Alaric surveys the wall, noting the crumbled sections of it. "If they even used the gatehouse. Could be the wall is destroyed enough somewhere else for them to get in there."

While on their way to the Ironwood castle, Kertez would channel arcane energy to form a layer of protection around him (casting mage armor). He hopes that there won’t be any altercation, but should it happen, he prefers to be prepared.

The old wizard would agree with Valeria with a simple nod. Though not a tracker or hunter himself, he would provide assistsnce to someone who would attempt to look for horse tracks.

While the five of you mill about the gatehouse planning a next course of action, Cruentus continues his survey of the castle ground. He is far outside the range of his connection to Valeria, near the southeast end of the wall when he spots a collection of horses (at least 20) corralled within a makeshift fence. The tiny dragon familiar wheels around to go report his findings to his mistress. He doesn't see the attack coming until its too late. 

A crossbow bolt slams into his side, very nearly taking him out of the air completely. The creature squeaks and twists its head around, spotting someone fleeing from a window in one of castle's many towers. Badly wounded, the small dragon climbs higher to avoid further surprise attacks as he continues on...

A few minutes later he has returned to your own position, unsteadily gliding downwards to perch on Valeria's shoulder.

Having no luck with the animals, Feliks notes the pseudodragon as it returns. "She's injured, that's not promising," he says. "What has she seen? Any idea on numbers?"  He directs his attention to Valeria, hoping she can answer the questions.  

As her brave little dragon returns, Valeria is quick to take him into her comforting ams, seeing to his wound while making sure she undersstood where he had spooted the horses and from which window the bolt had been fired. She then gives Cruentus an affectionate kiss on the head before letting him rest and recuperate in his pocket-plane lair, complete with a tiny dragon's hoard for perfect dragon comfort. It hadn't been the first time since she had hooked up with the Great Wyrm that Cruentus had been wounded in the line of duty and it would most likely not be the last, but although the tiny dragon knew he couldn't be truly killed in this form she knew he wasn't particularly fond of the pain he still experienced. Still he was always loyal and brave when she had needed him to be and he knew how dearly his mistress would want to mete out a draconic justice against these despicable killers of unarmed innocents.

The young red-haired lady then proceeds to share all Cruentus had found out with the others. "They might be suspecting we are around but at least we know where to look for them now." She says, ready to follow the boys inside the massive ruined castle.

Stealth: 6
Perception: 18

Alaric mulls over the information given to them, hand going to rest on the hilt of the massive greatsword he carries. "At least 20 of them?" Those weren't odds he cared for...But there was another worry now. "If we leave them for too long, they may move on to hide somewhere else. Now that they know we've found them, we have to finish them."

"The odds there do not sound in our favor," Feliks says. "We could perhaps try to sneak in closer. Maybe find some way to ambush some of them?"

With his armor still packed up, Alaric felt a little more comfortable with his ability to move quietly. But not that confident. "I'm no master of stealth, but I'll do my best." He leaves the greatsword Sedris had gifted to him sheathed. As the proud dragon would likely say: this miscreants aren't worthy of it. Instead he draws a longsword and dons a shield, ready to move carefully into the castle.

Alaric Stealth(game log): 9

Kyrian stops them before they go too far, speaking in a low voice. "Hold on a minute, we're going about this all wrong. We don't need to kill them, we just need to stop them. There are twenty horses. If we are generous and say a quarter of those are pack animals, that still means fifteen bandits. We're heavily outnumbered and we no longer have the advantage of surprise. So, what if we simply get rid of their horses? If we can take the horses out, we cut their legs out from under them. They won't be able to run fast enough to escape any forces Marne sends after them, and they won't be able to stage any more raids effectively either."

Although the old wizard hadn't spoken yet, Valeria looks between the boys with disbelief. "We've faced much worse than this before, what happened to you all? Grow a pair will you!" She says with a scoff. "Yes one of them have spotted a tiny dragon flying by, if he even realized what he was shooting at, but that does not necessarily mean all of them are on full alert. Also, there is no reason to believe we need to fight all of them at once, and if we do all the better I say because I'm itching to engulf them all in justified dragon's fire." She continues, her eyes flaring fiery red with anger now. 

