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The Thieves Guild

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by Jake Kerr.

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Episode 74:

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Ready To Die.

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Rodgers was exhausted. He had wandered the length
of the lower quarter,

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rallying whatever resistance he could while
wearing the green of the Harvest Guild,

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then watching the movements of the Knights and
Merchant Guild guards while switching

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clothing and wearing the blue of the Merchant
Guild.

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There had been sporadic fighting, but the Harvest
Guild lacked leadership,

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and as guild members drew swords to defend their
homes, they were easily

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defeated and imprisoned, which led to others being
fearful of that fate.

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As the hours went by, more and more Harvest Guild
members just followed where

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they were led. Rodgers pushed himself to the last
pocket of resistance,

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a remote neighborhood anchored by a cul-de-sac in
one of the poorest

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parts of the flats. Called the Pit, it sat near
the great wall,

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halfway between the Knight Tower and the Craft
Tower.

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Its remote location and unsavory reputation must
have made it the final

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hurdle for clearing the quarter. As he wandered
the lower triangle in his

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blue cloak, Rodgers' last piece of intelligence
was that there was a large

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group of merchant guards and knights preparing to
march on the Pit.

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Rodgers had stuck around to ask who was leading
the efforts.

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"Merchants first, Knights to clean up,"

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was the succinct and brutal answer.

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The proximity of the wall made Rodgers nervous.

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All it would take would be White Guards with bows
to decimate the defenders of the

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Pit. However, the neighborhood itself was ideal
for defense.

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The houses were extremely old and falling apart,
but they were

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stone, and attempting to burn the defenders out
was unlikely to be

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successful.

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The houses were also built very close together in
a style that must have been

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popular in times gone by.

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Finally, the street was narrow, and the alleys
were little more than footpaths with no

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room for large groups of attackers to maneuver or
hide.

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Standing at the end of the main thoroughfare into
the Pit, Rodgers nodded

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his head in appreciation.

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The final rose that Larsen wants to pluck has
plenty of thorns.

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With a yank that practically pulled his arm from
its socket, Rodgers was pulled

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off his feet and tossed to the ground, the impact
making him lose his breath.

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As he gasped for air, the point of a sword pressed
against his

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chest. A giant of a man stood over him.

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Green,

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and yet free.

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I sense a spy.

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Not spy.

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Rogers felt his breathing return to normal, but he
couldn't even sit up with the

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sword pointed at his heart.

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What do you do for the House?

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Rogers knew that this was the man's way of asking
what job he did for the Harvest

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Guild.

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The inner orchards. I organize the delivery to the
warehouses.

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It was a mid-level job for the Guild that this man
would hopefully not be

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familiar with, and which would make sense for
someone living in the lower quarter.

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The blade pulled back but was still pointed at
Rodgers as he sat up.

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How did you escape the traitors?

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It wasn't difficult. They are expecting people to
either fight or go along with them to the old
quarter.

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Someone wandering into the Pit wasn't a priority.

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Rodgers held up his hands.

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I'm here to help.

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Not many call it the old quarter.

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How do I know you're not a spy?

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Damn my tongue, Rodgers thought.

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I can't bring myself to call it the wretched
quarter with so many of our brothers and sisters
being herded

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there like animals.

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The man nodded. Rodgers had a better view of him,
and it

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was clear that the man was a low-level Harvest
Guild guard.

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His leather armor was worn and faded, while his
green tunic had holes and

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tears.

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I'm Rodgers.

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Kender. I guard at the warehouses.

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That makes sense, Rodgers thought. "He isn't
expected to do anything more

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than just watch for thieves."

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The thought was a sad one. Kender most likely
hated thieves, and yet they

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were currently his guild's only ally.

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May I stand, Kender?

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The guard nodded.

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I am good with knives and would like to help.

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I am familiar with the Pit and knew it would be a
strong place for our guild to take a stand.

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That it is.

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I've lived here my whole life.

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There is a saying that only we share:

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The roots of Harvest House start in the Pit.

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There is wisdom in those words.

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Rodgers looked down the street.

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So what can I do to help?

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Nodding in the direction of the lower triangle, he
added...

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I saw merchant guards and knights amassing. They
will storm the neighborhood soon.

