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"A mage?" Emma asks, casting a sideways glance toward Dire, "One of your school's members, perhaps?" She frowns, concerned about how to deal with a wizard instead of just the Caerloon troops. But, she shakes her head, reminding herself not to get too excited. The scrolls of Anhur always urged the soldier to fight one battle at a time. 'Plan for the battle's ahead when time permits, but concentrate on the battles of the moment, lest you fall before you ever see them...' she remembers. She turns back to the group in an effort to relate that bit of wisdom...

Edryd is quiet and subdued. He would prefer to be on an open field fighting a wide open battle. "Obviously, the longer we can remain unnoticed, the better chance we have of success. I am in favor of another diversion. If we try and use force now, we may have another set of them to fight on the way out. Why fight two battles when you may be able to get away with one?"

Edryd prays under his breath for Anhur, asking for wisdom and His blessing on the coming engagement...

Emma nods again. More wisdom from the scrolls of Anhur. She smiles encouragingly in the paladin's direction. She hasn't heard him reference those writings in quite some time. And, it's good to hear him speak the words occasionally.

"Give me th' keys," Storm says. "When ye be settin' yer diversion, I be sneakin' inside an' freein' the slaves. Don't ye worry, I can keep nice 'n quiet!" He smiles a toothless smile and winks crudely. He waits to be handed the keys, unsure of whether the group will agree with his planning or not (since he usually doesn't plan much at all).

"A diversion sounds as if it might be the best course of action...," Emma says, "And Storm would certainly make for the better choice to slip into the barracks unnoticed. But, if the diversion works completely, we may all be able to sneak inside as well. And, for now, I think it's best that we all stick together. First, however, let's settle on what diversion we shall use..."

Cy then speaks, turning toward Hannibal. "Hannibal, let's start a good fire far from where we want to be. That will bring the scum to the wrong side of the fort and maybe allow us to free the prisoners."

Hannibal nods to Cy, checking around himself in the area for flammable items. Then, as if enlightened suddenly, he begins to look up for a possible perch...somewhere a sniper/ archer could rain down. Even if all he finds is a tall building, he proposes his plan.

"Listen here, I get up high and soak a few arrows in oil with rags and such. Then, when the rest of the team is ready, I light up some of these buildings from afar. That should give me one, a good lookout view to warn you guys who's coming. And two, it keeps me out of sight and I can cause some distruction from afar. What do you all think?"

Cy then turns his head, "Dire: Can you blast a hole in this wall? I have an idea for a quick escape."

Emma frowns and shakes her head. "No," she says, "I don't think a fiery distraction is what we want. Remember, our troops are outside the fort and ready to cover our retreat once we've freed the prisoners. If we begin to set fires that defeats our purpose of retaking the fort and using it to defend against the rest of the Caerloon army. And, if we begin shooting flaming arrows across the night sky, not only will they reveal your position, Hannibal, but they would also cause the guards upon the walls to think that an attack is occuring on the fort. That would make them much more vigilant and probably ruin our chances of escape...or at very least it would occupy our troops outside the walls as the Caerloon sentries raise the alarm.

"As for the blasting a hole in the wall," she continues, "I think we would do well to save Dire's fireball spell for the parade ground. Once we try to escape with the prisoners, we want to take out as many of the confused soldiers as possible, while doing the least amount of harm to the fort itself."

"The best I can do for getting us into a building is my fireball spell," Dire says, "I'm an illusionist, and the majority of my spells create images, not true events. Using the fireball to gain entry to the barracks by burning a hole in the wall would not be my first choice plan. But if it's the best option we have, I will do it." Dire rubs his forehead, trying to think of a better plan.

Emma shakes her head again and says, "No, Dire...I think what Cy had in mind was using your spell to blast an exit for the prisoners to use...not for gaining entry. I think he meant for that to add to the confusion. Still, I think even that plan would be too dangerous...again, calling attention to ourselves and our overall plans."

She rubs her chin for a moment and thinks upon what Dire has shared with the group. "You say that the majority of your spells create images, not true events? That sounds to me as though it would make a better solution to our problem. Can you create an image or a noise that would pull the guards away from their posts? Or, even better, cause them to think we were something other than what we appear?"

Emma's heart beats faster as she feels this is the right philosophy. "What about the officer that we took these keys from?" she asks, "Obviously if he held the keys, the guards standing at the barracks must know him and defer to him when it regards the prisoners. Could you make me or Cy or Edryd look and sound as though we were that officer? The rest of us could remain cloaked within the invisibility spell upon my spear and follow the leader inside."

She looks around at the others, wondering if her idea has merit, but feeling deep down that it does. "That sounds like a better solution to me," she tells them, "We don't raise an alarm of any kind that way. And, although eventually, I know we will be discovered just because of the sheer numbers of people we'll be trying to evacuate, I'd rather have the alarm and confusion occur when we're trying to get out...not get in to the barracks. What do the rest of you think?"

"Why not combine the plans?" Canter proposes. "Dire, if you can do it, make Edryd or Cy look like whoever that officer was that you guys robbed. At the same time, let Hannibal climb up to the sentry walk, prepared to cover our escape. While the guards are distracted by Edryd or Cy, the rest of us will head in under the cover of the invisibility, with Storm ready to pounce if the guards aren't fooled?"

