Thaddeus Nowak's Blog: Thoughts and Observations, page 12

Event: We’re Still Batman Day

Heading over to the We’re Still Batman Day.  It is from 1000-1800 (6pm) at Elite Comics.

Come on out and experience a mini-con!

11842 Quivira Rd, Overland Park, Kansas 66210

To borrow from the facebook event:

A huge all day party to express our love of all things Batman! Come by for a huge comic book street party! Artists, vendors, food trucks, music, massive sidewalk sale costume contest and more! Tell your friends, take the day off and get your gravelly voice ready..We’re STILL Batman Day is coming! The event will be held at the shop located at 11842 Quivira rd in Overland Park Kansas.

With:

Comic Artist Larry Stroman!

Comic Artist Erica Batton!

Comic Writer CW Cooke!

Kansas City Zombie Walk for Hunger will be collecting donations!

Kansas City Comic Con will be on site!

Comic Artist Damont Jordan!

Artist Leeanne Krecic!

Artist Iryna Stroganova!

Worst Comic Podcast Ever will be on the scene!

Author Brian W. Peterson!

Author Thaddeus Nowak!

Barefoot Sewing!

Naka-Kon!

Artist Arie Monroe!

 

The post Event: We’re Still Batman Day appeared first on Thaddeus Nowak.

Copic Markers – What’s in the big sets?

So, my wife and I are interested in some Copic Markers. These are professional artist markers and since she started playing with markers, I’ve kind of picked up a little bug and have the desire to play with them as well.

She’s tried several different brands of markers and I’ve tried them in a more limited fashion. I will say from our experience that the Copic Markers are just a level above the others. However, the most affordable way to buy the markers (which can be $6 or $7 dollars each) is to buy the sets.

Now, Copic Markers come in several different size sets (3, 6, 12, 24, 36, and 72 pens). However, considering the price per pen, the 72 marker set is the way to go (they are around $350 for each set from several locations). There are five 72-marker sets in the Sketch line, which is the one aimed at artists. That is a total of 360 markers (with 358 unique colors, black and white showing up twice).

The problem I found is that it is hard to compare the colors you get in each set. When looking for the “best set to start with” there was not a clear answer. Buying all five sets is a significant investment and it is more probable that you might buy one or two big sets and fill in with smaller sets or individual markers to get your working set of markers.

Now the good news is that these markers are refillable and the nibs are replaceable, so you should never have to buy more than one marker of the same color. The problem is, several of the smaller sets have overlaps were you get the same marker in multiple sets (even the big 72 marker sets have overlap).

Copic provides a nice Color Picker Page that shows all of the colors (using internet color codes, so not 100% the marker color, but it gives you an idea).  However, the page is not broken down based on the marker sets and it becomes a chore to compare the colors from one set to the other. So, cue the music …

The nice part of the Copic’s page is it really is just a table of entries with the marker code, a name, and a background color code. I took the raw information from the html, details from other pages that say what markers are in which sets, and using my DBA skills, populated a couple of tables in a database. From that, I ran some queries, sent the output through an awk script I wrote to create some html, and the next thing you know, I have a web page with set of tables broken down by color family and marker set. This allowed me to compare the sets side-by-side on the same page.

Originally, I was just going to let me wife look over the page to see if there was a set she felt would be a better starter set, but then I thought, hey, there are probably other people out there who may be curious about the same thing (I found more than one comment asking about which set to start with). So if this interests you, I hope this chart (limited to the five 72-marker Sketch sets) will be of help.

Color Family: B



A
B
C
D
E


A – B01

Mint Blue
B – B00

Frost Blue
C – B04

Tahitian Blue
D – B000

Pale Porcelain Blue
E – B0000

Pale Celestine


A – B05

Process Blue
B – B02

Robin’s Egg Blue
C – B16

Cyanine Blue
D – B28

Royal Blue
E – B66

Clematis


A – B06

Peacok Blue
B – B12

Ice Blue
 

 
D – B52

Soft Greenish Blue
E – B69

Stratospheric Blue


A – B14

Light Blue
B – B18

Lapis Lazuli
 

 
D – B60

Pale Blue Gray
 

 


A – B23

Phthalo Blue
B – B21

Baby Blue
 

 
D – B63

Light Hydrangea
 

 


A – B26

Cobalt Blue
B – B24

Sky
 

 
D – B79

Iris
 

 


A – B29

Ultramarine
B – B41

Powder Blue
 

 
D – B91

Pale Grayish Blue
 

 


A – B32

Pale Blue
B – B45

Smoky Blue
 

 
D – B93

Light Crockery Blue
 

 


A – B34

Manganese Blue
 

 
 

 
D – B95

Light Grayish Cobalt
 

 


A – B37

Antwerp Blue
 

 
 

 
D – B97

Night Blue
 

 


A – B39

Prussian Blue
 

 
 

 
D – B99

Agate
 

 



Color Family: BG



A
B
C
D
E


A – BG09

Blue Green
B – BG02

New Blue
C – BG05

Holiday Blue
D – BG01

Aqua Blue
E – BG000

Pale Aqua


A – BG10

Cool Shadow
B – BG11

Moon White
C – BG34

Horizon Green
D – BG07

Petroleum Blue
E – BG0000

Snow Green


A – BG15

Aqua
B – BG13

Mint Green
C – BG99

Flagstone Blue
D – BG23

Coral Sea
E – BG53

Ice Mint


A – BG18

Teal Blue
B – BG32

Aqua Mint
 

 
D – BG93

Green Gray
E – BG57

Sketch Jasper


 

 
B – BG45

Nile Blue
 

 
D – BG96

Bush
E – BG70

Ocean Mist


 

 
B – BG49

Duck Blue
 

 
 

 
E – BG72

Ice Ocean


 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
E – BG75

Abyss Green


 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
E – BG78

Bronze


 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
E – BG90

Sketch Gray Sky



Color Family: BL



A
B
C
D
E


A – 100

Black
B – 0

Colorless Blender
C – 100

Black
 

 
 

 


A – 110

Special Black
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 



Color Family: BV



A
B
C
D
E


A – BV08

Blue Violet
B – BV00

Mauve Shadow
 

 
D – BV000

Iridescent Mauve
E – BV0000

Sketch Pale Thistle


 

 
B – BV04

Blue Berry
 

 
D – BV02

Prune
E – BV01

Viola


 

 
B – BV23

Grayish Lavender
 

 
D – BV11

Soft Violet
E – BV34

Sketch Bluebell


 

 
B – BV31

Pale Lavender
 

 
D – BV13

Hydrangea Blue
 

 


 

 
 

 
 

 
D – BV17

Deep Reddish Blue
 

 


 

 
 

 
 

 
D – BV20

Dull Lavender
 

 


 

 
 

 
 

 
D – BV25

Grayish Violet
 

 


 

 
 

 
 

 
D – BV29

Slate
 

 



Color Family: CG



A
B
C
D
E


A – C1

Cool Gray No. 1
B – C0

Cool Gray
 

 
 

