“Well, as going anywhere is out of the question for the moment, I suggest we just sit here quietly and watch.”

Thinking of nothing else to say, Laromendis fell silent.

Hours passed with nothing of significance occurring in the courtyard, and after a while the sun rose high enough to give faint illumination; like others of their race, the two elves were able to see in light that would challenge a cat.

“What have we here?” said Laromendis, almost absently, pulling down a sack from a large shelf on the back wall. The bag fell open and red round fruit fell out. “Apples!” he said.

Gulamendis didn’t hesitate, but grabbed up one of the orbs and bit deeply. It was not the freshest he had ever eaten, but the dry cool storage had preserved most of the fruit’s flavors and his stomach almost heaved from the unexpected treat.

“What’s in the other bags?” asked his brother as he bit down into his second apple. He began a haphazard examination, opening bags, using his heavy knife to pry off the tops of boxes, and as he went, the brothers both began to wonder.

The boxes and bags contained provisions and clothing. The clothing was human-sized, too big for dwarves, too small for the Taredhel, and certainly not of a fashion for the other elven tribes.

“What is this?” wondered Gulamendis.

“I don’t know, but have some of this,” said his brother, tossing him a hunk of dried meat.

Gulamendis bit greedily into the jerky and began chewing. “What is this place?”

“You know more about demons than anyone I know; what do you think?”

“Demons eat everything when they see it. They suck life from the living, and then go after whatever’s left.” He made an encompassing gesture and added, “They don’t store fruit, or dry meat. This is not demon food.”

“Then who does it belong to?”

“Let’s get some rest and eat and then we shall go and find out,” suggested Gulamendis.

Laromendis said, “I don’t have any better idea. Eat, then let us rest, and if no one disturbs our repose, we’ll venture out after dark and discover what we can.”

“As you said, I don’t have a better idea.”

They sat and began eating.

The day passed slowly. Twice they held themselves ready to fight as a company of demons marched by, but no one seemed to show much interest in this unexpected pantry. The two conjectures they had arrived at to explain this storage shed were that the original builders of this monstrous fortress were mortals, not demons, and the place had been overrun by the Demon Legion, or that the demons had it built for reasons yet unclear. Given the size and look of the place, the latter seemed a more reasonable conjecture.

The sky darkened and again the massive fortress fell quiet, and finally Gulamendis said, “We need to explore.”