Azriel felt broken. Her arm ached, her clothes were torn and her breathing was shallow. She looked stupefied around her where once the Blight had been. Everything looked dark and broken. The walls of the cavern were all darkened as if life itself had been leached out of them. The purple flowers that grew here were just a bunch of dried-up vines.
The Duke stood there and turned to Eva, his face dark and angry, "Why did you give Ashmeer the Cup of Joy? Who told you to do that?"
She looked stricken, "He would have killed her otherwise. I ...."
"I was there, I wouldn't have let her die. Eva, you let go of something so valuable to us."
"I..." tears were streaming down Eva's face. "I was ....trying to save her life."
The Duke shook his head, "Ashmeer could never kill her, Eva their betrothal has bound them by blood."
Eva sobbed and nodded. Azriel looked at the Duke and said, "Now what?"
The Duke said, "We will bury our dead first Azriel, then we will speak. I will ask Galvin to send some men down here. See the rock where your blood fell, already shows green shoots and signs of recovery. The land will heal itself, slowly, but it will."
Azriel looked at the rock where her blood had fallen. The Duke was right. Already the rocks were looking less leached and more solid. The area adjoining them was still all broken and darkened, as if life itself had been taken away from them.
"Your father should never have mined so deep here. it's his own greed. Once we bury the dead, I will speak to Galvin and tell him to close the mine."
Eva and Azriel limped back with the Duke to the shaft. Azriel realized the other Irismian soldier was also dead. Eight people went in, three came out.
"How do we get out of here?" Azriel asked suddenly, the shaft was broken and there was no way out of the mine.
"Oh Goodness," said the Book suddenly to her. I'm so done with this dreadful place. Azriel felt a great rush and before she knew it, they were back into the great cavernous hall of the mine.