A Vintage Year

[Ladorak]

((For ninjasquirrel's....ninjasquirrel. )

Rosferia was a country known for it's fine vineyards and even sweeter wines. It had many a plantation that grew the vines of red and white wines that were imported all over the world. Some grew wealthy off of their wineries, and some, like Emanuel Delgar, had their own particular brand printed on the label of a wine bottle sitting in some restaurant where affluent patrons dined.

Delgar had a vineyard on the northwest coast of Rosferia, with fields stretching as far as the eye could see. In the center of it all, on a cliff side by the sea, perched Delgar's estate and manor house. Stone walls surrounded the perimeter and kept curious onlookers out, and within them were stables, the manor grounds, the servant's and planter's quarters, and the underground vault that contained many a good year of some of Delgar's finest wines.

The mongoose tycoon was known as somewhat of a recluse, though he was of noble descent and had an adviser to the Ministry of War back in Augustine XV's day. He was reputed to be quite the fine cellist, and his skills were reported to rival even the finest orchestra player in Cosnair....though he rarely if ever gave public recitals. Though of course, with all magnates who were suspiciously wealthy, Delgar harbored his own secrets.

His winery was a cover. Sure he produced good wine, but he produced even better opium. The growing of poppy plants for recreational drug use was considered illegal by Rosferian law, and Delgar did not cater to the clinics but to the seedy opium dens of the cities and underworlds of Rosferia. Not many of course knew this about him, but he had reaped the benefits. His son was looking to step into his shoes, but he had broken the cardinal rule.....never take your own stuff. Consequently, Delgar's son had degenerated into a worthless addict, though on the surface he kept up the front of maintaining his father's property when his father was away.

This particular weekend was special for the Delgar estate. He was hosting a reception on his grounds for the press, to show off his empire of wine that none suspected was merely a cover. Some considered Delgar a threat to their business and to the health of Roseria, and these beasts would go far enough to pay to have him killed. It was for this reason that Swifttail Darkbrush was given the task of eliminating Delgar and his son....the latter to make it appear as if a rival had done the deed and that this was not a hired hit.

The squirrel had been provided with an invite to the reception, but after that, he was on his own. He was not to be seen actually carrying out the task, but however he chose to do it was up to him. The gates to the manor grounds were ahead of him, and off to his left was a path that wound around the perimeter of the wall and eventually dead ended at the cliff down to the sea. A single guard was taking the invitations and showing the guests in, and other guards patrolled the perimeter of the wall on both sides. The inner grounds were divided into two segments. One contained Delgar's house and sheds where he currently was practicing his cello, and the other courtyard contained the winery and vault, where the reception itself was being held and Delgar's son was showing some of the reporters around.

Swifttail would be paid exceedingly well for this hit, and thus his mission began.....

[ninjasquirrel1]

OOC>The view that you were describing from is north so the cliff is to the west.

It was dark, very dark. The moon had crept behind a blanket of clouds, sensing the death that was soon to take place. Even the birds had stopped singing, frightened of the dark figure that now scaled the cliff side. . . .

Swifttail clutched to the cliff side with a crazed determination, a fire burning within himself. It was believed that this was a type of bloodrath gained only by assassins. Making them invincible, as fast as lightning some even believed . . . invisible. This strange fire now clutch Swifttail as he grappled each paw hold and silently ascended the cliff. . . .

At the west end of the wall two guards patrolled the corner, there wasn't another guard until quite a ways eastward down the wall. About fifteen feet from the wall was the cliff, it was thought to be unclimbable . . . until now. A dark shadowy head slowly raised itself from the cliff edge. Two dark orbs scanned the guards above. They seemed to be on either side of the corner. Walking to the wall, then exchanging the rare word or two, would turn around and walk twenty feet down.

Swifttail waited patiently, the two guards walking closer to the vertex of the corner. They turned one went easterly while the other one in a northerly direction away from the squirrel. Silently hoist himself onto firm soft ground, he sped noiselessly across the ground to the north section guard. Swifttail smothered him with his right paw, the guard dropped his spear and tried to struggle. But the assassin had already plunged his knife into his prey's neck.

