The Ballad of Adler Young, Canto 2.5

>Ambush their ambush by cleverly taking the front door.

"Since we know about the ambush," I theorized, "we can take them by surprise by going right in the front door. They won't be expecting that."

"Sure an' that's exactly what they'll be expectin," Estvan protested.

"Maybe, but we'll be ready for them," I insisted. "They won't expect that."

"Begorrah, twill be a while and a half before any o' this lot is ready for anything. You yer own self are still not thinkin' clearly."

"I was a little woozy earlier, but I feel fine now," I assured him.

>Adler: Get a strange feeling, as if someone is watching you.

"I have a peculiar sensation as if someone was watching me," I muttered as I turned to look at the mysterious bespectacled elf.

"I've been looking at you this whole time," he (she?) admitted.

"No, it's something other than that. How strange..."

"Do ye mind not standin right there listenin' in on our strategic conference?" Estvan insinuated irritably.

"Sorry, but I have to insist on searching Prince Adler for any traces of possible Scuti contamination. One can never be too careful. These creatures are insidious, after all."

"I feel as if I know you," I murmured, trying to figure out where I had seen this elf before. "Ah well, someone this familiar must be trustworthy. You may examine me."

"This will only take a moment ..." he (she?) stated reassuringly, and began to briskly pat me down.

>Strangely Feminine Scuti Wrangler with the Extremely Attractive Eyebrows and Facial Hair: Tell the prince not to be alarmed,but to make sure he hasn't been contaminated by advanced scuti-ism, you'll need to pat him down.
>Adler: Obviously the reason He (She?) seems so familiar is that this is yet another long lost family member. Surely someone in the family portraits had a mustache that fine. Therefore, a quick examination should be alright.
fail to notice something incredibly powerful and incredibly dangerous being slipped out of your elfintory.

"You're all clear, sir," the mysterious elf said abruptly, as he (she?) turned and slunk away.

"Well, it's good to know I'm free of Scuti taint," I beamed. Estvan blinked at me and seemed to be about to say something, when -

>Thomson: Triumphantly announce that the Stoned Buck tried to escape to warn the ambush waiting in the hidden tunnels, but you stopped him. You stopped him and tied him up!
>That is not the stoned buck, that is a tree with vaguely antler shaped branches.

"He tried to run, but I caught him," Ms. Thomson exclaimed as she crashed through the bushes at the edge of the road. "He put up one heck of a fight for such a scrawny guy, but my Floozy training stood me in good stead. Got him tied up and completely subdued."

She hauled a scraggly tree limb out of the undergrowth and stood it up on the ground next to her.

"Cushlamochree," Estvan sighed.

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Spoiler

SALV Chesswick, decide that it might finally be time to use ... a close blood relative, say, a daughter. Then you can create a sympathetic link between the girl and him

"It vill be up to you, liebchen, to carry out zis part of Der Plan," SALV Chesswick barked sternly. "Are you up to der task?"

"U can count on me, Auntie!" SALV Silverbrush declared nervously but with determination.