Hemlock can hear conversation going on around the corner rather than the sounds of fighting, and hopes that all is ok. But he still wants to see who is in the cell, this person who sounds so desperate.

He walks around the corner speaking slowly as he does so. "Do not fear, if you are really innocent, we will not leave you behind, although I do not personally have means to release you". 

Sha-gravis slowly sets Grommit’s dart, Aerar’s longbow and morningstar down slowly, (dwarven)"En krigers våben. At forsvare liv og frihed er ikke det samme som mord.”

The other guard with a shield looks back and forth between Saoirse, Saffi, and Lam. "You mean you haven't freed the elf yet? We assumed that's what this whole attack was about. We don't walk around with keys to his cell, and neither do we want to help you. Just leave us. If you mean the rat or the savage up ahead, well, don't need no key for that." The guards stand steady, and offer no help. The one kneeling by Grommit nods appreciatively at Sha's words and gesture, although the two others are human and give no indication of understanding the Dwarven tongue. Their stance is clear - they are ready to fight if you push them much more, but they want to be done with all this.

As Hemlock rounds the corner, he sees that there are actually two occupied cells. In one, a halfling stands right up against the bars, his face damp with tears, and says "Oh! Thank you, thank you! I just want to get free and finish my journey!" His clothing is torn and ragged, but he seems to be in good health. The other cell holds a lizardfolk wearing little more than a loincloth. The lizardfolk eyes you wearily, a few feet back from the bars. He but makes no move to speak. Hemlock can see that these cells are easy to open from the outside - closed with a simple bar lock that can be lifted from outside, but is unreachable from inside the cell. There are claw marks near the lock bar outside the lizardfolk's cell, as though the had tried hard and failed to reach and open the lock from inside.

Lam watches the faces of the three guards and of his friends. He watches Sha give the weapons of the fallen back and guesses he must have said something wise, though Lam could not understand. He senses that the fight could still continue if they keep up this conversation. He visibly relaxes his posture, says, “We should go,” and turns to head in the direction that Hemlock has gone. He waits to see if his friends will follow, and will only keep going if they do.

"Wise words, my friend," Saffi says, replacing the arrow in her quiver and placing a hand on Lam's arm. The changeling respects his restraint and desire to not spiral into endless bloodshed. She takes a few steps back and yells down the hallway, after Hemlock. "What's going on down there, bucko? We probably should not tarry here much longer. I can pick a lock if you need it me to."

Saffron keeps her shortbow in one hand, not daring to stow it away, in case the guards change their minds and attempt to engage the party in combat. 

Sha-gravis hears Lam’s statement turns and heads in the direction of the yard.  He hopes Billy will have a change of heart another cleric would not go unappreciated.  The dice however have been cast, and evening is near.

Hemlock looks from the Halfling to the Lizardfolk, and smiles at both.

"I believe you", he says slowly looking down at the halfling, and moves to remove the bar before standing in front of the lizardfolk's cell.

"One such as you should not be captive, but I wonder what you have done to be here? And if you are freed, will you hurt anyone?", he says slowly, hoping it can understand him.

Assuming Saffi is talking to someone named Bucko, he does not reply.

Insight: 16+5=21 (to see if he believes the lizardfolk if it answers)

Saoirse feels the tension returning back to her when her request for the cell keys does not seem convincing enough and senses a negative coming her way that may turn into more fight. Luckily, the situation doesn't develop that way and though the fire genasi doesn't understand Sha's word his actions speak clearly enough. So she relaxes, same as the rest of the party gathered around. 

When Lam says they should go she nods, turns her back to the three guards without saying anything else to them and begins to follow Hemlock's steps. When the party approaches the corridor leading to the prison cells, and seeing that both Lam and Saffi are already going there, she says:

- If you guys check on Hemlock, I can do the same with Billy. I'll get going to the yard to check the status there, okay?

She will then motion towards the yard, scimitar at the ready. But before reaching it, she stops at the cell where the first dwarven guard they fought is still lying down:

- Three companions of yours are at the end of this corridor, if you want to go to them. Though perhaps you'll want to wait until the rest of my friends reach the yard, as they are freeing some prisoners who might not take well to seeing a guard. Also - and she pauses for a moment - Grommit is dead. So is Aerar. I'm sorry. For what is worth, we did try not killing anyone else ... but they left us no choice.

Not expecting much of a response, Saoirse then continues to the yard. She won't necessarily go stealthily, but will be careful whenever she turns any corner, paying attention to sounds of steps or fight or just anything altering the silence she expects to hear. They left Billy Beerbelly tending to the dead, so the blood hunter doesn't expect to find anything or anyone else when she approaches the last set of stairs leading to the yard.

