POVERO Chapter Ten

[ewancummins]

"This is becoming truly moronic," Alfonse says, hunched down with the others. "It's going to take two seconds for the hound master to go fetch some guards and arrest us. I say we beat feet, put this stupid city behind us, and forget its politics forever..."

Damien gets close to Alfonse.

"Yeah, I think you are right. Except about arrest. They will kill us, I think."

No sooner than Damien says this, a half dozen men come round the corner of the manor house, headed straight for the party.

They wear blue and white particolored gambesons and high-crested bronze helmets. Swords swing at their hips.
One carries a lantern in his left hand.
As the patrol hurries on, its members all draw swords.

Gertie and the other roguish types have just enough time to scuttle for hiding places.

Titus waves his mace toward oncoming patrol, then at the far end of the enclosed inner estate.
"Quick, they went that way! Assassins!"


CONTINUED


The patrolmen ignore the cleric's ruse and continue straight on at a run.

Sixt and Titus lift their shields and meet the rush.
The oncoming soldiers crash into the two adventurers, driving them back several feet. Titus spins so his back faces Sixt's back, and the two men fend off the circling patrol like that, turning and striking out from behind their shields.

Gertie cracks her whip at the backs of the enemy that surrounds her two companions.
Damien rushes by and slashes, but his sword clangs harmlessly off a bronze helmet.

One of the soldier gasps and falls face down, opening a gap in the ring around Sixt and Titus.
The Builder , bloody sword in hand, darts back from his victim.

Sixt cuts down another guard.

Fild and Alfonse join the fray. The mage knocks a man down with his staff, and the man does not rise again.


For now, at least, THOM remains unengaged...

CONTINUED

Four of the six foes gave fallen.

The last two guardsmen standing turn and flee toward the manor home.

Tom shoots at them, dropping one in his tracks.

The other man races ahead. DAMIEN and the Builder chase him to the house and across the central portico that connects the east and west wings. The man runs inside the western part of the main house, leaving a door hanging ajar.


The others hear a commotion further north, not far away. The side gate (in the wall, near the stables) has opened and men are coming through. A dog barks...

[alhoon]

Fild turns to look at Alfonse, adrenaline making him skitty. "What do we do? Engage the moron with his dogs in order to escape this place and think about Richard Savelle later? Get in the house risking to be trapped but perhaps getting the job done?"

[ewancummins]

Fild turns to look at Alfonse, adrenaline making him skitty. "What do we do? Engage the moron with his dogs in order to escape this place and think about Richard Savelle later? Get in the house risking to be trapped but perhaps getting the job done?"

'The moron' with his dogs comes rushing through the side gate by the stables. Followed by men with torches, clubs, spears, and swords. Four. Five. Seven. Ten...more coming.

They give no sign of having spotted the party.
Yet.

[Adam]

Alfonse looks in frustration at Damien and Titus as they sprint towards the house, particularly given Damien's statement of sympathy from a moment ago.

"If we leave, they're dead," he says, pointing at the retreating forms of his friends. "Let's get to the house. Maybe we can at least take advantage of the confusion."

[ewancummins]

Alfonse looks in frustration at Damien and Titus as they sprint towards the house, particularly given Damien's statement of sympathy from a moment ago.

"If we leave, they're dead," he says, pointing at the retreating forms of his friends. "Let's get to the house. Maybe we can at least take advantage of the confusion."

Gertie sneaks over to the back of the house, waving for Alfonse and the others to follow.

When Alfonse reaches her, she whispers,
"Not sure if they caught him. But look--"
She points across the central portico to where the others stand near the an open door in the west wing.
A little light spills from that doorway.
One of the two seems to be investigating the room from the threshold.

A moment later, the man turns. He moves rapidly and quietly back across the portico. As he gets closer, Alfonse recognizes his features in the poor light. It's Damien, looking pale and sweaty.

"Signore" he whispers, "We tried to stop him before he could raise an alarm in the house, but we missed him. He's gone in inside, vanished down a hall or hiding someplace. We didn't dare chase further, in case you lot fled the grounds without us. But there's something else. I poked my head in and looked about the kitchen. Nobody in there. A lamp left burning and the place all messy. Looks like it was looted except nothing's busted or broken open. Empty shelves and drawers sticking out. Almost like somebody is moving house and in a big hurry..."
He glances back.
"That BUILDER'S GUILD man is watching the door. What should we do? Just bugger off over a wall now?"

As Damien delivers his sotto voce report, noises rise from other parts of the inner estate grounds: men stamping about , dogs growling and snuffling, horses neighing.

[Adam]

An angry expression steals over Alfonse's face. "One quick thing," he says, dashing into the house. He looks for the burning oil lantern, turns to a dry, flammable interior wall, and smashes the lantern against it.

He dashes quickly out of the kitchen. "Alright, let's get out of here."

