The building looked just like the ones on either side of it. Hanchen’s answer to town home living, Isa thought to herself. She had no idea what time it was, only that the street was dark and empty.

Mery positioned herself in the shadows near the front door, with Isa beside her. “Stay near me if you can. Helps me with my fighting to have a friend at hand. You might be able to hold their attention, like.”

Joth stood on the opposite side and at a nod from Mery he cast his spell. At least Isa assumed he cast his spell. She was too far away to hear him or see him, but a moment after Mery’s nod, Isa heard a knocking sound as if someone had just knocked on the front door.

After what felt like an hour, but was likely less than a minute, the door of the town house opened, and a man peeked his head out. It was then that Isa noticed a box sitting at the edge of the top step. The man noticed it too. He looked left and right and then took one step out the door.

Isa realized that she was looking at the man in a way she never had before. She watched him take another step toward the box, and she knew that he was not as dexterous as she was. She could use that if she had to fight him. Perhaps she’d strike a little faster and dodge his own strike better.

He took one more step and leaned down to pick up the box. Mery stepped out silently, covered the man’s mouth with one hand, and with the other she jabbed her short sword into the small of his back. He collapsed to the ground.

With Isa’s help Mery pulled him into the shadow near the door and motioned for Joth to join them. Then she stepped into the living room. She took light, almost dancing steps to a lit candle on the table and snuffed it out. The room immediately fell into shadows. Lit filtered from deeper in the house and from upstairs. It was dim, but Isa could make out shapes.

She and Joth both tried to walk over the threshold at the same time and bounced off each other. Mery turned, saw the mix up and shook her head slightly. Isa felt her face turn red. Her first time adventuring with Mery, and she was suddenly one of the Three Stooges. She took what she hoped were silent steps to join Mery at the table.

Mery put her finger to her lips and then used it to point toward the back of the house. Isa nodded and waited for her friend to move first.

Mery took a step toward the back, and a floorboard creaked. Upstairs came the sound of a light thump, like a man getting out of bed, or taking a step toward the stairs, or carefully loading a crossbow, or--

Isa licked her lips. This was all too much. And then when Joth put his hand on her shoulder, she let out a small bark of surprise.

“Val? That you?” A voice called from the back of the house.

Mery pointed at Joth and then at the back area. He nodded and began to roll his hands as he walked carefully toward the dark hallway.

“Val?” The voice came closer. “Did I hear a--”

An elf stepped out of the shadows as Joth let loose a white ray. It hit the elf’s elbow. “Ow!” He shook out his arm. “Ow!” He said again.

Isa started to step toward him, but then she paused. Mery said to stay close, so she would see what Mery did first and then follow her lead.

Mery took 2 steps toward the elf and slashed at his middle with her sword. His cloth shirt seemed to billow, and then he was on the ground, cut almost in half.

Isa moved past him and tried not to look. The back area, a small kitchen by the look of it, was empty. As she turned to tell Mery, she heard footsteps from above.

“Whoever is down there, is going to get a taste of my fist for waking me up!” A man’s voice growled from the left, and Isa heard heavy footsteps. A crossbow bolt thumped into the wall by Joth’s head.

“What are you doing?” Another voice upstairs, this one female, called out.

Underneath the sound of the voices Isa thought she heard another sound, closer than the voices, but she dismissed it to concentrate on the threat at hand.

Joth had ducked down when the bolt almost hit him so now he crouched and shot his hand out toward the enemy that Isa couldn’t see. Nothing happened. She heard Joth say “What the...?”

Isa didn’t have time to wonder about Joth’s words because Mery was on the move. She bounded toward the stairs, motioning Isa to follow. She took the stairs 2 at a time and swung her sword at the man with the crossbow. Her blade caught his leg and slashed upward. Blood sprayed out.

Isa was right behind Mery but her rapier thrust went wide. The man dropped his crossbow and reached for his dagger, but he fumbled as he put too much weight on his injured leg. Before Isa had time to cheer, a crossbow bolt nicked her arm. The woman wielding it said, “Ha! More of that coming.”

Before the woman had finished speaking, Isa heard a roar of rage from the first floor and turned to see a man run at Joth with a metal club in his hand. He brought it down on Joth’s back, but since Joth was in an almost crouching position, the blow did not send him sprawling. He couldn’t get his balance enough to cast a spell, though.

