" Do something Oktavianus!� Ninnipin yelled and he ducked behind the dwarf for safety. The cleric gasped and reached for his medallion just in time because the evil undead turned flashing wicked grins. They sought to step onto the fellowship with slashing claws, but the priest had other ideas.

" Stand away you rickety hellions!!" blasted the dwarf. " Back away and do not disturb us!!" Oktavianus showed more enthusiasm then he had ever held before. The skeletons simultaneously crouched before the cleric while he alerted Moradin to his need.
Erelis and Teflar tried to move in for smashing strikes until the dwarf beckoned them off. " Leave them be. Save your strength. They will be locked away until their devil comes to claim them." He pushed everyone out of the room and shut the stone door firmly.

Roslyn cried out " But won't they escape and come to kill us?!"

" Their business will end soon enough, my dear." assured the priest " If it were any other room but a guard shack and a well-constructed stone closet, then splinters of their bones would have suited the matter. They are sealed in." The fellowship now stood back in the room with other travel decisions to make.

" I guess we can only go through those doors. " said Nanith, gesturing with his head to the western arc of wall. " I hope that main door can keep the rats at bay."

Teflar moved to reinspect the slain goblins and noted they had been dead for at least a month. " Unpilfered valuables indicates a careless, quick fight or an animalistic demise."

" You mean the rats got to them?" piped in Roslyn.

Teflar nodded " Meaning that the vermin infest this area, but not so much as to allow a swarm to pass through. Perhaps a few rogue rats and I dare not say that the kobolds roam here on a constant basis. Perhaps the battle for this keep offered a back door option for goblin invaders and they were taken by surprise." The ranger slit some of the humanoid clothing open with the tip of his sword. " I see no signs of battle-death neither, but I am no mortician."

Vrai smiled a bit and patted the rogue on the back. " Good work, little one. Here is my donation to the 'Nanith the nimble fund'." With that, the bowman flipped five gold coins into the hobbit's hands.
Nanith's jaw dropped with surprise then turned quickly to a wide grin.
" I�ll be sure to put this coin to good use. We thiev..." he coughed and cleared his throat "... we rogues are a dying breed you know. We need a charity like this to support the young up-and-comers!" Nanith deftly stashed the money in one swift motion and caught Roslyn's impetuous stare of disapproval.

The mercenary prompted " Can you see if there are any more dangers that await us?"

Ninnipin quickly moved to test the two inner doors. He found them untrapped and unlocked. Now the team had to decide which door to take.

" Let's keep to the left for now." directed Erelis " Maybe we can gather more clues on the perimeter walls before going any further into the citadel itself." The fellowship agreed and carefully, one by one, entered the left door into the next room.