group, though relatively small, contained the fittest and most able warriors amongst them, armed with swords and various weapons taken from the fortress arsenal. They were a swift and mobile force as every one of them was on horseback. The planned detour south to Dingarth mine meant that they could avoid having to cross the P’tan Mountains and travel to Soreen over the Jh’tern Hills. It was a far less arduous route which would hopefully save valuable time and ensure that they would arrive at the village not far behind Queen Bressial’s party.
It was late morning before they were all ready to move. Jake, Verastus and Zephany said a fond farewell to Castrad and Bressial, before mounting their horses and leading their soldiers out of the huge fortress gates. This was the signal for Bressial’s soldiers to set fire to anything that would burn within the fortress, a task they undertook with particular relish and thoroughness. As soon as they’d finished, they all ran quickly away from Heron Getracht, trying to put as much distance as they could between themselves and the fire before it was spotted by any of Vantrax’ followers.
The journey to the great mine of Lidzenstor took just short of an hour. Jake and his horsemen galloped at full speed for much of the way. They reached the hill that overlooked the mine without incident and without seeing any of Vantrax’ soldiers, just as they’d hoped. Jake and a few selected warriors, including Verastus and Zephany, crept forward to the brow of the hill in order to view the target and finalise the plan for the assault.
The great mine at Lidzenstor was the ‘jewel in Vantrax’ crown’. It was a huge, underground complex of interwoven caves and shafts which spanned for several miles, having been excavated over many years. The mine had been owned and managed by numerous Rhuaddan families over countless generations. The operations there had been fairly small scale until Vantrax’ arrival but he had filled it with slave labour upon taking control and production had increased tenfold under his direction. Even now however, the hand-made tools and absence of machinery of any kind meant that the pace of excavation was slow.
The mine produced a variety of minerals and gems which varied widely in both use and value, but the Taran stone excavated there was always in demand and extremely lucrative. It was used in the construction of stately buildings such as Heron Getracht and it provided the major source of funding for Vantrax’ military campaigns.
The mine was situated in a natural valley, surrounded on three sides by tall hills which overlooked the complex and made escape almost impossible. The only way in and out of the mine easily was via the southerly route, through the guarded main gates and in the direction of Lake Rume and the mines of Berok, Dingarth and Periknar. There were several entrances to the mineshafts that were visible to the onlookers above. All of them were guarded by two of the camps soldiers and they were obviously the main points of entry and exit for the slaves who toiled below. Interestingly, Jake noticed that there were no soldiers or guards posted on the surrounding hills. The only other presence he could see were the four soldiers who guarded the main entrance to the mine itself, although he knew from Verastus that the slaves working underground were supervised by mine ‘overseers’, who carried whips and clubs which were used to beat the prisoners they considered were not working hard enough. Jake also presumed that more soldiers would either be below or resting in the guard hut whilst not on duty.
Dug deep into the hillsides all around the mine were a succession of huge caves, caged with iron-like railings from floor to overhanging rock. These were the living quarters for the thousands of slaves who worked the mine. They were crammed in so tight that they could hardly move and survived in appalling conditions for year after year. The sight of the caves made Jake very angry, he glanced at Verastus who was lying by his side. The Falorian was clearly distressed at seeing the mine again and Jake was becoming increasingly concerned at his ability to restrain himself when the time came for action.
“You okay, mate?” he asked, instinctively reverting to the language of home without even realising it. “If you want to stay here...”
“What? No. I am fine, Jake! Just give me a few moments, please. Seeing this place