Kyrian growls at the courtier, the smoke-like translucence of his scales starting to fade as they darken with his temper. "A 'tiny dragon'? How short a length of time it took you to forget just how long it's been since anyone's seen dragons. In addition, we just chased six of them for the better part of two hours, they are most definitely on high alert. I didn't think it would be you who forgot our mission, Valeria. If it were me alone, I wouldn't be standing here. I want them dead just as much as you do. If I run in there without a plan, you four will all follow, and unfortunately you're all rather important to the realm. Too important to needlessly risk your lives."

He sighs and some of the color returns. "If we're doing this, let's just...think it through first. I can get myself and one of us up to a higher elevation. They won't be expecting that, at least, provided they don't see us."

Directly through the gate you can see a massive main hall, and to it's right are five towers of varying sizes, connected by stone bridges that rival the height of the walls (call it ~100 feet up). They also connect to the walls by bridges, and to the main keep. Further in beyond the towers the castle yard stretches on, but your line of sight is interrupted by trees that have grown since the castle's abandonment. There a number of crumbling builds in varied states of disrepair. Buildings that may have been barracks, smithies, storehouses, or servants quarters.

The young red-haired lady turns away and pouts as the dragonborn retorts. "I can reach higher elevation on my own thanks, and perhaps I can get someone a lift too. Do you think we can reach them if we sneak along the battlements?" She then turns back and asks, seeming relieved they were at least planning to move forward again.

"Since they spotted the pseudragon, I doubt they'll miss a bunch of people flying in the air. And I think Kyrian is right that they must know we're here," Feliks adds. He then turns to Valeria. "Perhaps the battlements could shield us. It's just hard to be sure since we don't know exactly where they are." He then looks to Kyrian. "The idea of taking their horses from them though isn't bad. It would slow them down."  He pauses, "Though I'd hate to just kill them all. Perhaps we could break them out and run them off?" he suggests. "That seems a good place to start." 

"Alright, let's start with sneaking closer and break out those horses..." The young red-haired lady concedes, nodding to the boys. "The raiders will probably chase after them and we can wait in ambush just outside the castle. We just need someone to get over to the horses without being seen..."

Kertez, who had been relatively silent up till now, probably to try to avoid being spotted, followed the group’s plan of freeing the horses. It felt dangerous to him but there was no way he would convince his young companions otherwise.

"I’m not sure how much I’ll able to contribute if it turns into a fight, but I could use my unseen servant to untie the horses. As it is invisible, the raiders would be none the wiser."

Valeria Stealth: 17
Alaric Stealth: 9
Feliks Stealth: 21
Kyrian Stealth: 23
Kertez Stealth: 9

Your group sneaks in through the gatehouse, immediately turning right to hug the wall. The horses were corralled within a makeshift fence far inside the castle's walls, so you know you have quite a ways ahead of you. For much of the way you move through the remains of ruined buildings. The stone that once made them is melted in many places, sending a chill down your spine. What power had the God-King's armies wielded that they could melt stone? 

Eventually, you spot the horses through the window of what was once an armory with the roof partially caved in. They aren't tied up, merely kept within in a fenced in area. You can see the gate, roughly 40 feet from you. 

"Alright Kertez, do your thing and open up the gate," Feliks whispers quietly. "Though we may have to encourage the horses to go." He tries to figure what the fastest way out of the ruined castle would be - whether there is something closer at hand or if they would have to go back the way they all had just come.  

Kertez nods and pulls out his grimoire while remaining crouched behind cover, causing a bit of discomfort in his bad leg. In a gesture that has become quite natural over the years, he flips open his spellbook at exactly the right page and begins whispering the incantation. (Using the once a day non-extended ritual casting from the Awakened Spellbook feature). He draws arcane sigils in the air, like a painter on a canvas. Moments later, his unseen servant manifests out of thin air. Though invisible to the naked eye, the old wizard can feel its presence.

With a mental command, he orders the servant to go open the gate the horses are locked in.

A few moments after Kertez's ritual, you can all watch as the unlocked gate to horse pen opens up. They don't immediately spring out - a few of the mounts begin to wander outside, gnawing on untouched grass outside of the pens. 

As Felik's looks around, he notices just a bit further to the southeast ~ 150 ft. there's another section of collapsed wall the party could escape from.