Lightly laying the body on the ground, he crouched behind a nearby tree. Cleaning off his blade he aimed for the next guard's neck, waiting for him to reach the vertex again. . . .

[Ladorak]

The guards patrolling the grounds were not armed with firearms, though the ones inside the walls were. This out here carried a pike, similar to what the other guard had. Since he was at the far end of his beat he did not hear the attack upon the other guard at all. It was too dark to see much anyways.

Turning on his heel, he began the slow walk back to the corner of the wall. It was rather dull...not much action in this countryside, as no one really suspected Delgar of anything, and the ones that did had so far kept quiet. The mole sentry sighed, his breath coming out slow and long, as a delayed reaction almost.

As he neared the corner though he noticed something a bit...off. He should have heard the other sentinel approaching as well....but there were only his pawsteps crunching on the rocks out here. Stopping, he waited for a few seconds, listening for any sign of his fellow sentry. Strange...nothing. He was about 20 feet from the corner, and he raised his spear now.

"Sam?" the mole called out, beginning to approach the corner more slowly now. "Everything alright?" aside from the faint sounds of cello music drifting over the night air from Delgar's windows high above him, there was no sound of anything except his own two hind paws crunching along the gravel as he got closer to the corner.....

[ninjasquirrel1]

The guard seemed suspicious now, he had lowered his pike and was proceeding at a much slower pace. Swifttail waited patiently for the guard to make his way to the vertex. It seemed ages, his breath came out in slow silent gulps. Adjusting his aim, the assassin prepared for what was to come, he was within range now. There was deadly whistle as the blade whirled through the air. The guard clutch stepped back clutching the knife embedded in his neck. Blood poured out in a stream, as he gave his death gurgle.

Swifttail ran to the body as it collapsed to the ground making a quiet crunch on the dewy grass. Running to the cliff side, he hung down from the edge. Waiting about four minutes to see if anybeast heard, now satisfied that he was still unknown he continued his dirty work. . . .

Hoisting the first body up, he stumbled to the cliff side. Throwing the body out into space, he watched it drop to the ground below. Satisfied that it had made no sound as it hit the ground, he did the same to the other body.

Now that the bodies had been disposed of, Swifttail picked up the spear that had once been the first guard's weapon, throwing it over the cliff side as well. He picked up the pike now, examining it's size. It would just make it to the top of the wall. Thrusting the pike into the ground next to the wall, he tested it for durability. It was sturdy enough, able to hold Swifttail's weight for only a small amount of time.

Firmly gripping the pike, he began to slowly hoist himself up, using his hind paws to push up on the wall. Poking his head up over the wall, he examined the inner grounds. It was relatively empty except for one guard armed with a musket. Smiling at his good fortune, Swifttail watched the guard carefully, scanning each move. . . .

OOC>Sorry, had to go to church to listen to the Franz Family. And what will the guards inside be armed with?

[Ladorak]

((Mostly pistols, though some have pikes))

There were in fact three guards. The other two weren't immediately visible however. One was at the gate, taking the invitations and keeping those uninvited out. Another was guarding the work shed, where a bored field work was currently wandering over towards.

Still a third was guarding the front entrance to Delgar's manor. Not a single one of these guards moved, as none of them had beats to walk. The guards at the gate and manor door were armed with muskets, the one at the shed didn't appear to be armed with anything, though he carried a concealed baton.

The field worker stopped at the entrance to the shed, chatting with the shed guard briefly before heading inside the darkened interior. The manor and gate guards had their back to Swifttail, but the squirrel was off to the shed guard's left from his vantage point. There was a metal gutter a little ways directly in front of Swifttail that stretched to the roof of Delgar's manor, and on the other side of the manor was the path into the winery and vault, where Delgar's son and the reception were located.

Sounds of the party wafted on the breeze, but even more noticeable were the strains of cello music coming from Delgar's windows above the assassin's head, though they weren't directly reachable from the wall that Swifttail stood against. Aside from that cello playing and the distant sounds of the party, the night was still with not much stirring in the first courtyard.

