Nela had to admit, that had been a good meal.

It was even more impressive given the state of the stored vegetables and meat left in the kitchen stores. In the past few days since this started, a lot of it had mold or rot set in, and had to be tossed out. Nela had to hold back the urge to gag as she'd carried out the spoiled ones and tossed them out into the garden. Let things with more legs than her eat them.

Hamond had taken charge of the actual cooking, and he knew his way around a kitchen. Even made from the remaining mix of still-fresh ingredients, it was a world better than the camp food. She should ask Ronny if they could recruit him to cook.

While they had been eating, Nela had been thinking about the story of Princess Splendora. It still didn't make sense why she'd brought her own servants along. If Splendora had needed help, the lord could have just hired someone here to handle it. Besides, if someone knew about those servants, couldn't they have just used that to find the princess?

She supposed it was pointless to speculate about something that happened so many years ago. Splendora was long dead. They were not, and Nela wanted to keep it that way.

Right now, she and Hamond were standing outside the wine cellar, waiting on the other two. Ronny and Edeline had gone searching for anything the four of them could make use up in exploring that tunnel. A lantern most of all, but Ronny had said they'd also look for weapons and rope. Not that she had any clue what the rope was for, but she'd take his word for it that it would be helpful.

They had better hurry. Despite was Ronny had said, Nela was not about to trust that this strange elf to keep to any promises. Once those pair of guards she'd put to sleep woke up and reported in, he'd know something was up.

They'd just have to deal with it when the time came. If it was up to her...well, all Nela had wanted was just to sort out what she and Myron were going to do next. Going down into some dark tunnel was definitely not what they had been planning on.

Whoever this stupid arse of an elf was, Nela was going to punch in his face if she got the chance.

Of course, at the rate things were going, she wasn't going to get that chance. Where were Ronny and his sister, anyway? They should have been back by now.

"Hurry up..." she muttered, kicking the open cellar door. The worn wood creaked in protest.

"They are taking a while, aren't they?" Nela looked over at Hamond, who was idly shuffling his feet.

"You'd think lanterns would be easy to find," she said, kicking the door again.

"Do you have something against that door?"

"I could kick your leg instead, if you want." Nela kicked the door a third time. There was a sharp cracking sound as one of the planks gave way before her boot.

Hamond chuckled. "I'll have to decline."

Stepping back from the cellar entrance, Nela cursed her own luck. Still, that was a sign that the door needed replacing. Ronny wouldn't mind, but there was no telling how Lady Hallowscroft would react. Too late to do anything about it now. At least they hadn't caught her doing it.

A short while later, the rear door to the house opened. Ronny stepped out, followed by Edeline, both holding bundles wrapped in old blankets.

At least now she could see why it had taken so long. Edeline had changed clothes, now wearing a dark reddish tunic over a new pair of trousers. They definitely looked like they fit better...Nela supposed she couldn't blame Edeline too much, even if it had used up valuable time.

"Sorry it took so long," Ronny said as the two trotted up. "She insisted on checking some of the old records about the passage."

"I was just looking up when the house was built," Edeline explained, "I had no way of knowing the papers I needed would have been stuck hidden in the bottom of that drawer."

"That was what kept you?" Nela gave the Lady Hallowscroft a long stare.

"What did you find out?" Hamond asked.

"There was no actual record of this passage at all. The house was built a little more than two hexty years ago, under orders of the then-Lord Hallowscroft. However..."

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

"Go on," Ronny said.

"There was a mention of the Elefae being possibly displeased with the site of the house, but the choice of location being necessary." Edeline paused with a deep frown. "I think that whatever is down that passage, it is something that originally belonged to the Elefae."

"And that Elefae man wants access to whatever it is," Hamond said, "The question is, why?"

"Do you know anything about this, Nela?" Ronny's voice was calm.

"I've got no idea," Nela told them, trying to think back to the old stories. For some reason, the first thing that came to mind was her grandfather telling her a tale while she sat in the floor in front of him. Something about someone called the Stormsage, and how she was... "...buried beneath Hallowscroft."

"Excuse me?" Edeline asked.

"I think...I'm not sure, but this might be some kind of tomb. The old man could probably tell you more though."

"An old Elefae tomb," Ronny said slowly, "And our house was built right on top of it."

"Well, we cannot know anything more unless we go in," Edeline declared, setting down her bundle. "First, though, I have something for you."

"Me?" Nera watched at Edeline unwrapped the bundle. Laying there was a crossbow and a quiver with bolts in it.

