Watching Jais and Threng cross the rope, Ash decided that Threng's method seemed the safer one. He risked a glance at Eledhe. She didn't seem very sympathetic towards his nervousness.

He took a deep breath and hooked one leg over the rope, not looking down. Leaning forward, he reached out and grabbed the rope with both hands. He started inching his way acros the strand. How had Threng managed to make it look so easy?

After a seemingly-endless length of time, he reached the other roof and clambered onto it. He considered collapsing onto the stones, but decided that wouldn't be fitting of one of the Phantom's followers.

((I think there are only the four of us? Correct me if not))

Eledhe cast a cautious glance about her. No passing guards. Thanks to Kjan, who really was the only one Eledhe would have chosen to go with her. If she were in charge. Which she wasn't. Swiftly unknotting the rope she grasped it firmly and swung across, over the empty moonlit courtyard, to end poised catlike against the vertical wall.

With astonishing quickness and silence Eledhe climbed - and in seconds she had reached the dark window and disappeared inside with an impatient gesture. Lollygagging about on the roof in plain sight. Please. 'Patience' and 'tolerance' were not in Eledhe's vocabulary. Second level, first aisle, third from the left.

Avoiding moonbeams out of pure habit Eledhe crept soundlessly through the shadows. Many of the cells held sleeping captives - in fact almost all were full. This would have made a rebel itch to free them, but Eledhe was not a rebel. She was a mercenary, paid for her services, and highest bidder received them. And she was concerned with only one captive - the Phantom.

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Threng hid in a shadow as Eledhe climbed onto the top of the roof. He followed her silently and swiftly as they searched for the Phantom. Threng's heart was beating slightly faster in anticipation. For those new to the art of sneaking around where they were most definatley not welcome, the beating of thier heart grew frantic, their breaths quick and far too shallow. He, however, had been trained for this. He loved it. He felt a the promise of a rush of adreneline should they be discovered. With this feeling came the increased sences: his eyes strained to see what they normaly wouldn't, his ears were atuned to the slightest noise, even his nose might smell the musk of an approaching gaurd, or the iron of fresh blood. Threng halted suddenly. The slightest noise...footsteps? Had Kjan failed to take out all the gaurds?

Jais glanced around at the other idiots picking their noses around him. With a wink at his antisocial assassin friend for no reason but to be pro-social-ish, he swung over the battlements and dropped onto the windowsill behind Eledhe, who'd apparently nominated herself head of their dainty venture. It was just as well, for the last time Jais had decided to lead, he nearly had the CQS (formerly known as Kjan) dropped over a cliff. Inadvertently, of course.

Dimly lit by shafts of moonlight, the corridor that stretched before him was empty. Stinking prisoners, stinking chamber pots, and stinking food trays galore. No ugly guards. Too easy, flashed through his mind, but being the optimist he was, he dismissed his misgivings and proceeded after Elegible Damsel #2. Formerly known as Eledhe Darkstar.

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From beyond the corner Eledhe had just ducked around came a curious noise; a muffled sort of yelp and a brief whispered curse. In another instant she'd whipped back around, shooting a perfectly freezing glare at those still climbing through the window. It said, all in a moment (Eledhe was talented that way) - if any of you idiots so much as sneezes I shall personally decapitate you!

Her scimitar stayed in its sheath, but shurikens leapt into her fingers. Shurikens painted black, so as not to glitter in the moonlight. She was not Eledhe Darkstar for nothing.

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Ash followed behind Threng, not making much more noise than the assasin. He was feeling much more comfortable and in his element now that he had at least one foot firmly on the ground at all times.

Spying was his speciality, and during his time in that trade he had learned to make quick and quiet exits when needed. He had done some spying at the Regent's keep, as a messenger. He had always been there during the day, and the guards changed at night. Still, he had taken the precaution of raking his light hair with soot and smudging some across his face. No need to be recognized.

