Chapter Two: In An Elven Way

Lopiena nods and smiles at Ishal. "I am glad we met, then. It was a bit of a challenge finding them, but they are very nice and I trust them fully. I just wish I remember what..." Lo shrugs and smiles again. "I'm sure it wasn't a hugely important message, it may have just been 'thank you.' So...thank you." Suddenly aware that she's rambling, Lo turns away and tries to recover some semblance of dignity. They’re still trapped in an endless hallway of dangers and doors, they can't backtrack to find the other kids, and her human body is becoming more insistent that sleep would be really nice right about now. Plus the meeting with the High Druid at dawn...which can't be more than a few hours away...so much for putting the best foot forward with that meeting. Looking around at the tired, burned, and bloodstained party, she reminds herself again that this whole misadventure was entirely her fault...but seeing the smiles of the children that they were able to find so far is gratifying, at least. Smiling back at them, she looks around and grabs a piece of the vine Zane had created. Holding it up so the kids can see, she reaches beyond her tired self into the world of green and growing things. "Grow." At her voice, a single leaf unfurls from the vine.

(Using Druidcraft cantrip)

Ishal didn't answer. Just stared at her until she turned to the children.

The kids, meanwhile, ooo'd and aww'd at Lopiena's growing plants, giggling when it went a direction they weren't expecting.

Zane finally sat up and breathed out. "Well....I suppose we'll never get out of here unless we keep moving." He pushed his way to a standing position. He turned to see Ashwyn and Sigurd sitting together, rather cozily. He watched them for a moment, hands on his hips. And that kiss earlier. It got the gears in his head turning.

"So," he said, clearing his throat. "I know that I do tend to get a bit...well..shall we say...distracted. At times. I admit it." He held his hands palms up in a surrender pose. "But I'd like to think that I would have noticed....this." He said, indicating the two of them sitting together.

Sigurd didn't turn his head but he looked to Zane anyway. "Given your advanced age, one would think you'd understand how suddenly these things can happen." he gave Ashwyn a loving nudge. "Turns out we've known each other a long time and our paths have just never crossed properly for something like this to happen. We figured circumstances being what they are it was meant to happen eventually"

At Zane's question, Ashwyn flushed. It wasn't that she was ashamed of her budding romance, but she wasnt really used to putting herself on display in this way. She was glad that Sigurd had answered in such a precise and to the point manner. When he nudged her she smiled fondly at him.

Zane blinked a few times after the explination. As though he had never considered that answer. "Oh..." He said simply. "I....was just commenting on your lack of arguing." He shrugged.

ishal rolled her eyes. it was unclear if she was rolling them at Zane or at the conversation in general as she didn't actually comment.

"You don't have to be concerned." Ashwyn added. "We have no intention of letting this affect our ability to complete our mission."

THe fox, done licking at its wounds, had trotted over to the pair of them, looking critically at SIgurd. It took in his scent, exhaled in a huff, and then settled down to the ground at his and Ashwyn's feet.

Sigurd laughed, typical gnome. couldn't see the forest for the trees, he guessed it hadn't been enough that the scent of the two of them in the spring wasn't enough to give anything away but their unusual closeness would have been a dead give away. Regardless there was no point in hiding it. "Gnome... you strain my ability to comprehend other races sometimes..." he said with a sigh.

When the fox walked over to them and looked Sigurd over he recognized the body language as when his people were in wolf as children that's how they communicated. "Hey. I don't need your permission" he huffed back.

Absently weaving vines into circlets and bracelets for the kids (if they'd even want such trifles), Lopiena watches the exchange thoughtfully. The fact that they'd known each other before was new information to her...THAT must have been what they'd discussed on their walk! Well at least the speed at which their budding relationship had developed made a whole lot more sense, and really there had been some sort of chemistry from the very beginning...strange and argumentative that it was. Sighing and carefully extracting herself from the cluster of kids...children have no concept of personal space, no matter the race or language...she gets to her feet.