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Knights and cowardly merchants.

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Not waiting for a reply, Kender continued.

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It is as we expected.

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Ask for Gruff. He is in charge.

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Look for the pig.

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Rodgers didn't bother asking for clarification on
the pig comment.

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He thanked Kender and made his way down the lane.

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Narrow streets and alleys split left and right.

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The houses were all quiet, even along the main
thoroughfare that Rodgers

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followed.

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The road narrowed as he approached the cul-de-sac
at the end, which was a

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half-circle of townhouses. The houses were
crumbling, and there were entire

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parts that were bolstered with random pieces of
other things, like wagon

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wheels and ceiling beams.The decay was tangible,
but so

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was the solidity. Anyone trying to clear this
ancient part of the Lower

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Quarter would have to go house by house, entering
through dangerous

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single doors.

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As he looked around, a few things stood out to
Rogers.

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Everything was deathly quiet.

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No one was in the street. There were no doors
opening and closing, no sounds

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of children playing, and no sounds of
conversation.

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Yet, he knew the defenses were there, archers
behind windows,

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probably unskilled archers with old and barely
functioning bows, but archers

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nonetheless. And who knew what traps lay behind
each door?

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The Pig turned out to be an actual pig.

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Rogers thought that there would be an inn or
tavern with a pig on a sign near the end

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of the lane. But, no. There on the left of the
townhouses that lined the

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cul-de-sac was an actual pig rooting around in the
mud in front.

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Rogers walked to the front door, stepping past the
pig, who looked up at him with

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a quizzical look. "Hold."

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The voice was deep and icy cold. Rogers stood
still.

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"What's your business in the pit?"

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A force of merchant guards and knights approach.
Kender let me through to warn you.

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I'm looking for Grath.

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"Who are you?"

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"Rogers. I work the Inner Orchards. As I said, I
saw a force preparing to head this way, and

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I came to help."

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After a moment, the silence was broken by the
sound of chains clinking,

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and then the grinding of metal. As the door
opened, an old man with long

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gray hair looked up at Rogers with a big smile on
his face.

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"Well met, Rogers.

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I am Grath."

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Grath stood aside and waved Rogers in.

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Entering the house confirmed Rogers' assessment.

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The rooms were cramped, but solidly built.

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The knights could storm the houses, but clearing
them would lead to heavy

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casualties. However, looking at the group facing
him confirmed his

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other assessment. They were poorly armed and would
be overwhelmed in a

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traditional battle. Counterattacks and charges
would be impossible with staves,

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knives, and fireplace pokers as their main
weapons.

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"These are the men of my family. We have other
families defending their

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houses up and down the lane and throughout the
neighborhood.

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Our force is small, but we are one with the land,
and we have our secrets."

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Rogers nodded. He was surrounded by a group of
five men, with

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another group peering in through the door to
another room.

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"Tell us of these traitorous merchants and
knights,"

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Grath spat.

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"There is a score of merchant guards up front, but
I am sure that the knight forces will be close
behind.

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They are in full battle armor."

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Glancing at the weapons, Rogers was losing
confidence.

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One of the men had a broomstick as a weapon.

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"How long until they reach us?"

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Rogers didn't expect them to march right away, but
the sad truth was that

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they were close and could swoop in at any moment.

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"They are already within striking distance.

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We should prepare immediately."

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"We are prepared,"

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One of the men said. He carried a sword and
slapped the flat of it against his

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palm. Grath slapped Rogers on the back.

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"Ready to die?"

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Rodgers ignored the comment.

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"So, what is your plan? You were blessed with
natural defenses in your lanes and houses.

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How do you intend to use them?"

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Grath looked at one of the other men, as if asking
for a translation of words he

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didn't understand. The man shrugged.

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Grath turned to Rogers and said forcefully...

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"We will defend our houses."

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"Do you have archers?"

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"I believe so.

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Each family has some bows for hunting game in the
outer fields during the hunting season."

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"How are they arrayed?"

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Grath looked blankly at Rogers. "This is bad," he
thought.

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"So, tell me, what is your strategy? How will you
best use your archers?

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Where is your first line of defense?"

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Grath stood up straight. "We will defend our
houses."

