Great was the grief of the Kabadri in the cavern, and greater still the sorrowing of the whole people of the Kabdath when the workmen returned to their dwellings above the cavern of Kabadkabâ. For one of their principal chieftains, Hannartikhoth the bold, was fallen into endless icesleep, for which they knew no remedy, and their whole harvest of frostberries, their riches and the source of their tribute to their overlord Dreygan, was destroyed. And the gangworm to whom the fruit was carefully fed in measured morsels, week by week, lay sick or dead in their cavern, they did not know which.
The body of Hannartikhoth they bestowed in one of the many rock-hewn tombs that stood ready in the halls of Kabadkabâ.
Then they took counsel, and resolved that a party of them should go to tell their master Dreygan the terrible tidings; and being fearful of the event, they chose some of the boldest of the Kabadri to go on the errand, led by the chieftain Grekkonanaskon. These resolved to travel by the newly revealed passage out of their cavern, taking the quickest road. And so they returned to the cavern of Kabadkabâ, where their destruction had come upon them.
While the great Icesmith Dreygan slept in his cavernous bower in Onskabâ, four of his servants, the hawk-headed ones, the Falakkazri, often called the Kúmi Netári, went forth as usual to attend to the needs of Firungwáfi in his den, Handuvandûr. What was their dismay, confusion, and anger, when they found the gate Mathúr Tahanduvandûr hanging open, its lock undone, and the den empty, the Coldworm gone, the great stanchions in the floor bereft of the chain Káwrungdaga. How could this have been effected? Only some mighty being, one as mighty as Dreygan, he who had captured Firungwáfi ages back, in his youthful gianthood. Urgently they set out to follow the traces of the coldworm, which showed clearly in the scratches of his huge talons on the rocky floor of the passages. In their hearts they were turning over how the escape of the coldworm could be reported to their master, and what his answer would be. They trembled at the prospect, even they, the hawk-faced Netári, from whom mortals flee.
And now they came to places where none of them had ever journeyed, for they had had no need. But the way was plain. Firungwáfi had scraped the sides of the archway leading to the forgotten entrance to the cavern of the Kabadri. Such a place held no fears for the Netári. They hastened, hoping to find the coldworm and yet fearing what would happen when they did so. Perhaps they could entice him back with frostberries. As yet they did not know where the passage led. But when they reached the end of the passage, they quickly found the hidden doorway, for it was hidden no more. It bore the damage wreaked upon it by the calloused hide of the gangworm, hide as hard as stone, and it was all frosted by the monster’s breath.
The four Netári who had turned out for the morning watch at Handuvandûr now climbed with haste through the cleft. They were filled with amazement to find themselves in the frosty orchards of the Kabadri. For one moment they saw how useful it was that such a short road from Onskabâ to Kabadkabâ existed: merely half a morning’s journey. But the next moment consternation came upon them, even upon the Kúmi Netári whom mortals fear, as the scene of destruction met their eyes. All around, to the furthest recesses of the cavern, the grey frostbushes lay smashed and trampled, and grey pools of juice trickled between them. And in the midst the huge, motionless body of Firungwáfi towered, stupefied or dead.
The four servants of Dreygan the Icesmith stood regarding the ruin of his servants’ orchard and pondering the uncertain fate of his coldworm, of which they had so long been guardians. Then they perceived the messengers of the Kabadri approaching slowly. Their heads were bowed with their deep hoods thrown over them. When the Kabadri were within speaking distance they threw themselves to the ground. Then without rising their leader raised his head.
We Kabdath crave Kúmi Netári
For kind mercy and comfort-words.
Ruin befell us — wrath will follow —
A hasty banquet for a hungry iceworm,
A gentle jape by a giant guest.
Then spoke the chief staff-bearer of the Netári, Angash by name:
Falakkazri have not time or thought
For kind mercy and comfort-words.
Truth-runes shall urge Orchard-wardens
To give account in the court of Dreygan.
The Kabadri trembled where they lay, for they knew of the ordeal of the truth-runes. But the Netári stepped forward and smote the backs of the prone Kabadri with their staves. At once the Kabadri leapt upright, and next moment the Netári wove a staff-lock around them, muttering words of binding. Under the bondspell they could hardly move a limb, except, with effort, to walk. The Netári drove their captives back through the ruined frostberry plantation to its principal entrance. Here a wide stair of many hundreds of steps led up towards the levels where the dwellings of the Kabdath were.
At the top of the stair they entered a great hall, cut in the rock but lighted by many openings, at the end of which stood the gates of the realm of the Kabdath, Mathúr ta-Kabadkabâ. Many Kabadri were gathered, talking excitedly together, but as soon as they saw the Kúmi Netári and their captives they fell silent and drew away, flattening themselves against the walls.
The hawk-faced Kúmi Netári conferred together in low voices in their guttural tongue, the Deep Speech, which the terrified Kabadri could not understand. But their plan was evident. Two of their number hastened back to the cavern, so as to go by the shortest way to bring the tidings of the disaster to their master, Dreygan the Ice-smith.
None of the Kabadri moved or spoke. The staves of the Netári were enough to command the throng. All knew that they awaited the coming of Dreygan in wrath.
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