Under the Kharolis Mountains, Thorbardin was what it had always been – hundreds of square miles of busy, bustling, squabbling, and delving dwarfdom, where the past was past and the problems of any one person were seldom of concern to many others.

And this was the reality that Jilian Firestoke faced. No one knew where

Chane Feldstone had gone, and no one except her really cared, either.

However, she was sure now that she knew where Chane had gone, and certain of the mischief her father had engineered.

And so, as was her custom, Jilian made up her own mind.

"I am going outside," she told her neighbor, Silicia Orebrand. "I intend to go and find Chane Feldstone and bring him home. There is just no telling what sort of mess he may be in out there."

The stocky Silicia's eyes went wide with horror. "Outside? Do you mean outside, outside?"

"Of course I mean outside," Jilian said. "Chane's dream told him to go and find an old helmet, because Thorbardin was threatened and it was up to him to save it. So I know that's where he went. And my own father, tarnish his whiskers, put him up to it and then betrayed him. I know all about it, you see. So I am going outside to find him."

"But Jilian… outside? Nobody goes outside! I've never heard of such a thing."

"Tarnish, Silicia. Don't be silly. Of course people go outside. Traders, scouts, metallurgists… lots of people ga outside. Even Chane has been outside before, helping Rogar Goldbuckle load his packs. He told me about it."

"But can you? I mean, go outside? Is it allowed?"

"I asked Ferrous Spikemold. He knows about such things. He said anybody who wants to, can go outside. There is no law against going outside. It's just coming back in that gets sticky."

"Did you tell him that you were thinking about going outside 7"

"No, I don't see how that's any of his business. And you know what a gossip he can be. I just asked him in general, about people going outside.

He said anybody can, if they want to."

Silicia frowned. "But, Jilian, you've never been outside. I mean… out?

I bet in your whole life you've never seen the sky except from the Valley of the Thanes. I know I certainly haven't. I've never even dreamed of such a thing. Why, they say there are all sorts of awful things out there – ogres and goblins, warrior elves, humans. By Reorx, they say half the world is overrun with humans these days. Jilian, are you feeling well? I can't imagine thinking such a thing. Outside?"

"Outside," Jilian said firmly. "And it will serve my father right if I never come back."

"But, Jilian, dear…" Silicia paused, then fired her best shot. 'What will people think?"

"Oh, tarnish what people think. I'm going, Silicia, and that's an end to it. All I ask is that you look in on my father from time to time and see that he pays his tap fees when they are due. The old ruster hasn't a brain in his head when it comes to household duties."

"Well, of course I would do that, dear." Silicia still was blinking rapidly, only half-believing what she was hearing. "But how would you even know where to look for your young man, dear? Outside is… well, it's just awfully big!" She shuddered, just thinking about it.

"Oh, that. Well, at least I know where to start. I have a map of where he was last seen."

"A map?" Silicia blinked again, awe following awe. "How could you possibly have a map? Did your father… 2"

"I haven't even told him about this yet. And I'd appreciate it if you didn't, either. No, I saw the armsmen he sent to drive Chane away. I didn't know who they were at the time, but I remembered later. Then I saw one of them again, at the tinsmith's stall, and I followed him and got him to draw a map for me."

"An armsman? A warren ruffian? Why would he have done that for you?

Jilian, you didn't…"

"Oh, nothing like that, Silicia. Don't be silly. No, I just followed him until I caught him alone in a cable-shaft, then I crept up behind and hit him in the head with a prybar. Then, while he was unconscious, I chained him to a cable-wagon track. When he woke up I told him that if he would draw the map for me I would give him a chisel to cut himself loose. So he drew the map. He was very willing, because we could hear an orewagon coming."

Silicia goggled at her, totally at a loss for words. Finally she shook her head and sighed. "Do you have everything you'll need for such a journey?"

"I have some warm clothing and a pack and waterskin. And my map. I suppose a company of armed fighters might be good to take along, but I can't afford anything like that."

"Well, of course not!" Silicia snapped. "The wages people charge these days, just for single escort through the markets. There's no telling what you'd have to pay to get an escort to go… ah… outside." She looked around at the walls and cabinets of her great room. Swords and shields, hammers and pikes were displayed and stacked in various places. Her husband, Stonecut Orebrand, prided himself on his collection. "At the very least, I suppose you should take a weapon or two."

"I couldn't take your husband's -"

"Tarnish! He's lost track of what he has, anyway. What he doesn't know, he'll never miss." She went to a corner cabinet and poked around in it, emerging with a small, double-edged sword and a sheathed dagger. "Take these," she said. "My Brother gave them to Stoney one time, in a fit of generosity, but I don't think he's even looked at them in years. He doesn't think much of my brother, you know."

Jilian took the sword from her and squinted at it curiously. "This is heavier than a prybar," she noted.

"Have you ever used a sword before, Jilian?"

"Well… not really. Have you?"

"No. It can't be very complicated, though. One just swings it, I suppose."

"Like swinging a prybar, do you think?"

"Maybe with two hands, though. The handle is long enough for both of your hands. Here, stand in the middle of the room and swing it around a bit. Then you'll be used to it if you ever want to fight with something."

Jilian helped Silicia slide the furniture out of the way, then placed herself in the cleared area and lifted the sword, gripping it carefully with both hands. Though shorter than most of the swords in Stonecut

Orebrand's collection, the weapon still was only six inches shorter than

Jilian was, and much of its weight was forward, toward the point, in the dwarven style. Being a sturdy dwarven girl, Jilian had no trouble lifting it, even holding it out at arm's length, but it did tend to off-balance her a bit. "What should I swing it at?" she asked.

Silicia went to a corner and brought back a candlestand with a foot-long taper set in it. "Cut the candle," she suggested.

"All right. Stand back." Jilian placed herself with the candlestand to her left, sighted on it, raised the sword and swung… and gasped, then clung for dear life as the sword seemed to take charge. It whisked past the top of the candle and kept going as the momentum of the cut becaine centrifugal force. Like a spinning top, Jilian twirled around and around, her feet a blur, trying to keep up with the sword in her hands, trying to keep her balance as she spun.

On its second rotation, the sword clove through the candle. On its third it bisected the oakwood candlestand. On its fourth it cut the legs off the stand and took two candles out of a hanging chandelier on the other side of Jilian. Silicia shrieked and dived for cover as the rate of spin increased and the twirling Jilian began to move. Four more revolutions and the sword eviscerated an herb pot, beheaded a chair, bisected a hanging tapestry, and embedded itself firmly in a doorframe. Jilian blinked in amazement, while momentary dizziness subsided, then wrenched the weapon free and stared at it. "Goodness!" she said.

Silicia peeked from behind a stone bench. "Are you finished, do you think?"