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as large as the first.
    Silas and Jesse followed, and Jesse stretched, grateful to be able to stand up straight.
    Then he looked around, and almost gasped too. Here, the narrow tunnel exploded into a huge cavern, high enough to allow six Patrol members to stand on each others’ shoulders, and large enough to fit….
    A small village . “This must be Urad,” Jesse said in awe.
    â€œYes,” Bern agreed. “The ruins of it.” Perhaps because they had no weapons, or perhaps because they made no move to run back the way they came, Bern lowered his spear and let them gape at their surroundings.
    A second glance showed the extent of Urad’s destruction. As if they had been thrown about at random, piles of the glowing rocks illuminated the sad remains of charred buildings, broken pottery, and scattered straw.
    â€œNo one from Above-ground has seen this place since the Fall,” Bern said softly, almost as if he might disturb some sacred relics.
    Rae ran over to one of the homes, picking up a half-burnt piece of wood. She studied it for a second. “Black pine,” she said. “From the forests of District Three.” Her voice sounded almost wistful, and Jesse suddenly realized she missed her home as much as he missed his.
    â€œCome back,” Bern said, sounding a bit unsure, as if he was afraid Rae would run off.
    â€œI’ll stay behind,” Jesse volunteered. Bern must know more of the story than Silas did .
    Bern nodded at Rae and Silas, and Jesse sat down beside the archway, leaning against the cold stone. Bern remained standing, spear at the ready and eyes fixed straight ahead.
    Jesse took the time to get a good look at their captor. His face was normal, except for the eyes, which were buried in wrinkles. He looked like a person used to squinting in the dark. Although the rags he wore were torn and frayed, they were clean, as was Bern himself. Somehow, Jesse had pictured the Roarics as being filthy, rough cave dwellers, but Bern’s face was washed, his beard neatly trimmed, and his boots shined. He probably looks better than we do .
    Jesse decided to break the silence. “This ‘Fall’ you talk about,” he began, “when did it happen?”
    â€œA long time ago,” Bern replied, still staring at the city.
    He didn’t volunteer any more information, so Jesse continued, “What happened here, Bern? Who destroyed Urad?”
    There was a pause. “I cannot say,” he replied. “When we get to New Urad, you may ask the History Keeper. That is his burden to bear.”
    The History Keeper? Jesse shook his head. That means there is at least one other survivor, probably more.
    â€œWe must continue to the mines,” Bern called. Once Silas and Rae rejoined them, he led them to the opposite side of the cavern.
    Jesse felt strange walking through the city ruins. He saw shards of shattered glass, burned furniture, pieces of stone and wood and pottery. It’s like walking on broken fragments of lives.
    One thing he didn’t see were the remains of victims of the Fall. “Why aren’t there any bones?” Jesse asked.
    Immediately, Bern stopped in the path. “They were buried,” he said, his voice sounding distant and without emotion. “After the chaos had died down, the survivors came up and buried them, laying them in crypts in the deepest parts of the mines.”
    Jesse shivered and hoped they wouldn’t go to those tunnels. He didn’t want to be greeted by Roaric skeletons staring out at him from the dark.
    Bern turned to face him, slowing down a little and letting his spear drop. For the first time, Jesse saw emotion in his deep, squinting eyes: pain. “There were so many who died.…”
    Then, Bern gave an abrupt shake of his head, and his eyes again became blank. He began to walk again, this time faster. “But it is not my burden to bear. It happened long ago. It does not matter