<b>Allassiel still wasn't convinced, despite the strange sensation she'd felt from holding the sword or the mens' words, but she accepted it and sheathed it once more. Something Thorgan said had made her curious, however, and she tucked it away to ask him later . Instead, she turned and looked around the room. “These are strange peoples,” she observed, going where Pegawen stood, studying one of the paintings on the wall. “But skilled to craft these.” <br/>
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Pegawen nodded, distracted by her studies. “They were skilled at a great many things, from what I can see of these paintings. Crafting, magicks, shifting ...” she pointed out the image of the queen transforming into a dragon. “I wonder what they knew of healing. It would be nice if we could read their runes or --”</b><br/><br/><b>Just then Lotharn touched a section of wall nearby, triggering a long unused mechanism which produced what appeared to be a drawer. She approached with Timberlane, watching as the wizard pulled out a large book, cradling it in much the same way he would have a small baby. She bristled with excitement at the thought of what might lay within the covers, clenching her robe between her fingers to keep from reaching out to touch it. “We … perhaps we shall learn something on the trip,” she suggested, watching Timberlane turn and bow to the mummy. <br/>
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The suggestion that they return to the surface met with a round of approval, especially from Allassiel. Though the room had proven interesting, she was eager to return to the surface. Once they'd come out of the hole, she went straight to the pack horses to begin setting up camp, with Pegawen following to start the evening meal. <br/>
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Soon the bedrolls were set up, and the scent of roasted meat and vegetables drifted up from the pot hanging over the fire. Allassiel, done setting up camp, sat off to the side studying the new sword. The men sat near the fire talking amongst themselves. Pippen and Merry were tumbling around energetically, though Pegawen thought perhaps it had as much to do with the promise of food as anything else. </b>