Hanging the mace back to her hip, she looks between Hasan and Isolde, asking "You take any bad hits? Anything I can do to provide succor?" as she was already reaching for her holy symbol, prepared to do her work.

The sha'ir's temper flared "We will clean out de cave now. When we come back, you and any of your friends are gone, or will be dealt with appropriately." Aisha told the hunter, her voice an unearthly growl.

She walked past him and suddenly turned her head "Go!" she snapped and watched him, hopefully, scoot off.

Addressing Inanah, the sorceress seized the initiative "Let's go and warn de others. Dey could be heading into a trap."

"Some things are not worth doing, even for really good pay," Inanah said to the hunter. There was a passing look off sadness on her face, perhaps from her own memories. "I suggest doing like she says."

"That is why I wanted to question him, so we could warn the others, after they didn't bother to do as planned." Inanah aswered Aisha's suggestion. With a thorough look around them and between the huts, she continued, "I'll take the lead."

With that she made way towards the cave using the huts as cover as much as possible.

---

OOC
21:30, Today: Inanah Nightbreeze rolled 10 using 1d20+7.  Stealth to approach the cave.

"Just a scratch," Isolde said. She was ready to move on, but she saw the wisdom of falling back to gather Inanah and Aisha. The cave was obviously occupied after all.

Hasan looks down at the two deep gashes across his chest when Fleur reaches for her holy symbol. He is obviously embarrassed that he let the cultist get the drop on him, but he is relieved that they were able to take them down quickly. He glances over his shoulder toward the cave entrance. "They can catch up to us," he says. "I suggest we keep moving forward. The cult knows we're here now."

The attackers emerged from a deeply shadowed alcove to the south of the main tunnel.

Ahead of the party, further down the main tunnel, is a 10-foot drop-off, with broad steps roughly hewn into a natural stone ramp to the right of the drop-off.

Inanah continued to make her careful but quick way towards the cave entrance.

Aisha was striding forward purposefully, but let Inanah take point, since her elven senses were probably better than hers.

Giving Fleur time to provide healing to Hasan, Isolde pointed to the dark alcove from which the ambush had befallen them and steered toward it. She moved slowly. Perhaps Nightbreeze and the foreign woman would catch up.

"Let me provide aid, friend." Fleur says, grasping the symbol firmly as she reaches out to touch Hasan. Speaking a few silent words of prayer to beseech aid from her patron deity, Hasan can feel the warm energies fill him and lessen some of the pain.

---
Channel Divinity to heal Hasan by 10 HP
---

She then returns her hand to her mace, and prepares for combat, with a small flourish of her mace to amp herself up. "Ready." she says, calmly.

Isolde leads the quartet into the alcove whence the attackers emerged. There they spot a deeply-shadowed, partially-hidden five-foot-wide tunnel leading west.

"Thanks," Hasan says when Fleur heals him. He is still injured but is in much better shape now to face whatever else awaits them inside the cave.

He motions toward the dark tunnel in the alcove. "I think that is our best bet.

"Does someone want to signal to Inanah and Aisha to join us?"

Talik notched another arrow as he walked carefully down the corridor ready to shoot anything that came at them

Isolde agreed with Hasan's suggestion. She moved slowly back toward the exit, trying to catch sight of the others ... or at least hoping to let them catch sight of her. They were stronger together.

Inanah and Aisha spot Isolde at the cave entrance as she emerges to look for them.

Aisha increases her steps and hurries to meet Isolde.

Inanah discards attempting to be careful, since Isolde is standing there out in the open, instead getting to her quickly.
"There are kobolds, elite troops and the half-dragon man in the caves. Please tell me you have not rushed all the way in yet."

"No," Isolde answered flatly, with that glint in her eye. "We were waiting for you before rushing in."

"Yes, I can see." Inanah said with a straight face. "Lead the way towards where they are not rushing, then."

Hasan nods at Inanah and Aisha when they arrive, points toward the dark tunnel, then begins to follow Talik, trying to stay alert to avoid another ambush.

Talik follows the narrow tunnel at the back of the alcove west for about 15 to 20 feet. It then forks into two similarly narrow and dark tunnels, one to the northwest and one to the south.

"Sorry, but my eyes are not made for the dark, like those of an elf, tiefling or dwarf. I'll need a bit more light or I might end up setting one of you ablaze." she let the others know.

Aisha looked around and found herself something she could use as a torch, the handle of a weapon, wrapping some cloth around it which she could light aflame.

When Inanah noticed what Aisha was about to do, she hissed with displeasure and laid a hand on Aisha's before she could light what she had on hand. She whispered, "Fortunately I come prepared, even when I don't necessarily need a light. Wait." Putting her weapon and pack down for a moment, she produced a hooded lantern.

"This will light the way, but can be turned down, so not absolutely everyone can see us coming. Although the racket we are making, they probably know already." She showed Aisha how to operate the lantern's hood and handed it out with a nod.

Then she said to all, "I'll keep an eye out to our back."
This message was last edited by the player at 18:09, Wed 25 Dec 2019.

"Oh." Aisha let out in surprise, not having expected the elf would carry an item she could do without. "Dank you, hanimeffendi, I shall try to be as stealthy as I can." she added, then proceeded to light the wick inside.

"I concur, de others are likely aware of our presence and if de dragonkin has de ability to see in de dark, den all dis secrecy is for naught." she commented, steeling herself for the inevitable confrontation.

Hasan stops when they get to the fork, allowing Talik to make the decision as to which way to go.