Mageborn The Line of Illeniel by Michael Manning (top novels of all time TXT) 📗

“It’s fine Joe, the sooner the better. I’ll trust you to watch my things,” Angus reassured him.

I took Angus aside and introduced him to my father in short order. I had been planning to ride to the dam with him but I figured I’d better stay behind today and help organize the new materials and men. I left them discussing the current state of the dam and returned to help Joe find places to store the materials he had brought.

The rest of the day was occupied with logistics. It was soon apparent that we wouldn’t have enough room to permanently house so many people. Rather than assign the new men to the dam I made plans to have them work on building temporary housing for themselves and the other people we expected to be arriving soon.

“Rose thinks we can find a lot more people. You’d best be ready for at least this many over again when the next load arrives,” Joe told me.

I had needed more hands, but now that I had them it was clear they brought their own issues, “How are we going to feed all these people?” I explained that we would be relying almost entirely on purchased food and grain to make it through the winter.

“You’re going to need a lot more then. If you’re feeding the duke’s men and all their dependents, plus these, and whoever else Rose finds... you’ll need several times more than what I brought,” Joe replied.

“I have to have enough to make it into late spring, at least until the first summer harvest comes in... assuming we have a chance to plant,” I rubbed my forehead to try and relieve the headache I felt coming on.

“Relax a bit your lordship. Make me a list and give me your best estimate for how many mouths we’ll have to feed. That Lady Rose is amazing. She knows more about supplies than anyone I’ve ever met. She’s already thought of things that never occurred to me,” he assured me.

“Well her father is in charge of managing logistics for the royal army, in time of war,” I reminded him.

“Speaking of which, things seemed a bit tense between her and Lord Hightower,” said Joe.

“You met him?”

Joe scratched his head as he answered, “Yeah, he showed up while we were loading the wagons. He was none too pleased about what she’d been doing. I got the feeling it wasn’t their first ‘discussion’ about it.”

I was curious, “What did he say?”

Joe laughed, “That he’d have her locked up if she kept at it. Said the king was after him to put a stop to it. She gave him hell when he told her that. Don’t think I’d ever seen her lose her temper before.”

I rubbed my chin, I hadn’t shaved in over a week and the stubble on my cheek was starting to itch. “You think he was serious?”

“Seemed like it to me, but who knows? He might have just been trying to scare her,” Joe started laughing then.

“What’s so funny?”

His blue eyes were crinkled with humor, “I ain’t never seen anyone like that woman. If there was ever someone that couldn’t be scared, it was her. He’s wasting his time if he thinks she’ll quit. If she was my daughter I wouldn’t bother with threats... just lock her up straight away. A woman like that won’t listen.”

“That’s what I was thinking too. I’m sure her father knows it as well,” I replied. I was worried Lord Hightower might just do that very thing. “How soon can you be ready to go back?”

“Soon as the wagons are unloaded and the drivers have had some sleep. They’ll want a good meal before we get back on the road,” he answered.

I felt bad pushing them so hard but time seemed to be the one thing we lacked. “We’ll start tomorrow then. I’m coming with you.”

Joe’s face showed surprise. “I’d be thinking you’re more needed here your lordship. Isn’t that why Lady Rose stayed behind, to help with arrangements?”

“I suspect that even the formidable Rose Hightower might need some help now and then. My father and that master mason you brought back can worry about the dam for a week or two without me. I’ll put Dorian in charge here, he can handle mercenaries as well as I can, better actually.” I didn’t bother telling him I had another idea as well, since I wasn’t sure it would work.

I left Joe eating in the great hall and went to find Dorian. He was out in the yard, already working to organize the new mercenaries turned guardsmen. Cyhan was with him. I caught Dorian’s eye and he came over as soon as he was done talking to them.

“Mort! Look at them... worst soldiers I’ve ever seen!” he seemed rather irritated.

“Well they are mercenaries...” I began.

“Even mercenaries should have some pride! These men are just barely this side of being outright bandits! I’m surprised Rose had the nerve to bargain with such ruffians. I have serious doubts about their usefulness in the spring.” Dorian seemed to be his usual optimistic self. I don’t think he’d ever gone more than five minutes without having something to worry about.

“Well you have till spring to whip them into shape.”

“I’d need ten years to turn them into real men,” he groused.

“You have a few months, put ‘em to work on the housing first. After that, see if Dad needs any help at the dam, if not start them digging earthworks around the outer wall.”

“That’s not going to stop Vendraccus,” said Dorian.

“It doesn’t need to. We don’t have enough room inside the outer wall to put all the temporary housing and shelters. Build a palisade and a steep ditch to protect the new quarters, I can’t afford to lose men to the shiggreth before the spring gets here,” I replied.

“There hasn’t been any sign of them since that night but I can’t fault your logic there,” Dorian agreed.

“I’m going back to the capital with