Take the smooth tunnel on the right

The smooth tunnel on the right presents an interesting mystery that might just be your best way through the gnome tunnels. The smoothed walls and lack of glowing lichen could mean that travelers come and go. To compensate for the lightless black of the tunnel you make a small torch out of the last strips of your blouse. Your breasts are now completely bare, but it is actually quite comfortable. Warm air circulates up from the tunnels and when you emerge you can always stitch together one of the blankets rolled in your pack.

The small torch provides meager illumination and the stones of the tunnel are very smooth and damp with moisture. You slip several times and scratch and bruise yourself up good as youventure deeper and deeper into the bowels of the earth. You are considering turning around and beginning the long hike back up the winding tunnels to the entrance when you feel the walls begin to shake.

Something is moving ahead in the tunnel, much too distant to be seen in the small circle of light, but you can feel it shaking the tunnel around you. Whatever it is, it's approaching fast and it must be huge! You can hear it now, grinding against the walls of the tunnel, moving closer and closer with a terrifying rumble.

Your heart pounds in your breast and you search for some escape. Just ahead of you, low to the ground, is the narrow entrance of a side tunnel. Your hand moves to the pommel of your sword. Perhaps jumping blindly into a side tunnel is the more dangerous act. Though you are very afraid, you know you can muster the courage to confront the source of this sound.