The elf leaps out and finds no-one...

Byggvir looks around the room trying to take in all details as he addresses Gabra.

"It looks safe. Whoever our speaker was seems to have left."

Gabra joins Byggvir in the room and looks cautiously around.

A door in the north wall leads onto a small paved patio, the paving
now cracked and over-run with weeds. There is a pile of refuse in the
southeast corner. Otherwise, the room is bare. There is also a door in the east wall.

Relaxing a little Byggvir turns to Gabra, "North or East?" Motioning with his sword to the two doors.

"The runes will guide us."

Pulling a stone from her belt pouch, Gabra says with certainty. "North"

"The runes will guide us."

Pulling a stone from her belt pouch, Gabra says with certainty. "North"

Byggvir steps out onto the patio, and sees nothing out of the ordinary.

"The runes are always right. Now we know there is nothing behind us to fear."

Gabra moves cautiously to the east door.

Gabra heads towards the eastern door...

the floorboards creak...

but nothing untoward happens.

Gabra opens the door.

The door opens into a corridor with a door in the northern wall, and a door in the southern wall. The end opens out into a larger hallway.

"Shall we let the runes decide again?"

"Shall we let the runes decide again?"

"This one. We go ahead."

Towards the larger hallway.

"You realize we have yet to run into any of the speaker's we've heard warning us of our imminent demise. I am beginning to suspect that there is more to this house than mere bandits lurking about. Is there any way the runes may shed more light on this mystery?"

Fabes: By the way, did the voice which spoke to me when we opened the trapdoor sound the same as the one we heard speaking from the basement/cellar before we went down and found the rotting corpse?

The voice was different but of a similar quality.

"The runes will offer only guidance, but we can ask."

Pausing for a moment, Gabra offers the bag to Byggvir.

"This is your question, so you must choose. Keep your question in mind and take the three runes which call to you. Remember, the answers will be shadowed. It is not the way of the runes to speak clear. It is for us to understand and we are fallible."

"Ach, what're ye doin, woman?" Gavyn asks petulantly.

Ghindor wags a finger, "You don'ta disrespecta her." he says admonishingly.

Where are you going, folks?

Straight ahead to the larger hallway.

"Our path leads forward I think."

Byggvir moves forward into the larger hallway.

"I'm sorry Gabra, perhaps now wasn't the best time to consult the runes."

Doh! Forgot to respond earlier, sorry!

"You are right. The time to ask for guidance is not yet."

Gripping her mace, Gabra moves onwards.

The adventurers make their way through the door into what must be the main hallway of the house. A large door to the south muct be the front door and to the north is the corridor in which the kitchen and scullery is located.

There is a staircase going upwards to the next floor.

Byggvir looks around and then begins heading upstairs.

"I believe our path to discovering our hidden speaker may lie upward."

"I believe so too. More than smugglers are amiss here."