Our heroes escape down a well
Score: 444 | 11/19/13 |
Jerenid, the lieutenant, explained that he was not familiar with the tunnel they were in. Khal took the lead, sneaking ahead of the front edge of the light shed by the torch. The tunnel lead on with water on the right and a ledge on the left. After a few twists and turns, they ran into a small bridge. On the other side is a ladder going up and the passage continues beyond. Alejandro remembers being here and thinks that the ladder leads outside -- presumably with plenty of enemies roaming around! He also recalls an oracle on the wall that spoke to him.
Soon, they decided to press on through the passageway and come to an island that's about 10 feet away. They wade across to the island and see a dim light further on in another passage. Alejandro swims forward, knife in teeth, and discovers Arnora and her daughter in the passage. She expresses relief at meeting up with the three instead of the Baron's men. She explains that Galarep, a Mercati, gaves orders from Cardo himself to abandon the cave complex. She also said that Ragnar went back to protect his furniture, Grish and Otrygg followed him, and Grish went out on patrol and did not return. Khal explained to Ale that Gledrip, Arnora's missing husband, was rescued from Dragon's Cave by he and Nystral a week or so before. They were initially suspect of her, thinking that she was perhaps the traitor, but began to believe her story.
The group pressed on and found themselves in a large cavern with a woman and two children hiding in there. Arnora proceeded to call upon Aerawen by dipping her hand in a pool of water and rubbing it on the wall. An eerie music sang by a woman continued in a strange tongue for a few minutes. Arnora translates:
"All my exits except for one,
Are guarded by the ones who won.
Towards Nevea you must travel
My twisted tunnels you must unravel.
If at a fork you can't decide,
Against my wall your hand can glide.
Take a burrow that goes left,
But to survive you must be deft."
Since Nevea is synonymous with south, the group headed through the southern exit of the cavern. Realizing that fatigue is setting in, the group rests, posting watches every 4 hours. They come to another realization -- in the confusion of their escape, Mouse did not come with them down the well. Believing that he must have felt that a different exit option was better, they decided the risks too great to go back for him. After an uneventful rest, they follow the instructions of Aerawan with Arnora "reading" the wall at every fork.
Finally, they entered a large cavern with a thin shaft of light penetrating the ceiling. An old, wizened man was fishing in the stream in the middle. He introduced himself as Sigoder, First Citizen of the Free City of Invidia. Recognizing that senility had set in, Alejandro explained to him that we were not Mercati when he attempted to invoke a prior agreement that the Mercati would not bother them. The old man told them that he was exiled when the king moved from Nepos to Invidia. Feeling a sense of urgency to leave, Alejandro explained that they only sought passage from the caves, but Sigoder had no recollection of how to exit. Arnora called upon Aerawen again and showed the proper way to go. After a few hundred yards, they saw daylight and approached their safe departure from the Caves of Tamal, but were unaware of the dangers that lurked around the next corner...