you’ve read them, haven’t you?”
“Not aw of dem.” Again the exasperated look. “Some don’t wead an’ some too daw.”
Jorem seemed to be getting the hang of Cort’s speech. He thought of the library at the castle and had to agree with Cort. There were some books you just couldn’t read due to a language difference or damage, and other books were on subjects too dull to endure.
“Will you help us tomorrow?”
At Cort’s raised eyebrows, Jorem explained. “Will you mark where the old ditches were so others will know where to dig? You’d be in charge of that part.”
“Nobody wistens,” Cort said in sort of a blank way.
Jorem understood Cort’s predicament. He’d had the same problem back home at the castle, and he hadn’t had a speech barrier to work around. There had to be a way. Jorem looked about the room and spotted Neth. She’d been there the whole time, just a short ways off, watching them.
“Neth,” Jorem said, looking straight at the mercenary-turned-lady. “Would you mind being the point on this sword?”
Nethira folded her arms and cocked her head at Cort. “Cort here says where, I tell them how far and how deep?”
“That’s right, and you can use your usual persuasiveness to convince everyone about his choices.”
Neth got that wicked gleam in her eyes Jorem had come to dread during his training with her. Whatever she had in mind, someone was not going to be happy. She took a peculiar delight in getting her way. Others’ feelings and preferences held no sway with her.
“Cort,” Jorem said to the young man, “until this conflict is over, I’m naming you as Provisional Marshal to oversee building the defenses around the Keep. Anything you want to do, tell Neth. If you think it really important, find me.”
The light that ignited in Cort’s eyes even brought a smile to Neth’s face. He stood a little straighter. The distant look in his eyes became a bit more focused and the serious look on his face let Jorem know he’d chosen well.
“I wiw do it good. To keep us safe.”
Cort turned and left the room. The old woman had to hurry to catch up with him as he walked out the door.
“Do you think that was wise?” Neth asked. “He’s not exactly the sharpest peg in the sack.”
Jorem nodded in the direction Cort had gone. “I think he’s got more going on than any of us realize and he’s far sharper than most of us. Keep an eye on him and listen to what he says. I think he may be a key to our surviving this ordeal.”
Chapter IX
First light found a handful of people walking around the cleared expanse in front of the Keep. Jorem was not at all surprised to see Cort there with a handful of stakes marking the locations for the trenches across the clearing. Neth was dutifully at Cort’s side. As Cort placed each stake, Neth instructed the nearest person to bring a handcart and buckets to the area. Whether Cort had planned it or not, he had started marking the locations farthest from the Keep first.
Knowing the task had to be done wasn’t much of a motivator. Still, if they never started, they’d never finish. Jorem himself returned to the courtyard to get a handcart. Before heading back out, he threw a few shovels and buckets into the cart. Taking his cart to the center of the farthest trench line, Jorem emptied the cart of its contents. Taking a shovel, Jorem sank the blade deep into the ground. The soil was indeed soft as Cort had said it would be.
Putting his back into the work, Jorem threw shovelful after shovelful of dirt into the cart. When the cart was full, he pushed it to the edge of the chasm and dumped it in. A peak over the edge assured him there was no danger of filling in the chasm. Sheer walls reached deep into the earth at both sides of the clearing.
As the sun cleared the horizon, an old woman interrupted Jorem’s labors to force a cup of water into his hands.
“Not aw of dem.” Again the exasperated look. “Some don’t wead an’ some too daw.”
Jorem seemed to be getting the hang of Cort’s speech. He thought of the library at the castle and had to agree with Cort. There were some books you just couldn’t read due to a language difference or damage, and other books were on subjects too dull to endure.
“Will you help us tomorrow?”
At Cort’s raised eyebrows, Jorem explained. “Will you mark where the old ditches were so others will know where to dig? You’d be in charge of that part.”
“Nobody wistens,” Cort said in sort of a blank way.
Jorem understood Cort’s predicament. He’d had the same problem back home at the castle, and he hadn’t had a speech barrier to work around. There had to be a way. Jorem looked about the room and spotted Neth. She’d been there the whole time, just a short ways off, watching them.
“Neth,” Jorem said, looking straight at the mercenary-turned-lady. “Would you mind being the point on this sword?”
Nethira folded her arms and cocked her head at Cort. “Cort here says where, I tell them how far and how deep?”
“That’s right, and you can use your usual persuasiveness to convince everyone about his choices.”
Neth got that wicked gleam in her eyes Jorem had come to dread during his training with her. Whatever she had in mind, someone was not going to be happy. She took a peculiar delight in getting her way. Others’ feelings and preferences held no sway with her.
“Cort,” Jorem said to the young man, “until this conflict is over, I’m naming you as Provisional Marshal to oversee building the defenses around the Keep. Anything you want to do, tell Neth. If you think it really important, find me.”
The light that ignited in Cort’s eyes even brought a smile to Neth’s face. He stood a little straighter. The distant look in his eyes became a bit more focused and the serious look on his face let Jorem know he’d chosen well.
“I wiw do it good. To keep us safe.”
Cort turned and left the room. The old woman had to hurry to catch up with him as he walked out the door.
“Do you think that was wise?” Neth asked. “He’s not exactly the sharpest peg in the sack.”
Jorem nodded in the direction Cort had gone. “I think he’s got more going on than any of us realize and he’s far sharper than most of us. Keep an eye on him and listen to what he says. I think he may be a key to our surviving this ordeal.”
Chapter IX
First light found a handful of people walking around the cleared expanse in front of the Keep. Jorem was not at all surprised to see Cort there with a handful of stakes marking the locations for the trenches across the clearing. Neth was dutifully at Cort’s side. As Cort placed each stake, Neth instructed the nearest person to bring a handcart and buckets to the area. Whether Cort had planned it or not, he had started marking the locations farthest from the Keep first.
Knowing the task had to be done wasn’t much of a motivator. Still, if they never started, they’d never finish. Jorem himself returned to the courtyard to get a handcart. Before heading back out, he threw a few shovels and buckets into the cart. Taking his cart to the center of the farthest trench line, Jorem emptied the cart of its contents. Taking a shovel, Jorem sank the blade deep into the ground. The soil was indeed soft as Cort had said it would be.
Putting his back into the work, Jorem threw shovelful after shovelful of dirt into the cart. When the cart was full, he pushed it to the edge of the chasm and dumped it in. A peak over the edge assured him there was no danger of filling in the chasm. Sheer walls reached deep into the earth at both sides of the clearing.
As the sun cleared the horizon, an old woman interrupted Jorem’s labors to force a cup of water into his hands.
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