<div class="floatleft">(http://i.imgur.com/0y8wEtc.jpg)  </div><br/>Staying light on her feet, Zabeth emerged with the file palmed and ready, studying the emerging beings.  They looked, in most cases, as lightly-armed as she, but at least one had real leather armor and a club-- not that he needed it, for the huge man looked like he could kill her barehanded if she wasn't careful.<br/><br/>It would be a risk to accept their aid.  Smarter to shadow them all, watch and wait as they were picked off or fought their way out.  Better her own chances.  What the hell good had it been, only nights ago, when her trained guildmates were slaughtered at the hands and flames of a vile demonic beast?<br/><br/>Still... something in their eyes.  The proud warrior Katul's open display of greeting, the extension of an open hand... he looked formidable enough, best to remain his friend.  The fine little pale girl called Allisandra, she looked like a noble's girl.  Damn... she would suffer horribly if she were taken down here by some beast, and she was even asking for help.  And a young man dressed as fitly as herself in a strange robe and slippers-- he'd said nothing, but she recognized a hangover when she saw one, and her own head still pounded sympathetically.<br/><br/>Why would she speak to them?  But... how could she not?  Her friends had died for each other, and as a result she had lived.  Right now, she didn't much care if she died down here, but what if there was a chance she could help them?<br/><br/>Sidling up, her ill-fitting cotton garb doing little to provide her modesty, she darted her eyes over the group carefully.  "Zabeth," she said quietly, narrowing her eyes in mild repulsion at the flying sparkly thing that settled on Allisandra's shoulder.  She looked carefully over Kae's shoulder and noted the splotches, taking careful stock of the pattern.  "Right..." she glanced up at Allisandra.  "I can open the box," she intoned dryly, "maybe the rest of you should use ... that" and she gestured at the Fae "as a source of light, and search the other cells.  I found clothes, there may be other things.  And we need to know any ways in and out of here... so we can be ready if something comes after us, and so we can leave this hole."<br/><br/>She watched for Allisandra to bring the chest to the stone slab, showing no hint of impatience, and broke the candle free from the hill of dried wax at its base.  She scraped up a fistful of the warm wax, knowing a dozen uses for the stuff, and balled the gob together to stash in her trunk with the threads and scraps of cotton.  "Show me the box, please."