Prynhawn ignored the Black Knight's command, "Halt!"
While Jess dashed to the cave entrance with her companions, she shot an arrow at the Black Knight's steed, but it bounced off its armor.
Philip made it into the cave and leaped over the pit, waiting on the other side to assist his companions.
The Black Knight rode up to Prynhawn, sword pointed at him, shouting, "You and me! Right here! Right now! One on one!" prompting a compelled duel, but when the half-orc continued to run, the Black Knight slashed at him. Prynhawn batted the slash away with his shield, but a counter swing landed hard on his shoulder. Prynhawn tried to counter himself, but was deflected by the Black Knight's shield. Prynhawn managed to make it to the mouth of the cave.
"I hear someone running from the west," Valeria warned.
"I hear the same thing," Vernim confirmed.
An arrow whizzed by Yanliz, followed by a second that caught him in the side.
Valeria dashed into the cave and leaped over the pit. Yanliz followed immediately behind her, but almost fell trying to jump over the pit, and was only saved by Philip quickly grabbing him and pulling him over.
When Lawrence made it to the cave mouth, he turned around and cast charm person on the Black Knight, but the armored rider turned to him abruptly, with a slight roar from under the black helm.
Vernim and Jess dashed into the cave, leaping over the pit.
Two flashes of light streaked toward Brother Martin as he dashed toward the cave mouth, both stopping just short of him. Passing Lawrence and Prynhawn at the cave mouth, he followed Vernim and Jess over the pit
"Where are they?" Lawrence heard a shout from behind the cave mouth. "I can't see anyone!"
The Black Knight turned his steed around and slashed down at Prynhawn with a suddenly flaming blade, hacking a flaming gash through the half-orc's archaic bronze plate mail. Fortunately, the Black Knight missed with a second swing, because the wounds hurt like nothing he had ever felt before.
Meanwhile, Valeria dropped the double-bladed ax on the ground, jumped across the pit and shouted, "Stop attacking us, and go trample those archers. Then, ride east for six hours and send your horse away from you," as a suggestion, but the Black Knight growled in reply, "Come over here, and I'll trample you, wench!" Valeria shakily jumped back over the pit.
Prynhawn smothered the flames and lifted his sword to the Black Knight, but collapsed before he could swing.
Lawrence grabbed Prynhawn and dragged him back to the edge of the pit, casting dust devil just inside the cave entrance.
Vernim cast flaming sphere just outside the cave mouth, but it soon disappeared.
Jess, who had picked up the double-bladed ax, gave it back to Valeria.
Suddenly, the swirling wind, Lawrence's grunts, and all the sounds from outside, went silent.
Taking Jess' dagger, Brother Martin jumped over the pit, into the silence, and examined Prynhawn wounds, but they were too extensive.
Outside the cave mouth, the Black Knight leaped from his steed, grabbed a javelin from the saddle and tossed at Lawrence, piercing the sorcerer from the back.
Valeria cast healing word on Lawrence, jumped over the pit, into the silence, and shot an eldritch blast at the Black Knight. Rushing to jump back over the pit, the blast missed and she fell into the pit onto the bugbear bodies.
Lawrence and Brother Martin tried to pass Prynhawn over the pit, but they dropped the heavily armored half-orc. Philip and Vernim, with help from Valeria, snatched the paladin up and dragged him over, while Brother Martin stumbled into the pit.
The Black Knight threw two more javelins at Lawrence, who dodged one, but was hit by the other and fell into the pit.
Valeria pulled herself out of the pit, and, recalling what she had seen Brother Martin do with Philip's wound, finished carving the rot infected wound from Prynhawn.
Vernim examined Prynhawn and determined that the paladin was dead.
Philip began dragging Prynhawn up the slope, further into the kobold's cave.
As Lawrence tried to climb out of the pit, he was struck by another javelin thrown by the Black Knight. A second javelin missed him as he fell, as did an arrow, but a second arrow caught him on the way down, and he fell, unconscious.
Valeria jumped into the pit, and lifted Lawrence up to Yanliz and Jess, who dragged him further into the cave. Valeria made it out of the pit herself and followed her companions.
Vernim caught up to Philip and cast gentle repose on Prynhawn, before helping to drag him further into the cave.
Brother Martin channeled the divinity of Lathander to preserve the life of Yanliz and Lawrence, reviving the sorcerer.
With Philip and Vernim dragging Prynhawn, they rushed past the painted room and the double doors and through the secret portal, into the labyrinth.
Once secured in the labyrinth, Yanliz suggested, "We should sleep in Sapphira's room."
"I think that's a good idea," Valeria agreed.
Yanliz was leading them toward the boulder room, when Vernim heard something.
"Guys," Vernim alerted his companions, "there's something going on behind us. Do you hear that? It doesn't sound like armor. Or like hooves. It sounds like something smaller."
Lawrence took Philip's place helping Vernim drag Prynhawn, and Philip lagged behind them as they continued toward Sapphira's room.
Valeria sent Yanliz a message, "We hear a noise from behind us. We're going to keep going, but stay alert."
At Valeria's instruction, Yanliz hung back before Sapphira's room while the rest of the group turned the corner inside and Valeria covered her light.
Once in the darkness, Yanliz headed back the way they came until he saw a kobold standing warily in the corridor, sniffing the air, a spear in its hand.
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