"10,000 up front + 15%" (GB's-RP)

[greybeardabbot]

Greybeard had been braced for combat, but was delieverd by Taos, now he moves again and sets forward in the direction of Zaron and Rune.
Without warning he falls, his right leg buckling under him. Trying to re-gain his feet the thought accured to him...

GB: "Apparently I'm damaged more than I thought... but I'm not aware of being in any pain... it's just not working."

Distracted for the moment, Greybeard is an easy target.

[greybeardabbot]

Bishop shook his head... the guard he was engaged with proved a better fighter than he appeared, his helm was ringing with the blow from the mace which Bishop had only just managed to deflect. He caught sight of Greybeard in trouble, but he was not going to be able to disenage from this combatant. Again the guard swung his mace, and again Bishop had all he could do to avoid the attack... his apponant was relentess, wild and deperate. He had to give him his full attention.

[Sir Nichtmar]

Nichtmar gets up quick, back in control of himself.

"GB! We about have the courtyard wrapped up. What are your orders?"

[greybeardabbot]

Bishop was in heated combat with a man with mace and shield...
Oron and company where advancing on three men who had reach the pile of weapons and where grabding whatever was at hand...
Zaron, was boxing a fourth man, while Furey was running down an armed man who wanted nothing more than escape.

Relief, came over Greybeard, as he slowly understood that he was in little danger. Nictmar strode over...

"What's the order?"

"Finish the stragglers... What's that mean? I dunnow... Kill em all? Let the cowards off with thier lives? I can't say for the moment.... ...TAOS! What's the news from the parapet? Do ya, see danger? More guards? or is all quiet?"

To Nitcmar:
"If all quiet... it might be that our friends in the dungeon are not aware... or it could be they are locked and loaded for our entry... either way... we must get the gates open and enter the jail... Free William! Watch our backs... That's wots next."

Looking his friend over for the first time...
"Bless yas! Hurt much are we?"

[Taos]

"No motion in the prison tower, Greybeard. I imagine they've fallen back to more defensible locations, inside the dungeon proper. Once we take the dungeon, we can drop our prisoners off in there...let the gods sort them out."

[greybeardabbot]

GB: "Aye! Thars wisdom. "

Greybeard takes a spear from the pile to use as a crutch. He wipes off his sword and sheethes it, since the mop up has taken place. No doubt, Oron and company, Furey, Zaron and other dragoons have put the remaining 5 to rest.

GB: "Raphsis waits for us in the keep... FORM UP! Let's free the young king."

With the crutch, greybeard is able to walk swifty to the gates. He find's Raphsis with a key twirlling around his index finger...

Rapsis: "Hello-ello... say the magic word."

[greybeardabbot]

GB: OPEN THE DAMN GATE!

Rapsis: Works for me.

:::: The portculus makes considerable racket as it acends the wall... No doubt the dungeon gaurds hear it. But the silence from the keep is deafning... the party approaches... takes position against the walls... Frost trys the Keeps door... it opens to ominous darkness.
Frost enters the keep, the rest follow... when Grey beard enters... He is surprised that there is not sign of the wardens... He calls...

GB: "Hurqual! Hurqual! You miserable carbuncle! A friend to see you!"

Silence...

GB: "Down we go... something aint right... I want to see william.... Now see here... we go down two flights... thats' the prison level... If there's an ambush... like it would be there... two more flights... the lower prison... it's empty as far as I know... two more flights is the old dongeon... thats were me and william was."

And so they desend... Down the stairs... two abreast...

[Zaron]

Zaron prepares himself for what could be a bloodbath if the guards are held up in a defensible positon.

[greybeardabbot]

Noticing the looks of cold resolve on a few faces, GB remarks...

GB: Mind ya's... theres only the four of them...
Hurqual, Gaston, and two others.
Hurqual is mine you understand... the other two you can hack to bits, but spare Gaston, unless he fights, which I doubts.

Toas, keep your elf eyes open for boobytraps... that's hurquals style... He's a bully and a coward. The rest of you... if they aint hidin' from us on the jail level, hoping to lock us below decks... they'll be wait'n in ambush on the next level... and if not there... well... My guts tell me they will wait'n with william with a knife at his throat like as not... They'll use him to bargon for an escape... one that would leave us here behind a locked door... there is a gate at each level... if they should come up behind us... and lock up... we'll die with william when Miraz arrives.

If that's the case... I have got one more shot in me locker... Just let me hang behind ya's untill we find them. They'll think me a ghost, no doubt. If we can frighten Hurqual a moment... a trick that would be at that... then Toas can put out his deadlights with a bowshot.

I'm recommending that Oran and company make a second unit about 5 minutes behind us... If hurqual shuts a door on us, perhaps they can open it again?