 
E – C00

Cool Gray


A – C3

Cool Gray No. 3
B – C2

Cool Gray
 

 
 

 
 

 


A – C5

Cool Gray No. 5
B – C4

Cool Gray
 

 
 

 
 

 


A – C7

Cool Gray No. 7
B – C6

Cool Gray
 

 
 

 
 

 


A – C9

Cool Gray
B – C8

Cool Gray
 

 
 

 
 

 


 

 
B – C10

Cool Gray
 

 
 

 
 

 



Color Family: E



A
B
C
D
E


A – E09

Burnt Sienna
B – E00

Skin White
C – E00

Skin White
D – E000

Pale Fruit Pink
E – E0000

Floral White


A – E15

Dark Suntan
B – E02

Fruit Pink
C – E19

Redwood
D – E01

Pink Flamingo
E – E17

Reddish Brass


A – E29

Burnt Umber
B – E04

Lipstick Natural
C – E25

Caribe Cocoa
D – E08

Brown
E – E18

Copper


A – E33

Sand
B – E07

Light Mahogany
C – E27

Africano
D – E47

Dark Brown
E – E23

Hazelnut


A – E37

Sepia
B – E11

Barley Beige
C – E34

Orientale
D – E50

Egg Shell
E – E30

Bisque


A – E44

Clay
B – E13

Light Suntan
C – E53

Raw Silk
D – E71

Champagne
E – E42

Sand White


A – E49

Dark Bark
B – E21

Baby Skin Pink
C – E55

Light Camel
D – E74

Cocoa Brown
E – E70

Ash Rose


 

 
B – E31

Brick Beige
C – E59

Walnut
D – E79

Cashew
E – E81

Ivory


 

 
B – E35

Chamois
C – E77

Maroon
D – E93

Tea Rose
E – E84

– Sketch Khaki


 

 
B – E39

Leather
 

 
D – E95

Flesh Pink
E – E87

Fig


 

 
B – E40

Brick White
 

 
D – E97

Deep Orange
E – E89

– Sketch Pecan


 

 
B – E41

Pearl White
 

 
D – E99

Baked Clay
 

 


 

 
B – E43

Dull Ivory
 

 
 

 
 

 


 

 
B – E51

Milky White
 

 
 

 
 

 


 

 
B – E57

Light Walnut
 

 
 

 
 

 



Color Family: F



A
B
C
D
E


 

 
 

 
 

 
D – FB2

Fluorescent Dull Blue
 

 


 

 
 

 
 

 
D – FBG2

Fluorescent Dull Blue Green
 

 


 

 
 

 
 

 
D – FRV1

Fluorescent Pink
 

 


 

 
 

 
 

 
D – FV2

Fluorescent Dull Violet
 

 


 

 
 

 
 

 
D – FY1

Fluorescent Yellow Orange
 

 


 

 
 

 
 

 
D – FYG1

Fluorescent Yellow
 

 


 

 
 

 
 

 
D – FYG2

Fluor Dull Yellow Green
 

 


 

 
 

 
 

 
D – FYR1

Fluorescent Orange
 

 



Color Family: G



A
B
C
D
E


A – G07

Nile Green
B – G00

Jade Green
C – G09

Veronese Green
D – G94

Grayish Olive
E – G000

Pale Green


A – G16

Malachite
B – G02

Spectrum Green
C – G19

Bright Parrot Green
 

 
E – G0000

Crystal Opal


A – G17

Forest Green
B – G05

Emerald Green
C – G20

Wax White
 

 
E – G03

Meadow Green


A – G21

Lime Green
B – G12

Sea Green
C – G24

Willow
 

 
E – G43

Various Pistachio


A – G28

Ocean Green
B – G14

Apple Green
C – G40

Dim Green
 

 
E – G46

Sketch Mistletoe


A – G99

Olive
B – G29

Pine Tree Green
C – G82

Spring Dim Green
 

 
 

 


 

 
B – G85

Verdigris
 

 
 

 
 

 



Color Family: NG



A
B
C
D
E


 

 
B – N1

Neutral Gray
C – N0

Neutral Gray
 

 
 

 


 

 
B – N3

Neutral Gray
C – N2

Neutral Gray
 

 
 

 


 

 
B – N5

Neutral Gray
C – N4

Neutral Gray
 

 
 

 


 

 
B – N7

Neutral Gray
C – N6

Neutral Gray
 

 
 

 


 

 
B – N9

Neutral Gray
C – N8

Neutral Gray
 

 
 

 


 

 
 

 
C – N10

Neutral Gray
 

 
 

 



Color Family: R



A
B
C
D
E


A – R02

Flesh
B – R20

Blush
C – R00

Pinkish White
D – R000

Cherry White
E – R0000

Pink Beryl


A – R08

Vermilion
B – R24

Prawn
C – R05

Salmon Red
D – R12

Light Tea Rose
E – R01

Pinkish Vanilla


A – R27

Cadmium Red
B – R29

Lipstick Red
C – R11

Pale Cherry Pink
D – R14

Light Rouge
E – R21

Sardonyx


A – R32

Peach
B – R39

Garnet
C – R17

Lipstick Orange
D – R22

Light Prawn
E – R56

Currant


A – R37

Carmine
B – R59

Cardinal
C – R35

Coral
D – R30

Pale Yellowish Pink
E – R81

Rose Pink


 

 
 

 
 

 
D – R43

Bougainvillaea
E – R83

Rose Mist


 

 
 

 
 

 
D – R46

Strong Red
E – R85

Rose Red


 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
E – R89

Dark Red



Color Family: RV



A
B
C
D
E


A – RV04

Shock Pink
B – RV06

Cerise
C – RV02

Sugared Almond Pink
D – RV23

Pure Pink
E – RV00

Water Lily


A – RV09

Fuchsia
B – RV21

Light Pink
C – RV10

Pale Pink
D – RV42

Salmon Pink
E – RV000

Pale Purple


A – RV11

Pink
B – RV34

Dark Pink
C – RV13

Tender Pink
 

 
E – RV0000

Evening Primrose


A – RV19

Red Violet
 

 
C – RV14

Begonia Pink
 

 
E – RV52

Various Cotton Candy


A – RV29

Crimson
 

 
C – RV17

Deep Magenta
 

 
E – RV55

Hollyhock


 

 
 

 
C – RV25

Dog Rose Flower
 

 
E – RV63

Begonia


 

 
 

 
C – RV32

Shadow Pink
 

 
E – RV66

Raspberry


 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
E – RV69

Peony


 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
E – RV91

Garyish Cherry


 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
E – RV93

Smokey Purple


 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
E – RV95

Baby Blossoms


 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
E – RV99

Argyle Purple



Color Family: TG



A
B
C
D
E


 

 
 

 
C – T0

Toner Gray
 

 
 

 


 

 
 

 
C – T1

Toner Gray
 

 
 

 


 

 
 

