Marin sighed and shook her head. “He was probably concerned with making sure the huntsmen didn’t come thundering in this direction when they heard the sound of explosives and never got over to tell anyone else—especially if he couldn’t find you or I.” She looked back at Thom. “Where’s Phelan? I’m surprised he’s not involved in any of this.”
Davon scuffed a toe in the snow. “He’s out at the barrow with J.T. and Thordin. Something about meeting with Cariocecus and checking the graves.”
“At least he took Thordin with him,” Neve muttered, crossing her arms and glancing sidelong at Marin.
Thom barely managed to suppress a sigh. I’m not sure when these two turned into everyone’s mothers, but I guess I can’t complain or fault them for falling into the role. We need it to a degree, but this is starting to get ridiculous. Idly, he wondered if it would get better once they had their own children to worry about.
Something told him the answer was most decidedly no.
“I’m sure they’re fine,” he said, touching his wife’s arm. “Just like we’re fine out here testing the powder. No major concern required.”
“Mm.” Marin stared at him hard for a moment before she nodded. “I guess not. Just be careful, huh? I don’t think anyone here has the ability to grow back anyone’s fingers and we need all of your collective fingers.”
He smiled and stole a kiss. “We’ll be careful, I promise.”
“Good.” She reached up and stroked his cheek with a faint smile before she turned to her brother. “You be careful, too.”
He gave his sister a mock-salute and a grin. “Get back to your books, sis. See if you can find one on metallurgy for me, will you?”
She arched a brow. “Going to try to hammer different metals now?”
Matt shrugged. “The more you know.”
He let the words hang there in the air between them. Thom shifted his weight, squeezing Marin’s arm gently. She sighed and smiled.
“We’ll see what we can find.”
Neve turned to Cameron and poked a finger against his breastbone. “You be extra careful. Marin’s right, I need your hands just the way they are.”
“I know,” the former pilot said, taking her hand and kissing her palm. “I’ll make Davon play with the powder.”
“Thanks, Cameron,” Davon said, nose wrinkling.
“As long as you guys are careful, I really don’t think that’s necessary.” Neve kissed his cheek and stepped back. “Come in if it starts to rain or snow or whatever, okay?”
“We will,” Thom promised, then watched as the two women retreated back toward the safety of the settlement’s walls. He glanced sidelong at Matt. “Did you really need to ask her for that?”
Matt shrugged. “She took it as innocent enough. They don’t need to know that I’m asking about it so I can figure out how to maybe build a cannon, now do they?”
“They won’t like that,” Davon said, moving over to inspect the site of their last test. “Seems like escalation.”
“For the moment, we’ve got guns,” Thom said quietly. “We don’t know how long guns, bows, and our wits are going to hold off what shows up. Hell, that—what was it, Cam?”
“The firbolg?”
“Yes, that. We barely held that off. If the stories that Daniel’s pack told are true, there’s worse coming from the other side of the lake, and soon. Considering our track record, it’ll only be a matter of time before they show up at our gates. I want to be prepared for that.”
“All of us do,” Matt said, joining Davon. “That’s why we’re doing this.”
“We’re not going to be able to keep them in the dark forever, though,” Cameron said.
“I know,” Thom muttered. “We just have to keep them in the dark long enough. Then it won’t matter anymore.”
Cameron grunted. “You need to talk to Marin.”
“I know,” Thom said again. “Trust me. I know.”
For a cannon they need bells. The earliest cannon in Europe were built in bell foundries; the shape’s similar, and they can use them as practice. Plus also, a big bell is a good warning and call for arms so they don’t need to send runners to find everybody- just somebody to go ring the bell.
Early cannons used stone shot as well. Stone’s just not nearly as good. Now, some mortars that you just pile random heavy stuff in makes for some good crowd control.
I’m surprised that they haven’t found rolls of barbed/razor wire. It seems that the wire would be a good defense against most fae creatures.
Now, attaching one end of the wire to a round weight that you fire with a small cannon could make a good “instant defense/offense.” A few of them fired to crisscross would make a bad day for most attackers.