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IMPROVISING

Entreri roup passed swiftly out of the corner tower and along the corridors of the interior eastern wall They didn&039;t find any guardian creatures awaiting theoyles and a decapitated flesh golem, all three with deep stab wounds in the back

"He is efficient," Jarlaxle re friend

They cahtly ajar to allow daylight to enter from beyond it As they started up, the door opened and Arteh

"We are at the joined point of the outer wall and the interior wall that separates the baileys of the castle," he explained

"Stay along the outer wall to the back and the turn will take us to the main keep," Mariabronne replied, but Entreri shook his head with every word

"When the gargoyles caht, they were not the castle&039;s full contingent," the assassin explained "From this point back, the outer wall is lined with the filthy creatures and crossing close to the every step of the way"

"The inner wall to the center, then?" asked Ellery "Where we debark it and spring across the courtyard to the keep&039;s front door?"

"A door likely locked," Mariabronne reasoned

"And locked before a graveyard courtyard that will present us with scores of undead to battle," Jarlaxle assured them in a voice that none questioned

"Either e&039;re for fighting," Athrogate chimed in "Choose the bony ones who&039;re sled then continued, "So lead on and be quick for it&039;s soundin&039; exciting" The dwarf hoith laughter, but he was alone in his ed and said, "Seventy feet of ground froatehouse to the door of the keep"

"And likely a locked door to hold us out," added Ellery "We&039;ll be swarot h he appeared unconvinced "But I found the first time that they didn&039;tcontrolled by a greater power, likely," Jarlaxle said, and all eyes settled on hiuess Then he quickly straightened, his red eyes sparkling, and looked to Entreri "How far areto that keep?"

Entreri seemed perplexed for just a her is its top above the wall&039;s apex here?"

Entreri looked back behind hilanced to the northeast, the direction of the circular keep

"It&039;s not very high," the assassin said "Perhaps fifteen feet above us at its highest point"

"Lead on to the wall top," Jarlaxle instructed

"What do ye know?" asked Athrogate

"I know that I have already groeary of fighting"

"Bah!" the dwarf snorted "I heared ye drow elfs were all for the battle"

"When we must"

"Bah!"

Jarlaxle offered a s up the stairs to follow Entreri to the outside landing By the ti, "It ork"

"Pray share your plan," Mariabronne requested

"That one&039;s always tellin&039; folks to pray," Athrogate snorted to Pratcus "Ye should get him to join yer church!"

"We drow are possessed of certain tricks," Jarlaxle replied

"He can levitate," said Entreri

"Levitation is not flying," Canthan said

"But if I can get close enough and high enough, I can set a grapnel on that tower top," Jarlaxle explained

"That is a long clier, his head turning back and forth as he considered the two anchor points for any rope

"Better than fighting all the way," said Jarlaxle

As he spoke, he took off his hat and reached under the silken band, producing a fine cord He extracted it, and it seeo on and on forever The drow looped its other end on the ground at his feet as he pulled it from the hat and by the time he had finished, he had a fair-sized coil looped up alht of his knees

"A hundred and twenty feet," he explained to Entreri, as not surprised by the appearance of the , brought it close to his rew as he moved it away, and by the time he had it near to the top end of the cord, it was the size of a s the cord loosely in one hand, while Entreri took the other end and tied it off on one of the crenellations along the toall

"The biggest danger is that our oyles," Jarlaxle said to the others "It would not be wise to join in battle while we are crawling along the rope"

"Bah!" ca order," Jarlaxle bade the ranger "My friend, of course, will go first after I have set the rope, but we should get another warrior over to that tower top as quickly as possible And she will need help," he added, nodding toward Arrayan "I can do that withto assist?"

He looked at Entreri, who frowned, but did begin fishing in his large belt pouch He pulled out a contraption of straps and hooks, which looked soe horse, and he casually tossed it to the drow

Jarlaxle sorted it out quickly and held it up before hi the others that it was a harness of sorts, known as a "housebreaker" to anyone fah banter," Ellery bade hiing on the outside of the wall

"A strong shove, good dwarf," Jarlaxle said to Athrogate, who rushed at him, arms outstretched

"As I pass you," Jarlaxle quickly explained, before the dwarf could launch hi way, at that! He positioned Athrogate at the inside lip of the tower top, then walked at a direct angle away from the distant keep "Be quick," he bade Entreri

"Set it well," the assassin replied

Jarlaxle nodded and broke into a quick run He leaped and called upon the power of his enchanted enia that reseical levitation, lifting hiht him by the belt and launched him out toward the tower, and with the dwarf&039;s uncanny strength propelling hi away from the others

Jarlaxle continued to rise as he went out froher than its highest point He was still approaching, but greatly slowing The levitation power could o vertical only, so as the ate&039;s throore off, he was still twenty feet or so froan to swing the grapnel at the end of one aroyles about the top," he called back to Entreri, as ready to scra to my presence, nor will they to yours, likely, until you step onto the stone"

"Wonderful," Entreri e determined and stoic, and his breath steady, but was assailed with irapnel, then just letting him drop halfway across into the middle of the courtyard Or perhaps they would swar helpless from the rope

"Take in the slack quickly," Entreri said to Athrogate as Jarlaxle let fly the grapnel

Even as it hit behind the keep&039;s si in the slack, tightening the cord, which he stretched and tightly looped over the wall stone

Off went Entreri, leaping froht on, his ar with fluid and furioushis body, then unwinding in perfect synchrony, and so fast was hedown instead of crawling up

In short order, he neared the roof of the keep As he did, he let go with his feet and turned as he swung his legs down, gathering ather o at the perfect angle and trajectory Turning a half flip as he flew, drawing his weapons as he went, he landed perfectly on his feet on the wall top - just as a gargoyle rushed out to ht a sword slash across the face, followed by a quick dagger thrust to the throat, and Entreri followed the falling creature down, leaping froe of a second gargoyle

"Coate, as already in the housebreaker harness, said to Olgerkhan

Before the half-orc warrior could respond, the dwarf leaped up to the top of the wall, grabbed hi the harness to the cord as he went With aerkhan easily with one ared, propelling hi to grab at the dwarf&039;s arth, ye dolt," Athrogate scolded "I&039;ht until I get back!"

At that, Olgerkhan callance back, as did Athrogate, to see Mariabronne scraer ained steadily on the dwarf as they neared the growing sounds of battle

Up above thele froical from a wand and poison-tipped from his small crossbow

"Go next," Coic"

She leaned on the wall, straining to see the fighting across the way Every so often a gargoyle raised up fro, and Ellery could only pray that the creature didn&039;t notice the rope and the helplessacross

Pratcus hesitated and Ellery turned a sharp glare at hirabbed at the rope and shook his head "Won&039;t be holding another," he explained

Ellery slapped her hand on the stone wall top and turned to Canthan "Have you anything to assist?"

The wizard shook his head Then he launched so suddenly into spellcasting that Ellery fell back a step and gave a yelp She turned as Canthan cast, firing off a lightning bolt that caught one gargoyle as it dived at Athrogate and Olgerkhan

"Nothing to assist in the cli, if that is what you meant," the wizard clarified