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<blockquote data-quote="Renfield" data-source="post: 4058152" data-attributes="member: 13493"><p><strong>Easier Said than Done pt. 2</strong></p><p></p><p>And I bet you thought I abandoned you.</p><p></p><p>Well there we, about to ride off the pier and some thug telling us we'd be dead the moment we left. Ones brain could fall apart trying to contemplate all the possibilities. I didn't see anyone as I looked around the rooftops and the shadows, I also didn't hear anyone, but who said they weren't planted there before I ever sat down with the Grandfather and were simply waiting for this mans signal, who said they weren't hiding deeper in the darkness than I could perceive, who said they weren't highly skilled and highly disciplined assassins and... alright, suffice to say, I called the bluff. Looking to Arlan who was looking at me expectantly I smiled, this was fun, try to imagine someone telling you they had people ready to kill you, people you couldn't see, knowing that death was at your door and you wouldn't know it until you saw the fletching of that arrow sticking out of your chest or throat, likely poisoned for good measure. It helped that I smelled death there, watching this all play out, it also helped that I felt it wasn't after me.</p><p></p><p>"Well then, I apologize in advance if it turns out he's not bluffing." I said giving one last look at the rooftops. "But let's continue with the original plan." and with that I kicked Nimbus into a light run. </p><p></p><p>We made haste for the end of the pier, and to the credit of our foe we saw a man rushing up the stairs next to the boardwalk, it was almost comical seeing him a touch out of breath. He was closer to Arlan and as I rode by I heard the clang of steel on steel as Arlan's strike was parried. Did I mentioned this wonderful stretch of town has little in the way of guards? Arlan had said something to either me or the attacker before the sound but I didn't quite catch it, I was a little more focused on riding, I'm not exactly used to having my horse run through the streets of town or even on a pier at such speeds. </p><p></p><p>I did hear that cloaked figure who tried to attack us call out "To mounts, boys, to mounts! They ride!"</p><p></p><p>Now let me educate you a bit on an aspect of the assassin trade. If this had been a prime ambush and we all died because the man in green wasn't bluffing this is what would have been required. First, one must find a sufficiently shadowy alcove, perch, ledge, you name it. They should account for moonlight or lack thereof and whether the moon will shift into a position that would compromise ones hiding place. Second, in order to hide in shadows for a long period of time stillness is necessary, it's one thing to freeze so a passing guard doesn't see you but quite another to remain hidden in such a fashion for over an hours time, even a slight movement can break the illusion of emptiness and all it takes is one concerned citizen to tell the guard of a suspicious man armed and at the ready staying in one place for a long time. Third, cramps, cramps are you nemesis in a way the darker gods can never be, learning to counter cramps without movement is a gift of the highest divinity. Suffice to say, staying in shadows for long periods of time waiting to ambush prey you won't know of until given the proper signal requires more skill and experience than our enemy was likely willing to pay for. </p><p></p><p>On the other hand waiting a way down the pier in some alley with horses ready to ride doesn't take that much skill or experience either, just enough patience to remain silent.</p><p></p><p>Two figures pointed at us as we rode by and moved to mount their horses as quickly as possible. Even further down a figure was crouching on a low roof ready to attack with a curved short sword, likely alerted by the previous cry, so apparently they had one guy waiting in the shadows, oh well. I also noticed he had a rope in the other hand, that could get messy. Arlan made ready to attack him while I had my bow ready and drew an arrow to fire at the guy. Sadly I'm not quite experienced at firing a bow from the back of a running horse and the shot went wide though it appeared the attack caught him off guard. Maybe he expected me to be distracted by the horsemen who were some 60ft behind us.</p><p></p><p>Arlan rode by and cut at the man with his sword cutting a gash into his thigh, my second arrow hit him hard and he lost balance and fell, he may have survived the wounds but somehow he got caught up in his own rope and slammed into the wall as we sped by, his body was still and I wasn't quite sure if he was alive or dead, either were likely though my money was on him heading to the afterlife.</p><p></p><p>This left us and the riders pursuing us. They were focusing on picking up speed as we finally left the boardwalk and entered Port Sapphire proper. The roads were narrower, more winding, "I guess this is as good a place as any!" I called to Arlan and brought my horse to a stop.</p><p></p><p>"Very well Jorun, it is you who is in charge!" he replied I dismounted and he rode further down the road until he could slow enough to turn his horse in the narrow way and charge after our pursuing fores. I couldn't believe it until I recalled the fact that he was a knight, that was the sort of thing they did after all. </p><p></p><p>I dismounted before about fifteen feet before my horse came to a stop and I took in the scene with a quick look. An alley with a cobblestone walk intersected the main road and boxes and crates were stacked seemingly randomly. There was a gutter on one side of the road but I mostly ignored it. Instead I noticed the windows with nice thick ledges I could perch on and ropes running back and forth between the roofs of the buildings like clothes lines. All in all a prime spot. I climbed the wall using a crate to help me and made it to one of those windows. I crouched there and readied my bow and arrow making sure I had a rope nearby in case I needed to make a hasty getaway or grab something to balance myself should an embarrassing slip occur.</p><p></p><p>The horsemen were understandably surprised to see Arlan charging to attack <strong>them</strong>, I could see them better, one was wielding a sword and the other had a crossbow. I could the swordsman's eyes go wide as he tried, and hopelessly I might add, to raise his sword to block the knights attack, he was rewarded with a blade in his side and he slumped in his saddle, still alive but barely. During this a crossbow had narrowly missed my guardians head so I took aim. Neither of them saw me, I was certain they didn't know of my presence likely thinking I had rode or ran ahead, at least not until my arrow plunged in one side of the crossbowman's neck and out the other with a spray of blood. He was killed instantly which I imagine didn't have much of an impact on his friends morale. I smiled again, the winds were with me this evening.