As Sha-gravis continues on his way down the hall he puts out the lights, using thaumaturgy and object interactions at least putting the area in dim light if not darkness.  His mood is alternating between justification and regret as he puts one foot in front of the other.  Friends and enemies right and wrong good and bad... 'defending life and freedom is not murder' those were his words, but they ring hollow in the memory of the faces of those whom he helped to kill.  'I warned Aerar... and I warn you!' its true I warned them and then I watched them die.

Sha is ready for the sun to kiss the horizon its time for traveling on.

Lam nods when Sha and Saoirse part ways to head to the Yard instead. He walks just a little faster- this is the only evidence of his nerves about splitting up from them before they have left the building. He follows Saffron, studying her for a moment. Her aim with a bow was deadly- he is glad she is on his side. He still doesn’t understand all the words that come out of her mouth, though- did she just call Hemlock “bucko”?

Lam wants to hurry to see how Hemlock is doing and if everything is ok, but he spots Tesfaye and gets a good look at their injury. Lam’s breathing speeds up for a few breaths before he slows it back down again. To nobody in particular, he says, “Tesfaye and Sha are hurt,” before continuing on to Hemlock. He watches the Tortle to see which group they are inclined to follow- those heading to the prison cell, or to the Yard.

Dwarven Guard looks up at Saoirse from his position sitting on a bed and staring at the empty bed in front of him. At first when she says his companions have returned he seems hopeful, and begins to stand, but when she says that Aerar and Grommit are dead, he sinks back down and looks away from her, staring again at the empty furniture in front of him. He mutters "always a choice," but it is unclear whether he is saying it in reference to his own guilt or to Saoirse's. He does not seem to believe the platitude himself, at this moment. As Saoirse continues into the yard, she can see that the four dead are lying neatly beside each other, arms crossed on their chests and eyes closed. It must have taken immense effort for Billy, who she can see is still leaning heavily on the spear he was given as a crutch. She can not quite see the prisoner who an elf had stabilized, but is is safe to assume he is around the corner with Billy.

Tesfaye follows along through the dim light after Sha and Saoirse. When the pass Saffron, they place a hand on her shoulder and look her in the eyes. The look is one of a melancholy gratitude, and one that seems to confirm that Saffi's actions had been necessary and acceptable to them. The hall is barely lit - but for a torch near Hemlock and the two locked cells, and a small lantern near the Dwarven Guard in his sleeping cell. Tesfaye's breathing is laboured, and they wince in pain every few feet. They stop to look up towards Hemlock for a moment, but continue on doggedly. "Why turn off the lights?" they ask Sha.

The lizardborn answers in words that come in short bursts, with odd spacing between. It's not so much an accent, instead Hemlock recognizes the stilted communication style of one who has not taken part in regular conversation for many years. "Taken from home. Kept in dark, long time. Brought me here. I try to leave, I bite those who hold me back. They lock me in here, but say they hope to be my friend in future. Would like to leave." He stares intently at Hemlock, although not making eye contact. Instead, he seems to be watching Hemlock's body language and movements for any sign of a trick or of how the Firbolg will behave. His expression remains still and unchanging as Hemlock opens the door to the Halfling's cell, and the halfling literally leaps up to hemlock and wraps his arms around him in a tight hug that doesn't quite go all the way around Hemlock's waste, leaving the halfling's legs dangling and his face in Hemlock's navel. The halfling drops and stares up at the giant. "Which way now, friend?"

The halfling jumps backwards for a moment and lifts his hands in surrender when Lam turns the corner, a fearful gesture that Lam recognizes all too well. The lizardborn looks at Lam emotionlessly, then turns his face back to the Firbolg who might open his door.

Hemlock reaches down and pats the Halfing's head in a gesture he has seen performed in villages.

"Do not fear Lam there, he was a prisoner as you both have been. He is now a companion", he turns to back to the Lizardfolk. "Then you should leave, but seek no revenge, and walk with us at least until we are outside these walls".

With that, he puts his hands on the bar of it's cell. "I am Hemlock, I am not your enemy, but I do not want further bloodshed. Will you abide?", he says looking at the lizardfolk with a hopeful expression.

Tesfaye's breathing is laboured, and they wince in pain every few feet. "Why turn off the lights?" they ask Sha.

Sha-gravis feeling almost as hurt as Tesfaye looks, reaches down to the fresh puncture of Grommit’s dart in his thigh, “In case our captors have a change of heart.  It’s not much but every advantage is better then none.  I suspect like myself the others have keener eyes then the human guards.”  Sha stops to give Tesfaye his full attention, “Are you going to be okay?  It will be a while before I can pray for your physical mending, I noticed you have some interesting formulas of your own too.”  
Assess their health-

"Yes. Leave, no biting unless bitten, stay with you until under sky. I vow. Can not swear i will never seak revenge." The lizardfolk means the words he says, and chooses them carefully. He does not intend to instigate any violence. He remains motionless as he says it, still wary of this sudden hope.

