With the decision made to continue along the main northbound tunnel, the group headed out. The tunnel went on much like it had, the bug lights kept glowing, and all seemed as right with the world as it could when one was trudging in the dark. After about four hours, the party heard noise up ahead, the sound of a group near their size approaching from the darkness.
"Now, if there really is such a thing as coincidence," Rumer muttered, "that would be the rest of us heading toward us."
"I won't bet on that luck." Lasiar said grimly as he drew his mace. "It is more likely to be Ranchefus than Jana. Anyone want to call out to them?"
'Why don't we light the lantern and shine it on them to see who they are." Blacky whispered
"I could summon moonlight to shine on them. We would be able to see further." Lasiar replied softly.
"Well, I imagine they've heard us by now as we've heard them and most of us are none too quiet. Cast away," Rumer replied.
Rennirolas shook his head and chuckled softly as he slipped his left arm into the straps of his shield. "True," he smiled, "right now I imagine they are wondering the same thing we are."
"No doubt." Lasiar said grimly. He grasped his holy symbol with one hand, pointed with the other, and began chanting.
Lasiar cast a spell and illuminated the tunnel a little more than the red light they were getting from the bug parts still in their possession. Unfortunately, Rumer's coincidence was not to be. Rather than the other half of their group, it was a group of about six orcs who looked most unhappy to see them in the tunnel. Two of the orcs hung back, moving to the sides of the tunnel, preparing to fire short bows. The remaining four tried to close to melee distance, two with battle axes in hand and two waving long swords. Each of the six orcs wore leather armor and carried a shield depicting a skull with an arrow through each eye socket.
Blacky launched his hand axe at one of the orcs holding a short bow and waited for the rest of the orcs to close the distance, swinging his other hand axe at the first one to get to him. "Anyone speak orc?" Blacky asked as they prepared for combat.
Rumer laughed quietly as she moved into a position behind Blacky, her short sword out.
"Nope," Arachne murmured, finding someone or something to hide behind. Getting out her sling, she tried to hit the easiest target she could. She did not feel choosy.
Rennirolas fired two war arrows into the midst of the advancing orcs, then placed his bow to the side as he prepared his shield and drew his long sword.
The two groups exchanged a bout of missile fire with each other. The arrows from the two orcs' short bows clattered harmlessly to the tunnel floor among the party's feet. Blacky's hand axe and Arachne's sling stone were off the mark as well. Only one of Renn's long bow arrows buried itself into an orcish shoulder. Lasiar quietly called on Selune from his position in the group.
Falgout pushed his way to the front of the group during the missile fire. He and Blacky met the first two orcs, the one's bearing the long swords, at the head of the fray. The four exchanged blows. Blacky and the orc did no damage to each other with axe or sword, but Falgout's one-armed defenses allowed the second orc to cut through and wound him.
The two battle-axe wielders waited for an opportunity to get by in the tunnel. Behind them, the other orcs shouldered their bows, pulling long swords, and waited as well.
"I wish these tunnels were large enough for my big axe." Blacky growled "Then, this fight would be half over." He finished as he swung again with the hand axe.
Blacky cut down the orc he was fighting with his hand axe. One of the battle-axe wielders moved up to take his place as Falgout and his orc exchanged ineffectual blows. Renn took one of the orcs hanging back out with a well-aimed arrow to the eye. Arachne dropped a sling bullet on the floor from her slightly sheltered position. One of the former short-bow firing orcs pulled a horn from his belt and brought it to his lips, giving three short sharp blasts.
"Well at least now I know that these small axes work. I was beginning to wonder." Blacky laughed as he swung at the newly in range orc. "Nice choice of a weapon. I might have to borrow it after you're dead." He said to the orc with the axe.
Arachne swore at her lack of practice and fetched out another. "If at first you don't succeed..." she muttered, "...wait for them to get even closer."
