"Ow. Why always me?" Gwenhwyfar protests smashing the skeleton.
"They like you more. You just don't understand how they are showing you their love." Tauriell jokes. Then she finishes the next skeleton.
As no more skeletons emerge from the tunnel Tauriell carefully takes a peek into it. Then she picks up her tiara and puts it on her head again. "I'm not sure I like these skeletons more than these other critters. They are dumb and easily killed. But these undead send a chill down my spine."
"Now we can look for something interesting in that room." Niamh says to Tauriell and walks back into the tunnel. As she stands in the room she looks around for the first time.
Ancient shelves hold only the dust of whatever foodstuffs were once stored here. In the alcoves to the south, iron hooks for hanging meats dangle from the ceiling.
Nothing else is found in the room.
Niamh takes a hand of dust. she shouts while running back through the tunnel, her left hand covers the dust in her right hand.
"I'm devoured by curiosity. Don't draw it out anymore. Tell me what it is." Tauriell replies in an overly bored tone.
"Look. But be careful or it'll bite you." Niamh tells her and holds her hands in front of Tauriell's face. "Look through my fingers."
"Wonderful. Dust created by thousands of years. You should fill it into a glass and seal it as a testimony for generations to come." Tauriell mocks Niamh.
Niamh's face brightens up. "Yes. Isn't that wonderful? A real antique! But I will give that wonderful dust to you."
And with that Niamh blows the dust at Tauriell and jumps out of reach.
"I think I don't move enough. I start to collect dust already." Tauriell replies but doesn't seem like she would start moving right now.
Niamh looks a bit disappointed. "That's boring Tauriell. You should run behind me shouting: I get you!"
"But I have a wonderful spell for cleaning antiques." Niamh grins.
"If you start begging for it." Tauriell replies and runs after Niamh. As soon as she gets her she drags her to the stairs to sit down, outs her over her lap and smacks her behind several times.
"I'm sorry. But I use old style cleaning methods like beating things out." Setting Niamh down again she says smiling "Now you're clean too."
"I'm always clean! What do you think I have this spell for?"
Niamh rubs her behind. "You were cheating! Playing catch is without smacking!" She advances her low lip and tries to look evil.
Patting Niamh on the head Tauriell says "You're cute when you're angry. And you better remember how your behind feels now before you blow dust in my face and call me old again."
"Are you done with playing around now? Because we could continue down this corridor now." Abomentolor says pointing to the west.
"I'm not cute! And you forgot to say 'Gotcha'" Niamh mumbles angry and stamps her foot before she walks to the west.
The corridor a room that seems to have once served as guard barracks, but the beds and other furniture here have long since crumbled into almost unrecognizable ruins.
From there to the right is a corridor leading to the room with the stone doors. They also don't open from this side.
From the barracks to the left is a flight of stairs that leads further down into the dungeon.
These are heavy stone doors and maybe something like rotted hinges lead to these doors not being willing to be opened. A good pickaxe would solve that problem eventually. But as the group has seen both sides of the door the benefit wouldn't be too big.
"I think I could use some more of that magic water. I'm feeling really clumsy since the encounter with these centipedes." Abomentolor explains.
"I could use some too, as I'm really beaten." Tauriell says.
"Me too." Gwenhwyfar adds.
Niamh takes her waterskin and passes it out to Abomentolor. "Here you are. But let some of the water for Mrs. Heidmarch please."
"Thank you." Abomentolor replies and takes a swig. He then hands it on to Tauriell.
Tauriell takes a swig too and hands it over to Gwenhwyfar.
"This is from a really refreshing spring." she says after the effect.
Gwenhwyfar also drinks from the water.
"Aaahh! That is really good. We should collect more of this."
"Hey. I feel nothing. Why doesn't it work. Gimme that waterskin back I didn't drink enough." Abomentolor complains.
Gwenhwyfar looks at Abomentolor. Then at herself. As she is still bruised she takes another mouthful. But to no effect.
"I guess it works only once." she explains handing it back to Abomentolor.
Abomentolor takes another swig and waits a moment. As he feels no improvement he hands the waterskin back to Niamh. "At least it worked once. And it was for free."
"So are we going further down or should we call it a day?"
Tauriell puts her palm on Abomentolor's forehead. "Our gnome isn't hot anymore. I think he runs out of fire for today."
"Then lets turn!" Niamh says and starts running. "The last one is a lame duck!"
"That's a good idea. I'm hungry already. I will cook another stew." Gwenhwyfar says.
Niamh is almost out of the dungeon already.
Tauriell walks back to the base of operation. Greeting Carl and Ernard she goes to the next room to check on the bed. "This could have been such a nice sleeping possibility. and now it mostly eaten by rats and the rest is full of rat shit." she sighs.
Gwenhwyfar goes to the kitchen and orders Carl and Ernard to cut vegetables. Then she orders Abomentolor to make a fire. Then she walks a few times up to the well to get a waterskin full of water.
"Did Gwenhwyfar get a promotion to be our chief officer? Or why is she ordering us around." Abomentolor asks surprised as he makes fire.
"As long as she's not ordering me around it's fine with me." Tauriell replies.
"As long as you're cutting the dangerous monsters I'm fine being ordered to cut vegetables." Carl replies.
Gwenhwyfar prepares an almost tasty meal.
"If I get any worse at this you can prepare the meal while we're in the dungeon below. Then we won't have to wait for me to finish it." Gwenhwyfar states towards Carl and Ernard being disappointed by the result of her cooking.
"We ate grilled rat. It's not worse than that." Abomentolor replies with a shrug.
The afternoon passes with eating and storytelling. Abomentolor boasts about his deeds. Tauriell shows her new silken rope around. Later on Niamh plays some dance music on her fiddle and Tauriell dances to it.
Gwenhwyfar dances with Jimmy and Carl and Ernard clap the rhythm with their hands.
As the evening draws close and nothing else is left to be done Gwenhwyfar checks on everyone and heals herself and Tauriell. "I'm sorry Abomentolor, but I can't heal your affliction today. I will prepare it tomorrow."
"I'll take care that he gets a good night's sleep." Tauriell says and grabs Abomentolor at his collar. She drags him into the neighbouring room, closes the door and slumps him into the bed and herself next to him.
Abomentolor seems to have come to terms with his fate as he shows no resistance.
Gwenhwyfar sets her own sleeping bag two foot apart from Jimmy's as they are not alone in the room. Nevertheless she and her sleeping bag snuggle up to Jimmy over the course of the night.
Carl plays some rounds of cards with Ernard while they keep half an eye on the large door that nothing enters. Now and then Carl walks up to the door and looks down the stairs in the light of his lantern.
Brutus cuddles up to Niamh and also has an eye on the door and jumps up every time Carl inspects the stairs. He then walks with him checking and lies down next to Niamh afterwards.
The night passes without incidents. The new morning starts with the sun coming up behind the horizon unnoticed by the party sleeping in the dark piling of the Irespan. Only in the room where Tauriell and Abomentolor lie in bed the noise of the waking sea birds announces the new day.
Gwenhwyfar sneaks off with Destinée to the platform again to do her prayer time in the morning sun. She woke up on the same time as every day despite the darkness of the Crow. She prepares the restoration spell three times today as Abomentolor needs that before they even start and with all that poisonous vermin here it might be needed more often.
After an hour she is done and goes back to prepare breakfast with her well liked door baked bread. It is quite some fun with everyone standing at the door trying to catch the bread as it is baked well enough to fall off.