Chapter four - Staff of Indarys
Morndas, Sun's Dawn 30, 4E 0 - After Midnight
"I guarantee I will find the staff first."
"No you won't, not while I'm here."
"I will. I found the diary of Amantius Allectus first."
"That was a long time ago! That doesn't count."
"Ha! It does, because it was a race for the best thief."
"A race you didn't win."
"That's because -"
"Would you two please just shut it! Arguing here will do nothing but expose us!" I rasied my voice in the loudest whisper I could possibly manage.
Amusei and Methredhel looked at me with apologetic faces.
"Sorry, Master." Both had said at the same time.
The three of us had been stationed just outside Castle Cheydinhal, waiting until after a couple hours past midnight. I have heard about a family heirloom staff in the possession of Andel Indarys, Count of Cheydinhal.
A week ago, I had robbed from his son, and I believe it will cause quite a stir if I come back again to rob from the Dunmer Indarys family. I took great amusement to the rage of Andel Indarys after he had found out his son had been robbed, I believe it will be well worth it to see his blood boil again before I set my eyes to more important matters worthy of front page news in the Black Horse Courier.
The Count had been so furious with his son's robbery that he has not considered himself to be next. I am intrigued about the Staff of Indarys; it's design, it's texture, it would look great as a trophy placed within my room.
"Let's move in." I said to Amusei and Methredhel, interrupting them both from their thoughts as we waited long enough outside the walls of Castle Cheydinhal. We remained as nothing but shadows, a few guards would pass and we froze still as they couldn't see us. Only Masser and Secunda had their eyes upon us the entire night.
We entered in from the front entrance, found that no guards were guarding. We all walked straight, Methredhel and Amusei turned left going straight to a door that led into the Servant's Quarters. Both were already given instructions to search the castle for the staff, and on their own discretion, loot whatever they find.
I entered the Throne room, where two throne's center the room. One had flowers on the seat, which must resemble Cheydinhal's former Countess who is now ceased.
Surrounding the thrones, other than bushes, plants, and flowers in the room for what the Countess must have gardened in decoration, were two staircases leading up to balcony on the second floor.
The throne room had been empty and unguarded, 'where had everyone been? No difficulty at all tonight?' I thought.
I looked up to the balcony to see 3 doors, one on the left, middle, and the right. Both the left and right, on top of it's own staircase.
I entered up the left staircase, cracked open the door to look inside. The Grand Hall.
I walked to the next door, the middle one, looked inside to see it was the Private Quarter's.
I searched all of it, did not find the staff anywhere, I looted some septims here and there in drawers and cupboards. No staff though, so I left the room and went to the third door in the Throne room.
Finally, the Lord's Private Quarters, I knew this after seeing on bed in the entire room where Count Indarys lay asleep. I found the staff visibly placed inside a display case, I took it, and placed my famous theft note for Count Andel to see as he awakes the following morning.
I hadn't been in a rush, so I felt free to loot the rest of his Quarter's with plenty of septims and many jewelry to sell, or keep as my own. It had been completely silent, until the Count had coughed and I crouched down low on high alert thinking he had awaken.
He was still asleep, but I felt I've been inside too long only for him to wake up and possibly see me in his room. I didn't want that.
I left his room, as I closed the door, I seen Methredhel crouched down next to the Throne's entrance of the room. I departed from the second floor onto the first, I approached her, she had a worried yet troubled look on her face that was too visible to ignore.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"Master... Amusei and I, we were- well- he-... Master, a guard heard us, caught Amusei as he held something that wasn't his, and arrested him on sight for theft. I rid before the guard seen me." She explained.
"What?! Seriously?!" I said maybe too loudly, luckily no one had been in the room, Methredhel tensed up. "I told you two to stop the arguing, is that how the guard heard you?"
"Yes, I'm sorry, Master." Methredhel said apologetically. "We were just in the Servant's Quarters, everyone was asleep, I didn't think we were loud enough for someone to wake, and we weren't but a guard had come inside."
"We have to get him out, he's always being arrested." I told her as she followed me out the Throne room, into the County Hall, then outside to go to the Castle Guard Barracks.
Slowly, I opened the door, a guard or two sat down eating on a chair, taking their lunch breaks. I shut the door to discuss a plan.
"We will need a distraction. The jail guard must be writing his report now of Amusei's arrest, and two guards sit right inside taking breaks, we will sneak past them, you go inside the dungeon's, and I need you to lead the guard out as I go free Amusei." I ordered her.
"Yes, Master. I will be waiting at the stables." Methredhel responded.
