Tom dances on the roof of the shop then climbs along the roof-line toward the stone wall of a garden behind the business.

Azael followed a little behind the rest deciding to watch the rear of the group planning on keeping an eye out for anyone paying undue attention to the group as a precaution. He waited for several moments then joined the rest of the group.

He paused for a moment and gave Sparrow a glance." An Interesting side of town."

While we are inside, feel free to move about and speak as you need to. We need to give our friends all the assistance we can."

Stardancer pointed up to the roof "Is that him up there?" If it was, it would mean a rather difficult climb for her.  "The front door might be more to my ...style?"

His eyes never leaving the ragged tom, lilbug nodded at Stardancer's assertion.  "It is him, he is leading us, that much is certain.  See?  He is making for that walled garden.  We should see what he wants us to find!"

The slave glanced back to his Mistress, "with your permission, of course, Mistress," he added a little sheepishly.

"What are you planning to do lilbug? That wall is tall and it's inside another wall. The roof of that burned out store is higher than I want to climb."

 She stood and studied the walls and the rooftop, then looked at her slave-boy with a smirk on her face. She shook her head at him.

 "And no, I'm not giving you a lift up and over. You may be young, but you aren't light."

"There must be a way into the garden my Lady, if that is where he is leading us.  I am confident that we can find it dear Mistress.  Also, perhaps I should go on a diet?"Lilbug replied returning Lady Fairaday's smile with a wink.

 "Have at it then worm. Let me know what you find."

 She stands there with her arms crossed, toes tapping on the street as she watches them search, and studies the walls and streets and the way the winds blow and the birds fly. She keeps a close eye on people walking around too, trying to judge how they are reacting to them as well.

In reply to Fairaday (msg # 32):

If there is a way I think I can find it" Rinaldo spoke up as he dug into his pack and came up with a thin coil of silk rope.He sized up the walls and the surrounding buildings with a practiced eye." I spent some time hanging out with a particularly clever murder of crows. Those fellows can teach  you how to get around an obstacle."

He started up the wall lost his grip on a piece of loose mortar and tumbled back.Well damn that wasn't how that's supposed to work."

Time to get clever.He looked around and took a short hop a flurry of feathers and flapping wings as he took wing. scouting for an ope window or opening the  cat could be looking for
OOC:

03:52, Today: Rinaldo Scyffia rolled 7 using 1d20+4.  climb.
03:52, Today: Rinaldo Scyffia rolled 9 using 1d20+4.  spot.

As Rinaldo began up the wall Stardancer moved close "Be caref......" he started falling.  Luckily it was not from a great height.  Helping him up she dusted him off a bit "Perhaps another approach?  Perhaps the main door?" she suggested.  Somehow Stardancer was thinking the cat was laughing at them.

Quietly Xi moved around to bypass the shop and to find perhaps a better way in to the mages tower, or atleast one with a larger than housecat size hole to fit through.

 Rinaldo makes it so high then runs into a solid wall of nothingness, then a gust of wind blows him away and across the street to land in a heap of leaves in the eaves of a house across the street.

Sparrow nods to Azael. "Yes, master", she says quietly. He's right of course; when walking into danger she needs to be able to point out danger or react to it without having to defer. Seconds may save lives in such matters.

She quietly watches Rinaldo come up the wall -- and suddenly get blown away. She gasps, but his landing, in a heap of leaves, appears to be a soft one. She nonetheless rushes to help him. "It seems the mage has spells to prevent intruders", she opines. "I'd suggest the front door."

In a touch of shock at him being blown into the leaves so suddenly her hand covered her mouth and her eyes got wide.  By the time she moved to his side Sparrow had already got him up right "I agree.  Master Rinaldo...this is too dangerous.  I don't want you to get hurt"

OOC: I think you all missed his turning into bird form? But he is ok... is he still in bird form? Up to him now.

The slave is visibly relieved when Rinaldo, in his mischievous magpie form, is seen to be okay.  Pondering the puzzle before him, lilbug makes a decision.

"Yes Sparrow, I think you are right.  Let's search the burnt out shop, there may be a way through to the garden there, or at least a clue of how the cat go there.  Come my friends, the more eyes we have the greater the chance we will find something, if there is anything to be found that is."

He glanced back to his Mistress, who was keeping a wary eye out, and headed for the abandoned shop.  She had given him leave to deal with the situation as he thought best.  She had faith in him, and he would not let her down, he would find the way!

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pini...1d911a9be05282b2.jpg

The shop looks like this from the front, except it's somewhat smoky and burnt. You get the feeling though that it could be dangerous and may even be about to fall down.

"This is strange...." Stardancer said looking at the others "Well...I mean, odd? I think" she cocked her head sideways as she thought about how to get her thought across for others to follow.  "Well the little fellow did not show up until yesterday afternoon...after the evening that its master was dispatched.  And now the building next to it has been put to a fire?  Is that more than odd?" Since the building was still smoking it meant the building was only recently torched. She looked to the feathered form of Rinaldo.  Gathering him up from Sparrow and placing him on her shoulder.

Rinaldo fluttered and squawked angrily his wing coming up to his feathered head  in a very human gesture as he recovered from the spell generated trip to the ground. He flopped back wings spread looking very disgusted by the experience.

He let out a string of sounds that could easily be curses and then settled on Stardancers shoulder and nodded his head at the suggestion of using the front door.he continued to caw and squawk for several moments startling  flock of pigeons from their roost.

"Mages" he croaked angrily as he set his keen eyes on the front door.

She knew he was frustrated at what happened.  Gently she stroked his chest, smoothing the ruffled feathers then kissed his head "I am glade you are not hurt beyond pride.  I shall endeavour to be more attentive in the future to break your fall" she cooed in his ear

 The closer you go to the burned out shop, the grimmer the picture you see. You start to smell the burned wood smell and smoke seems to hang in the air. The stone lintel is growing mold and feels almost slimy. Soot clings to the wood seen from the doorway.

Mariasha had been taken somewhat by surprise when Rinaldo changed into a magpie and thus watched the the whole events transpire quietly. She stood back from the others and observed the shop and their surroundings it did indeed look like the work of mages as Rinaldo suggested. As the others moved forward toward the burnt shop, Mariasha followed couple of paces behind. She had only just join this group and still felt out of step but she would help them to the best of her abilities.

"Some sort of mage battle, perhaps?" hazards Sparrow. "Why else would this shop be burnt... and this feels... unnatural, a little." The slave girl very visibly lets someone else, someone bigger and more suited to the role, go first.

 "Go ahead guys, and explore. I am watching from here, in case someone comes to investigate. If you find a way in, then come get me lilbug. I can seal the doorway and come inside then."

 She leaned against an alcove in the decorative alcove in the wall across the street.

"What say we investigate the area a bit more carefully?" she said as she stroked the dark birds chest feathers.  "Then if we find no hidden passages or such we try the front door to the wizards place"
Carefully with in the burned ruins she moved a few boards as needed looking for any hidden doors or such.

Hearing his Mistress speak, lilbug did as always, he absorbed and memorized Her every word.  He smiled softly in reply, then nodded his head.

"Yes Mistress, understood," he answered as quietly as he could.  Then, swallowing the lump in his throat, he made his way in, following Stardancer and Rinaldo.  Remembering his training, he scanned the area first for immediate danger, obvious or hidden, before he began to assist in the search of the shop.
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:21, Thu 15 Dec 2016.