Black Dragons
Chapter 2: Sneak Attack
Disclaimer: I do not own Dungeons & Dragons
The next morning, the sun shone brightly in the clear blue sky. Arjhan and Harbek awoke at the same time and went through a similar routine, stretching their arms toward the sky before doing a quick warm-up routine. After they had finished stretching they donned their armor and clothing and buckled their weapons to their respective places before exiting their rooms. As they opened the doors they came face-to-face with one another. A brief nod and a motion for the other to go first, which resulted in a look of confusion from both of them.
"Go ahead, I can wait," Arjhan told him.
"No, you go first, I insist," Harbek said.
"No no, I couldn't, you should descend first,"
Harbek growled his reply "No, you go first,"
"Listen, I'm just trying to be polite,"
"As am I!" Harbek shouted loudly.
"Oi! That's enough of that," A voice called to them from the bottom of the stairs.
The two looked down to see the soldiers from last night.
"Kimbatuul Arjhan, you are hereby under arrest," One of them said.
"What? On what charges?" Arjhan asked incredulously.
"You have been discovered as a spy from the Empire," The other soldier answered.
"I am no such thing,"
"Calm down boys, I said he's with me," Harbek chimed in.
"I'm sorry father, but even your influence cannot save him. He's wanted by the baron personally,"
Harbek looked to Arjhan who sighed before heading down the stairs to the awaiting cuffs of the soldiers. They shackled his arms and unbuckled the sword at his belt and the shield from his back. They then led him out of the tavern and down the road. Harbek followed a few paces behind them until they were walking down the road, where Harbek remained outside the door of the tavern.
"Close the door would ya? It's getting cold in here!" A voice called from inside.
Harbek turned to see a cloaked figure approaching the main bar, he couldn't have been more than a few feet tall, likely shorter than Harbek.
Harbek nodded as he walked back inside and closed the door behind him. He approached the bar and clamored up onto the stool, setting his hammer down beside him. He watched as the barkeep gave a plate of eggs and a glass of water to the stranger. He simply took a mug of ale.
"The sun's not even high in the sky yet," The stranger commented as he saw the alcohol.
"It's drinking time somewhere in the world," Harbek said as he tilted back and downed the mug.
"So, what was the deal with that Dragonborn those soldiers led out of here?"
"Apparently he was some imperial spy, nonsense is what it is. The man's a warrior, doesn't matter where he comes from," Harbek slammed his mug down on the bar and got a refill.
"Well, you seem to like him,"
"He gave me a good vibe, that's all. It's too late now, the Baron's got him,"
"Actually, I may have a way to get him out,"
Harbek turned to the figure and finally got a full look at the man. He was wearing a suit of leather armor under his cloak and a belt of daggers was strapped across his chest.
"You're not some kind of criminal are you?" Harbek asked.
"Criminal? Me? Never! I'm insulted that you would insinuate such a thing,"
"Can I get your name then?"
"Corrin, Corrin the Fleet,"
"The fleet?"
"I'm quick, on my feet that is," Corrin added, as an afterthought.
Harbek nodded slowly, "Alright Corrin, what's your plan to get him out then? If I may ask,"
"You may," Corrin answered smartly, "You see, the Baron keeps all non-local prisoners in a special dungeon at the top of a tower, all we'd have to do is scale said tower and lower a rope down for your friend,"
"Nope, not happening," Harbek answered aggressively.
"What? Why not?"
"A dwarf doesn't leave the ground!"
Corrin looked Harbek up and down as if realizing that he was talking to a dwarf.
"Fair, then you can keep watch,"
"So you are a criminal,"
"No, I just know certain things," Corrin said innocently.
Harbek sighed as he downed his mug and got up to leave, "Well, if we're going to do this let's get to it,"
"Now wait a minute!" Corrin called to him as he spun on his stool, "You can't go scaling a tower in the middle of the day, you'll be spotted for sure!"
"Didn't say I was scaling the tower," Harbek said as he grabbed his hammer and shouldered it before making his way toward the door.
"Father, your drinks," The barkeep called after him.
"Add it to my tab!"
Corrin sighed as he dumped a pair of gold pieces on the table and took off after Harbek. The barkeep bit into one of the pieces and it bent easily in his jaw.
"Hey!" He called after them.
An hour later Corrin and Harbek were an hour down the road toward the Baron's castle.
"So, you're some kind of Criminal? Thief? Rogue?"
"Scoundrel is what most people call my profession, I prefer to think of it as a… businessman,"
"Businessman? Seriously?"
"Do you have a better idea?" Corrin asked.
"No, no, Businessman sounds good, it'll help us get in the door,"
"Door? What door?" Corrin asked.
"That one," Harbek unshouldered his hammer and pointed at the large, wooden cross-hatched gate of a castle.
The structure was large, square, and made of stone. A small ring of water ran around the sides of the building with a wooden bridge over the water in front of the gate. The land outside the castle was clear on all sides for a good quarter mile.
"I don't think your tower idea would've worked, we'd have been seen from a long ways off,"
"Not if you travel by night and know what you're doing," Corrin replied as the pair approached the castle.
As the two came up to the gate they were stopped by two soldiers.
"Halt! State your business!" One of the called.
Harbek looked to Corrin who sighed, "I'm here to see the Baron about our trade agreement, I scheduled an appointment?"
Corrin sounded so sure of himself, Harbek believed he actually had business in the castle. The guards looked at each other before nodding and opening a small side door to let them through.
"Thank you, come along father, we don't want to be late to the meeting,"
Harbek took a moment to realize Corrin was referring to him as his father and he nodded with a gruff grunt before following inside.
The pair were now safely inside the walls and looked around, confused on where to go next.
"Where's this tower of yours?" Harbek asked him.
"There," Corrin pointed to one of the four towers that were positioned at the corners where the walls met.
"How do you know that's the right one?" Harbek asked.
"Just trust me will you?" Corrin replied testily.
"Fine, fine, just hard to trust a man who makes his living by stealing from others," Harbek shouldered his hammer again as he followed Corrin toward the door leading into the tower.
As they approached a couple of guards happened to exit from the tower and run into the pair.
"Can we help you?" One of them asked.
"Oh, we had business with the Baron in this tower," Corrin replied slickly.
"The Baron isn't in this tower…" The first guard replied.
"Oh, he said to meet us here at the top floor," Corrin sounded concerned.
"That doesn't make any sense, this is the prison tower," The second guard said.
Corrin clicked his tongue against teeth and in a blur of motion he drew a pair of daggers from his belt and cut the chest of the first guard. The man gasped in pain as he dropped to the ground. The second guard turned to Corrin but was met with Harbek's hammer coming around in a heavy-handed swing that hit him in the side and buckled his armor. He collapsed on top of his friend.
"Come on, we need to get these two inside before someone sees us," Corrin said as he sheathed his daggers and drug the second guard inside.
Harbek shook his head and slipped his hammer into a loop on his back before grabbing the first guard and dragging him inside behind Corrin. Once the two bodies were hidden and the door closed Corrin looked up the spiraling staircase that ran the length of the circular tower.
"So, Arjhan's up there?" Harbek walked up with his arms crossed over his chest.
"Yup, should be anyway… ready for some stairs?" Corrin asked.
Harbek spat on the ground with a frustrated grunt.