woman also seemed to know more than most.
Brenna left Neemah to deal
with the various herbs they’d acquired from Mother Lyran while she set off in
search of the men.
“There are over two
thousand men already in town signed up and ready to be trained,” Kane said to
Ewart and Dasid. They were in Ewart’s study, discussing the practicalities of
training the recruits. “The men from the training facility should be here any
day now.”
“They’ll be here before
the coronation?” Ewart asked.
Kane nodded. Beldyn would
be crowned in four days. Kane’s sword tingled and looked up as Brenna came into
the room.
“Ewart, what food supplies
do you have for the militia?” she asked, joining them at the desk.
“I believe we have more
than enough for the existing force and the men we’ll be training,” Ewart said.
“And their families?”
Ewart looked up at her in
surprise. “I wasn’t told that they’d brought families but of course they have.
Kane?”
Kane shook his head. “The
men are all camped just outside town.” He turned to Brenna. “I take it the
families are in town?”
“Yes,” Brenna replied.
“Neemah took me to visit a healer in the poorest part of Silverdale and the
alleys and streets are filled with women and children. I talked to one woman who
said her man had gone to join the militia - she’d been there on the street for
four days. Some of them looked like they’d been there longer.”
Kane sucked in a breath
and met Brenna’s worried gaze.
“We’ll need to get food
and fresh water to them as soon as we can,” Dasid said and stood up. “And we
need to dig privies. I’ll get Gaskain to organize some men. We have to get this
under control as fast as we can.”
“Thank you Dasid,” Brenna
said. “You’ll need to record the names of the women as well. They’ll be afraid
to move in case their men can’t find them again. I suspect many of them
desperately need their pay. And Ewart.” Brenna turned to the duke. “I’ll need
somewhere where I can house the ill, a place we can turn into an infirmary. I
was hoping we wouldn’t need this right away but if families have been out on
the streets for days, or weeks even, there’s no telling what we’ll find.”
“I’ll have the men look
for anyone who might be ill,” Dasid said grimly. “I saw a wasting sickness run
through the camp followers of bandits once. The children were hardest hit.”
“I should have a few
trained healers here soon - I’ll bring them to you,” Brenna said. “They’ll be able
to determine who has to be cared for right away.”
“I’ll find a house or
school,” Ewart said. “I’ll talk to the guilds. If there’s nowhere else we’ll
use the church of the One-God. It’s almost empty and it’s very close.”
Both Ewart and Dasid left to
start their tasks. Kane reached for Brenna and pulled her to him. “They’ll get
it all arranged,” he said. “What else do you need?”
Brenna sighed. “A place to
house my healers. Some can stay with the ill in an infirmary but they’ll need
to be able to get away from that. I know that Ewart has some empty servant’s
quarters but I don’t want them to feel they’re not appreciated.”
“I doubt that will happen,”
Kane said. “They’ll be given a room in Duke Ewart’s own house and they’ll take
their meals with the rest of us. Here,” he guided her over to a chair. “You
rest while I make you some tea. I have a feeling that this is the only time
you’ll be off your feet for the rest of the day.”
Kane re-filled Brenna’s
mug and she sighed and tucked her feet up under her.
“When you go to find Dasid
I’m going to talk to some Brothers,” Kane said. “Even when the men from the
training facility get here it will be some time before they’ll be organized
enough to start training the recruits. I thought we might keep them busy doing
something else, something that would help us with the overcrowding in town and
get
Brenna left Neemah to deal
with the various herbs they’d acquired from Mother Lyran while she set off in
search of the men.
“There are over two
thousand men already in town signed up and ready to be trained,” Kane said to
Ewart and Dasid. They were in Ewart’s study, discussing the practicalities of
training the recruits. “The men from the training facility should be here any
day now.”
“They’ll be here before
the coronation?” Ewart asked.
Kane nodded. Beldyn would
be crowned in four days. Kane’s sword tingled and looked up as Brenna came into
the room.
“Ewart, what food supplies
do you have for the militia?” she asked, joining them at the desk.
“I believe we have more
than enough for the existing force and the men we’ll be training,” Ewart said.
“And their families?”
Ewart looked up at her in
surprise. “I wasn’t told that they’d brought families but of course they have.
Kane?”
Kane shook his head. “The
men are all camped just outside town.” He turned to Brenna. “I take it the
families are in town?”
“Yes,” Brenna replied.
“Neemah took me to visit a healer in the poorest part of Silverdale and the
alleys and streets are filled with women and children. I talked to one woman who
said her man had gone to join the militia - she’d been there on the street for
four days. Some of them looked like they’d been there longer.”
Kane sucked in a breath
and met Brenna’s worried gaze.
“We’ll need to get food
and fresh water to them as soon as we can,” Dasid said and stood up. “And we
need to dig privies. I’ll get Gaskain to organize some men. We have to get this
under control as fast as we can.”
“Thank you Dasid,” Brenna
said. “You’ll need to record the names of the women as well. They’ll be afraid
to move in case their men can’t find them again. I suspect many of them
desperately need their pay. And Ewart.” Brenna turned to the duke. “I’ll need
somewhere where I can house the ill, a place we can turn into an infirmary. I
was hoping we wouldn’t need this right away but if families have been out on
the streets for days, or weeks even, there’s no telling what we’ll find.”
“I’ll have the men look
for anyone who might be ill,” Dasid said grimly. “I saw a wasting sickness run
through the camp followers of bandits once. The children were hardest hit.”
“I should have a few
trained healers here soon - I’ll bring them to you,” Brenna said. “They’ll be able
to determine who has to be cared for right away.”
“I’ll find a house or
school,” Ewart said. “I’ll talk to the guilds. If there’s nowhere else we’ll
use the church of the One-God. It’s almost empty and it’s very close.”
Both Ewart and Dasid left to
start their tasks. Kane reached for Brenna and pulled her to him. “They’ll get
it all arranged,” he said. “What else do you need?”
Brenna sighed. “A place to
house my healers. Some can stay with the ill in an infirmary but they’ll need
to be able to get away from that. I know that Ewart has some empty servant’s
quarters but I don’t want them to feel they’re not appreciated.”
“I doubt that will happen,”
Kane said. “They’ll be given a room in Duke Ewart’s own house and they’ll take
their meals with the rest of us. Here,” he guided her over to a chair. “You
rest while I make you some tea. I have a feeling that this is the only time
you’ll be off your feet for the rest of the day.”
Kane re-filled Brenna’s
mug and she sighed and tucked her feet up under her.
“When you go to find Dasid
I’m going to talk to some Brothers,” Kane said. “Even when the men from the
training facility get here it will be some time before they’ll be organized
enough to start training the recruits. I thought we might keep them busy doing
something else, something that would help us with the overcrowding in town and
get
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