Gunpowder, Magic, and Lead

Chapter 3 The Old Place

After a three hour ride, Oren turned off the main road into the woods. He and Loril wended their way through the trees and dead underbrush for another two hours. The large densely populated trees kept the bulk of the new falling snow from accumulating on the ground, but enough of the white stuff was falling to give the area beneath the trees an inch or two. Occasionally the barren tree limbs became too heavy with snow and large deposits of it dropped to the ground making a strange whipping sound as the branch whooshed back into place. It also wasn't uncommon to hear the loud snapping of branches so laden with snow that they broke under the weight instead of sheading their burden. Each time a branch moved or broke, Oren flinched and scrutinized the area, in the general direction of the noise, intently.

"Worried we're being followed?" Loril asked after one such tree snap.

"Wouldn't surprise me none." Oren said in his low, grumbling voice.

"But, there are no tracks to follow." She pointed behind them as they rode.

Oren squinted in the direction of the latest snapped branch, "Don't be fooled. There are folks who can track us, regardless of tracks."

"How?"

Oren wasn't sure if she was asking out of curiosity or disbelief. He removed his hat and scratched his head. He put it back on and cleared his throat. "Smell, for one."

"Smell?" Loril sniffed her underarm and Oren cracked a rare smile. He quickly returned to his sour face, though, as soon as she looked back up. "I don't smell!"

"We all smell." He said. He pointed to her horse, "Your horse is the stronger scent. Unfortunately, horses also tend to leave their own trail behind."

"I see." She said. "How much longer to your hiding spot?"

Oren looked around, "We're here, but I dare not enter until I'm certain we haven't been followed." He looked at Loril, trying to see any change in her expression.

She noticed. "Why are you staring at me that way?"

"You ever hear of an Earth Node?"

"No, what is it."

"How do you feel right now? Headaches, tingling, or anything out of the ordinary going on?"

Loril looked around at the falling snow. "I feel cold and maybe a little tingly."

"Oren made a deep humph sound and reined his horse to move toward a boulder lodged in between two trees. "This way."

"What was that noise you made for?"

"We are right over what is known as a perpetual Earth Node, a place of magical power that is stationary. Most Earth Nodes are mobile, moving with the natural processes of the Earth, but there are some like this one that remains fixed."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," She said, "it's all nonsense to me."

"Mind your step and stride, there is a descending ramp just before you get to the boulder. It's an optical illusion. You would miss it if you didn't know it was there. The ground hides the way down." He returned to his previous line of thought, "Nonsense or not, you are about to descend into the heart of an Earth Node."

The ground sloped as he rode closer to the boulder and Loril followed. They both disappeared beneath the boulder.

"This is amazing." Loril said.

"You haven't seen nothing yet." Oren told her. "Wait until we get farther into the node."

They descended in a zigzag pattern until they emerged into a large cavern covered with vegetation. Light came from somewhere up above, and water trickled down the sides of the rocks. Oren was satisfied when he heard Loril gasp that she was sufficiently impressed.