Emma nods. Hannibal smiles, proud of his special role. "Can you do this magic trick?" Kel asks Dire, admiring the older wizard's robes.

"What you really seek for this charade is a transmuter; one who can alter the shapes of things. I cannot do that." Crayne looks to the floor as Dire continues speaking: "But I can do something similar to accomplish the task. I will create the illusion of the officer, without involving Cy or Edryd. It will take me a moment of concentration, but once complete, we can sneak inside while the illusion plays its part."

"Very well then," Cy says quickly. "We mustn't waste more time. Dire, do your work. Hannibal, see if you can find any oils in that wagon over there by the gatehouse, and assume a position up by that tower." Cy points to the southern wall of the fort, near the south-west corner. "And watch for us."

"Don't get captured, friend. I've been there and done that; not fun!" Canter says with a wink.

Meanwhile, Dire is already casting. He flips his robe open and shakes out his arms, closing his eyes in conentration. Then he opens them slightly while mumbling unintelligably. His eyes are narrow slits, focussed on the door of the barracks and the four guards. A moment passes, Hannibal takes off for the sentry walk, and then Dire finishes. "Let us go, the illusion will run its course with or without us!"

"Lets be movin'!" Storm says with a giddy laugh.

Soon, the party steps into the radius of invisibility around Emma's spear and proceeds toward the barracks. As they walk, an image of the officer seems to materialize out of thin air. First a faint outline, then a few colors. Within seconds it is a full-blown person, complete with weapons, sounds, even body odor. "Impressive..." Crayne says quietly.

"You men come here!" The illusion says as it approaches the guards. The four guards look to each other, a bit surprised to see the officer. "That's right, you!"

The men stand up straighter, and three of them step away from the door, meeting the illusionary officer about five yards away. "Go help unload that wagon that just came in, they're a few hands short."

"But sir," the first guard objects.

"Don't 'but sir' me! That's an order!" The officer barks. Emma barely stifles a laugh as the three guards give a quick salute and walk off.

"What about me, sir?" the fourth guard asks.

"You help them, too," is the response.

"But don't you want me to stay and guard the Rinder prisoners?"

"You heard me!"

"But sir!"

At that point, Storm has decided he's heard enough. With a quick, silent movement, he cupps the guard's mouth and plunges a dagger into the man's back, lowering him to the floor. The guard is not killed, but is certainly down for the count. The illusionary officer merely walks away, turning the corner of the building, and disappearing.

"Quick, let's go!" Emma whispers.

Cy whips out the keys and finds the correct one for the lock. Soon the door opens on the barracks: The room is large, the walls are lined with bunks, stacked four high. There are three large wooden tables and accompanying benches in the center of the room. There are a couple of small window slits high along the walls, and through the filtered starlight the party can see a roomful of eyes staring their way. There is dust everywhere, dirt and blood. The stench of death and wounds permeates the room.

"Anhur be gracious..." Emma whispers in astonishment, setting her staff down near the door and revealing them to the prisoners.

"These men will need help before they can fight." Edyrd announces to the others.

Suddenly one of the men rushes forward toward Edryd, his fists raised, eyes bulging. "We will never fight for Caerloon! Never! We'd die first, you scum!!!" The man lunges at Edryd, who catches the weakened attacker and holds his arms, staring into his eyes.

"Be still, man!" Edryd says, comforting the prisoner. "We are not your captors. We are here to liberate you!"

The man's bulging eyes widen in disbelief. "Can it be true? But how...?"

"There is no time to exaplain," Cy says seriously. "How many are you?"

"There were a hundred of us in here, but some have died. We are ninety-two strong now. But hardly strong. We are badly in need of healing, and have no weapons or armor. I am Lieutenant Pinker of Seden, stationed here at Dillend. What is your plan?"

Hannibal takes off, heading first toward the guardhouse. He tries his hardest to stay out of sight, in the shadows, most of the time. For the rest, he looks as confident as he can. He approaches the guardhouse and the wagon.

"You here to help carry?" A soldier addresses him.

"I, uh..." Hannibal stammers.

"Damn it, man! We don't need all this help? Why aren't you men guarding the prisoners like you were ordered?!" The soldier shouts back.

"Sorry, sir," Hannibal apologizes, trying his hardest to mimic the Caerloon accent. "I'll get right on it."

The soldier narrows his eyes as Hannibal speaks, but does nothing, turning to another soldier and shouting "bring those stinkin' potatoes to the kitchen!"

Breathing a sigh of relief, Hannibal walks away from the guardhouse and toward the south-west corner of the fort. "There must be ladder up to the sentry walk in that tower," he thinks, eyeing the three-story square wooden tower in the corner of the fort.

As the approaches the tower, he can see in through the door, which is slightly ajar. Just inside is a small table, occupied by two soldiers. There are two bows and two short swords nearby, and the two men are eating some mashed potatoes.

"What is it with these people and their potatoes?" Hannibal asks himself. "But more importantly, I can't get to that ladder in the back of the room without getting past those two archers. How am I going to manage that?"

1. Jailbreakers: Okay, you're in. Storm: what will you do with the dying guard you're currently lugging around? And the rest: What's the plan for escape? What about the prisoners who are badly injured? Is now the time for a fireball?

2. Hannibal: If you can get past the two archers on their potato-break, you can get up to the sentry walk. How will you do that?

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