[I][B]A Collab between a Spoopy Mess and some filthy Dervert[/B][/I]

[color=gold]"This shite pinches in places that ain't polite to talk about and it fits like I lost a fookin' bet. What kind of arsehole designed this garbage?"[/color] Cedric bitched as he tugged at his padded armour and nasal helm, the guard uniform that Brynn's guard friend provided to Cedric and Finch for their infiltration, along with the grappling hook and length of rope. The Reachman mulled it over as he sat concealed behind some shrubbery with Finch along the castle walls, eventually coming up with Vindell, or something equally off putting. 

Both Cedric and Finch had been acquainted with the guard, alongside Brynn, with sets of uniforms in a warehouse they were told to meet up at, and while Brynn assured the two he had a plan, it seemed fucking terrible and regardless, both men spent the better half of forty minutes struggling to get the uniforms on proper and looking like proper guards. The fits were approximate, which accounted for a degree of Cedric's discomfort, and after slapping the hand and a half sword to his hip, was certain that both him and Finch were going to stick out like a sore thumb, looking like the goofiest idiots in the entire city, regardless of how much of a feat that would be. To his surprise, nobody looked at them twice, not even the other guards walking the streets, and they made it to their destination, where they waited patiently for the sun to go down enough to conceal their ascent. 

Cedric decided to wait until the changing of the guards, where their guard would be lowest and would give him the best chance to hook the grapple without hopefully drawing a lot of attention. He turned to Finch, staring into the eye slits of the featureless visor, [color=gold]"You know what we're doing, aye? I throw up the grapple, we scale the wall and act like proper guardsmen to not draw attention to ourselves while we snoop around, look in windows and get a layout of this place, maybe even get a look at the little lordshite while we're at it. You have a copy of the description still, aye?"[/color] he asked.

Finch was still shaking and hopping around in place to get the gear he wore properly fitted, but to ill effect. On Finch, the uniform was big and baggy on him. The coat practically hung to his knees or below, the helmet rolled around on his head, and he was constantly readjusting it so it would stay in place. Eventually, the crafty young beggar slipped away with their innkeeper's off-smelling table rag and tied it like a bandana around his forehead so that the damn helmet would stay in place. Could he have found some other item? Sure, but Finch was a creature of convenience and the rag was convenient. Any hesitation of stealing was long lost. 

But being a creature of convenience, he also felt annoyed that the party's best lock pick was stuck masquerading as a guard keeping watch. As far as Finch was concerned, he didn't fit the bill, and his skills were being wasted.

[color=Crimson]"Yeah, yeah..."[/color] Finch muttered. It didn't help that he was stuck with the loud mouth. [color=Crimson]"I don't get why I'm being made to do this. Do I look like a guard? Or even a Breton? In fact, why even bother with the hook? That'd smell a lot worse than, I don't know, climbing the stairs! Like a normal person! No one asked any questions yet."[/color]

[color=gold]"I'd wager you don't even look human, but here we are. And what stairs, the ones that are hidden behind several meters of stone that we can't access from the outside because they'd defeat the point of having fookin' fortifications in the first place? It's not like the two of us can walk up to the gates and hope that the guards watching the gates don't take notice that we aren't one of the several lads and lasses they work with every fookin' day, or failing that, challenge us with a password that we have no fookin' idea what it is for this shift. Now, shut it. We've work to get done."[/color] Cedric said snarkily, annoyed to having been stuck with the whimpering little goblin that had done nothing but complain since they were forced upon each other at Meir Thorvale. 

It was dark enough to get to work, so Cedric stood carefully, looking around to make sure that no one was in eyesight, and that far down the wall a few groupings of chatting guards were visible. Not seeing the chatting guards and having no idea when the roster change would kick into effect, Cedric decided to throw caution into the wind as he rotated the length of rope into a few quick twirls before hurling it upwards, trying to hook onto the battlement. His first attempt fell short, prompting him to hiss at Finch, [color=gold]"Mind yer head!"[/color] as it fell and dug into the soil. Picking it up, shaking it off of dirt, Cedric tried again, increasing the momentum of his swing and releasing it with far more force than his first attempt, the hook sailing well over the stonework, which Cedric prayed wasn't smooth. 