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As Rogers had feared, there was no organized
defense.

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The marvelous defenses of the pit would go to
waste, especially the deadly

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cul-de-sac.

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"This will not work. You need to have a plan."

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Rogers knew that Grath was the leader of the pit.

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Otherwise, Kender would not have pointed him to
him.

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So even if each family was left to defend their
own houses, Grath would be

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able to change things.

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Pointing out the front of the house, Rogers
continued.

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"They are heavily armed. If you defend house by
house, they will have a difficult time

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clearing the pit, but they will wipe out many of
the families.

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All it will do is slow them down.

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We need to draw them into a situation where we can
attack them, causing great casualties.

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I don't know if this will stop them, but it will
give them pause."

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"And how do you know this?"

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It was a younger man who had orange-red hair and
brilliant blue eyes.

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He looked angry and ready to fight.

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"Before I joined the Harvest Guild, I apprenticed
to the knights, sir.

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I have seen the knights practice and know at least
how they will approach.

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They are heavily armored and will cut through
individual defenses easily."

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Turning from the red-haired man to Grath, Rogers
held out his hands, palm

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up.

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"But they follow a force of merchant guards who
have less discipline, and that is our chance.

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They will march like knights, but make mistakes.

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If we draw them into a place where they cannot
escape, and we cause great casualties, it may make
the

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knights delay their approach."

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"How does a delay help us?"

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"It gives us time to create traps and better
organize defenses within the houses."

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Graf nodded. "So, what did your knight
apprenticeship teach you?"

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Graf replied, his voice not questioning or mocking
but rather

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curious if a bit skeptical.

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"Well, my immediate thought is that the best spot
to defend is outside your front door.

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The cul-de-sac provides us cover on three sides as
we attack them where they cannot defend
themselves.

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Is there anywhere else like that in the
neighborhood?"

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"No.

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There are dead-end alleys,

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but they are too small and out of the way to be a
place for us to attack as a group."

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Rogers thought about the layout of the
neighborhood.

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The guards and knights knew the pit would be a bit
more difficult than other locations,

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hence the show of force, but they would also be
cocky.

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Clearing the lower quarter so easily had most
assuredly led to

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overconfidence.

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This made him think that they would just start
moving house by house and lane by

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lane, slow but sure.

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"So, we need to somehow draw the guards and
knights here, making them ignore moving house by

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house."

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"My friends and I could attack and retreat.

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Would they follow us?"

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It was a young man who had been standing off to
the side.

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"You would need to cause injury. Do you have
bows?"

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"Ah, yes. We could shoot from a distance until
they charge, and then we

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could retreat to here."

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Graf spoke to the young man. "Rowe, that sounds
dangerous."

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"Nothing about this isn't dangerous.

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You brought up bows. That's another part of the
plan, in fact.

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Let me lay it out for you."

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Rogers looked around and walked over to a table.

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He grabbed three plates and arranged them into a
rough outline of the cul-de-sac.

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Holding up a glass, he said. "This represents the
guards."

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00:14:03,479 --> 00:14:07,259
Placing the glass in the middle of the plates,
Rogers continued.

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00:14:07,259 --> 00:14:11,119
"The guards will be drawn here. Rowe mentioned
archers. This is critical.

233
00:14:11,659 --> 00:14:15,199
You'll need to place archers on the second floor
or roof of all these houses."

234
00:14:16,279 --> 00:14:21,199
Rogers tapped the plates, indicating the houses
surrounding the cul-de-sac.

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00:14:21,659 --> 00:14:24,619
Looking up, Rogers smiled. "This..."

236
00:14:25,339 --> 00:14:29,660
He tapped the glass. "Is going to be target
practice for these archers."

237
00:14:30,199 --> 00:14:32,640
He then tapped the plates one after another.

238
00:14:32,640 --> 00:14:36,019
"With everyone focused on that one spot, we will
do a lot of damage."

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00:14:36,019 --> 00:14:40,839
"And after that, we rush out and finish them off."
The voice came

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00:14:40,920 --> 00:14:45,039
from a middle-aged man, the one who was wielding a
broomstick.

241
00:14:45,060 --> 00:15:26,819
(dramatic music)