 
C – T2

Toner Gray
 

 
 

 


 

 
 

 
C – T3

Toner Gray
 

 
 

 


 

 
 

 
C – T4

Toner Gray
 

 
 

 


 

 
 

 
C – T5

Toner Gray
 

 
 

 


 

 
 

 
C – T6

Toner Gray
 

 
 

 


 

 
 

 
C – T7

Toner Gray
 

 
 

 


 

 
 

 
C – T8

Toner Gray
 

 
 

 


 

 
 

 
C – T9

Toner Gray
 

 
 

 


 

 
 

 
C – T10

Toner Gray
 

 
 

 



Color Family: V



A
B
C
D
E


A – V04

Lilac
B – V12

Pale Lilac
 

 
D – V01

Heath
E – V000

Pale Heath


A – V06

Lavender
B – V15

Mallow
 

 
D – V05

Marigold
E – V0000

Rose Quartz


A – V09

Violet
B – V17

Amethyst
 

 
D – V91

Pale Grape
E – V20

Wisteria


 

 
 

 
 

 
D – V95

Light Grape
E – V22

Sketch Ash Lavender


 

 
 

 
 

 
D – V99

Aubergine
E – V25

Pale Blackberry


 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
E – V28

Sketch Eggplant


 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
E – V93

Early Grape



Color Family: WG



A
B
C
D
E


A – W1

Warm Gray No. 1
 

 
C – W0

Warm Gray
 

 
E – W00

Warm Gray


A – W3

Warm Gray No. 3
 

 
C – W2

Warm Gray
 

 
 

 


A – W5

Warm Gray No. 5
 

 
C – W4

Warm Gray
 

 
 

 


A – W7

Warm Gray No. 7
 

 
C – W6

Warm Gray
 

 
 

 


A – W9

Warm Gray
 

 
C – W8

Warm Gray
 

 
 

 


 

 
 

 
C – W10

Warm Gray
 

 
 

 



Color Family: Y



A
B
C
D
E


A – Y02

Canary Yellow
B – Y00

Barium Yellow
C – Y19

Napoli Yellow
D – Y04

Acacia
E – Y000

Pale Lemon


A – Y06

Yellow
B – Y08

Acid Yellow
C – Y23

Yellowish Beige
D – Y28

Lionet Gold
E – Y0000

Yellow Fluorite


A – Y11

Pale Yellow
B – Y17

Golden Yellow
C – Y38

Honey
D – Y32

Cashmere
E – Y18

Lightning Yellow


A – Y13

Lemon Yellow
 

 
 

 
D – Y35

Maize
 

 


A – Y15

Cadmium Yellow
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 


A – Y21

Buttercup Yellow
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 


A – Y26

Mustard
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 



Color Family: YG



A
B
C
D
E


A – YG03

Yellow Green
B – YG07

Acid Green
C – YG01

Green Bice
D – YG00

Mimosa Yellow
E – YG0000

Lily White


A – YG13

Chartreuse
B – YG11

Mignonette
C – YG05

Salad
D – YG06

Yellowish Green
E – YG61

Pale Moss


A – YG91

Putty
B – YG17

Grass Green
C – YG09

Lettuce Green
D – YG93

Grayish Yellow
 

 


A – YG95

Pale Olive
B – YG41

Pale Cobalt Green
C – YG21

Anise
 

 
 

 


 

 
B – YG67

Moss
C – YG23

New Leaf
 

 
 

 


 

 
 

 
C – YG25

Celadon Green
 

 
 

 


 

 
 

 
C – YG45

Cobalt Green
 

 
 

 


 

 
 

 
C – YG63

Pea Green
 

 
 

 


 

 
 

 
C – YG97

Spanish Olive
 

 
 

 


 

 
 

 
C – YG99

Marine Green
 

 
 

 



Color Family: YR



A
B
C
D
E


A – YR00

Powder Pink
B – YR02

Light Orange
C – YR16

Apricot
D – YR000

Silk
E – YR0000

Pale Chiffon


A – YR04

Chrome Orange
 

 
C – YR18

Sanguine
D – YR20

Yellowish Shade
E – YR01

Peach Puff


A – YR07

Cadmium Orange
 

 
C – YR21

Cream
D – YR31

Light Reddish Yellow
E – YR12

Loquat


A – YR09

Chinese Orange
 

 
 

 
D – YR61

Yellowish Skin Pink
E – YR15

Pumpkin Yellow


A – YR14

Caramel
 

 
 

 
D – YR65

Atoll
E – YR27

Tuscan Orange


A – YR23

Yellow Ochre
 

 
 

 
D – YR68

Orange
E – YR30

Macadamia Nut


A – YR24

Pale Sepia
 

 
 

 
 

 
E – YR82

Mellow Peach

The post Copic Markers – What’s in the big sets? appeared first on Thaddeus Nowak.

Book Review: The Martian

I finished The Martian by Andy Weir this weekend and I have to say, damn, that’s a good book! I thoroughly enjoyed it from beginning to end. The main character, Mark Watney was charming, intelligent, witty, and a bit vulgar. But, hey, he’s the only human on Mars and facing almost certain death, so, if he wants to cuss a bit, I’m good with it.

The story is hardcore science fiction. There was talk of titration, creating water from hydrogen and oxygen, and lots of mathematical calculations. As a person with a background in physics, chemistry, and mathematics, I loved the science in the book because it had a level of authenticity that you just don’t see in many mainstream stories. Heck, I am half wanting to check the news to see how Mark’s rescue progress is coming

However, it was not over the top on the science. Mark’s character had enough levity and humor in the face of such a daunting tasks that you really wanted to see him succeed. And the technical details were often explained so that you would understand what was happening even if you did not have a chemistry degree.

The story is set in the near future and a 6 person team is sent to explore Mars for a short duration of just over 30 days. However, once on the surface, a dust storm on the 6th day threatens to damage their return craft and they are ordered to evacuate. Unfortunately for Mark, he is hit with flying debris and the rest of the crew believes he is dead. With time running out and visibility too poor to find his body, they launch, leaving him behind.

As you might have guessed, Mark was not killed. When he awakens, the launch vehicle is gone and the main communication dish is missing, leaving him unable to communicate with the orbiter or Earth. He knows there will be another manned mission to Mars in about 4 years, but that site is several thousand kilometers away and so he has to find a way to survive with the meager resources he has as well as traverse the Martian surface to the other landing site.

The story covers his various attempts at survival and the catastrophes that befall him as he tries to stretch the equipment designed to last for a limited amount of time out to a point where rescue might be possible. All the while, he is giving us his commentary on everything happening to him. I give it a solid 5 out of 5 stars. It is a must read if you love hardcore sci-fi.

Now I have to wait a couple weeks for the movie and hope that it is done with as much attention to detail.

The post Book Review: The Martian appeared first on Thaddeus Nowak.

Owin #59 — A conversation before breakfast

Check out the start of the series.