"IM A FULL GROWN MAN." The halfling insists this when Hemlock pats his head. And yet, he does seem to calm a bit. Still, he positions himself to keep the firbolg between himself and Lam.

Tesfaye nods at Sha's wisdom, but looks very grim at the prospect that more fighting might happen. "I can synthesize more healing elixir, but it would take about 6 hours (a long rest) for the reagents to stabilize. Won't have more until tomorrow. "I'll, *wince*, I'll manage until then." It doesn't take any expertise to tell that Tesfaye is in a bad way. On a health scale of 1-10, they're at a 1, to drive the point straight through the 4th wall.

“Does full grown man and lizard man have names?”, Hemlock asks as he nods to the lizardfolk and releases them from the cell.

He then motions for them both to follow Lam.

”Is the way clear, Lam?”.

The halfling names himself as 'Muro,' and follows closely behind Hemlock.

The lizardfolk does not respond to Hemlock's comment about names. He does  however, step forwards toward the open cell door and turn to follow Lam.

Saffi meets Tesafaye's gaze and attempts an understanding smile. Killing the arakocra and the goblin were not desirable choices, but she feels that she did what was necessary. At the sight of the halfling and the lizardfolk, the changeling raises an eyebrow.

She think to herself, why were these two locked up way in the back, and not out in the yard with the other "workers?"

Scrunching her lips for a moment, as if lost in thought, she suddenly blurts out: "Hey, why were you two locked up way in the back, and not out in the yard with the other "workers?"

Half letting curiosity get the better of her, and half simply having trust issues, she waits for the two new creatures' answers. She shifts her weight to one side and raises a finger to her chin, a expression of scrutiny on her face. 

Lam does his best to keep visibly relaxed in the presence of the Halfling and the Lizardfolk, even as his breathing shallows from the Halfling’s reaction. He is used to this. It is nothing out of the ordinary. His fists silently clenching at his side, he looks from the Halfling to Hemlock. He relaxes a little for real as his friend speaks about him. He sends an appreciative look Hemlock’s way, then steals one more glance at the Halfling before turning to the Lizardfolk. That one does not seem to care who or what Lam is. It’s hard for Lam to read him, but he seems to go along with Hemlock’s idea, which is good. He consciously does not further look at the Halfling, but he does barely audibly mutter his name when it is given: “Muro.” He seems to be avoiding eye contact with Muro entirely.

As Saffron talks to the two newly freed prisoners, Lam goes to look out in the hallway. If it seems to be empty save for the expected company, he calls back “It is clear.” He pauses for a moment, then calls out, “We will pass Billy. And… the other one.” Were there two creatures they left in the Yard? Or three? Lam cannot seem to remember. He will come back and wait for the others to follow him, then he’ll move towards the Yard until the others stop following or until he notices something unexpected.

Saoirse does not say anything else to the guard as she turns from his cell, but his words weigh heavily in her heart. "Always a choice" ... there was no denying that. She could try to blame Aerar for hurting her first, or the anxiety and heat of the battle that drove the genasi's scimitar into cutting her open instead of knocking her out. Or the fact that neither Aerar nor Grommit were going to let them leave the prison. But despite all that, Saoirse could not find much confort in all those reasons and this feeling seemed to permeate her steps, that began to feel heavier as they led her to the yard. How was Billy going to react when he learned everything that had happened...?

She enters the yard to find all the hard work the dwarf has been doing and stops for a moment before approaching him.

- Billy? You've... done quite a lot here. What are you going to do now? Will you leave with us? I won't try to convince you to do anything you don't want to, but I do believe you have done everything you could here. And that the HMC doesn't deserve your loyalty. Instead, the world outside that hole there could benefit from one like you. One that has shown that he cares for those around him...

She pauses for a moment to let this words sink in the dwarf. Then she continues.

- The rest are about to arrive here and we need to leave right away. Sha and Tesfaye got badly hurt when facing Grommit and we have to get to safety before they can rest and be properly healed. Grommit... he is dead. So is the Aaracokra guard, Aerar. We meant for no one else to die, but ... - Saoirse trails off and does not finish the sentence.

Sha walks over the rubble from the recently bombarded wall and peers into the freedom they fought and bleed for.  The pain in his leg now that the heat of battle is cooling throbs with each step.  He hopes Saoirse has given Billy some encouragement but secretly believes that brother Beerbelly will make the easy choice to stay.  Sha looks outside feels the air, smells the surroundings, listens to the distance, and looks to the sky.