An Axe in the Flames

Heroes Don't Need Plans

Amery snuck off into the woods, following the five foot tall or so embankment that surrounded the east side of town and towards the stables. The bush was thick, and the low hanging trees provided plenty of shadows for him. His soft soled boots were perfect for a night time sneak, and being relatively short and slender, he was built for these moments. The only exception would be if he had to fight, then there would be a major problem. He wasn't so good at that, but he could split a hair on a chicken's ass from a hundred yards away with a bow and arrow. So slow and steady was going to be the plan here.

He hadn't thought much about what was going to happen once he got to the stables, or even what the plan was after he got the horses. Cor above, he didn't even know what the distraction plan from Draxx was going to be. Well, knowing Draxx, it was going to be something he couldn't mistake and as far as the horses...he'd just figure out something on the fly. Heroes didn't always have plans in the stories, things just kind of worked out in their favor.

He crept along the bank behind the last four small wooden stores that were mostly used for storage, watching all along as men dressed as Dry Lakers milled about in their grey woolen jackets and leather pants. There was a pair of men smoking pipes behind the grain building but they had their backs turned to him, and he was far enough away that he didn't really worry about them. As he passed the last building with a small coup of chickens he could see the stables. The long wooden building was surrounded by soldiers and every lantern in Cor's creation seemed to be burning. Shit on a stick, he thought to himself.

The stables sat perched on top of a hill, facing town, and the embankment ran right up to the right side of them where hitching posts were set in the ground. Behind the posts were a few bails of hay, but other than that, there was no sort of cover for Amery to even think about using. He crouched down in the thickets and counted the men, fourteen. From the whinnies of the horses inside the stable, it seemed full. That part was at least going to plan, but what in the hell could he do to get inside and get two out without being noticed. He continued to search around, looking for anything. He noticed a pair of guards doing their rounds and he watched their pattern. They would meet in the front, walk around each side and meet in the back. About two minutes time for them to meet each time. Could that be the trick?

He sat in a crouch and watched the pair over and over. The one on the right was the only soldier that didn't pass by anyone once he cleared the halfway point of the side of the stables. There were three soldiers playing cards on a small circular wooden table, and each time no one would look up. After the soldier walked by he didn't see anyone again until he rounded the corner to the backside. The stable walls on this side were solid with no openings, so perhaps this could work? No, he couldn't ambush him or anything like that, there was no place he could hide to take anyone by surprise. What would Draxx do in this situation? Probably just charge in and beat each soldier's head against the other. Amery wiped his face with his hands and listened to the woodland nightlife. That's it! He had a plan, he would make a sound like a deer was hurt to lure the soldier over then knock him out and take his clothes. Fool proof, he thought.

Amery ducked further back into the woods and started feeling along the moss and pine needle floor for a thick branch or rock. The ground was damp and every branch he grabbed was rotted, finally his muddy hands found a fist sized rock. He pulled it out of the soft earth and smiled, this would be just what the plan called for. Scrambling back to the edge of the woods and closer to where the back of the stables were he waited for the soldier to start coming around from the back. The stables glowed a yellow ring in the pitch black that surrounded it, and the lantern light gleamed off of the black plate armor of the soldier. He had a red leather cap on, so though weren't really expecting any fighting, maybe this would work out after all. Amery cupped his hands to his mouth and cried like an injured deer. The soldier paused and looked his way then kept walking. Amery did it again as the soldier rounded the front, then waited for him to come back and cried again. This time the soldier stopped and took a step his way. Amery slid a little further back into the brush and cried again, the soldier was walking his way now and had a hand on the pummel of his short sword.