Photo ©Depositphotos.com / Oleksandr Minyaylo

Owin tried to keep from letting himself feel woozy, but the cut on his left arm had left him light-headed. He wanted to get some alcohol to pour over the wound, but he would have to wait until he could find a place to possibly pass out; he knew how much the alcohol would hurt. And we’re not yet safe enough for that, he told himself.

Denton’s men that they had tied up would likely already be free. Two men could easily work together to undo the bindings that had been available at the time. If they had some means to communicate with Denton across vast distances, then Denton would know what happened and would be making plans.

“Just leave Elsin out of it, Denton.”

Owin signed with relief as he saw Gwen coming toward him. If he was honest with himself, he had no idea how he would have managed to rescue Gwen if the Steward had decided to hold her hostage. Damn stupid mistake to get hurt.

“Owin, are you okay?” Gwen asked as she got near enough to speak quietly. The sun had started to brighten the sky, though the burning orb had not yet crossed the horizon.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine once I get some rest. What did the Steward say?”

Gwen came closer and he accepted her assistance in getting to his feet. Once he was there, she pulled a bundle out from inside her overcoat and handed it to Owin. “The Steward gave me a couple of hunks of sweetbread because my stomach growled. I saved you some.”

Owin’s first thought was poison, but he needed something to eat to counter the loss of blood. “Thank you,” he said as he took the bread from Gwen and started eating it.

“The Steward didn’t say too much. He thanked me for telling him what happened. I got scared for a moment when he called in a bunch of guards, but he only sent them out to the shop.” She smiled to reassure Owin. “He offered to let me stay and have a full meal, but I told him I had to go, so he let me, thanking me—and you. Then he said it was wonderful that we had people like Gib to protect our country and the reputation of Duchess Emilia.”

Owin sighed with relief, not only for the food that he swallowed, but because the Steward had turned out to be not such a bad person after all. “Okay, that’s good. Now, we need to stop by Tam’s place and get him to spread the rumor we want, then get out of town.”

Gwen nodded her head and offered her arm to Owin. It took Owin only a moment to accept her support; the time he had spent sitting and waiting for her had taken its toll on his exhausted body and he was not too proud to accept assistance.

 

They reached Tam’s home on the outskirts of the city after the sun had long ago moved above the horizon. Even still, it took some effort to get Tam from his bed and to allow them entry.

“Most disrespectful to call this early,” the scared man stared back at them with his one good eye. “I have a mind to report you for breaking into my home.”

Owin wanted to exchange pleasantries with Tam, but he lacked the strength to play the older man’s games. He simply needed Tam to help spread the rumors. “Tam, for what I have to tell you, you’ll forgive our disrespect.”

“Humph,” the man said as he leaned back in the chair. “I’ll be the judge of that. You’ve not been in town very long. I’ve hardly had any fun with telling people of your presence.”

Owin did not bother to hide his exhaustion or his injury, Tam would easily notice both. “We’ve been up through the night and you were the first person I thought to tell of what we observed.”

“But, not the first you’ve told I imagine.” Tam’s one good eye narrowed, but there was a grin on his lips.

Owin could not help but smile. “Last night, Urel died.”

Tam leaned forward. “I’m interested.”

Owin knew that was an understatement. “It seems he had hired a couple of local men to act as muscle. Apparently, one of them, a Gib I believe it was, found out that he was planning to have them kill some ambassador and a local noble. This man didn’t want to do the bidding of Duke Ravigar and got his friend, Tommy, to stand up to Urel.” Owin rolled his head to ease the kink in his neck. “We’ll, Urel killed Tommy and chased Gib to the lower level of the abandoned store they were renting. However, Gib got the drop on Urel, killed the assassin as he came down the stairs. Gib then fled into the city.”

Tam shook his head. “You expect me to believe that drivel?”

Owin shrugged. “It’s what I’ve heard.”

“Owin, you’re a terrible liar. Urel was a master swordsman. He’s not going to have fallen to some local muscle who wouldn’t have known who he was.”

“I saw it,” Gwen said. “It’s true. This Gib got a lucky strike when Urel tripped.”

Tam turned his face toward Gwen who could not fully contain a shutter under the scared man’s scrutiny. “She’s a better liar than you.”

Owin chuckled. “I’ll let her do all my negotiations from now on.”

Tam shook his head. “I imagine if anyone decided to look closely, they’d conclude someone using two weapons took our Urel in a skilled battle.”

“I couldn’t say. Though, I doubt that Duchess Emilia’s men will conclude anything other than the explanation at hand. Seems there may be evidence of Duke Ravigar’s hand in the plot.”

Tam continued to shake his head. “I doubt this will get you clear of the trouble following you.”

“I’ve got a few places in town I can hide out for a while, then I’ll get word to Denton once Duchess Emilia’s people finish taking care of dealing with Urel’s mess. I imagine the negotiations for the trade deal Duke Henry wants will go through well enough. Emilia might even come out well, since people loyal to her got wind of the assassination plan and helped to prevent the plot.”

Tam smiled. “You’ve made things here interesting, if only for a short while. You can stay for breakfast…if Gavin’s girl will fix it.”

Owin glanced once at Gwen and she shrugged. “I can throw something together fairly quickly.”

Owin smiled at her. Having a full stomach would help. He still planned to pass out after they got a few miles out of the city, but that can wait a little longer.

 

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Owin #58 — Leaving his own mark

Check out the start of the series.

Photo ©Depositphotos.com / Oleksandr Minyaylo

Gwen helped Owin wrap the deep cut in his left arm. Now that the immediate threat had passed, the pain had grown. What I wouldn’t give for a priest I could trust. Owin knew he would need to get some help for the injury or risk a serious infection

Knowing that healing would have to wait and wishing for it now was just a waste of precious time, once the last of the cloth was wrapped tightly around his forearm, he patted Gwen’s shoulder. “I know of at least one bit of planted evidence, we need to search for more as well as leave want Denton’s men placed in our room.”

“Do you think that will be enough?” Gwen asked, still a bit subdued. “Just that one note?”

Owin grabbed Urel’s lamp from the floor and brought it over to the assassin’s body. Owin quickly searched through the dead man’s clothing and pouches. He found a handful of coins, but nothing that would provide evidence the man was working for anyone in particular.

Owin stood up and had to fight some dizziness. After a moment, he stabilized himself. “Once we are done here, we need to get our story of events out before that man…Gib was his name…puts out a different version of events.” Owin headed for the stairs as he slipped the extra coins into his pouch. “I’m formulating an idea. Tell me what you think.”

“Sure,” Gwen said, quickly climbing up the stair behind him.

“Gib and Tommy were hired by Urel. They were not certain what they were hired for, but Gib and Tommy learned that Urel was working for Duke Ravigar and planned to kill the ambassador. Gib and Tommy didn’t like being deceived, so they tried to get out of the arrangement, but Urel couldn’t let anyone know the plan.” Owin tried to ignore the throbbing of his arm as he stepped onto the third floor. He looked down the hall. I need to get the rope pulled up.

