Slaves. Words like "slave" and "mining" were nearly forgotten in Elneside. People who were doing arduous jobs, chopping firewood or harvesting a crop, might still declare themselves to be "working like slaves," a reference passed down through generations from a distant time and place. But after their experiences that day, the meaning of Seth's words was fairly clear to Telli and Brakis. The motives of the cave creatures in capturing them, without inflicting unnecessary injury, were explained. So was the high stone wall around the village, not there to keep wolves out, but to keep people in.

Seth busied himself for a while, serving portions of food from the pot into bowls and refilling their cups while the Elnesiders absorbed his information. Every cloud is said to have a silver lining, and the weary travellers soon discovered this to be true of their present predicament. Slaves maybe, but the food, a thick, richly flavoured stew, was excellent. So was the drink, a brew made of fermented apple juice, which Seth drank at an almost alarming rate. Brakis decided it was just the thing to help digest the news that he might spend the rest of his life digging holes for the "beakmen," and drained his cup, holding it out for more and saying:

"It is not every day a man falls asleep free, and wakes a "slave" as you call it, so I think I shall celebrate."

Seth gave a rare smile as he filled the other man's cup.

"Have you been here a long time?" Telli asked.

The big man looked down at hands like shovels, shaped by his work as a smith. Telli saw a dreamy look come to his eyes as he replied in the slow manner of speech that was his nature.

"I was nine years old when the Khrelling took me, stole me from near my home as I was walking back one night alone after a visit to my grandmother in the next village. I do not know how far away it was, for like all here, I do not know exactly where we are, and I was drugged for most of the journey here. For the first three years I worked the fields with the women, as all our children do here. Then I started in the forge, and have been there since, more than twenty years. My wife was born here, as was her mother, but not her father who was taken as I was. Nearly all here were born slaves. Only a few like myself have some memory of another life; and there are only three others who, like you Brakis, reached manhood before coming here."

"Do you not think of escape?" asked Brakis.

The question made Seth visibly uneasy, and he replied gruffly that he would speak of that the next day, as he had the day off, and had been told by Anolph to show them around. The mention of Anolph's name led Telli to another question.

"Can you speak the language of the creatures you call Krelling?"

"Khrelling," Seth corrected him, starting the word with a hissing sound in the back of his throat, so like the noises the creatures made themselves that the others laughed. "I understand a little, perhaps a little more than I choose to let them know. It can be useful to hear things not meant for one's ears at times." Seth laughed also, and Telli, who had been noticing the way their new acquaintance became increasingly relaxed in their presence, realised that the big man instinctively liked the newcomers. He guessed shrewdly that what Seth liked, whether he knew it or not, was that they smiled and laughed with ease; that in spite of their recent capture, they had not begun to behave like prisoners or slaves.

Brakis seemed to have decided to take their situation philosophically, and indicated as much by complimenting Seth on the food and the apple wine, and asking if he could spare some more of the latter. Telli had come to know his friend well, and knew that he also had guessed Seth might like to stay and talk with them for a while. Brakis might seem determined to enjoy himself, but was also trying to guide the mood of the big man in such a way as to make him reveal as much as possible about their new situation. Telli smiled to himself at the guile of the hunter, as the two men started to drink cup for cup of the brew together, while he drank slowly, keeping his young head clear and taking in the conversation.

The Elnesiders learnt that the village was known simply as the "camp", the slaves lacking the affection for the place to give it a proper name, unusual for people in such a beautiful and fertile valley. When Brakis commented again on the quality of the food, Seth stated that the Khrelling went to great lengths to ensure that their slaves had the means to produce plenty to eat for themselves.

"In my village we kept oxen as beasts of burden, to pull our ploughs and our carts. Only a foolish man would starve his oxen. He would get less work from them, and if they did not die they would still have lost value if sold at market. The Khrelling are not fools, at least not in that way. Their own diet is completely different from ours, and they have no reason to take any of what we produce."

