“Absolutely not.”
Jo Mama looked at Paul.
“Worked once.”
“It should not have.”
“Still worked.”
Paul rubbed his forehead.
Across the table, Ellie smiled.
The Paladin studied the map.
Jimmy attempted to put a teaspoon in his bag.
The Paladin caught him without looking.
“Jimmy.”
He put it back.
Paul pointed at the fortress drawn on the map.
“Blackstone Fortress.”
Ellie looked at him.
“We’ve done Blackstone.”
“Blackstone Keep.”
“Different place?”
“Apparently.”
Jo leaned over the map.
“People bad at names.”
“Agreed.”
Blackstone Fortress stood on a ridge overlooking the northern trade road.
Three walls.
Four towers.
Two dozen guards.
One extremely inconvenient magical alarm system.
Inside was the Shadow Key.
Nobody knew precisely what the Shadow Key opened.
This was considered concerning.
More concerning was the fact that Lord Daven’s correspondence from the royal ball indicated someone planned to retrieve it within three days.
King Aldric wanted the key secured first.
Quietly.
Discreetly.
Without alerting whoever else was looking for it.
The king had specifically used the phrase:
“No chandeliers.”
Jo had been offended.
Ellie tapped the map.
“South wall has fewer patrols.”
Paul nodded.
“But the alarm runes cover the gate.”
“So we don’t use the gate.”
Jo raised her hand.
“No kicking door.”
“Correct.”
“No punching wall.”
“Correct.”
“No yelling.”
“Correct.”
Jo thought.
“No throwing Paul?”
Paul hesitated.
“Not unless circumstances change and I explicitly agree.”
Jo nodded.
“Good.”
The Paladin smiled slightly.
Ellie continued.
“We climb here. Cross the outer courtyard. Enter through the records annex. The Shadow Key should be in the lower vault.”
Jimmy raised his hand.
“No looting,” everyone said.
Jimmy lowered it.
Jo studied the map.
“Be very quiet.”
“Yes,” Ellie said.
Jo nodded seriously.
“Jo can quiet.”
Paul looked at her.
Ellie looked at her.
The Paladin looked at her.
Jimmy looked at her.
Jo frowned.
“Rude.”
Jimmy held a rope because Jimmy always held a rope when things became tense.
The guard yawned.
Then walked away.
Jo waited until he disappeared.
She leaned toward Paul.
Barely audible:
“Armor?”
Paul whispered:
“No.”
Jo grinned.
The courtyard was worse.
Lanterns.
Patrols.
Open ground.
Almost nowhere to hide.
Ellie watched the guards.
One crossed east.
Another turned north.
Two stopped near the well.
Ellie waited.
Then raised two fingers.
They moved.
Jo followed exactly.
No questions.
No improvisation.
No decorative armor.
They reached a stack of supply crates.
Ellie stopped.
A guard turned unexpectedly.
Paul’s heart stopped.
Jo saw him first.
She touched Paul’s shoulder.
Then pointed.
Paul ducked.
Jimmy ducked.
The Paladin ducked.
Ellie was already gone.
Jo folded herself behind the crates.
This required considerable folding.
The guard walked past.
Jo did not breathe.
He continued.
Five steps.
Ten.
Gone.
Paul looked at Jo.
She silently mouthed:
Jo stealth.
Paul nodded.
Jo looked delighted.
Still silently.
The records annex had one window.
Locked.
Ellie examined it.
The GM placed a die in front of her.
Ellie stared.
The GM stared back.
Ellie rolled.
4.
She looked at the die.
Then at the lock.
“Fine.”
She took out her tools.
Two movements.
Click.
Window open.
Paul smiled.
Ellie whispered:
“Skill.”
“Yes.”
She climbed through.
The others followed.
Jo barely fit.
Barely.
She exhaled once she was inside.
The entire window frame creaked.
Everyone froze.
Jo froze harder.
Nothing happened.
She slowly straightened.
Paul whispered:
“Good.”
Jo beamed.
The annex smelled like dust and old paper.
Shelves filled the walls.
Jimmy looked around.
Paul pointed at him.
Jimmy whispered:
“Didn’t do anything.”
“Preventive.”
They moved downstairs.
The first alarm rune glowed across the corridor.
Paul crouched.
“Stop.”
Jo stopped so quickly Jimmy nearly walked into her.
Paul studied the rune.
“Pressure-linked.”