When the grapple didn't come falling down to the ground, he gave it a tug to test its stability, and after a few tries, it seemed to be anchored pretty sturdily. Shoving the rope towards Finch, Cedric said, [color=gold]"You fancy yourself a sneak, up you go. Let me know if it's safe to climb."[/color]

Finch wasn't about to argue this time - in fact, the two shared the same idea, that it'd be better to let the smaller and quieter of the two climb up first. He debated letting Cedric up at all, what with that mouth, but somebody he had to have somebody get him out of trouble should one of the guard catch him. He took the rope from Cedric and pulled on it to test its hold and put his own mind to rest. Part of him still didn't trust this thing. The lad was used to actually climbing, not scaling walls with rope, but he hardly made it a habit to infiltrate castles in the first place!

He pulled the uniform's gloves down, trying to get the best fit he could, and began pulling himself up on the rope. Boots planted against the wall, he started making his way up, occasionally digging his toes into some cracks in the wall's masonry to help his climb. Each passing moment, he scaled higher and higher, lightly, nimbly - slow and steady, making sure each grip he had on the rope was a solid one before he let go one of his hands to climb higher - all the while, still keeping a lookout for anyone nearby that might witness their trespassing. His heart was beating a mile of minute, crawling right up into his throat, and he fought to keep himself under control.

[i]'It's okay, Pharasius, it's okay. Slip or let go now and you splatter across the ground. No big deal. Just don't look down.'[/i]

He was finally getting near the top, close to the crenelations of the wall. As he finally gripped the ledge with white knuckles, he fought the urge to immediately climb over to safety. Instead, he peered around the crenelation, trying to get a good look on either side. A guard with his back turned to the left. He pulled back and took a deep breath. Should he turn around, would would stop him from not just keeping a look-see at the surrounding land, but inspecting the wall he treaded? Grappling hook, out in the open, that'd immediately send red flags. Finch peered around once more. His back was still turned. Finch looked back down at Cedric and - oh, Gods, the heights - he clenched his eyes shut. H slowly reopened them and took a good look at Cedric on the ground below. He held a finger to him, suggesting that he wait a moment. Finch took some of the rope he climbed up on and tied it around his waist. Holding onto the edge again, slowly, quietly, he dislodged the hook from the wall and felt its weight, then swinging the hook around the crenelation so that it came back around the other side. With some careful maneuvering, he dragged the hook closer to his side with his foot, and once he finally got hold of it, tied the hook into the length of rope on the other side of the wall where the guards wouldn't be able to see it. 

 He made a couple of test tugs as he peered around the wall again - the guard was turning around and walking his way - damn, damn, damn! He tugged the rope around the crenelation, he tugged the rope around him - seconds ticking away!

[i]'Do or die, do or die!'[/i]

Finch fearfully shit his eyes and released his grip on the edge of the wall and let himself drop...

...to be caught safely by the rope. It jerked harshly around his torso and there might have been some give, but Finch managed to secure himself to the wall without the guard catching wind. They just had to hope that, if they saw the rope, they wouldn't second-guess it. As he dangled in the air, heart in his throat he looked down at Cedric. Looking up, he, in turn, would be able to see him dangling from the wall, and a guard looking out on their side, ignorant of the boy three feet below his boots. Finch silently groaned to himself as he thought of how it was going to be Cedric's turn soon. Getting that asshole up here was gonna be a chore, especially if they keep making rounds around this part of the wall.