It appeared that the Khrelling were very much creatures of the caves, and when outside them, were creatures of the night. They saw well in the dark and their eyes did not like bright light, like other night animals. Their pale skin needed to be covered when in direct sunlight, as it would burn. They could swim very well, and could climb rock faces far better than men, their hands and feet specially adapted to do so. Important in their diet were blind-fish and a white fungus, both plentiful inside the caves, and when outside they preferred scratching in the ground for insects to anything else. One of the main reasons for keeping slaves was that their ability to make and use tools was not nearly as good as that of the men who worked for them. Seth indicated that he considered himself very valuable to his masters, and Telli noticed that Brakis found this particularly interesting. The big smith explained that "Khrelling" meant "masters" in the creatures' own language, leading Brakis to comment that the slaves of the camp must then have other less polite names for them, drawing another smile from the big man.

Seth stayed for the evening, leaving once for a few minutes to return with another flagon of wine and some cakes, which he presented as a gift from his wife. By the time he left, the Elnesiders had learned quite a bit about their new home, but were still curious and puzzled as to many things.

"We must be careful," said Brakis, as they lay down on the cots for the night. "I think our new friend is a good man, but there is much he has not told us, and some of his hints lead me to believe that we cannot trust some of our fellow slaves, as well as the Khrelling. We shall find out more when we see the camp tomorrow."

Telli agreed and, too tired to talk much, they both fell asleep at the same time for the first night since their journey had begun. Already captives, there was no need to watch.

The sun was already rising over the eastern peaks of the mountains surrounding the "camp" when Telli woke Brakis, who was still feeling the effects of the apple wine. They had slept well and late, and Telli felt more relaxed and refreshed than he had on any morning since leaving Elneside. He was building up the fire from the previous night's embers when Seth arrived with some food, this time accompanied by a young boy whom he introduced as his son, aged ten. Telli smiled at the introduction, hardly necessary as the youngster was already his own size, and resembled his father so closely in every way (excepting the bald head) that the sight of the two together was almost comical. Indeed Brakis, coming in with his head dripping wet after an attempt to clear it in the water barrel, laughed aloud as he guessed the relationship, and clapped Seth on the back, congratulating him in typical Elneside fashion on having such a sturdy offspring. Seth was obviously pleased, and stated that he would be back shortly to show them around the camp, wishing them a good appetite before leaving with his son in hand.

The food was plentiful and good, and it was difficult for the Elnesiders to feel anything other than optimism in their present circumstances. The memory of the day before seemed like a receding nightmare as they sat down on a pile of logs outside the hut to eat. It was such a beautiful day, the lush green valley and the splendid mountains to the west bathed in sunlight, that contrast with the dark caves and their hissing, squealing inhabitants could hardly have been greater. Several neighbours passed and greeted them shyly. The apparent health and wellbeing of the camp's inhabitants added to the impression, so strange for two people who had just lost their freedom, that all was going well with their journey. They had, at least, passed the highest of the great White Mountains.

When Seth returned, the three of them set off on a tour of the village and its surrounds. The houses were all on a similar model to the hut allocated to Telli and Brakis, although most were larger. There were few people around, but as they emerged from the village, they passed several groups of women and children working in the fields and picking the summer fruit in the orchards. Seth led the newcomers directly towards the boundary wall as if sensing their inevitable interest in the practical nature of their imprisonment, speaking of escape as he had promised the night before.

"When I first arrived here, though only a boy, I thought of little else than of finding a way out of the camp, and of returning to the family and friends I had left behind. You will do this also, as all new captives do, and indeed, many of those who are born here. It is impossible to escape! I have been told to show you why this is so. Only a man who could fly could possibly leave the camp."

Telli deliberately showed no reaction to this chance remark, but was sure that he could feel the smiling gaze of Brakis, walking a step behind the other two, on the back of his head. They were approaching a wooden fence which ran parallel to the high stone wall at about thirty yard's distance from it, and could see a man sitting on a small platform at the top of some steps beside it. On arriving at the fence, Seth introduced the man, who was elderly and grey-haired, as Hanith, a "fence-guard" by occupation. He asked the Elnesiders to join Hanith on the platform, and when they had done so, he untied a goat that was tethered to the foot of the steps. Lifting it easily in his great arms, he then carried it up to the platform beside them, and dropped it on the other side of the fence.

"This is the boundary we cannot pass. Watch the goat," he said simply.

