The next door opens onto a dark stairwell going down. The stairs are stone. The top stairs look to be made from rocks that have been laid down with mortar. The ones just below that look carved but there is no light in the stairwell and precious little filters in from the hall (which has a window).
"Well, that's interesting," Jessa remarks, "I'd always heard most goblins lived underground in caves. I hate the thought of being trapped down there, though. But the rest of the fort seems fairly deserted, except for that wild horse out there. Should we take these stairs and see where they lead us next?"
"First!" Mitnal says enthusiastically and begins to descend the stairs sans light force. He reaches into his pouch and pulls out the rock that had been enchanted with light back in the glassworks. Seeing that it is just an ordinary rock now, he bangs it on the wall and thens says in disgust, "Pah! It's broken. I must have broke it during the fight."
He throws it away.
I pick up a stone, cast light upon it and hand it to Mitnal.
"Sorcery has its limits."
Then I ensorcel a few more.
There is a door at the bottom of the stairwell. It is closed.
"It does seem like we've been down here for a long time. Maybe a short recuperation would be a good idea."
"I'm pretty worn down," Jessa shares, "But I'd also hate to wake up with a goblin or Nualia standing over us, too. Where could we take a few moments to rest?"
She thinks for a moment.
"Hmmm...I think we'd better stay on this side of the island, no matter what. Because trying to fight our way back across that rope bridge could prove really difficult now that they know we're here. It might even be worth it to cut that bridge so more goblins don't wander over from the mainland if there's any still out there on patrol or something."
"Maybe a good place to hole up is the chieftain's throneroom?" she suggests, "After all, it had locks on all the doors. Or, failing that, maybe the open-air yard with the horse would work? As long as the animal feels comforted by our presence, it ought to serve as a useful alarm if more goblins wander up."
"What do you guys think?"
Mitnal is torn between lounging on the throne and hanging out with the horse.
"Hey, that's a good idea."
"Perhaps we should stay inside, incase it rains or gets cold..."
My voice trails off and I feel distinctly un-macho.
"I entirely agree," Jessa responds, almost completely forgetting the coming rainstorm, "The throne room it is..."
"AWWK!" Blackwing stirs his wings in approval as well. Rain and feathers apparently don't mix.
Heading back to the throne room, there is a feeling of emptyness to the fort. One gets the feelings that the goblins have all either been killed or driven off.
"Dibs on the throne," says Mitnal urgently.
"Fine," Jessa tosses back, "The chair won't be very comfortable for sleeping anyway."
"Fine," Jessa tosses back, "The chair won't be very comfortable for sleeping anyway."
"yay!"
I cast around for a spot clear of dead goblins.
"Ewww..." Jessa says as she sees the dead goblin and giant lizard bodies still lying around, "Maybe we should do something with those if we're going to rest here. Can we drag them off somewhere else? Maybe throw them into the surf or something?"
"Maybe we should bring the horse in here . . . ." Kenzo ponders out loud.
Mitnal uses his hand to smear the grime on the throne around and then plops himself down. "Look at me! I'm a Linnorm King," he calls out slamming his fists down. "Bring me gladmakers, beef-laden platters, and winehorns a-plenty!"
I find myself laughing, almost against my will, at Mitnal's glee, as a head off to help Kenzo investigate the unopened door.
Doors 1 and 7 lead into hallways that both lead to the bottom of the southwest tower, atop which Mitnal killed those goblins.
Door 2 leads to another set of steps going down.
Door 3 opens up into a goblin barracks containing six bunk beds. It is empty of goblins.
Door 4 is locked but you guys have the keys. Inside is a foul smelling food locker filled with poorly smoked meats. Some of the meat is dog. Some is horse meat. Some of it has hands and faces.
Door 6 reveals a tool shed containing many crude tools as well as many rabbit hutches, complete with shivering bunnies. Tere are probably about three dozen rabbits in here.
"Raven-Father, perch on my shoulder," says Mitnal. Mitnal squeezes his left-eye shut and grimaces as if that side of his face is gnarled and twisted. When Blackwing perches on his shoulder he growls, "Kneel before King Skrar the One-Eyed."
