Shattered Honour Chapter Four (Infiltration route)

[Strunk]

Jacob follows Jack away from the meeting. After a while, he stops.

"Alright, Jack. I'm sure you've already decided what our group is going to do here. Tell me what you've come up with."

[scorri]

Jack shruged. "Honestly in this situation I'm just following what Irene says. She's been placed with our group for a reason and she's better at this kind of stuff. Speaking of which, she seems to have found Colt up ahead. Let's see where they're going." Following the group ahead of them, Jack soon arrived at the house. "So, here we are then."

[Strunk]

"I suppose. It just feels strange being lead by somebody else after all this time."

As they get to the rest of the group, Jacob turns his attention to their conversation.

[roymbrog]

Most of the group had already gathered by the time Airik and Susan arrived. Airik took a moment for a last check to his equipment before meeting them, Susan following while casually carrying her crossbow. “You’ve got a plan, I suppose,” he said. “Tell us what we need to do.”

[scorri]

Irene turned to the newcomers. "Ah, good to see you. Yes, a plan. The current plan is for us to take care of those guards- no not through my "feminine wiles"- but also making sure they don't sound the alarm. Then, Colt sneaks in one way, while we go in another and hopefully draw more of the attention. That way he'll have a better shot at the General. Any thoughts?" Jack shrugged. "Sounds fine to me."

[Strunk]

"How many of us can successfully use bows? There are only a couple guards out here, so if we have enough people, we could stick a few arrows into them while the rest sneak up behind and cut them down. I doubt they'd have a chance to even call out, if we act fast enough."

[Blasied]

"If we're going that way, my bow is why I'm here," Matthias chipped in. This "infiltrate and assassinate" contract seemed to be heading in a more "kill shit dead" direction even faster than he expected.

Matthias was cool with that.

[roymbrog]

“Bows? I’m pretty good with a crossbow, if I do say so myself,” Susan spoke up. Nevermind that she wasn’t here for her fighting abilities.

Airik wasn’t that good at fighting or being sneaky, if he did say so himself. “Ah, I can keep to the back taking care of injuries?” They wouldn’t end up dead, at least.

[Nanami Touko]

"Of course I know how to use a crossbow, I've had plenty of experience with this one already." Jordan felt good about being able to boast over something he was actually good at doing.

[Integrity]

'Bilbo' is, naturally, the greatest bowman on the continent (if the continent is considered as present company) and therefore mumbles something about his prowess.

[scorri]

"Alright then. We have five bows. Here's the plan. I'll sneak up on the one on the right. Two of the bowmen... Susan and you, uh Bilbo is what you're going by? You two shoot that one. As you shoot, I'll attack from behind. The other three shoot the other one. Get a second arrow easily available so that you can shoot again if need be. The rest of you... just try not to get in the way here. Everyone ready? Good." With that, Irene snuck away and faded into the shadows as she approached the guard from the side.

[Nanami Touko]

Jordan didn't have the best reaction time for plans, especially when people simply moved right away instead of giving them a bit to prepare themselves. He fumbled to get his crossbow out but had it loaded quickly after. "Shoot the second guard, alright. Should be easy enough."

[roymbrog]

“Keep out of the way, I can do that,” Airik mumbled, backing away from the snipers.

Susan already had a bolt loaded, and so simply moved to a better position to aim from. She was unsure if Irene was going to give them a signal or something, but it would probably be best to make sure the others were ready first anyway. “We should time this so they don’t have time to give us away. When the rest of you are ready, let me know.” Her crossbow was already aimed at the target.

[Strunk]

Jacob draws his crossbow and aims an arrow at the second guard's chest.

[Shin]

Tordel really couldn't help that much, he hadn't fired an arrow or a bolt in his life. Instead, he stood back, letting the others do their job.

[Parrhesia]

When the order is made, the second guard slumps with a quarrel in the throat, and the first staggers forward before Irene shoves a knife into his spine. And then another knife into the back of his throat. It's almost beautiful.

[Nanami Touko]

Jordan reloaded as quickly as his hands would move. He was surprised that their plan had gone off without a hitch. At least, so far. "Did anyone else expect that to fail?"

[Strunk]

Jacob sighs.

"Maybe I'm not so bad at this after all. What's our next move?"

[scorri]

"Alright, quickly. Drag these bodies into the shadows. Colt. Do you want to come with the group or slip off on your own. We're headed into the house. Thoughts?"

[Parrhesia]

Colt nods wordlessly and slips into the shadows alone. You can see him very faintly climbing up the wall.

[scorri]

"Alright. Let's go. Jack, you lead. We're looking for the general." Irene gestured to the door. Jack nodded, drew his sword, and walked into the building.

[Strunk]

Jacob switches his crossbow for his sword and follows Jack into the building.

[roymbrog]

Ha, well that worked. Susan smoothly reloaded her crossbow and followed slightly behind the others as they entered. Airik continued hanging towards the back as they went in.

[Parrhesia]

You walk cautiously into the house. Irene finds some letters to rifle through;

Dear Jossef,

Your conquests continue to amaze the court here in Ravonne. It's been some time since our people have mounted a successful offense like this; usually we lack the manpower, or even the funding, to see it through. No matter the individual opinions of the Senate over minor issues, brother, we are all behind you, and we all feel that your actions do the nation pride.

I would, however, warn you not to overstretch yourself. The bleeding hearts of the council are already war-weary, and can see little point in fighting beyond Carona. I, personally, take the moderate approach; if we stop at Carona, it will do little more than give the Tascaran dogs courage in a false belief we can do little more. We must secure the area, maybe even move as far as Cyra. Some radicals believe you could take the entirety of Tascara, do you know that? And hold it, too. I would not give them a second thought, brother.

Kyanne and the children are well, but they miss you dearly. Your daughter Anya in particular has blossomed into a full-figured young lady this past year, with quite an eye for the men; she seems rather taken in particular with Margrave Fennon's son, Stefan, a strapping young man. A marriage between the two could possibly give us a fair advantage in status... but I suppose in the end that is my job to oversee. You're giving our family pride through your skill of arms, and I can only wish I had the same skill.

Ever steadfast,

Logan.

There's a half-written reply on the table, written in a rather stilted fashion; Jossef Strachan seems unfamiliar and at odds with formal writing. But you don't have time to look at anything else; there's a scream from upstairs.

[spoiler=Irene knows this, plausibly so do the others]

Jossef is Strachan's forename

Ravonne is the Dracian capital

[scorri]

"Run. Upstairs now. We need to figure this out." With that, Irene scooped the letters into her pockets and ran towards the scream with Jack following hot on her heels.