By some rending of the earth in ancient times, there is a mighty rift within a spur of the northern mountains that reaches out towards the Dagnath Nebren. Long ago Groiznath the son of Negobith was sent by his father to explore this place. After extensive wanderings he and his companions found a way down on to the deep floor of this place, and came to the bank of the river that runs into the cleft at the northern end. This fast-flowing stream rushes for long leagues among rocks deep down in the narrow rift. When it reaches the end of the rift, it plunges into a dark underground tunnel.
Groiznath and his companions lowered logs that they had cut in the surrounding forests down into the rift and built themselves a raft. Greatly daring, they launched this raft, and, using poles and paddles to fend off the rocks, and starfire torches to light up the passages they traversed, they navigated the rushing stream down the tunnel and all the way to a wide rapids, filled with barriers of rock. But here the raft was wrecked, and the three companions of Groiznath were swept away down the rapids to an unknown fate. Groiznath scrambled ashore to find himself on a structure made by hands: the Giants’ quayside, deep below the Round Halls of Kapgar Kûm, at the very bottom of the Spiral Stronghold. Knowledge of this waterway, where it could be reached, and where it led, he kept to himself; he did not reveal it to his brother Prámiz or his father Negobith or to any confederate; and not long afterwards, when the Giants’ Wars were over, all three of them were bound, each in a different way, and prevented from holding any converse.
But Slungandi, the spier and seeker-out of every secret, knew the whereabouts and the course of the Ûthálu, the Secret River. The tale tells that he himself, in disguise, was one of Groiznath’s companions on that first voyage, and that, clinging to the remaining spars of the raft, he was swept by the torrent right through the mountain caverns and came forth, bruised but living, in the great lake beyond the Dagnath Nebren. Then, of course, Slungandi returned to the Great Cleft and devised for himself a convenient vessel, sleeker and lighter than the clumsy raft that Groiznath had used — none other than his great drum Brandubur, to which he bound himself by spells. Then he navigated the Ûthálu and came again to the Giants’ Quay without mishap. The force of the current was such that it was impossible to navigate back upstream to the Great Cleft. The only way by water from the Giants’ quay was the violent rapids and underground waterways leading westward. That was a joyless journey. Only the hardiest could undertake it. Instead, on his second passage of the stream, Slungandi left the water and climbed to the top of the great spiral stairway. There he arrived at the doorway below the summit of Hogunoth, and discovered its opening spell.
After leaving Hlund, Slungandi did not retrace his steps along the Paite-ta Bróve Kabdath, the road of the Northern Kabadri, but, carrying Brandubur and the two swords on his back, took a goat track over the hills until he reached the Great Cleft. He rapidly descended to its deep floor, placed the great drum in a bay of the rapidly flowing river, climbed on to it, and pushed off into midstream. He had no lights, but he knew how long it took to be carried by the current through the valley and down the tunnel to the rapids. He knew by the changing sound of the water when he had arrived in the cavern where the quay was. And he knew where to paddle the drum so that it entered a patch of still water beside the quay. And so, with very little trouble, he reached the quay and disembarked, still with the two swords on his back.
Making quite certain by the secret mark on Daganarth which sword was which, he thrust Gantzor into a rock in a hidden corner near the place where he had kept it previously. It would take careful searching to find it, and none but he would be able to pull it out again. He took Daganarth and the drum Brandubur with him and ascended the great spiral stairway. He came to the door leading to the Eastern Incline. Then, watchful for any sign that the Sleeper might be approaching, he made his way out through the Eastern Door.
It was very convenient that the Stone-giant Mivgâ had vacated his house, Higutigna, just when Slungandi needed a place not far from Kapgar Kûm where he could stay in seclusion. From it he could conduct his hidden activities. Mivgâ had built the house himself. It was high and many-roomed, for he had housed several other Gangri there. And he had proudly named it ‘the house of houses’. But now he was no more, and it stood empty, except for the bats and foxes that had moved in. Slungandi bent his steps there, and in a slightly longer time than it had taken the Stone-giant to travel in the opposite direction to his final unexpected encounter with the Sleeper, he reached Mivgâ’s untenanted home.
Under the house there were capacious cellars. Mivgâ had stored a great many barrels of wine of the finest quality there. In the furthest recess of these cellars was the perfect place to keep Daganarth until he was needed. Having stowed the Sword away, Slungandi returned to the smallest and most secluded dwelling-chamber in the house, where he refreshed himself ready for his next expedition.
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