Door 6 reveals a tool shed containing many crude tools as well as many rabbit hutches, complete with shivering bunnies. There are probably about three dozen rabbits in here.
"Anyone hungry," asks Mitnal with a grin. He looks over the bunnies and wonders if they need fattening up. "At least my subjects will never go hungry.
"So, rabbit for supper and sleeping where-ever is least gross - seems like a plan."
As we're having rabbit, I go to give my last oatcake to the horse.
Door 2 leads to another set of steps going down.
"Hmmm...another set of stairs," Jessa notes, "When we set out tomorrow, let's check one of them and then backtrack to the other one. After that trapped lockbox, I'm thinking it's possible the goblins could have laid another trap on one set of stairs...and left the other one alone. And I'd prefer to take the one that looks safest."
Door 3 opens up into a goblin barracks containing six bunk beds. It is empty of goblins.
"Well, at least it looks like we've eliminated all the goblins up here," Jessa announces happily, "But now I wonder how many Nualia might have below for her army."
Door 4 is locked but you guys have the keys. Inside is a foul smelling food locker filled with poorly smoked meats. Some of the meat is dog. Some is horse meat. Some of it has hands and faces.
"Ugh!" Jessa turns away. "That's just horrid. And wrong. Disgusting!" She storms away, upset and not wanting to look in that room anymore. "Don't any of you go touching that stuff!" she calls back.
Door 6 reveals a tool shed containing many crude tools as well as many rabbit hutches, complete with shivering bunnies. There are probably about three dozen rabbits in here.
"Oh! How cute! Look at the little bunnies!" Jessa gushes, moving around the various cages.
"Anyone hungry," asks Mitnal with a grin. He looks over the bunnies and wonders if they need fattening up. "At least my subjects will never go hungry."
"What?! Eat them? Why..." Jessa starts to say, but then pauses. "Well, I do suppose we could have a few for supper. But not all of them, mind you. These could make for nice pets back in Sandpoint, maybe, if someone wants to raise them."
"What?! Eat them? Why..." Jessa starts to say, but then pauses. "Well, I do suppose we could have a few for supper. But not all of them, mind you. These could make for nice pets back in Sandpoint, maybe, if someone wants to raise them."
"AWWK?!"
Perched upon Mitnal's shoulder, Blackwing seems alarmed by the possibility of additional 'pets' around.
Mitnal does his best to find food for the rabbits and horse.
Mitnal finds some old vegetables kept as rabbit food in the storage shed. There is nothing but grass on the island fit for the horse to eat. The goblins, it appears, had no interest in keeping the horse alive, nor were oats a part of their diet.
The horse, when Mitnal returns to it is some calmer and is eating at the sparse grass in the yard. There is certainly not enough grass to sustain it for long however.
Jessa tries to get some rest, still worrying over her injured hand which hasn't completely healed following Gyorgy's divine fire. She makes sure that Blackwing assists in keeping watch, instructing the bird to wake the whole camp with his shrill cries if more goblins or other threats appear.
On her watch, she proves more distracted than anything else, poring over her spell book and continuously pondering the necklace they retrieved from the goblin bard, turning it over and over in her hands. She keeps coming back to the various instructions and guidance for illusions and phantasms among her books, muttering the word, "Sivhana" over and over to herself.
"Yes," she decides, only vaguely aware that Kenzo can overhear her words to herself, "[i]It must be Sivhana who favored us with that pulse of healing magic when we defeated the goblin warchief. The goddess of mysteries is a mystery herself, it seems. But I think I understand her a little more now."
"Watch, Oh, um... yeah. Okay."
I look around, trying to figure out what my uncles would do if they didn't have all of the dogs.
Mitnal brings along a bunny to pet. "In case we get hungry," he says to Blackwing, not wanting to show his softer side.
Mitnal takes from his pouch the stone that Gyorgy cast light on earlier. There is no light. "Gyorgy's not very good, is he?" Mitnal asks Blackwing. "Everything he makes, breaks."
Mitnal brings along a bunny to pet. "In case we get hungry," he says to Blackwing, not wanting to show his softer side.
