Into the Asylum: Malmir questions Kirsten

"Thanks for pulling me out of there, "Malmir said awkwardly to his companions, his long, slender fingers running across the white bandage that now girdled his head. "And special thanks to you, halfling, this strapping is first rate. I guess this adventuring business is not as straight forwards as the field of battle. We must all learn from this simple trap, we are sure to come across far more dangerous mechanisms of death in the future. It would be prudent to check for them as standard."

Shifting his equipment (his mandolin was, thankfully, intact) Malmir returned to the edge of the pit and peered back down into the darkness that mere moments ago had held him captive. Looking up, he saw the serious eyes of Kirsten evaluating him.

"Not even elves are infallible, " he smiled, winking a clear blue eye at her. She turned away quickly, to resume her deep ponderment of the door. "Strange that we have not been attacked. I was certain that when I stumbled into that trap that we had been compromised... but there is nothing! Something is not right here. I can feel it!"

He approached the door once again, more carefully this time, his booted feet skirting the edge of the pitfall trap, to stand alongside Kirsten. Malmir could feel the heat of her body despite the cool of the night and the elf revelled in the new sensation for a heartbeat or two... So human women instilled the same subtle excitement as his own race's did. How interesting! The minstrel dwelled on the myriad possibilities for a moment longer before returning to the business in hand. Fingering the rotten wood of the door, he too bent an ear to a crack and listened. It was as the human female had said. No sound except faint scratchings, and those had a distinct animalistic quality.

"What a mystery you are door." Malmir mused. "And it appears that our amateurish ramblings have aroused no consequence. Either this is all part of some elaborate ploy, construed either by the inhabitants of this Asylum or by some unknown influence, or there is in fact no one behind this door and that no-one is coming to open the door either!

The elf turned once more to his companions, a charming smile radiating from his handsome features and he considered each one in turn. "Obviously, I have already made a fool of myself once this night in regards of this door and I feel reluctant to be the fool once again. But we need to establish whether or not this door is actually locked!

He turned to face Kirtsen, his eyes like cool embers that warmed the damp evening. "With respect Frau, you are the most experienced here with locks and the like. What is your opinion? Is this door locked or unlocked and will our meddlings bring us more misfortune? I don't know about you, but I did not set foot upon this path to spend the night standing around in the dankness?"

Kirsten thought for a moment. She seemed to weigh the odds but curiousity quickly consumed her natural caution. She stepped forwards, raised her pale hand to the door and...