Inheritance: Threads of Fate

Chapter Nineteen - Fireworks

You only had to wait about twenty minutes before Raxe came up behind you, and sat to your left on the fountain ledge.
"Did you find him?" He asked right away.
"Yes." You responded, "and he saw me too."
"I'm sure that was a massive shock for you both... How are you doing?"
"I'm alright. Just focusing on what we need to do now." You answered.
"What about you, what have you discovered?" Caspian asked from your right.
"For starters this place is ginormous." Raxe began. "There is a back entrance, it looks like just for workers and deliveries."
"How heavily guarded is it?" Zumi chimed in from Caspians right.
"The gates themselves are pretty regularly monitored. But the rest of the perimeter isn't, at least during the day." Raxe answered. "I think I saw where the slave quarters are too, off to the back of the grounds."
"How many buildings?" Caspian asked.
"Five or so that I could count. But we'll have no way of knowing which men go into which barracks unless we watch them."
"Or ask..." You added.
"Ask who?" Zumi questioned.
"The other slaves." You answered. "I can't imagine they have any love lost for their master, if we could get one of their attention..."
Zumi shook his head. "Don't bet on it. They would rather sell out a fellow slave than risk getting caught helping one escape. The punishment is too severe."
"That stable hand helped me..." You began.
"He was the exception, not the rule. You got very lucky." Zumi finished for you.
"We could do the same that we did for the fortress? Pretend to be slaves and get in the back gate?" Raxe suggested.
"How would we explain being off grounds if we were already owned by Ishta?" You asked.
"Oh. Right..."
"Are the back gates iron?" Caspian asked.
"Brass I think, from the look of them. Why?" Raxe asked.
"Can you cut through one of the bars with the right tools?"
"If I had the right tools, and the guards were deaf... It would make too much noise."
"If the guards were gone, distracted... how long would it take?" Caspian pushed.
"Uh... maybe ten minutes? To make an opening big enough to squeeze into?"
"Zumi, what would be something so incredibly odd to these nobles that would distract everyone for about ten minutes?" Caspian asked.
"Uh... anything loud and colorful would probably do it. A celebration or some sort. These people love pretty things." Zumi thought out loud.
"Fireworks?" You asked.
"That is definitely loud and colorful." Zumi agreed.
"Do we have enough money to hire someone to put on a show?" Caspian asked.
"Oh... Maybe? If it's a shady, back alley vendor..." Zumi thought.
"Even better." Raxe chuckled.
"Are we all thinking the same thing?" You asked.
"I hope so." Raxe laughed. "Or this is going to end very badly."

Zumi escorted you back to the inn, then he volunteered to search for a "shady, back alley" fireworks vendor to hire to set off a ten minute long fireworks display in the street outside of Ishta's estate, while you, Caspian, and Raxe planned out the details of your father's rescue.
"Searching each barracks will take all night." Caspian commented. "There has to be a way to narrow it down."
"We can split up?" You suggested. "Each take one."
"But I won't recognize your father." Raxe reminded you.
"Ok well... you come with one of us. But the rest of us can search separately."
"Will he go willingly with anyone other than you?" Caspain asked. "He won't know Zumi or me."
"I think if you mention me he will. Especially since he already saw us together."
"How do we keep the other slaves from getting suspicious?" Raxe asked.
"We could wear the same robes they do... in the dark they won't be able to tell who is who." You answered.
"We'll need to get some brown fabric..." Caspian commented. "Zumi took the rest of our money."
"Oh I can handle that. Stealing from the rich is a specialty of mine, remember?" He chuckled.
"Ok, go out then, get enough for all four of us, and some needle and thread, and come back as soon as possible. I have to make all of them..."
"I can help you." Caspian offered.
"You know how to sew?" You asked surprised.
"Well no but... you can teach me?"
You laughed. "I can try..."
"Ok. I'll be back." Raxe stood to leave.
"Don't get caught Fox, Roisin will never forgive me." You smiled.
"I won't." He blushed.