The group made their way warily across the blighted clearing and through the open gates of the keep. They encountered no problems crossing the courtyard. The door to the room they sought was unlocked. The room was dark, although they could see firewood and general clutter scattered around the room with the light from outside while the door was open. The trapdoor at the far end of the room had been left open. A quick glance down the stairs indicated that it was indeed dark down below.
Aloysius peered cautiously down the stairs. "'Twould appear that we will be in need of thy torch, Eric. Unsure am I that Arachne is the most practical candidate for bearer status. Perhaps the Silverstar could serve in that capacity? That way, he could still address the undead if the need should arise."
"Good idea," Jana agreed. "I'll stand next to you, Lasiar."
"I will serve in that capacity, if the party wishes it. Yet I tire of your demeaning Arachne, 'practical candidate for the bearer status' my stars. She is as capable as I to carry a torch." Lasiar answered coolly.
"Capability be not a consideration," Aloysius replied. "Height, on the other hand, is." He grinned at the small gnome. "And it has been some time since Stargazer hath demeaned Arachne."
"I would like to reiterate Rumer's suggestion before we left camp. Let someone with stealth scout before us. And someone who can see in the dark, that would leave Kaileer and Etienne." Lasiar paused as he looked to the two for a volunteer. "In that manner we would have time to prepare for a battle and our enemies would not see us coming before we see them."
"And it not be good if torch run away when enemy attack," the ranger said without expression as he glanced down the stairs and descended, bow in hand and arrow notched and ready.
"I can hold it if you like," murmured Rumer, "I don't use a shield and my weapons all only require one hand. Then someone else can hold it if I need to search for traps or open locks or something."
"Hast thou a ready way to ignite yon torch?" Aloysius asked the gypsy. "If not, Stargazer hath a flint and steel thou mayest employ."
While the job of torch bearer was being discussed, Kaileer descended the staircase alone.
"I have flint and steel." Rumer turned to Renn, "Will you lead the way with Kaileer since you too can see in the dark? We'll follow about 60' behind."
Rennirolas looked away from his investigation of the keep's interior. His eyes lost the faraway look they held, and he smiled slowly. "Indeed," Renn said softly, as his long sword slid from it's scabbard. "I will accompany Kaileer ahead of the group."
Rennirolas hurried to catch Kaileer, and fell into step beside the ranger. With his long sword in hand, he stepped carefully beside his fellow elf.
Lasiar watched Renn descend the staircase and muttered, "I don't know much about him yet, but I hope he fits the part of stealthy." He paused for several seconds as he counted how many adventurers it took to light a torch. "I will follow the party several paces back as rear guard, since the Lady has blessed me with night sight. Will you accompany me Etienne?"
Rumer caught Lasiar watching her and Aloysius bemusedly and arched an eyebrow, "Problem?" she asked, as she brought the sputtering torch to life and prepared to go down the stairs.
Etienne looked to the priest and nodded. He drew a scimitar from his back and waited for Lasiar to move.
Blacky propped the door open with a piece of firewood and looked around the room for more torches or anything they might need (like boots) while Kaileer and Renn got a head start and the torch was being lit. "The rest of you quickly see if there are any torches or boots in here, while they scout ahead." Blacky said quietly.
There were no boots or torches to be found in the room with the trapdoor to the stairs.
Rennirolas followed Kaileer down the stairs. Rumer lit the torch before the others went down the stairs as well. The room at the foot of the stairs contained nothing more than several sets of dusty footprints going to and from the stairs.
The party, with Etienne and Lasiar bringing up the rear, moved forward from the landing down a short narrow corridor which widened after a short distance. The torch light fell on Kaileer and Rennirolas, who were apparently standing there waiting for them.
There were two closed doors on the right side of the hall that should open into an old storeroom and a latrine according to their map. A door on the left stood slightly ajar. After 60', the hall took a turn to the right. The hallway was lined with sconces about every 20', each containing a burned out torch.
Falgout pointed to the door on the left. "That's the door to the jailer's room, where my equipment is," he whispered.
Rumer, followed closely by Falgout, walked to the door on the left that Falgout had indicated. It was slightly ajar. Falgout pushed it open and glanced in, "Looks okay from what I can see. The dogs are gone, I think." He walked into the room, presumably to locate his boots.
Rumer followed.
Blacky followed Falgout and Rumer into the room, alert for any sign of trouble.
Jana remained in the hallway, keeping watch in the direction they'd been traveling. "This place is just too damned creepy," she muttered.
Aloysius nodded silently in agreement. He tried to peer down the hallway to the east in the direction of the secret door Ranchefus had gone through.
Kaileer padded softly towards the corner to keep an eye out in case someone or something was still around.
Lasiar stood guard at the rear, peering down the dark corridor that they had just travelled.
Blacky, Falgout, and Rumer went into the room, leaving those in the hall without a source of light, other than the small amount still coming from the torch through the open door. Aloysius and Kaileer looked down the dark corridor to the east, while most of the others kept watch down the hall they had just come down.
Arachne waited out in the hall. She waited quietly, not even muttering.
Etienne waited with Lasiar, "Perhaps we should have taken him to town and let him buy new boots. We're sitting ducks out here and who knows what they may find in there. All the while Ranchefus grows stronger." His voice was but a whisper but it was quite clear Etienne was becoming annoyed with the situation.
Lasiar shifted his attention slightly to the elf. "We would have had to wait there while he tried on shoes. At least we know that we won't have to go to more than one cobbler this way." He smiled into the darkness.
Rumer leaned out the door holding a likely familiar pack, "Hey, Jana, is this Echo's? Maybe you should hold it for her for when we find her. She may want that stuff."
Jana took the pack and peered at it to see if she recognized it as belonging to Echo.
Aloysius smiled weakly as Rumer passed the pack to Jana. He then turned to Kaileer and spoke quietly with him as they watched the eastward passage.
"Yeah," Jana said, looking closely at the books. "It's her stuff, I think. Thanks," she added, looking up at Rumer. She strapped the pack on under her own.
"Yeah, looked that way to me too." Rumer said quietly, then disappeared back into the room.
