Robbi was surprised at the size of the tunnel behind the gorse. It was easily ten feet wide and seven feet high. It ascended at a steep incline with occasional flat areas where the increasingly wearier travelers could rest. Yogi explained that the tunnel circled around the interior of the mountain at a depth of about fifty feet from the outside face. The entire length of the tunnel was nearly six miles, six strenuous miles. Robbi kept her mind off the arduous journey by asking Yogi about not only the tunnel, but the part the moles played in Arisha's world in the days before the wizards.

"Yogi?" she asked, "How long have the moles known Arisha?"

The Mole-king laughed.
"Longer than anyone, before Gleneden, before da wizards. We came across her egg when it landed on da mountain. We were just troibes at da toime, barbarians were invading from da north and da east. Da mountain was da last place we were safe in any numbers.

"When Arisha hatched, we were froightened, especially when she told us she needed to feed. One hundred creatures were needed, so in exchange for sharing da mountain, a hundred brave moles volunteered. She was about to feed, when a miracle occurred. It was at dat precoise toime dat da barbarians stormed da mountain to woipe out da moles. Dey did not count on Arisha. No mole doid dat day, but Arisha had her full meal. From dat point on we did whatever da Golden Spoider wanted. We moined da mountain and found da Abitar and da Rubitar, we built her temple, we started da mosaic around it, and until she created the wizards, we were her eyes and paws on Arishamal.

"Even den, dose thousands of years ago, she could not leave da Sapphoire Peak. It was much later dat we were banished from da mountain, but even den, Arisha was never mad at us, she just knew dat da temptation to take pieces of da holy stones was more den most simple moles could bear."

"How is it you know about this tunnel?" Robbi asked.

"Moi father, da last Yogi, showed me, and Oi showed moi sons. Only da royal loine and our hoigh priest know of its existence."

Robbi stopped and sat on a stone bench located on one of the level resting areas. Digger and Yogi joined her. The three shared some water from the canteen. The little wizard had another question for the Mole-King.
"Have you ever been in this tunnel?"

"Dis is da first toime." Yogi smiled.

"Are you sure it leads out at the summit, I don't ever remember seeing a tunnel entrance when I visited Arisha?"

Yogi put his digging claw on the young rat's shoulder.
"We'll foind out soon enough. Only about another hour. Don't worry, one way or another we'll foind an exit, even if Digger and Oi have to dig one ourselves."

By the time Robbi and the two moles reached the uppermost reaches of the tunnel, they had been walking for several hours and exhaustion had begun to take its toll. Muscles ached, footpads hurt, and even their paws were stiff from carrying the lanterns.

The tunnel opened to a circular space about thirty feet wide. Around the wall a flight of stone stairs, possibly twenty feet high led to a smaller ledge with no apparent exit. When Yogi ran his paws over the stone wall at the room's far end, a wide grin grew on his velvet face.

"It's a secret door!" he said enthusiastically. He gave a gentle shove to the far side and the entire wall began to pivot out smoothly on a balance point somewhere under the center of the structure. Yogi popped his head through and found himself in Arisha's temple. The secret door was one of the many large white marble panels which lined the interior of the large oval shaped room. Robbi and Digger followed him in.

"The Abitar is gone!" Robbi cried out in shock.

"Where is Arisha?" Digger asked.

Yogi, who had stepped out of the temple, called out loudly.
"Out here!"

Digger and Robbi rushed out to find the massive, motionless cocoon. The brittle shell of the dead Deev lay directly in front of it.

"I have to get her out the webbing." Robbi announced.

"How? Her web is uncutable." Yogi asked.

Robbi reached her paw down the front of her blouse and pulled out a necklace holding two mounted cabochons, one white and one red. She disengaged the white stone and removed it from its mounting.
"I took these off the wizard's gown and hat that Arisha made for me. They are pieces of the Rubitar and Abitar. They can cut Arisha's web," she said as she started to slowly cut the cocoon down its center.

Digger watched in fascination.
"It's good that whoever did this didn't know de Abitar could cut da web, dey could have cut in easy," he glanced over at the desiccated corpse of the Deev, "well, maybe not too easy. Who is dat? Who did dis?"

"I think he's a Deev. Vattus was right, something bad is happening." Yogi answered.

"A Deev? But Deev are immortal and he...," Digger motioned at the body, "looks pretty mortal to me."

