Move 368:  Around the Bend

Smooth Caverns--Afternoon, Day 37 (Marpenoth 20)

Azrun followed Jana into the water flooding the tunnel, and they moved on. Before they reached a point where Jana's rope had been fully extended, the light revealed a bend in the tunnel immediately ahead, one that would take the water explorers out of sight of the others if they went around it. The water depth was constant at about three feet up to the point where Azrun and Jana stood.

"It looks like we can walk," Echo said. "But it should be everyone going or no one, I think. We don't need to get out of each other's sight."

Renn nodded his head in agreement. "As long as the water doesn't get too much deeper, we should all be alright to go further," he said.

Azrun nodded, "Works for me, too."

Jana sighed in resignation, a funny sound when combined with teeth-chattering. She started forward again, tapping the staff in front of her carefully.

The water rippled as Echo walked out.

The water was icy cold and the floor of the tunnel extremely slippery in places, just like Jana had reported. Everyone started down the tunnel with Jana in the lead, tapping the floor with Azrun's staff. They came to another split about one hundred feet later. Three tunnels, all flooded, forked in front of them.

"Echo?" Jana said over her shoulder. "Any feeling on which way now?"

"I can't tell," Echo said, sounding exasperated. "I still feel it but I can't tell where it's coming from exactly. Now that we're all cold and wet. I'm sorry."

"I just hope I don't fall." Blacky said as he gingerly slipped through the water

Azrun looked at the tunnels, "Well, that could mean it doesn't matter which tunnel we choose. They may all lead to the same place. How about we start with the left tunnel and see where it goes?"

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