The ancient stronghold had been built to survive enemies coming from the mine.
Its first gate stood at the end of a bridge carved from the cavern wall. The bridge crossed a narrow arm of the underground lake before reaching two squat towers. Dwarven firing positions looked down from both sides, and the stone approach offered no cover that had not been deliberately placed there by the defenders.
Helmar's people had restored the gate.
Fresh metal reinforced ancient doors. Lamps burned inside the towers, and movement crossed the firing slits. Behind the gate, higher structures climbed along the lake's edge until darkness swallowed their upper walls.
Rod stopped before the bridge.
The freed slaves and their escorts continued toward the surface while Rod's reinforced group prepared to cross the bridge. Twenty people remained with Rod's party and Renn. Several carried injuries from the lower work areas, and their supplies had already fallen below what they brought from the surface.
