ramparts. The smell was the most noticeable distinction. Out here, they could smell the smoke from wood burning fires and the more nauseating smell of a largely unwashed population.
They sneaked past the little wooden houses eyeing each one for signs of danger; in particular, they were worried about dogs. Many residents kept fearsome mongrels trained to protect their properties from intruders. Dogs would pick up their scent and would probably attack them even though they couldn’t be seen. What a strange sight that would be… definitely one to be avoided.
They whispered to each other as they moved along the streets.
“Stay close.”
“Where are you?”
“Right behind you… I think.”
They fumbled blindly for an invisible hand to hold and held on tightly once they found one. Every so often they’d be bumped apart in the crowded, narrow streets and they’d have to go through the routine of finding the other one again. They didn’t want to lose each other; not at this stage anyway.
“I’ve had an idea,” whispered an invisible Madrick. “Let’s use spit to stick leaves to our feet. It’ll just look as if they’re blowing along the ground to passers-by.”
“You’re a smart old wizard,” said Tung, as he licked some leaves and applied them to the soles of his feet. Madrick did the same.
The idea worked perfectly. They could keep an eye on each other and no one else noticed. Perfect.
Madrick watched for danger, as he always did, while Tung scouted for opportunities to steal what they needed. He had a well-practised eye so they hoped it wouldn’t take him too long to find what they needed. Clothes were the first item on his agenda.
“Timing is everything,” whispered Madrick. “We can’t lift anything if there’s anyone around. Garments flying through the air in our invisible hands would definitely attract attention.”
“But we can’t wait too long,” whispered Tung, “or we’ll reappear naked in the middle of this town and I bet that would draw even more unwelcome attention.”
Naked men running around the streets always got arrested, in Tung’s experience, and that was the last thing they wanted; an early return to Mifal’s dungeon.
Eventually Tung spotted the ideal opportunity. He caught sight of a family preparing to leave their house. It was a rather grand building by the standards in this part of town. The people were carrying quite a lot of stuff so it seemed likely they’d be away for some time. In fact, as they got closer, they overheard the family’s plans. They were off to visit the castle and would be gone for hours. This should give the invisible men plenty of time to poke around the house and find everything they needed for the being-visible world. They’d also be able to reappear in the privacy of this accommodation and, once visible, they could dress, cover their indignities and make good their escape. And so it was, more or less.
They timed their move perfectly and snuck inside before the door was secured. After a little rummaging both men found outfits, of sorts, which looked as though they would fit. They weren’t clothes which made a fashion statement other than ‘this person neither knows nor cares about fashion’. As a bonus, Tung’s well-honed thieving senses sniffed out the family’s life savings hidden in a jar above the blackened, stone fireplace. Tung counted his loot while he warmed himself in front of the dying embers of the log fire. It was a decent haul, he thought, which would keep him going - sorry, them going - for some time. He had to keep reminding himself that he needed Madrick to be content until it was the right time to abandon the old fool.
Meanwhile, Madrick used the seclusion of the dingy kitchen to retrieve the Scroll from its secret place. It was a weird sight, the scroll appearing slowly out of… nowhere. He washed it off in a pot of foul smelling liquid which was, in fact, bone soup for the family’s meagre supper. It smelled so
They sneaked past the little wooden houses eyeing each one for signs of danger; in particular, they were worried about dogs. Many residents kept fearsome mongrels trained to protect their properties from intruders. Dogs would pick up their scent and would probably attack them even though they couldn’t be seen. What a strange sight that would be… definitely one to be avoided.
They whispered to each other as they moved along the streets.
“Stay close.”
“Where are you?”
“Right behind you… I think.”
They fumbled blindly for an invisible hand to hold and held on tightly once they found one. Every so often they’d be bumped apart in the crowded, narrow streets and they’d have to go through the routine of finding the other one again. They didn’t want to lose each other; not at this stage anyway.
“I’ve had an idea,” whispered an invisible Madrick. “Let’s use spit to stick leaves to our feet. It’ll just look as if they’re blowing along the ground to passers-by.”
“You’re a smart old wizard,” said Tung, as he licked some leaves and applied them to the soles of his feet. Madrick did the same.
The idea worked perfectly. They could keep an eye on each other and no one else noticed. Perfect.
Madrick watched for danger, as he always did, while Tung scouted for opportunities to steal what they needed. He had a well-practised eye so they hoped it wouldn’t take him too long to find what they needed. Clothes were the first item on his agenda.
“Timing is everything,” whispered Madrick. “We can’t lift anything if there’s anyone around. Garments flying through the air in our invisible hands would definitely attract attention.”
“But we can’t wait too long,” whispered Tung, “or we’ll reappear naked in the middle of this town and I bet that would draw even more unwelcome attention.”
Naked men running around the streets always got arrested, in Tung’s experience, and that was the last thing they wanted; an early return to Mifal’s dungeon.
Eventually Tung spotted the ideal opportunity. He caught sight of a family preparing to leave their house. It was a rather grand building by the standards in this part of town. The people were carrying quite a lot of stuff so it seemed likely they’d be away for some time. In fact, as they got closer, they overheard the family’s plans. They were off to visit the castle and would be gone for hours. This should give the invisible men plenty of time to poke around the house and find everything they needed for the being-visible world. They’d also be able to reappear in the privacy of this accommodation and, once visible, they could dress, cover their indignities and make good their escape. And so it was, more or less.
They timed their move perfectly and snuck inside before the door was secured. After a little rummaging both men found outfits, of sorts, which looked as though they would fit. They weren’t clothes which made a fashion statement other than ‘this person neither knows nor cares about fashion’. As a bonus, Tung’s well-honed thieving senses sniffed out the family’s life savings hidden in a jar above the blackened, stone fireplace. Tung counted his loot while he warmed himself in front of the dying embers of the log fire. It was a decent haul, he thought, which would keep him going - sorry, them going - for some time. He had to keep reminding himself that he needed Madrick to be content until it was the right time to abandon the old fool.
Meanwhile, Madrick used the seclusion of the dingy kitchen to retrieve the Scroll from its secret place. It was a weird sight, the scroll appearing slowly out of… nowhere. He washed it off in a pot of foul smelling liquid which was, in fact, bone soup for the family’s meagre supper. It smelled so
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