Mery ignored the melee going on below and swung her sword at the man in front of her. She seemed to aim for his injured leg but then somehow her blade arched up and caught his throat on the downswing. He fell down the stairs, and Isa was just able to hop up to avoid getting tumbled up with the body.

She charged up the last few steps and jabbed her rapier at the woman at the head of the stairs, the crossbow she’d used on Isa cocked and ready in her hands. The sight of the deadly weapon up close made Isa’s heart skip a beat, and once she felt the rapier puncture the woman’s side, Isa twisted the blade and pulled sideways.

The woman grunted and fell to her knees. Her free hand went to the gout of blood pouring from her middle. “You…” she said to Isa and then fell over.

“Damn it!” The man fighting Joth began to curse. He swung his mace over his head and brought it down on Joth again.

“Hi now,” Mery ran down the stairs and leaped toward the man, ducking a swing. She slashed at the big man and cut his arm.

Isa joined Mery and as the man raised his mace to swing, she jabbed her weapon at his exposed armpit. He howled with pain.

Perhaps because of Isa’s blow, the man missed as he swung the mace at Joth for a third time. Mery took advantage of his extended stance and again brought her short sword down on the man’s arm. He grunted and dropped the mace.

Isa saw as if in slow motion: the man drops his mace as he steps back from Mery’s sword attack. He body turns slightly and there it is, a gap in the leather shirt he’s wearing. Isa slides her rapier into the gap and between 2 ribs. Her sword went in almost to the hilt.

The man’s legs crumpled, and he half landed on Joth who said, “Damn it, get this man off me.” He pushed at the big man’s body.

“Hush,” Mery said and held up her hand. “Hush now a moment.”

The house seemed silent, and after a moment Mery bent to help Joth move the man’s body. “Worth checking the bodies for coin,” she said.

“Where are you going?” Isa asked.

“First downstairs to see if they had any guests for the night.”

Isa joined her at the trapdoor set in the floor. “The big fella, he must have been down here when we came in. Damn me for not checking.”

“How could you? It all happened so fast.”

“There’s always time to stop and listen. You make time, or you might be dead.”

Isa suddenly felt like she was being lectured. “That something you learned on stage?”

If Mery heard, she ignored Isa and headed down the stairs to the basement.

Spoiler: Isa's Character Sheet

Name: Isa Chamberlin

Race: Human

Height & Weight: 5ft 6inches / 120 lbs

Class: Fighter Level: 3

Alignment: Good

Background: Stranger in a Strange Land

Hit Points: 20 AC: 13

Current Hit Points: 16

Combat: +4 to Hit

Weapons: Rapier (left hand) 1d8 +2 (piercing) / Quarterstaff (right hand) 1d6 +2 (bludgeoning)

Coin: 13gp, 10sp, 22cp

STR

11

0

DEX

14

+2

CON

11

0

INT

13

+1

WIS

13

+1

CHA

12

+1

Saving Throws: Str and Con +2

4

Acrobatics* (Dex)

1

Medicine (Wis)

1

Animal Handling (Wis)

1

Nature (Int)

1

Arcana (Int)

3

Perception* (Wis)

0

Athletics (Str)

1

Performance (Cha)

1

Deception (Cha)

1

Persuasion (Cha)

3

History* (Int)

1

Religion (Int)

3

Insight* (Wis)

2

Sleight of Hand (Dex)

1

Intimidation (Cha)

2

Stealth (Dex)

1

Investigation (Int)

1

Survival (Wis)

Special Attack: Two weapon fighting. When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.

Class Features:

Second Wind - On your turn, you can use a Bonus Action to regain hit points equal to 5 + your fighter level. Short or Long Rest before you can use it again.

(USED) Action Surge - On your turn, you can take one additional action on top of your regular action and a possible Bonus Action. You must finish a short or Long Rest before using it again.

Martial Archetype: Surgical Fighter

3rd level - Clinical Eye: Spend 1 combat turn studying your enemy and learn one of the following: if the enemy is equal to or stronger than you in strength, dexterity, or constitution. Can spend up to 3 turns to discern all 3. Can be used outside of combat as a free action - spend 1 minute to learn all three.