They watched as the goat struggled to its feet and limped away, bleating in protest at this unexpected treatment. The area between the fence and the wall was covered in long grass and shrubs, and there were several large ponds in sight. The watchers saw nothing unusual at first, then there was a splash from one of the nearest ponds, and the grass seemed to part at an ever-increasing speed in a direct line from the water's edge to where the goat now stood. The animal reared up suddenly with something large hanging from its throat. Telli and Brakis watched in astonishment as the goat fell to the ground and they could see its attacker clearly. It was a massive lizard, perhaps nine feet long and looking like an enormous version of the green fly-catching lizard that lived on the banks of the Elne, but which never to their knowledge grew to more than two feet in length. As they watched, the monster was joined by two more of its kind, and while they tore into the flesh of the goat with huge jaws champing, and tongues longer than a man's arm flickering in and out, red with blood, others started to arrive from further away. Fights broke out over the meat, the beasts swinging their tails at each other with such force that a single blow would surely have killed a man. After a few moments, nothing was left of the goat but a few bones.

As the great lizards moved away, Brakis let out his breath in a long whistle, and commented that he would not be going any nearer to the wall in a hurry.

"Cannot lizards climb trees?" he asked. "Are we safe up here?"

The fence they stood on was about twelve feet high, and Hanith told them to lean over and look at the inside. They could see that this was covered not with wood, but with squares of smooth slate, each layer overlapping the next from top to bottom.

"Their claws cannot grip this," he explained. "If it was made of wood, only a fool would stand here."

They climbed down from the platform, saying goodbye to the old man, and started to walk beside the fence while Seth talked about the barrier to their freedom.

"The fence is watched by men like Hanith, too old or sick to be of much use as workers in the caves like the rest of us. They do not guard the fence because they wish us all to remain prisoners. Each one is held responsible for a section of the boundary while they are on duty. Should another slave pass that section, whether he succeeds in escape or not, the fence guard will be thrown to the lizards and will die." Seth waited for this information to sink in before he continued.

"The wall itself is guarded by Khrelling. As you can see, it would seem impossible to pass both fence and wall in daylight without being observed. You must remember I told you that the Khrelling are cave creatures, and creatures of the night. The watchers on the wall see far more clearly than we do in the dark. Their sense of smell is also far stronger than ours, and their hearing slightly better as well. Trying to outwit the Khrelling at night is like racing another man who has no burden when you are carrying a heavy weight."

Listening to all this, Telli felt himself losing some of the optimism of that morning. The news that they could not pass the wall without causing the death of another man was particularly hard to come to terms with. He identified a concern, a small nagging worry that he had felt since the night before without knowing its source. Tolerating slavery might be easier for some than for others. Brakis was a free spirit if ever there was one, and Telli, confident in his own ability to act the part of a docile slave and wait patiently for the chance of escape, was worried that his friend might do something rash and offend their new masters.

As Seth led them along a path that followed the curve of the fence round towards the south side of the camp, Telli's line of thought led him to ask an obvious question of their guide.

"Has anyone ever escaped the Khrelling since you have been here, Seth?"

"No. No one at all, although there have been attempts. Three fence-guards have been murdered in my time, but only two by the Khrelling. One of the guards was an uncle of my wife." Seth did not elaborate on the escape attempts, and was silent for some time as they walked. The Elnesiders began to understand how a bid for freedom might divide the slaves and perhaps offend those who were resigned to a life of captivity.

At the southernmost point of the enclosure, they crossed a wooden bridge over the river, which ran north through the village. A fence-guard sat on a platform above the river where the barrier ran through it about twenty yards from them. There were many holes in the fence to let the water through, though these were far too small to let a slave swim out or a giant lizard swim in. Brakis broke the silence to ask about the lizards, what they were, and where they had come from.

"They are just what they appear to be; lizards. Only these are far larger than any I heard tell of as a boy, and all others who come here from outside say the same. They are always hungry, and will eat anything that moves, which is why the Khrelling capture them and put them between the fence and the wall. They are native to this valley. I have seen them outside the wall, and once saw one attack and eat a leopard."

"You have been out?" Brakis was surprised.

"Several times. The Khrelling sometimes take slaves out under close guard to cut down trees for firewood and building, both for their own use and ours. But you will not go."

