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The Thieves Guild

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by Jake Care.

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Episode 131:

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The Battle of Trader's Bridge.

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Even the smaller tributaries that flowed through
Ness were mighty rivers.

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While Trader's Bridge did not get the same
admiration as the mile-long Great Bridge,

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it was still a feat of engineering. With two
foundational

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supports, one on the upper quarter side and one on
the lower quarter side,

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the arched bridge spanned the North Fork, whose
strong current was a challenge

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to navigate both upstream and downstream.

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The bridge was wide enough for large wagons to
navigate in both directions,

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and it was often used for that purpose.

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With that in mind, Rogers had intended on sending
a dozen or so

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wagons to the other side, and then tipping them
over and defending the wreckage as it

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blocked the bridge.

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He changed his mind after a short discussion with
Ji.

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Sometimes necessity creates something special, and
Rogers felt that way about

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his newfound partnership with Ji. Whenever he had
an idea and directed it to

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her, she made it better. That was the case as he
looked at the stream of

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wagons making their way across Trader's Bridge.

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With the destruction in the lower quarter, the
flow of wagons with goods for delivery

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had backed up into a chaotic obstruction on the
road along the river.

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Most goods and supplies from the outer fields and
the mines were delivered via the

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rivers, but there were a significant amount that
were directly delivered via

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wagons to Craft Guild members that operated in
workshops near the

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warehouse district. Rogers' plan to block the
bridge was simple,

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and depended on the prompt reinforcement by masses
of Harvest Guild members,

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who would stream across the bridge to overwhelm
the knights, craftsmen, and

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merchants.

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Rogers knew that the best hope for Orion and Sax
was if they were to blow up Trader's

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Bridge and focus their attack where they had an
advantage, the wall and

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via their armored ships.

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With the Rangers siding with the Harvest Guild,
there was no hope for the knights to

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prevail, but they could extend the war for a long
and bloody time if

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they did one simple thing, destroy Trader's
Bridge.

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Rogers was going to prevent that by all means
necessary.

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Sir, if the goal is to protect the bridge,
wouldn't it be better

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to create a more challenging barrier than wood and
rolls of cloth?

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Indeed it would. What do you have in mind?

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Ji pointed in the direction of Harvest House.

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The coal and ore from the mines used by our guild
flows to a storage warehouse near

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Harvest House. That is done via wagons, not boats.

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It will take more time, but I recommend we find a
few wagons of coal, drive them over the

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bridge, and set fire to them on the other side.

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It will burn hot and long, and stop anyone from
attacking via the bridge.

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Rogers nodded as he looked at the bridge and then
back up the road to where

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it led to Harvest House. "We don't have much
time."

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I'll rally wagons that are already on the road. If
we need more, then we can use the other wagons.

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And thus it was that less than an hour later,
Rogers watched as

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a fortified force of Harvest Guild members led six
large wagons of

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coal over Trader's Bridge,

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followed by over a half dozen other heavily laden
wagons.

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Trotting alongside the caravan was a draft horse
with a large flagon of oil

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and a rider with flint and torches at the ready.

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An older guard with a long beard and a stout build
watched nearby as he leaned on

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a large broadsword. "You there, what's your name?"

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Fram, sir.

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"Well met, Fram. Do you know who is fleet of foot
or has access to a horse?"

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"I have a horse, but it is in the guard stable
downriver."

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"I need to know from Esmeralda or Polowyn when the
guild forces will arrive.

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I don't know how long we can hold the bridge, and
timing is critical.

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Can you rush to Harvest House with the message and
let me know how much time we will need to hold?"

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"Aye, sir."

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The man rushed off, and Rogers suddenly had a bad
feeling.

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He had expected to see a small yet steady stream
of guild members amassing

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nearby. As word spread, he expected them to arrive
as the families

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did in the pit, with pitchforks, knives, clubs,
and

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brooms. He didn't know how well they would be
armed, but he expected his

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main challenge to be organizing the
ever-increasing mass of guild members

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looking to contribute to the war.

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Instead, he saw very little activity at all.

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He turned his attention to the bridge.

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Ji was leading the wagons across, moving slowly at
the fore with armored

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guards, keeping an eye out for archers.

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He didn't want to see his forces mowed down like
he had done to the knights earlier.