Finch heard footsteps above him, then getting quieter, so the young lad pulled himself back up and peered once more over the wall to see that the watchdog was finally leaving, heading all the way to the tower at the far end. He made a relieved sigh and scrambled over the edge and hurried to untie the rope around himself, and stood to his feet, welcoming the feeling of solid ground beneath them.

[color=crimson]"Great. Now I just have to act... guardly... Gods, what does that even mean?"[/color]

The young man threw the rope back down to Cedric as he looked around him, then shot a thumbs up sign to the man below. 

To Finch's credit, the younger man didn't hesitate at the prospect of scaling the castle walls, and he turned out to be a fairly adept climber, even being rather clever in hiding the hook from prying eyes. A rope tied to the battlement was a lot less visible than a hook jutting out, especially as the light began to fade. When Finch gave the all clear, Cedric returned the raised thumb and began his own ascent, grateful for his powerful upper body strength as he made his way up the vertical embankment. The stonework, mercifully, gave a fair deal of support for his feet as he scaled the wall, a feat that felt like an eternity compared to watching Finch do it. All in all, the plan was miserable, but it was the best they had. Neither of them were particularly suited to sweet-talking their way into the castle, so a hunter and a thief had to make due with the scenic route and hope the guards weren't particularly keen on looking closely at their fellow guards, especially with the chill that was in the air. Cedric wore a scarf over his face that was tucked into his collar, both protecting him from the cold while concealing the tattoos on his face for the most part. Shifts on the battlements were long and what creature comforts could be afforded were taken, especially when superior officers weren't around to tell you off for improperly wearing the uniform.

Before long, Cedric reached the ledge, listening for footfalls, before pulling himself up enough to look to see if it was clear for him to hop the wall. No one was watching, and the Reachman pulled himself over and set himself down as carefully as his aching muscles would allow. Straightening out and assuming the most proper posture he could muster, he turned to Finch. [color=gold]"That was way fookin' harder than I thought it would be. Damn fine work, you pleasantly surprised me. Now, let's start making our way towards the castle proper, see if we can't see anything walking past the windows, aye?"[/color] he said, his voice lowered. 

The two walked in step, after a few awkward attempts to match one another's stride, and began to walk along the walls as unhurried as they dared. [color=gold]"So, Finchy, where are you from? You've been the most quiet out of all of us, I don't know a damn thing about you, lad. You always so skittish around people?"[/color] Cedric asked, although not unkindly.

Finch was silent for a few moments still, and his eyes darted to his partner in crime beside him. He scanned the man up and down for any sign of ill intention. Cedric seemed he meant no harm in his question. The lad resigned himself to answering one or two of his questions with a sigh.

[color=Crimson]"Said people give me nary a reason to not be."[/color] Finch answered, then looking forward again. [color=Crimson]"I'm... from Cyrodill. I lived in the Imperial City. I got stranded in Glenumbra five years ago... That's it."[/color]

Cedric listened without visibly acknowledging it. He was trying his best to look like the standard bored, yet vigilant, guard that one would expect to be roaming a castle. [color=gold]"Long way from home. Ever miss it? This is the furthest from home I've ever been, used to be that Rivenspire was me entire world. First time even seeing a city this large, strange as that is to admit."[/color]

Finch just gave Cedric a half-hearted smile. [color=crimson]"Oh, more than you could ever know..."[/color]

The lad slipped a spyglass from his tool belt and went to the side of the wall, taking a quick look-see at the courtyard with his naked eye - only just catching a trailing glance at the back of their comrades' feet as the entered the buildings. His job and Cedric's was to get a layout, yes? Having men on the inside would be good for escapes. Fortunately, he and Brynn scoped out the sewers days prior. The elves and orc slip through, straight shot to the dungeons - assuming they were any good with the directions they gave them, and it'd be a quick escort to the drop-out. Finch supposed that it was also his and Cedric's duty they slipped away unnoticed.

