He bent over in the dark and whispered, "When we get outside, turn right and stay close to the wall until we reach the northeast corner. We will have to cross over to the stables in the open, but I do not think anyone will be watching the courtyard." He paused and put his ear to the door for a moment, then leaned back toward her. "If we run into anyone, do not move. Try to blend into the darkness and allow me to deal with them. Ready, then, my lady?"

"Ready, Sir Humphrey," she whispered back to him.

She heard a faint click as the latch was lifted from its lock, and then a pale line of light appeared as the door was opened just enough for them to slip through. Humphrey went first and Isabelle waited until he motioned for her to follow him into the night. They crept slowly along the castle wall, only moving into the open when required to go around a stack of barrels and an empty cart. Atop the battlements, Isabelle could see guards silhouetted against flaming torches, but they were all looking out over the walls, not down into the courtyard.

They reached the corner across from the stables without incident and Humphrey paused long enough to listen for several moments before attempting to cross the open ground before them. He pointed to a small entrance, just off from the main doors, and Isabelle nodded her understanding. A few lanterns burned within the stable; weak light escaped through thin cracks in the wooden walls. It would mean that when the door was opened, light would expose them for a short period of time, but there was no help for that.

Humphrey placed one of his large, calloused hands on her shoulder and gave a slight squeeze. She nodded that she was ready and they stepped out into the open, crossing the yard slowly, as if heading to the stables for an early morning ride.

Isabelle's heart was pounding as they traversed that huge patch of dirt between the castle and their destination, but she maintained a steady pace and they arrived at the stable without anyone noticing them. She sighed when the rough wood of the stable was beneath her hand, and Humphrey gave her shoulder another squeeze to signal their success. Before he opened the door, he placed Isabelle in front of him and then shielded her with his large cape, so only his shadow would be visible to any who might notice light appear from within the stable.

He opened the door and they moved quickly inside. When the door closed, they found themselves in a long room--one of many in which tack was cleaned and repaired--just off the main stable. As they moved toward the corridor of the stable where the horses were kept, Humphrey held up his hand and put a finger to his lips.

Isabelle stopped and only then heard voices, coming from farther down the passage. Humphrey led her deeper into the tack room and motioned for her to stay out of sight. He then went back to where the corridor intersected the tack room and removed his hat. Kneeling, he peered around the corner and could see two men at arms some way down the passage. They were wearing light armor--breastplate and half helm--so they obviously were not just stopping to take their ease, but were here on guard for some reason. One of them sat on a barrel, while the other leaned against a stall. This passage was the only way to reach their horses, so Humphrey would have to approach them and see if he could bluff his way through, else he would have to kill them, rather than allow an alarm to be given. They appeared relaxed, as if they were not expecting any trouble, so he at least had the element of surprise on his side.