From the safety of the shadows, you closely watch the patrolling guardsman in the next room. As he passes, the nook effectively conceals your presence from the light of his torch. Once he's out of sight, you carefully listen to discern his patrol route.

A few moments pass, you hear his footfalls carry him down a flight of stairs, and up another. Then you hear a door in desperate need of oil squeak open. Moments later, a second door. Finally a bell rings, most likely a signal to other guards in the dungeon that all is well on this patrol. As the last echo from the bell fades the guard passes by you once again.

From your vantage point, you see only two possible paths. One way leads to the left, and the other leads to the right. The wall in front of you most likely has prisoner cells on the other side. You note you will need to keep a safe distance between you and the patrolling guard so the sound of your movement does not alert him to your presence.