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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Whizbang Dustyboots" data-source="post: 3711350" data-attributes="member: 11760">Hazel misses a step as they pass the bloodstained ground near the dormitory and catches herself on Tucker's pack as the deputy stops."Sorry."Tucker holds up a hand for silence and draws his flail, listening at the doors standing open in the late afternoon sun. Hazel joins him and listens as well. After a moment, she turns and waves the group on, pantomiming lighting a torch."Just need a moment to snag my gear," she whispers, "If the trap door will open. But it'd be nice to have someone holding it open, just in case. Don't think I'd care to repeat that leap."The dormitory is dark and quiet as the group steps inside. As the daylight begins to wane, it's colder than it was, but is otherwise is as the Bridgers left it; at the far end of the room, the ladder still leads to a closed trapdoor."It ought to be one of us priestly types," Bufer says, as he brings up the rear, leading Oktav along by one arm while Flower holds the other. "If there is some kind of oogedy-boogedy up there, we can at least try to chase her off long enough for you to grab your stuff and scurry back down. And if not, there's always the holy water sprinklers."He lets go of Oktav's arm, and with a meaningful glance at Flower, steps forward and unhitches his aspergillum from his belt."Trap door can't be that heavy. I'd be happy to tag along, unless somebody's got a better idea."Hazel follows Tucker over to the ladder, with Emmerson's lantern lighting the way. Eyeing the closed trap door, she begins climbing the ladder and stops at the top to listen, pushing lightly against the door. The creak of it opening is loud in the quiet dormitory.Hazel pushes the trapdoor open with a thump and stretches her arm out, feeling for the gear she left beside the door."Heads up, deputy," she says, tossing it down.She takes the lantern from Tucker and shines it around the attic, then sets the lantern beside the trapdoor and pulls herself up."Come on up, Fancypants." The name almost makes her chuckle, despite her fear of the attic. "Hold this open while I grab my lantern."Leaving Emmerson's lantern next to Bufer, Hazel aims the light toward her own lantern and darts across the attic to retrieve it.The room seems longer than she remembers it being as she races through the darkness, and the sound of the group behind her grows quieter and quieter. When she reaches the lantern in the dim pool of light from the open window, she finds she's reluctant to run back through that black expanse back to the trapdoor.She is gripped by knowledge that someone is going to slam the trapdoor on her and trap her alone in the dark with them. Heart racing, Hazel stares across the attic at the open trapdoor."Hello? Buf-ancypants? Are you still there? M-maybe the deputy should help you with the door. Anyone for a rousing verse of 'Onward, Onward Brave Soldiers?'"She's here, I know she's here.Hazel grips her lantern with white knuckles."I'm right here, Lil' Big'un," Bufer says as he leans on the open trap door. Hazel's voice sounds strangely far away, but the fear in her voice is palpable. "Just follow my --"At that moment, Emmerson bursts out singing."Though the sky be black as coal,Though still hours 'til break of day,Still we march towards our goal,Lothian's truth shall light our way."Onward, Onward, Brave SoldiersOnward 'til the break of dawn!Onward, Onward, Brave Soldiers,For the glory of Lothian ..."Now, EVERYBODY!""Oh, good Garl, not this again," Bufer mutters. "Next time we camp, remind me to teach y'all The Pantsing of Mithra. At least there's a decent pie-fight in that one!"Hazel takes a deep breath and adds her voice to the song in a jarring, staccato rhythm as she runs toward the trapdoor. The light and the awful, awful singing seems a very long way away, even after she is sure she's more than run the distance between the window and the door.Then, she feels it: Women's fingers, clutching at her arms and legs, unseen fingernails clawing at her as she yanks herself away from their grasp.And then something dark comes between her and the trapdoor.She's about to scream when she barrels into Bufer and Emmerson, half-falling down the ladder with them."Easy there, Lumberjill," Emmerson says, clutching at her. "You can't risk the fall."Hazel nods as she gulps in air and shakily descends the ladder. But for Emmerson's steadying hand, she would have missed the last rung entirely. As she turns to thank him, her eyes sweep the room and her whole body shudders."Like hogs on butchering day." She swallows rapidly to stop the bile rising in her throat. "Those poor women."Hazel kneels and relights her lantern, grateful for its warm glow. She silently rolls her old cloak into a bundle and tucks it into her pack before slinging it across her back. With her lantern in her left hand and her quarterstaff in her right, she heads for the door to the courtyard."We should hurry."</blockquote>

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