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Back to Empire on the HPe3000
... and ...
"Smell that smoke." Harald said.
"Yes, it is thick." Gytha replied. They had run down the hall and
stood by the stairs which went back up to Nosnra's private meeting room.
The smell of burning wood was overpowering but so far no smoke had come
drifting down.
"I am going to go check on this." said Harald heading up the
stairs, he had to climb over the rises meant for a giants step.
"Harald no, what if the giants are heading down." Gytha called to
him.
Harald sniffed at the air. "I don't think we have to worry about
the giants, but I am worried about the fire."
The two scouts noted the rangers words but said nothing. Each
slung two packs over their shoulders and started back to the hidden room.
"Harald you be careful, I will be back as soon as I have talked
with Telenstil." Gytha ran after the departing scouts.
* * *
The black box, obsidian stone, smooth and sharp cornered, chipped
all along its length, was heavier than the small halfling could budge. It
took Talberth, Telenstil, Henri and the wiry old gnome to shift its lid.
The top slid aside and smashed against the floor, a corner shattered into
fragments and the lid itself split in two.
"What do we have here." said Talberth. Inside the box was a white
fur hide wrapped into a roll. The mage reached down and pulled, but it
would not budge. "Something inside, heavy as this box."
"Can you unwrap it." asked Telenstil.
Talberth gave it a half-hearted tug. "No, I will cut it away."
he said and reached for his knife.
"Are you crazy." the thief exclaimed. "That hide is worth its
weight on gold."
"Not here it's not." said Talberth. "Here it is just in the way."
"Well, give it a chance at least." the thief climbed up over the
tall sides of the box and hopped within. He grabbed the edge and gave the
hide a pull with all his strength. Harold strained and tugged it back and
forth till he had drawn some slack. "You can help." he said to the others.
Telenstil laughed and took up two handfuls of the furry hide,
Talberth did the same, but Henri merely stood back and watched them
work. Ivo would have climbed into the box, but though it was large, there
was just not enough room for the gnome and halfling both, but when they
had unwrapped a length that he could reach, he grabbed hold and pulled as
well.
Soon the hide was hanging over the boxes lip, part still weighed
down by what lay within. A black metal chain, it's links thick and finely
made, a huge scroll was tied around a section of its length.
Talberth drew up the links and untied the scroll. A cured skin,
the blockish giant script written across its face. "Hah!" he said. "If
this scroll speaks true then we have our door!"
* * *
The ranger coughed, the smoke was a hazy mist before his eyes but
thick and dark above his head. He stood within the small room that held
the giants firewood, the door to Nosnra's meeting room was hot beneath his
hand. "Yes, as I thought." he said, then quickly dropped back down the
giants stairs.
* * *
(To Be Continued)