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"This is a happy chance," the Copper said

"No chance to it at all I bribed NoSohoth with every silver piece in the Tyr’s victory bequest"

The Copper wondered at that Why would she throay the beginnings of a hoard? From what he had learned, Anaea was a quiet Uphold with little fighting chance at combat honors "You know the Anaean Trail?"

"I served h for me Let’s be off I want to be at the river by dark"

Several good trails led ard The western quarters of the Lavadorowth only in patches of soil trapped between the rocks Rather scraggly-looking goats roa went forith a switch to clear the way of both the anihters

They rested at the riverbank and waited their turn at a flatboat, and the Copper worked up the nerve to ask a question of Nilrasha:

"Why so eager to get to Anaea?"

"I get bored with duty in the dome All anyone talks about are the banquets atop the I a feast described when you’re starving That or who’s on top of which hill, six little Tyrs under one big one They say the trail to Anaea is the nificent of all the lower roads"

"They say? I thought you knew the route"

"Oh, of course There’s the Long Fall, then the Lake of Echoes, and then Tooth Cavern--"

"All of which are listed on several maps I’ve looked at them too"

"Don’t send me away! I have been on the trail I was second in the endurance march in the tests to pass into the Fireth But it’s easier after the Tooth Cavern; there are no major underroads off the trail I’ve been that far"

The Copper chuckled "Oh, I wouldn’t send you away, not for half of the Tyr’s gold" In fairness, though, no one wasat him from lowered eyes

"You’re lucky NeStirrath always said he’d choose the lucky drake over the toughest or the ine the rule applies to drakka as well"

"I’ve never thought ave you, Ora"

"Some would use the word cowardly I lived because I hid"

"Besides, you saved s like that"

Their journey to Anaea was lengthy but fascinating They passed through several different strata on the Long Fall, and the Copper saw geologic fors with crystals inside, gardens of colored stone that sohters kept polished and shaped and exhibited to travelers for gifts of food or coin, even veins of iron and copper they could lick to get the pleasant taste of heavy metals and cleanse their ht up to a onscale to Anaea for trade Shaggy humans handled the mules under the supervision of a thick-hided de houses, very si markets the dwarves had perfected The drake’s conversation was boring, and he continually pointed out that the Copper was giving his draft animals and thralls too much to eat to ever make a profitable run

By the end of the trip the Copper was loosing his bats to feed on the unpleasant drake every other night Fatigue shut hiiven to his oxen when they were unhitched

The Lake of Echoes required that they take a flatboat They poled on its broad back across the water The vast cavern was low and dripping, divided in places into charound settlee The ceiling of the cavern was covered with slimy creatures that lived in shells, like snails with athered around the flatboat’s sole la fire into to keep it lit, at the request of the dwarven ferrymen They were an odd bunch, outcasts from better dwarf societies, the Copper suspected, and sharp dealers ould take only gold The dwarves tried to sell therain and dried fish, and Nilrasha advised him to purchase the first but avoid the second But they took them across and on the other side picked up a two-score s of kern

The bats feasted on the insects, and the dwarves h estigly, unlit beard

They came to the Tooth Cavern, and even Rhea stopped and stared with mouth open Far in the distance to the north it was open to the sun, but here it was just a wide chas through the cavern The road here leaped frohtly bent and sharpened like dragon teeth

A garrison of Fire als at the end of an endurance e