In Which Trouble is Made


When they neared the area where Justina and Lupe thought the Barons men would be, they began to travel more cautiously. The only traces they left were in code for the other half of their crew. It almost felt like overkill when they finally did find The Baron's men. They weren't even bothering to hide. Xanaria could see the smoke from their campsite fires from miles away. They found a nearby cluster of caves to hole up in and Lupe sorted out all the logistics of a functional secret camp.

The night after they arrived Xanaria scouted the camp. For backup she took Conor and Belle. The young teens had been pickpockets before they joined Lupe's Resistance. Conor and Belle were good but their experience was more with blending into a crowded market and making fast big scores. Aside from the occasional need to sneak out of town and move on in the middle of the night they had little experience with anything like this.

Xanaria set the teens out in the forest to map the layouts of sentries and guard posts, time their shifts, and note any kinds of patterns in the camp's defenses. Xanaria herself slipped into the middle of the camp to learn the layout, spot weak points, dangers, and potential for chaos of every area.

After a couple hours she met up with Belle and Conor again and they slipped away to report to Lupe. Between them, they got a pretty detailed map and timetable. Justina wrote down what Belle and Conor told her.

Before Lupe let them go to bed she looked them over seriously. "And none of you did anything to cause trouble tonight? There'll be plenty of that tomorrow and we don't want them warned."

Conor suddenly was very interested in something stuck to the toe of his wide duck foot boot, while Belle put on an innocent and helpless expression she had perfected in years of begging.

Lupe sighed, unsurprised. "What did you do?"

After a short silence Conor admitted. "I found the locked box of provisions they had up a tree. You know, to keep it away from wild animals? And… I climbed up and popped the latch. Maybe cracked the lid a little."

Lupe turned to Belle. She took longer to crack but when she did there was no regret in her voice. "I knocked the ash scoop they keep by the latrines down the hole so they won't be able to cover their poop with ashes. That place is going to start reeking. It's their own fault. Everyone knows the wind blows in from the sea most of the time. They shouldn't have put their latrine down wind."

"Well, I suppose it could be worse." Lupe sighed. She turned to share an exasperated look with Xanaria. But she couldn't. For some reason Xanaria was studying her fingernails intently, trying to pick the dirt out from under them. "Oh! Not you too. What did you do?"

"I… may have loosened the knots on some tent flaps? No one should notice, unless the wind picks up." A gust rattled the branches they had used to hide the mouth of their cave. "And even then it will only be annoying, it won't actually damage anything. Unless, of course, it starts to rain."

"You are a terrible role model." Lupe told her as the teens snickered, but the corners of her own mouth were twitching up in a smile. "I suppose there's nothing we can do about it now that won't make it worse. But you all may have just made tomorrow's job harder if they decide that three careless mistakes at once is suspicious. Congratulations. When it comes time to celebrate after this is done, you have all just volunteered to stand watch." Belle and Conor began to protest. "Unless you would prefer to simply be banned from the team tomorrow?" They shut up. "Alright, get some sleep. Me and Justina have some strategizing to do."

Xanaria lingered as the younger pair filed out.

"You should get some sleep too." Lupe told her.

"So should you. I'm sorry, I really didn't think it would even be noticed."

"By themselves I doubt any of your pranks would have been. It's together that has me worried."

"I'll stay a bit. Help you two remember the layout and not to keep at it too long. You need to sleep as well. You have all of tomorrow to plan, and we won't be getting much sleep tomorrow night."

Lupe unbent and reached for her hand. "That's probably wise. We'll just work out a framework while the intelligence is fresh."


The next day dawned gray. It had rained in the night. Xanaria had the grace to look embarrassed when Lupe raised an eyebrow at that. The rest of their team filed into their makeshift camp before noon. They were met quietly, but tense anticipation crackled in the air.