Ellie looked at the floor.
“Can we bypass?”
Paul traced the magical pattern with one finger in the air.
“Yes.”
He pointed.
“Step here.”
Ellie stepped.
“Then here.”
The Paladin followed.
Jimmy followed.
Paul crossed.
Jo stared at the safe stones.
They were small.
She looked at her boots.
Then at Paul.
Paul looked at the stones.
Then at Jo’s boots.
“Oh.”
Jo whispered:
“Big foot.”
“Yes.”
“Can do.”
“Are you sure?”
Jo nodded.
Paul considered offering magic.
Then stopped himself.
Jo had said she could do it.
“Okay.”
Jo stepped.
One boot landed precisely on the first stone.
Then the second.
Then the third.
Her arms stretched outward for balance.
Her tongue appeared slightly between her teeth.
Ellie watched.
The Paladin watched.
Jimmy watched.
Paul watched.
Jo reached the other side.
Nothing happened.
She slowly raised both fists.
Silently.
Paul smiled.
Silently.
Jimmy gave her a thumbs-up.
The Paladin did too.
Ellie whispered:
“Nice.”
Jo looked happier about that than she had about defeating General Steve.
They continued.
The lower vault was guarded by three soldiers.
Ellie held up three fingers.
Paul nodded.
The Paladin whispered:
“We can’t let them raise the alarm.”
Jo looked at Paul.
Paul saw the question.
“No throwing.”
Jo nodded.
No disappointment.
Just acknowledgment.
Progress.
Ellie pointed to the first guard.
Then Jimmy.
Jimmy looked confused.
She pointed at his rope.
Understanding dawned.
Jimmy smiled.
Paul became concerned.
The plan was surprisingly elegant.
Paul created a sound in the opposite corridor.
One guard investigated.
Jimmy’s rope caught his ankles.
The Paladin caught him before he hit the floor.
Jo caught the second guard when he turned.
Not hit.
Caught.
One enormous hand over his mouth.
One arm around his middle.
She looked at Paul.
Paul whispered:
“Gentle.”
Jo nodded.
The guard was placed gently on the floor.
The third guard turned.
Ellie was already behind him.
“Don’t.”
He stopped.
The Paladin stepped into view.
“We don’t want to hurt you.”
The guard looked at Jo.
Jo waved.
Very quietly.
The guard lowered his sword.
Jimmy tied all three.
Jo whispered:
“Polite stealth.”
Paul whispered back:
“Yes.”
They reached the vault.
Ellie knelt.
The door had six locking pins, two false catches, and one magical seal Paul had to suppress while she worked.
Ellie studied it.
“This is actually interesting.”
Paul crouched beside her.
“Can you open it?”
Ellie smiled.
“Yes.”
The GM placed the die in front of her.
Ellie’s smile disappeared.
“Of course.”
She picked it up.
Rolled.
7.
Ellie stared at the result.
Then shrugged.
“Fine.”
She turned back to the lock.
Paul held the magical seal dormant.
Ellie listened.
One pin.
Two.
False catch.
Reset.
Third pin.
Fourth.
Pressure.
Fifth.
Pause.
Sixth.
CLICK.
The vault opened.
Jo’s eyes widened.
Ellie looked back.
Jo silently applauded.
Ellie bowed.
Paul smiled.
“Seven.”
“Seven.”
“Still opened.”
Ellie looked at him.
“Obviously.”
Inside the vault rested a black key.
Not the black key from the monastery.
A different ominous black key.
Paul found this unnecessarily repetitive.
The Shadow Key rested inside a silver case.
Darkness seemed to cling to its edges.
Jo leaned closer.
“Bad shiny.”
“Potentially.”
Jimmy leaned closer.
“Could need.”
“We are literally here because we need it.”
Jimmy looked pleased.
“See?”
Paul decided not to engage.
Ellie lifted the key.
Nothing happened.
Everyone waited.
Still nothing.
Jo looked around.
“No trap?”
“Apparently not,” Paul said.
Jo frowned.
“Suspicious.”
Ellie searched the rest of the case.
“Paper.”
She pulled out a folded sheet.
Paul took it.
His expression changed.
“What?”
He turned it around.
A wanted poster.
Jo Mama’s face had been drawn with surprising accuracy.
Mostly.
The artist had made her tusks much larger.
