"Granite, Qki, Ifreet. Could you fellows gather the dead and pile them
in yon corner? Cover them with the tapestries." He shook his head after
he listened to himself. "I am sorry, friends. I had forgotten that I am
not some marshall sent here to command this group. I offer my apologies
and amend all my requests with 'please.'
[Sala]
Sala moves over to where Raye is standing and whispers Talabrina's
message to him.
[Raye]
The Dark elf looked up from his place by the prone and still silent
Goblin and listened as Sala whispered into his ear. At the end of her
quietly breathed message he nodded. "That much is good news then." he
said in a softly tired voice.
[Talabrina]
Talabrina finishes "casting" her spell and looks at the goblin with an
evil smile. "There, the spell is in place. The spell will not harm
Gabble so long as Gabble speaks the truth. A lie however and the spell
will turn Gabble into wormfood. Now tell me Gabble, I am looking for
something special, where would I find it?"
[Talonn]
Talonn tucked the soiled cloth into his belt and stood. He sheathed his
swords and grabed the nearest goblin body. He dragged the body over to
the others and added him to the pile. The half-elf then walked to the
center of the room and took the chair vacated by Sala. Drawing a leather
cord from his shirt, he tied his hair in a tail high on the back of his
head, mimicing a top knot of sorts.
"The mage said the store room was hidden. Perhaps the goblins do not
know of it. Will you be able to sense a false wall or floor, Kaa? Should
we have one of the spell casters try to locate it with a spell? With
what little I know of magic, it would seem to me that it would ward such
a spell and, by doing so, lead us to it."
[Kaa]
Kaa looked at his friend and was pleased to see his eyes were back to
their normal 'abnormal' state. The half-elf looked weary but appeared to
be regaining his strength quickly. Kaa slipped his axe back into its
harness and uprighted a chair. He sat lightly upon it, expecting it to
break, and nodded when it remained in tact.
"In a castle of this apparent size, my talents with stone may be of no
help. I sense there are levels beneath us and these walls are solid. For
my talents to aid us, I would have to trod nearly every passage and
enter every room. As for magic, I know not. Nagard knew of its location
yet claimed having not been here. That should mean that scrying can
detect the item. But who can say with that old fool. He is probably
still watching us through the portal. Mind you lad, he might drop
something on your head." Kaa said as he looked to the ceiling. "I hope
it is a pail of water. You are starting to smell a bit. Oh, sorry my
boy, it must be the dead." the dwarf gave Talonn a playful slap on the
shoulder. Again he was pleased, for the half-elf did smile a true smile.
[goblin]
Gabble thought quickly, "What is special to Lady? Castle is big. Has
many neat things. How Gabble not be worm food if no know what
special?"
[Talabrina]
"A tiny door," Talabrina sneered at the goblin, "about the size of my
hand." Talabrina holds up her hand to show the goblin. "Now think very
carefully Gabble. Does Gabble know where the small door is?" Talabrina
peers intently at the goblin.
[Hammer]
Hammer joined Talonn and Kaa in the center of the room. "Do any know
such a spell to find the door? I remember Nagard saying that he
overshot the door, so I think it is on this level somewhere."
[goblin]
Gabble looked at her quizzically, "Small door? There many small doors
here. Prince Taknot says they just junk, leave lone, let humans play
with."
[Sala]
Sala moved gingerly over the bloody floor back to where Talonn, Kaa and
Hammer were. She looked at Talonn with concern, "Are you okay?"
[Talonn]
"I am well, Sala. I am sorry if my actions troubled you. Thank you for
your assistance earlier." Talonn said as he stood and offered Sala his
chair.
[Sala]
Sala smiled at him, but didn't sit down. She had a plan that she hoped
would work.
