This was almost and invitation in his mind. With the skill of a Castillian butcher, he disemboweled the the contents of the pack. There it was the prize he had been looking for. Two glass balls wrapped in a sheath of leather. His heart raced with anticipation. Tucking his coveted prize under and arm he bolted toward the front door. His feet flapped against the stone floor as he skittered toward the main stairs. A well timed leap found him riding the railing toward the foyer. The front door required some effort to pry it open, but in a moment he was outside. The rough cut stones of the building offered ample handholds. The bulk of the spyglass made climbing a bit of a challenge, but the fuel of desire propelled him skyward. Once on the roof he made a quick scan of the grounds. The lake was quiet and both boats were moored at the docks. The walled garden too was empty. The orchard and gardens on the back side of the house were empty. Moving across the ridge of the roof he scanned the hillside glenn. A squeak of excitement escaped his mouth as he saw movement on the distant hill. The tree line was slight obscuring his view of the grassy knoll beyond.

Melecore could hardly stand the anticipation. Even with the trees blocking his view he could tell a visual feast was about to be his. The little half-elf girl was an exquisite expression of the best of man and elf. Though she traveled in scant clothing the bits of leather and cloth that concealed what remained were never far from his thoughts.

The Chimney would offer a prime location to finally view what nature had endowed her with. With effort that would have elicited complaint if anyone had asked him to climb it went unnoticed as he crested the collection of stone and mortar. Pulling the lens up to his eye he scanned to get his bearings. Lake, treetops, leaves, grass, motion! His heart was pounding in his chest. He gripped the leather cone of the spyglass with such ferocity he could hear the leather groan in protest. There, coming into focus in the polished glass was the object of his desires. The two marbles in the leather wrap conspired to close the distance between two points to a degree that allowed Melicore a view of the maiden that would normally require him to stand within ten feet of her.

His lips moistened with the darting of his tongue. "Turn around" he encouraged her with a forced whisper. Although the view of her posterior reclining on the grass was exquisite he wanted more. "Come on, lay back!" as if on cue the white haired elf relaxed her shoulders and started to lay on her back. A snapping sound pulled his focus to his immediate surroundings. A fleck of masonry stone shot passed him. He heard a twanging sound like a bow string being plucked and felt a tug on his feet. His ankles slapped together and he was plunged into darkness. The smell of soot and ash was everywhere. Reaching out with his hands he tried to slow his descent. Below him he heard a splash.

The shock of the cold water in the tub at the bottom of the chimney was unexpected. The soapy water was unwelcome as well. A fluttering sound in the dining room announced the arrival of a small black and white falcon. It grasped the spyglass with its talons and disappeared through the doorway into the main hall.
***
Calais looked into Silverhawk's eyes. He could see the emotions swirling beneath her loving gaze. Beyond the tree line he heard a snap. A trio of birds took flight in response to the sound.
"What was that?" he said, beginning to rise.
"Oh, it was nothing" Silverhawk responded pulling him back in close. "Just a little provision I made to ensure privacy."