Private Tales On the first night when the partridge called

[White Swallow]

The White Swallow slowly approached the castle in the dead of the night from the southeast. It was a small ridge castle, unaproachable by an army from most sides. Its keep stood on the highest end towards the north. It wasn't in the best of conditions and the foliage in the steep ridgeside provided decent cover. soldiers were clearly walking the perimeters on the walls, but no lights but the ones inside the keep and in the court were lit.

Though he was not alone. He looked back at the elf that came with him in some form of supposed aid.
He didn't trust him entirely and couldn't quite guess why he would join in taking over the As Roodban Castle, some other motive perhaps?
What the White Swallow did not know was that Nizar, the lord of this castle was an avid collector, and his hoard may have contained something that likely would have been the very reason why the elf came.

 

[Teriteqas]

Few outside the Abtati respected their ways. Their culture. Abtatu often was mocked and stolen from. The lord of this As Roodban Castl was one such person. Nizar had taken what belonged to Abtatu. Holy relics used in Abtati rituals from various shrines scattered around the region. The heresy of robbery would be performed and then this grand thief hide behind towering walls of stone.

Teriteqas learned of this great thief and how he had many guarding what he self proclaimed he owned. It was something the abtati could not stand for.

In his investigation, the sand elf had come to join those who wished to see this Nizar punished. Perhaps for different crimes than the ones Teriteqas sought justice for, but he was willing to call them brothers until this holy mission was done.

Teriteqas was following the leader of this mission. A human known as White Swallow. It was a name that made no sense. He was not a bird nor seemed old enough in human standards to possess white hair. Could the name be a reference to some other trait about the man? He did not know. He did not care. What was important was the mission.

Wearing traditional armor made of leather and chitin and wrapped in cloth, Teriteqas was completely covered from head to toe. Only his eyes were visible. He looked at the castle with them and then attempted to stop the human. He had an idea.

"Halt. I will scout." Teriteqas whispered to White Swallow. He made a few squeaking sounds. A moment later parts of his cloth began to bulge and wiggle around. Jerboa erupted out like beetles from sand. Once they were all out he began to squeak some more. All the jerboa began to hop off in different directions towards the castle.

 

[White Swallow]

»There would be, -« The White Swallow uttered before going silent as jerboas started to spawn. Whatever his train of thought was, changed.
»I assume you will not attempt to spook the guards with a hint of a divine plague?« He returned to slowly approach the castle.
Roodban was a shadow of its former self. While there was still plaster sticking to walls, some were bare stone. Perfect for climbing, and likely the little critters won't have much of a hard time finding their way up?
Most of the plaster was located at the keep proper and its surrounding area, so the men could not assault from there.
From where they were now, they hid under the folliage, facing the south-eastern wall between the square and the round tower.

 

[Teriteqas]

After the Jerboa were released Teriteqas got himself sat down on his knees. His eyes were closed and his head bowed. When White Swallow spoke all the sand elf did was say, "Hush." Then he went back to being silent.

Teriteqas was viewing what the jerboa saw. Each was looking for signs of an entrance into the castle in their own ways. Some jumped around the rocks by the wall. Some tried to wedge their way into any hole big enough for them.

Most of what they found so far was useless. Not usual. His family of jerboa were enthusiastic but forgot his limitations were different from his own. He could assume their form but his companion could not. It remained useless what they had found so far for that reason alone.

 

[White Swallow]

"Hush."

His eyes narrowed before he sighed and crouched where he stood.
Patience was key, though the cover of the dark would not last them an eternity.
For now the White Swallow assumed that Teriteqas was up to something worthwile.

There was usually at least one guard stationed on each wall section and one atop each tower.
The upper walls were inacessible from the lower ones, and those were well plastered, making them unclimeable. Only the north-western staircase would lead to the upper level.
The guards were denser there as well, and towards the north, some of the guardsmen brewed tea.