[ewancummins]

An angry expression steals over Alfonse's face. "One quick thing," he says, dashing into the house. He looks for the burning oil lantern, turns to a dry, flammable interior wall, and smashes the lantern against it.

He dashes quickly out of the kitchen. "Alright, let's get out of here."

The oil splatters on the wall, smoking and bubbling.

The Builder's Guild man stops in the open door and tosses a flask from his sack against the same spot. The glass shatters and the smoldering wall bursts into flame.
He turns and races after Alfonse...



CONTINUED


THE PARTY FLEES.

But as Gertie approaches the southern wall and readies her rope to climb up and drop a line for the others, she steps on a dry branch.
A dog's howl answers the crackle of brush underfoot.

The Builder sprints to the wall and tosses a line up with a rock tied the far end.

The dog howls again, coming into view in the gap between the big house and the inner garden-orchard, to the east.
Another war-dog in armor appears, trotting up to its kennel-mate and sniffing the air.

Then the Hound Master races into sight on the open ground, brandishing his sword at the party.

"I'm coming for you, gnome! You're dogmeat!"

A couple of soldiers in padded doublets and helmets trail behind him.

Titus lifts his shield and moves to protect the less well-armored members of the party.
"Get out while you can, comrades."


Other men come into view, but for now they do not chase the party--instead, they seem to be trying to douse the fire in the kitchen. Their shouts echo from the portico of the big house.
"Get out!"
And ''Put it out!"
"The way's through there!"

Now the dogs come on, and their enraged master with them...

[Adam]

Alfonse bolts over the wall.

[ewancummins]

Alfonse bolts over the wall.

Evil Fortune, the bitch-goddess who mocks the mage's hopes in life, strikes him yet again. As he tries to mount the wall using the rope the Builder left dangling for him, he loses his grip, slips, spins. He flops upside down, hanging with the rope twisted around his waist and legs.

[ewancummins]

Alfonse bolts over the wall.

Evil Fortune, the bitch-goddess who mocks the mage's hopes in life, strikes him yet again. As he tries to mount the wall using the rope the Builder left dangling for him, he loses his grip, slips, spins. He flops upside down, hanging with the rope twisted around his waist and legs.

While ALFONSE slips and falls to hang twisted and momentarily helpless, the others on the ground must face the rush of dogs and men.

The Hound Master runs straight at Fild. He nearly impales the gnome's neck with a savage lunge that leaves Fild bleeding from the jaw.

Damien jumps sideways to avoid the dog coming after him. The beast reacts too slowly to catch him, moving as if fatigued.

Sixt and Titus battle the soldiers hand to hand.
One of the Folbre armsmen cries out and tumbles back, a red gash in his breast cut by Sixt's broadsword.


A mastiff hauls Gertie to the ground and mauls her. She rolls free, leaving half her shirt a bloody rag caught in the beast's jaws, and cracks her whip at the wardog to hold it back.
"Thom, help!"

[alhoon]

While the melee turns against them, Fild a shot of pain from his jaw shooting up and numbing his face, tries to keep the enemy distracted. He faints and attacks at the houndmaster, trying to keep his focus on him with the following words:
"Dogmeat eh? No need to worry that I'm too small to feed all your dogs; I've already culled their number!"

[ewancummins]

While the melee turns against them, Fild a shot of pain from his jaw shooting up and numbing his face, tries to keep the enemy distracted. He faints and attacks at the houndmaster, trying to keep his focus on him with the following words:
"Dogmeat eh? No need to worry that I'm too small to feed all your dogs; I've already culled their number!"

His swordpoint turns on a stud and goes skidding off the man's body armor.


Dancing back, Fild avoids a hasty swing by his foe.

Feeling returns to his jaw.

[ewancummins]

TOM

Sees the fray.

[VAN]

From his hiding position Tom sees the dog attacking his sister. The blood is still soaking his cloak from his many woulds but this doesn't stop the half-elf. He doesn't hesitate even a second, he gets closer and from a small purse gets out some powder that blows directly at the dog's face. He isn't proud at all for what he did, but Gertie is needing him.

"Get to safety, I will deal with it."

[ewancummins]

From his hiding position Tom sees the dog attacking his sister. The blood is still soaking his cloak from his many woulds but this doesn't stop the half-elf. He doesn't hesitate even a second, he gets closer and from a small purse gets out some powder that blows directly at the dog's face. He isn't proud at all for what he did, but Gertie is needing him.

"Get to safety, I will deal with it."

The dog howls, drops to the earth, and rubs its snout and eyes with its forepaws.

Gertie scrambles away, headed for the wall.



The uninjured soldier grabs his gravely wounded companion and drags that man away from Sixt and Titus.

The Hound Master curses. ''Next time, gnome!" He whistles for his dogs and falls back with the soldiers,.