Can Searches the Shadowlands-Part 1

Can Crosses the Bridge from Taibreamh

Can Wobbit stands at home in Taibreamh castle and puts on his bow and arrows ... checking each arrow carefully, and filling the quiver to full supply. He also puts on a long dagger and his knife - knowing his old sword would be no match to anything he might meet, and besides, his skills are with the bow rather than with a sword.

He had heard rumors of the Aran being seen to enter the Shadowlands, searching for Amethyst his mate, so the decision has grown in his mind, to leave Taibreamh and make his way to the Shadowlands too, hoping to learn anything about their fate there.

He leaves the castle and crosses the bridge to Riverlands, following the path past the castle and entering River City after an hour or so then bending east through the woods and lovely farmlands. He knew this was not the shortest way, but he thought to avoid the mountains east of Riverlands castle and take the comfortable paths. He passes Remembrance bridge to the left, and crosses the small rope bridge leading to Shadowlands.

He has been in Shadowlands before, years ago, and wonders about a bird singing and a single butterfly fleeing fluttering from his bare feet ... and after a while he reaches the narrow ravine that leads inside the mountains.

Can at the Gates to the Underdark

Cautiously and silently he walks in, well knowing what awaits him there ... spiders lurking on the rocky ground and between the last dark trees that dare to grow here. He pushes aside the memory of his last visit, and the painful sting he got from one of these disgusting creatures, and thanks Fitheach again for finding and healing him.

Can steals deeper into the ravine, already smelling the stench of the creatures and coming around a bend, he sees them and draws his bow ... alert and ready to use it .... but strange is the behavior of the spiders today, for they do not attack but seem to be kind of frightened, staying back from the path, only daring a few steps forward from time to time and retreating at once, eying him suspiciously with their cold unblinking eyes. 

So Can continues along the path, and there he sees it:  a giant black spider, laying on his back, legs crumpled over the huge belly, and a greenish stinking mass of liquid had been oozing out and covers the ground.

"I really wonder who or what caused it´s death?" Can thinks to himself and has a closer look at the cadaver. "There are wounds on it, likely coming from a broad sword or other heavy weapon" and he silently speaks to himself: "blessed be, whoever achieved this!"

Can Finds the Dead Spider

Then he stands up again, and continues his way further into the mountain till at last he reaches the gates to the underdark, home of the drows. The 2 stone sentinels guarding the gate gave no cry, as they did at his last visit, and strangely one of the heavy iron gates is open wide.

He hesitates for a moment, then he warily steps up the stairs, passes the gates and enters the tunnels and caves of the drow dwelling, dimly lit by a few torches on the rocky walls. He has not gone far, as he hears faint voices from somewhere ahead.

He sneaks towards the voices growing louder, and not long he could hear them quite clearly, although he does not understand or comprehend that language.  He crawls closer, and carefully sheathing his bow and hiding behind a boulder he sees them: two dwarfs sitting around a small fire, talking excitedly as if debating some matter of great importance. 

Can keeps watching them intensely, but does not understand much; there are only a few words he knows of dwarfish tongue, for dwarfs only use their language when they are among themselves, so it is hard to learn. Suddenly he was alerted again: he definitely heard the word "usutha" which means "drow" in the common language. And then ...... the smaller one of them pulls out a brooch and shows it to the other.  Can gasps; He has seen this jewelry before, hanging around Lady Amethyst’s neck on a small silver chain!

Can, forgetting all wariness leaves his hiding and steps out towards the dwarfs.

"Garoschem - dwarflords" he shouts and stands there motionless.