Then she looked up at Hammer, "My magic cannot look for things, but Pine
can." She lifted the ferret off her shoulders and he became a tiny grey
mouse. She moved over to the door on the right and set him down before
it. Pine squoze under the door and was off. Sala moved back to where
Talonn, Kaa and Hammer were. She closed her eyes and concentrated on
Pine. Slowly she was able to tune into his sight and could see what he
was seeing. She started to speak, "On the other side of the door is a
gloomy passage. It goes on for a long way. There are three doors that
Pine can see, two on the right and one on the left. The first one on
the right has a broken door. Inside is a table. Pine can't see what if
anything is on it. The next one on the right is closed, but he can
squeeze under it. Inside is a lady sitting on a chair. She is studying
something on a table, but Pine can't see up that high." Suddenly Sala
tenses and looks frightened then relaxes. "The woman saw Pine and tried
to step on him, but he got out in time. The door on the left is flush
to the ground and he sees no way for him to get in." Sala went quickly
back to the door and scooped Pine up as he returned. As she picked him
up he became a cat and she cuddled him and petted him until he was
audibly purring.
[Talabrina]
Talabrina thinks about what the goblin has said for a moment then she
smiles evilly at it. "I go to talk with others now but I will be back
to talk to Gabble. If Gabble tries to run," Talabrina points to Muffy
who snarls at the goblin and reveals her very large, sharp teeth, "then
big cat will eat little Gabble. Gabble must also be very quiet as big
cat no like noises." Then Talabrina gets up and goes to where Kaa,
Talonn and the others are. Muffy keeps the goblin entertained by
walking slowly around it and softly growling at it.
[goblin]
Gabble sat there not letting Muffy out of his sight.
[Tababrina]
"We could have a problem, the goblin says that there art many small
doors but that they think that they are junk and only the humans art to
touch them. There also be a prince here, a prince Taknot. I doth not
know for certain whether or not he is human or goblin yet. Be there any
questions that anyone would have me ask?"
[Kaa]
Kaa relates to Talabrina what Pine discovered. When he was finished, he
scratched his beard and mumbled to himself. "I have many questions but I
fear we will waste our advantage if we stay here much longer. We need to
get everything out of him we can and quickly. Dragon Spit! The list of
things we don't know gets longer and longer."
As he spoke, he ticked off each point by folding his thick fingers into
a fist. "Who is this Prince and where is he now? What sort of guard does
he have and where are they? Who is this woman down the hall and what is
she doing here? How many of these door statues has the wretch seen and
where did he see them? Fahh!" Kaa stood up the chair with a jerk and
began to pace behind it.
[Talonn]
Talonn slowly clenched his hands into fists then flexed them open again.
"We cannot make a decision yet until we hear what Raye has gotten from
the other goblin. Our situation is bleak but it is not yet dire."
[Raye]
The dark elf stands at the mention of his name and looks down at the
unmoving goblin. "I fear this one will not have answers for us..his
terror was to great and his mind has left him"
[Kaa]
"Sala, can Pine become something smaller that a mouse? A fly or a
spider, perhaps? I would like to know what it was the woman was looking
at on the table. If Hammer's assumption is true, we are but a stones
throw away from our goal. With Pine as an insect, she can enter the room
unnoticed and position herself so that you can see the entire contents.
If what we seek is not there, then we need only to let the two of you
spy out the object's location and go straight to it. What say you all to
this?"
[Sala]
Sala looked at him. She didn't want to disappoint him, but she had
never tried to shrink Pine that small before. She had managed to get
him to become a very big butterfly, but nothing smaller. She looked
down at Pine and nibbled on her lip nervously. She concentrated on
spider with her eyes closed and started stoking him. When she opened
her eyes she jumped backwards almost throwing Pine before she realized
what she was doing. Instead of holding a cat now she was holding a big
fuzzy spider. It was about the same size as the mouse. She tried to
make contact with him. She managed to, but it was much harder than
usual. She looked at Talonn, holding Pine gingerly, "Is this OK?"
[Talabrina]
"I doth agree with thee Lord Kaa and thee as well Lord Talonn. `Tis
becoming more and more apparent that there is much that we know naught
of.I will ask the goblin what thou hath asked Lord Kaa, and methink I
will ask how long the humans have been here. To my knowlege humans and
goblins doth not co-exist side by side. Mayhaps they art looking for
the same thing we art. I doth pary to the Dark Maiden that this be not
the case." Turning to Hammer Talabrina speaks, "As for what thou did
ask earlier I do know such a spell but I have to be very familiar with
the object sought..."
Talabrina suddenly pauses as if remembering something and the promptly
smaks herself right in the forehead! Turning back to Kaa, Talabrina
starts speaking excitedly but quietly. "Milord! I just now remembered
a spell that will basically allow me to create a wizard's crystal ball!