Owin looked back at Gwen and motioned for her to follow him into the room with Tommy’s body. “So, Urel fought Tommy and killed him, taking an injury in the process. Urel then pursued Gib down the stairs, but Gib got a lucky strike and managed to severely wound and then kill Urel.”

“Do you think people will believe that?” Gwen asked, keeping her eyes away from the body on the floor.

Owin nodded his head. “If we can get the message out before anyone else can come up with a different explanation, people will accept it because it answers questions. Plus, Gib is not likely to challenge the story if he hears our version before he can tell anyone his.” Owin knelt and started going through Tommy’s clothes. The large man did not have anything on him.

“Gwen, go through the room, look for anything that would indicate Duchess Emilia was involved. I’ll check the other room and take care of the rope.”

Owin left Gwen in Gib’s and Tommy’s room because he expected there was only a slight chance anything in here would be booby-trapped. Urel’s room could potentially have some traps, though Owin expected there would be nothing there either. Urel wants people to search the building and find the evidence easily, not kill those looking for the proof.

Owin cursed the cut on his arm as we went to the window in what he assumed to be Urel room. He quickly pulled the rope up from the street and dropped the end onto the floor. Pulling out his dagger, he climbed back into the window and gritting from the pain, using his left arm to hold himself steady, he held the rope taunt with his teeth as he reach as high as he could to saw at the rope with his dagger. He knew he could not free the rope from the chimney, but he could make it so those inside the building would not see it.

The effort to cut the rope caused his arm to start bleeding again, but he managed to severe the rope and get back into the building without falling to the ground. Damn, he swore, angry with himself that Urel had managed to strike a blow. The man was good, Owin admitted. However, he knew the wound would hamper him for days.

“Owin,” Gwen said, coming into the room. “I found a tunic with Duchess Emilia’s coat of arms.” She held the cloth out to him. “It was stuffed behind one of the beds.”

“Okay. We need to search this room as well, but be careful.” Owin went to the desk as she dug through the bed. He found a handful of paper with notes. Several pages showed the plans for the assassination. Owin would never have written down such an outline of events unless he wanted it discovered.

As he flipped through the scraps of paper he found what he expected. “I think this is the bulk of what Urel planted.” He cleared his throat. “It starts as instructions from someone named Gemarli, who I am sure is one of Emilia’s people, to use Tommy and Gib, two soldiers in Emilia’s house, to kill the ambassador. It goes on to detail a rough plan for how the assassination should be handled.” Owin took the document Denton’s men had planted in their room and used it to replace the one Urel had planted.

“Okay, you ready?” He asked.

Gwen nodded her head and smiled. “I found some more money.” She held up a small leather bag. “There is quite a bit here.”

Owin returned her smiled. “I’ve got to grab a couple of practice swords, then we need to get out of here. We’ve made some noise and it is getting late in the morning. Then I want you to give our story to the Steward and tell him where to find this place. Then we stop by Tam’s house and hit the road out of town.”

Gwen nodded her head. “Good, I’m ready to be done with this city.”

 

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Owin #57 — A bloody arm

Check out the start of the series.

Photo ©Depositphotos.com / Oleksandr Minyaylo

Owin cautiously searched the second floor of the building, but his speed continued to increase as he moved from room to room and still had no indication anyone else was in the building. There was no other light except what he carried and no sounds of movement could be heard.

Of the five rooms on the second floor, only the room that had been cleared of furniture had anything interesting in it. The open area of this room had dark stains on the floor and practice weapons leaned against the walls. Most of the wooden weapons had no markings, but in his quick search, Owin noted two swords that bore marks of Duchess Emilia. The brands had been scratched out, but not enough to hide the Duchesses crest. Subtle enough that if it was the only evidence, it would not mean anything, but I am sure there will be more floating around to pin the blame on her.

Owin had already started down the stairs to the first floor when the sounds of bells came from the first floor. The faint creaking of a door open was mixed in, makes Owin fairly certain someone had opened the front door. Gwen, that better not be you.

Halfway down the stairs, Owin could not go either direction without the steps betraying his movement. He waited a moment before deciding which direction he would go.  From below, he could hear the sounds of the wooden floor creaking as at least two people moved about the front room. Based on the muffled sound, Owin suspected there was a dividing wall separating the front of the boarded up shop from a backroom where the stairs would exit.

So they’ve come back. Owin knew he did not want to engage these men in the narrow stairwell. While it would limit the combat to one person at a time, there was not enough room to swing a sword and if the men had bows, it was unlikely they would miss with such a confined target.

Surprise is gone, Owin admitted to himself as he set the lamp down on the stairs and drew out his dagger. He discarded the thought of blowing out the flame; having never seen the room below, he could not risk attempting to engage anyone in total darkness.

With his weapons in hand, he descended the stairs, placing his feet at the sides of the step closest to the wall. The effort reduced the creaking of the stairs, but did not eliminate it entirely.

Owin reached the bottom of the stairs just as a door in the opposite corner of the room opened, spilling light into the backroom. Owin quickly assessed his surroundings and noted only a couple of rickety chairs and a couple crates next to the back wall, but nothing to offer cover.

Before he could get more than a step away from the stairs a tall man in leather armor came into the room through the doorway. He carried a lamp in his left hand and a sword in his right. The man’s dark hair hung loose and partially covered his left eye. A smirk rose to his lips as the man met Owin’s eyes.

Owin recognized Urel immediately, but more than a dozen feet separated them. The assassin nodded his head as he lowered the lamp to the floor, setting it next to the wall behind him.

“I don’t know you,” came Urel’s baritone voice, “but I can see it in your eyes that you know me.” Urel took another step into the room, moving away from the door, but did not closing the gap between them.

“I’m no one,” Owin said evenly. Urel had a reputation and Owin knew not all of it had been fabricated. His intended quip died on his tongue as the other man who had followed Gwen earlier in the night now led Gwen into the room, one arm around her neck while another held a dagger to her throat.

Urel smiled. “I see you know this odd looking girl who happened to be squatting down our street.”

“Let her go.” Owin felt his anger rising and had to fight to keep from advancing on the men.

“Gib here didn’t like being led astray.” Urel shook his head. “He found I was highly displeased at their failure.” Urel shrugged, “of course Gib said Tommy insisted they had done their job, but I am guessing Tommy is not going to be able to refute that now, is he?”

Owin watched several emotions move across the face of the man holding Gwen.

“You saying he hurt Tommy?” The dark-haired man holding Gwen asked.

“Urel, let her go,” Owin said. “This is between me and you.”

“Urel? Sims, who does this man think you are?” Gib asked, more confusion crossing his face.

Urel raised his eyebrows and tossed his head to clear his hair from his eyes. “That is a good question. I’ve been keeping low to avoid notice, but it seems someone else has a game to play. After all, someone has been spreading rumors which upset our plans. However, if you wont tell me your name, I am sure Gib will be able to get your friend to tell us.”

