Lazybones
Adventurer
Chapter 57
While the others rested, Kosk and Xeeta cautiously explored further into the cellar.
Bredan tried to join them, but Kosk ordered him to stay put. Even with Glori’s healing the smith remained weak, and the dwarf pointed out that in his current condition a runt goblin with a club could knock him again through Death’s door, and this time the bard wouldn’t have a spell to pull him back over.
Glori was hardly in better shape herself, and she remained with Bredan and the unconscious Quellan while the monk and tiefling went looking for the missing Northpiner boy.
Aware that they were hardly unscathed, Kosk and Xeeta began their explorations slowly and cautiously. After verifying that there were no more threats lingering in the cluttered confines of the goblin lair, they pressed on into the side passage they’d spotted earlier. Without Bredan there was no need to bring a light that would betray their approach, and without the metal-clad warriors in their midst they made barely a sound as they slipped forward.
The passage turned into a long hallway that clearly extended beyond the foundations of the estate house above them. The tunnel was packed earth, reinforced by wooden beams and thick planks that supported the ceiling at regular intervals. After a short distance they passed a small room on their left. The place was crowded with a massive bed that had been assembled from several smaller pieces of furniture.
“Looks like our friend Gakrak took his rest here,” Xeeta said.
Kosk grunted in agreement as he leaned into the room. He was greeted by a rich funk that seemed to confirm the tiefling’s assessment. There was an earthy mustiness under that reek that suggested that place might have once been an herb cellar. Bits of faded greenery were still visible in the packed dirt of the floor.
There was a chest near the foot of the bed, but Kosk ignored it for the moment, lingering only long enough to confirm that the room was empty before gesturing his companion on. They continued down the tunnel, which bent slightly to the left and then continued on for a good thirty or forty paces before ending in a door.
“This looks like a fairly recent addition,” Xeeta observed. “And rather slipshod work.” She ran a hand along the threshold, which had been hammered into place around several of the support beams that supported the ceiling. The door hung crooked, with gaps around the edges that were wide enough to squeeze her fingers through without difficulty. In place of a latch the door was secured with two wedges of wood that had been hammered into the jam.
“They probably took one of the doors from upstairs and installed it down here,” Kosk said.
“Makes you wonder what they were protecting, doesn’t it?” Xeeta asked.
“It could be another way out,” Kosk said. He pressed his face up against the edge of the door, peering through one of the cracks. “Light, and fresh air,” he said.
“Shall we see?”
“Get your blasting stick ready, just in case,” the dwarf said. He waited until the sorceress was in position, then used his staff to free the wedges holding the door shut. Once those were clear it opened with some reluctance, due to the poor alignment of the hinges, but Kosk got it wide enough to reveal what was beyond.
The tunnel continued for a short distance further before it culminated in a steep slope that rose up to a narrow opening above. The exit was surrounded by dense bushes that extended into the interior, but they could see a small patch of blue sky through the growth.
“Looks like this was a hidden escape route for the owners of the manor house,” Kosk said. “Not uncommon in these sorts of isolated settlements. Probably how the goblins came and went.”
“Avoiding the hazards in the manor,” Xeeta agreed. “Should we go back?”
“No reason not to,” Kosk said. “I never thought the kid would be here.”
They retraced their steps, and steeling themselves against the stench of the bugbear’s quarters they went back to the chest they’d bypassed earlier. It had a hasp lock that was broken and ruined, so they had no difficulty getting at its contents. Those contents included a heavy wool cloak that looked to be in decent shape, a bag full of biscuits that were the consistency of iron ingots, and a bulging sack. The sack clinked as Kosk lifted it, which proved promising until he opened it to reveal that it was full of copper coins.
“I guess Gakrak and his little band weren’t very good at banditry,” Xeeta said.
Kosk tied off the sack and looked up at her. “Don’t give up so easily,” he said.
The dwarf proceeded to tear the room apart. He poked through all of the bedding before separating the bed into its components, pushing them into the corners of the room. As he was doing that his foot scraped on something that drew his attention. The source turned out to be a loose stone that he pried up with one of Xeeta’s daggers to reveal a concealed space below. There was another chest in that hidden niche, this one banded in iron and with a fully-intact lock securing the front.
“Ah, that’s more like it,” Kosk said. Grunting with effort, he lifted the chest up out of its cubby.
“Should we force it open?” Xeeta asked.
