S02E06

## Escape from Castle Highhome

### Summary:

Alon, Fiyona and Rook make a daring escape from their imprisonment by the Dyres.

## Escape from Castle Highhome

### Prologue

The Dread Company marched on through The Riverlands. Minerva's cart plodded along lazily with the soldiers on foot. In the back, Minnie dreamed fitfully.

At first she thought she saw a stormy night, but came to realize that she was seeing a sky dimmed with ash. This was the forest of the Greyrocks being clear-cut and baked to extract pine tar on a massive scale. Two ladies' silhouettes cast dark figures against the red sky. They made their way across a floating wooden walkway.

The first said, "My lady, There are foul creatures in the water. And the cabin has any number of clever traps. Three men died clearing it, and I expect there's still more unfound."

"Then why did you bring me to this place?" the other said.

Coming in to the light of a lantern, Minnie could perceive the faces of Maedalyn Dyre and Maggy the Frog, woods witch of Casterly Rock.

Maggy said, "I've looked the whole place up and down and I don't recognize a thing. I thought your knowledge of Eastern magic might help."

Maedalyn looked over the cabin thoughtfully...

...and then: The image of a very tall hill with a flat top, thirty-one white tree stumps in a ring. At the centre is a mother feeding a baby.

### Blackmail

The courtiers of Castle Highhome woke to a ruckus. A company of Dyre soldiers entered the East Wing, demanding that Ser Clyde and Wilfred come with them. Alon, Fiyona and Rook were brought to the dining room. They asked to leave, but were told to, "Stay until Master Martyns is through with you."

Soon, Gravven Martyns entered the room and dismissed the Dyre soldiers from the East Wing of the catle. He gloated that Ser Clyde and Wilfred were now on a carriage to Raptor's Rest, the Dyre castle, certainly to be burned alive. Gravven, known by his friends as 'Gravy' had convinced Mykaal Dyre that these three were still valuable, and only that had saved them. Gravy remarked that he had three envelopes, each with a destructive secret about Alon, Fiyona and Rook, and that they would be given to Mykaal Dyre if they didn't serve loyally.

### A Secret Code

But Alon and Fiyona used their powers of manipulation (and seduction) to soften Gravy's heart. In the end, he agreed to give the group the envelopes and left. But not before Rook was able to pick his pocket, thieving a satin pouch containing twenty-two silver stags.

The group destroyed the blackmail letters. And they soon discovered in the room three coded messages. They worked diligently to break the cipher, uncovering the messages:

NORTHWEST TOWER AT MIDNIGHT

CALL BRANTON FOUR WHISTLES

TELL ROSIE HER PIES STINK

Thinking about the residents of Aldford, Rook could remember three Rosies: Rosie the milk maid, Rosie the fish monger and Rosie the stable hand at the Green Tempest Tavern. The group decided to attempt the escape.

### Escape

The night was dark a moonless. With intense caution, Alon, Fiyona and Rook scouted out the area. They noticed only one guard slowly making rounds across this area of the wall. And from the castle heights, they could see the fires of the pine tar production in the Greyrocks to the north.

At midnight, Alon gave the four whistles. Branton Hill, bastard son of Lord Jarden Krey and second cousin to Zandren Glenbain, approached, disguised as a Dyre soldier. He quickly began fastening a rope to one of the tower's battlements.

The group looked on in horror as Ser Jon Hallan, champion of House Dyre, and a soldier came walking down the wall. Ser Jon immediately noticed Branton and drew his sword. Rook, hiding in the darkness, withdrew a collection of sharp metal bits he had gathered in the castle and sharpened and threw them into the path in front of Ser Jon.

Alon, never a fighter, stood up and began to speak. He tried to use his powers of persuasion to send the giant warrior away, but the Dyre soldier noticed what Branton was doing and shouted, "It's an escape!"