[color=crimson]"We should find the sewer drop-out outside the walls,"[/color] Finch suggested, [color=crimson]"that's where they should be escaping. I was down there with Brynn, so I've an idea where it might be from up here."[/color]

[color=gold]"Aye, we should make sure there's no locks or gates or anything barring the way. If you know the way, lead on."[/color] Cedric said, looking at the windows as he passed. From this angle, it was impossible to make out anything interesting for most of the openings. [color=gold]"Fook, imagine living in a place like this? What do you do with all the fookin' space?"[/color] he stated, bemused. 

The duo made their way along the walls before finding a set of stairs down to the ground level, which put them at a risk of being questioned why they were leaving their post. However, the courtyard was dark and none of the guards seemed to be on particularly high alert, so none of the guards at a distance spared them a second glance, either not caring what they were up to or assuming they had orders. They wouldn't be able to check for the sewer exit until they climbed back down on the other side of the wall, but the walk along the courtyard was a good way to begin to scout a layout. Cedric noticed one of the higher towers. [color=gold]"So, what are the chances the people who own this place live in there? Think it's worth checking out?"[/color]

[color=crimson]"Maybe."[/color] Finch said. [color=Crimson]"As I understand it, the higher towers would be used as watch posts, or so my father would tell me. But I guess the Bretons here in High Rock are a bit more... ostentatious. It might be worth a shot - if we can get in."[/color]

Finch craned his neck around to look for nearby patrols.

[color=Crimson]"At least I wouldn't feel as naked and exposed as I do out here in the open."[/color]

[color=gold]"Well, we sure as shite ain't going to walk to the door and ask to be let in. Only reason our disguises are working so far is nobody's gotten close enough to tell us apart from the rest of the goons."[/color] Cedric said, looking around as inconspicuously as possible. There was a balcony they'd be able to hook on with a rope if they double backed and grabbed it, but that would be a stupid risk if there ever was one. [color=gold]"Let's just head back up to the walls and do the perimeter and get back down. We'll look for your sewer. Then we meet up with the others, draw 'em a map, and get ourselves nice and drunk, aye?"[/color] he said, leading Finch towards another set of stairs that headed up to the battlements. 

It was getting pretty dark now, thanks to it still being fairly early in the year, and lights were lit inside of the castle. Interestingly, other than the oil lanterns, Cedric could see what he assumed were Welkynd stones sublimating the lighting, casting a pale blue glow along the castle, giving the ancient stonework an appearance like it was covered with off-colour fireflies. Minutes past without event, and the duo were preparing to make their way back to the rope. Now that they'd been at it for what had to have been an hour or so, the tension wasn't what it was before as no one sounded the alarm. Cedric was tempted to push his luck when the balcony he noticed earlier had movement, stopping his his tracks, Cedric positioned himself like he were conversing with Finch to conceal the fact he was staring at whoever came out on the balcony.

The first figure, a man who didn't quite look like he reached his twenties with a shaggy mop of brown hair and a pale complexion came out, followed by another with another with straight sandy blonde hair tied into a ponytail. There was an unmistakable air of familiarity about him, and Cedric thought back to the parchment that was tossed to the group by Lord Raimes a few days back.

The realization hit like a brick; Cedric was staring at Callen Raimes, and with him was a young lord, perhaps Lord Marco's son.

[color=gold]"What in the world... don't look now, but I'm staring right fookin' at the Lordshite."[/color] Cedric said to Finch, blinking hard and shaking his head slowly. Sure enough, it wasn't an apparition and their man, as healthy and happy as one could imagine, was certainly not in chains. What was going on?

They were too far to hear what they were speaking about, but suddenly, Callen pulled the other man into an embrace, locking lips in a passionate kiss. In that single gesture, Cedric felt his world turn upside down and a sinking feeling hit him. It was becoming increasingly obvious that Callen Raimes was certainly not the hostage his brother had made him out to be; were they being set up?

[color=gold]"We better get the fook back to the others. Things just became far more complicated..."[/color]