Into the Grate, Wide Open

Under the skies, now dark, Darvin and Talathel hopped into the sewers. Though both tried to make no noise, Darvin splashed noisily as he dropped, and Talathel landed with his foot in something slimy, causing him to instantly lose his balance and fall over. The splash itself wasn't that loud, but his surprise got the best of him, and as he fell onto his back, he yelled in surprise, "Shiiiitt!" That's becoming like your catch-phrase, Talathel. :D

Darvin (Stealth Check):
Roll(1d20)+2:
5,+2
Total:7


Talathel (Stealth Check):
Roll(1d20)+3:
1,+3
Total:4 (EPIC FAIL)

Within instants, Darvin was held tightly and Talathel had a boot firmly on his chest. They had not seen these men from the street. The man holding Darvin used his right arm to hook Darvin's left arm and pull it behind his back, somewhat painfully. His left arm was used to put a hand over Darvin's mouth. Talathel was pinned by a man who held a light mace inches above Talathel's now silent mouth. With his other hand, he put a finger over his lips, motioning for Talathel to be quiet. As he withdrew his finger, his face grew into a mirthless smirk.

The man holding Talathel down grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him up, and turned him to face down the tunnel. Similarly, Darvin was turned to face the same way, and both were released as a third man stepped up.

This third man quietly chuckled to himself as he studied Darvin and Talathel. In the dark, the half-elf and elf were able to see that he was about 5'9" tall, and wearing light padded armor, with a dark cloak slung about his shoulders and a bow strung over a shoulder, with a quiver at one hip and a dagger featured on the other.

"So, what have we here? A couple more rats to clog up our fine sewers?" He said in a quiet, amused tone.

Talathel shot back in an equally quiet, but far more fierce tone, "We are no rats! We are trying to do the city of Baldur's Gate a favor and take care of some of the monsters we've..."

"Talathel!" hissed Darvin. "Don't tell him anything!"

"Ahh, seeking some monsters, eh?" The man replied. "Marty send you, too, then? Ha! Another couple seeking some easy gold. You won't last 2 minutes down here. Why don't you leave the scavenging to them as has some experience in the darker sections of the city, eh?"

"Marty sent others, too?" Darvin demanded, his voice rising slightly in anger as well.

"Marty's been having his errand boys try to dig up bodies down here for a couple weeks now." the man responded. "Usually folks try coming down here in small groups, 1 or 2 together, and figure they can easily get right back out if they need to. But there's no rats down close to the water, where you could just swim them to shore, they roam in small packs down here, and they're dang hard to take down even when you can find one alone."

"If it's so bad down here, why do you only have three in your little posse?" Talathel shot back.

"We aren't here for a reward, that's why." The man stared challengingly at the two men before him. "Starks has a score to settle. You see, Marty asks for a body, doesn't he? Well, the things in here eat their dead. And after they find the site of a battle, which is generally easy because sounds travel in these tunnels, they follow the blood trail to whoever won, and if there's a body, they attack 'em who has it to get it for themselves. At least that's what it seems like they's doin." 

Before either Darvin or Talathel had a chance to speak up, the man who had been holding Darvin spoke up for the first time from behind, "Starks, shouldn't we's be movin' on?"

"Aye, Arn. That we should," Starks said. And turning to Darvin and Talathel he offered, "I suggest you crawl back up where you came in, but one way or another, you shouldn't be stayin' in one place fer too long. Goodbye. If either of you get in our way, you will not find yourselves in a very comfortable position, should you ever make it out of here alive."

With that, the three men walked past them and walked down the tunnel, slowly and quietly, with the practiced ease of men who knew how to remain unheard and unseen in the shadows.

As they left, Darvin turned to Talathel and said,... Take it away. Will you follow, or return to the surface, or go the opposite direction?