We both went inside, sticking to the shadows, the two guard's looked back to see who has come in, but the door was already shut before they seen us. The guards couldn't see us in the dark along the walls, we glided against it crouched down.
Ahead of us, stairs leading up to the rest of the Guard Barracks, the door that led down to the dungeons was there. I stopped at the stairs, went up a few steps, and sat down as I pointed Methredhel to go inside.
Waiting for a few moments, listening to the chatting guards that were on break, the door flew open, and out comes Methredhel running.
The guard behind followed, "Stop right there, criminal scum!" He yelled after her.
She passed both the guards in the room as they stood up quickly and ran out the door to the Courtyard. I took advantage of the opportunity I had in case the yelling guard woke anyone else up the stairs, waiting no longer, I went inside the dungeons.
Passing the jail guards desk, I had seen a parchment laid out with a quill and ink feather next to it, I had been right, this must be the guards report.
I took it and crushed it, pocketed it, and walked to the prison cells. All had been empty except the last cell which Amusei had sat on his bed, once he seen me, he stood up quickly.
"Master! You came! Amusei is most grateful, always being rescued from the Gray Fox." He said.
"You're always being arrested. Speak to Armand to clear your bounty, later on once we're out of here."
"Will do, Master."
I unlocked his cell gate, opened it, and we had left. Amusei grabbed his outfit, I waited as he quickly rushed to put on his shrouded armor. He rushed too fast as I watched him fall to the floor, and I laughed. I opened the door back into the Guard Barracks once he finished, empty, so we passed through to the courtyard.
At the entrance of the Castle Courtyard, we were about to go down the path that led straight into town, but at two guards were coming up. I pointed, as we hid immediately behind the small wall that lined the pathway.
Laying on the floor, while I still held the staff and placed it on the floor next to me, I moved as closest to the wall as possible. We waited for the guards to come and pass.
After about a minute, we both could hear the sounds of heavy steel footsteps crunching down on gravel. As they approached, the sounds becoming louder to the highest volume, they had stopped as another pair of footsteps joined from the Courtyard.
"Report, soldier" One spoke.
"Sir, the jail guard on duty is missing, and I looked in the prison cells to find that our prisoner has escaped!" The other said, Amusei tensed up.
"Both of you, have all guards on duty perform a search within Cheydinhal. Wake the Count also, soldier."
"Yes, Captain, right away." Then the one who responded ran back into the Castle Courtyard, while another pair of footsteps turned and walked to town to notify the guards on duty.
One had remained on the other side of the wall, we stood completely still, nothing but our hearts beating so loudly that I believed the guard will end up hearing it.
Several minutes have passed, both Amusei and I grew utterly impatient, but we both knew if we moved or made any noise, the guard on the other side of the wall will notice us in the bright moonlight.
Plus, the guard held a torch in his hand.
After waiting a little longer, two pairs of footsteps, one heavy with steel boots, one light, approached from the courtyard.
"Report, Captain." Said the voice of Andel Indarys, Count of Cheydinhal.
"Yes, sir. We have a missing prisoner and jail guard." The Captain responded.
"Not only that, but my family heirloom staff! It's gone!" Count Andel said.
"Really? We performed a search of the prisoner before he was placed in his cell, all he had was his black leather armor and a dagger."
"Well we have another thief among us right now! Look at this." Count Andel said, then silence for a moment or two.
"Oh my, the Gray Fox! This is urgent, sir! We will not let him get away with this, we will find him."
"You bet your ass you will! I want all guards, even the ones off duty, to perform a complete search in Cheydinhal! I am hereforth placing Cheydinhal on lockdown, no one goes out or comes in until that Gray Fox and the prisoner is behind bars! The Gray Fox must still be in the city, go find him." Count Andel ordered.
"Yes, sir, right away!" The Captain responded, then he ran back into town, and another ran into the courtyard. The Count hadn't moved, until after a minute where another guard came up the road.
"Why were you not at your post, solider?!" Count Andel asked.
"Forgive me, sir. I was in the middle of writing my report for the prisoner's arrest, then an Altmer woman came in. I informed her she was in a restricted area and prisoner visits aren't until during the day. She walked up to my desk, and right in front of me, took the jail keys and ran! I had chased her to the west gate, she dropped them and left the city, I told the guards at the gate to follow her." The jail guard explained.
"Soldier, the prisoner has escaped! You've allowed a mere woman to distract you while the Gray Fox had time to free the prisoner!" A moment of silence, I had assumed the jail guard must be reading the note, or now, the Count's note.