We can use that to scry with and find the door! There is one little
detail though," says Talabrina calming down, "the spell doth take an
hour to cast. Can we afford to wait that long?"
Talabrina looks at the fuzzy spider that Pine has become and smiles.
"How adorably cute!" She says as she reaches out to gently caress Pine
with a smile on her face.
[Qki]
Qki placed the last of the goblin corpses on the pile and helped
Granite cover them with a tapestry. He stepped over to where the others
were quietly conferring and tried to find a vantage point from which he
could hear what was going on. That nice girl Sala had changed her
little friend into a big spider this time. Qki reminded himself to ask
her if she could change him too, but he sensed that this was probably
not the right time for it.
[Granite]
Having finished gathering and covering the corpses with Qki's help,
granite strode across to stand next to Gabble and tilted his head down,
looking directly at him. He stood there for a few moments, apparently
silently observing.
[goblin]
Gabble didn't seem to be sure who he should watch, the growling cat or
the huge rock man. He eyeballed granite and said,"What you? you want
kill Gabble too?" When he didn't respond Gabble went back to watching
Muffy.
[Hammer]
Hammer looks at the spider/Pine, and shivers. Hoping nobody saw, he
quickly turned to Talabrina. "My Lady, we should ask yon goblin who the
lady is that Pine saw. My feelings are Nagard did not know of this
person being here, so she must be a wizard also. If these goblins are
working for her, we might have to deal with her. Would you like for me
to muscle it out of him?"
Slowly, Hammer turned back to Sala. "I believe your friend is too
big. He is easily seen. Howabout a tiny snake? i don't know the kinds,
but surly there must be some kind of black snakes, that way Pine could
blend into the shadows?"
[Talonn]
Talonn shook his head. "I agree with Hammer. Pine is too big to remain
hidden for long. I would be most afraid that once this wizard, and I too
believe this woman is a wizard, would capture him as a specimen for some
dark purpose. If it is not too draining Lady, could you try something
else. A snake as Hammer suggests or mayhaps a bird like the goblin
became. Pine could peek in a window from the outside, if there are any
in that room."
[Sala]
Sala smiled at him. "A snake could not see on the table. A bird would
work better." She hesitantly stroked the spider and it became a
beautiful crow. She tossed Pine up and he flew out the window, the same
one the goblin bird had left through. Sala tipped her head back, eyes
closed, and concentrated. it was much easier to latch onto the bird's
vision since she had done so many times int he past. Almost instantly
she was seeing the world from Pine's eyes. He perched on the window
ledge of the room with the woman. Unfortuneatly her body was blocking
the view of the table. Pine shifted right and left, but still couldn't
see. Sala broke suspended contact for a moment and glanced at Talonn.
She chewed her lip for a moment and then renewed contact with Pine. She
asked him to fly into the room and he obeyed without question. He flew
in and circled once and then flew out. That was all Sala needed. She
called him back. She opened her eyes and said, as Pine landed on her
shoulder, "She's looking at a doorway."
[Kaa]
Kaa continued his pacing as he said, "Talabrina, if Sala and Pine can do
what we propose, I think we should do it and hold your spell in reserve.
An hour is a long time to sit here and someone is bound to come looking
for these chaps. Prod our little informant some more and learn what you
can. We need to get moving. The woman may not have what we seek and I
don't want to waste too much time to find out she is staring at herself
in a looking glass.
Talonn, Hammer, I think you lads should take up positions by the doors
and listen for someone coming this way. I don't want to be surprised.
Use those tables to form a barricade about three paces from the doors.
If we have to fight, I don't want the ruddy goblins to have free access
to this room." Talonn nodded and headed for the nearest table.
"Granite, I have a couple of questions for you. You have spoken in the
past of choosing the form you currently have to better interact with we
organics. What other forms can you take? Do you have the ability to,
say, travel through stone from one place to another?