Across the top:
WANTED FOR QUESTIONING
JO MAMA
ALIAS: HERO OF GREYHAVEN
SUSPECTED OFFENSES:
DESTRUCTION OF ROYAL PROPERTY
THEFT OF ROYAL CHANDELIER
PUBLIC DISTURBANCE
UNAUTHORIZED AERIAL GNOME DEPLOYMENT
Jo stared.
“Stole chandelier?”
Paul sighed.
“You did not.”
“King gave shiny.”
“Yes.”
“Chandelier attacked first.”
“Yes.”
The Paladin took the poster.
“This is inaccurate.”
Ellie pointed at the last line.
“That one is complicated.”
Paul frowned.
“It was authorized by the gnome.”
Jo nodded vigorously.
“Paul said throw.”
“I know.”
The Paladin folded the poster.
“We’ll correct the record.”
Jimmy looked at it.
“Good paper.”
“No.”
“Could need.”
The Paladin looked at him.
Jimmy sighed.
“Fine.”
Ellie folded it and put it in her pack.
Jo whispered:
“Put it in the bag.”
Ellie smiled.
Then a bell rang.
Everyone froze.
Paul slowly turned toward Ellie.
“I did not summon that.”
Ellie looked toward the courtyard.
“No.”
Another bell.
Then another.
Guards shouted.
The fortress erupted.
The Paladin drew her sword.
“Were we seen?”
Paul looked at the Shadow Key.
Its black surface had begun to glow.
“Oh.”
Jo pointed.
“Key tattled.”
“Yes.”
Jo cracked her knuckles.
“Quiet over?”
Ellie sighed.
“Quiet over.”
Jo grinned.
They ran.
The courtyard filled with guards.
Paul cast a wall of fog.
Ellie led them left.
Jimmy threw a rope over the wall.
The Paladin blocked a sword strike.
Jo lifted a guard and gently placed him into a rain barrel.
“Sorry!”
SPLASH.
“Jo!” Paul shouted.
“Didn’t hurt!”
“That is not the issue!”
They reached the south wall.
Jimmy secured the rope.
Ellie went over.
The Paladin followed.
Paul followed.
Jo turned.
Eight guards were closing.
She looked at the wall.
Then at the guards.
Then at Paul disappearing over the edge.
She smiled.
“Be very quiet.”
Then she grabbed a wooden training rack and threw it across the courtyard.
CRASH.
Every guard turned.
Jo climbed down the opposite side.
They reached the woods.
Ran for nearly a mile.
Then stopped.
Paul bent over, breathing hard.
The Paladin leaned against a tree.
Jimmy checked his bag.
Ellie held up the Shadow Key.
Jo stood in the moonlight.
Everyone looked at her.
Jo looked around.
“What?”
Ellie started laughing.
Paul tried not to.
Failed.
The Paladin laughed too.
Jimmy smiled.
Jo frowned.
“What?”
Paul straightened.
“You did it.”
“Got key?”
“No.”
Paul pointed at her.
“You were quiet.”
Jo’s face lit up.
“Jo stealth!”
“For nearly the entire mission.”
“Jo stealth!”
Ellie nodded.
“You crossed the courtyard without being seen.”
“JO STEALTH.”
“Quietly,” Paul reminded her.
Jo whispered:
“Jo stealth.”
Paul smiled.
“Yes.”
Sometimes stealth is simply knowing when not to kick the door.
They returned to the royal outpost before dawn.
The Shadow Key was secured.
The officer receiving it looked relieved.
Then he looked at Jo.
“Wait.”
Jo froze.
He narrowed his eyes.
“Have I seen you somewhere?”
Ellie slowly moved the wanted poster behind her back.
Jo smiled.
“Nope.”
Paul looked at her.
Jo whispered:
“Stealth.”
The officer stared another moment.
Then shrugged.
“Must be mistaken.”
They left immediately.
The Paladin carried the increasingly heavy responsibility of making sure that statement remained true.
Jo walked quietly for almost ten minutes.
Paul noticed.
He looked up.
“You know the stealth mission is over.”
Jo nodded.
Still quiet.
Paul waited.
Finally:
“Jo good stealth?”
Paul smiled.
“Yes.”
Jo nodded.
Then, at full volume:
“JO GOOD STEALTH!”
Birds exploded from the trees.
Paul flinched.
Ellie laughed.
The Paladin shook her head.
Jimmy nodded.
“Very.”
Jo grinned.
Operation Be Very Quiet was officially complete.