He glanced around as he heard footsteps. They came from the opposite direction of the cells. He paused, watching as Eledhe drew her shurikens.

Eledhe waited until the last possible moment, when the guards' iron-toed boots could be seen coming around the corner, to spring into action like a coiled spring. The shurikens sliced through the air - that is, until they sliced through the midsections of the unfortunate guards. Eledhe scowled as one dropped instantly and the other collapsed against a wall trying vainly to shout. A slash with her scimitar and he was out of action as well, but really she should have accomplished that with the shurikens. Oh well.

The lithe young woman crept along the passage, gaze darting into every shadowed corner. Good. Just the pair. She didn't bother beckoning to those behind - they'd come if they had a grain of sense.

Descending speedily a flight of steps Eledhe checked right - left - good. It was clear. First aisle, third from the left. She almost didn't see him at first, strategically crouched in the shadows as he was.

"Eledhe?" the Phantom hissed, glancing about them. Once assured it was her he waited as she silently picked the lock. Carefully easing open the door - hinger were prone to creak - he glanced behind her. "Bring anyone?"

A scowl. "You think?"

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A subconscious and similarly nonexistent part of Jais was feeling forlorn, left out as he was from the Phantom's congenial welcome reception. He hadn't much time to dwell on his misfortune however, as he was currently preoccupied with something more pressing. When Eledhe and Threng snuck off down the corridor, they'd left him behind as rear guard. He stood at the window they'd slipped through earlier, scanning the opposite battlements for hostilities.

Sentry #3 approaching from the left. The furiously blushing maiden was gone... implications? No ulterior aspects, save that Sentry #3 was insufferably ugly and an even more insufferable flirt. Ugh.

Subject was turning... turning... was that...? Right, Kjan had tied the unconscious guard to the ramparts in a fairly convincing facade of vigilance, but apparently... Did Sentry #3 just slap him? But the guard was unconscious, so what was the point in...?

Oh. Bother.

It was then that a clarion horn echoed through the night, calling the sentries to arms. Galvanized to action as surely as though someone had popped his wart, he bounded in full flight down the corridor. Second level, first aisle, third from the left. He careened around a corner, stumbled down a flight of steps -

- and smacked full into a scowling Eledhe Darkstar. Formerly known as Elegible Damsel #2. "I think we're going to die," he greeted by way of a report.

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"What?" said Eledhe and the Phantom simultaneously, the one looking irritated and the other looking slightly alarmed. Without another word Eledhe dashed off down the passage, practically fell down another flight of stairs, and locked the keep's one door from the inside. Muffled banging sounded and she spun around, eyes whizzing about their surroundings. Back out the window?

"No escape below," she gasped, returning. "I - "

"Right, above it is," said the Phantom, and went for the stairs. Eledhe slung the rope over her shoulder and followed, loosening her scimitar in its sheath.

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Nataniel the Magnificent had eaten a steak, gotten Ardan drunk, flirted with a statue, stolen Ardan’s horse, and gone gallivanting off with the rest of the rescue party feeling pretty proud of himself. After all, it wasn’t everyday that a man was born both handsome and brilliant.

To top it all of, the horse had been nice to him, and actually let him ride it three fourths of the way. First chance he got he broke off from their merry little fellowship, and went running straight to the authorities. There was bound to be some sort of money for him imparting his knowledge.

Unfortunately the thought never crossed his mind that the Regent wasn’t really one to play fair, and as soon as he received said knowledge, he would throw Nat back into the slimey little prison cell from whence he had come.

He was at the great hall in a matter of minutes, thinking gleefully of how he should spend the fortune he would demand.

“I want to see the Regent, NOW.” he demanded importantly of a guard, “I don’t care if it’s late or he’s having his tea or he’s sick with influenza! I must see the Regent! It’s of utmost urgency!”

He cleared his throat, and tapped an impatient foot.

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<center>
"The piano is able to communicate the subtlest universal truths by means of wood, metal and vibrating air."