"Sigurd. Ashwyn. I am truly happy for you. This is great." she smiles, then hesitates. "Normally this would be the time for some sayings of bliss forevermore or some such, but for now I think getting out of here would be the best thing to do."

Lopiena walks back over to the remains of the draugr with the shattered sword. Carefully picking up one of the iron shards, she slices a strip of material off the hem of her dress and wraps her hand in it. Slicing off another strip of material, she gathers a few more iron shards and wraps them in the material...they were useful once, and it never hurts to be prepared. Returning to the group and holding out a hand to the kids, she addresses the group as a whole. "If you're ready to go, I'm ready."

As the fox settled at their feet, Ashwyn smiled. When Sigurd huffed back at it she rolled her eyes and chuckled. She leaned forward and ran her hand down the soft, though charred, fur of the fox a few times, getting it to purr affectionately as Lopeina stood up.

She turned to her and bowed her head slightly in thanks. "Thank you." She said with a soft smile. When she then suggested they should continue on, she nodded. "Agreed." She ruffled the foxes fur once more and then stood, the fox immediately joining her.

Zane nodded as well. "I'm ready. More than ready to be out of here, that's for sure." He sighed. "So the question is..." He walked to the middle of the room so he could see both exits. "Which door do we try?"

Ashwyn looked them over carefully. [Perception check: 23] She approached the northern most door. "This door has a trap on it...Some kind of rune."

"Oh?" Zane followed her over. "Let me see that..." He looked at the rune at the bottom of the door. It was well hidden. He'd have never seen it on his own. "Ohhh yes....yes this is a Rune of Dread. Very nasty if activated. But I believe I can disable it..." He sat before it and began chanting in Gnomish and making various symbols with his hands.

Meanwhile, Ishal had wandered over to the middle door. [Perception check: 3] "Just looks like an old stone door to me...."

Sigurd rose to his feet with a slight grunt of effort. He had lost track of what time it was since they got in this god forsaken labyrinth. He watched as the other examined the doors and nodded, leaving Zane to disarm the northern most door. He approached the middle door and stared at it "surely they wouldn't trap all their doors..." he grumbled.

[perception check 12]

The door appeared normal enough, and very old. Like the others it had a hole dug into it on the bottom, but it had collapsed in on itself making it unpassable.

Ishal stepped up and touched the door with her palm. She pushed lightly, cautiously, but it didn't move. She pushed harder, still nothing. "Perhaps it's blocked on the other side?"

The fox came over to the stone door and sniffed at the caved in hole. Using it's large paws it tried to dig into the rocks, but none moved.

Ashwyn frowned. "There's something important on the other side. Our friend very much wants to get in there."

Watching the others check the doors and Zane disarming yet another trap, Lo looks around and cautiously approaches the fox. "You led us here, and you knew that we had to stay close to the wall. Whatever is back there...if it's important to you, we'll find a way." Looking around, she picks up the javelin and approaches the caved-in hole. "Maybe if we can loosen one stone, the rest will follow." Using the javelin as a fulcrum, she places the sharp end against the largest stone and leans back.

"Alright, stand back..." Sigurd said as he walked up to the door. giving it a once over he tried to find some sort of fault in it's structure. Obviously the hole in the door was probably made by the fox at some point in time as it's been slipping through holes this entire time. with it being caved in at the bottom Sigurd figured that it was probably braced there... so the logical action would be to strike it at the top.. depending on how thick the door was it should crack or break. If his hand doesn't first.

STR check [17]

Standing back away from Sigurd's mighty strikes, Lopiena readies the javelin and makes sure the kids are behind her. With all the surprises this dungeon has contained so far, anything could be on the other side of that door...and though the fox has proven itself trustworthy, it's certainly wise to be prepared.

Sigurd shifts in to his hybrid form and takes a step back from the door, it was going to come down. He took a step forward and followed through with another massive punch at the same spot as before.

