Percy and Lujayn exchanged a glance as the baron muttered unintelligibly to himself. Hitting the wall at the end of the long, slime-covered slide had evidently loosened a few screws in his lordship's head. The two faces carved into the stone above were very obviously not speaking to anyone; besides the baron's mumbling, there was no other sound in the cavern.

Alder was used to it. The baron hearing voices had begun far earlier than the Campaign To End All Campaigns.

Alder thought back now to the first time; they had been on their second delve, and just scared off a huge, dark creature that had attacked the baron from above. A few chambers later, the whispers had started- or so Annaeus had said. Alder himself had heard nothing, The baron had wandered off while Alder slept, leaving him to track him by the threads of his unraveling brocade.

Alder sighed. Not again.