Through Jim’s input many immediate flaws were spotted, because these new plans enabled them to actually get a feel for how small some of the rooms would end up being for the soldiers. If men were going to be stationed here, for potentially weeks or months at a time, they’d need more living space than if it were merely an overnight way post. Working together was enlightening for them both.
Jim was not a farmer and nor was he a military man. He had not spent time in either environment to know what worked from a practical stance and what might be inconvenient. He would have Drako look at the plans later for his assessment of both areas. A fresh pair of eyes was always advisable and Drako would probably have ideas on what would work best from an overall security stand point. That was the only aspect Lord Aubrey had been particularly concerned with and had asked him to check out. Lord Aubrey knew full well Jim had experienced Clan “outlaw” resources to call on. He supposed Aubrey couldn’t ask for Drako’s help directly, in case someone heard or reported Drako’s name. However, he was a good person to ask, when considering how best to remain unnoticed. The Clan had managed to achieve that for years. Asking Drako’s help indirectly through Jim was one way of getting the best result.
After they’d gone over the details as they stood, he dismissed the architect with due politeness, aware Lord Aubrey obviously trusted him with the basic plans. However, Jim suspected he was going to have to revise quite a number of things and starting afresh might not sit too well with the man.
Jim suggested that Haven’s Rest was now open and he’d be welcome there, to have a good meal and seek a bed overnight, cost on them. ‘Just ask for a lady by the name of Drew. Shall I advise her to expect you?’
‘Yes please. That would be very welcome. Thank you Headmaster Jim.’
Jim watched him close the door behind him and sought Drew with a mental call to give her the heads up. If all went well, the new farm would become one of the Inn’s main sources of food. Catering to the increasing numbers of guests, seeking a hot meal before they headed on their way, was taking some juggling. At least they’d found a good cook amongst the many refugees, to take the strain. Carpenters were still hard at work outfitting bedrooms with furniture, completing one room at a time. The bar and dining rooms too, were slowly filling with tables and chairs. No one wanted to turn away potential paying customers just for the lack of a table or chair to make them welcome. He was very glad he no longer had the headache of trying to decide where visitors could stay and indeed hosting them too. He had far too many calls on his time already.
He decided he perhaps ought to go down to the sawmill and check on their workload before he added to it or asked them to switch priorities. Finely cut and planed timber was required for the Inn’s furniture and that took time to produce, whilst solid rafter type wood and other heavy timber was needed for the castle. He had no doubt their small yard was working all hours already, without taking on a third major project. Whatever the farm needed would have to be slotted in somehow. Lord Aubrey would be expecting him to put priority on beginning the construction work as soon as these draft plans were agreed.
Lord Aubrey had agreed to share the expense by sending workers and providing some of the timber, the objective being that they would coincide with the White Haven crew’s arrival. Looking at the lumber stored at their yard, he knew they did at least have plenty of raw materials to work with, even if some of these had initially been earmarked for the castle. Keeping Lord Aubrey’s suspicions at bay was the priority however, since he’d seen their yard was well equipped and their raw log stores ample. The castle rebuild wasn’t on a fixed schedule and the jobs were so numerous that the order of work could be juggled depending on what supplies were readily available next.
Once he saw the site for himself, he would have a better idea of what supplies they’d need or might be short of. Further loads were of course almost certainly necessary, so shortfalls could be remedied on the next consignment. Some demolitions might give up useful materials, or they might be rotted beyond salvage. To a certain degree they’d have to do the jobs in the order the materials arrived in. Therefore assessing what was a priority was also important, as it would determine the order in which to request further supplies were sent.
***
So, a couple of weeks after he’d sent Lord Aubrey his revised plans, which had been immediately accepted, Jim rode out of White Haven at the head of a small convoy of four wagons laden with a dozen men and materials.
When he reached the ford he was surprised at how calm and low the river was. The causeway was above the water level, dry and clearly visible. As he rode across, he was amazed at how different it had been last autumn. Heavy rain then had made the water level rise dramatically and flooded the causeway by several feet. He, and the wagon he was driving, had nearly been swept away in the fast flowing floodwaters. It had been a terrifying ordeal.