"I had no idea, sir." He said apologetically.
"Go and resume your post soldier!"
"Yes, sir!" Then the guard had left, and Count Andel had followed.
There was now complete silence as Amusei and I got up from the ground.
"Master, what will we do?" Amusei asked.
"Escape, of course. Methredhel is waiting at the stables for us."
"How will we-..." Amusei stopped as we both crouched down to the ground. Several heavy steel footsteps were jogging from inside the Castle Courtyard, headed towards our position.
The steps grew louder, closer, as they had been right on the other side of the wall. Amusei had laid completely flat on the grass, pressing his weight against the small wall. The guards passed, we cautiously sat up.
"That must have been a whole battalion of guards." Amusei said.
"Yes. The city is under lockdown, the east and west gates will be under heavy watch."
"Master, how will we get out?"
I had to think for a bit, 'the only ways out of the city were blocked, so how will we get out?' I thought. I remembered that we have a fellow brother here in Cheydinhal.
"We must go back inside the castle." I said.
"What? How? Why? The entire castle will be under guard also."
"No it won't. They had their time already to search inside, they will be more focused in the town. They wont expect us to go back into their own castle walls, they expect us to hide in town. We need to find Ra'qanar, a fellow brother thief in the Guild. He is a servant in the castle." Amusei nodded, then followed me back inside.
Once again, no guards on duty inside the castle. The entire had been silent, empty, no sounds at all. No one had been around, we didn't have to sneak, we just simply walked to right before the throne room then turned left to the Servant's Quarters.
After a small amount of time searching for Ra'qanar, we found him still asleep, completely unaware of the events of tonight. I had not bothered gently waking him from his beauty sleep, I just decided to shake him awake.
He woke immediately, scared and startled, and gave us his wide Khajiit eye stare. "Master? What are you doing here?"
"We need a way out the city. I stole the Staff of Indarys, Amusei ended up in jail and I had to free him out, Methredhel had to distract the jail guard as she ran out with guards chasing her, the Count woke up to find his staff gone and placed a lockdown on the city to find me and Amusei." I explained.
"By the nine, you two must have had a night. Okay let me think for a moment." Ra'qanar said.
We waited for a moment as he sat up and thought.
"I assume the easy and west gates are under watch?" He asked.
"Yes. No possible way to get past." I said as he thought longer.
"I believe I know a way out. I heard a story long ago of a jailbreak, you are aware the Corbolo river runs through this town, right?" Ra'qanar asked.
"Hard to miss."
"Okay, well, at the eastern wall of Cheydinhal, the river flows through town and exits through that wall, it will be barred. Go to that water exit, and simply dive under water, you will see two bars are bent open wide enough to squeeze yourself through. Try not to struggle yourselves through,you will be completely under water. Only very few know of this exit." He said.
"Thank you, Ra'qanar. I will find it."
"Be careful out there, Master, and Amusei, try not to get arrested again." He said, Amusei didn't seem to appreciate the comment.
We left the Servant's Quarters, and made our way back to the Castle Courtyard. Before walking out, we checked to see if it was clear to leave, no one had been around.
Passing out previous position beside the wall, we hopped over the wall and quickly made our way to the eastern wall, where the river flowed through the wall as Ra'qanar had promised.
Stepping into the water, I gave Amusei the staff, and rushed to the bars and dived in the water. It had been really cold as it had still been winter, transitioning into spring. Under water, I could see the bars that were bent wide, enough to squeeze through.
I squeezed myself through, struggling as the iron bars were pressed tightly against my ribs, then I gripped the bars with both hands and pushed, then my body went through. On the other side of the wall, I went up to the surface and inhaled for air.
I went back under and seen that Amusei had been already trying to hand me the staff through the bars, I took it, swimmed to the nearby grass and placed the staff down and got out the water.
I waited for Amusei, but moments passed, and I dived back in the water. Amusei was stuck, 'he would be'. I grabbed his arms and pulled, no luck, not even a budge, I pulled again, still didn't budge.
Once more, growing irritably impatient, I pulled again as hard as I could, I was able to hear Amusei scream and a bunch of bubbles flying to the surface, then I pulled him though. We met at the grass where the staff waited us.
"By the gods, Amusei, have you gain weight?" I asked him.
"Must be all the ale from Burg Gro-Kaash." He responded.
"Must be. Good thing you're an Argonian."
"Yes. Otherwise I would have drowned, though I cannot picture drowning."
"Methredhel's waiting, let's go home."
"Finally, more ale." Amusei said, I scoffed back in response while shaking my head.