[Granite]
Hearing the question, Granite turns his attention away from the goblin
to Kaa. He strides across the room to where Kaa is, and comes to a halt
before speaking. "Most organics have fixed bodies. They do not have the
ability to alter it's shape. My body does not have that restriction. It
has a flexible composition. Not a solid one. I may reform it in any
shape that I want. The volume remains the same. I may appear to increase
volume by forming empty areas inside. I may also make other
modifications. My current light sensors are an example of this. They are
in their present position and number because it resembled your form. Not
because that is their normal state. I do not have an ability to pass
directly through solid objects. I can break down many such objects. If
it is stone or other similar material I can absorb it. This is the
equivalent process I use to your eating. You would consider it a very
slow process. If you want to leave this room soon then it will not be an
effective method." Granite becomes stops speaking for a moment. "If you
want to see what is happening in that room without entering it I can
help. I can reform a part of me to pass the edge of the door. And
create a light sensor on that part. It would be difficult to see only
that small part of me." Granite finishes talking and becomes silent
again.
[Kaa]
My second question is more mundane in nature. Do you think you could
lift our friend Qki here so that he could have a look out of yon window?
That is, of course, if you have no objections Qki. If you do, I am sure
another would like to take a peek at the outside and describe the area
for us all. I am too short but I deem that you are just the right size."
As he said this, Kaa stopped his pacing and gave Qki a friendly pat on
the arm.
[Qki]
The little golem with the expressive face smiled happily up at
Kaa. He was beginning to get a bit worried that there would be nothing
important for him to do. "I'll do it!"
[Kaa]
"Aye, now there is a brave lad. Granite, lift the little fellow up for a
peek. When that is done then we will decide about your idea."
[Granite]
Granite strides up to Qki, bends down, takes hold of Qki's legs, and
hoists him up, as though he weighed nothing. He carries Qki over to the
window, holding him at the right height to get a good look through.
[Qki]
Things looked a lot different from his new perspective! Qki
laughed out loud. "I'm the tallest!" Looking outside, he marveled that
from here, it looked like he was even taller! It was a beautiful view
from the window. They seemed to be in a tower of some sort. Sand
stretched in gently rolling dunes as far as Qki could see. The sky
above the desert was a clear bright blue without a hint of a cloud.
Directly below them, a wide stream edged around the bottom of the
tower. The stream had a strange look about it, as if it wasn't
natural. Suddenly he remembered he was supposed to tell the others what
he was seeing.
"It looks like we're in a tower, high up... There's a little river
going around the bottom of it and a big desert past that - I can't see
anything else, but it's really pretty." He tried to fix the image in
his
mind to write about later. He hadn't had time to write in his book in a
long while.
[Hammer]
Hammer leans his War Hammer agianst the Wall, and then helped
Talonn move the tables into position. Then he picked up his War Hammer
and took up position at the door to listen for any aproaching goblins.
A posible Wizard down the Hall did not bode well, and this company
better get a move on if they wished to remain undetected.
[goblin]
Gabble squirmed, "Prince be goblin. Goblin guard, like was in room."
[Talabrina]
Talabrina narrows her eyes in suspicion for a moment then shrugs and
smiles. "I believe you Gabble," she says to the goblin. "After all it
isn't up to me if Gabble becomes worm food, that is Gabble's choice.
If Gabble chooses to become worm food, too bad. Gabble should know that I
can save Gabble from becoming worm food if Gabble tell me that Gabble was
wrong and is sorry. Gabble can interupt me anytime Gabble wants to.. before
he becomes worm food." Talabrina pauses to let this sink in before
continuing.
"I want to know how many humans there are here and where they are."
Talabrina smiles at the goblin.
[goblin]
"Gabble no lie! Is goblin guard like in this room. I never met. Fight
better, fight worse, more, less. Gabble no know. Gabble no can
count."
He screws up his face an appears the think really hard, "Is this many
humans" he hold up 4 fingers. "One in room near here, that way," he
points out the door Pine left through. "Two downstairs log walk, one in
other tower."
[Talabrina]
"Gabble has done well in telling me about the humans, Gabble just might
live now." Talabrina smiles. "Now I want Gabble to stay right here and
I will be right back." Muffy snarls just enough to remind the goblin
about what would happen should it try to run, then resumes it's pacing around
the goblin.
Talabrina goes over to Kaa and the others to relate the news that Gabble
told her. "If it doth be alright with thee I would like to take the
goblin with us and use him to find traps for us just in case. He will be my
responsibility should he try to escape and I will look after him in case
of a fight."
[Kaa]
"He is your pet now. Keep him muzzled. We are moving out.
