The Ambassador's Mission: Book One of th - By Trudi Canavan Page 0,146
Unh made his way around the shorter arm of one ridge, keeping his eyes to the ground. After several paces he squatted and stared at the ground, then looked up at Dannyl and beckoned.
Dannyl closed the distance between them, then looked where Unh was pointing.
“See here,” the man said. “That stone has been stepped upon, then pushed back into the dirt. You can see the direction the stepper was going by the way there is a groove at the front, and a tiny mound at the back.”
It was rather obvious now that the man had pointed it out.
“How do you know it was a human and not an animal?”
Unh shrugged. “I don’t. It would have to be a big animal though, and most of those were hunted out long ago.”
He rose and went looking for more signs of passage. Dannyl followed, concentrating on holding the shield, directing the globe light, and walking only where the tribesman did. They stopped again and again, Unh pointing out a thread of cloth caught on one of the few stunted trees, some human hair, and some distinct footprints in a sandy area. Then he spent a long time examining the ground, and Dannyl used the opportunity to look around, trying not to imagine figures watching them in the darkness. He glanced to the side and felt a shiver run down his spine.
“Is that a cave?” he asked, pointing at a crack in the steep slope to one side.
Unh rose and approached the gash of darkness in the rock slowly. He continued to scan the ground, his head nodding from it to the crack and back again.
“Nobody went this way,” he said. He touched the side of the opening. “This happen not long ago.”
He beckoned and Dannyl hurried over. They peered into the darkness. Dannyl drew magic and created another light, which he sent inside. Stones filled the base of the crack, sloping downward then levelling off. The sides of the opening continued for a short way, then ended in darkness.
“There a bigger space inside. Want to look?” Unh asked.
Dannyl glanced back toward the camp, which was not far out of sight, then nodded. Unh grinned, an expression at odds with his usual dignified aloofness. A thrill of eagerness went through Dannyl, not unlike the excitement he’d felt so long ago when exploring the Allied Lands with Tayend.
Unh gestured to the opening. “You first.”
Dannyl chuckled. Of course. He was far more likely to survive if they happened to surprise a wild animal, or Traitors.
The floor was loose gravelly rock, and he half slid down into the space. Looking around, he saw only darkness and the hint of walls all around. He paused as Unh slid down to join him, then he increased the strength of the light …
… and ducked as walls of glittering gemstones shone back at him. A sound echoed in the room, and he realised he had let out a wordless exclamation of fear.
No relentless strikes came. He was breathing heavily, his heart hammering in his chest.
“You seen something like this before,” Unh stated. He was regarding Dannyl with interest.
Dannyl looked at him. “Yes.” No point denying it. His reaction had been nothing less than obvious.
“This not dangerous.”
The man spoke with certainty and authority. Now it was Dannyl’s turn to look at his companion with curiosity.
“You know what this is?”
Unh nodded and looked around, his expression knowing and happy. “Yes. These stones have no power. They have not been raised to have power. They are natural. Safe.”
“So … the stones in the place I was in before were made to be dangerous?”
“Yes. By people. Where was this place?”
“In Elyne. Beneath an ancient ruined city.”
Unh nodded again. “A people once lived in the mountains here. They knew the secret of the stones. But they are gone. All things end.” He shook his head. “Not all,” he corrected. “A few secrets Duna kept.”
“You know how to make gemstones with magic in them?”
“Not me. Some of my people. Trusted ones.” His expression darkened. “And Traitors. Long ago they came and made a pact. But they broke it and stole the secrets. That is why I help the Sachakans, even after what they do to my people. The Duna not forgiven the Traitors.”
“Do the Traitors know how to make caves like the one in Elyne?” Dannyl asked. If he’d known that, he’d never have entered this one like some child exploring for fun.
“No,” Unh replied. “Nobody knows that. Even the Duna forget some things.”