Read The Wrathful Mountains for Free Online

presence within the mountain had not
left her, the images from her vision still playing in her head. “I’ll come with
you,” she stated. “I’ll do whatever I can to help.”
    “Much obliged,”
Raad said, finishing his ale. Extending his arm, he shook the sorceress’s hand.
    At the miner’s
touch, Kaiya felt a sudden surge of fear. There was something more that he
wasn’t telling her. “Is there something else I need to know?” she asked.
    Raad shook his
head. “Foreman Daro will explain everything when we get there.” He looked away
quickly.
    Kaiya did not press
the matter. Whatever he was hiding would not change her decision. She had
agreed to go, and she would keep her word regardless of the possible danger.
Her vision was leading her higher into the mountains, whether she traveled with
Raad or alone. “When do you plan to leave?” she asked.
    “I’d like another
drink, and then I’m all yours,” he said, flashing a smile.
    “I’ll meet you near
the forges on the north side of town,” she said. “We can set out from there.”
    Raad nodded his
agreement and headed over to the bar, empty mug in hand. Kaiya pushed her way
through a group of miners who were blocking her way to the exit. No magic was
needed. They were too drunk to put up a struggle as the determined woman
elbowed past them.
    Not two steps
outside the tavern, Kaiya stopped short, surprised by the sight in front of
her. Galen waved cheerfully as he jogged to meet her.
    “I thought you had
work to do,” Kaiya said, her hands moving to her hips.
    Galen waved the
comment away. “I wanted to make sure you found your visitor,” he said,
grinning.
    “I did,” she
replied, starting to walk.
    Galen kept pace at
her side. “So what did he want?”
    “There’s trouble at
the mines,” she said.
    “Naturally,” the
elf commented. “What kind of trouble?”
    Kaiya paused her
walking. “The kind that doesn’t concern you,” she said. “Why are you so nosey
all of a sudden?” It wasn’t like him to ply her with questions. He was
typically laid-back and willing to let her have her secrets. She was, after
all, a sorceress.
    “I know something’s
troubling you,” he said sincerely. “Those tremors are a warning.”
    “What makes you say
that?” she wondered. Did the elf know something she didn’t?
    “I’ve done a lot of
reading in my lifetime,” he began. “And I’ve lived a long time in the Vale
beneath these mountains. There have never been earthquakes in my lifetime.”
    “That doesn’t mean
they couldn’t be natural,” she said, willing her voice to stay steady. What
good would it do to worry her friend with her own suspicions?
    “You’re hiding
something,” Galen said. “Whatever it is, I want to help.”
    “I don’t even know
if I need help yet,” she replied. “Until I’ve gone to the mines to see for
myself, I won’t know what’s going on.”
    “So you do plan to
leave,” he said. “I figured that miner came to fetch you for something.”
    “Yes, he did,” she
said. “The Dwarf’s Heart mines have become dangerous, and people have been
hurt. It could be natural, it could be something else. That’s what I’m going to
figure out.”
    “I’ll go with you,”
Galen said, his tone resolute.
    “I appreciate the
offer, but it’s not going to be a fun trip,” she replied. Galen made a good
companion for travel, but this wasn’t a vacation. This was serious business,
and he would try to make light of it. She feared he would only prove a
distraction from her investigation. “It could also be dangerous,” she added.
    “Then you might
need me to rescue you,” he said, chuckling. “Plus it’ll give me a chance to
work with Dwarf’s Heart. Trin will be jealous.”
    Kaiya pursed her
lips and stared at the elf.
    “I’m going whether
you like it or not, so please say you’ll like it,” he said.
    Kaiya sighed and
glanced up at his warm, brown eyes. Though he had few skills in mountain
survival,