A test of faith and balance.

Althea rested a hand over her heart and sighed softly. She needed strength now more than ever; dawdling would lead only to dwelling. She found an old, dusty broom handle without the brush and used it as a walking stick, helping her avoid any more trips and stumbles. "Luminae," she murmured, and the head of the walking stick glowed in a soft, pale light. Not quite as effective as a torch, but now she could see that at last the tunnel path crept uphill. The acolyte prayed she would see the light of day again soon and be rid of these awful nightmares. If no one warned the villagers of Sapila about the dangers lurking beneath the mountain, then she feared what disaster loomed on the horizon.

Althea paused her thoughts as a mundane but daunting sight now entered the dim light of her make-shift staff. It looked as though some of the tunnel floor had been dug away, intentionally leaving a darkened pit. Now the only way across the pit was a single wooden beam no shorter than twenty feet in length. The priestess swallowed hard at the thought of falling into the black pit below. Perhaps the fall was meant only to incapacitate? She gingerly approached and held the staff over the pit like a fishing rod. At first she noticed no signs of life, but that changed with the sound of a low, rasping groan. By Helestria's light, could someone be trapped?

"Hello?!" she called, only for her voice to echo softly down the stone hallway ahead of her. No response except for another dry, wordless groan. How long had they been down there? Still unable to see, Althea crouched near the ledge, gripping the adjacent wooden beam to avoid plummeting from her perch. The compassionate priestess reached out over the pit with her faintly-glowing broom handle, but it only managed to illuminate the underside of the beam and the rough-hewn walls of the pit. If only she still had a torch.

Althea weighed her options. She could try to help this person in need, but what if they were wicked? But what if they tried to do her harm? How would she even get them out of the pit? Oh! Fabian had left his pack outside the storehouse, so she could go back and see if he had any rope. Or she could continue on ahead and ignore the sound of the stranger in the pit, but would Helestria forgive such negligence? Even then, she feared the prospect of crossing such a narrow beam with her poor sense of balance. But then, perhaps that was Helestria's true test of faith? Gah! So many choices!