[Child of the 7th Age]

Luindal had staked out for himself a section of the floor as well as the adjacent wall along the back of the cavern. The search here was easier in one respect: this was the tallest part of the cave so that he could stand upright with no difficulty and still have considerable room to spare. The ground in this spot had only a superficial covering of mud and silt. Underneath the mud was a hard, rocky ledge. Larger boulders were spread out here and there.

Right above his head, Luindal noticed some odd formations that almost looked like giant icicles hanging down from the roof. He had seen these in other caves back home, but the matching icicles that usually pushed up from the ground were totally missing, perhaps destroyed by the waters of the Bay.

Still standing upright, but using the protruding rocks to feel his way cautiously along the length of the ledge, he had to be careful not to cut his hands. Several of the stones had unrelenting sharp edges: one reached out to nab his ankle sending him sprawling to the floor. Feeling a bit embarassed, he reached out and grabbed onto a boulder to pull himself up to a standing postion. His fingers unexpectedly rubbed along something that was soft. Holding the torch closer, he was startled to see a tiny swatch of material hanging from a jagged rock edge. The cloth looked as if it was torn from something larger and still had a large button sewn on it.

Someone in our party must have caught his cloak and ripped it. Yet strange that I should find this here. I could have sworn I was the first to search here. But perhaps not. You can't see more than a finger's breadth in front of your nose in this infernal darkness. And what a strange design this button has. Certainly not Elvish. It probably belongs to one of the Snowmen"

Luindal absentmindedly stuffed the button and scrap of material into his pocket thinking that, perhaps later, someone would discover they had lost it and be grateful to get it back. He firmly believed that nothing should be wasted or simply tossed out. Then he forgot about the incident and refocused his attention on examining the floors and walls.

When another hour brought no new discoveries for anyone in the party, he stood up and beckoned the Elves and the Lossoth over to his side. "We must make haste. We will split up and search the side tunnels as Galhardir, Carrandû, and Annû have already started. But be careful! The most dangerous part lies ahead. Freyn, make sure to keep in touch with Rôg in case anyone needs your help."

With that, the last of the Elves and the Lossoth collected their torches and filed out of the main cavern to begin their exploration of the treacherous side tunnels.