Owin kept his face free of emotion. Unless he could convince them to release Gwen while he stood with his weapons in hand, Gwen would be as dead as he, only she would likely suffer before they ended her life. My only chance is to divide loyalties. “Urel, I know you plan to kill the Uvarian ambassador and leave hints in this shop that Duchess Emilia was behind it. My guess is you planned to have Gib and Tommy take the fall for the assassination attempt while you slip out the back. Succeed or fail, it doesn’t matter as long as they die or get captured while you get away.”  Owin nodded his head, seeing hints of tension in Urel’s face.  “The two of them likely overheard you mumble things a few times and you’ve probably planted enough evidence around to convince anyone who was looking for an easy explanation that the Duchess is involved.” Owin shrugged as he forced himself to remain calm. “Which means Duke Ravigar wins, since that is who is paying you.”

Urel smiled again. “You seem to think you know a lot about things. But you’re wrong. We’re just a couple of merchants working to reopen this shop.”

“Sims, is what he said true?” Gib asked.

“No,” Urel said, his body shifting into a fighting stance as he took a step toward Owin. “But, we now can be certain of who arranged to have the meeting moved. This man is the reason you won’t get paid.”

“Gib, this man is a master assassin,” Owin said, readying himself to deal with Urel. “Let her go and I’ll forget about you. Urel has no loyalty to you, he planned for you and your friend to die.”

“You talk too much,” Urel said as he pulled a throwing knife from his belt with his left hand.

Owin shifted left, away from Gib, as Urel moved his arm to throw the knife, but Urel did not release it immediately. Owin wanted to watch Gib and Gwen, but he dared not take his eyes from Urel. If he was lucky, enough doubt existed in Gib’s mind to keep the man from killing Gwen and jumping into the battle.

Urel took a step to his right. Owin knew he had done that to keep Owin from putting Urel between him and Gib. A slight shift in Urel’s shoulder sent Owin back to the right as the throwing knife was released. Owin contorted his body, but the blade still caught his shirt and bounced into his back, slicing a shallow cut.

Urel took advantage of the distraction and closed the distance. Owin blocked a thrust of Urel sword with his dagger and countered a follow-up slash before getting his feet back under him.

The movement had caused Owin to back up and he felt the corner of the room close in on him. The small backroom left him limited room to dodge and while Gib had not moved from the doorway, Owin was certain that if he presented Gib his back, Gib might kill Gwen and press the advantage.

Urel advanced again, thrusting and slashing quickly, driving Owin back another step. Owin was impressed by the speed of his opponent, but he began to observe a pattern in Urel’s attacks. The only question is if the pattern is bait or weakness.

Owin countered the third set of blows from Urel as he shifted left to try to gain a little more space. Urel’s lip curled slightly, as the taller man cut him off while catching Owin’s left arm with the tip of his sword.

Owin felt the burn of the cut on his forearm, but he knew the wound was not fatal. What worried him more was the lack of room to maneuver and the fact that if he died, Gwen would suffer.

Urel pushed another advance and Owin countered quickly, tying up Urel sword with his own while he slashed out with his dagger. Owin felt the tip of the blade catch on Urel’s leather armor, but the taller assassin had moved back to avoid a wound.

Owin used the opportunity to step out of the corner, but Urel recovered quickly enough to keep Owin against the wall. A moment later, Gib screamed in pain. Owin felt urgency overtake him and he pressed his own attack. Urel defended it, but the assassin’s eyes said his confidence had weakened.

Movement across the room caught both Owin and Urel’s attention. Gwen had moved away from Gib, a bloody dagger in her hand, held defiantly toward the larger man.

Urel advanced again, using the same pattern of attack. Owin feigned a quick thrust, drawing Urel to suddenly change his pattern and attempt a thrust of his own; however, Owin had expected the change and he twisted to avoid the thrust as he stepped closer. Urel’s eyes widened as Owin drove his dagger into the man’s gut.

Urel stepped aside, trying to get his sword back into play, but Owin kept pace with the assassin and punched the man in the face with the pommel of his sword. The assassin’s head flung back; his hair whipping through the air.

Owin pulled his dagger free and advanced quickly, swinging both his sword and dagger in harmony. Urel managed to deflect two slashes, but missed a thrust of Owin’s sword. The new injury slowed the assassin and Owin’s blades each continued to bite into the man. Three thrusts later, the assassin fell to the floor.

“Your friend’s dead,” Gwen shouted, her head inclined toward Owin. The man in front of her stopped dead in his tracks, though his sword still pointed toward Gwen.

Owin stepped away from Urel, not certain the man was completely dead, but the deep penetrations into his chest would hopefully end the assassin’s life quickly. Owin cleared his throat as Gib slowly looked in his direction. Gib’s sword wavered in his left hand as blood ran from his right that he held close to his chest. The flow of blood running down the front of his armor said the wound Gwen made was deep.

“You were a pawn of an assassin and you can be certain he intended for you to either die in the attempt to kill the Ambassador or for it hang later.” Owin could still see doubt in Gib’s face. “You can believe me, because it is exactly what I would have done to you had I intended to frame the Duchess. Urel worked for Duke Ravigar and you would not have lived to see the end of this week. Take your life and walk away.” Owin narrowed his eyes and allowed the blood to drip from his left arm to the floor. “Because if you try to take one more step toward my friend, you’ll be as dead as Urel before your foot finishes the first step.”

Gib swallowed. The man looked at Owin’s bleeding arm and the rock steady hand held out the bloody dagger. The man looked up to Owin’s face and then he quickly turned away and ran out the door.

Owin waited, listening to the man’s feet crossing the floor.  “You okay?” he asked as the bells over the front door chimed when the man left the shop.

“He was so intent on the fight, that he didn’t notice me grab one of his other daggers. I jabbed it through his forearm that was holding the dagger.”

Owin smiled, blood splattered the front of Gwen’s clothing, but her eyes were bright.   “Good thinking.  It’s kind of hard for him to cut your throat if there is a dagger in his arm.”

“I’m so sorry I was caught,” she said, stepping toward him.

Owin shook his head. “I should have had you hide further away.” He took a deep breath and handed her his sword while he cleaned off his dagger and put it back in its sheath. “I need to bind this wound, then we need to take care of things before anyone summons the city guards and finds us still here.”

 

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Movie Review: A Walk in the Woods

Last weekend I went to see A Walk In The Woods, a movie about two people who should probably not have tried to hike the Appalachian Trail (AT) setting out to hike it.

The movie has an all-star cast that includes Robert Redford as Bill Bryson, Nick Nolte as Stephen Katz, and Emma Thompson as Catherine Bryson, Bill’s wife.

The movie is an adaptation of a 1998 book with the same name. It is about Bill Bryson, a travel writer, who late in life decides to hike the Appalachian Trail with an old friend, Stephen Katz. The two men set off on the journey and find some of the problems that had driven them apart long ago still exist. However, over the course of their adventure, they begin to work out some of their differences.

