After killing a band of goblins that had taken over someone else's home, the three settled down to rest. They dragged the goblin corpses away, leaving trails of blood across the ground.
This was an abandoned settlement of Underdark Dwellers. Balin and Renato had been here before. Back then, the settlement had been deserted, with dried limbs still hanging from the meat racks.
Now that they had returned, every sign suggested the Underdark Dwellers had never come back to their home.
The goblins had long since destroyed the meat racks, and the skulls from the stone altar lay scattered everywhere.
The channels dug by the Underdark Dwellers were full of water. Renato gave the blood on his body a quick wash.
Nearly two days and nights of nonstop marching had left Tristana on the verge of fainting. If Renato had not steadied her from time to time, the female drow would have fallen into pits several times.
She staggered along and had failed to cast her divine spells several times.
It was hardly fair to blame the drow for being frail. Even Renato, with his formidable constitution, was struggling.
When Tristana nearly fell yet again, Renato finally called Balin to a halt and firmly insisted that they rest where they were.
There were plenty of stone caves in the settlement, still furnished with hide blankets and stone beds padded with moss. But Tristana flatly refused to rest in any cave the goblins had occupied.
A campfire burned in the center of the settlement. Renato skewered a large chunk of beef on the Iron Spit and gave it a rough roasting over the flames.
Dark red juices dripped down with a hiss. Deep Rothé meat was nothing like the rothé steaks from the surface; it had far too little fat.
Tristana