"Hammer and Talonn take the lead. Ifreet, your next in line. Talabrina
and her pets, Sala, and I will follow. Granite, Raye and Qki will
provide rear guard. Qki, here is a dagger. Use it if necessary.
"We go to the second door and confront the woman. Once that is done we
should search the other two rooms. We can decide what to do after that.
If we encounter any creature that is not one of us, kill it. Quietly, if
possible. I would like to see us all return alive. Any questions or
concerns?"
After a pause, Kaa unsheathed his axe and growled, "Lets go."
[Qki]
Qki looked dubiously at the dagger. What was he supposed to do with
this? It didn't resonate right. "This isn't right," he protested to the
other short man. "It doesn't resonate..." He held the dagger out to Kaa,
point-first.
[Kaa]
"Nay, laddie. Keep it for a while. I don't think you can stick yourself
with it, but if you have to use it, just be sure it isn't one of us."
[Raye]
He tossed hsi hair out of his eyes and rumbled an agreement with Qki's
prostest. "I never cared for blades either little one. Lets hope we need
not use them."
[Qki]
He stood there for a moment, frustrated. They didn't understand what he
was saying. All the non-living objects that he got close to resonated in
some way, and just from being near them he could tell
whether they would mesh with his own resonations or not. Sometimes they
meshed so well that the objects could become a part of him, like the mug
at the Dragon's Inn. This dagger was almost the opposite. It almost
repulsed him. He couldn't explain this to Kaa, though, as the dwarf had
already
turned away. He'd just have to try to explain it to them later, and put
up with it for now. He held the dagger as far from his body as possible.
[Kaa]
The dwarf whispers to Raye. "Keep an eye on the fellow, would you?"
[Talonn]
Talonn drew his swords and looked to Hammer. "If it is well with you, I
will take the left side of the hall. The passage is wide but watch your
swing." With a grin he adds, "I have seen what you can do with that and
would like to avoid it if possible"
Talonn slides the bolt back slowly and opens the door a crack. Taking a
deep breath and exhaling slowly, Talonn pushes the door open and slips
into the passage.
[Hammer]
Hammer grinned back at Talonn. "Indeed, it has a rather, crushing,
effect on others. Agreed." Hammer then entered the passage and took the
right side. He silently checked the floor for hidden traps (not his
strong suit), slowly making his way to the first door. He keept an eye
out for Talonn, trying to stay in exact step as the half-elf.
[Ifreet]
Ifreet follows behind Talonn as requested, still on his horse, and
making no sounds. He slowly removes his scimitar from where it is
resting in his sash.
[Talabrina]
Talabrina quickly goes back to the goblin and pulls him to his feet.
"Now listen very carefully Gabble," Talabrina warns in a menacing tone.
"If Gabble wants to live Gabble will come with me and tell me where
goblin traps are.Gabble will also tell me if we are coming close to
where rooms goblins are.Otherwise Gabble will be VERY quiet. If Gabble
makes noise that alerts other goblins or humans Gabble will not live
past his next breath.Does Gabble understand?"While keeping a close eye
on the goblin, Talabrina reaches into her cloak and pulls out a legnth
of rope.With this she quickly ties a restrainer onto the goblin, the
other end she ties around her left arm. "This is so I can save Gabble
that Gabble might fall into." she explains. Then she looks the goblin
right in the eye and says in a serious tone, "If Gabble does what I ask
and does it well, I will reward Gabble.Not only will I let Gabble live
but I will make Gabble strongest goblin of whole tribe. Now let's go
quickly!" Talabrina, Muffy and Gabble take up thier positions, Gabble in
front of Talabrina with Muffy to thier right.
[Raye]
Raye looked a bit bemused to be following the rump of a warhorse into a
hallway, but shook his head and made no comment about it. He rested one
slim hand protectively on Qki's shoulder, as he reluctantly drew his
rusty rapier with the other. He was ready to move on.
[Granite]
Granite waited as the rest of the group made their way through the door
into the hall, then followed along behind, observing over the heads of
the others in the group. The normal clunking that he made when he walked
seemed to be somewhat muted compared to what it had been until now,
though whether this was delibaerate on his part was rather hard to tell.
