Move 174: Which Way Do We Go?
Tunnels--Evening, 5 Eleint 1374 DRDaelen went back down the tunnel the way the group had just come. After a brief discussion, both the east and south tunnel were scouted. Aloysius untied the goblin and gave him some food, which the little humanoid ate with gusto.
The scouts reported nothing untoward in the immediate area in either of tunnel and nothing seemed to be following the group. That left the decision of which tunnel to take before they made camp, unless, of course, they decided to make camp at the split.
"Fred seems to indicate that we should go right if we want to find the orcs," said Aloysius. "Methinks we ought to camp first afore taking the right passage."
"How do you know that?" Arachne asked softly. Except when the marching order (which she had to be reminded of every time the party resumed after a break) required her to walk elsewhere, she'd been hovering more often than not in the vicinity of Echo and Jana. "We've been walking with the goblins in the direction that they'd been going before they encountered us. We've shown them that orcish symbol and they recognized it. This one seems to be acting like your instantly devoted servant. (He's charmed somehow?) But we don't know that a devoted servant goblin would take you to the owners of that battle sign, do we?"
"An excellent question," replied Aloysius. "Perhaps a simple experiment will illuminate this question."
He walked over to Azrun. "Might I borrow the picture of the orc symbol again?" Aloysius took Fred by the arm and walked over to where the passage split. Pointing first at the picture, he then pointed down the right branch. After gauging Fred's reaction, Aloysius then went to the left branch and did the same thing.
The goblin pointed down the tunnel to the right.
"As I thought," said Aloysius. "Fred hath indicated that the orcs are down the right passage. Perhaps we should go down that passage for a short time before camping for the night?"
Azrun picked up a small stone from the floor of the tunnel and began to mumble an incantation.
"Maybe we could rig up something to warn us if anything comes down either side, and camp back the way we came a bit?" Jana suggested, with little enthusiasm. "I don't know what or how, though," she admitted quietly. With that, she leaned against the wall, waiting for a decision. She looked tired.
Echo looked at Jana with concern again. "Can anyone think of something like that?" she asked. "We need to decide what we are going to do. Now, so we can get some rest."
"We have two people for each watch," replied Aloysius. "One could watch one fork, and the other could watch the other fork."
The mage stretched his arms over his head and yawned. "I will attempt to learn a bit of the goblin tongue wilst I watch so that I don't fall asleep prematurely."
"It might be safer to set up camp in the tunnel that doesn't lead to the orcs." Daelen said, glancing at the goblin Aloysius had given a name. "But I wouldn't bet on it. I'd almost welcome a meeting with a few orcs right about now, my swordarm could use the warm up."
He flexed his arm anxiously a few times, frowning to himself as he still felt the effects of the trap.
"Uhm," Jana asked hesitantly, "are we sure we wanna go after the orcs right now? I mean, a little recon, yeah, but it might be smarter to find a way to the surface and come back, maybe with reinforcements..." She trailed off, looking distinctly uncomfortable.
As the discussion of camping or exploring continued, Renn made his way amongst the wounded. He stopped to say a short healing prayer, spreading his magics around as best he could.
"But," Rennirolas said after completing his castings, "an we set up our camp, I have prayed for one Warding spell, and can attempt to beseech Corellon for another. They are better than no protection at all I do believe."
Echo nodded in agreement. "I'll scout ahead once we pick a camp spot. Then you can ward it."
"No," Arachne said. "At least, I don't want to go after any orcs. Actually, not now or later. All I wanted was to rescue any captives that needed rescuing." She sighed, sounding sorry that she had to say this: "And I can't think of any reinforcements we'd be likely to be able to persuade to come back here with us. Something else: This right-hand tunnel is going south. That's back toward Milbourne and the river. By going on, we may find out how several of the captives were made to disappear...perhaps we might also discover other above-ground allies of the orcs."
"Agreed," replied Aloysius. "Once we have rested a bit, we should be at nearly full strength. Whatever we decide to do, we can not act until we have camped. Let us proceed a short ways down the right tunnel. Rennirolas can ward the area a but furhter down, and we'll keep our normal watch schedule. After we have rested, we can determine where to go."
Echo looked hesitant to speak but then said, "I'm worried about what might become of any prisoners if we wait too long."
Jana grimaced. "Yeah," she said reluctantly, "there is that. You're right, we need to keep looking." She flashed a smile at Echo. Jana paced back and forth down a short stretch of the tunnel while waiting for the night's arrangements to be decided, close enough and fast enough to be truly irritating.
Renn's healing spells left Blacky and Daelen completely healed and Jana just slightly less than completely healed. After a discussion about where to go and what to do, the party finally went down the right-hand tunnel to find a place to camp. As had been the case the night before, the tunnels did not provide a nice camping spot so a less than ideal one had to be used. No orcs or anything else hostile in the immediate area was found by scouting. Renn cast his warding spells, and the group settled in for their second night in the tunnels.
That evening, the food that the goblins had had with them when captured ran out, necessitating the group to feed all of them rations as Aloysius was doing with the one he had claimed or to let them go hungry.Aloysius sat with Fred and shared his rations and water with him. After a bit, the mage pointed to himself and said, "Al-o-WISH-us" a few times very slowly in hopes Fred would understand. He then pointed at Fred and tried to look at him expectantly.
After he did that for a while, he pulled out a book and started writing in it.
Echo watched Aloysius and the goblin. "Are going to tie him back up before you go to sleep?"
"Hmmm....." said the mage through pursed lips. "I hadn't planned on it. Do you think I should?"
"Yes," Echo replied. "I think that would be better for everyone, including...Fred."
"Very well," said Aloysius. "I'm certain that that won't be too uncomfortable for him." He looked over at the other 2 goblins. "Is anyone going to provide them with any food or water?"
He then turned back to Fred and continued his efforts to determine Fred's real name.
"Less so than if I had to kill him because he made me nervous during the night," Jana said darkly. She made no comment about feeding the goblins.
"Did we bring food and water and to spare?" Arachne asked him back. "I don't think I did, she added doubtfully, looking in her pack. "This isn't your first attempt at a dubious friendship, is it?" she continued. "What happened the other time? I've forgotten or I wasn't around." She frowned.
"That's because I'm carrying your rations, remember?" Blacky said. He rooted through his pack and pulled out some of the least desireable food and handed it to Aloysius. "You can have your 'friend' feed this to them if you like." He said to the mage and got himself something to eat.
Aloysius harrumphed uncomfortably, but said nothing.
"Kaileer executed his little gnoll friend," Jana supplied helpfully.
"That bad?" Arachne said. She found nothing edible in her pack. "That's too bad." She wandered away.
Previous Move
Next Move
Back to Move Summaries
Back to Night Below Main Page
