Farilane pulled off her pack and took out her old clay pot. Working by feel, as she had many times before, she filled it with oil from the little bottle. Stuffing the wick in, she made certain to drench it. Finally, she fished around for her char cloth, flint, and the striker that was shaped like a little flat metal dragon with a long, curved tail. A few good sparks, some deep breaths and solid blows, and Farilane had the lamp lit.

Ahead of her was more tunnel. Rough-hewn, poorly chiseled rock displayed an impoverished work ethic by its narrowness. These monks got by with the least amount of effort, leaving her a tight passage and an easy decision. “Okay, everyone stay where you are,” she shouted. “I’ll be right back.”

Virgil asked, “Where are you going?”

“I’m certain it’s just ahead, and it looks perfectly safe.”

All of this was a lie, but she felt going unaccompanied was for the best. If the choice had been hers, she would have taken the entire trip alone. But the Princess of House Nyphron was an imperial treasure too valuable to leave to her own devices. She had been forced to accept not just one but two Teshlors and Virgil—whom she could only guess was there to talk some sense into her. Farilane’s greatest fear was the possibility of getting someone in her party killed. Virgil had been correct in his evaluation that this venture was perilous. The ancient monks were clever beyond normal men. Armed with literature, they had a collective repository of information that stretched back thousands of years. Each monk possessed the knowledge of all those that had come before. They documented centuries of problems and the solutions that worked, as well as those that didn’t. Even the ancient elves couldn’t rival their knowledge. So long as the monks had their books, they forgot nothing.

“I’m sure it’ll only take a few minutes.”

“That’s what you said in Fairington right before the giant attacked,” Virgil shouted. “Just let me raise the bridge so Kolby can join you.”

“You can’t do that.”

“Of course I can. I’ll just repeat what you did.”

“This crossing was designed to be used by a team. For Kolby to get to me, Cedric would need to join him on the bridge, putting Cedric at the bottom. And since we need you to operate the controls to reverse the process, I don’t think it’s a good idea to leave you alone. What if the goblins that you’re so afraid of turning up come to investigate the light of your lantern shining out of this cave? If something happens to you, the rest of us would be trapped.”

No one replied. The only sound was that of the waterfall.