[Talonn]
Talonn padded lightly down the hall. He was surprised and thankful that
a group this size could move so quietly. He and Hammer lead the party
past the first door and to the second. Talonn darted past the closed
door and took his place on the far side from the group.
Checking that the rest of the passage was clear, he sheathed the sabre.
Kneeling before the door, he looked for a trap. Using only his thumb and
middle finger he tested the knob and found it appeared to turn freely.
Rising back to stand against the wall, he let out the breath that he had
been holding.
He quickly sent Kaa his findings and his plan in Rogue's code. To
Hammer and Ifreet, he gestured his plan. He indicated that he found no
traps but there may be one on the door. He gestured to Hammer to smash
open the door with his hammer. Once the door was open, he would go to
the left of the room and Hammer would follow him and go right. Ifreet
would come in next and head for the woman at the table, hopefully while
she was distracted by Hammer and himself. Talonn displayed and open hand
and then folded them quickly into a fist to show they would go on that
signal.
Talonn looked to then and then opened his hand and waited for Kaa's nod
that he was ready.
[Hammer]
Hammer nodded his approval of the plan.He readied his Hammer for a left
handed sideways swing, then waited for Talonn's signel.
[Kaa]
Kaa moved in the center of the group and tried to see around Ifreet's
horse. When they stopped, he moved to where he could see Talonn checking
the door. He was relieved to see the half-elf stand unharmed. He quickly
deciphered the code and nodded his head.
He turned to those behind him and whispered. "Talonn says the door
appears untrapped and unlocked. He plans to have Hammer smash in the
door. The two of them and Ifreet will enter and capture the woman. We
will follow more slowly, in case she causes a ruckas. Now to the hard
part. Does anyone know a silence spell of some sort to muffle the sound
of Hammer breaking the door? If so, cast it now. When it is done, they
will go."
[Talabrina]
Talabrina nods, "I doth have the prayer to do what thou hath asked
milord." MotioningGabble to stay still, Talabrina holds her holy symbol
with her left hand and begins making motions with her right. After
singing a few soft words in drow her holy symbol glows brightly with a
silvery light
and she points at the door.Then an area of total silence evelops the
door and its immediate surroundings.
[Sala]
Sala watched Talabrina curiously.What she was doing was totally
different form anything Sala did.Sala had never thought about making
things silent like that.She wondered if she could.The absolute silence
was a bit disturbing, so she wasn't sure she'd want to if she could.
[Kaa]
Kaa watched Talabrina perform the spell. Suppressing a shiver, he waits
for her to open her eyes and nod. Turning to face Talonn, Kaa strikes
his chest with his fist and then grips his axe and readies to charge.
[Talonn]
Talonn watched Kaa and paid no attention to Talabrina. The hairs on his
neck stood on end as the sound of his own breathing vanished. Kaa gave
the signal and an instant later he clasped his hand into a fist.
In one fluid motion, Talonn stepped away from the wall, drew his sabre,
and leapt towards the door. He uttered a silent wish that his timing was
correct. He wanted to hit the door after the hugh hammer and not before.
[Hammer]
Seeing the sign from Talonn, Hammer swung back, then, throwing his
wieght into the swing, brought the Hammer into the door, sending it
splintering inward. More the momentum of the swing than by any planning,
Hammer was in the room on the heels of Talonn.
[Ifreet]
Moments after the swing, Ifreet is above the woman, holding his sword
inches from her face and bringing his finger to his lips in a shhing
motion. No one is really clear on how he moved his horse through the
doorway, much less with the others surging through it as well, but he
and his horse are in the room nonetheless. Ifreet waits for the powder
he sent into the room to wear off.
[The Lady]
Unfortuneatly for Ifreet the lady just stood there watching him calmly,
wide awake.Lady Milara had been wondering how long it would take whoever
it was to get here after she had noticed the familiar flying around the
room she was studying in and the sleeping powder had blown in.She was
glad she had known a spell to guard against it.The doorway she had been
studying stood on the table behind her. She looked at the creatures
entering the room, "Good afternoon, I am the lady Milara.Who might I ask
may you be?"
[Sala]
Sala peeked her head around the corner hoping to not see any carnage.
When she saw none she slipped into the room and looked curiously at the
lady, slipping around the edge of the room to get a look at the doorway.