Xanaria waited with growing impatience. She went over her tools, or the closest approximation of Elizabeth's tools she could find or make. She went over the maps. She double and triple checked the plans. Around mid afternoon Lupe forced her to take a break and dragged her away from the caves for a while. Justina smiled as she watched them go and it was a couple hours before they returned much more relaxed.


That night Xanaria looked over the first group she would be taking to the camp in the watery moonlight. Lupe stood in dark clothes between two much larger men. All three of them wore large empty bags strapped to their backs, and radiated contained excitement. She guided them through the trees as quietly as she could. When they approached the guard perimeter she tucked them all into a hiding place she had scouted out earlier. They waited, alert, until Xanaria saw the sentry walk by on his rounds. After he was gone they moved as quickly and quiet as they could into the thinning piece of forest that bordered the camp. Xanaria pointed out a tent, bigger than most, that held weapons, armor, and other supplies of a more martial nature. Before she left them to it, Xanaria kissed Lupe on the cheek for good luck.

"Burn it to the ground when you're done?"

"Once all the good stuff is ours." Lupe's grin was more predatory than you would expect from a young woman with rabbit features.

Xanaria gave her a silly little bow and left them to it.


Back at the rendezvous point Xanaria could barely see the slight woman waiting for her in the dark. But Conor and Belle pushed her forward as Xanaria approached.

"Time to go, Mouse." Belle whispered.

The woman smiled at the nickname. She looked at Xanaria, clearly nervous, but followed without hesitation. When they passed the sentries Xanaria looped around to the west to the least defended part of the camp where the makeshift paddock for the horses were kept. Mouse visibly relaxed when she saw the animals. She slipped inside and went first to the dog tied up to the fence. He barked once as she approached, a quiet uncertain sound not the alarm Xanaria had expected. Within moments Mouse had settled him. Xanaria shook her head in awe as she watched Mouse move on to work her magic on those horses who had woken up with nervous wickers.

The animals will be in good hands.

Xanaria didn't need to go back for Conor and Belle. Since they knew the way as well as her. They would have waited for another sentry sweep and then made their own way in. They would be causing all sorts of havoc tonight, from untying every knot they could find to taking a waterskin and soaking the camp's dry food supply. Xanaria hadn't bothered to give them instructions, not wanting to limit their creativity.

Finally Xanaria was able to start on her own work. She found her way inside the first of three long tents where all the men not on sentry duty were sleeping.

Leaning heavily on Elizabeth's skills, Xanaria made her way down the row of sleeping men. She went through their stuff doing as much damage as she could without making noise. Very few of the soldiers would have shirts that closed or pants that stayed up come morning. She also stole any money or small valuables she could find. It hadn't been part of the plan, but Elizabeth's habits bled over with her skills. There were fewer men in the barracks than there were bedrolls for. That concerned her but as time passed and no one raised the alarm she relaxed.

She followed the same pattern in the next two tents leaving with a much heavier bag and a smug grin. She was about to leave and head back to the caves when something made her hesitate. With fewer men in the barracks she had finished early and off to her right she could see the flag hanging from the top of the command tent.

I've got time, and that would certainly cause chaos.

She turned toward it.

The command tent was really two tents connected by an adjoining flap. She peeked into the first half and made out a cot and a pile of clothes. She backed away and went round to the other side where the more public part of the Captain's life took place. She froze for a second when she saw there was already light inside. But after a tense moment she realized he had just left a candle lit in a bronze candlestick. It had already burned low and was guttering weakly in the pool of wax cupped in the top. She slipped inside.

Aaaand there goes my night vision fantastic. But I guess it'll make it easier to find something worth taking.

There were papers scattered all across the desk. She flipped through them quickly but there wasn't much they didn't know. She collected a few of the more promising ones and looked for more. The desk was a lightweight foldable thing meant to be packed in and out without too much trouble and didn't have any drawers but there was a locked chest next to it. She had no trouble popping the lock and lifting the lid, she smiled. A neat wax paper wrapped bundle with the Baron's seal held a stack of paper. Xanria stuffed the whole thing in her pack.

