Fort Sunguard materialised in front of him. He could see it emerging from the clouds. The towers first, followed by the turrets and the main building itself. He began descending slightly, he wanted to observe the building without making himself known to the werewolves. He descended and broke free of the clouds, he could see several archers posted on the towers. He swerved to avoid their attention and landed on a gravel path towards the rear of the fortress.
He landed quietly and folded his wings into his armour. He backed against the wall and pulled put his silver dagger. He backed along the wall, keeping as quiet as possible. He peered around the corner. There was no one around. He crept silently around the tower towards the door of the prison. A sentry came around the corner. Stefan backed against the wall, hiding himself.
The sentry looked up. Stefan remained motionless. The sentry shrugged and carried on pacing. Stefan watched his movements. He waited for him to face the opposite direction. Stefan crept behind him, raised his dagger. He slit the man's throat and dragged him behind the tower as he bled to death, choking on his own blood. The smell of human blood drifted up Stefan's nose. He had an urge to drink it.
The smell overpowered him. He resisted the urge to bend down and drink the blood, seeping from the man's neck wound. He sheathed his dagger and crept around the tower once more. He crept past the footprints of the sentry and towards the door of the prison. He looked up and counted four archers. One for each tower. He threw himself against the door as another sentry passed with his back to him. He hastily counted a further four sentries pacing the grounds.
He slid open the door and entered the grounds just as the sentry turned to look behind him. Stefan's armour whipped around the door milliseconds before the sentry could look. Stefan closed the door silently and leaned against it breathing heavily. He pleaded and hoped that the sentry didn't see him enter. He was sure he didn't see him. He stood in silence and waited for the door to open. After a minute, it was clear that he was safe. He crept down the stairs slowly, pulling out his silver dagger.
He crept down the narrow stone stairs and landed silently at the bottom. He leaned against the wall and looked around the corner. There was a large room with the walls lined with several 10x10 prison cells. At the foot of the room was a guard. He was sat at a table, his chair pushed against the wall and was fast asleep. Stefan looked around the room, every cell was empty. Except one at the far end of the room. He could see the occupant laying on the bed roll with their back to the bars.
He looked at the guard asleep on his chair. Stefan then crept across the room towards the occupant of the cell. He reached the cell.
"Psst," he whispered. "Wake up."
"Go away," said the occupant.
"That's nice," said Stefan. "I'll just be leaving them."
Lucinda's eyes flew open. She rolled over to see her father standing outside her cell.
"Father," she whispered happily.
She sprang up and approached the bars.
"Don't touch the bars," she warned him. "It's been cursed with a lightning rune."
Her warning stopped him from leaning through the bars to hug his daughter.
"I'm sorry I didn't come sooner," he said. "I didn't know when visiting hours began."
Lucinda chuckled.
"I'm glad you are here," she said quietly. "I got to thinking if anyone knew where I was."
"Well," he said. "We know now."
The guard stirred. Lucinda glanced over to him. Stefan looked at him. He then turned his attention back to his daughter.
"You should go," she said. "If they find you here..."
"Lucinda," he began.
"...go," she insisted. "Quickly."
She tried to push him away but she remembered the lightning and decided against it.
"We will come back for you," said Stefan as he backed away from the cell. "Just hold on."
"You'd better get here before the next full moon," said Lucinda hurriedly.
He turned to look at her as she finished her sentence. There was a look of confusion. He mouthed the words, 'full moon'.
"Go," she urged. "Now."
He turned around and crept out of the dungeon. Lucinda watched him leaving, and kept flicking her attention to the guard, to make sure he didn't wake before her father left. Stefan crept up the stairs and Lucinda breathed a sigh of relief.
Stefan opened the door carefully. He peered around the crack and looked outside. The sentry was far off to his left. He crept out of the doorway and slid himself around the corner as the door closed behind him. He peered around the corner to see the sentry coming returning. His wings unfolded from his armour. He would only have one chance to take off without being seen. It was now or never.
He shot straight up into the air. His ascent was so rapid that he got vertigo as he entered the clouds. However, it was fast enough so that the archers didn't see anything, partly because they were looking in the opposite direction. He shot up into the clouds. The fort shrunk as he took off, smaller and smaller until it was barely visible from the clouds. He then levelled off and started his return flight back to Castle Volkihar.