Her skin and clothes still looked like rock and she blended perfectly
into the rock wall behind her.Unless one was looking directly at her
she would be totally unnoticeable.
[Ifreet]
Ifreet smiles slightly, then bows to Milara and sheathes his scimitar.
In a broken and cracked voice he speaks. "I am Ifreet. Honor to meet you
milady." Coughs as he finishes talking, uncorking a wineskin and taking
a few swigs of the water inside. He bows again, balling his right hand
into a fist and placing on his chest, palm out, and placing his open
left hand over it, palm out.
[Hammer]
After practicly flying through the doorway, Hammer gathered himself up
in time to see Ifreet saluting the Lady.He moved out of the way so the
others could file in, then looked to Kaa for futher instructions.He did
not want to give away any information that she didn't need to know, and
knew he was a lousy liar.
[Kaa]
Kaa strolled into the room. His mouth was moving but nothing could be
heard until he exited the sphere of the spell's effect. "...sleeping
powder wouldn't work. Greetings my lady. If you would be so
kind as to keep you hands where I can see them. It is for your own
safety, of course. One of these hot-headed lads might get excited if you
scratch your nose. Granite and Qki, watch the door."
Kaa made a quick hand message to Talonn as he kept his eyes on the
woman. Keeping a firm grip on his axe, he walked to the left side of the
table. "Please pardon our intrusion, Lady. We found it odd that someone
like yourself would be sitting casually amongst so many goblins. Might
we be of assistance?"
[Lady Milara]
The lady smiled cooly at Kaa and folded her hands in front of her. "I
understand the quick tempers of fighters well. I will give them no cause
to attack. As for the goblins thier prince understands that my work
here is quite important so none of that rabble will bother me. I am
almost done and am in no need of assistance, thank you. Now if you
could please leave so that I might resume my work?"
[Talonn]
Talonn never took his eyes from the woman, even when Ifreet lowered his
sword. He sheathed his bastard sword and drew a dagger from his boot. He
held the dagger in a manner that would allow it to be easily thrown.
From the corner of his eye he caught the Kaa's message. Replacing the
dagger in his boot, he headed for the door.
Talonn was waving for Hammer to follow when he bumped into something
soft along the wall. He reached out with his free right hand and seized
the nearly invisible person. Suddenly, his eyes widened and he released
Sala's clothing. He tried to apologize but found that he now stood
within the area of silence. He grinned and patted her shoulder, hoping
that she understood.
[Sala]
When Talonn bumped into her Sala froze. She hoped he would realize it
was her and not bring attention to her. Then he grabbed her. She
sighed in frustration glancing over at Milara. She seemed to be
distracted by Kaa and Ifreet. Sala saw Talonn's eyes widen as he
recognized her and he immediately let go of her and attemped to say
something. Good, the silence was in force here. She gently touched his
hand and smiled as he patted her shoulder to show she understood it was
an accident. She then started to slip along the wall, attempting to
edge behind Milara. Luckily the lady was totally oblivious to her
presence at least for the moment.
[Talonn]
Talonn walked to the door and drew his sword. He looked at the shattered
door and marveled at the power of Hammer's weapon. The door would
require much repair if it were ever to latch again. Taking a quick peek
into the passage, he slipped out of the room and headed for the first
room they had passed.
[Hammer]
Hammer noticed talonn waiving for him to follow, so he did. Once outside
of the room, he saw what Talonn had planned and followed him to the
first door.
[Qki]
Qki was confused.Watch the door?Why, was it going to do something
interesting?Then he realized that the woman had one of those little
doors the wizard was talking about.Was it that door he was
supposed to watch, or the one that Hammer had hammered?That dwarf was
always telling him to do things and never explaining things very
thouroughly.He tapped Granite on the thigh since he couldn't reach the
taller being's shoulder."Which door are we watching, and what is it
going to do?" he whispered.
[Granite]
Granite turned his head down towards Qki as the small golem tapped him
and asked what to do. "I do not know which one has been requested to
observe. Either one is possible. There are two of us. I will observe the
large door. You observe the small door. That way both will be observed.
So whichever
it is that is wanted to be will be."
So saying, Granite turned to face the door to the room, then became
motionless once more.
[Qki]
On hearing this, Qki stepped around to the other side of the table and
stared intently at the small doorway.