Kazuma narrows his eyes.
"We must be cautious on our approach."
"My strength lies in battlefield skirmishes. I have no skill or knowledge of siege or infiltration. What do you suggest?"
"Uh, I don't know much of fortresses and stealth, but Hojin can scout with ease. She's smart."
The black raven softly pecks on Keisuke's head, as if disapproving of the idea.
"I know how to hunt and move quietly." Himura murmurs quietly, looking over the repurposed fortress. His eyes flicker to the others, those dark orb studying them for a moment before he nodded back towards the stronghold. "We wait until the sunlight fades and night comes, it will make everything easier."
He will sit down on the ground, brushing himself off before reaching into his pack. He'll bring out a deck of cards, smiling at the others. "Anyone wish to play?"
He would play with whomever wished the play during that time, friendly games were there was no real betting. If no one did, he'd put the cards away without a word and instead seem to meditate. Motionless, he seemed more in a trance than anything else yet to the observant, they'd see the slightest twitches whenever they moved.
It was only when the sun had finally descended and darkness was beginning to cover the land that he would stand and brush himself off.
"I will scout ahead and see if there are any vulnerabilities in their defenses. Kurokara, will you send Hojin to assist me?" Once the details were sorted, Himura would move through the dark underbrush carefully, keeping an eye on the fortress with his unnaturally gifted eyes and look for a good place to enter.
This is the best idea you've had today, and I still don't like it.
No one will question a raven just crowing around.
If I ever get back to the Yatagarasu, I don't ever want to get in this world again.
"Go with him girl. Caw if there are trouble, distract the guards if necessary."
The jet-black reven perches herself on Yoshi's shoulder, intelligent eyes studying his face.
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There are several hours left in the day, a game of cards could pass that time quite nicely. For those that do wish to play, just roll a flat d20, highest roll wins. Unless you have profession gambler...then you roll that. Probably best to stat Hojin's killer bird instinct.
After the games are done, night falls and lights start appearing to be lit in some of the more open windows of the fort. Men walk around the outside with torches lit, the door only opened when the shifts were swapped. The torch bearers never strayed too far from the front and a little to the sides. Thankfully, even with the torches illuminating the area around them, most of the bandits were preoccupied with talking to each other about what they'll be having for dinner after raiding that village.
Krab and Hojin sneak through underbrush and easily maneuver between past the unsuspecting patrols. The building is very sturdy from the front, heavily fortified as any Lion fortress would be, with the most arrow slits and the only real entrance. Lion loves its frontal, honorable combat, and truly that was the clearest way to take such a fortress. However, as Krab circled the building, there was a dark, square object in the ground that had handles. It was covered with vines, and long forgotten. Upon closer inspection, it was a cellar door...
Yoshi creeps about in the darkness, traveling with the bird alongside him. It was the strange man's strange bird, a raven that had such intelligent eyes. The two of them looked at one another and it seemed as if the samurai did the same when they had first left. Since then, Yoshi had been incredibly silent, moving with precision through the distracted guards.
At last finding the forgotten cellar door. Taking out his blade, he cut the vines free and examined the doors for rust along the hinges, worried of a squeak in the dark. It would be certainly quieter than assaulting the front and hoping to surprise them.
He'd return back to the group, moving through the underbrush. Quietly he'd return to the group and whisper to them before he entered in order to not possibly spook them.
"I have found an alternative entrance. There is a cellar door around back. We should enter from there, it'd be the most efficient manner." He said with a calculated voice, looking to each one in the darkness.
"Then let us go. They've already proven they have no honor, so if any of you are skilled in spotting coward's traps, perhaps you should lead the way. I will be close behind."
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The door makes a creaking sound, but it quiets once past that point. The silence of the night was hardly interrupted by it, but being so close to the sound made it seem much louder. The rampant undergrowth along the sides of the door made settling it much quieter than if it hit ground. The insides of the cellar seemed dark and had the smell of old wine barrels.
Returning to the group will require another stealth check, the front guards still on duty.
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Krab successfully makes it back, just as easily as he made it in the first place. Though now he has to lead the group there. Following his lead is easy, sneaking a group is more difficult. Laughter can be heard from the guards outside, the front door opening and closing as fresh bandits replaced those outside. They sat around the entrance for a while, before steadily walking around the front. If they had taken up proper gardening, there wouldn't be so many bushes around the front! For shame.
"Should we go in once they've gone to sleep, slaughter them while they're unaware? Or do we want a diversion?"
"I am ready. A precise strike could lead to less lives being lost, but these bandit scum deserve nothing more then the release that death will grant them."
Blending in the shadows, Keisuke steps forward lightly, gripping the scythe's handle.
Yoshi would nod to the others and begin to guide them through the darkness, moving through the thick foliage and avoiding the lights of the sentries.
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Krab guided the small group around and to the back of the fort. The door lay as Krab had left it. Down the creaking steps, there was hardly any light at all and the musk of old barrels and spilt wine fermented in their noses. The barrels were stacked above their shoulders and below, leaving only a small path in-between to travel the cellar floor.
Everyone can hear the loud sounds from upstairs, the sounds of heavy footsteps and laughter, and the sound of something splashing. The small holes in the floor above dripped down below, gathering in small pools of dark liquids.
Everything was quiet as the samurai allowed their eyes to adjust, until someone opened a door somewhere in the cellar. Their presence was easy to find, as they carried a lamp, quieting the sounds from upstairs by closing the heavy door behind them. They were in the North-East section of the cellar, which was fairly large. Though direct sight was hard to acquire, the light carried itself in between the barrel stacks.
Helped the samurai read out that this was fine Lion clan wine, aged too.
Atsuko's grip tightened on her sword, knowing she could move swiftly and possible strike him down with little sound, but was he a bandit or a servant. Her thoughts on her honor entered her mind. A face to face fight was preferred but she understood the need for this type of attack versus a superior number. She waited to see if one of her comrades had a solution or if she should try and take him out.
Kazuma had no skill for stealth, and little stomach for it, but kenned well the necessity of such an action. Though he longed to leap into battle, he held his blade...for now.
Keisuke moved quietly forward, letting Yoshi lead the way.
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Yoshi was thinking it over, but by the time he had the notion of what to do, the man that came down into the cellar left for the stairs. The others can hear him close the door behind him and the sounds from upstairs picking up again. This was the last spike of the evening, however, and it soon became quiet upstairs. Krab went and checked on the door, motioning that it was unlocked.
Atsuko follows knowing they either turned in for the night or that the man had seen or sensed them and now they lay in ambush. She squeezed on the hilt of her sword and kept it close to her side to quiet any rattling as they moved and prepared to go through the door.
Hands near the scythe, Keisuke moves forward quietly, keeping behind Hojin. The bird gazes through the dim light with his uncommonly intelligent eyes.