"Well, that's obvious." Kat stated.

"How so?" Melevey asked.

Naciel was walking around Lancelot and Galahad. "Well, just look at them! Their weapons are forged differently, their speech, and look at their armor…" She couldn't help but touch the different chest plates.

Melevey moved closer and seemed to sniff the air. "They have no magic." She seemed stunned by this. "None, whatsoever."

"Where are you from?" Kia asked.

"Well…We're from Briton now."

Lancelot grinned wryly. "Some of us weren't, some of us were dead."

"Doesn't that suck?" Naciel sighed in understanding. "I hate being dead."

"Oh merciful Mystra she's going to tell the Bodak story again…" Melevey said painfully.

Naciel ignored the sun elf. "One time I wished on this well, and a Bodak came after me and I looked at it and it killed me." The men just looked at the girl not knowing what to say; not really knowing what she was talking about. "I swear."

"Look, we've all died at least once. I don't think it's necessary to go into every detail." Kat said a bit impatiently.

"Why don't we let the men speak?" Kia sighed.

"An old man came into the tavern, asked for us and our deceased friends. He said he was looking for me and Galahad, and our fallen brethren, Lancelot, Dagonet, and Tristan." Gawain pointed to each. "Said he had a quest for us. He brought Lancelot, Dagonet, and Tristan back from the dead." Gawain started to explain. "It was as if we were going mad. Then he said we were going on a journey…"

"There was an invisible barrier, and we couldn't escape."

"He jolted me with something…" Dagonet added.

"Said his name. Something like Ha…" Lancelot began but didn't get to finish as maniacal laughter filled the cavern.

"Damn Halaster!" Kat muttered.

"Yes, Halaster!" Galahad cried. "That was his name."

"It seems Halaster plays the same games with you as he does with us." Kia said on a sigh. "We were transported to Undermountain coming up on four weeks ago."

"Minding our own business, heading to Waterdeep, and the old man approached." The irritation was evident in Kat's voice. "Next thing we know, BAM, we're in Undermountain. I hate Undermountain. I never wanted to return to Undermountain."

"You've been down here for almost a month?" Dagonet was once again startled. "You've been fighting those…what did you call them? Hook Horrors for a month?"

"More than those my tall friend." Waverly smirked. "There are many evils that lurk in Undermountain. Many beasts. Halaster created this pit as a torment. It's almost like a giant maze. Adventurers come down here seeking fortune and fame, but most times all they receive is death. He's insane." She finished on a sneer.

"We should not tarry. We know not what lurks in these caverns. The way we came is blocked. You're more than welcome to travel with us." Kia offered. "I can imagine it would be difficult…being in a new land where you must learn to survive."

The men looked to Lancelot. He'd been Arthur's second, and now it seemed he'd be their leader. "Thank you. We will travel with you."

"Excellent. Perhaps we'll double our chances of finding our way out." Kia smiled.

Naciel took up her post in the lead and slightly ahead. She moved silently and hid well as she flit amongst the shadows. Kat and Lancelot took up the lead position behind the thief with the rest of their party in between. Waverly and Tristan took up the rear.

"She moves too far ahead of the light." Lancelot murmured.

Kat shook her head. "No. Elves have vision that can see clearly in the dark. We rarely need a light source. The only reason we have one is for Waverly and KiaLyn." She spoke softly, but her attention was all on the area ahead and around them. "It's called starlight vision."

"We should stop soon Kat. Everyone is weary." Kia spoke softly. She received a slight nod from the fighter.

A whisper of a sound stopped the green eyed fighter in her tracks, and she held out an arm to stop Lancelot. The other women stopped as well which brought the men to a halt. "What is it?" Lancelot's voice was a whisper.

"Naciel has found a door." The women moved up with the men following close behind.

"I see no door." Gawain murmured.

Naciel looked at him from her bright blue eyes. "It's right here silly!" She seemed to search and listen at the wall intently, and then gave a thumb up sign to the other women. At Waverly's quirked eyebrow the petite elf sighed. "I promise!"