"Why not us?" Brakis guessed the answer as he spoke.

" I have a wife and four children inside the boundary when I am out," Seth said. "Many of us here think no longer of our own escape, but rather of the end of slavery for all in the camp. We can always live in the hope that one day our children, their children, or their children's children will know what freedom is."

The three walked on in thoughtful silence for a while, heading towards the cliff at the western end of the camp, in which the Elnesiders could already make out the outline of the great cave mouth they had emerged from the day before. After some time, Seth spoke again.

"I do not think that the Khrelling care so much about the loss of one or two slaves. They do not go to such lengths to keep us within the boundary for that reason. I think they fear what might happen if just one from amongst us was to carry the news of this place to other men, and those others should make it their business to set us free." The big man now spoke with great emotion for the first time since the others had met him.

"I would like nothing more than to see that day, nothing more," he said, punching his huge right fist into his left palm, and gripping it until his knuckles went white. Telli felt that he would not like to be the Khrelling standing nearest to Seth if and when the big slave's wishes became true.

They continued their walk past the cave entrance, where they could see how the wall joined the sheer cliff on either side of it, then they followed the fence as far as the northernmost point of the enclosure, where the river flowed out under the barrier. Here Seth suggested that, as they had walked three-quarters of the length of the wall, they should now follow the riverbank back to the village and eat something, it being already past midday.

On arriving at the village, the Elnesiders saw for the first time a large number of its occupants gathered together in an open area not far from their hut. All were men and boys, from about Telli's age on upwards. Seth explained that these were the afternoon work team, which assembled here before going off to start their 'shift' in the caves. As they approached the hut, he started to talk about the work that was expected of them.

"We are divided into three teams, and work continues throughout the day and the night. As one team finishes, another starts. You will be starting tomorrow night on the same team as I. We start after sundown, and work eight hours until sunrise. The next team takes over and works through until early afternoon, and the team you have seen gathering just now works until we start our next shift. So it continues for seven days in a row, until all stop for a break of two days, ending what we call a 'period' of nine days. After each period, the teams change hours, those on the night moving to the afternoon, the afternoon to the morning, and the morning to the night. You are in one sense lucky, as you will be starting on the second to last night of the period, and will only work two shifts before the first break."

Seth stopped at this and pointed to a large hut, which he said was his own. He explained that, while he had been given the night before off so that he could greet them and show them around, he would be working that night and must now leave them as he needed to rest before starting. He added that two women who had no families to feed had been given the job of catering for the newcomers, and would arrive at their hut shortly if they were not already there.

Leaving Seth and arriving at their hut, Telli and Brakis found that the women had already been there and had lit the fire leaving a pot cooking slowly over it. They now found themselves with time to discuss their unexpected situation. To Telli's relief, Brakis seemed to have resigned himself to the idea that they must be slaves for the time being, until they knew more of their circumstances and could find a way of escape.

"There seems to be no choice for the moment," he said. "However, I have no intention of becoming an old man in this place, and will be looking all the time for a way out. You must do as you think fit, Telli. If you see a chance to get out with your flying, then you should take it without thinking of me. There is always the possibility that if one of us escapes, we can bring help for the whole camp."

"The barrier is too much for my flying as far as I can see," said Telli. "The wall alone is higher than anything I have managed so far, and to cross both fence, wall, and the distance between in one flight is well beyond my powers. I certainly do not wish to rest for too long between the two and become a meal for those lizards."

They discussed the slaves they had met, and the Khrelling. Telli reminded Brakis of the message they had seen carved into the wall of the watchtower on the other side of the mountains.

"The Khrelling might have been the 'wormling' feared by the castle builders. They live in holes, and the name seems to suit them."

"Quite possibly," agreed Brakis. "It seems that they are interested in us only for our value as workers. This is in some ways not so bad, as we can see that the slaves are well fed and healthy, and that if they obey their masters, they can live a life of sorts. But have you noticed how seldom they smile compared with those we know back home? It is no life for a human being. We need space, and some control of our lives. We are not goats or tame fowl to be reared for the needs of others."

Telli speculated as to what the work would be like. They agreed that they must rest well the next day as they would be required to work throughout the following night. Then, having eaten, they set out to explore the camp for themselves.