"It wouldn't be," Thalia said."I think knowledge of this metal was deliberately obscured—perhaps even by the Founders themselves."
"Well, it's not obscured anymore," Harren said, straightening with a grunt."Let's get to work."
The miners set to their task with practiced efficiency, positioning the cart as close to the vein as the cramped space allowed.Picks struck stone in rhythmic blows, each impact sending echoes through the tunnels as they carefully chipped away at the rock surrounding the precious ore.Thalia joined them, her arms soon aching from the unaccustomed labor, but her determination never wavered.
Each fragment they extracted pulsed with that strange inner light, its current signature growing stronger once freed from the surrounding stone.Thalia collected smaller pieces, studying the unusual structure, the way the metal seemed to shift and flow beneath its solid surface.
They worked steadily, the pile in the cart growing as the vein diminished.Thalia estimated they'd collected enough to forge at least a dozen weapons, perhaps more if they blended it with traditional metals.It wouldn't be enough to arm all of Frostforge, but it could provide a crucial advantage in the next Warden attack—if they could determine how to forge it properly.
Harren paused mid-swing, his head tilting slightly as if listening to something beyond human hearing.His expression shifted, brow furrowing as he studied the fine dust drifting down from the ceiling—dust disturbed not by their activities but by some other force.
"What is it?"Thalia asked, noticing his concern.
A faint vibration hummed through the rock, subtle enough that she might have missed it if not for her heightened awareness of the mountain's currents.The lantern flames wavered slightly, though no breeze stirred the stale air.
"That's the mountain telling us to leave," Harren said stiffly, his voice tight with urgency beneath the forced calm."We've weakened the support too much."
Thalia glanced at the cart, mentally calculating the ore they'd collected against what they might need.Not enough, not nearly enough to be certain."We'll go soon," she said, tossing another fragment into the cart."But we need more.If this tunnel collapses in the days to come, we won't get a second chance at this."
Harren looked like he wanted to argue, but instead nodded grimly."Everyone double pace," he ordered."We've got ten minutes, no more."
The miners attacked the vein with renewed vigor, prying loose chunks of the glinting ore with desperate efficiency.Thalia and Ashe helped load the fragments, their hands soon covered in stone dust and minor cuts from the sharp edges of freshly broken rock.The cart grew heavier, its contents shifting with metallic whispers as new pieces joined the pile.
The vibration in the walls intensified, no longer a subtle warning but an insistent tremor that sent small pebbles bouncing across the floor.A deep, bone-shaking crack echoed down the tunnel behind them, followed by a rush of dust that billowed into the cavern like storm clouds.
"Time's up," Harren announced, abandoning his pick."Move, now!"
No one needed further urging.The miners dropped their tools, rushing to position themselves around the cart.Thalia and Harren took the front, hands gripping the metal edge as they pulled the laden vehicle toward the tunnel entrance.The cart's wheels ground against the uneven stone, threatening to catch on every crack and ridge.
Behind them, another crack split the air, louder than the first.Dust and small stones showered down from the ceiling, stinging Thalia's exposed skin.She bent lower, putting her shoulder against the cart's weight, legs straining with the effort of pushing it over the rough terrain.
"Faster!"Ashe called from somewhere behind, her voice tight with urgency.
They entered the narrow tunnel at a near run, the cart's metal frame scraping against the walls with a sound like tearing fabric.Thalia's lungs burned, each breath drawing in more of the stone dust that filled the air.Her vision narrowed to the few feet of tunnel visible in the bobbing lantern light, everything beyond lost in swirling gray.
A deafening roar filled the passage as part of the roof gave way behind them, large chunks of stone crashing to the floor with impacts that shook the ground beneath their feet.Out of the corner of her eye, Thalia saw Ashe lunge forward, seizing one of the younger miners by the arm and yanking her away from a falling slab of rock that would have crushed her.
"The main tunnel!"Thalia gasped, spotting the wider passage ahead where wooden support beams reinforced the ceiling."Almost there!"
The cart's wheels hit the metal tracks with a jarring thud, suddenly rolling faster as they found their proper channel.Momentum carried them forward, into the relative safety of the reinforced tunnel, just as another section collapsed behind them with a final, thunderous crash.
They skidded to a halt, releasing the cart to brace hands on knees, chests heaving as they gulped the dust-filled air.The collapse sealed the passage behind them, a wall of fallen stone marking where they'd been moments before.Lantern light revealed faces streaked with sweat and grime, eyes wide with the realization of how close they'd come to being buried alive.
"Everyone here?"Harren called, counting heads through the swirling dust."Sound off!"
One by one, the miners responded, voices hoarse but present.No one is missing, no one is left behind in the collapsed tunnel.
"That vein must have been acting as support for the chamber above," Harren said once he'd caught his breath, wiping dust from his beard with a trembling hand."By hollowing it out, we destabilized the whole section.I've seen collapses like that take out entire mining teams—good men who thought they had more time than the mountain was willing to give."
Thalia nodded, unable to speak as she fought to slow her racing heart.Her legs felt like water, the adrenaline that had carried her through the escape now draining away to leave exhaustion in its wake.She turned to the cart, running her fingers over the blue-silver ore that filled it nearly to the brim.The metal caught the lantern light, sending ripples of luminescence across her dust-covered skin.
"But we got what we came for," she said finally, straightening despite the protest of her aching muscles.She looked at the faces around her—tired, frightened, but alive."We found the ore.Now we just need to get it back to Frostforge and figure out how to forge it."
Ashe stepped forward, resting a hand on Thalia's shoulder."One impossible task at a time," she said, the ghost of a smile touching her lips."Let's start with getting out of this mountain."
Thalia nodded, turning her gaze toward the upper tunnels where daylight waited, distant but attainable.The ore hummed in the cart beside her, its currents singing of possibilities, of weapons that could stand against the black metal, of hope where before there had been none.
CHAPTER TWENTY