Looking amused the two fighters moved forward and the wall swung inward revealing a ten by twenty room. It was mainly empty except for a lot of cobwebs, a small skeleton of a humanoid creature, and scraps of cloth. Naciel entered the room and searched it thoroughly. Once again she gave the all clear motion. The group entered the room and shut the door. Melevey whispered several words and blew a strange powder onto the door.

"What did you do?" Tristan asked curiously.

"I warded it so no one may enter." She told him and moved to a corner of the room.

"What is it?" Galahad breathed looking at the skeleton.

Kia squatted down near it. "Looks to be a kobold skeleton."

"Kobold? Is that some type of dwarf?" Galahad asked.

"You have dwarves where you're from?" Kia smiled, "yet you don't know what a kobold is?"

"Well, dwarves are just humans who are born different. They are little people."

Kia shook her head. "Here dwarves are quite different. They are another race, just as the elves are. Kobolds are another race, normally quite evil and hostile. They're smallish, obviously, are bipedal, and are sort of a cross between a large lizard and a hound."

Gawain rubbed a hand over his eyes. "This place is like nothing I have ever seen."

"What do you fight where you are from?" Naciel asked. "It is apparent you are warriors."

"We fight other men. Humans. Our enemies." Lancelot explained.

"We too fight other humans, but here there are monsters to deal with as well." Waverly said as she cared for her weapon and armor. All of the women moved gracefully as they began to make camp.

"Are you hungry?" Naciel asked in her bright, clear voice.

"I believe we all are." Dagonet responded. "We were transported here two days ago and have not eaten. At first we just wandered around a bit disoriented."

"Here are some rations. They aren't the best, but they'll fill your bellies." she smiled and handed the men the rations before starting to eat her own.

"That is very kind of you." Dagonet murmured as they all took tentative bites of the dried jerky.

The meal was eaten silently and it wasn't until it was finished that Kat spoke. "We should set up watches. Four tonight. I'll take one, Naciel you take two, Waverly three, and Melevey four."

Kia protested. "I can take a watch Kat."

"You've done a lot of healing today KiaLyn. Our wounds from the battle with those Duergar, and then the battle with the horrors. Tonight rest. You can take watch tomorrow."

"We can help." Lancelot spoke.

Kat frowned and shook her head. "The offer is appreciated, but you lot look even more weary than she does. Tonight you get a reprieve. Tomorrow we'll add you to the list…and we'll be glad for it." She watched and as Lancelot frowned she grinned. "It isn't that we don't trust you. You wouldn't be here if we didn't. But this is a new world to you, and perhaps tonight you can get accustomed to this world. Tomorrow we'll pair up for watch."

"Here, we have these extra bedrolls." Naciel was pulling them out of her strange bag. "And someone can use mine."

"Mine as well." Kat said and began to straighten her small area.

"What will you sleep on?" Gawain frowned as the fighter handed him her bedroll.

"I do not have to sleep. I just have to meditate." She told him with a grin and a raised eyebrow.

Melevey smirked. "It's another elf thing."

There was light laughter at this, and everyone settled down to sleep. During Melevey's watch she felt eyes and looked to find the quiet man, Tristan, looking at her. "Can you not sleep?" she asked softly.

"I've been dead for a while. I suppose I've slept enough." He responded just as softly.

She nodded once. "Death is the truest sleep I suppose."

"The woman, Kat, said you've all died?"

Her head tilted to the side to regard him. "This is true. Naciel has died several times; one of her most memorable was the Bodak she brought down upon herself."

"And what is a Bodak?"

"It is a form of the undead. Dark gray, smooth, featureless face; its gaze kills any living creatures. They dwell in the Abyss."

"What killed you?"