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She disappeared over the top of the arch at the
midway point of the bridge.

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A short time later, someone shouted and pointed at
the bridge.

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Rogers peered out and saw dust or smoke arising
from the distance.

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"You there," Rogers yelled toward a young boy.

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"See what is happening and report back."

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The boy ran off without even replying.

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Rogers watched as the boy reached the top of the
arch, paused, and

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sprinted back even faster than he had left.

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A wagon is aflame, sir, just past the midway
point.

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Something had gone horribly wrong. The wagons were
to arrange

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themselves on the other side, two or three across
in rows, and then be set

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on fire to prevent approach."You, you, and you,
come with me," Rogers called

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out to three of the guard veterans who were
heavily armed and in armor.

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They were effectively all Rogers had in the way of
force to hold off whatever was

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happening on the bridge. He rushed toward the
bridge.

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As he approached the midway point, the sound of
clashing steel came from the

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distance. He was about to reach the top of the
bridge when Jhi came rushing

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back with three other guards. All four of them
were bleeding.

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The flames won't hold them long, sir.

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Jhi stopped near Rogers. "What's happening?"

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Knights on horseback swarmed the bridge, sir.

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We quickly turned two wagons and set them aflame,
but it is not enough.

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The horses are hesitant to pass the flames, but
the wagons don't completely block the road.

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They will be able to either coax the horses
through soon, or extinguish the flames.

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Couldn't you pull the other wagons closer?

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Our own horses were frightened of the flames.

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We can't fight back cavalry."

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He looked back toward the upper quarter. "By the
gods, Polo, where is the guild?

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We should be swarming the bridge. Even horses
can't withstand a wave of people."

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"Sir,

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I was able to see into the lower quarter as the
horses stormed toward us.

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The knights have a mighty force approaching,
merchant guards and mounted knights behind those
that took

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the bridge."

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"They have not taken the bridge." Rogers looked
back into the quiet

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upper quarter. "We can't let them cross the
bridge.

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If they do, they will set fire to the quarter and
burn their way to victory." Jhi stood up

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straight. "We will hold the bridge."

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Rogers turned to the guards around him.

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A few other guild members had wandered over to see
what was happening.

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In total, Rogers had a force of maybe 20 guild
members against an

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armed cavalry with an army behind them.

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"This is worse than the Pit," Rogers thought as he
unsheathed

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his sword. "We face an enemy that has burned our
homes and imprisoned our guild mates."

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The grim faces around him nodded as Rogers spoke.

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"We face a mighty force. Our only advantage is the
flames on the bridge, and this."

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Rogers pounded his heart with his fist.

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"We must buy time for Guildmaster Polo to send our
guild mates to help.

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We must face down this enemy. We must protect our
homes.

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We must not waver."

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Rogers raised his sword. "Who is with me?" Shouts
and cheers

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answered him, and Rogers turned and rushed toward
an insurmountable enemy.

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Before he even reached the burning wagons, Rogers
could smell the burning

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flesh of the horses that had been pulling them.

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The flames burning from the coal in the wagon were
intense, and it was clear

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that the petrified horses had thrashed about,
turning the wagon and spilling

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coal onto the bridge. The conflagration filled
almost the entire width

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of the bridge. "You did well in desperate
circumstances, Jhi." The blockade was

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enough to stop the cavalry from approaching, but
not men who didn't mind getting

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burned. And there were men who had risked just
that, as a group of guards

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had broken through and were attempting to settle
the horses of the other wagons.

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Meanwhile, more knights continued to rush through
the narrow gap of smaller flame

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at the edge of the bridge one by one. The bucking
horses made their effort

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nigh impossible, and furthermore, distracted the
knights of the approach of

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Rogers and his force. "The arrogance of the
knights," Rogers

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thought. "They didn't even consider that the
Harvest Guild members would

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counterattack.

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For Harvest House!"

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Rogers ran forward, but was quickly outstripped by
many of the other guild members.

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Still, he arrived in time to stop a killing blow
aimed at a young guild member

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and counter with a vicious strike that knocked the
knight to the ground.

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The knights stood mere yards away, their view of
the slaughter blurred by heat

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and flames.

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Rogers looked out and saw dozens of horses and
knights in full armor,

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held back solely by raging fire.