His gaze was drawn to the tree that he’d rescued, surprised to find it healthy and serene. Last autumn it had been uprooted in the floods somewhere upstream and been swept into the fast flowing river. It had almost cost him his life. It had hit the causeway moments before he could cross, its roots jamming into the channels beneath and pivoting. It had nearly swept him, and the horse and wagon he rode in, off the narrow causeway. It had certainly blocked his path and he had been forced to magically pull it free of the causeway to clear his route.
Whilst touching it to try and free it from the stone, he’d sensed it still lived, not yet drowned and some impulse had urged him to save it. So rather than just shoving it out of his way, he’d brought it ashore, stood it upright and urged its roots to dig into the soil. To his surprise, considering he had spent a bare moment casting those spells, the tree not only still stood upright, but was lush and clearly prospering. At least something good had come of that nightmare day, outside of getting everyone home safely.
‘This is the closest crossing to the farm?’ he asked Drako noticing they were looping back, once on the other side, to follow the river. Now they were less likely to be observed Drako had let his hood disguise fall back and came abreast so they could talk.
‘Yes,’ Drako responded. ‘The river’s too deep to cross, without swimming, for miles. This ford is quite a lengthy detour for us, but with the wagons, it’s the only option.’
‘I’m surprised Lord Aubrey hasn’t had a bridge built,’ Jim remarked. ‘That one ford and the fact that it floods often, must greatly inconvenience traders and affect supplies generally.’
‘I think he did commission one once. It was damaged in the first autumn floods and completely swept away in the spring melt. I’m sure you remember how quickly the waters can rise.’
‘Mm, was just remembering that, yes. Spring is worse? Damn, people must get stranded, or swept away, all the time.’
‘I think that’s one of the reasons there are duplicates of similar industries, on either bank. There’s no question that the river is a serious barrier to trade during autumn and spring. The towns need to be quite self-sufficient.’
‘Two small industries are rarely as economical or efficient to run as one larger one. The river must be hampering his county’s growth and prosperity,’ Jim mused and kept an eye on the river as they rode beside it. Drako was right, the river was generally deep and the banks impassably steep. He could see the high water level it had reached in a number of places and wondered how often it overflowed its banks. It was one thing to know that the local people accepted these inconveniences and worked around them. It was less acceptable to know he and White Haven would be next to fall under these restrictions with their supply farm on the wrong side of the river.
Near nightfall they set up camp. They hadn’t been sure, since none of them had been to the farm site, how long it would take them to reach it. With slow heavily laden wagons and the two hour detour to cross the river, they realised they wouldn’t be able to reach the farm before nightfall. With everyone already tired after a long day in the saddle, it was better to find a go
od spot to camp whilst they still had some light.
Jim cared for his horse, washing the sweat from his coat that had dried into hard crispy curls. Nugget seemed to relish the affection just as much as the attention. Jim also sensed how irritating his sticky coat had been. Sometimes his inherent sensitivity was useful in picking up the emotions of others and that included animals. Nugget’s peaceful mood and simplistic happiness in munching the fresh grass by the river, was soothing to feel.
‘Are you using some kind of mind control to keep him close like that?’ Drako asked, joining Jim where he sat relaxing afterwards, watching the final rays of the sunset glinting over the river.
‘No. Nugget and I spent many months together,’ Jim responded, glancing at the small horse he hadn’t bothered tethering, happily grazing only a couple of paces away. ‘We got each other out of many a tight spot. Whilst we don’t often do more than go into town once a week nowadays, to collect the school’s supplies, I suppose old habits die hard.’
‘This is the horse you travelled across south and east Rosh on, before coming into Edmoston?’
‘Yes. He’s climbed mountains and even been carried by a dragon and not held it against me,’ Jim said with a small chuckle.
‘Really? Those dragons are damn scary, even the youngsters. Maybe he’s not so smart then.’
‘Don’t listen to him Nugget. He’s only jealous his horse isn’t so loyal,’ Jim responded not bothering to correct Drako’s assumption that the dragon had been Stripe. If he knew Jim had foolishly allowed Amelie to carry a horse in flight, risking her life, he’d never hear the end of it.
Drako snorted softly, glancing to where his big black warhorse stood tethered to the picket line. Whilst he’d had the horse for some time now, he’d learned the painful lesson about getting attached to an animal, especially in wartime. When they became badly injured and couldn’t carry on, it was not always fair to release them into the wild to fend for themselves. Shooting a trusting animal, when it was hurt and needed your care, never got any easier, but was worse when a bond had formed. He’d learned to view his horses as interchangeable and an animal could always sense such emotions. ‘Mm, I can smell the steaks going on the fire.’
