<div style="padding: 3px; background-color: #FFFFFF; border: 1px solid #d8d8d8; font-size: 1em;"><div style="text-transform: uppercase; border-bottom: 1px solid #CCCCCC; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 0.8em; font-weight: bold; display: block;"><span onclick="if (this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display != '') {  this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = ''; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;hide&lt;/a&gt;'; } else { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = 'none'; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;show&lt;/a&gt;'; }"><b>Spoiler: </b><a href="#" onclick="return false;">show</a></span></div><div class="quotecontent"><div style="display: none;">Sentry's Stealth: 1d20 (7) + 14 = 21, ties with Kaelen due to distance<br/><br/>Sentry's Perception: 1d20 (9) + 13 = 22<br/>House Occupants' Perception: 1d20 (14) + 17 = 31<br/><br/>No one can see Kaelen or Alyssa at their current distance.</div></div></div><br/>After a few seconds of scanning the alley, the man on the rooftop withdraws and doesn't return. Alyssa can still hear him moving around the roof, if she's quiet and listens carefully. He must be crawling, because she can't hear his footsteps at all, and he seems to be dragging something heavy behind him...<br/><br/>Eavesdropping on the conversation is child's play for Alyssa; if it weren't for the need to watch for partners, she could listen from underneath the boat rack without missing a word. Finding a vantage point proves to be a bit trickier, but there are enough slats missing from the shutters to afford a decent view of the interior without compromising her own concealment.<br/><br/>Present occupants aside, it's clear that the boathouse hasn't been in use for quite some time. The walls and floor are in tatters, open to the water beneath in some places, and unfurnished save for a lone oil lantern in the near corner of the room. Beyond the flickering light, there are shadows moving in the gloom, which Alyssa's darkvision resolves into a trio of humanoid figures. The center one is human, at least to appearances; a young to middle-aged woman with pale skin and flowing raven hair in an elaborate patterned dress and armbands. On either side of the woman are a pair of bestial looking demi-humans, werekin most likely, each with traits of a different animal: a broad-shouldered gray wolfman to her left, and a lithe and muscular lynx woman to her right The latter of the two is the source of most of the house's noise, muttering to herself as she paces her end of the room like a caged animal.<br/><br/>"They're<span style="font-style: italic">late</span>," she says in a scratchy voice. "We've been waiting for almost an hour now. That's taking them so long?"<br/><br/>"They aren't late yet," the wolfman answers. "Our meeting time was midnight on the dot, and it's at least five minutes to the bell.  It's not their fault if we're leaning the schedule - right, Mareth?" He glances at the human woman with a sardonic grin, earning him a sour look in return.<br/><br/>"Better an hour early than an hour late," Mareth replies huffily. "If it were up to me, we would have grabbed the lightblood ourselves and been out of this gods-forsaken place long ago. The shadows of this city are... wrong."<br/><br/>"Ah, you and your damned shadows again," the lynx woman says dismissively. "We know you hate the city, Mare.You've been on about it since we left Nemorosa - what, two days ago? What<span style="font-style: italic">I</span>want to know is... huh?"<br/><br/>The lynx woman's protest is cut short as the air above the trio begins roil and darken, rapidly descending from the ceiling into a column of whorling black smoke and wind. The loose floorboards and shutters rattle in the gusts of the tiny cyclone, and even the hooded lantern flickers for a moment, threatening to plunge the room into total darkness. With a final rush of air, the column dissipates as abruptly as it formed, leaving in its place a haggard-looking white catgirl in the tattered and toothmarked remains of a shirt and trousers - the same White Fur that attacked the Watch carriage a mere three hours past.<br/><br/>"Right on time," Mareth remarks drily, glancing at the beastwoman next to her with obvious amusement. "Though I must say, I was expecting something more... impressive?" She raises her eyebrow, and the wolfman barely stifles a chuckle. The wildcat woman doesn't even bother.<br/><br/>"Adjust your expectations," White Fur responds tersely. "The plan has changed..."<br/><br/>"Changed how?" The beastwoman asks. Mareth shoots her a dirty look, and she shrinks back, muttering an apology. The pale woman shakes her head in disgust, then turns back to White Fur with an expectant look.<br/><br/>"We were followed," White Fur explains, raising a hand to forestall another interruption from the bandit trio. "Someone picked up our trail after we attacked the Watch convoy. They've been after us ever since - four of them at least, maybe more. If the Stalker can't drive them away, we may have to fight our way out of here..."<br/><br/>White Fur freezes, her ears perking at a sound from the main street. The two weres follow suit, first the wildcat's ears, then the lupine's twitching to face the face direction as White Fur's. Mareth looks at her two companions, then at the door as her expression hardens.<br/><br/>"Garrus, Leena," she orders. "Call down Zeb and secure the trade goods. We're about to have a visitor."<br/><br/><br/><div style="padding: 3px; background-color: #FFFFFF; border: 1px solid #d8d8d8; font-size: 1em;"><div style="text-transform: uppercase; border-bottom: 1px solid #CCCCCC; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 0.8em; font-weight: bold; display: block;"><span onclick="if (this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display != '') {  this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = ''; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;hide&lt;/a&gt;'; } else { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = 'none'; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;show&lt;/a&gt;'; }"><b>Spoiler: </b><a href="#" onclick="return false;">show</a></span></div><div class="quotecontent"><div style="display: none;">Alyssa and Kaelen don't need to make checks to hear the sound - you'll find out what it is in the second part.  <img alt="8)" src="./images/smilies/icon_cool.gif" title="Cool"/></div></div></div><br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">PART 1 OF 2</span>