In the morning Pedro took Marchan, Trevor and Canod outside and around behind the stable. The sky was bright, but Pedro said they had best hurry as there was going to be a storm later in the morning. When Canod looked at him, he pointed to a small dark cloud in the north east.

'That, is currently out over the Bay of Chitay. It's gathering up water out of the bay and growing bigger. It'll be here before the sun is around to the south of us.'

The three travellors looked at each other. Being able to predict when a storm was coming would be a great help for them. They would be able to make preparations before it hit.

Pedro led them to the base of a cliff and dug about in the snow until it suddenly gave way under him and he fell into a cave. The other three rushed down to see if he was okay, but he stood up and brushed himself off. He took out a torch from his backpack and lit the torch with a match. The cave was not particularly high or wide (Trevor had to stoop and they could only go two abreast), but it went some distance under the cliff. They followed his torch the cave started to show signs of widening, and that someone had worked the stone, making the opening wider here, leveling the floor there. Nothing particularily noticable by itself, but together giving Marchan the impression someone had been coming in and out of this cave many times.

After a time, Pedro stopped. The cave had widened a little bit though it was still rather low. Pedro had them sit in a circle and said, 'Just past here a wind comes from every which way and blows out my torch. I am unable to get a match to light in the wind. I do not know how much further I have to go before the wind dies and I do not want to continue lest I fall and am unable to come back.'

Marchan immediately knew what Pedro wanted: someone to explore the cave who didn't need a torch. He nodded to Pedro and asked, 'Why do you want to continue exploring the cave? Is there something down here?'

'When I first came to this valley, before I even met Joan, I think it was twenty years ago, I was just travelling through plying my trade as a tinker looking for customers. Well, there was some elves staying in the valley and they saw me and invited me to join in their meal. They weren't interested in any of my wares. They said they could get better pots and pans that never wear out and are a pleasure to clean. Well, I asked if I could buy from them, and they refused me. When I asked where they got them from, they pointed at this cave and said they make them from the taitaim in this mine. Then they laughed at me, and said they were familiar with the ways of my people and I was welcome to have any gold that's in the mine, I just had to bring it to the surface. Well, I'll tell you. I've done my utmost since to find that gold. I brought Joan up here on the promise of gold and it's a wonder she hasn't left me. But if you'd help me, I would finally be able to fulfil my promise to her.'

'I see,' said Marchan. 'I've little use for a lot of gold myself right now as I'm travelling, but I do feel I need to pay my guide, Canod here.'

Canod looked up, he had been translating for Marchan and Trevor all this time, but hadn't really thought about the travellors receiving a share in the gold.

'Oh, of course,' said Pedro. 'I don't know how much gold there is down here, but we will all share as we see fit.'

Marchan stood up and took the lead, Pedro still carrying the torch behind him and Canod and Trevor behind him. Suddenly the cave widened out and a stiff breeze blew on them and the torch went out.