Gerhardt came up the last of the slope with his lantern swinging and his breath tearing white, and he didn't slow until he was near enough to grab Trafalgar's arm and check for himself that it was whole.
"My lord." Relief cracked the cold off his face. "You're all right. Thank the deeps for that, I feared the worst when the hours ran long." His eyes flicked past Trafalgar to the black mouth up the mountain and came back. "But what happened? The trouble, has it been dealt with?"
"We'll deal with it tomorrow." Trafalgar let the man keep his arm a breath before he eased free. "Today I went down to have a proper look. And I'll tell you plainly, it's worse than any of us reckoned." He let a little weight sit on the next part, because the old foreman had earned it. "Lucky I came when I did. You did right to call for help." His voice cooled a notch. "Next time be more stubborn about it, would you? Sooner is cheaper than this."
