As if seeing the [Item] for the first time, he held it up for inspection and shook his head, "I've got to get my mind on the business at hand," he muttered with self-deprecating humor. "Next I'll try putting jam on my sword and eating toast laced with silverthorn."

As great as the temptation was to use it, he sensed it was neither the time nor the place to waste its potential by performing experiments. There was always the possibility it would fail him when he most needed it, but that was far more desirable than squandering what might be a valuable resource when it would gain him nothing.

"What precisely am I to do with this?" Gorath asked, his lips twisting into a scowl. "I suppose it's useful in the right hands but I don't know the first thing about how to use them."

Though he was fascinated by the [Item], he realized that this was neither the time nor the place for him to be toying with it, especially when spying eyes might be watching him.

With he and his companions at death's door, all he'd managed to pull out of his satchel was of utterly no use under the present circumstances.

"I could be wrong, but it looks like a magician's handiwork," Owyn said. "I'm not sure if I have room in my rucksack right now, but I'll take it off your hands if you like."

"I have no use for this," Owyn thought, his lips twisting into a scowl. "It might do Gorath some good, though..."

"Oh well," he sighed. "Perhaps I can find a generous shopkeeper with more use for it than I."

"You've had quite enough," Gorath said, calming his companion. "Time to call it quits."

He had thought to drink more of the liquid, but his head was still swimming with the effects of the previous dose and it occurred to him that a second drink might do more harm than good.

"Dead weight," he said, evaluating the [Item]. "We've expended all its charges. It might be a good idea to get rid of it."

"This [Item] doesn't work as it once did," he said with an angry scowl. "It might still be worth keeping, however. At the very least, there might be someone who would want to buy it."

"Useless," he said, staring at the [Item]. "Must have depleted all its charges. Maybe I'll be able to revitalize it later..."

"Someone will probably find this, but I'm tired of carrying it," he said. "The bag will at least keep it protected from the elements."

For a moment he'd thought to discard his [Weapon], its bulk wearisome for him to bear and its value seemingly more dubious than when he'd acquired it. On the balance, however, he realized it would be utter madness to strip himself of his defenses at a time when he most needed them.

Shaking his head, he was thankful he'd had presence enough of mind to catch himself before dropping a flaming torch to the ground.

No matter how Owyn rearranged the items that had been stuffed into the canvas sack, it seemed he would be unable to add the [Item] to the bundle without removing something else. "Looks like the bag is full up."

No matter how James rearranged the items that had been stuffed into the wooden chest, it seemed he would be unable to add the [Item] to the bundle without removing something else. "Looks like the chest is full up."

"I don't think we dare put anything more on this body," he said, checking a rucksack which dangled from the corpse's shoulder. "Anything more and there's a good chance our tampering will be detected."

"As much as I'd like to keep what we've found, we can barely manage with what we already have," he said. "Check your rucksacks. See if you can't make enough room so we can keep our new acquisitions with us."

"There isn't enough room," he said. "I'll have to find some other place for it."

"If you want to keep it, you'll have to carry it yourself," Gorath said, shrugging his shoulders. "I've got enough to tote around as it is with out taking on your baggage."

Either too dazed by the clamor of battle to respond or too focused to take his attention away from it, Gorath seemed oblivious to Owyn's repeated attempts to relay the [Item]. If Owyn had any hope at all of transferring the object, it lay in getting closer to his ally.

"I'm using that at the moment, thank you," Gorath snapped, startled by Owyn's rude behavior. "If you need something from my pack, you're welcome to what ever I have there, but I would appreciate it if you asked first."