22. HyrnHellen half-supported Ariane as they stood at the top of a flight of stone steps leading into an unknown darkness.
“How far down do they go?” asked Ariane in a whisper. The effort she'd expended on opening the door had drained her badly. She walked with a limp when previously there'd been none. She'd said nothing, but Hellen knew what the magic had cost her friend.
“Let's see.” Hellen sparked a second werelight and sent it bobbing down the stairs. As it descended, lighting up a patch of grey stone steps, grey stone walls, it dimmed. She made it burn brighter for a time, hoping to see the bottom, but all the light revealed were more and more steps. “A long way. We should sleep here and continue tomorrow.”
“No,” said Ariane. “We can't afford the time. Who knows where the girl is n
