The Knight Guild Tower was actually a huge sprawling complex, with barracks, stables, the prison, and administrative buildings. While the guild's weapons were forged by the Craft Guild and delivered via wagon, the armory included forges used for repairs and other immediate needs. Like every guild tower in Ness, you were likely to see a multitude of colors throughout, as citizens pursued their guild jobs in support of a fellow guild.

Maela stopped as they reached the eastern-most building. The Road curved away from the Wall at this point, with the grass sward replaced by pasture and stables for the Knight Cavalry and the Rangers Guild. Ralan watched as horses trotted across the field, their whinnies echoing off the Wall and answering the sound of clanging metal in the distance.

"The kitchens are near the center, right up against the Wall," Maela explained in a whisper. "They have numerous dining halls, large and small, and the kitchen passages are designed to extend out to them without interrupting foot traffic."

Ralan smiled. "The kitchen staff use secret passages?"

"More or less." Maela looked around and, apparently not seeing anything, continued, "One of the passages opens to the stable, where the Herdsman guild members eat outside."

Peering across the field, Ralan said, "So we sneak along the kitchen passages to the prison, and then we break out Alard and Raef and escape the same way?"

"No. We sneak in along the kitchen passages. We free the Deputy Guildmaster and your friend, and then we fight our way to the bridge and escape to the Old Quarter."

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"We fight our way out and up Riverfront to a heavily-defended bridge?" Ralan shook his head. "That doesn't sound like a very good plan."

Maela looked up at him, frowning. "It was your bright idea, Guildmaster. Would you prefer we use our spies within the Knight Guild to usher them through the secret passages built out from the sewer systems that only we know about, taking them outside the Wall, where we can get them to the Thieves Tower safely?"

Ralan didn't answer and could feel Maela's eyes staring at him. The intensity of her gaze was almost painful. "Because we could do that, but if we do, it will be pretty obvious that there is an actual Thieves Guild."

Finally, Ralan replied, "How bad is it if the other guild members find out that there is really a Thieves Guild?"

"They'll send troops into the Old Quarter, killing everyone and burning the homes of those that live there while they make their way to the Tower, which I am sure they will raze to the ground."

"That's absurd. The Knight Protectors would never do that to Ness' own citizens!" In response, Maela stared at Ralan until he turned his head away. "Sorry. There is just so much I don't know. Okay. We will break Alard and Raef out, and Saxe and Larsen will believe it was me and a band of hooligans that did it."

Maela nodded and turned to the road. "Let's go."

"Wait, tell me more of the plan."

Maela sighed. "Fine. There are three parts. Approach, Distraction. Escape. Approach will be the easiest part. We can get close to the Catacombs via the Kitchen halls. Even so, I've arranged some safeguards. Distraction will come from another part of the Tower, which will draw the guards from the Catacombs gate. Then I go down, free Raef and Alard, and we escape."

"How do we escape?"

"Out the front door," Maela said, grinning. She set off at a brisk pace, and Ralan rushed to catch up.

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