IC Story Thread: Ch.1,Ad.1 - A Sensitive Matter

Duinhir moves up to the gate and can see there are no guards outside on the ground at this time, however there is a light burning in the windows of the gatehouse, above, which straddles the gate, spanning the distance between two watchtowers which sit on either side of the gate.

No doubt there is someone up there - possibly many someones, but they've not hailed to him if they're watching.

There are a couple of heavy iron-bound doors that enter into the gate towers from the streets, but they are both locked. And after looking about just a moment more, he sees there is an iron-barred door to the south of the greater gate house and towers, piercing the city wall, which has light emanating from inside it.

And when Duinhir goes over to it, he can see that it is a room that spans the depth of the city wall, and has an identical iron-barred door which, although it is shut, can open to the outside. Duinhir can be certain it opens to the outside, as he can see the dim lights of a make shift refugee encampment that has formed, huddling near the city wall on the other side.

There is a guardsman sitting on a chair inside the room, with a whittling knife in one hand and a half-horse-half-wooden block in the other. He is leaning forward with his elbows on his knees and his hands dangling listlessly as he shifts about uncomfortably in his seat.

The man is apparently alerted by Skunktail's approaching iron-shod steps, as he is standing upright and looking outward when Eothain reaches the iron barred door and sets eyes on him. The knife and half carved block lie on the ground by the chair.

Seeing Eothain and his gesture, the man scans the dimensions of the doorframe and then sizes up Skunktail. He shrugs and says something in Southron, but Eothain only catches the words 'big' and 'close'.

As Eothain makes further gestures and words, the man blinks a bit uncomprehendingly, but soon nods dutifully and sighs, in a somewhat exasperated fashion.

He goes to the door loosening a set of keys hanging on his belt, and eyes both Skunktail and the doorway continually, as he fiddles with the keys and the door.

In the midst of it he jabs his finger indicating Skunktail's side, and then gestures to his own middle section making an encircling motion around himself, saying something in Southron, but Eothain doesn't recognize any of the words.

Regardless the man appears to be opening the door.

Eothain thinks that Skunktail might fit if he can convince his horse to tolerate the mild physical discomfort it would cause to scrape past the door frame, and as he examines the situation, as the guard manipulates the keys and then lock, he figures it would probably help to take the saddle off.