For me, the movie sparked an incredible urge to be out on a trail. The natures scenes, mixed in with the comedy that these two actors bring to the screen, made me want to drive to the nearest mountain. In fact, I went home and pulled up some of my unprocessed videos and pictures to keep myself from driving to Colorado (because it is where the nearest mountain is located, not because the AT is there, which it is not).

One issue I did have with the movie was that it glossed over some of the efforts of hiking. While it gave hints at how exhausted a couple of people not prepared for a hike could be, it did not discuss food, weight of equipment, and physical ailments such as blisters and sores. To me, they were not suffering as much as a couple of older and out of shape men should have been. However, I can write that off to limits on screen time and storytelling.

While I have not hiked the AT, it is one of those things I want to do when I find myself in a position that I can take 3 or 4 months off from life and just hit the 2,180 mile trail. However, I have hiked near parts of the AT in Pisgah National Forest and that was some of my favorite hiking.

So, for the movie, I would give it 4 out of 5 stars, possibly due to hiker’s bias in seeing the trail on the screen, but I also found myself laughing throughout the movie.

To close out this post, I’ll include a short clip of a red fox we saw in RMNP back in 2014. It eventually used us and some other hikers to help chase some food into its mouth, though I did not have a clear shot of the fox through the underbrush get that on video.

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Owin #56 — Walk softly

Check out the start of the series.

Photo ©Depositphotos.com / Oleksandr Minyaylo

Owin carefully lowered himself from the tile roof onto the four-inch wide beam that extended out from the front of the building. The rope he had tied around the chimney was loosely wrapped around his right arm to help steady himself. The three-story fall to the ground would be as fatal as any sword.

He attempted to listen for any sounds coming from the open window below him but heard nothing. Using the rope for balance, he lowered himself to a seated position and sat with both legs off one side of the beam. Once stable, he rolled over so he could drop down and hang from his arms.

Owin then swung his feet over until he caught the edge of the window frame with the outsides of his boots. Unfortunately, this window sat lower in the wall compared to the bean than the corresponding window in the house he had used to gain access to the roof. To safely reach the window, he lowered himself with the rope until he could put his sweaty hands on the frame.

Again, the sound of his weapons bouncing off his hip was muffled, but still audible. Fearing his silhouette would stand out clearly in the window, Owin immediately climbed into the room and crouched down below the frame to hide his form.  He waited there and listened for signs his presence had been detected as his sight adjusted to the fact that the room was even darker than the outside.

Several moments passed before he could make out the shapes in the room. To his right, just an outstretched arm away, sat a bed. Against the back wall, he could see a door because of a faint glow of light that illuminated the gaps at the top and bottom. In the far corner, opposite from the bed, Owin decided a large mass must be a desk and chair.

Minimizing his movements, Owin drew his long dagger and eased his way closer to the center of the bed. He held the dagger in his right hand as he rose to his feet. Not knowing which end was the head of the bed, he slowly extended his left hand downward while holding his right ready to strike. His fingers descended until they encountered a rumpled bed sheet. Applying a little more pressure, he hoped to determine which direction the person might sleep.

A moment later, he stood fully upright. No one in the bed, he thought with a silent sigh. His realized his heart was racing and he took a deep breath to steady himself. I hope they have not gone out while we were getting ready.

Owin took another breath, switched his dagger to his left hand, and then drew his sword. Lightly, he started moving toward the door and the dim glow that he hoped would lead him to those who lived in the building. The wood floor groaned slightly, but as he eased his weight into each footfall, the sound did not seem loud.

At the door, he slid the release and pulled the door open. The hinges squeaked, but there was nothing to be done for it, so he did not hesitate, which would have only drawn out the sound to last longer. Before him was a darkened hall, the light he had seen coming under the door emanated from an opening eight feet down the hall and on the left side.

Owin heard the creak of a chair and then feet moving across the floor. He waited a moment more, trying to judge when the person would reach the doorway from within the side room. Just before he expected the person to stick their head into the hall to look around, Owin leaped forward.

Owin covered the distance in two strides. The person, who had risen to investigate the sounds of the door, had already committed himself to looking into the hall and while the man’s face registered viseral hate, the rest of his body had not caught up with the sight of Owin bearing down on him.

Owin recognized the man as one of the two who had pursued Gwen. Knowing he still had to deal with Urel and at leat one other man, Owin knocked aside the man’s sword and drove his own deep into the man’s chest.

The man grunted and staggered back. Owin yanked his blade free and then slashed once more across the torso of the falling man.

Prepared to dodge backward and away from the door, Owin quickly scanning the room for threats. He observed the contents without conscious attention, noting two beds and chests against the far wall, a table and chairs in the middle of the room. and the remains of a mostly finished meal sitting next to a lamp. However, the dying man was alone in the room.

Owin looked up and down the hall, but no threat appeared to be coming. He waited a moment more as the man in the room gasped and jerked on the floor. Still not seeing or hearing any threats, Owin went into the room. Keeping his face to the door, Owin knelt on one knee next to the man, confirming he had already bled out on the floor.

Where are they? Owin demanded as he continued to listen for sounds that would indicate someone else in the building had heard the noise. He waited for a dozen breaths, but he heard nothing. Damn it.

Owin rose to his feet and took another look around the room. Both beds showed signs of use, but only one of them had boots, clothing, and weapons stacked next to it. A quick glance at the dead man confirmed he had no boots on and was lightly dressed. The sword the man had been carrying lay on the floor next to the door where it had been dropped.

Where are the others? Concern overrode any thankfulness in so easily dealing with the first man. Owin cursed. He preferred dealing with known quantities instead of surprises. If the men were coming to him, he could ambush them instead of the other way around.

No longer willing to wait, Owin wiped the blood from his sword and then put his dagger back into its sheath so he could carry the lamp. He maintained his careful and quiet movement, returning to the hall with the lamp, dimmed to the point where the flame would barely stay lit.

Two other doors stood closed on this floor. He examined each one, careful opening them and peering inside to find rooms filled with dust and cobwebs. When he reached the end of the hall, he glanced out the open window that allowed a warm breeze to move through the building. He still had a couple turns of the glass before the sun would start to brighten the sky. However, he wanted to be out of the building well before that happened. We can’t be caught by the city guard.

He focused himself back to the task at hand and looked down the stairs at the end of the hall. The second floor appeared to be dark and he had yet to hear the sound of any other movement in the building. I don’t like this at all.

 

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Time for it to all go – Minimalism

For a little while now, I have been thinking about becoming minimalists—not the super extreme reduce life down to 100 things minimalism—but the reduce things down to just what I am truly attached to kind of minimalism.

I’ve never been overly sentimental when it comes to material items. Sure, I have a handful of things I would not really want to get rid of: some of the art I created; my collection of books; the art I’ve bought and hung on the wall; my long bow, daggers, and swords, … but aside from the books, the number of items I really want is rather small (and a fair bit smaller than what is actually floating around the house).

