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-----The party starts down the passage. The movement is slow and deliberate. Everyone falls silent and their senses begin to pick up on various things. The nervousness of their "guide" . . . their visible breath escaping from their faces . . . the chill in the air . . . the sound of their boots scraping the floor . . . and always they focus on the continuing darkness ahead.
-----Then just before them, at a distance of about thirty feet, they see the lantern light outline a faint image. They realize they have reached the end of this corridor and see an ancient rusty metal door. As they come closer, they can see the closed door would pull open in their direction.
-----Raven softly says into the man's ear, "Any surprises behind this door?" The others watch the man slowly shake his head no. Raven motions for Sol to set the lantern down in the middle of the corridor. He looks around at his companions before he tells the man to open the door.
-----After making sure the lantern is placed about 20 feet away from the door, Sol waits for the man to walk past him before adding to Raven's warning, "If you betray us, I'll make sure you are the first to die." This is said in a low unaggressive tone. As the man continues to the door, Sol steps softly behind the light of the lantern.
-----Slowly the man pulls the door open and the light shines ten feet past the door into another dark corridor. It appears to continue straight ahead. Sol gathers up the lantern and the party moves forward.
-----As they walk past the doorway, the light begins to pick up something in the dark. Down another thirty feet, the corridor seems to end. As they move closer, they can see they are approaching an intersection including four other passages. The other passages form a big "X" with two passages angling forward and two angling behind.
-----"Well, which way is the safest?" the others hear Raven ask their captive. The man points out the corridor that angles forward on the right.
-----"Wait, let me see the lantern," Raven takes the light source from Sol. He then uses it to examine the floor. He searches the beginning of all four passages. Finally he stops at the one the man pointed out. Well, he may be right," Raven says slowly rising, "Not that he hasn't already lied to us before." The others can hear the hint of sarcasm in his voice.
-----He hands the lantern back to Sol and tells his companions, "There's been a lot of movement in that direction. Let's head that way."
-----Once again the party moves forward, this time the man leading them down the new passage. Raven constantly keeps an eye on the man in front of them.
-----Within a few moments, another door appears straight ahead in the dark. When prompted, the man says, "This is whar me friends and me, we would hide out."
-----Once again, Sol walks slowly towards the door, and gently places the lantern some 10 feet from the door. There he waits just behind the light for the man to open the door.
-----Raven stands behind the man as the man reaches for the ancient handle on the door. Slowly he tugs it open and a dark space beyond the door is revealed. Suddenly as the opening is widened, a solid thud is heard. The man's form suddenly goes rigid and Raven jumps back almost knocking into the lantern. The man stands motionless in the doorway and then his head, shoulders, and arms begin to slump. Finally, his knees begin to buckle and he falls on his back, exposing a bloody gash down the middle of his chest. Hanging upside down in the doorway is a huge battleaxe, its blade covered and dripping with blood. The suspended weapon sways slightly. Raven glances around at his companions.
-----All seems very silent as the heroes hold their breaths listening or waiting to see what happens next. Sol reaches down and retrieves the lantern. Holding it out to the side of his body, he walks up towards the door.
-----Raven moves to the other side of the door and they slowly and carefully peer into the room beyond. The axe hangs down between the two men.
-----Thalog steps up to the doorway to look at the hanging axe.
-----Raven and Sol step on into the room using the lantern light to look around. Raven picks up what looks like a tree branch carved with a Y-shape at one end. "I bet this was used to hold the axe up." He turns the branch to look at its other end which looks flattened. "This end was placed against the door."
-----Thalog leans his staff against the wall. He stands tall and his finger begins to move like sparkling dust, intricate and precise. In a strong, but subtle voice he says, "Shiw elttil emos." Thalog then concentrates on the rope that swings the axe.
-----Suddenly, the huge axe clangs as it hits the stone floor. Raven jumps, quickly drawing his sword. Sol swings the light toward the doorway. They see the young mage standing in the doorway with the huge weapon lying at his feet. Rand stands behind Thalog in the darkened passage.
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