As his eyes widen in amazement at just how quickly this is working, a broad smile spreads across Hoskar's face.

Wow. That's quality stuff then. Good job I didn't need it or we'd be stuck here but then his face falls not a moment too soon to get after Tarosh before those disgusting things...well, I shudder to think why they wanted him alive. If he's unlucky, they might want to mate.

Getting the rope over to Amara takes an hour or so, enough time for Henal to regain enough power to use his medicine bundle once more.

The two braves shrink in width and height, the magic of Pallas helping them to squeeze through the hole and cross over the gap and on to the safety of the ledge.

Luckily the Harpies hadn't reappeared though every now and again activity could be heard from the darkness of the cave. Lama and Leaper have been keeping guard, the two braves reporting that beyond lies a massive chamber.

Despite their situation Ohanzee sniggers at Hostar's comment "Yeah, 'cos that's the only offer he's likely to get!"

Once across he looks about for any recoverable arrows and whilst doing so checks any of the bodies of the Harpies that fell on the plinth without actually touching them!

"Let's not hang around then, Ranger Tarnesh needs our help." He readies his bow, nocking and arrow "If it's a big chamber then we'll need ranged weapons. And if they can see to fly hopefully we can see them to take them out!"

The Raven brave starts down the tunnel.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:12, Thu 15 Oct 2015.

Hoskar nods. For once, we're in agreement. Nets won't work now: here's to slings and bronze.

He unships his sling with a few preparatory whirls to gauge the size of the cave, and follows Ohanzee in.

"I thought we were the impulsive ones" mutters the Thunderbird brave, turning to the others to see what they're planning to do.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:13, Thu 15 Oct 2015.

"What about those down below, they said they have a Harpy?" adds Glama as he readies his weapons.

Henal takes up a javelin and one more to Amara .

"How much can we work out about where the harpies are and how many we face before we head in there".

"And what the hell was Tarosh doing? He can't need a shag that bad can he?"

Amara placed the javelin in her quiver carefully, silent as she tended to her wound. She was worried about how deep the wound was from the harpies throw.

"He said to trust him, he had a plan, so I did. I thought it best to drive off the harpies around you." Amara blinked in surprise as the others prepared to tear off into the cavern. "We're all fairly weak right now and the harpies can throw charms just as easily as we can. What use are we to Tarosh when we could all be taken easily. Not to mention the fact that the harpies will be expecting us to come in this way, when there are at least two other ways in that they won't be expecting us to use." Amara hissed at the pain in her leg. "Do we have any healing spare? I'll be useless unless I get this javelin out and back on my feet."
This message was last edited by the player at 16:07, Thu 15 Oct 2015.

Ohanzee stops in his tracks "She's a pure clean one they said didn't they? Can they ask her about the ones up here, about this place, whether there's any more like her and what we can expect inside?"

"She's moving in and out of consciousness. Her belly is swelling....She says that her Queen is captive, that the rest of her companions are not far away....Hidden...In the Eyrie. They are at war with those where you are....You will find death...Beware...Cave of echoes... Eww that's gross...Sorry....No. she's unconscious again. Akala says he's found more rooms and double doors that he can't budge."

Henal touches Hoskar's charm and pulls the javelin out of Amara's leg with a powerful dose of healing.

"Hope some of the others can help heal you now as I've used a lot of magic even though that potion has brought it back quickly. No sense in charging straight in if we can take them by another route and sweep them away".
This message was last edited by the player at 21:05, Thu 15 Oct 2015.

Whilst Amara is healed, Hoskar lets his eyes grow accustomed to the gloom of the cave.

It's massive, the ceiling barely discernible and the floor, well for the moment it appears bottomless, and perhaps is just that. Immediately in front of him is a natural stone arch that crosses the abyss to vanish into another cave on the other side. It and three more caves dotted along the opposite wall can be made out thanks to the soft glow of hidden, flickering lights.

A sudden movement above makes the Condor brave duck, but it's only a handful of bats darting across his vision. It's quiet, too quiet perhaps, the only sound the noise of the bats and the occasional drip of water.

That soon changes for from the other side comes a scream of pain, filled with terror and hinting at unspeakable torture, echoing for long, gut wrenching moments about the huge, eerie cavern...

"What do you see?" asks Glama as he couches down next to Hoskar just inside the cave opening.

As Glama's words trail off, and the echoes of the scream recedes, three arrows sail out of the darkness across the rock arch and rush towards the two braves...

Before

Oh horn and hide: my judgement really is awful this trip.

Sorry, Amara: got carried away with the rescue there.

Now

A dark cave, Glama. Stone bridge crossing a pit and...

...look out! Arrows!

Reacting...albeit maybe too slow...he tries to duck behind the earth knight's massive shield.

The three missiles miss by a mile, ricocheting off rock and breaking on the walls.

No more follow.

Henal looks into the darkness of the cave.

"We'd better work out what we're going to do in case that was Tarosh screaming, but not just race in and let them shoot us down as we come".

"Well it didn't sound too healthy, either from what the pure breed said down below or the screaming ahead from what must be Cave of Echoes. Could be their queen screaming, perhaps more likely since they'd want Tarosh for breeding I'd imagine." Ohanzee says as he catches up with the others.

He starts moving forward bow at the ready "We could try to find this eerie and get the pure bloods to help, but that means more time for Tarnesh with them. I'm pushing on. Glama, might need your charm for creating a wall of light again if they start firing." He presses forward bow at the ready.

Still keen to rescue Tarosh, Hoskar takes a step to follow Ohanzee, then checks and looks around with furrowed brow.

I don't want to leave a comrade with them any longer than I can help. Anyone got any alternatives though? he asks worriedly.

"They might be hurting him just to make us rush in to an ambush. I still think climbing higher and using the other three entry points will turn the tables enough that we'll do much better."

Ohanzee glances at Amara questioningly "Three other entry points?"

"Tulox said there were three ways in on the top of the mountain."

The Raven brave grins at his heroquest wife and replies "Welllll.... Shall we away to the top of the mountain to us their own weapon against them? With a bit of luck we can get the advantage of height over them!"

He returns towards the tunnel entrance again and tries to find a likely path up the rock from what he can see.