I think I have a pretty good shot at getting rid of a lot those items I don’t need. When Sherri asks me what I want for my birthday or anniversary, I normally don’t have an answer. Partially, that is because if I really wanted or needed something, I would already have bought it. However, it is also because I really don’t have all that much that I want to acquire. What I would prefer to do is travel and explore.

The last few years, I have started tossing out more and more of it what I have.  I cannot say that I have truly purged—Sherri is the anti-hoarder, I am just indifferent to most of the things.

However, in order to do more traveling and exploring, we really need to reduce what we have. I think I am now ready to start working my way through the things I’ve mostly ignored over the years and start to really get rid of things.  This effort should be an adventure in and of itself.  I’m not sure how interested everyone will be in my undertaking, but from time to time, I’ll put up a blog post about what I’ve done and what my frame of mind is.

Here’s to emptying the basket!

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Owin #55 — Enter before knocking

Check out the start of the series.

Photo ©Depositphotos.com / Oleksandr Minyaylo

Owin twisted his head to fight the exhaustion that ate at his composure. He and Gwen had raced back across the city once again and it was now either quite late or very early; Owin could not tell the difference and he began to think it did not really matter.

“How are we going to get in there?” Gwen asked. “Through the front door?”

Owin shook his head. “I don’t want to do that. Too much risk.”

The two of them were crouched in the location where he had watched the shop earlier. After a moment, he spoke again. “Gwen, I want you to stay here and keep watch. If someone comes out, I want to know about it.” He turned to face her. “But I don’t want you to do anything about it. Stay here and wait for me.”

“Owin, I don’t like that plan.”

He put a hand on her shoulder and forced a smile that she probably did not see in the faint light from the distant lamps. “The front door likely has traps, which means we’ll either get killed going through it, or someone will hear us coming, and we’ll get killed a few moments later.” Owin looked at the long row of connected buildings and pursed his lips as he considered each one.

“How are you going in?” She asked.

All the buildings in this block stood three stories tall, but the wattle and daub building across from them had a more decorative exterior with architectural details that would provide some hand-holds. And it looks worn enough I could probably jab a dagger into the daub if I needed a better hold in places.

He glanced up to the roof line and frowned. In the darkness, the actual pitch of the tile roof was hard to determine and he really did not have a good way to secure himself.  A fall would be the end of this endeavor to be certain.

He squinted into the night and tried to see where the chimneys were located.  “I’ll need that rope we picked up on the way.”  Still looking at the roof line, he took the coil of rope from Gwen and draped it over his head and shoulder.

“You’re planning on climbing up there, aren’t you?” Her voice lacked the confidence she normally projected. “Then it’ll be three on one.”

Owin nodded his head. “I’ve known I was going to face several people by myself the whole time. If I can catch them asleep, it will give me the advantage.” He turned to her and put his arms around her to give her a hug. “I’ll do my best to come out of this in one piece. But,” he added, “if something doesn’t go right, take the money and run. Get out and try to reach your mother. Then leave Rhyl. If I were you, I’d try to get to Arn and have him take you where you need to go. I can’t say he’s completely trustworthy, but he’s at least a known quantity and there is going to be some amount of obligation on his part for what we did to help him. It might be enough to keep you safe.”

“Owin, let’s just forget this and find a different way to get mother free.” She started to stand, but he held her in their squat. “Please, Owin!”

He embraced her for another hug and then let her go. “I can’t trust Denton to release her if we don’t do this. If I’m dead, he’s likely to release her. If we run, I doubt he would free her and it is very hard to kill a priest.”

“Please, Owin! I don’t want to be alone. I don’t want you to die.”

He forced a chuckle. “I don’t want to die either. So, just stay here and keep safe. I’ll be out before you know it.” He rose to his feet and she did the same. “If you keep safe, I’ll not get distracted worrying about you, and that’ll mean I won’t get killed..”

She moved closer, rose to her tiptoes, and kissed him. “You’ve been a father to me even if you never meant to be. Just remember that.” She took a deep breath and then leaned against the building behind her.

He had felt her tremble and could still discern some amount anxiety in her movement. “I’m glad I could fill in, but enough of that talk. I’ll be back before you know it.” With a squeeze of her hand, he turned and crossed to the other side of the narrow street. I hope I’ll be back.

He put the thoughts of failure from him and quickly started climbing the building.  The corner of a small bump-out, which provided additional floor space and a makeshift counter, gave him a means to reach the top of the large wooden panel that would swing up to open the shop and provide a roof for the counter. The exposed timber framing of the second-story gave him another hand-hold, and eventually a foothold as he nimbly pulled himself up to a large open window on the third floor.

Slowing his pace, his muscles strained as he slowly rose high enough to look into the open window frame. The darkened room held little that could be discerned, but Owin suspected it was a bedroom.

With great care, he lifted his feet up to the windowsill. His weapons, although wrapped in bits of cloth, still bounced against the side of the building as he shifted his position.  With his hands, he gripped the sides of the window frame for balance as he waited, listening for any sounds that indicated someone inside the room might have stirred. After a long pause, he slowly stood, keeping his head outside the building. Just above the large window a wooden beam that extended outward from the building, providing means to attach a pulley that allowed larger furnishings to be lifted into the upper floors.

Standing on his tiptoes, Owin quickly moved his hands from the top of the window frame to grab the beam. He quickly adjusted his grip as his feet came away from the window. Straining his arms again, he pulled himself up until he could put his feet on the top of the window frame and then move to the top of the four-inch wide beam. The transition onto the slippery tile roof took even more effort and he gave up on being silent in the effort reach the peak and avoid the deadly edge. The noise sent a handful of birds into the night.

At the top, he paused and took a deep breath. From that vantage point, he could see out across the city and the small pools of light scattered between the groupings of buildings. He waited until his blood stopped pounding in his ears and he could once again listen to the sounds of the city. Below him, he waited until he could confidently say no one had stirred, then he rose to his feet and carefully walked along the peak of the roof until he reached the point where he was above the boarded-up shop. Unwinding the rope, the slowly lowered one end over the front of the roof. The other end he wrapped around a chimney and tied a knot to secure the rope. Having stolen it earlier in the night, he could part with the rope as he wanted to have an escape route back out the window if it should be necessary.

With the rope in hand, he sat down and slowly moved his way to the edge of the roof. At the edge, he moved to his left a couple of feet so he was positioned over a similar beam to the one he had used to get onto the roof. He then flicked the rope so that it dangled over the beam and would not slide along the edge and away from the window.

He glanced over the edge of the roof. His hands clenched around the rope as he slipped a little further toward a long fall to the ground. Forcing himself to breathe slowly, he looked at where the rope fell and estimated it ended about eight feet from the ground.

He bit his lip and wiped sweat from his face. The warm night helped in that the shutters were open, leaving a large window frame for him to enter through, but he felt sticky and uncomfortable. Waiting won’t make it better, so let’s get it done, he thought as he rolled over and lowered himself from the roof onto the beam.

 

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