Turn 82A -- Kersath and Kre go Scouting

The stalactite at the entrance to the cave provided Kre excellent cover with which to watch Kersath move out of the entrance and into the passageway beyond. Not for the first time since the party entered the mines, Kre found himself marveling at the skill of the dark Elven ranger. Not a sound was heard as Kersath made his way across the passageway to crouch behind a boulder, his hand crossbow leveled before him. Checking the path traveled by the ranger, Kre could make out only the faintest of tracks; ones that would be easily missed by the casual observer and difficult to find even when looking. Stealthily moving through cavern tunnels and covering dirt trails are all new skills for the young half-even thief. Having the sense to avoid a creaky plank in a stairwell, climbing a chimney three stories to a rooftop and lowering himself down to a second story window, and hanging to a rope upside down as he worked the bolt on the window; these were skills that Kre had spent his early years developing.

As always, thinking of his past brought back memories of his father. Although never really knowing his father, having been abandoned at the age of seven, it was 'friends' of his fathers, a group of bandits known as the Black Kings, that took the young half-elf in and raised him. And what an exceptional young thief Kre had become. His father abandoned him because of his half-breed status and now Kre was filled with a burning desire to prove to his father what a talented thief he had left behind. But then disaster had struck. Just as he was gaining stature in the hierarchy of the Black Kings, the leader had betrayed the group and framed Kre for the murder of his friends. Of course Kre had taken his revenge and killed the man but now he was hunted by every low-life in Faerun, a hefty bounty placed on his head. Not for the first time in the last month, Kre ponders leaving the Red Feather Company and leaving Haranshire. If the Zhentarim agents had tracked him to Milbourne, he was sure that others could do the same. How long before a lucky whelp stepped from the shadows and planted a dagger in his back? At last I've got the RFC to watch my back, he thought, and the money has been real good!

Coming back to reality, Kre makes out the signal from Kersath and steps out into the passageway. Turning north, he stays to the shadows and silently moves to a position perhaps thirty feet beyond the crouching Kersath. With ColdHeart in his right hand and a throwing dagger in his left, Kre stands on edge for any possible attacker to step out of the shadows. Having made it out of the cavern entrance without any sign of attack or alarm raised, Kre crouches down in a small alcove to make sure nothing is in the passage beyond before signaling to Kersath.

As the young Kre makes his way past Kersath, the dark elf shakes his head as he sees the young thief step on a small but obvious rock in the cavern floor. Kre winces from the edge digging into the bottom of his foot despite his boots but Kersath nods approvingly as he makes no noise. Pain races through the left side of Kersath's body as he crouches behind the boulder. Ortho, Randor and Garth did a fine job of healing his wounds following the battle with Ramor but his body is still quite sore. A week's worth of rest would have been better than the day and a half he received but a burning desire to exact his revenge on Ramor helped him out of bed sooner.

Thoughts of the battle with Ramor immediately brings a rise to Kersath's blood. Having never been bested in combat before, the dark elf is unused to coping with the happiness of simply being alive. Having been raised by the generally peaceful Svirfneblin, he wondered if this thirst for revenge was a part of his Drow blood. Do my people react this way all the days of their lives? he wondered. Could the thirst for blood be so strong? Once again, Kersath finds himself sickened by the thoughts and beliefs of his ancestors. He has a strong desire to know more of his people and more about them, but is at odds with some of what he knows of their beliefs. I will meet them some day, he thought to himself, and then all will be answered....

The two companions continued their trek up the northern passage of the mining complex, each watching the others back as they stay to the shadows and look for possible ambushes ahead. Both men marvel at the beauty of the cavern marked 'Fairyland', the colors and hues down in the cave complex boggling to the mind . Kersath feels at home and once again marvels at the beauty that can be found in the dark underground, while Kre enjoys the experience for the first time in his young life. After a few moments, the companions recover and continue through the cave after ensuring it is free of enemies.

One tunnel leads north again out of the chamber and the two make their way down it. Feeling a bit more confident that there are no orc ambushes awaiting them, the companions move through the tunnel together. Kre leading and facing north with Kersath moving behind him, almost walking backwards to watch for any danger coming behind them. After a short walk, they reach the fork in the mines. Having memorized the map from Ol' Grizzler, Kersath knows that the left passage continues on to one other chamber before ending in the Grand Cavern. The right chamber is marked the Crab Petals and has no other tunnels marked on the map leading from it.

Nodding to Kre, the duo makes their way quietly into the Crab Petals cavern. From all outward appearances the cave appears to be nothing more than a hollowed out mine cavern just like the others. Scanning the interior with their heightened eyesight, both Kre and Kersath see no movement or creatures within the cavern. A quick walk-through reveals initial impressions to be true and the two make their way out of the cavern. With a look toward the left passage, Kersath turns to Kre.

"Perhaps we'd better return to the others. Hopefully they've interrogated the prisoner and will have more information to go by."

Kre nods to the dark elf, "Our goal was to make sure there weren't any orcs waiting in ambush outside the cave and we've done that. We can investigate further when we get the others this far. I'd hate to walk into an orc encampment just the two of us."

Kersath smiles at the last statement from the young thief, "Nor would I, friend Kre, nor would I."

Turning back to the south, the silent companions of the Red Feather Company make their way back to their comrades. Not a sound is made as they move through the darkened corridors nor is a trail left to mark their passing. The journey back to the party is much faster than their scouting expedition and within a few minutes the duo walks back into the pool cavern to find the companions preparing to depart.