package from the Cheldean, carefully not touching the exposed metal. “You must have had a very good day to acquire such a prize.”

            “Actually, I only expelled it from its host. My companion delivered the blow that captured it,” Arva said, waving at Sanura.

            “Indeed? Have you taken an apprentice, then?” Mangalam asked, peering at the soldier.

            “No. She and her husband were supplicants to the college. Although, she has displayed some unusual abilities.”

            With a contemplative rumble deep in his chest, the large Yudoko studied Sanura. “Ah, I see. Tiran has awaited your coming for many ages now. While the Yudoko have no particular interest in accelerating your nature, let me assure you that we also have no intention of impeding your actions.”

            Startled, Pratyarthin and the other Yudoko took a long look at her.

            Uncomfortable with the unexpected scrutiny, Sanura uttered her confusion. “Thank you?” she said.

            “I will get your items,” Mangalam told Arva.

            Sanura wanted to grill Arva about the Yudoko’s statements but felt distinctly uncomfortable with the idea of discussing it while they were watching her. The Yudoko had been expecting her? Was that something she wanted to know about? She caught Arva’s eye, but the Cheldean merely shook his head and shrugged.

            Mangalam returned carrying three necklaces. The links alternated with metals and alloys, some of which Sanura recognized as gold and bronze and steel. Hanging from each of the chains was a small cluster of gems that fought each other in a rainbow of colors. He handed them to Arva. “They will last only a week or so of use. Do not wear them until you need to.”

            “Thank you, Mangalam.”

            “Good journey, scholar.”

            The travelers followed Pratyarthin out of the cave.

            “Do you wish to return to the bronze door?” the small Yudoko asked.

            “Actually, we need to cross the lake,” Arva explained.

            Pratyarthin nodded and led them deeper into the cave. This time, their guards were far more respectful. In fact, they pulled back from the humans, leaving them a little space in the center with their mounts. Sanura used the chance to speak with Arva.

            “What was that about back there?”

            Arva hesitated. “The Yudoko have an elaborate mythology, most of which has nothing to do with the real world. Mangalam’s strong enough to detect your shard. He probably connected it to one of those myths.”

            Sanura frowned. Something in Mangalam’s statements had resonated with her. She did not think Arva was lying to her, but for some reason, she felt his claim was untrue. She wondered about that for quite a while.

            The lake was almost an hour’s march from Mangalam’s workshop. The caves and tunnels along the way were as magical as the others they had seen. They passed walls that resembled waterfalls cast in stone, a room that echoed with a melodious tune, and another with a floor filled with flowers carved from translucent crystal.

            The lake was at the end of a long tunnel. The proxy lamps bracketed the exit, illuminating the nearby surface of the water before being swallowed by the depths of the chamber. A flat barge was pulled up on one side of the shore. A Yudoko sat motionless on the barge, looking eerily like an iron statue in the poor light of the cave.

            The humans boarded the barge with their mounts while Pratyarthin talked with the boatman. Following Arva’s example, the lovers settled themselves without addressing the Yudoko. After Pratyarthin stepped onto the shore, the barge pushed off with no visible help from anyone.

            The ride took hours. They cruised smoothly across the lake, nearly blind except for a single lamp in the prow of the boat. Sanura leaned against Celeres for comfort and tried to relax. After adjusting to the featureless nature of the journey, she was surprised when they finally ran aground. Without a word, the humans disembarked, and the Yudoko took the barge back into the lake.

            Arva chanted briefly, creating a ball of light that floated over his head. “Let’s go. There’s still a couple more hours of walking to reach the surface.”

            Sanura sighed in resignation and followed him through the dark, Celeres at her side.