The dwarf armed his crossbow and trained it at the door. " Even if Aramil has an appropriate spell, it won't prevent whatever is out there from chewing a hole through."

5:30 PM: The party tried their best to relax in this small, tension-filled room. The rogue was gone for many minutes and most of the group was getting ansy " Maybe I should go after him." proposed the druidess. She walked over to the lower wall; noone made a notion to contradict or aid her.

Just then, Nanith's head popped up from behind the wall and he silently struggled to climb the barrier. Teflar immediately ran over, grabbed the thief by the collar and pulled him over.

Ninnipin dusted himself off casually then paused. He became alerted when the banging continued on the dank room door.

" Rats have come. " Vrai explained impatiently " So, what did you find?"

Nanith replied excitedly " The way is guarded. I could only see two creatures, perhaps goblinoid. They spoke in a language I did not understand." The rogue looked around at the others " So far, our presence remains undetected.� He glanced worriedly at the door once the blunt pounding became more apparent. " They would surely hear us though, if we start a fight in here. We don�t want an enemy at our backs as well. Perhaps we can take those two creatures by surprise?"

Aramil looked up from his book, his face brightening slightly " Nanith, on this I may be able to help. While my magic is limited with barring that door, I do have a spell that may aid you. I can create a diversion in getting you past the two guards. My magic would move rocks to draw their attention away. Now, I must be relatively close to do so; perhaps we can have along another person to protect me as I cast?"

Upon hearing the wizard's offer, Nanith verified that there wasn't enough room for all of them to go and this trick needed to be carried out as swiftly and delicately as possible. " Although your spells may be of some use, Aramil, I don't think it would do anything but alert them to our presence in such a tight space. I need only one other person to accompany me. Who would that be?"

The druidess then stepped up alongside her fellow hobbit and hefted her halfspear. " Nanith will need my aid and I shall be the one to do it." She smiled at Teflar who regarded her with a despondant eye " I must provide other services since I am no longer within my home forest. Besides, two hobbits can move as quickly and silently as any one man."

Vrai glanced at the dwarf who started muttering to himself while testing the stone walls for sturdiness " You are not skilled, little one, in the tender arts of killing. You will be overpowered and thrown aside as easily as an autumn leaf by a chilled wind. Let me or the dwarf follow him in."