Looking pleased with this development, Falnis makes his way back around to the front and proceeds to open the door, gesturing to Tared to follow him.

"Your job, by the way, is to think up a good lie as to why the man in the celler should not panic when you open the trapdoor. I shouldn't need long to dispose of him," Falnis says softly.

Glancing at the dead men as he passes, Tared looks relieved he chose not to mess with Falnis. He nods, licking his lips delicately before heaving open the trapdoor.

"Hey, get up here now!" he snarls, charging down the flight of narrow wooden steps into the room below, "Tyronius is here with an army of knights! We need to get the whelp out of town now!"

OOC: Tared Garn rolled 19 using 1d20+3. Bluff.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:42, Sat 23 Mar 2019.

Falnis hears a muffled curse, followed by the scraping of a chair.

"You 'erd the man, ye little curn! Come on!"

OOC: Caladormist rolled 14 using 1d20. Sense Motive.

Falnis descends the stairs too, following on Tared's heels in the shadows.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:01, Sat 23 Mar 2019.

Inside he sees a boy of perhaps eight or nine years of age, hair matted and face smudged with dirt. His muddied and torn attire looks as if it was once an embroidered tunic of some kind. He is currently in the process of being dragged by the collar by a swarthy leather clad man.

"Let... go!" he whines, flailing arms and legs as he tries to resist the man. He manages to twist his head around on an angle to sink his teeth into the man's wrist.

The man gives a yelp of pain and rage, releasing the boy to backhand him across the face.

"Little curn!" he snarls.

"You have literally one job," says Tared, rolling his eyes, "Do you want me to take him?"

"I've got him," mutters the man, glaring at Tared darkly as he grabs hold of the boy once more, this time being careful to avoid any mouths.

Unfortunately for him, he's not as successful in avoiding varim longknives-- as he finds out a moment later, when his head is yanked back and one cleanly slices his throat.

"I almost feel bad for him," Falnis remarks, stepping back to avoid the spray of blood as the man drops to the ground. "We are friends, by the way, if you are thinking of biting us, Veldorn. I am Lord Falnis Orthran of the Great City of Mereldinor, and this is Tared of nowhere worth mentioning at all. Your sister and His Highness of Thane hired us to rescue you."

OOC: Dalmar Argant dealt 47 points of wound damage to Caladormist.
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:23, Thu 30 Dec 2021.

Tared shoots Falnis a resentful glance, but cannot really argue with the varim.

The boy, grimaces down at his dead captor, wiping speckles of blood off his face. He looks thoroughly perplexed, but glances up at the mention of his sister.

"Lyria?" he says hopefully, "Is she here?"

"She is," Falnis assures him, kneeling down to search the dead man's pockets. "She is most worried about your safety. I assume you have no injuries, diseases, or poisons affecting you that we should know about?"

The boy shakes his head, watching as Falnis searches the corpse.

"Please sir, can you take me to her?" he asks after a moment.

Falnis finds nothing on the dead man's person save a worn dagger, a geld, three coppers and a stale hunk of bread.
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:46, Sat 23 Mar 2019.

"We plan to," Falnis assures him, taking the geld and the three coppers, and rising to lead the way upstairs. He also retrieves his three crossbow bolts from the dead men on the way out.
This message was last edited by the player at 08:45, Sat 23 Mar 2019.

Lyria’s brother spares one last glance at the dead guard before hurrying after Falnis. Tared seems tempted to take the man’s dagger, but decides this might be misconstrued as deception and turns to follow the others.

"You can take it if you want it," Falnis informs him an undertone, following the direction of his gaze. "You can also scram now if you prefer that to being abandoned outside the gates. I am sure you know better than to cross me twice, and the less time you spend with those two knights in the inn, the happier I will be."

Tared narrows his eyes appraisingly, but seems to be convinced of Falnis’ sincerity. He hesitates only a moment longer before scooping up a blade from one of the guards upstairs. He pauses at the doorway to glance cautiously into the darkened street outside. Satisfied he darts out and disappears into the night.

“Where’s he going, sir?” asks the young Veldorn as he hurries after Falnis.

"He was paid in advance, so since we've rescued you, he is leaving before your uncle sends more men after him. Tared is a courageous human, but even so, he knows that your uncle is a bad human to cross," Falnis lies casually. "Keep in mind the fact that I, too, would like to avoid him sending more men after me, and be as quiet as possible on our way back."

The boy nods solemnly as he does his best to be silent, his slapping feet echoing down the street as he hurries after the varim.

OOC: Erald Veldorn rolled 10 using 1d20+4. Hide.
Erald Veldorn rolled 3 using 1d20. Move Silently.

Falnis winces, but looks like he is trying to tell himself that the average human can barely hear what's next to them anyway, let alone what's happening outside on a street. Not being especially empathetic to the plight of others, it's a street or two before Falnis puts two-and-two together about the slapping sound the young Veldorn's feet are making, and glances down at them.

"Did they take your shoes?"
This message was last edited by the player at 12:13, Sat 23 Mar 2019.

The boy's feet are indeed bare, and covered in the same dirt that covers the rest of him.

"My shoes are at home, sir," he replies meekly as they walk, "I was playing on the grass when a man..." he gives a half sob, "When he grabbed me, sir."

"Mm," Falnis says, without much sympathy, glancing around to see if any of the houses they are walking past have any shoes he can appropriate, "Well, we will be with your sister soon, and you can tell her all about it."
This message was last edited by the player at 11:17, Mon 25 Mar 2019.

There do not appear to be any signs of footwear on offer outside any of the passing houses as they make their way back up the street to where the light and noise of the tavern can once more been seen and heard. Those inside appear to be too engrossed in their activities to notice the pair scurrying past in the shadows outside, and it isn't long before the pair have safely made their way to the alleyway in which Lyria waits. In the gloom about her Falnis is able to make out Caled and Larend along with her two escorts.