Move 170:  Left

Tunnels beneath the Mines--Afternoon, 4 Eleint 1374 DR

After a brief pause at the fork, the party continued down the left hand passageway.  The tunnel was still quiet and dark.  After another hour of walking, the group came to another choice of paths, with a tunnel turning to the right off the one they were currently in.

Aloysius scratched at the stubble on his chin.  "For what purpose would one construct such a series of tunnels?" he mused.  "Well, if the tunnels seem equally indistinct, perhaps we should continue to use the left branch.  That will bring us to something eventually."

Echo nodded her agreement.  "That's the best way for now, I think."

"Even if what it brings us to is a dead end." Daelen muttered to himself then cleared his throat, "Sorry, poor choice of words..."

"Okay," Jana said, sticking to the left fork.

The group moved on, still following the left wall of the tunnel.  They continued for the rest of the afternoon without coming to any additional forks, branches, or signs of the tunnel ending.

Making camp for the night in the tunnel was an uncomfortable business.  The absence of any area wider than ten feet made it necessary for them to spread out.  The tunnels were cool enough that a fire would have been welcome, but without using some of their equipment for fuel, a fire was not to be had.

Echo approached Arachne when they stopped for the night and spoke to her quietly.

As the companions settled down to rest, Rennirolas went amongst the wounded and rechecked their bandaging and stitches.  "Anyone have any idea how far belowground we might be right now?" he asked.

"Nope," Arachne replied.  "I should, but I don't.  Too much above-ground upbringing, I guess."

At the beginning of Aloysius' and Echo's watch, just as everyone was getting quiet and settled, the unmistakable sound of footfalls came from the tunnel behind them.  From the amount of noise, it could be no more than a few creatures.

Aloysius scrambled towards the end of the tunnel from where the footfalls were emanating and went from person to person, making sure they were awake and aware of the approaching noise.  He did that as far along the line of people as he could.

Echo moved against the tunnel wall while Aloysius got the others and started creeping slowly in the direction the noise came from.

Blacky struggled back into his armor and grabbed a hand axe. He moved close to the edge of light and waited for whatever came up the tunnel.

Jana quietly picked up her mace and shield, moving much more quietly out of her armor.  She moved beside Blacky to help block whatever was coming from reaching the others.

Seeing that he'd have time with the tunnel blocked, Daelen started putting on his armor in case the situation turned ugly.

Roused by the wizard, ("Huh?  Whassup...?") Arachne removed herself to the darkness and waited.  Since there was a light between her and the audible approach, so that she'd be able to see nothing that way anyway, she faced away into the darkness in the other direction, watching for anything in the quiet direction and listening to the approaching footsteps.

While the others began whatever preparations they felt necessary, from putting on armor to taking up blocking positions, Arachne and Echo slipped off into the darkness, Arachne in the direction away from the noise and Echo towards it.

"Three goblins," Echo said, kind of quietly, from out in the darkness.  She backed slowly back into the light, "I'm not sure if they're hostile, but they're right out there."

"If they're hostile they are stupid and dead." Blacky commented "Anyone speak goblin?" he asked.

"I still think the goblins are involved in this somehow," Jana whispered quietly.  "That goblin guy in the cave was lying, I just know it."  She shifted her grip on her sword.  "I could go take 'em out," she offered.

"Perhaps capturing them would be preferable?" offered Aloysius.  "Let them come forward and I shall enspell them." He crouched low in the shadows and prepared his spell components in the event that the others concurred with his suggestion.

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