The rest of the chest held supplies. Extra paper, ink, quills, and the like. Down at the very bottom Xanaria touched something that clinked.

That sounds like coins! Xanaria grinned.

Lifting it, the weight made her hip and shoulder twinge. She breathed, thinking of Patience, and it got easier. The bag was much bigger than she had thought. Still smiling, she set it where she could grab it easily on her way out. Then set about opening every bottle of ink and pouring them over the blank papers. She did the same with the papers on the desk. Satisfied, she crouched down to retrieve the bag of coins.

Payroll for thirty odd soldiers and a captain. Goddess drown it, that's a lot of coin.

It was bulky and unwieldy. She hauled it, jingling, over her shoulder just as a horse's panicked whinny split the night air.

Shit! I took too long.

Mouse would have dismantled the makeshift fences and untied all the animals early on so they could run when Lupe set the fire. Mouse would be long gone by now. Without her calming presence the animals would panic at the smell of smoke. Belle and Conor would already be done and gone. They had arranged to signal Xanaria on their way out by whistling as they passed the barracks tents, but they wouldn't have waited for her. Only she hadn't been in the barracks tents anymore. She'd been in the command tent and hadn't heard them.

Xanaria leapt to her feet just as a man burst through the flap attaching the sleeping tent to the office tent. Apparently the man slept naked. I really wish I'd never learned that.

She lunged toward the exit, lashing out with her free hand to knock over the bronze candlestick. The last bit of molten wax and burning candle wick splattered across the papers strewn on the desk. She heard the man swear but he stopped to deal with the fire rather than chase her.

Out in the dark she opened her eyes as wide as she could. Sleeping Goddess don't let me run into anything before I get my night vision back. She could smell the smoke out here. She ran for the closest edge of the camp. Which was, unfortunately, directly opposite from the way she had arrived.

I'll have to circle all the way round the camp! I wish I'd scouted this side better.

Even with the memory of Patiences strength, the big bag was slowing her down. She could hear the shouts of the soldiers behind her as the whole camp was roused, interspersed with frustrated cries as various bits of sabotage were discovered. She yanked open the top of the coin bag and let the coins spill out behind her spraying wide with her swinging arms. Hopefully this will slow them down.

It was only Dani's reflexes that saved her from being cut in half by the sentry who seemed to appear out of nowhere as she approached the tree line. She threw the bag in his face, the remaining coins jangling, and dived past him into the woods.

She ran. The memories running half blind through a strange forest brought back were unpleasant and she went to ground as soon as she was a good distance away. She listened and made herself wait a good half hour without hearing anything before she allowed herself to believe she was clear.

Moving quietly through the woods she swung wide around the enemy camp and toward their own caves.

Goddess don't let Lupe panic because I'm late.

She was approaching the campsite when she saw Lupe running back through the trees past her.

"Lupe!" Xanaria called quietly.

Her fiance spun around, changing direction. She closed the distance between them and swept Xanaria up in a ferocious hug.

"Thank the Sleeping Goddess. You weren't there." Lupe's arms were shaking as she clung to Xanaria.

"I'm so sorry I'm late, I had an opportunity I couldn't pass up and then I had to go around the long way to make sure they wouldn't follow me to you. I didn't mean to worry you. I'm alright, really."

Lupe nodded against her shoulder.

"I'm really sorry." Xanaria's voice dropped to a whisper.

"I'm not." Lupe took a shaking breath. "I'm not sorry you were delayed. It means you weren't ahead of us and it means you weren't at camp when it got found. I was so scared I had lost you again."

Xanaria's blood went cold. "They found the camp?"

Lupe nodded.

"Justina." Xanaria choked. Pulling away, she flat out ran to the caves where she had last seen her friend.

The camp was trashed. There was blood but no bodies, living or dead. All their supplies had been torn apart and scattered across the ground.

Xanaria breathed in as deeply as she could around the hard knot in her throat. "Well." She said to no one in particular. "I guess now I know where all the missing soldiers were."