Exploitable Weaknesses by Brian Keller (red queen free ebook txt) 📗

up. Birt left and found the sergeant, “We’re done. We gotta get home. Too much longer and the neighbors’ll be askin’ me ma ‘n pa where their kids’re at.” Birt gave the man a brief wave and jogged back to the wagon. The sergeant leaned out to look towards the wagons and could see that one was already leaving the quarry with kids seated up front and in back. Cooper handed the reins to Birt and turned to give a brief wave of his own in the direction of the guard house. As Birt flicked the reins, Cooper spoke loud enough to be heard but not loud enough for his voice to carry over the sound of falling rain, “We shouldn’t even need to wait til dark. They’re already chaining prisoners up to put them inside the stockade. They might not even push guards outside the quarry in this rain.” Birt agreed, “True. And if the rain comes down any harder, they might not even hear us come back with the wagons.” Gaff leaned in to join the conversation, “Did you notice? The guards aren’t just wearing chainmail. Most of them have a breast plate and a few of them have spaulders of some sort.” Cooper leaned back so he didn’t have to raise his voice to be heard over the rain, “It’ll take a lot of force to punch through armor like that. You’ve got Earth affinity, right?” Gaff nodded, then shook his head, “Yeah, but not like that’ll be enough to let me pierce through armor plate with a dagger!” Cooper asked, “Who’s the better archer? Loryn or you?” Gaff didn’t have to think about it, nor did he look ashamed, “Loryn.” Cooper nodded and asked, “How are you at picking locks?” Gaff snorted, then blew the water out from his nose, “Did you get a look at the padlock on that gate?” Cooper shook his head, “Never got that close.” Gaff smiled, “Pretty sure I can sneeze while I’m working at it and that lock’ll just fall open… can’t count on those shackle chains being that easy though.”

Dailen had stopped his wagon at the bottom of the first low hill. By the time they’d caught up to them, Dailen’s passengers had almost finished changing out of their worker’s clothes. Loryn was gathering the bows and quivers from the space under the front seats to hand them out. The wind kept blowing her hood down every time she stood with her arms full. She caught Cooper grinning and demanded, “What’s so funny?” Cooper smiled wider, “Just wondering if you preferred this over hiding in a puddle, under a wet blanket in that stockade back there?” Loryn grinned back and ducked her head, “It wouldn’t have been bad if it were dry. Might’ve even caught a few winks waiting for the sun to go down.” She handed the bows and arrows down to Rukle as she spoke, “It might take longer now,” she looked at the dark clouds still to come, “but I wouldn’t be surprised to find those guards spending the night indoors.” Rukle’s voice was almost lost as he turned to face away from the wind, “A night like this one… that’s when those people chained up get sick, and those already sick might die. A cold rain like this’ll chill you to the bone. It sucks the life right out of you when there’s no way to get warm.”

Dailen asked, “With Loryn here, what’s the signal?” Cooper looked back toward the quarry. There was nothing to see except rain. He decided, “There won’t be a need for us to make a wide circle to flank the quarry. We’ll just move a few steps off the road and walk parallel to it through the tall grass. I doubt they’ll put guards out to watch the approach, but keep an eye out in case they have. Dailen and Birt, wait about twenty minutes, then lead the horses and wagons back into the quarry. That should give us enough time to spot any posted guards and deal with them. Waiting longer than that might force us to deal with shift changes or someone coming out to take a leak. Balat knows we’ve had to change the plan, but he can’t start cutting saddle straps until he knows whether or not they’re putting guards on the road.” As Cooper and Gaff changed clothes, the sky lit up a few times, but it looked like the flashes were staying in the clouds. As he strapped his quiver over his shoulder, Cooper offered, “Arrows don’t fly the same when they’re wet. Even worse when it’s actively raining.” Spen tugged his bowstring, “Still good enough to pierce a cheap breast plate.” Cooper’s head snapped around, “Cheap?” Spen smiled and turned his hand to point at Dailen with his bow, “That’s what he said.” Cooper turned to question Dailen. Dailen spoke, “You couldn’t tell? Most of those plates have been dented plenty, and then hammered out afterward. Good armor would’ve needed some heat to bang it out correctly. The metal they’re wearing is thin and weak enough that they just hammered it roughly into shape.” Cooper gave a single, exaggerated nod, “That’s good news for us then. Just remember, if you shoot an arrow, hit or miss, note where it goes. I’d prefer it if we didn’t leave anything behind. Not even a fletching.” Naro replied, “We are Assassins, after all.” Cooper turned, “Not yet, you’re not. But all the same, let’s reinforce those good habits, shall we?” Loryn asked, “I was supposed to be in the stockade. Where do I need to be now?” Gaff eagerly chimed in, “You’re with Cooper and Rukle, covering me while I unlock the stockade.” Loryn looked to Cooper, who nodded, then added, “Once the gate’s open, Rukle, you go in with Gaff and help bring the prisoners out.” Rukle started to form a protest but Cooper spoke first, “You don’t have a bow like ours.”