"Hungry!" Blackwing bobs his head in agreement, though he doesn't seem very interested in the rabbit other than to view it as one more competitor for food.
Mitnal takes from his pouch the stone that Gyorgy cast light on earlier. There is no light. "Gyorgy's not very good, is he?" Mitnal asks Blackwing. "Everything he makes, breaks."
"Jessa better!" the raven annouces, rustling his wings to display confidence in his mistress. After all, she may curb his more egregious behavior, but he respects the girl's skill with magic.
"Watch, Oh, um... yeah. Okay."
I look around, trying to figure out what my uncles would do if they didn't have all of the dogs.
"Well, here we are, leading the adventurous life I guess. You know the thing that always gets me is, you know, killing things and everything, it's heavy work. And still somehow one never seems to remember to bring enough food.
Who knew, all those famous adventurers we heard about growing up, when they were doing all those big things, they were probably just thinking about how hungry they were." I poke at my teeth thoughtfully with a rabbit bone.
"Watch, Oh, um... yeah. Okay."
I look around, trying to figure out what my uncles would do if they didn't have all of the dogs.
"Well, here we are, leading the adventurous life I guess. You know the thing that always gets me is, you know, killing things and everything, it's heavy work. And still somehow one never seems to remember to bring enough food.
Who knew, all those famous adventurers we heard about growing up, when they were doing all those big things, they were probably just thinking about how hungry they were." I poke at my teeth thoughtfully with a rabbit bone.
"They always seemed to find soft beds as well. I don't remember any tales about the dilemma of 'cold flagstones or mouldy straw."
During the night there are occassional sounds of movement outside the door, but no assaults and no voices. Considering the front door is open, it is concievable, if unlikely that the sound is simply that of wild animals wandering the goblin halls.
Morning comes.
I stretch and shake, ridding myself of sleep, and then curl up in a foetal position in a corner of the room, shaking gently and muttering quietly in an unknown tongue, for an hour.
When I am finished I rise and join the others, my sorcery replenished.
Rinsing my mouth out with some rancid water and dashing a bit on my face, i watch gyorgy's version of morning ablutions, and again thank my stars that i never went in for the mystic arts.
I stretch and shake, ridding myself of sleep, and then curl up in a foetal position in a corner of the room, shaking gently and muttering quietly in an unknown tongue, for an hour.
When I am finished I rise and join the others, my sorcery replenished.
When Gyorgy is done muttering, Mitnal goes over and hands him the 'broken' stone and says, "Hope your magic works better today, caster."
He then continues his stretching but sticks close to the throne so that no one else can take it over.
When Gyorgy is done muttering, Mitnal goes over and hands him the 'broken' stone and says, "Hope your magic works better today, caster."
He then continues his stretching but sticks close to the throne so that no one else can take it over.
I sit, dumbfounded, looking from the stones to Mitnal and back again as he returns to his stretches. Then, in a moment of realisation I grin widely.
"No Mitnal," I whisper to myself; "Everything changes, everything fades."
I hold up the smoothest stone before me, moving it through my hand.
"It's not a flaw: it's a message, a secret."
When Gyorgy is done muttering, Mitnal goes over and hands him the 'broken' stone and says, "Hope your magic works better today, caster."
He then continues his stretching but sticks close to the throne so that no one else can take it over.
I sit, dumbfounded, looking from the stones to Mitnal and back again as he returns to his stretches. Then, in a moment of realisation I grin widely.
"No Mitnal," I whisper to myself; "Everything changes, everything fades."
I hold up the smoothest stone before me, moving it through my hand.
"It's not a flaw: it's a message, a secret."
Mitnal rolls his eyes in an expression that would, on other worlds, eventually be usually accompanied by the word, "whatevah!".
I suppose that as soon as Jessa has chosen her spells you can move out.
"I go first on the stairs," says Mitnal, jumping up and heading to where we left off yesterday.
The next door opens onto a dark stairwell going down. The stairs are stone. The top stairs look to be made from rocks that have been laid down with mortar. The ones just below that look carved but there is no light in the stairwell and precious little filters in from the hall (which has a window).
I follow Mitnal, casting light on a handful of stones and whispering to myself; "They don't need to last forever."