Friday, July 4, 2008

16: The Infiltration of Stranfordam

Maximiliano bounced nimbly up and down on his toes and nearly giggled with excitement. He simply loved playing this role. The Cock frequently made use of disguise and deception in his dastardly deeds, and today was no exception. Maximiliano was part of a quickly assembled team disguised as a nobleman and his servants. The ploy designed to gain access into Stranfordam, Sir Edward's estate just a few miles south of the City of Tears, and see what they could find out about the Knight of the Peacock. He would be acting as the nobleman, and The Cock, along with several other skilled men like trackers, archers, locksmiths, and so on, would be his servants. Maximiliano took a deep breath and gained his composure. Throwing his chest forward and tilting his head back slightly in a disdainful fashion, he rode slowly to the gate of Stranfordam.

Now the great Hall of Stranfordam had been a noble and revered place prior to Edward receiving it. Legend told of great parties, balls, and feasts in the past centuries that would go on for days on end. The acres around the main building were said to be the most fertile in the Desert of Dreams, perhaps even better than those of Wellington in the north, and the land yielded a vital portion of Nuvanderim's food supply. Like nearly everything else in the Desert of Dreams, the estate had fallen upon somewhat hard times, but it was still fairly productive and important to the city's people. Maximiliano was nearly at the gate when a small hatch opened in the gatehouse to the left, and the face of a skinny, pale, man emerged. "Greetings sir, who seeks entrance into the Hall of Sranfordam?"
"Why sir," said The Cock, disguised as a servant, "Do you not recognize ze Earl of Fulgencio?"
The gatekeeper was confused, "Fulgencio?"
"Why of course, ze Lord of dis place, Edvard ze Fourth, is expecting his arrival."
"I'm afraid Sir Edward is away on a quest."
The Cock gave Maximiliano a quick look, "Away questing eh, do you know vere he is?"
"I do not, sir, his knightship has been acting a bit strange and discreet of late and has spoken little of his intentions." The Cock again gave Maxilimiano a knowing glance as the gatekeeper continued, "Speaking of which, I know nothing of your visit either sir, there are no visitors scheduled for weeks."
"For veeks?!?!?!" Maximiliano roared suddenly, dismounting and sauntering over towards the gatehouse, "I have traveled 'for veeks' to get here and you know nohsing? Sir Edvard invite me here himself."
The man began to get nervous, "I assure you sir I was not informed. Perhaps if you returned next month--"
"I did no' come so far to turn back." the disguised Maximiliano interrupted him, giving the gatekeeper and hard look "We vill vait....out here if need be."
The man took the ploy, "Oh no, I assure you, good Earl, that will not be necessary. Stranfordam is always open to friends of Sir Edward the Fourth."
"I should hope so," Maximiliano replied wryly, "now let me in."
The gatekeeper nodded quickly and disappeared. Within seconds the great wooden gates swung open, and the disguised party entered. Several servants came in and took the horses away, while two more led the men to their rooms. "I vonder," The Cock said to one of the servants, "If I could no take a peek at Edvard's quarters vile he is out? You see, I am ze chief aid to ze Earl, and am always interested in ze, shall ve say, 'luxuries' of other men of his status."
"Uhhh, I'm not sure, few men are allowed inside his quarters," the servant replied, "but it is just down this hall to the right if you wish to speak with the guards."
"Of course, I understand completely. Now ver is my room?"

Later that night, after everyone had fallen asleep, The Cock woke up. He had scoped out much of the Hall, earlier that day, meeting the cook, observing the guards, exploring the stables, and examining other areas of weakness and exploitation. It had almost been too easy. Silently, he crossed over to where Ermegildo, one of his men, was sleeping and shook him. The man woke without a word, he knew the plan. Both tiptoed out of their room and down the hall to Sir Edward's chamber. Just as planned, the guards were fast asleep, victims of a few smuggled ingredients into their ale. The Cock promptly checked the men for keys and found nothing. It did not surprise him, something suspicious was going on with this Sir Edward, and there was no reason that anyone would need to access his quarters anyways. This, of course, is why The Cock had brought Ermegildo along. He himself could, admittedly, pick most simple devices, but Ermegildo was an expert who had never met an unlockable device. Edward's door was no exception; Ermegildo removed several small pieces of metal from a pouch he always carried, and within seconds they were in. The Cock quickly closed the door and lit a small torch. To be sure, the room was impressive, if not a bit messy. Rich velvet blankets with gold lining graced a massive bed. On the wall hung a great tapestry with a peacock woven into it. In one corner stood a magnificent suit of armor, in another sat a small table with piles of coins on it, in yet another lay a massive oaken chest, filled with maps, small blades, and other various items that looked very old and important. Despite all the valuables, it was this last item that caught The Cock's attention. On top of the chest lay a very old looking map. There was no doubt that it depicted the Desert of Dreams, but several items caught the master thief's attention. First, was a city in the northeast corner that he had never seen nor heard of. Second was the name "Methuselah" scrawled in the corner, along with the words "dream spirits," "Jard," and "Kelthisad."
"Hey, you're not allowed in here!" both the Cock and Ermegildo turned to see a guard in the doorway. The Cock swore under his breath, he had forgotten that the guard might be changed. What he didn't forget, though, was a backup plan. No matter how secure the operation, he never operated without at least one alternative option. In several swift movements, he tucked the map way in his shirt, grabbed a jewel-studded knife from the chest, unsheathed it, and threw it at the man, pinning his arm to the wall. His aim was a bit off, but sufficient. The guard screamed in pain as Ermegildo rushed forward, grabbing a sword from the armor display and using the heavy pommel to knock the man unconscious. The Cock grabbed another dagger from the chest, drawing several rooster feathers from his hat and dropping them on the floor in the process. "Someone vill have heard ze man! Is time to go, vake ze others. Zey know vat to do."
Ermegildo nodded and ran down the hall back to their rooms. The Cock headed the opposite way , stopping at the second window he came to, climbing out of it, and dropping silently into the courtyard near the stables. Above, he could hear the escalating clamor of armor and men's voices. He had little time...but he only needed a little time. In seconds, he had released four saddled horses (they would have to ride double) and lead them out a small side gate and into the open country. The last horse had just exited when a horn went off inside the hall. A few moments later, The Cock heard someone lock behind him as he met up with his men. As was the custom with nobility, they had been given a room with a clear view overlooking the countryside, and consequently, a room that could be easily escaped from. The small band of thieves mounted the horses and galloped off into the night. A lone arrow whizzed behind them but it was too late. Despite the plans going wrong, they had all escaped without a scratch, yet with the cryptic map and one of Sir Edward's find daggers. The Cock smiled to himself, too easy indeed.

--Andrew C

2 comments:

Logan said...

Dude, that was a beautiful addition!

Logan said...

Dude, that was a beautiful addition!