Swamped

One of the shields has a symbol on it. It's a rather odd one, though - you don't know what it means. It doesn't fit the style of a family crest, or of a national flag. For that matter, it doesn't even look much like the other shields here.

"This shield?" you ask, picking it up.

"Yes. Uncle Leo was asking about it. I think it was meant to be delivered to him, and wound up here by accident. But the smith just got mad at him, and then something happened with the forge..."

He doesn't look comfortable.

"I don't remember a lot after that. I was out like a light. Seems I got off easy compared to the others, though."

Hmm. So the shield was delivered, that's probably why it looks so out of place. The smith most likely made the others herself. You wonder what it means.

Well, one thing you notice is that the shield feels somewhat lighter than you'd expect. By poking around, you find that the handle comes loose, and pulling it off, you find a hidden compartment.

There's a book inside. Glancing through, it seems like a ledger, though the words are in an unfamiliar language. This must have been the real delivery. You show it to Mortimer.

"Any idea what this is?"

"It's something I've been looking for," says a voice you don't recognize. "How convenient that you found it for me."

You turn towards the voice, and you see a man who looks a lot like Mortimer, and two large, unruly characters at his sides.

You're kind of wishing you hadn't blocked off the other exit now.