Yogi scratched his head.
"Oi don't know. Arisha is magical, maybe she can kill Deev."

Robbi completed slicing the cocoon down its center. Digger and Yogi assisted her in pulling the cocoon open to free Arisha. The Golden Spider was completely motionless and appeared dead, laying on her back with her eight enormous legs curled around the bottom of her body. Robbi went to her head. Tears began to stream down the small rat's face as she gently stroked the giant spider's head. She began to sob uncontrollably. Yogi and Digger stood to either side of her and placed their paws on her shoulders to comfort her.

"I live, my child," A voice in Robbi's head said weakly.

"Arisha!" Robbi shouted.

Yogi misunderstood her outburst and put his arm around her, speaking gently.
"Oi don't thing dat will do any good, Robbi. Oi think she's dead."

"No, Yogi, I can hear her in my head, she's still alive," Robbi said smiling.

Yogi and Digger stepped back and let Robbi lay paws on the Spider's head.
"Can you hear me?" The rat asked aloud.

"I can," the voice in Robbi's head said clearly, it continued, "I have been poisoned, it is a potion I do not recognize. I am unable to move and my attacker implied I would be paralyzed for the remainder of my existence."

"Oh no!" Robbi blurted out.

"What?" Digger and Yogi asked.

"Arisha's been poisoned," the little wizard replied, "is there an antidote?"

"I don't know, possibly, but that is not important now. We must stop the Deev from whatever vile plan they are executing."

"It was the Deev?"

"Yes, not all, but Prince Vasheron, their leader was among them. They are taking the Abitar to Seth-E-Raman, where I am certain the Rubitar is as well. I overheard Vasheron speaking, the guiding force of this plot is someone named Azmeritus. Who or what he is I know not, but the Deev are running his errands, so he must be powerful indeed.

"The Prince mentioned retrieving a book of prophecy from the Guild of Assassins. I think all the answers may well be in that book. You must get that book before them, if possible. You must leave now, there is no time to spare. Do not worry about me," Robbi could swear she felt a giggle, "I'll just wait here."

"All right Arisha, we'll try," Robbi said glumly.

"There is one bit of good news. The Deev have their powers, true, but as you can see by that dead beast, they are once again mortal, they can be destroyed. Now go with Targas, my child. I will be here if you need me."

Robbi removed her paws from Arisha's head. She turned towards the moles and conveyed everything Arisha had told her.

"Do we still go to Aolas to meet Vattus or do we go straight to de Lands of Man?" Digger asked.

Yogi thought for a long while.
"Go to de edge of da summit and see if you can see de villain's boat," Yogi instructed, "we'll meet you at da lift."

Robbi and Yogi headed to the area where the Abitar had been lowered and broke out the climbing gear and donned their harnesses. After a short time, Digger joined them with his news.

"Oi can see dem headed southwest, we must have just missed dem," Digger informed his father.

"Dat's good news!" Yogi exclaimed, "Dey must be unfamiliar with de south. Da boat is only usable for a few hundred moiles before dey hit de forests and den da Pharouse River. Dey will have to go on foot, it will take dem a good amount of toime. We can go to Wiccinas and meet Vattus, den take a real boat around da southern Cape into Seth-E-Raman and still get dere first."

"That might give us time to find the book!" Robbi exclaimed.

"Targas willing, now, let's get down dis mountain. Digger, help Robbi, Oi'm going down first to make sure we're safe." With that, the mole king hooked his harness to Arisha's rope, swung away from the cliff and quickly began rappelling down the mountain face.

Robbi gulped nervously and remained silent while Digger rigged her harness and explained what she needed to do. Digger could see her discomfort and smiled broadly.

"Oi know it looks scary, but it's great fun, you'll loike it."

"If you say so," Robbi said, unconvinced.

Digger guided Robbi out over the precipice. Robbi avoided looking down, instead concentrating on the mechanics of what the mole had told her. She eased down slowly at first, picking up speed as her confidence increased. By the time Digger mounted the rope, Robbi was shooting down the face of the cliff in a rapid controlled descent, enjoying, as Digger had predicted, the excitement of the moment.

When all three friends were safely on the ground, they headed quickly to their boat. Working efficiently, they were soon speeding due south toward Aolas, trying desperately to make sense of what had happened.