A horn sounds, and then nothing. Whatever they were preparing, they were finished now.

We prepare to start heading into the second shaft, the bodies picked of everything of value, when I spot to the side a Longsword. As soon as I touch it, the zapping surge of enchantment shot up my unsuspecting arm. I attach it to my belt. It’s been years since I have used one, not since my academy exam, but I’m sure my training will come back naturally if ever necessary.

Gnarhan retrieves the lantern he put down during the last battle and goes into the tunnel first, I follow closely behind, the rest behind me. I make out that the connecting tunnel was beginning to taper out. Gnarhan places the lantern and bounds into whatever he had seen. My eyes finally adjust and I see him jump over some kind of makeshift barricade. Unfortunately I also see licks of flame catch him. Albertus trying to hurl a fireball but missing his mark.

Ulalume bounds off to the right of me, heading for what looks like an overturned mine cart. As she’s heading over to the cart, a flash of some sort of spell flies straight into her, again from Albertus. She is quickly hit by another spell, this time coming from to the side of the barricade.

Now knowing the barricade obviously doesn’t stretch all the way, hastily built only against a frontal assault, I follow behind her. I see where the barricade ends and can make out another three kobolds. My arrows find new homes in their bodies. Another flash of magic lights the dimness of the room. I hear one of my comrades grunt from being struck. Knowing that the magic user posed the bigger threat, I try and find where it is.

I spot on the far side of the wall a small alcove with a kobold adorned with shamanistic attire standing on a dais, trying to command the battle. I fletch arrow after arrow trying to hit him. My last two arrows are perfect. The first lifts him from the dais, impaling him into the wall, screaming. My second silences him as it perforates his throat. The cavern falls silent.

We again strip the bodies of anything of value. Having finally inspected the shaft, the only things of interest left was the overturned mine cart and a pool that extended underneath a wall on the opposite side to where we entered. We lifted the mine cart and inside was rocks, lined with seams of precious metals. We lift them, and they are very heavy to the touch. We each take one, as many more would be too much to bear and head to by the pool.

Another calamitous affair happened. I don’t want to recall all the details. Suffice to say we managed to get a rope line under to aid swimming, my rope now lay uselessly on the pool floor and no-one died, although now the barricade was on fire and a thick smoke was filling the shaft…

I emerge from the water, barely able to hold my breath but still able to break the surface quietly. I can just make out the kobold figures in the dim torch light of the cavern. Tanyth soon emerges from the pool, and kept quiet.

Ulalume, however, for a rogue seems to have a knack for not being sneaky. She splashes out of the water and immediately the kobolds bound towards the waters edge. I hide under the water just in time not to get noticed and with great effort fletch an underwater arrow. I composed myself. There was no need to go quiet, no need at all anymore.

I burst through the surface peppering the kobold immediately in front of me, the look of shock forever frozen on his face. I roll out of the water over his body and try to see what’s around the corner in the rest of the room. Tanyth breaks free of the scuffle next to me, having downed kobolds herself, and launches around the corner. A bright flash fills the room, and Tanyth has obviously been struck with some kind of magic. Behind me I hear a shocked cry, and I turn round to see Albertus falling back into the water. I scream to Ulalume to grab him and run to place me between Tanyth and whatever hurled the magic at her.

I look and see the obvious leader of the tribe, adorned in a robe and commanding the others, whilst effortless moving and preparing his next spell. I fire but my hand feels stiff from the cold of the water. One of my arrows flies past his head, another lands at my feet embedded into the ground. He looks at me as he finishes his incantation, and I knew what was coming next.

I’m barely able to stand as I feel all my skin start to feel on fire. It wass only a small burning, but my blood was now boiling. I aimed and fired twice again. One grazed him but another arrow lay at my feet, having misfired completely. I completely see red, and prepare to drop my bow, bear my blades and charge, when I hear a scream from the chief. I look at him to see him slumped on the floor, motionless. Again there was the silence, we had defeated all that had stood before us, and I was exhausted, the adrenaline draining almost as quickly as it had risen.

“Take your rests where you can! You never know when you’ll sleep again”

Master Nathan was never wrong with his teachings to me, so I pull my sodden bedroll out of my back pack and find the lowest torch to keep as warm as possible. Unfotunately, the lowest was by the mass of Kobold corpses. I go and find the two misfired arrows and snap them both in two. An old superstition I know, but better to believe and it's wrong, than not and it's right. I sit on my bedroll, pull out my dagger and cut 7 notches into my bow, a tradition I had picked up in my year travelling with the Overlanders. I could practically hear them, regaling tales of victories past and present, and it almost warmed me. Unfortunately, the bite of wet clothes soon puts an end to that and I lie down

Ulalume does the same and cuddles up behind me. For anyone else I would say for warmth, but Ulalume always seems to have an agenda. I’m too cold, too tired, to care now, so let her snuggle behind me. She whispers in my ear about Gnarhan having a thing for me, probably winding me up. I frankly remark that he is probably just respectful of my martial ability, still not rising to the bait.

The others have gone to inspect the blue hued doorway by where the Kobold chief was. I feel the heavy head of sleep overwhelm me and I...