"Actually, the last time I died was here. In the Undermountain." She smiled faintly. "My party was made up of three others; Relthyr, a ranger, Ander, a cleric similar to KiaLyn, and Reaver, a human fighter…he was a bit…dim." She shook her head a bit in disgust. "Relthyr was disintegrated by another wizard. Once we killed the wizard we found a resurrection scroll in his belongings. Ander was able to bring Relthyr back. Then we encountered another group. They were as friendly as the wizard. The last thing I remember in that was a barbarian's bastard sword swinging into my shoulder." Melevey moved her dark robes slightly off of her left shoulder to reveal a faint white line slashing diagonally. When Tristan's eyes flit to Kia, Melevey nodded. Dagonet and Lancelot had awoken and were listening as well. "KiaLyn and Kat were traveling with their former party, three men; a half elf by the name of Tanzier, a human by the name of Andrinor, and a half orc by the name of Grimval." It was hard to miss the disgust in her voice as she mentioned the last man.

Kat began speaking from where she sat cross-legged as she came out of her trance-like state. "We were going into the lair of the red dragon, Mistinarperadnacles Hai Draco. She was slain by King Azoun, and there was much treasure to be had. Of course there were still creatures to destroy. On our way to the lair we crossed Cormyr. We liberated a farmhouse, and freed some children who'd been taken as slaves. We ended up meeting up with the group who'd taken the children. They were led by a woman who was a white dragon in disguise. It was quite difficult but we managed to defeat them. Unfortunately, we were not able to destroy the Troll clan who'd taken residence within an offshoot of the lair." Fury raged in the elven fighter's eyes.

The group had begun to awaken, and Kia looked at them a bit sleepily. "The trolls killed us. All but Kavah, our druid. She managed to call an obscuring mist which hid her. She healed Tanzier and was able to finish defeating the last two Trolls. After they burned them, they brought us back to the town temple." The woman began to stretch. "Grimval did not survive the resurrection."

"Which is damned lucky for him." Kat practically snarled. "He got you and Andrinor killed!"

Kia looked at Kat and sighed. "Kat…"

"Don't Kat me! He hid! Big, strong, half orc fighter and he hid in the mist like a scared rabbit! All those axes, and what does he do? He throws his great-axe at a troll, leaving himself with his small throwing axes!" She began muttering in a strange, melodic language under her breath.

"Should have known better. Trusting a half orc!" Melevey sneered.

Kat turned hot eyes on the sun elf; her teeth were clenched. "It was not my idea to have the half orc in the party."

Kia sighed again and turned to explain. "Orcs are another race of creatures; quite evil normally. Orcs and Elves are normally enemies. Well I suppose orcs are enemies with everyone, but especially with elves. Grimval's mother was raped by an orc. Grimval was not evil. Not at all. But, he was quite arrogant, and slow-witted. His first action upon joining our group was challenging Kat to a fight to see who the better fighter was."

Now Kat was grinning. She stood and stretched slowly, her lithe, athletic body moving gracefully. "Grimval was an idiot. He was bigger than Sir Dagonet, broader, just taller; ugly as sin, but had the brains of a brick wall…and that might be insulting the wall." Kat began to dress in her armor again. "He charged me, I took him down."

"Are you stronger than he was?" Galahad asked curiously.

"No. I would say Grimval had quite the advantage in size and strength. If he'd been intelligent, he could've defeated me….maybe."

"So, how did the Troll kill you?"

"They were a clan of ten. Trolls are big, mean, strong….and unless burned they regenerate their wounds. We were outnumbered with one of our strongest fighters trying to fight from a distance. Andrinor teleported to sneak up from behind, but we hadn't seen their Chieftain. He teleported right next to the Chieftain Troll. It ripped him apart." Kat's eyes were filled with the memories of blood and screaming. "I was fighting a troll and saw Kia drop. I moved to get between her and the creature, and then the one I'd been fighting moved with me. A third joined, and the last thing I remember is a tearing pain in my back and my gut."

"The last thing I remember before nothingness was looking down and seeing a large arrow protruding from my chest. We were in the middle of a great battle...which we obviously won." Lancelot looked at his brethren.

Gawain nodded. "You hurled your sword into the chest of the man who shot you. It saved Guinevere's life. She and Arthur married just two weeks past."

"Arthur married the Woad?" Tristan asked.

"Yes. They are King and Queen of Briton now." Galahad shared. The men sat in silence as their fallen comrades absorbed this information.

"We should get moving." Waverly murmured after a moment. "Make more headway to get out of this pit."