-----Meanwhile, as Sol and Raven top the stairs and emerge on the third level platform, they see this level shrouded in dark shadows. Again, the rain drives away any chance of listening for noise. The doors to the rooms on this level are shut as if the patrons here are undisturbed. It is darkest here toward where the platform rounds the massive trunk.
-----"Oh no..." Sarah says, realizing she's been left behind again. She dashes off after Sol and Raven disciplining herself for being so slow.
-----When Sol gets to the top, he gestures for Raven to go left. Sol himself dashes right following the curve of the trunk, looking all about him as he continues down the hall.
-----Raven nods and runs off to cover the left side of the tree.
-----Sol leaves the landing of the stairs and bolts down the corridor. He scans his surroundings as he runs past what seems like endless doors on his right. His boots thump rhythmically as he hurries on. Strangely, Sol sees light that appears to come from the next level up above him and from the level below him, all remains dark.
-----At one point, Sol realizes why. To his left, he catches a glimpse of a lamp mounted onto the bark of the huge trunk; its wick unlit.
-----Sol hears someone running behind him and turning, he sees Lovan following him.
-----Finally as Sol rounds more of the trunk, he comes in sight of the stairs that climb toward the next level. There standing opposite him is Raven.
-----Realizing that he's less likely to be heard over the rain, Sol points at Raven and then points up to the next level, indicating that he should continue up to further the search.
-----Sol then removes the lantern from the wall and sets about lighting the lamp with his own flint and steel pulled from a pocket.
-----Once the lantern is lit, Sol hands it to Lovan and indicates that the priest should head back to the stairs that they just came up.
-----Sol and Lovan stride back around the long corridor of the tree trunk. The Storm Priest looks especially animated and alert as he holds aloft the lantern with his left hand while hefting his warhammer in his right. He occasionally grunts enthusiastically and bumps Sol with his elbow as the noise from the weather drowns out his speech.
-----Once they reach the stairs, Lovan holds the lantern as high as he can, the glow of it shining in a very wide circle. Sol then pulls out his lens and sets about examining the flooring around the landing and toward the corridor he ran down.
-----After studying the area for a few moments, the young warrior identifies his own footprints and those of Lovan's. However, he comes up empty-handed in finding any sign of the assassin.
-----Sensing the failed attempt, Lovan grits his teeth and grumbles.
-----A moment of indecision plagues Sol as he puts the device away. If the assassin cannot be tracked by sight then he could be anywhere. He could have double backed to attack Mirian, still on this level planning another ambush on Sol, further up where Raven has headed or worse yet...fled entirely to show up at another time of his choosing.
-----If he is after Mirian, Sol is confident in the ability of his friends to defeat the assassin if they worked together. If the man has fled, there is little Sol can do about it...
-----The heavily falling rain keeps him invigorated. All his senses going wild with the night's weather. And no time to enjoy it, yet.... He dashes off.
-----Sol races around the circular platform again with Lovan in tow. As he and the Storm Priest round the trunk and come in view of the stairs, they see Sarah and Rinda standing with Garrison and Raven.
-----"Damn it, Sol," Rinda says with a furrowed brow, "Sarah and I need to bind your wounds. I'm surprised you're not feeling weak." The huntress points at the arrow extending from the young warrior's left shoulder.
-----Garrison flashes a look of concern. "Hey, I wonder about Romney and Mirian. One of us at least ought to check on them."
-----Sol looks shocked to see Garrison, Rinda and Sarah. "I thought I said..." He states before cutting himself off and launching himself past the group heading back downstairs, looking for Romney and Mirian.
-----Raven curses and then follows Sol.
-----Everyone follows Sol and Lovan as the storm priest still holds the lantern. Down the dark corridor of the platform they run before finding the stairs that takes them down to the next level.
-----Gaining this level they run around the trunk once again to find the stairs that leads to the level where the adventurers have their rooms.