02 The Line of Illeniel by Michael G. Manning

Author:Michael G. Manning
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19

The carpenters and masons had been busy while I was away but much of the interior of the castle was still unfinished. Today that was notable in the fact that my new reception chamber, while completed, still didn’t have a table. Instead we gathered at the high table in the feast hall after breakfast was done.

The conversation started with a much more subdued babbling than the day before. My father had been correct; a good night’s sleep had given everyone a chance to put their thoughts in order. Now we just needed to figure out how to put the county in order. “If everyone will stop talking for a moment I’d like to start our first planning session,” I had to speak loudly to get their attention. It wasn’t in my nature to run meetings, but I figured as the new Count di’Cameron I’d better get used to it.

Everyone went silent and I looked down the table. On one side sat Dorian, Marcus and my father, on the other Penny, Cyhan and Joe McDaniel. I had included Joe since he had become Dorian’s second hand man in running the town militia and since they were our only ‘military’ force at present I thought he ought to be in on the planning. In all honesty the only person at the table with any real standing was Dorian. He had already agreed to stay on permanently as my seneschal in Cameron Castle and handle my garrison (when I had one) and other such security concerns.

The others were there for less official reasons. Cyhan as an advisor obviously, and Marcus too, since he knew much more about the workings of the aristocratic world than I did. Penny was there... well I wasn’t sure what reason I could point to... but even now I wouldn’t think of leaving her out of something so important.

“As a wise friend once told me, let’s start by first cataloguing what we have. Then we’ll consider what sort of force we will be facing in the spring. Once we have those two things spelled out as clearly as possible we’ll see what can be done between now and then to solve our problem,” I stated and then I looked over at Joe, “Mister McDaniel, how many able men do we have in the militia presently?”

Joe coughed to hide his nervousness, “Begging your pardon your lordship, we have thirty two men left in the Washbrook militia. We lost two during the recent attack by the shiggreth.”

“No need to be so formal Joe. Understand I was raised a common man, I’m not quite used to titles yet. When we’re alone like this please call me Mordecai… or sir if you must,” I told him.

“Yes sir, no problem,” he answered.

“Dorian how many men can James Lancaster put in the field?”

Dorian’s brow furrowed in concentration, “Well... I’m not really certain.”

“A rough guess is all we really need,” I assured him.

“A little over a hundred trained men at arms I think, and maybe a hundred more when he calls for his levies,” Dorian replied.

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