“That may not be necessary,” Kosk said. “I think I might have an idea of where we’ll find the key.”
It only took a minute to confirm the dwarf’s theory. They went back to the cellar annex where they’d left the others and searched the dead bugbear. At first they didn’t find anything; Gakrak’s pouch was empty except for a sling and a few stones, and there weren’t any pockets in his bloodstained garments. Xeeta even pulled off his boots to check them, grimacing at the fresh stench that was unleashed. But Kosk didn’t give up, and finally he found the key on a long throng around the bugbear’s neck, tucked under his armor.
Glori had come over to watch them. “No sign of the boy?”
“He was never here,” Kosk said. “The goblin was lying.”
“We found a treasure chest,” Xeeta said.
“Oh?” Glori asked, interested. But Kosk insisted again that she remain to watch over their injured companions while he and Xeeta went to learn what they had found.
The key fit perfectly in the lock, and the chest opened to reveal a decent haul of loot. This time there were three sacks, filled with sorted piles of gold, silver, and electrum coins. Wedged into the back of the chest behind the sacks was a copper plate, which Kosk pronounced to be of little value, but under that was a small wrap of faded leather that from its feel had a few items inside. The throng holding it shut fell to pieces as the dwarf pulled at it, and he carefully unfolded the wrap to see what it held.
Inside the roll of leather was an ivory statuette, small enough to fit easily in Kosk’s hand. It had been carved into the shape of an armored knight, with an attention to detail that showed considerable craftsmanship. The dwarf stared at it for a moment before handing it to Xeeta.
“That’s good work,” she said. “What’s that there?” she said, looking back over his shoulder.
“Crossbow bolts,” he said, taking two thin shafts out of the wrap. Their heads were silvered and stamped with runes that looked obviously magical. “For the boy, assuming he ever gets to use the damned weapon.” He handed those to Xeeta as well, but before she could examine them the dwarf let out a satisfied sound.
“What?” she asked.
In response he held up two small metal flasks. Each was marked with a single rune that both adventurers recognized.
“Healing potions?” Xeeta asked.
Kosk gently shook one of the flasks to confirm it was full. “Aye. And unless they’re full of poison or something, it means we’ll get out of here sooner rather than later.”
While the others rested, Kosk and Xeeta cautiously explored further into the cellar.
Bredan tried to join them, but Kosk ordered him to stay put. Even with Glori’s healing the smith remained weak, and the dwarf pointed out that in his current condition a runt goblin with a club could knock him again through Death’s door, and this time the bard wouldn’t have a spell to pull him back over.
Glori was hardly in better shape herself, and she remained with Bredan and the unconscious Quellan while the monk and tiefling went looking for the missing Northpiner boy.
Aware that they were hardly unscathed, Kosk and Xeeta began their explorations slowly and cautiously. After verifying that there were no more threats lingering in the cluttered confines of the goblin lair, they pressed on into the side passage they’d spotted earlier. Without Bredan there was no need to bring a light that would betray their approach, and without the metal-clad warriors in their midst they made barely a sound as they slipped forward.
The passage turned into a long hallway that clearly extended beyond the foundations of the estate house above them. The tunnel was packed earth, reinforced by wooden beams and thick planks that supported the ceiling at regular intervals. After a short distance they passed a small room on their left. The place was crowded with a massive bed that had been assembled from several smaller pieces of furniture.
“Looks like our friend Gakrak took his rest here,” Xeeta said.
Kosk grunted in agreement as he leaned into the room. He was greeted by a rich funk that seemed to confirm the tiefling’s assessment. There was an earthy mustiness under that reek that suggested that place might have once been an herb cellar. Bits of faded greenery were still visible in the packed dirt of the floor.
There was a chest near the foot of the bed, but Kosk ignored it for the moment, lingering only long enough to confirm that the room was empty before gesturing his companion on. They continued down the tunnel, which bent slightly to the left and then continued on for a good thirty or forty paces before ending in a door.
“This looks like a fairly recent addition,” Xeeta observed. “And rather slipshod work.” She ran a hand along the threshold, which had been hammered into place around several of the support beams that supported the ceiling. The door hung crooked, with gaps around the edges that were wide enough to squeeze her fingers through without difficulty. In place of a latch the door was secured with two wedges of wood that had been hammered into the jam.
“They probably took one of the doors from upstairs and installed it down here,” Kosk said.
