[Demon's Hand] Chapter 6: Aftermath

The area that was now all littered with goblin pieces seemed to be a room in an old run down castle. There were battered tapestries on the walls and two closed wooden doors. The only other ways out were three small windows set high in the walls.

[Ifreet]

Ifreet looks about, giving special attention to the exits and walls. He listens for some time, to see if anyone is coming, then begins to oil the hinges on the closed doors.

[Talabrina]

Talabrina gently embraces Sala and holds her close. " `Tis alright milady, thou hath killed no one this day. Have no fear Lady Sala." Talabrina says consolingly. Muffy walks over to the goblin that Hammer stunned and neatly pinned the little creature with one paw on its chest. If the little goblin began to stir Muffy would growl at it and bare her teeth.

[Raye]

Raye drifted about the room, a soloumn look on his delicate, ebony features as he looked to each of the downed goblins. One mortaly wounded and writhing creature gave a rattling groan and the dark elf moved swiftly to its side. A swirl of soft forest breeze cleared away the sent of blood and pain as Raye knelt and rested slim hands on the goblins chest. With a sigh of release, the goblin stilled and died.

[Hammer]

Hammer rushed to a corner after dispatching the last goblin, and finished the song in his head. "And the Thunderer came down on a giant Bear. The demons knelt in pain and Fear. The Warriors knelt in holy passion. Here was their savior, their last Bastion. He smiled at my kinsmen, and bade them to rise. He gave us our name, in the demons cries. We fought like Devil Dogs, we shall hold the name. We are the Clan, whom none can tame." When he finished his song, his shoulders relaxed, and his eyes cleared. "Well met, friend Kaa, thanks for the assist. I could have taken him, but you relieved me of my worry."

[Kaa]

"My pleasure, lad. I felt it only right since the beast showed such bad form to attack you from the rear. You need a lot of room for that nail beater of yours. Had I not been of my height, you would have knocked me a good one with your backswing." laughed the dwarf. Kaa walked toward the doors and Talonn. He motioned to the unconcious goblin as he walked. "Raye, can you revive that fellow there enough so that we can talk to him? Talabrina, could you secure Muffy's playmate as well. I want to talk to these fellows to learn what Nagard has dropped us into."

[Talonn]

Talonn sat on the floor, still clutching his swords. His chin rested on his chest and his blood spattered hair hid his face. His breathing was quick but appeared to be slowing. He had ignored Ifreet's arrival but looked up slowly when Kaa stopped before him. The glow in his eyes had dimmed to a faint glimmer. "I am myself again. There was no danger. I sought to release as much as possible at this time so that, if later things turn for the worst, I won't need to fight 'it' so much. 'It' is weakened, as am I. A few moments rest and I will be good as new, old friend." he assured the dwarf. The dwarf simply nodded and walked back to the center of the room. Talonn took out a scrap of cloth and began to clean the blood from himself and his swords.

[Talabrina]

Gently letting go of Sala, Talabrina turns towards Kaa and nods. "If thee doth wish me to interrogate the goblins as well I can do that. My family back home had many goblin slaves so I picked up the language. That and methinks that they would have a much looser tongue if I or Lord Raye were to speak with them for our people's reputation can be quite persuasive." Talabrina then turns to the goblin that Muffy has pinned and kneels down next to it. Carefully turning the creature over she inspects it for wounds." `Tis quite a concussion, this little fellow is quite fortunate thou did not slam it just a bit harder Lord Hammer." Laying the creature back down Talabrina puts a hand on its forehead and her hand suddenly glows a silver light. Soon the goblin begins to stir...

[Kaa]

"Aye, lass. Get what ever information you can about why they are here and how many others are about. I am sure the buggers have been all over these ruins. Try to find out where the object we seek might be kept or hidden. Raye, if you could do the same and keep them apart so that we can compare their stories." Kaa stood for a moment and surveyed the room. Without his notice, he had slipped into the role he once held in honor, that of a Dwarven Battle Lord. One look at Sala brought him back from his from his past.

