It took Niles and his men three days to find the hidden entrance. They were beginning to suspect that they were mistaken, when they found it in a small grotto beneath a hill, buried under its collapsed bank. Its entrance had been sealed, and for good reason. Natural erosion had made the tunnel unsafe, however well it may have been built. Sections of the tunnel had collapsed entirely. Nevertheless, they forged their way down the tunnels’ throat, repairing the stonework as they progressed towards the castle.
After four days, once they were deep within the earth, the tunnel seemed much safer. They plunged ahead bearing torches and were soon beneath the castle itself.
At the tunnel’s end they were met by a wall of boulders. These they removed, and found themselves entering a large underground chamber. The place appeared to have been long disused. Heartened, they moved on. There was a series of such chambers, each as barren and unused as the first. Soon they reached a steep stair that ended in a heavy oak door. There being no light or sound on the other side, they tried opening the door. It was locked. Quietly as possible, they forced the door and held their breath. As the light from their torches penetrated the darkness, they saw the base of a stone staircase that spiralled upwards into the dark.