STR [19]

The fox approached Sigurd and affectionately licked his hand before trotting happily into the hallway. Ashwyn walked up behind it and chuckled. She nudged Sigurd. "I guess that means it approves." She winked with a smirk and then followed the fox into the hallway.

Ishal walked behind them, wordlessly.

The children hovered around Lopiena, waiting to see what she would do.

As the door crumbles to dust, Lopiena raises the javelin...but it's just an empty hallway. Releasing a deep breath she wasn't even aware of holding, she watches the others go through the doorway. The fox looks happy, and it has been a pretty good indication of danger or safe so far...looking back into the room, Lo waves at Zane. "Zane, the other door is open, we can probably move on...uhh, Zane?" He's not paying the slightest bit of attention...and whatever he's doing with that dread rune whatsit probably shouldn't be interrupted, but the others are already through the doorway...clearing her throat and making shuffling noises in an attempt to not startle the gnome overly much, she approaches him and cautiously touches his shoulder. "Zane? Are you ready to go?"

Zane jumped at being addressed and a puff of smoke erupts from the rune. He gaspes in shock and falls backwards. He looked up at Lopeina.

"Hm? Oh...Oh sorry. I was so engrossed. These runes are quite complex." He saw the others going through the door and shrugged. "Oh well, I suppose we can always come back to this if we need to." He stood and followed the others down the hall.

Looking nervously at the puff of smoke...didn't he say something bad would happen if the rune was activated?...Lo returns to the kids and holds out a hand with a smile. "Come on, let's catch up with the others." Child in one hand, javelin in the other, and packet of iron shards tucked in a fold of the dress (don't ask), Lo heads over to the new hallway and joins the end of the group.

Sigurd smirked at Ashwyn and followed behind the fox. An idea hit him and he did a quick check of his armor and secured the axe to his lower back. With a half fall half dive Sigurd shifted again, only not into his hybrid form. This time, for the first time the others had seen, he shifted into his full dire wolf form.

Praising the armorsmiths Sigurd shook his body to make sure everything was sitting where it needed to be. Straps of leather inside the clothing under his breastplate, pauldron and bracer on his left side were pulled as he shifted cinching the fabric to his once arm now leg. Folding his ears back one could almost read a smile on his face as if he was proud of himself. He walked at a quickened pace to catch up to the fox. "I imagine we can understand one another now?" His lips didn't move and no one else would hear his words.

The fox turned as the large dire wolf that was Sigurd walked up along side it. "Indeed." His voice, like Sigurds, was internal and very deep. The fox sniffed at Sigurd. "You are young in this world. " He twitched his head back toward Ashwyn. "Your mate?" He asked.

Watching Sigurd transform into this new shape is fascinating, and not just from the standpoint of the versatility of his armor. Normally two large predators like this would immediately establish territories, but they seem to be getting along just fine, amazingly enough. While the two canids trot along together, their body language and other subtle hints demonstrate their own language. Lopiena can only imagine what they could be discussing...possibly what could be waiting for them in the next room?

Carefully keeping the kids in front of her, she looks back on occasion to make sure whatever else might be lurking in these halls doesn't sneak up on them from behind.

Sigurd looked at Ashwyn and back to the fox "Yes, she is." his tail wagged. It had been a while since he had been in full wolf form, it was almost a comforting feeling. "Where are you taking us? We have other little ones to find and rescue from this place. And why do you live here?" he asked curiously.

The fox nodded as Sigurd confirmed. "Her mind is troubled. Remain loyal. Keep her close. You will regret it if you do not." The large fox had a sadness in its deep voice."

At Sigurds questions, the fox seemed to shrug. "I am here to honor my mate." His voice was honorable and very old. ""
I know the children that you seek. I have watched them before. I may know where thry are hiding. I will show you. "

Ashwyn watched Sigurd and the fox in front of her. It was intriguing to watch them converse. She could get clashes from the fox now and then, but not directed towards her. Nothing distinct, but she knew they were talking. It was fascinating.