[Raye]

The dark elf nodded quietly at Kaa's request, and after giving the dead goblen at his feet one more mornfull touch, rose to his feet to try and find another with enought life left to speak to.

[Kaa]

"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.'

[Granite]

Granite turned to Kaa. "Pile the remains together under a tapestry. This is not what I had been told is the usual practice when an organic dies. They are placed under the ground. Was this information incorrect?"

[Kaa]

Kaa looked up at the 'head' of Granite and thought for a moment. "You were told correctly. For those of flesh, burial is a stardard practice, as is the burning of the dead in a great pyre. Each race has a prefered method. Some I have heard even wrap their dead in strips of cloth and entomb them in great monoliths. I find it a bit odd but to each their own. In this case, my friend, we are not goblins, we have no place to dig their graves, and we most surely do not want to start a fire to burn them. So moving them to a secluded area and covering them, while not actually a proper burial of an 'organic', will suffice to remove them from our sight and hide them from others. Hopefully, they will remain hidden until we have returned to Nagard."

[Granite]

"This is understood." Granite responded, and turned his attention to the goblin remains scattered about. Without comment, be began collecting them one by one, and placing them in a pile over in one corner.

[Qki]

Without speaking, Qki helped Granite stack the goblin corpses in the corner. As he did so he considered thoughtfully what the others had said about people taking each other apart. Why would they need to do that as often as Granite had said? And why did these people take apart the goblins this time? More questions appeared constantly ever since he met them. Some of the "red life" stuck to his hand and got in his pen finger.

[Kaa]

The dwarf righted a chair and gestured to Sala and it. "Come here, Lady Sala. Please sit down and rest."

[Sala]

Sala moved over and sat down weakly. The smell of all the blood made her quite ill. Suddenly she sat bolt upright in the chair and looked around at the fighters, "Did anyone get hurt?" After seeing that there were no major wounds she relaxed and remembered her manners, "Thank you Kaa. It was kind of you to think of me."

[goblin]

The goblin opened it's eyes and paniced. It thrashed around looking for a weapon and when it couldn't find one started cringing and babbling in goblin, "Gabble no bad. Nice lady no kill Gabble. Gabble not know nice lady coming so no know not to fight. No kill Gabble."

[Talabrina]

Talabrina's expression quickly changes twisting into a mask of hatred and loathing. Grabbing the goblin by the collar Talabrina forces it's attention on her. When she is certain she has it, Talabrina begins speaking in goblin with a tone that is cold as ice. "The nice lady it the least of Gabble's problems right now. If Gabble does not answer me honestly and tell all I want to know then I WILL kill Gabble and speak to Gabble's dead body." Talabrina lets this sink in for a moment before continuing. "Now how many goblins are there in Gabble's tribe?"

[Ifreet]

Ifreet simply ignores the others, knowing they are full well of handling the interrogation by themselves. He finishes oiling the hinges, and stands. He goes to stand by Talabrina and make sure she doesn't kill the thing until they have interrogated it.

[Raye]

He moved to the downed and still goblin that Talonn had left in the doorway and knelt by its side. With a dark hand pressed to its scaly brow he slipped into a quiet concentration.

[goblin]

Gabble's eyes shifted quickly right to left looking for a way out and trying to think up an answer. A tiny pointed tongue came out and licked his dry greeninsh lips. He said, "No kill Gabble. Gabble no want to die. You no kill Gabble if Gabble talks? Yes? Gabble talk Gabble not crazy. There are many hands worth of goblins in tribe. Gabble not much smart. Gabble not know much. Nice lady don't kill Gabble."

[Talabrina]

"If Gabble wants to live, Gabble had better be telling me the truth. "Talabrina says icily to the goblin. "In fact I think I will cast a spell that if Gabble lies, then Gabble rot away slowly and painfully." Talabrina flashes the goblin a wicked smile and waves her hands about in a mystical fashion and begins speaking in elvish.

[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.