"Myron said you were better with this than any blade. This was an old crossbow our father used for hunting, so I figured you could make some use of it."

Nela lifted it in both hands. It was actually a bit smaller and lighter than the crossbows she'd been given, but she figured she could adjust to the differences quickly enough. "This'll work," she said, before picking up the quiver.

Ronny set down his bundle heavily, and there was a cracking noise. "Oh shit," he blurted out. Nela chuckled, glad she wasn't the only one who had broken something today.

"If mother could only see you now," Edeline commented, giving her brother a disdainful look.

Ronny unrolled his bundle to reveal a pair of beat up lanterns. The glass on the side of one of them had broken, with a couple of small shards of glass now laying on the blanket.

"Guess we're down to a single lantern then." Ronny let out a sigh.

"Is there a reason you wrapped up the lanterns like that?" Hamond asked.

"Easier for me to carry, especially since I also had this." Ronny spun in place, revealing he'd also strapped a shield onto his back. It had the emblem of Hallowscroft, a symbol Nela had become used to, painted in the center.

"I'll take that lantern then. Edeline or I can just use that light spell if we need it." Hamond picked up the lantern, hooking it to his belt.

"Don't forget I could also do it." Nela finished knotting the quiver up, having to loop the strap on itself. It was clear that Ronny's father was definitely a good deal larger than her.

"Even better." Edeline looked them over, nodding. "Are we ready?"

Ronny nodded in turn. "Seems so. I'll take the lead-"

"No!" Nela and Edeline both cut him off simultaneously.

"But I'm the most trained-" Ronny argued.

"You're still nowhere near full strength," Edeline interrupted again.

"What's gotten into your head?" Nela stared at Ronny, trying to figure out why he was acting like this. While it made sense he was trying to prove himself useful, this was stupidly reckless. If they could safely leave him here alone, she'd have proposed that immediately.

"May I make a suggestion?" Hamond spoke up. Nela and the other two turned to face him. "The young Lord Hallowscroft can serve as a rear guard, in case we are followed or ambushed."

That wasn't ideal, but it was probably the best compromise they had. "Fine."

"Then who's going to be in front?" Ronny was clearly focused on having a marching order for some reason. Nela debated telling him they weren't with the armies of Hyarch any more. They shouldn't need any complicated tactics for this passage...except there was still the matter of those guards. Ronny actually had something of a point.

"I'll take the lead then," Edeline told them, "Hamond will be behind me with the lantern. And you can go third." She gestured at Nela.

"I just said I could cast a light spell," Hamond grumbled, but took the lantern anyway.

"You're the only one with two free hands," Edeline pointed out. Nela wondered why Edeline didn't just take it herself with her other hand. Not that it really mattered either way.

"You sure you'll be fine?" Ronny spoke up.

"She's fine. It's fine. Can we get moving already?" She loved Ronny, but his questioning of their readiness was starting to grate on Nela. She suspected that she wasn't the only one.

"I will be honest, I was not expecting this to require quite so much preparation either," Edeline said, walking up to the cellar entrance. "I suspect most accounts of similar ventures left out the less exciting parts of it."

"They probably knew what they were doing," Nela remarked.

"True, that." Ronny chuckled as Edeline descended. Hamond followed her, moving down carefully to avoid hitting the lantern on anything.

Going next, Nela scrambled down the steps quickly. Hamond had already lit the lantern, probably using some spell to do it. She probably ought to get him to teach her that little trick later, if she got the chance.

A clattering sound echoed through the cellar. Nela spun around to see Ronny sitting on the floor next to the cellar stairs. "I...slipped," he admitted, letting out a heavy breath.

"Can you be careful?" Nela reached down and helped him to his feet. Thankfully, it didn't seem like Ronny had been injured from the fall. She'd have to keep an eye out for his sake, if he was going to just be clumsy.

"I'll try." Ronny reached out, touching one of her shoulders gently.

Nela's frustration faded at the gesture. She embraced Ronny, hoping deep down this would not be the last time, afraid that it would be. "Let's both stay safe."

Ronny nodded, then released her, looking over her down the cellar. "Let's go then." Nela looked over to see Edeline and Hamond both looking them. Edeline's face was unreadable, but Hamond looked slightly amused.

Nela sighed, and readied the crossbow. The time for affection was over. If they wanted to get out of this, they'd have to work together on this path. And right now, that path led into a dark gaping hole in a wall.