 

[Teriteqas]

The jerboa proved as helpful as always: yes but not in the way expected. So the sand elf called them all back to him through their link. None of them hurried. They never did. There was seeds and nuts to gather along the way in their cheeks. Fine meals for a fine job done.

Once the last of them had returned home safely, Teriteqas opened up his eyes. He stood up and turned to White Swallow next to him. "Time to climb the wall."

Without a word the elf began to walk towards the wall with the thickest grove of trees near it. He had an idea, but it would take a bit of time. Everything took time though. It was how Abtatu made it so that they would learn patience.

Sneaking up to the wall, Teriteqas hunkered down low. He reached into one of his pouches and pulled out some seeds. They were originally for feeding the jerboa, but they had seen to their meals tonight. Happily they chewed away under his clothes. He pushed the seeds into the dirt and then closed his eyes. He began to send magical energy into them.

Creeper vines shot up out of the soil and began to grow their way up the plaster of the wall at an unnaturally fast pace. Too fast. So Teriteqas had to pull back on how much he fed them and command them more directly not to grow so fast. They slowed down until they were going perhaps a bit too slow. But that is where he had to settle. The vines would take off again if he let up even a little right now.

Hopefully his companion was fine with waiting.

 

[White Swallow]

Oh Kalik, I am a bird of the sky
Nowhere is a place where I couldn't fly
Yet free I am not

The sky has it's end.

He stood up slowly as the jerboas began to return, some holding their mouths stuffed in woodland seeds.
The elf was certainly odd, but everything, everyone in life had Its purpose.

The wall where he led him was unsuitable to climb, and whatever the lef had in mind...
»I'll take a different aproach,« he plainly stated as he saw the Teriteqas' magic vine bud.

The Swallow Believed himself a capable climber, trusting his hands more than a dainty plant.
Slowly he made his way back to the revealed wall. He would climb there.

Brushing off his hands he grabbed at the stones and began to scale it with efficient speed.

 

[Teriteqas]

There was something all Nafas knew about oasis creeping vines, they were far sturdier than they looked. The plants had to fight wind, sand, and sun as they scaled up the trunks of date palms and other desert trees. It made them strong and that strength made them perfect for rope.

A living rope was all Teriteqas had made here in his own perspective.

Little attention was paid to White Swallow when the man left. All that was important was that the abtati knew he left. There was more important things to worry about right now. Feeding the vines just enough to make it to the top of the wall being the foremost.

Time was meaningless to Teriteqas, so he did not know how much of it had past when he felt the vines had climbed as far as he wished for them to go. He stopped his flow of magic and stood up. It was time to climb. He gripped one of the vines and began to climb up the wall in the dark.

 

[White Swallow]

Up on top, the white swallow gazed left and right to check if any of the guards were still present. He kept his shade firmly against the merlons though, as to conceal his silhouette, but he'd need to sneak in soon.
(Will we start to DM for each other?)

Up on top of the wall where the vines began to grow. There the wall section which was wedged between a tower and the keep was the shortest. A single guard walked towards the merlons, gazing left and right into the distance before turning around to check out the internal court.
He had no lights nor other such lamps.

 

[Teriteqas]

In the darkness the cloth covered abtati climbed up and over the top of the wall. As he did, he touched the vines and let them retreat back enough to hide their presence from those patrolling the walls. A couple of blinks and he adopted nocturnal eyes. Now he could see clearly in this darkness.

But he was feeling a bit drained already. Not enough to hinder his ability to fight just a recognition that he should wait before doing more of his tricks. A problem if he had not gone through the training of the warrior. So he tapped back into his youth and stuck to the shadows.

For now he needed to discover where he found himself and where his companion might be.

White Swallow

 

[White Swallow]

The White Swallow's presence was obscured from how far he was.
Though, the keep where the prize was held was on the other end, clearly in view.

There was this tower that stood before it, blocking not only the view but also passage.
It was questionable whether it would even lead to it.


Steps echoed from the other end though, and a light came with a person that walked from there.