[B-Shizzle]

Hearing GB bark orders, I realize that the time has come to finish this off. The guard's attacks were getting desperate for a finishing blow, why not bait him. I began to back pedal and let him knock out my sword with the next mace swing. After that I let myself trip and fall on my back, as my assailant licked his lips and wound up for the final overhead blow. I rolled to my left as the as the mace came down and his own shield blinded him of me. My hand wrapped around the mace at my head and my leg swept his bringing him to his feet without the mace and me to mine. He scrambled to his feet and was immediately met with a shoulder tackle that took him down with me on top. My elbow came down across his face breaking teeth and his nose and leaving him unconsious. I walked back picking up my shield and his mace. "I like the weight of this" None worse for the wear I jogged back for the next bit of fun

[greybeardabbot]

At the bottom of the steps to the first landing greybeard steps into the light.
From a dark cell an arrow slips and stops short in GB's left sholder. But it doesn't penatrate the mail and gambleson... GB Lears at the darkness unphased.

Hurqual steps from the darkness with bow in hand and an arrow on the nock...
There is a moment as Hurqual assesses the scene... He is perplexed that his arrow which is protruding from his victom chest seems to have had no effect on him... It makes no sence???
Then he becomes aware of more of these men in black as the Dragoons step out from behind Greybeard... For a moment he thinks they might be some cult of the undead...

The Smile broadens across GB's face... the look of it in the torchlight is frightening...

Then there is a moment... Hurqual's eyes widen and his face falls....
Hurqual: "YOU!.... It can't be!?!"

GB: "Aye... sure it can!"

There is a quick flick of Greybeards left hand and a waa waa waa waa followed by a dull thump... A small hand ax was thrown underhand at Hurqual and the hatchet nested in neatly in Hurqual's crotch.... Greybeard limps slightly as he walks slowly over to the Jailer who has now fallen to his knees... The other Dragoons file around some to check out the other cells... some merely watch the show.

GB lifts Hurquals chin with the flat tip of his broadsword...

Hurqual looks upon GB with contempt and manages to summon enough spit to hack it upon GB's chest... Rather than wipe it off... Greybeard reaches for the arrow and plucks it from his mail...
and then drops to one knee in front of his former jailer... slowly GB leans in close so that his lips are near to Hurqual's right ear... He wispers one word and the expression on Hurqual's fat face changes quickly from buligerent anger to shock and fear...

As GB leans back again, the others can see the arrow has been thrusted up under Hurqual's chin, through the neck and deep into his brain. As GB lets go and stands up, Hurqual falls forward and flat on his face.

Rapsis: "What did you say to him?"

GB: "Justice."

[Sir Nichtmar]

Nichtmar runs down the stairs with sword in hand to see the man with the arrow sticking of the mans throat.

"Nice, Greybeard the courtyard is secure we have 3 prisoners tied up, rest are dead. So we gotta get some guy outa here right?"

[greybeardabbot]

GB: "Aye..... Some of ya's finish checking the cells on this floor... The rest with me to William. We go down another level."

The remaining jailers are routed out and delt with. But down in the darkest dungeon Greybeard spies William alone in his cell. It near breaks his heart to see the lad, nay, young man, so alone and broken with dispair.

GB: "Stay back you lot..." Greybeard whispers "Let me alone with him a bit."

Greybeard enters williams cell with slow movements. But william does not look to see who comes. Greybeard alters his voice so that he speaks with a softer and clearer voice than usual.

"William DeNovelette."

William remains unmoved, he niether raises his eyes, nor answers, nor moves at all. His only responce is a muted sigh.

GB: "Look on me! And find hope."

William raises his head slowly and looks at the man before him... a fog seems to lift from his eyes... then recognition... followed by an overwheling emotion that threatens the strength of his heart...

GB: "Aye, Will... I told you I would keep me promise to you... Now then did you keep yours to me? Did you trust to hope or did you fall into dispare?"

Will: "But... you... you're dead."

GB: "Never me."

Will: "But I saw them take you from the cell... I saw your face... The guards told me what they did to you..."

GB: "And I told you not to believe it. That it would look bad... sound bad... seem hopeless... but that it would not be hopeless."

Will: "No... It's a nightmare."

GB: "Nay... the opposite... the nightmare's over... You're free my lad..."
Greybeard calls his friends into the cell.
GB: "Gent's... come on in." ... "Now these are me friends, William, and yours too... Lads! Meet William, rightful king of Avione."

[Taos]

Taos steps into the cell and bows deeply,

"Taos Levanon, at your service, your Highness."

[greybeardabbot]

GB: "Take his arm will you Taos... and someone take the other... Your majesty, forgive me, but we need to get you out of here immediately... It's all abit overwhelming I know... but he need to move quickly... you can rest aboard the Gryfalcon... the sea air will restore your strength better than any tonic."

