(And now Dhara has a permanent kobold. )

Meep stared at Dhara for a bit, unsure if he should trust what she was saying. Though if she was right and it was safe, he wouldn't have to deal with the puddle. "Meep trust you..." Pushing himself out of the corner as he takes Dhara's hand in his own before closing his eyes tight. 

She'll nod, take his hand and guide him through the illusion to the others.  Once through she addresses everyone:

"Ok, while we're settled here for a moment I think we should gather our thoughts.  It seems most of you have been through a great deal, perhaps a lifetime of slavery, and I don't pretend to understand that.  I was a captive for perhaps days, and fortunate to have escaped so quickly.  I think we can agree that the most important thing here is to remain free - but free doesn't mean easy.  I may not have been a slave but I have fought for my own survival my whole life.  Our strength will come from our numbers, and from dedication to each other.  We don't have to be good, or righteous, or selfless, but we have to look out for one another if we are going to make it out of here alive and free.  Now I can't promise what happens after that but I can promise you all that until that time I will protect each of you to the best of my ability if you are willing to do the same for me and the rest of us. 

If we can find a way to get back to Albrec, then we will take it, but for now I think that we have to consider him a necessary loss during a time of what was basically chaos - none of us knew each other, where we were going or even what was going on.  Everything happened so quickly.  All we could do was focus on the moment and the next step.  He wasn't doing anything different, but he lost and we won.  I can't feel guilty for that considering the circumstances, and I hope you can see that, but it doesn't mean I don't care, or that I won't do anything about it.

For now, all I ask is that we agree to stick together, and work together.  I hope we can all agree on that."

Halhace looks at the tiefling with a clearly annoyed look taking over his face, making his tusks more prominent as he slowly gets to his feet., keeping the staff close at hand. "Have I not said multiple times that it was a bad idea to split up since we have been in this forsaken place!? Is it because I do not act like the potrayal of an orc you all expect? If it helps I can do that." As he finished speaking he adopts a slackjawed face and lets his orcish accent become much more pronounced. "If you go away again me smash you with stick. Only dumb dumbs leave to go by selves." With that done he stretches and closes his eyes to enjoy their break.

Kamos: (to Dhara) "Sticking and working together is all i wanted in the first place. If your ready to lead us out of here, i'm willing to follow."

Making his way through the wall that's not a wall, Meep kept his eyes closed for much longer than needed. When finally opening them, he'd still cling to Dhara, listening to her speak and understanding most. "No one told Meep to not go alone. Meep stay now.

(You have one hour to rest. When you feel you are ready to continue let me know where you want to go, or what you want to do.)

"My dear Hallhace I am afraid I may owe you an apology. It is true you have been advocating sticking together for some time, and I had assumed the fact that I haven't left your side was acknowledgement enough. Clearly I was wrong, you seem wounded and for that I am truly sorry. I also owe Dhara my thanks, and another apology to Meep. I admit I was at a loss on how to get him to stick with us, to believe we would do our best to protect each other. It hadn't occurred to me he was simply frightened and just needed some reassurance. I thought he was being a stubborn ass. It turns out I'm the ass. Thank you, Dhara for seeing what I could not, and please accept my humblest apology Meep. I promise to not abandon you, and will do my best to defend you if the need arises. As far as Albrec, you are right Dhara. None of us SHOULD feel guilt at his loss, it was no ones fault he got separated. That doesn't necessarily mean some of us don't anyway. By no means, do I wish I was with him INSTEAD of with you all. Only that he had made it here with us. I am not sure we wouldn't all still be in chains if it weren't for him. That is a kindness I will never forget, and intend to repay as soon as I am in a position to do so. * Sigh* If I had but a modicum of silver... I could perform a ceremony on the morrow, an oath of dedication to each other in this time, that we may all find solace and strength on one another (ceremony spell). Alas, I lack the components, so blind trust will have to do. As for myself, I am more than willing to trust each of you, and I hope I have engendered enough goodwill with you all for you to accept it."

(Halhace was talking to the others that had run off and come back, not those that had stayed with him. Attached his point he is mostly just being bitter that they didn't listen.)

Dhara sighs a bit and holds her hand up to her forehead.  "Halhace you are not wrong.  I perhaps should have prefaced my diatribe with 'I'm sorry for running off and not paying attention to what the rest of you were doing like an ass'.  You'll have to forgive me - I've spent the majority of my life fending for myself so I'm not so great with soft skills like", she raises her hands to make air quotes, "feelings, empathy, or getting along with others.  I'm also no leader.  But I'm honest, and always live up to my word to the best of my ability."

Kamos: (to the party) "I think i'm well enough to travel. how are the rest of you?"

"I'm ready.  Should we try this door?  Or keep going down the tunnel?  Do we even know the way we're supposed to be going?"

Halhace nods to the tiefling and slams his staff down now that he is feeling rested. "Very good now let's decide our next course of action and act accordingly. For now my suggestion for a goal would be to travel farther so that we can hopefully come across a safe place to rest for a longer period of time and perhaps make up camp."

Kamos: (to the party) "Xanthe didn't exactly say, through the tunnels or something. so im fine with whatever direction you guys pick."

Meep glances at the others, "The other tunnel leads to another tunnel that goes up, but there's a puddle that eats humans. There were also leg traps, but Meep knows where they are. "

"Considering that he didn't mention an illusory wall, I am guessing that through the other door is not the *air quotes* correct way, though I do suspect it hides something of value we may salvage and may be worth the diversion. I would wager we will eventually need to return to the tunnel and deal with the *bad puddle* as meep calls it. Whatever that may be. I suggest we put it to a vote. I vote we try this door first, because I suspect it will be worth it. Anyone who spent the time and money to put up an illusory wall has something worth hiding. But I will go as the vote goes"

Dhara simply nods and says, "Door".

Meep glances back to the illusion and what he's been saying, but with Dhara giving her answer, he'd follow the same. "Door."

Kamos: (to the party) "I'm fine with following the group, so i too will vote for investigating the door."

The door is not locked, but is heavy and hasn’t seen use in a long time. Slowly, and with a bit of strength, you push the door open, and as you do, the smell of decaying wood and heavy stale air fills the space around you.

First thing you see is yet another door across the room. The room seems bigger than the last, but you can’t be sure. The walls are lined with assorted cupboards and bookshelves which spill into the centre of the room, obscuring your vision of most of the room and the back wall.

(Dhara, are you leaving the box behind or taking it?)