Ser Jon drew his enormous greatsword and demanded they surrender. Branton Hill then heard Hallan's voice and became enraged. He drew his sword and they began to fight. Rook threw a hand axe into Ser Jon's head, leaving a long gash across his face. Alon raced to the rope and continued to fasten it securely. Fiyona produced her stiletto and drove it into Ser Jon's back. Rook dashed around the walls, picked up his hand axe and began fighting the guard.

The battle raged and the courtiers found that they were being outmatched. Alon opened one of his compartment rings and blew white dust into Ser Jon's face (and his open wound). Ser Jon was furious. He grabbed Rook by the shoulders and threw him from the forty foot wall. Rook hit the ground hard, surviving only due to his acrobatic prowess. Branton, seeing the fight was lost, put his arm around Fiyona and slid down the rope. Unfortunately, he lost his grip and they fell half of the height into the moat. Alon was left alone on the wall and soon Ser Jon hoisted him up and threw him into the moat.

### Branton's Sacrifice

Rook had been wounded in the fighting and struggled to swim across the moat. Branton was also straining to swim while wearing armour and assisting Fiyona. And then Alon hit the water hard, losing consciousness with the impact and sinking like a stone.

"Save him. I'll be fine," Fiyona said. And even with her wounds and heavy formal clothes, she swam the rest of the way alone.

Branton dove into the moat and pulled Alon to the surface. He fought his injuries and exhaustion to pull Alon through the water. But in the end, the exertion was too much for Branton. His heavy armor dragged him to the bottom.

Fiyona and Rook were able to fish Alon out of the water, but Branton was lost in the dark water. As quickly as they could, they dragged Alon's unconscious body away.

### On the Lamb

Rook found himself wounded, wet and on the run in the deep forest at night. His phobia of the woods scratched at his mind, but he steadied himself.

"I don't know this area," Fiyona said, "Where can we go?"

Rook thought hard, "Farmer Tray is a friend. He has a barn we can hide in."

They carried Alon through the woods at night for hours, finally coming to Tray's farm. They snuck into his barn and collapsed with exhaustion.

The next morning they revealed themselves to Tray's wife Hannah and were greeted warmly. The family looked after the three, keeping them safe from Dyre patrols and treating their injuries. The group stayed for a week and before they went, Rook left the farmers the twenty-two silvers he had stolen from Gravy.

### The House of Whispers

The group decided that the Green Tempest Tavern was their best bet for discovering the meaning of the message "Tell Rosie her pies stink." And sure enough, when they gave Rosie the code, she pointed them to a back room at the tavern.

When they entered the back room, they discovered Barrish Cherrane, Ser Maurice Figgybottom and ten of the Glenbain House of Whisper's spies.

"We'd almost given up hope," said Barrish. "Listen, I understand things are bad here, but I've rescued you and now you're going to come with me to The Reach. My sister Caryss has declared for the Loyalists and I'm having trouble ousting her. In fact, the entire Reach is almost evenly divided between Rebels and Loyalists. If I had control of my House, I'll warrant I could sway the whole region to the Rebel cause. That would be tens of thousands of soldiers."

Ser Maurice spoke up, "But what about Master Wilfred and Ser Clay? Folks noted they've been sent to Raptor's Rest, but there's no sign they been killed yet. We must mount a rescue."

Which prompted one of the spies to say, "None of this matters. If we're to win the war, we need outside help. We should travel to Dorne or Volantis."

"No," Barrish said, "I am your leader and you'll do as I say. We go to The Reach. And a rescue is a waste of time and resources."

It was a long debate, but eventually the group convinced Barrish of their plan: Ser Maurice and the ten spies would rescue Wilfred and Clyde from Raptor's Rest, while Barish and the rest of the group would head South to The Reach. If and when Wilfred and Clyde were rescued, they could rejoin and continue the diplomatic effort in the war.

## Experience

- Alon Redwyne, Fiyona Riser and Rook each earned 15 XP, 2 Glory and 195 Silver

- The Courtly Group has temporarily joined the service of House Cherrane

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