[ninjasquirrel1]

Swifttail's satisfaction was short lived as he noticed the other two guards. His mind racing, he quietly descended from the wall. Lightly dropping to the ground, he walked over to the cliff side. Peering around the edges he found what he was looking for. Picking up two small pebbles, he stuck one in his pouch and held the other in his cheek.

Ascended the pike once again, he braced himself on the wall. Aiming at the wall to the right of the shed guard. Throwing the pebble it made a loud thunk against the stone workings. Ducking down behind the wall, Swifttail watched with one the reaction of the guards.

[Ladorak]

The pebble was heard by the shed guard quite clearly. Snapping his head off to the right, he scanned the darkness for signs that might have caused it.

"Hey!" called the guard in front of the manor house. "You need help?" The other guard shook his head, raising a paw to indicate that he was good.

"No...I got it." he said in a lower, gruffer voice. He slowly started to walk away from Swifttail, looking around and tensed up in case something was wrong. The manor door guard shifted his musket, ready to raise it if need be, though he did not currently move from his spot.

[ninjasquirrel1]

Smiling to himself as the guard left his post, checking the spot where Swifttail had thrown the pebble. Silently dropping to the ground inside the wall, he skirted of towards the corner of the manor house. Gripping the metal pipe, he quickly ascended the gutter in a flash with all the skill and instinct of a squirrel. He was now on the roof top, it's red tiling slanting at different parts of the roof. A chimney stood up here and there, topped with small metal railings. Walking along the roof top he searched for an ample place to enter the manor house. A window would be the best option, the window of Delgar's room would be even better. . .

OOC>Sorry about shortness and sloppyness, probably won't be able to get a post in for a day or two.

[Ladorak]

((OOC: No prob, I'll be around Good think you caught on to that pipe. ))

The window to Delgar's room would indeed have been even better, but the only problem for the assassin was that the mongoose patriarch was currently facing his window balcony and though the glass was open, the cellist was not actually outside on the balcony, but sitting a ways back in his room.

His left paw still glided over the large string instrument's neck, and his right paw worked the bow back and forth. He was watching the night sky, and planning on taking a break soon. He had been playing for close to an hour now, and he was running out of songs to practice. His music could be heard by Swifttail quite easily as he belted out the tune to a piece he had composed himself.

Another window, in the next room to Delgar's left, was open as well, and this room was unoccupied. It seemed there were two modes of entry for Swifttail should he choose a window insertion. There were no guards in the upper stories of the manor as Delgar wanted to practice in private away from his security, though they were crawling on the first floor.

[ninjasquirrel1]

OOC>Yeah. Classic assassin technique.

Swifttail listened for a minute longer, trying to decide from where the music was coming from. Yes, it was from his left. Standing up, he shuffled along the roof until he came to the edge. Ducking down encase there were guards below, he scanned for a way of entry. There was a balcony below him which obviously connected to Delgar's room. That would be the best approach, but there was one problem. He didn't know which way he was facing. Perhaps there was another window next to his room he could enter through. Ah, yes! Right below Swifttail was a closed window.

Lightly hanging from the roof, he was able to get a good grip with his foot paws on a small inch wide stone ledge beneath the window. Looking through his pouch, he pulled forth a small vial of grease. Dabbing some on his paw, he ran the whole length of the window's edges. After thoroughly greasing the window, he gave it a slight shove. It opened without a sound!

Pulling himself into the dark room, he scanned for anybeast sleeping. It was empty, he was still unknown.

Swifttail's next task was to make into the hallway and into Delgar's room. Walking up to the door, he felt the hinges. Surprisingly they were rather well kept hinges, they wouldn't make a sound. It seemed Delgar preffered his hinges not to creak.

Opening the door he stepped out into the hallway, it was empty. Turning to his right, he continued to Delgar's door. Once there, he checked the hinges of the door. Good, they too were in excellent order. But just to be sure he added an extra coating of grease over everything, he couldn't risk alerting Delgar. . . .

OOC> I'm so sorry Ladorak! I feel so bad! I just got carried away with work. And I have another black belt test coming up conferences all kinds of stuff. Sorry.