[greybeardabbot]

The return to the gryfalcon is nearly uneventful... it seems that as they are decending the stairs; Frost reports that he could see an honor guard of 20 mounted knights and a carriage bearing the standards and the colours (Yellow and red) of Avione approaching from a distance. But they are underway and sailing out of the cove well before the arriving contingent are able to enter the chateau.
Greybeard stands besides William, who, although pale himself, seems quiet tanned compaired to the young prince. There is a sameness to thier faces... Perhaps it is mearly that they have beards similar in colour. William's hair is shod through with grey strands. His hair is long and his beard is wild.

William: It gives life to me to see that wicked place fall behind these great sails.
GB: Sure it does. We will make for sea, and when we are out of sight of land we will sail West and make birth tonight in a hamlet where you will find rest and recovery... Good food... good ale... a hot bath... a hair cut and and new cloths... You will travel as a member of the Black Dragoons untill we can reconoiter.

They watch the sea swallow the Castle Noir together in silence...
Then William sits down and turns his attention to more immediate things...

William: Who's our captain?
GB: Here's a treat... I'll introduce you... He's is a fine host.

[Zaron]

Zaron watchs the chateau fall away in the distance from the deck of the gryfalcon smiling to himself as he turns to watch the young prince and Greybeard, thinking to himself that they had done a fine deed this day.

[greybeardabbot]

TWO WEEKS PAST:

Back at the Amble Inn...

William is making a good recovery. He eats well, takes long walks with Greybeard, but sleeps a bit fitfull... One does not shake off inprisonment in a fortnight as GB well knows.

Buisness is busness... PAYDAY
GB:
]There where more than 15 of us... so out of the 10,000 I should pay ya each 667 Louis'.
But I'm feeling greatful, and therfore, generous... a clean 1/2 bar gold for each...

Nictmar... for wounds taken... I'm addn' 2 small silver ingots.

Oron... The same... for the use of the Gyrfalcon. pluse a debloon each for your mates.

Furey... in addition, I'm givin you 1 ingot of sterling, and a good sized ruby for your courage in the masqurade... The ruby has a great flaggen' flaw in it... just like you... but just like you it's a right nice rock even with the flaw. Now use your head and bank it, not spend it on drink and damsels...

Taos... You did well, but not better then I'd expect... so for friendship sake, I'm going to let you have this moon saphire.

Zaron, you and Rune and Bishop had my back... I give you each a paridote... It's a fairsized gemstone, but not of any great value... except that it's "Dragoon" green.

The Gold will be repaid to me when William gains His throne... the rest is my gifts.
I figure that my friend Will, should have time to build his strength, rebuild his skills, and learn the lay of the land... The Amble Inn is a safe enough haven... I need to send out spies into Avione... to see what Miraz intends and to find any that might be loyal to William. It would be dangeous work. Two maybe three... you would need to act as monks or merchants I should think... Well... if not... I would invite you to return in four months... by then William should be ready... Any takers?

[Taos]

Taos reached over and palmed the gemstone.

"As well but not better...I'm not sure I should take that as a compliment or an insult. You can keep the gold, though...that sort of thing has a tendency to create difficulties during travel."

He rolled the sapphire over and under his fingers as he spoke,

"Monk might be a bit difficult, not sure I know enough about the local religion to pull that off. Perhaps a traveling show? Strongman...acrobat...master of ceremonies and so forth."

[VodinHeavyHammer]

In a few days time after the spies were released one returned to the inn itself quite shaken and babbling. He spoke of a small army off in the woods that had managed to catch one other spy that was dispatched. The spy was then taken from view and was not seen again in the camp. It was a group said to be short of stature and they were cloaked in heavy black wools. The spy indicated where the group had set up camp. It had only been a night’s ride by horse but a day or two on foot. The last bit of information the spy divulged was the colors these foes flew. A black flag with a white cross placed upside down a red band of color through the middle of the cross.

The dwarves had disguised themselves well so far as they made their way through this unfamiliar land. Never revealing their true nature to any they had met. Not even the spy that stumbled upon their camp the night before. He had been been caught and shackled before he could depart and give off their position to some form of enemy. Vodin knew of many enemies in the area and wanted little to do with them as of now. He had a different goal in mind and would rather have none blocking his way. Besides he rather disliked those that snuck about the forest or the night as most dwarves did. Men and elves were weak in this regard betraying one another left and right stabbing kings, queens, or common peddlers in the back for their own gain. He snorted gently before taking a seat among his captains inside the war tent to discuss their next move.

[Zaron]

Zaron comes downstairs having stayed a few days in the inn to rest, after returning all of Greybeards gold, but enough to cover his travel expenses as well as abit of wear and tear on his equipment. He quickly notices the serious tone of the inn after the spies return and goes to find Greybeard to find out what is amiss.