Stansilav stikes back with a quick riposte, but is also unable to connect. He stands ready to give the approaching Vank a flank though.
Grumblejack swings at the guard again over the top of Stanislav's head.
Meanwhile Nadine looks on and rolls her eyes. "Gentlemen, can you please kill him, so we can get on with this?"
Vank runs up the stairs to help finish the battle.
Thomas used the opportunity to strike once more at the guard.
It is the two vicious attacks from Thomas that ends the guard's life. Even though the attacks aren't that deep, they manage to find two superficial arteries and more blood splashes in the floor. The drained man falls to the floor, dead as dead can be.
Holding his wound Stanislav asks [b]Robert, do you have the ability to cast any more healing this day? If Robert can cure him he does not drink a potion. If not, he will have to.
After some healing he will bend to examine the possessions of the two dead guards.
CLW.
"Here you guy. Almost out of magic today."
Vank goes back down the stairs carve the fist into the guard's chest and fetch the guard equipment. Upon returning "Now all we have to do is match their fairly slow pace around the wall and surprise the gate house guards. Anyone who thinks they might be able to walk quietly should so the 7 of sound more like 2 tired guards."
Nadine smiles as she sees the man fall with blood pooling out at their feet. "Excellent."
"A wonderful idea, Vank. You are not quite the mindless brute I originally thought. The Commander already has a guard's uniform. Perhaps someone else can don one as well. Once we open the gate house, I will return for Irena."
Vank allows a small smile for Nadine "Thank you. But I do not deserve your praise. Do not forget I am a son of the Stormfist tribe, brought up in the accumulated military knowledge of millennia. On the battle field there are no better so honour them as I do for any good ideas I have."
Wiping his blades on the fallen guardsman's cloak, the young rogue sheathed his weapons and stalked to the nearest door, just to keep an eye out.
"I suppose I can put that accursed uniform back on, if we think it necessary. I cannot wait until we are rid of this place for good!"
Robert was wearing a uniform plus armor, having changed into one of the warden's nice robes only recently.
Silence fills the tower again save your hushed conversation. The metallic smell of spilled blood begins to fill your nostrils.
Peaking out the doorway to the battlement, Thomas sees nothing moving save the waves of the ocean crashing on the shore of the coast.
"Catchup when you are ready." Vank says walking slowly off around the wall trying to match the speed he saw the guards make earlier.
Nadine silently follows close behind Vank, hoping none of the other guards will notice her slight form.
Continuing on the route the guards were taking, Vank walks slowly from the tower and out on the battlements. His eyes quickly adepts to the darkness and a quick glance reveals no other guards close by. A light sound on the stone makes him turn his head, he clearly sees Nadine following him, trying to place his larger body between her and anyone who might approach them. As the two of them continue he suddenly notices a light to his left on the roof of the gatehouse. Keeping his carefully select pace nothing happens, but as the two are almost at the next tower the light his raised and lowered a couple of times.
Stanislav makes his way out of the tower He can't clearly make out Vank ahead. Beginning to walk forward he sees a light being raised and lowered on the gatehouse.
Vank mutters under his breath "Damn, they have a signalling system and I didn't bother watching the guard for long enough to notice. Thats twice I have failed my unit. It can't happen again."
Stanislav guesses and raises and lowers his light three times in response.
"Don't beat yourself up. I doubt its going to matter for much longer."
The seconds feel as eternities as the the night stays quiet after Stanislav's response. Nothing happens, the light on top of the gatehouse moves a little as if someone resumes patrolling the roof.
Good thinking there but we'll see if he guessed right soon. Vank slows a bit letting the other catchup.
Once the others catchup he continues at the guards slow pace to the door from the wall into the gatehouse and tries to open it.
Stanislav, guard uniform on and lantern in hand, follows.
The now gathered group continues along the battlements towards the gatehouse. Soon after leaving the last tower Vank notices that there is no door in the gatehouse.
Walking back to the last tower and down the stairs, you look out into the courtyard. A stone's throw away from you is a herb garden, it is difficult to see anything clear beyond that. Suddenly a loud barking burst out at some distance to your 2 o'clock.
Nadine hisses at the barking. "Someone quiet those dogs! We don't need anyone coming to check on them."
-Posted with Wayfinder
Vank nods checks the wind if any and moves quietly off sword at the ready.
Thomas followed the Hobgoblin's lead, drawing both short swords and melded into the shadows.
Stepping outside Vank's vision adjusts quickly to the change in light and he quickly identifies the source of the barking, a wooden kennel to his right some 70ft away. "Oh shut up!" the shout is coming from somewhere in front and above him.
Vank whispers to Thomas "Kill the dogs to shut them up or let them bark and lure out a guard to shut them up?"
Nadine hangs back, feeling much more than seeing the Vank and Thomas move forward to take care of the threat. She readies her Daze spell if the guard notices her.
As Vank and Thomas hang back a second and plan their next moves, the dogs keep barking.
"Let them bark, the guards will come."
Vank nods, "Stand on either side or the door then" Vank tries to motion everyone else forward and moves to stand next to the doors to the gate house.
The Rogue smiled and quietly moved to one side of the door.
"Okay. Let's do this."
stealth
The dogs keep barking as you assume your positions. Nothing diminishes their zealot as second turns to minutes. "By Mitra's divine grace, shut up!" comes another shout from above you, possibly from the top of the gatehouse.
Vank looks at Robert questioningly but stays where he is waiting.
Nadine moves forward, motioning for the others just to enter the gatehouse. With all the barking, she hopes no one will hear anything odd.
Stanislav will ready the bow while taking cover from the fountain. Should a guard show himself over the top of the gatehouse he can choose to loose, perhaps catching the guard flat footed.
"Hey! I think the dogs are onto something! C'mere and watch my back while I take a look."
Robert, tired of this cat & mouse, decides to move things along.
bluff