Into the Void

Gowron finished tying off the length of hemp rope to the tent pole. He turned to Aramis, who seemed the soberest of the three Guidos. "I'll tug once when we're down there, twice if we need you. Got it?"

"Sure thing," he smiled. He seemed content to be the lookout. "Holler if you need anything!" Gowron chuckled mirthlessly, and followed Tezor down the hole. Tez could see warm handprints on the ladder rungs as he carefully descended. He was vulnerable, heading feet first down the ladder, but he was also feeling brave. Maybe Lily would be proud of him. Maybe not... 

When they got to the bottom, they found themselves in a rough-hewn tunnel, eight feet in height, with a couple doors on the right hand side. Gowron sidled up to the first door and listened. Hearing nothing, he peered into the small barred window in the door. Sacks of grain and boxes of foodstuffs were piled on the floor as well as tucked into shelves. It smelled vaguely like a barn. 

The next door was much the same, only snoring was coming from behind it. Gowron was extra quiet, and opened the door as silently as possible. Kegs of ale and glass bottles lay on the shelves in here, and a shabby man sit sleeping in a chair. Drool pooled on his chest, as it looked like he'd been "guarding" the booze. Poorly. 

Gowron shut the door, and decided they should just sneak past. Up ahead, Tezor saw something move in the shadows. There was a T in the tunnel ahead, and something moved low across the ground, to the right. And echoing creak was then heard from up ahead - a door opened. "Heya Billy! Where 'oo fink 'ure goin'?" Tez and Gowron tiptoed up to the T and peered to the left. Down the hall, the troll that had harassed Tez at the fair was scouring the hallway. He appeared to give up, and returned to the room from which he came. 

Gowron turned down the right-hand tunnel, and followed a tiny shape down a slope. After a few yards, he found that it was a tiny goat! The thing had stopped by the side of an underground stream - one with a pier and anchor poles driven into the ground. It looked like a waypoint for whatever was down here. Interesting, Gowron thought as he picked up the goat. I wonder what these guys are doing down here... 

Whatever it was, Gowron was pretty sure he didn't like it.

Meanwhile, Tez had made his way up to the troll's door. He could hear the troll humming poorly to himself as he moved around inside. He could also hear the nervous bleats and barks of at least a dozen animals inside. He wasn't sure what to do - it sounded like animals were in need of help, but that troll had almost bitten his face off once. He wasn't looking forward to meeting him again.Luckily, Gowron had returned, and was more eager to deal with him.

Suddenly, the goat began to grow, and within seconds, was full sized. Tez agreed to take him down to the storeroom and feed him, while Gowron threw open the door and was horrified to see the troll raising a tiny Moonbreath to his mouth. Gowron fired, just missing the troll's arm, but the shot had startled him so much that he had time to get off another shot. This time he didn't miss, and plunked him one right in the chest.

Meanwhile, Tez had settled the goat down with a heap of oats, when he hear a voice from the hall. The drunk had woken at last, and was looking to investigate the sounds of the fracas. Trolls aren't quiet when they've been shot, and the man was getting hit wits together. Tez didn't want to give him a head start.

"Hey, you!" he shouted at the man's back. "Do you like rocks?"
Wha-?" the man turned to see Tez's sling swing into motion. A grey blur hit him right in the forehead. "OW!" he staggered back, tripped and fell. Tez was upon him in a  flash, wielding another stone in his sling like a mace.

"Say goodnight!" he laughed, and brought the stone down on the man's head, knocking him cold.

Meanwhile, once Gowron saw that Moonbreath had fallen free and clear of the troll, he moved in with his sword. He leapt high and brought it into the troll's belly. The troll screeched one last time, before falling forward onto the arrow in his chest. The arrow pushed through the troll's back, and he stopped moving. Angry at the beast for almost eating Moonbreath, Gowron kneeled down and with some effort sawed off the troll's head. "Take that, you animal eater." He wiped his sword off on the troll's back and looked about the room. A dozen or so miniature animals were in cages on shelves throughout the room. The only thing of material value was a set of newish chain mail, folded up on a shelf. 

"This'll teach you to harm defenseless animals," he muttered to himself as he slid the mail into his sack. Tez entered the room and looked around. "What the heck do we do now?"

"Let me think," hissed Gowron.

He thought.