[piosenniel]

The four entered the inner hallway heading east. Holly and Olo took the lead, Olo holding his lantern before them to drive back the darkness. Bird followed behind, and Volondil brought up the rear. It was silent except for the fall of their footsteps on the dusty wooden floor.

Holly strained her ears trying to hear any noise coming from the eastern section of the castle which lay before them. She knew that the main body of the companions had entered that way. The only sound, though, was Bird muttering about the obvious lapse in housekeeping standards, as she sneezed from the dust thrown into the air as they crept along.

‘Shhh! You’re loud enough to wake the dead!’ admonished Holly, hissing back over her shoulder at her companion. The incongruity of her remark struck her as funny of a sudden and she began to giggle as Bird snorted at her words. ‘Wake the dead! No chance of avoiding that.’ retorted the sniffling Shapechanger.

‘Pipe down! The both of you.’ Came the stern reprimand from Olo. Both women stared incredulous at the authoritative tone of the usually mild mannered Hobbit. ‘He’s right.’ said Volondil from the rear. ‘The dead are too awake in this place. Let’s not advertise our whereabouts and draw their attention to us.’

‘Hmmph!’ snorted Bird, though quietly.

A little way down the inner hallway, they could see doorways to their right (south) and left (north) and possibly one at the far eastern end of it. They gathered in a tight group, and Olo opened the lantern a little further to make out better the way before them.

‘Let’s try that one, there.’ said Volondil quietly, pointing with his sword . . .