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It was then that he realized that the Harvest
Guild had run out of time.

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He didn't need to protect the bridge. He needed to
tear it down.

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Otherwise, the knights and merchants would swarm
in and set the upper quarter in

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flames. "Jhi!" She appeared instantly at his side.

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"Sir?" "They don't have archers yet, but they
will, uh, I need you to rush to the Black

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neighborhood. Grab as many miners as you can. Have
them bring pickaxes and mallets.

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They are to destroy the bridge foundation and
bring the bridge down into the river."

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"You want us to destroy Trader's Bridge?"

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"We have no other option."

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"But we won't be able to attack them in the lower
quarter, sir."

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"It is too late for that. We need to stop them
from attacking the upper quarter."

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Rogers turned to three guards. "You three, free
these poor horses and turn these other

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wagons to the center of the road. We need to set
them on fire as the flames from the front wagons
start to

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die."

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Jhi hadn't moved, and Rogers stormed over to her.
"We will hold the bridge.

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You are to destroy it. Go now." She nodded and
rushed off.

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Rogers looked through the flames, which were
already starting to decrease, and

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smiled grimly at the knights who were waiting
patiently with unsheathed

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swords and armored horses behind. He knew that
they were calm because

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they knew it was only a matter of time before they
could wreak their revenge.

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He turned to the remainder of his forces. "We need
to hold steady.

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The knights will come through soon. We can block
them with fire, but the fire will die.

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When it does, they will try to overwhelm us. I
cannot lie to you all.

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We will stop them with our lives, or the bridge
will come down and we will join them with the
rocks in the

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river. You may leave and join your guild mates, or
join me as we hold the bridge."

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Not a single person left Rogers' side.It was an

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eerie scene. As the front wagons' flames died
down, the three

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wagons behind them were set aflame and burned
bright.

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The knights advanced mere yards.

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The third set of wagons were full of cloth and
fabric.

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It would burn hot and bright, but would die fast.

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Through it all, Rogers held steady, making sure
that any knight that

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braved the flames to get through paid for their
bravery with their life.

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It led to an hours-long stand of a huge force
waiting patiently to

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overwhelm the small one.

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Knight archers had arrived, but Rogers and his
force took shelter behind a

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wagon full of fabric. As the flames of the third
wagon of fabric started to

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waver, a horse galloped up to Rogers.

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It was Fram.

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An update from Assistant Guildmaster Esma, sir!

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Fram dismounted and saluted Rogers.

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"Thank the gods," Rogers thought. The miners had

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updated him earlier. They were not long from
destroying the final keystone of the

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bridge's upper quarter foundation.

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Once gone, the bridge would fall nearly across the
whole river,

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up to the sister foundation on the lower quarter
side.

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If Esma's forces were close, Rogers could tell the
miners to halt their work,

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retreat, and the counterattack over the bridge
from the Harvest Guild forces would

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overwhelm the knights, even with their cavalry.

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He is awaiting for the rangers to lead the attack.

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They are organizing near the inner fields.

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"The inner fields?"

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Rogers couldn't believe what he was hearing.

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The knights would have half the upper quarter in
flames before such a force could make a

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difference.

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"Yes, sir."

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Rogers shook his head and put his hand on Fram's
shoulder.

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"It is dire news.

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Please return to Esma and tell him that he will
either find me dead behind the cinders of our
homes, or

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dead under the waves of the north fork.

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Tell him I will do my best to die under the
waves."

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Fram looked confused. "Go! Send him the message.

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Whether he understands it or not is not a concern
of mine right now."

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Fram nodded, mounted, and galloped off into the
upper quarter.

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As the clip-clop of the hooves were lost in the
crackle of flames, a wooden

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plank gave way in the wagon behind Rogers, and the
burning fabric

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tumbled down and into the north fork.

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The flames lessened to the point that they weren't
a barrier anymore.

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Rogers raised his sword. "Let the river run red."

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As he swung his sword at the first knight that had
rushed past the dying flames,

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Rogers wondered if it would be better to die
underwater or in a pool of

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blood.

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(dramatic music)

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00:15:30,611 --> 00:15:31,711
A Podcast Alchemy

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00:15:31,752 --> 00:15:48,832
production.