Chapter-3: The Bowels of Lolamach
The ladies spent the better part of the next three days pouring over the documents Alderman Crue left for them. They also made a few trips into town for supplies. Although, it was more supplies for the tower itself including hiring a house-boy, and an extra maid. They figured that 500 in gold coin was a bit excessive for expenses on a mission that was just below their feet. So, the extravagant advance was probably best spent on improving the living conditions of the tower. After all, it technically belonged to the wizard, anyway. Whatever their logic, they were preparing for the mission ahead.
The day before, with the help of the tower servants, they gathered needed supplies and staged them in the cellar, and that was where the six of them assembled after their morning meal. And after moving the shelf that concealed the hidden door, the other five all looked over at Cira expectantly.
"What," the little thief began, rhetorically, "just because its a door, I have to open it?"
The others said nothing as Nora cast an iron gaze on the Halfling.
"Okay," she conceded, "I'll check it out."
Sure enough, there was a wire attached to the lock mechanism, and Cira's skills were in need right out of the gate. It was something that she would not let her comrades forget, nor live-down.
First, she drove a pin into the oaken frame of the door-jam, and then cut the wire to the trap (all-the-while keeping steady tension, as not to trigger it). After it was cut, she wrapped the bitter-end of the wire around the pin, and announced, "There... easy-peasy, lemon-squeezy!"
Nora started to move toward the door, as she rolled her eyes in exasperation, but was interrupted by the thief. "Don't," Cira exclaimed, melodramatically. "The trap's not totally disarmed. It just won't go off when you open the door. So, don't even breathe on the wire, or it's..." she finished her sentence by drawing her fore-finger across her neck, and making a gurgling sound.
"What kind of trap is it, Cira?" the barbarian asked, eyes wide with apprehension, "What does it do?"
"You don't wanna know, Selk, and it's best you don't," she replied calmly, as if she knew things others didn't. Honestly, she didn't know what the trap did, and she got a small thrill out of playing this game. And, as usual, the big blond one was always her favorite mark.
The first hundred feet, or so, was well constructed. Meticulously carved out of the granite bedrock that was reinforced by ash timber, and there were sconces containing torches that still could be lit. In the first chamber, the group ran into a gang of a dozen goblins. Fetid little creatures that smelled of rancid meat, and were viscous to a fault, they put up a good fight, but the Ladies of Lolamach proved too much for them.
Even before Nora had drawn her sword, Sara had got off two arrows that unicorned two of the little beasts, and Kerryllon had fried two others with a barrage of arcane lightning from her staff. And as Nora ran the first one through, Selk had rendered anotherβfrom crown to groinβwith her axe.
Cira had sprang into action as well. She had gotten one high in the spine with her small crossbow, but dropped it for the opportunity to cleave another from-ear-to-ear with her razor-sharp, curved dagger. The Halfling was quite dangerous in battle, and mostly due to her size. Being so small, her enemies had a tendency to pay her no mind, and for most of them it proved to be a fatal mistake. It only made it easier for her to sneak around behind them, and... well... then death.
The remaining four screamed in horror, and tried to run away, but the ranger was quick with her bow, and the thief had recovered her crossbow. And for the most part, they weren't going to make it that far with the fireball that pursued them down the hall. And when it exploded, they all turned to their sorceress that stood there with a satisfied grin on her face.
"A Fireball so early in the day, Kerryllon?" Nora asked, rhetorically, in admonishment, "Please, save your magic for when we
need
it!"
"Pray, pardon, Nora," the elf-sorceress replied, knowing their captain was correct in her assessment, "I just hate goblins," she finished, as she shuddered at the thought of the wart-infested creatures.
As the hours wore-on, one room, chamber, or hall was much like the last: a handful of goblins, kobolds, and even a few orcs, but nothing truly dangerous. And what traps they did run into, a blindfolded village-idiot could have spotted, and they were just as easy for Cira to disarm. It made Nora wonder why they were sent down here. After all, the set-up mission that got them there post was more difficult and challenging that this. She needed a chance to stop, and think, so she ordered a meal-break.
"You get the feeling we're being toyed with again," she asked Cira.