### 278

After a few moments the dog scurries off along the tunnel in pursuit of its master. You sense that it has not detected you and so you remain hidden in the fissure, awaiting their return. A few minutes later the Eldenoran and his dog walk back along the tunnel and re-enter the chamber. You hear the men talking in hushed tones as they gather up their loot and load it into their backpacks. They suspect that they have been discovered and they are about to abandon their hiding place.

Silently you slip out of the fissure and retrace your steps back to the tunnel entrance. You pause here to draw your Kai Weapon and land a blow at the base of a ceiling prop. The rotten timber rips in two and several tons of rock cascade into the tunnel. When the dust settles you see that the mine shaft is now sealed off.

You leave the collapsed mine entrance and hurry away along the base of the ravine. Night is fast approaching and you have barely covered a mile when the ravine ends abruptly at the edge of a deep gorge. Less than a hundred yards away to the west you can see the outline of a rocky knoll with a slate base that juts out over the rim of this steep, wooded valley. To the east, the gorge cuts a deep furrow through the forest for several miles. There appears to be no easy way of avoiding the gorge, but you are unwilling to attempt a descent in the dark. Instead, you decide to find somewhere safe nearby where you can make camp and await the dawn.

If you possess Grand Pathsmanship and have attained the rank of Kai Grand Sentinel or higher, turn to 51.

If you do not possess this Discipline, or if you have yet to attain this level of Kai Mastery, turn to 294.