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

be seated upright. Even with everyone seated, the wagons were filling up so fast he wondered if he wouldn’t be walking home himself, or if the horses could even pull such heavily laden wagons down the muddy roads. Loryn had closed and locked the stockade gate. Probably an unnecessary measure considering the four dead guards and the terrified masons, but maybe it would help pass a cursory search if a guard merely opened the guard house door to glance outside. Birt was turning his wagon to align with Dailen’s when Cooper retrieved Naro. “Time to go.” he told him. As they approached, Dailen was staring at Cooper, his eyes wide.

When they got to the wagons, Rukle was shaking his head, “Looks like we’re walking back. Besides, we’ll probably be needing to push to get the wagons through the low spots.” One of the prisoners crawled down out of the wagon and shuffled through the mud. In a hoarse voice he called out, “Coo-, uh, Kinsman?” Except for the mannerisms and inflections in speech, Cooper couldn’t be certain he’d have recognized the man, “Mister Ysel.” Cooper clasped the man’s outstretched hand, then spoke abruptly, “Please climb back into the wagon, sir. We need to leave. Just know that you are one of the reasons we’ve come tonight.” Mister Ysel's face displayed a sad, pained expression as he tucked his chin and did as he was asked. Loryn stepped close, “What’re we going to do to get through town? City Watch are sure to notice two carts filled with people, thunderstorm or no.” Cooper raised his voice to be heard, “One crisis at a time, please. Let’s just get out of the quarry.” No one replied and Cooper gave Dailen a wave. The horses snorted as they started pulling. Perhaps it was the rain, or the mud, or maybe they were just protesting the added weight on the wagons.

*****

Chapter 10

Iona sat bolt upright in bed. She’d almost drifted off to sleep a half dozen times tonight, but every time a flash in the clouds or a peal of thunder would jar her back to consciousness. This time it was no flash or rumble that jolted her awake, “He’s alive!” she thought, almost exclaiming it out loud. Oddly enough, he was a fair distance to the northwest, “Which means he’s outside of the city.” She pulled on her robes and absently tied the sash around her waist as she wondered, “Northwest of the city…what’s out there? And what would cause him to use his Gift?” She knew it would be nearly impossible to convince anyone to go out in this storm, but she had to at least inform Yoren of what she’d felt. She hadn’t detected the boy since just before the Guild had been raided. She was certain that her Gifted target belonged to the Guild. It had been months since she’d felt any indication of him. She had begun to wonder whether he’d fled, or had been killed during that raid.” The fact that he was still around was remarkable. She found herself wondering whether the boy had some plan, or if he was merely surviving as best he could. As she vigorously knocked on Yoren’s door, she considered how to describe what she’d felt. After the second time she knocked, the door was pulled open revealing a very disheveled and irritated Spymaster, “What do you want?!”, then he recognized it was her, and his tone changed to one of interest and curiosity, “I can only think of one reason for you to wake me at this hour.” She nodded, “It’s him. He’s alive and somewhere northwest of here. His power feels different somehow. Smoother, if that makes any sense. But there’s no mistake. It’s him.”

*****

Cooper’s mind was running through several possible solutions. Every person in the wagons was now relying on his ability to get them somewhere safe. At least the storm had given them a chance to start early. Even if the storm passed and the sky cleared, they still had most of the night.

He grabbed hold of the side of the wagon and pulled himself up beside Mister Ysel, “Sir, we’ve got a couple places ready for all of you. Non-Guild gets off at the first house. I want you to help point out who gets off first.”

They’d had to push each wagon four times so far, to free it from the mud in low lying areas along the road. They simply trudged behind the wagons waiting for the next occasion when they’d have to exert what little strength they had remaining. The rain was falling hard enough that they were almost entering The Heights before they realized they’d reached the city. Dailen quickly turned his wagon south to skirt along the city’s edge toward the University. Birt followed right behind. Cooper had decided on a plan. He quickly slogged to Dailen’s wagon and gave him brief instruction, then told Birt simply, “Follow Dailen.” Cooper waved to those on the ground and told them, “They’ll drive onto the cobblestones just far enough to lose the tracks, then swing around and skirt along the University like we first planned. We’ll try to stomp out and obscure the wheel and hoof tracks as much as we’re able, and trust the rain to take care of the rest. We’re not keeping the wagons anyway.” Everyone smiled. Simple was best, it would just take a little effort to make sure “simple” would be enough. After circling, as they passed along the walls at the western end of the University, most of them placed their feet along the edges of the ruts as they walked. The others focused on the divots made by the hooves. Cooper caught up with Rukle, “We’ll follow the wall as it turns east. About halfway along the southern wall, there’s a bend. Once we reach that bend, you run ahead and gather up the kids from both Dreg’s