Move 144:  Moving On

The Garlstone Mine--Afternoon, 2 Eleint 1374 DR

The group stood around in the tunnel, waiting for Cethyran to recover from the effects of the warding spell that had temporarily incapacitated her.  After a few minutes, she began to move again, leaving the party free to move on into the chamber of their choice.

"Excellent," muttered Aloysius upon seeing the elf become mobile once more.  "If Cethyran feels up to it, let's keep moving.  Perhaps the passage just off to the right, here?"  As he looked into the gloomy darkness of that passage, he tapped Jana on the shoulder.  "Perhaps a scout could surreptitiously reconnoiter the passage and the chamber it leads to. That way, we wouldn't alert anyone . . or anything . ..in the chamber to our presence, and if the chamber is empty and provides no means to the next level, there is no point in the entire group examining it."

"OK, who wants to scout the chamber?"  Blacky asked quietly.

"Interesting," Ceth said as she was freed. "I seem to have suffered no ill effects. Should we move on?"

Rennirolas moved forward to support Cethryn as the ward's paralyzing effect dissapated.  "Indeed, it is a simple holding ward," Renn smiled.  "Perhaps they relied upon it to hold whomever it captured until a patrol did pass by."

Cethyran nodded. "Glad I am that there was no such patrol, and that you did not leave me to my fate." She smiled.

"The dwarf in Milborne told us which chamber had a way to the lower level, the Grand Cascade," Echo mentioned.  "I'll scout this chamber if you want, though.  Although I don't like the idea of going off alone in here."

"If the 'Grand Cascade' provides access to the lower level, let us proceed to the left," replied Aloysius.
"I see no point on exploring other chambers until we have done what we came to do."

"Other than making sure we leave no opponents behind us that is," Renn said.  "Though if Echo does wish to see what the chamber holds, I can accompany her and give what aid I can."

Aloysious sighed.  "Aye, Rennirolas.  Your wise suggestion had not occurred to me.  Perhaps the two of you could simply ascertain whether or not the chamber to the right is occupied?  If it isn't, then our course is clear.  If it is, we can decide how to address that problem once the two of you return."

"or I," added Cethyran.

"Suppose do I that these three can nearly be as quiet as one," replied Aloysius.  He turned to Echo.
"Stargazer shall retain the lantern for thee until thy return."  He took the lantern and knelt close to the wall.  "Tarry not," he implored. "Suffice to say that this place shall become infinitely more hostile once our presence becomes known.  The rest of us shall keep watch over the other passage whilst the three of thee are gone."

After setting the lantern down on the passage floor, he turned his attention towards the passage-not-yet-taken.

Jana waited impatiently for the three to return.  She kept shifting her weight from one foot to another, apprehension clear on her face.  Her hand never left the hilt of her sheathed sword.

Seeing that the elf required no further assistance to her recovery (though Renn provided some, anyway), Arachne withdrew to a wall to consider underground security arrangements.

"A spell that lasts only 8 hours regardless," she muttered to herself, gazing around, "and would stop but one in a group for only a few minutes without sounding any alarm and then is dissipated.  And in the time that we spent dithering here, waiting for Ceth to recover, no-one has come by to check the entrance."  She frowned, then shrugged.  "I guess it'd keep out the badgers. Or bears.  But I wonder why they'd care terribly about bears coming to visit?"

 While the rest agreed to send a scouting party to make sure that the dead-end chamber was unoccupied (or evaluate whatever they did find there), Arachne quietly got out her sling and a stone.  Then, as quietly as she could and in anything but haste, she eased herself along the tunnel in the other direction.

Blacky positioned himself along the wall by the entrance to the chamber on the right holding his ax ready in case the scouters were persued back into the main chamber.

Kneeling beside Snow, Daelen released the leash from the hound's collar with one hand, having done it hundreds of times before.

"You be good." he said quietly as he stuffed the leash under his belt and readied his shield in his now free hand.

Aloysius crouched near the wall to his right, staring down the passage Arachne had gone down, awaiting her return.

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