Kjan dashed through the doorway and slammed the door shut just in time to hear the dull thud of several arrows lodging themselves in the wood right where he'd been two seconds ago. That was close. If he ever met the authors of the adventure stories his nurse had read to him as a boy, he was going to personally kill them for promoting the misleading stereotype of stupid evil henchmen who couldn't hit a target to save their lives. In his experience -which was quite vast, if he did say so himself- the henchmen were evil and some of them were admittedly stupid, but the majority of them were actually quite intelligent and had thus far thwarted three-and-a-half of his potential escape plans this evening. Not good. His mind worked quickly as he hurried to block the door through which he'd come. That exit was obviously no good. Judging by the banging sound coming from the main hallway, that entrance/exit was also now useless. Only one way to go: up.

As soon as the door was effectively blockaded, Kjan sprinted off down the main corridor, no longer worrying about stealth. Down the hallway, up the stairs, up more stairs, down another hallway, past the Phantom....Kjan skidded to a halt and spun around abruptly. "Fancy running into you folks here," he said breathlessly. "I don't suppose the notorious Phantom has another one of his ingenious escape plans conveniently prepared for such an occasion? The guards seem to have exhausted most of mine."

Threng scowled. They were discovered. Long hours of practice kept his mind calm and collected as he sorted through the options. First on his list was escape: that was most definitely the first. He followed Eledhe: she seemed to have a good head on her shoulders, and took the stairs two at a time. Kjan came rushing past, then doubled back when he saw he had gone too far.

"Hardly ingenious," muttered the Phantom, skidding to a halt outside the window they'd come through. Guards were most definitely alerted to their presence. If they tried escaping using any method of rope transportation they'd be shot out of the air. He scanned the courtyard, mind working furiously.

Eledhe lingered near the stairs, watching, shurikens in her hands. A glance behind her told her the Phantom wasn't coming up with anything. On sudden impulse she darted towards the window and flung out a hand, muttering. Instantly a grey-cloaked figure appeared in a corner of the courtyard, deceptively solid-looking but fated to disappear like mist the moment any of the guards touched it. Instant uproar ensued.

"Out, out the door!" she hissed at them, still manipulating the illusion.

The Phantom was already halfway down the stairs, wondering regretfully where his greatsword was and if he had time to get it.

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Ash was standing guard in the hall as Eledhe went to find the Phantom. Actually, he was making a good pretense of standing guard. Jais had the window covered, Eledhe would see anyone coming down one hall, and Threng was nearer to the other hall than Ash was. Still, it made him feel more useful if he told himself he was standing guard.

Suddenly, an alarm horn sounded outside. Jais raced past Ash, and a second later, he, Eledhe, and the Phantom raced back. Ash fell in behind them. "Right, above it is." the Phantom said.

Ash nearly groaned outloud. <i>If I have to crawl across that bloody rope again...</i> He was quite relieved to see the courtyard swarming with guards, and gladly raced back down the stairs.

See? I am alive

------------

Padron could have laughed in delight, if he wasn't in the midst of the guards rushing around in the palace. He had no doubt about what was causing the uproar--the Phantom had escaped. That meant that Padron had no need to help him do it; instead, he could continue what he had been doing, and gather information for the Regent.

Instead of laughing with delight, he stomped--well, scurried--around with the guards, occasionally crying out a false alarm to get them to rush away from where he actually had seen furtive flickers of movement.

He didn't have the comfortable weight of his quarterstaff with him, but he relieved an armory of a flanged mace, which would have to do, for now.

He had several close scares when it seemed as though the guards actually found someone, but once again, they turned out to be false alarms. And then, when they went rushing off on after yet another one, Padron decided to skulk around alone. That's when he saw a flicker of movement that was not grey-cloaked. While he didn't want to accidently capture the Phantom, he had no such qualms about the Phantom's followers. He ran after the movement.

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OoC.Erm....I'm back, if anyone wants to fill me in.