The travels of Slungandi: chapter 15 of The Talyoran

 

Slungandi never took part in battle. Instead, he spent much time wandering the Round Halls of Kapgar Kûm with the Talyoran in his hand. No one knew the many passages and chambers better than he. There were secret ways between distant chambers of Kapgar, and even between Kapgar and Kabadkabâ. He learnt, too, that there were other doors in and out of the stronghold than the two great gates: doors made by the Gangri that the Kabadri knew not — and doors made by the Kabadri but unknown to the Gangri. They were hidden doors; and some of them opened beyond the encampments of the besiegers.

Slungandi made his way out of Kapgar secretly and journeyed to the strongholds of Figrû Vomaddi and Kalípo Kalhondrim, to obtain supplies for the garrison. For some years this continued, but soon the Kabadri found that they had not enough surplus food, for their numbers had been swelled by fugitives from many parts of the Northlands. And they feared that the regular passage of travellers to their lands might attract the hostile attention of the Fellgiants.

So then Slungandi began to journey in secret south to the lands of the Hyûvandri. He went by way of another opening he had found in the slopes of the mountain, some way from the encampments of the Fellgiants. He took with him a small party of the Falakkazri who were not engaged in the defence of Kapgar Kûm. There was a way through the Greenmarch that was not much watched by the Entellári, passing by way of the Forest of Nanôr and the hill country where the Haldossilu river ran. At the southern end of this region Slungandi met with traders from the Southlands who supplied them with foodstuffs and other necessaries.  He kept the Falakkazri out of sight, lest they terrify the Hyûvanka traders by their alarming appearance. 

Then they conveyed these provisions north into the region of Hlund, for the Kabadri of Hlund were cut off by the hosts of the Fellgiants and in danger of starvation. In Hlund Slungandi chaffered some part of these goods for the smith-wrought tools and metalware of the Hlundika Kabdath. Then he and the Falakkazri returned to Kapgar Kûm with the remaining supplies by way of the same hidden door. After this they returned to the south with the manufactures purchased in Hlund to exchange for another load of provisions from the Hyûvanka traders. 

This arduous three-part journey Slungandi and his helpers made uncountable times; sometimes with poor success, on occasions when they were scattered and plundered by parties of marauding Fellgiants, or when floods ran high on the rivers and prevented their crossing. But the supplies never failed. Despite the closeness of the siege, and to the wonderment of the besiegers, the garrison never ran short.