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Renfield, post: 4058152, member: 13493"] [b]Easier Said than Done pt. 2[/b] And I bet you thought I abandoned you. Well there we, about to ride off the pier and some thug telling us we'd be dead the moment we left. Ones brain could fall apart trying to contemplate all the possibilities. I didn't see anyone as I looked around the rooftops and the shadows, I also didn't hear anyone, but who said they weren't planted there before I ever sat down with the Grandfather and were simply waiting for this mans signal, who said they weren't hiding deeper in the darkness than I could perceive, who said they weren't highly skilled and highly disciplined assassins and... alright, suffice to say, I called the bluff. Looking to Arlan who was looking at me expectantly I smiled, this was fun, try to imagine someone telling you they had people ready to kill you, people you couldn't see, knowing that death was at your door and you wouldn't know it until you saw the fletching of that arrow sticking out of your chest or throat, likely poisoned for good measure. It helped that I smelled death there, watching this all play out, it also helped that I felt it wasn't after me. "Well then, I apologize in advance if it turns out he's not bluffing." I said giving one last look at the rooftops. "But let's continue with the original plan." and with that I kicked Nimbus into a light run. We made haste for the end of the pier, and to the credit of our foe we saw a man rushing up the stairs next to the boardwalk, it was almost comical seeing him a touch out of breath. He was closer to Arlan and as I rode by I heard the clang of steel on steel as Arlan's strike was parried. Did I mentioned this wonderful stretch of town has little in the way of guards? Arlan had said something to either me or the attacker before the sound but I didn't quite catch it, I was a little more focused on riding, I'm not exactly used to having my horse run through the streets of town or even on a pier at such speeds. I did hear that cloaked figure who tried to attack us call out "To mounts, boys, to mounts! They ride!" Now let me educate you a bit on an aspect of the assassin trade. If this had been a prime ambush and we all died because the man in green wasn't bluffing this is what would have been required. First, one must find a sufficiently shadowy alcove, perch, ledge, you name it. They should account for moonlight or lack thereof and whether the moon will shift into a position that would compromise ones hiding place. Second, in order to hide in shadows for a long period of time stillness is necessary, it's one thing to freeze so a passing guard doesn't see you but quite another to remain hidden in such a fashion for over an hours time, even a slight movement can break the illusion of emptiness and all it takes is one concerned citizen to tell the guard of a suspicious man armed and at the ready staying in one place for a long time. Third, cramps, cramps are you nemesis in a way the darker gods can never be, learning to counter cramps without movement is a gift of the highest divinity. Suffice to say, staying in shadows for long periods of time waiting to ambush prey you won't know of until given the proper signal requires more skill and experience than our enemy was likely willing to pay for. On the other hand waiting a way down the pier in some alley with horses ready to ride doesn't take that much skill or experience either, just enough patience to remain silent. Two figures pointed at us as we rode by and moved to mount their horses as quickly as possible. Even further down a figure was crouching on a low roof ready to attack with a curved short sword, likely alerted by the previous cry, so apparently they had one guy waiting in the shadows, oh well. I also noticed he had a rope in the other hand, that could get messy. Arlan made ready to attack him while I had my bow ready and drew an arrow to fire at the guy. Sadly I'm not quite experienced at firing a bow from the back of a running horse and the shot went wide though it appeared the attack caught him off guard. Maybe he expected me to be distracted by the horsemen who were some 60ft behind us. Arlan rode by and cut at the man with his sword cutting a gash into his thigh, my second arrow hit him hard and he lost balance and fell, he may have survived the wounds but somehow he got caught up in his own rope and slammed into the wall as we sped by, his body was still and I wasn't quite sure if he was alive or dead, either were likely though my money was on him heading to the afterlife. This left us and the riders pursuing us. They were focusing on picking up speed as we finally left the boardwalk and entered Port Sapphire proper. The roads were narrower, more winding, "I guess this is as good a place as any!" I called to Arlan and brought my horse to a stop. "Very well Jorun, it is you who is in charge!" he replied I dismounted and he rode further down the road until he could slow enough to turn his horse in the narrow way and charge after our pursuing fores. I couldn't believe it until I recalled the fact that he was a knight, that was the sort of thing they did after all. I dismounted before about fifteen feet before my horse came to a stop and I took in the scene with a quick look. An alley with a cobblestone walk intersected the main road and boxes and crates were stacked seemingly randomly. There was a gutter on one side of the road but I mostly ignored it. Instead I noticed the windows with nice thick ledges I could perch on and ropes running back and forth between the roofs of the buildings like clothes lines. All in all a prime spot. I climbed the wall using a crate to help me and made it to one of those windows. I crouched there and readied my bow and arrow making sure I had a rope nearby in case I needed to make a hasty getaway or grab something to balance myself should an embarrassing slip occur. The horsemen were understandably surprised to see Arlan charging to attack [B]them[/B], I could see them better, one was wielding a sword and the other had a crossbow. I could the swordsman's eyes go wide as he tried, and hopelessly I might add, to raise his sword to block the knights attack, he was rewarded with a blade in his side and he slumped in his saddle, still alive but barely. During this a crossbow had narrowly missed my guardians head so I took aim. Neither of them saw me, I was certain they didn't know of my presence likely thinking I had rode or ran ahead, at least not until my arrow plunged in one side of the crossbowman's neck and out the other with a spray of blood. He was killed instantly which I imagine didn't have much of an impact on his friends morale. I smiled again, the winds were with me this evening. [/QUOTE]
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