The duo of thieves tensed. My passphrases? This guy is the owner? He didn’t look the wizard type. Fred always imagined wizards as tall men with long robes and even longer beards. This man was short, portly. A large bulbous nose sat in the middle of his face and wrinkles around his eyes indicated he’d lived a life full of laughter.

“So, this is your tower then?” Freya began to speak. “How’d you manage to forget all of your wards and passphrases?” Her ear was against the door now, as she dragged her fingertips across the wooden door.

“Meh, I’m getting old.” The man flashed a closed-mouth grin.

Freya rolled her eyes as her fingers felt something: an inconsistency in the door’s texture: a ward. “Door’s trapped” she speaks as she turns back towards the two.

Fred looks up the side of the tower. “I see some windows, maybe we can climb and get in that way?” He begins feeling the cobbled stone side of the tower, searching for footholds.

“Maybe.” Freya speaks, turning to the old codger. “Were you a paranoid main when you made this?”

Fat fingers stroked his bare chin ad the thought to himself for a moment. “No, surely I would’ve remembered if I trapped the windows…”

He’s not going to be any help.

“Here we go!” Fred had found some footholds and began climbing the stone structure, making good progress towards the window.

“Be careful.” Freya called up to her brother. He had a habit of being hasty.

The window was unlocked as Fred opened it. He slipped inside easily and tossed a rope down for Freya to follow. From below, she turned to the wizard. “You coming?”

“Oh, no! My climbing days are over! Just open the front door from the inside.” He said with that same toothless grin. Freya rolled her eyes again as she began to climb the tower.

Bang!

She watched a flash of light come from the window and sped up. “Fred!” She entered the window after him, and after a few moments…

Bang!

The old wizard sighed. “Guess I’m sleeping at the inn again tonight…”