-----"Why did you charge us, without first exchanging words?"
-----"It was our orders to take down any who stood in our way."
-----"How did you know who we were?"
-----"A day ago there came to the castle a woman who spoke with our lord. She said the lord's allies had been destroyed by a small troop of interlopers from the north."
-----"What did your lord tell you of us?"
-----"Only that you must be stopped at any costs."
-----"Are the remaining two troops in the castle of equal quality to yours?"
-----"They are infantry armored with scale mail and stand strong with hand weapons."
-----"What about these reinforcements you spoke of? Same quality, and when are they due to arrive?"
-----"They are due to arrive within the next two days. Among their number will be various humanoids and creatures."
-----"What do you know of Krondor's other allies, both in and out of Redmarsh?"
-----"This I do not know."
-----"Are any of these allies with him in the keep now?"
-----"Only the woman who arrived."
-----"Who has come and gone from the keep in the last month? Be as thorough as possible."
-----"Many messengers and priests have arrived late at night by the river. I do not know what messages or orders they carried."
-----"To your knowledge, does the castle have any other entrances? A secret one, or an escape tunnel perhaps?"
-----"I know of no tunnels leading from the castle. There is a dock built into the lower chambers of the castle by which vessels may arrive and depart."
-----"Are there any archers or crossbowmen in the keep? Catapults or ballista?"
-----"Nearly a dozen of the men are armed with heavy crossbows. There are ballista on two of the towers and the men-at-arms keep a boiling oil cauldron over the main gate."
-----"What did your lord expect of you when your company was supposed to return to the keep? Prisoners or bodies?"
-----"News that the intruders from the north were slain."
-----"Do you know anything of another group with...*(Here Sol gives the descriptions of the Dread Pirate's company)*?"
-----Harland looks strangely at the descriptions and slowly shakes his head, no.
-----"What do you think about Krondor laying claim to land that is ruled rightfully by Sir Zantar?"
-----"I live by the sword," Harland replies as if offering no apology, "I make no mind about ruling lords and their policies."
-----"Did working for a criminal bent on land and power grabbing bother you? Let alone the fact that he allied himself with creatures and people, whose evil nature's and actions despoiled the surrounding area?" Sol's face is slightly flushed as he asks this and it is apparent he has gotten himself worked up.
-----"I am a mercenary," Harland simply says without emotion, "my sword is for hire. If the pay is good, that is where I go."
-----Raven leans forward and says to fighter, "A dock? Do you think that would be a good way to enter the keep unseen? How well guarded is it?"
-----Harland studies Raven for a moment with a curious frown on his face. He then replies, "There are two guards posted there with a warning bell to alert the rest of the castle when visitors arrive."
-----"Stand with us Harland, and I will pay you well for your efforts." Sarah assures the mercenary, not wanting the man to change his mind should her spell expire. She turns to the others. "I think it is obvious we must attack the keep today or tomorrow at the very latest. Perhaps if we take Krondor hostage somehow we can force him to turn back the humanoids. And then we can punish him." Sarah is determined on the last point.
-----"Unfortunately any plan that involves subterfuge at this stage is unlikely to work." Sol theorizes, "If this company was set t'return after killing us, then Krondor will ha' already guessed that we have succeeded. Th' whole keep is likely t'be on alert an' wary of unusual occurrences."
-----"Unless we can pull off something big, a frontal assault would do us little good against ballista and crossbowmen. Stealth is a possibility. Wait until night, have Sarah help us scale the walls by magic. Work down from there." Here Sol glances at the mage for confirmation.