“Makes you wonder what they were protecting, doesn’t it?” Xeeta asked.
“It could be another way out,” Kosk said. He pressed his face up against the edge of the door, peering through one of the cracks. “Light, and fresh air,” he said.
“Shall we see?”
“Get your blasting stick ready, just in case,” the dwarf said. He waited until the sorceress was in position, then used his staff to free the wedges holding the door shut. Once those were clear it opened with some reluctance, due to the poor alignment of the hinges, but Kosk got it wide enough to reveal what was beyond.
The tunnel continued for a short distance further before it culminated in a steep slope that rose up to a narrow opening above. The exit was surrounded by dense bushes that extended into the interior, but they could see a small patch of blue sky through the growth.
“Looks like this was a hidden escape route for the owners of the manor house,” Kosk said. “Not uncommon in these sorts of isolated settlements. Probably how the goblins came and went.”
“Avoiding the hazards in the manor,” Xeeta agreed. “Should we go back?”
“No reason not to,” Kosk said. “I never thought the kid would be here.”
They retraced their steps, and steeling themselves against the stench of the bugbear’s quarters they went back to the chest they’d bypassed earlier. It had a hasp lock that was broken and ruined, so they had no difficulty getting at its contents. Those contents included a heavy wool cloak that looked to be in decent shape, a bag full of biscuits that were the consistency of iron ingots, and a bulging sack. The sack clinked as Kosk lifted it, which proved promising until he opened it to reveal that it was full of copper coins.
“I guess Gakrak and his little band weren’t very good at banditry,” Xeeta said.
Kosk tied off the sack and looked up at her. “Don’t give up so easily,” he said.
The dwarf proceeded to tear the room apart. He poked through all of the bedding before separating the bed into its components, pushing them into the corners of the room. As he was doing that his foot scraped on something that drew his attention. The source turned out to be a loose stone that he pried up with one of Xeeta’s daggers to reveal a concealed space below. There was another chest in that hidden niche, this one banded in iron and with a fully-intact lock securing the front.
“Ah, that’s more like it,” Kosk said. Grunting with effort, he lifted the chest up out of its cubby.
“Should we force it open?” Xeeta asked.
“That may not be necessary,” Kosk said. “I think I might have an idea of where we’ll find the key.”
It only took a minute to confirm the dwarf’s theory. They went back to the cellar annex where they’d left the others and searched the dead bugbear. At first they didn’t find anything; Gakrak’s pouch was empty except for a sling and a few stones, and there weren’t any pockets in his bloodstained garments. Xeeta even pulled off his boots to check them, grimacing at the fresh stench that was unleashed. But Kosk didn’t give up, and finally he found the key on a long throng around the bugbear’s neck, tucked under his armor.
Glori had come over to watch them. “No sign of the boy?”
“He was never here,” Kosk said. “The goblin was lying.”
“We found a treasure chest,” Xeeta said.
“Oh?” Glori asked, interested. But Kosk insisted again that she remain to watch over their injured companions while he and Xeeta went to learn what they had found.
The key fit perfectly in the lock, and the chest opened to reveal a decent haul of loot. This time there were three sacks, filled with sorted piles of gold, silver, and electrum coins. Wedged into the back of the chest behind the sacks was a copper plate, which Kosk pronounced to be of little value, but under that was a small wrap of faded leather that from its feel had a few items inside. The throng holding it shut fell to pieces as the dwarf pulled at it, and he carefully unfolded the wrap to see what it held.
Inside the roll of leather was an ivory statuette, small enough to fit easily in Kosk’s hand. It had been carved into the shape of an armored knight, with an attention to detail that showed considerable craftsmanship. The dwarf stared at it for a moment before handing it to Xeeta.
“That’s good work,” she said. “What’s that there?” she said, looking back over his shoulder.
“Crossbow bolts,” he said, taking two thin shafts out of the wrap. Their heads were silvered and stamped with runes that looked obviously magical. “For the boy, assuming he ever gets to use the damned weapon.” He handed those to Xeeta as well, but before she could examine them the dwarf let out a satisfied sound.
“What?” she asked.
In response he held up two small metal flasks. Each was marked with a single rune that both adventurers recognized.
“Healing potions?” Xeeta asked.
Kosk gently shook one of the flasks to confirm it was full. “Aye. And unless they’re full of poison or something, it means we’ll get out of here sooner rather than later.”