Back to Page One
-----The smile fades from Raven's face and a grimace of pain replaces it. Raven turns to Sol, "Well, it was worth a shot. When I say stuff like that does it look like I mean it or what?" Raven looks down at front of his armor. "What a mess..." Raven sighs and puts a make shift bandage over the wound on his left arm.
-----Raven searches the bodies for clues and examines their weapons and armor. "Sol, do you think we should regroup outside and ask this fine gentleman about what's going on here?"
-----"This is working out well," Thalog says more to himself than the others as he rejoins them.
-----Sol watches the door at the end of the corridor with some contempt, then turns to Raven as he speaks. "I suppose that sounds good. Or we could just do it here. It depends on how much regrouping time you wanna give to them," he hooks his thumb in the direction of the door.
-----He gives a quick glance at Thalog when the man returns. Sol then turns his watch back to the door. "Actually, I'm sort of tempted to just go in after them." An eager smile starts to grow on the young man's face.
-----Raven looks over to Thalog, "Where were you? Has anyone seen Rand?"
-----Once more Sol glances at Thalog, seemingly waiting for his answer to Raven's question, then he suddenly seems to realize something. He walks a couple of steps towards the lantern, and bending down he turns the lantern so that it faces the direction the men retreated down.
-----The beam of light from the lantern shines coldly down the passage for about thirty feet. The passage continues straight ahead with no apparent side passages. More of the ancient stone blocks that make up the floor and walls are seen. The darkness continues, as the light does not shine on the end of the corridor.
-----Thalog answers, "I was taking up a tactically superior position. Besides, now our enemy will underestimate us. If we interrogate the man in here, then we could be attacked from the side passage behind us."
-----"If yer worried about the side passage, then you can keep watch. I reckon that we should take them now." Sol's eyes glint in anticipation, oblivious to the blood still dripping from his sword.
-----Sol's head turns to Raven, "Anything useful on them?" Sol asks the older man, as he finishes searching the bodies.
-----"Yeah, I found something interesting," Raven replies standing. "First," he says, holding out both hands cupped toward Sol, "here's your share of what they had." He hands Sol five silver pieces and 16 copper pieces. Holding out his hands, Sol takes the offered money from Raven with a hint of surprise. Likewise, Raven hands Thalog the same amount.
-----"I also found this on one of the men," Raven says, holding up a small shiny black stone so the heroes can see it in the torchlight. "Here, Thalog, you can add this to your collection." He also passes this to the mage.
-----Raven then turns toward Rand who is standing a few feet back behind Sol and Thalog in the shadows.
-----"Here," Raven says to Thalog, handing him Rand's share of the silver and copper, "hand this to Rand." He then peers more at Rand who is standing outside the torchlight. "Rand, what are you doing back there?"
-----Before the young priest can answer, a moaning is heard at Raven's feet. Looking down, Raven mutters, "Well, it looks like our sleeping boy is waking up. If one of you wants to watch around us, I'll see what he has to tell us. Anybody have any questions we want to ask this joker?" Raven kneels down beside the man's form.
-----"Yeah, ask 'im how many more 'friends' he has around here. Also, it'd be nice to know if there were any other surprises waiting around here." Sol then turns his back on the group, looking down the corridor which the lantern now illuminates.
-----Once again a moan comes from the man on the floor and his eyes slowly begin to flutter. Raven reaches down and pulls the man's weapon from its scabbard and tosses the short sword a few feet away. He waits for the man's eyes to focus a bit more and then he grabs the man's collar with both hands pulling him upright.
-----"Okay, we're going to try this again and this time I may not be all that nice," Raven says to the man in a low, growling voice. The dazed look in the man's eyes suddenly clears and is replaced by one of startled fear. "I want you to look around us," Raven continues through gritted teeth, "Some of your friends are here, but they won't be getting up." The man's eyes nervously shift toward the still bodies laying a few feet away. "The rest of your friends that were here ran off. They have left you alone!" Raven wrinkles his nose, almost snarling wolf-like. "Me and my friends are still here and you're going to tell us what we want to know, right?" With that, Raven shakes the man by the collar.
Go to Page 3