The Iron Teeth

Interlude: Depths of Despair

The leafy branch shifted as he pushed it out of the way, and the man's efforts were rewarded by the sight of his destination. Up ahead, through several paces of thick forest, stood the claim marker. It was little more than a post with a long piece of red cloth tied to it, but it did its job.

Beside the marker he would find the cave they'd discovered last month. He could still remember it like it had been yesterday. While out surveying the hills, he and his partner and had stumbled across the opening. After a brief debate they had risked a brief foray inside, and they hadn't been disappointed by what they'd found within.

"Stop standing there and blocking the way, Elred! There are people behind you, and they don't want to stand in the middle of the woods just so you can take in the scenery," a deep voice said from behind him.

Elred sighed in annoyance, but started walking forward again. When he had stepped out from beneath the forest canopy and into the sun he turned around, and watched the rest of his party emerge from the trees.

"Why didn't you take the lead if you're in such a hurry, Desleth?" he asked his partner.

"Because if someone was going to walk into a mimic or a troll I didn't want it to be me," Desleth replied with a chuckle.

Elred rolled his eyes in annoyance. He had been partnered with Desleth for over a decade, and the man's sense of humor was still as annoying as ever.

"I scouted this path just a few minutes ago. No one is in any danger of walking into a mimic, and you don't walk into trolls. You won't see one until it attacks, and then it will pick out the weakest target," their guide Katha interjected.

"Hear that Elred? That means it would definitely attack you," Desleth remarked.

"Ha ha, you're hilarious," Elred replied in a distracted manner as he scanned the nearby rocks.

Soon everyone had gathered in the rocky clearing around the claim marker. A huge pile of stones dominated the middle of the forest clearing. Tall trees and thick greenery surrounded them on every side, but the sky above was blue and clear.

There were around a dozen people in their group, and seven pack mules. As Elred watched, everyone began settling down. Packs were discarded, and animals were tied up.

Most of them were handpicked men from the Surveyors' Guild. That meant they had all signed a contract that acknowledged this claim belonged to Elred and his partner. Guild men were expensive, but they were worth it because using them prevented claim jumping and theft.

Katha was their guide, and was holding up the rear of the group. She was an average sized woman with a lean hard cast to her features, and long brown hair that was tied back in a ponytail.

Elred and his partner had debated hiring her, since she wasn't strictly necessary to find the claim. In the end, Elred had convinced his partner that they could afford her and an expert on the forest would make the trip much safer. Having her around had certainly reassured him. Running into a troll was unlikely this close to civilization, but not impossible.

The last member of their party was a mage from the Earth Breakers. The mage guild had a deal with the surveyors, and was informed every time a new cavern system was discovered. The mage's name was Seraj, and he was apparently a specialist in exploring the Dark Paths.

The man seemed agreeable enough, and would probably end up being useful. Elred hoped the mage ended up disappointed with their trip, though. The only reason he was here was to search for crystals, and if he found any it would make their trip a lot more dangerous. Mining in caves that possibly connected to the Dark Paths was bad enough, while mining near crystals was almost suicide.