And now we wait

I spun the chamber of the revolver and, sure enough, every slot was filled. Eight rounds. More than enough to kill anything that moves.

I slammed the chamber back into place and tucked the gun into my inside pocket. A holster would have been ideal, but I had to work with what I had.

“Keep þyself safe, young master Mackay. If not for þyne own sake, þen for þe sake of all oþers. If þe Edelweiss men wer to get þeir hands on þat weppon, 'twould spell disaster,” Arthur said from behind the counter.

“Yeah, I’ll try to avoid taking any unnecessary risks. With 8 rounds I should be fine, but I’ll be careful either way.”

“Pryde comeþ befor a fall, and vijilans is hau ‘tis prevented. Do not allau þy confidence to lead þee to an erly grave, my boy.”

“I’ll… try and keep that in mind, cheers. And I’ll keep the girls safe too.”

“Aye, I will caunt on þee to see Ella and my dear son home safely. Good luck on þyne endevours, may þe gods fævour you þis eve.”

I waved goodbye to the old man and left the shop, looking around the mostly empty side street to make sure no one was watching me. Content that I was free from prying eyes, I walked my way back to the inn, taking less busy streets where I could, just in case I had caught the attention of the investigators.

As I steadily made my way back, a pit started to grow in my stomach yet again. It was starting to sink that we were really doing this: we were about to rob an armed transport. Though he had the upper hand, there was every chance this could go wrong. Not to mention, I was the one who called for the raid, so if someone loses their life here, the blame falls directly on my shoulders. I wanted a bloodless resolution, but if blood was shed, it would be no one’s fault but my own.

Once back at the Flagon, I gave Alphonse a quick nod and headed through the semi-crowded tavern, up the stairs and to Alice’s room. I wrapped my knuckles on the door, and entered to find the other four members of the raid party already sat around the bed.

“Ah, Barry, þou hast arryved. I trust everyþing went well?” Alice asked as I closed the door behind myself.

“Yeah, didn’t seem like I was followed. I’ve got the revolver in 'ere, eight rounds loaded. If we ends up in a situation where I could possibly need more than that, we’ve already buggered it,” I explained. “I’da liked to get one or two more before first puttin' them to use, but the time between now and that slave ship is dwindlin'. Our 'ands are tied, so this is unfortunately our best option. Ella, you got the substitutes?” I asked, turning to the blacksmith.

“Aye, I have þem. Or raþer, I have þem finished. þey be still in my workshop, carrying þem around before þe time seemed an unnesessary risk.”

“So long as they’re on hand, we’re all good.” The whole idea around winning this without bloodshed was to make them think they were completely outgunned, so I had had Eleanor and Arthur throw together some models that were similar enough in appearance but lacked any of the parts to make them actually work. Alice, Eleanor, Elis and Alces would carry one each, and the hope was that the threat of five repeating guns would make them stand down without a fight. It was risky, but it was the best I had. Knowing the preparations had been completed, I could now fill everyone in exactly what we were doing. 

“Okay, ladies and gents, 'ere’s the plan.”

***

“þis be’þ an aufully risky approach, þinkest þee not?” Alice said at my side. She, Eleanor, Alces and I were sat in the back of the cart that Alice and I had stolen previously (which was quite awkward with a massive cage in the middle), while Elis sat on the horse’s back. It was already dark, and the road was bumpy, so it could hardly be said that it was an easy ride, but we hardly had the room to complain about that.

“Of course it’s risky, but most of the risk falls on me. If shite goes south, you lot should still be able to escape. It’ll me that loses me ‘ead.”

“þat be’þ eksactly what I am worried about, þou fool. þou hast þe gun in þy posseshon. If þou art to perish, we render ourselves practically disarmed. And þat asyde, I… could not bare to lose þee…” it was hard to see in the dark, but it looked like she turned away bashfully.

“I-I see… look, I’ll try me best to keep meself safe, alright? But the one with the gun really needs to be close to 'em for it to be convincin', so we’ve kinda gotta do it this way.”

“I suppose I understand as much. Just… be careful, I beg þee. I have come þis far wiþ þee at my syde, ‘twould not feel ryte to go on wiþaut þee.”

“I’ll get outta this okay, I swear to ya’s.”

“I’ll hold þee to þat, wiþout kweschon.”

Well, I obviously had no way to actually be sure, but I could at least appease her as such for now. Honestly there were plenty of things that could go wrong. But when you’re fighting an illegal rebellion and attempting to usurp a sitting lord, you can’t exactly expect a picnic in the park.

We trundled along a little further until we could be certain we were out of range of the town. Elis began to bring the horse to a stop, the cart blocking the dead centre of the road. It had been raining recently, so taking a carriage off the beaten path would just get them stuck, so we were blocking off the only way through.

“Alice, you’re sure there’s a shipment comin' tonight, right?” I asked, as the cart finally came to a stop.

“Aye, I noe þe skedyule of trade from Edelweiss land to Romshi town as well I noe þe back of myne own hand. I stowed away on þeir carrejes on several okæshons to visit Ella in my teen years.”

“And you’re sure they wouldn’t have changed it all in that time?”

“My faþer be’þ a creachure of habit, he doþ not chanje, and he prefereþ þat everyþing þat affecteþ him remane static wen possible. He would only chanje þe day or tyme of trade deliveries if someþing truly forsed his hand.”

That wasn’t the complete 100% I wanted, but it was enough. The odds that an Edelweiss transport would come along this way seemed high at very least.

“Alright, everyone to positions. One in the cart wi’ me, the other three off to the side somewhere 'idden,” I said to my four companions.

“I shall volunteer to join you,” replied Eleanor. “Elis and Alces do not know you well enough to completely leave þeir lives in youre hands, and þe lady is too valuable to risk in a sichuæshon such as þis.”

I couldn’t exactly refute her logic, and I had no problem with it being her in the first place, so it was decided that she and I would be the ones in the cart. The other three would off to the side of the path, ready to spring the moment they heard the signal.

The bait was placed. The trap was set. And now, we wait.