‘Great. It’s been a long day. I’m certainly ready for a good dinner, that’s for sure,’ Jim responded, turning to sniff appreciatively. ‘I don’t know what it is about eating out under the stars, but it always seems to make a simple dinner better somehow.’
‘Only when it’s not raining and knee deep in mud,’ Drako amended.
‘True enough,’ Jim agreed easily, knowing Drako had been forced to live outside in all weathers, hunted and always wary of being found. They’d rarely had the luxury of taking shelter for long.
At least Drako and his clan had managed to keep some small pockets of allies, who granted them refuges to go to during the worst of the winter weather when snow deeply cloaked the land. Cassy had let him see some of the images of the Clan’s last winter refuge and whilst the place itself was welcoming, she had sensed the whole atmosphere had been one of dark despair. In stark contrast, the new village they’d created at White Haven was full of warmth, life and camaraderie. What he and Drako had forged together, with their alliance and then friendship, had turned into more than a temporary sanctuary. Drako had initially asked simply for shelter for the winter, but Jim had seen their true need. He had responded by building them real homes, a way to make a living and safety. For the first time in his life Jim had been in a position to do what he felt was right and it still gave him a deep sense of satisfaction. The clan had suffered enough. They had needed a sanctuary and now regarded White Haven as a beacon of hope for a better future. Their alliance had also given the clan the courage and strength to consider that one day they might successfully retake and return to their original homeland.
Jim glanced over to where Jack sat with the other men, having volunteered to help out. He supposed it wasn’t really surprising that newcomers, finding their way to White Haven, often chose to stay. White Haven had become a known physical refuge for animus generally and welcomed more than just clan members. What no one had anticipated was that their sanctuary seemed able to soothe the spirits of those scarred by war and grief.
He and Drako headed closer to where everyone was starting to gather around the fire. The meat was sizzling and flames flared up as fat dripped through the wire mesh grill into the fire. While that was cooking, or rather just searing the outside, the fresh loaves of bread they’d brought were thickly sliced. Soon everyone was tucking into a thick, satisfyingly hot steak sandwich.
With hot mugs of tea to wash it all down, the atmosphere became relaxed, with plenty of good natured banter going back and forth. Jim stayed in the background, content to simply listen. It was a stance Drako often took as well and he found he learned much about the individual characters and group dynamics of those who had volunteered to come along to build the farm. Tomorrow they’d begin working and teams only worked well when the characters involved were complementary.
Lord Aubrey had sent them three empty wagons and heavy horse teams. The wagon-masters in charge of them were experienced, as were their teams of heavyweight horses with lugging substantial loads, so were most welcome. They’d taken charge of loading up their wagons, with White Haven’s share of building materials, without complaint. The one medium sized wagon the school possessed, had accompanied them to carry sacks of food, passengers and all manner of tools.
‘I hope Lord Aubrey’s crew aren’t annoyed we didn’t make it to them tonight,’ Jim remarked noticing Freddie come into the light to grab a sandwich before heading back into the darkness to keep watch.
‘Not a lot we can do about it,’ Drako responded nodding to Freddie’s gesture of all’s well. ‘We can hardly go on ahead when it would leave our crew undefended. Knowing Aubrey, he’ll have sent some guards with them. We should make an early start tomorrow though and try to make up some time. Hopefully they’ll be unloaded by the time we arrive and can then give us a hand.’
‘I’m certainly ready to turn in,’ Jim said with a yawn. He handed over his empty mug and plate to the cook, coming around to collect the dirties and then grabbed up his sleeping pallet. He unrolled it in a nice empty spot just within the light from the fire and settled down fully dressed. Tugging a light blanket around him he mused at how quickly he’d adjusted back to civilised living. Being able to undress and certainly take off his boots, before sliding into a bed, was infinitely more comfortable than a thin pad out in the open.
Drako left camp to check if Freddie had anything to report before seeking his own bed. Lifting his nose he scented carefully before heading off confidently into the dark trees. He was at home in the forest and could see well in the dark. What’s more, since he scented of bear, few creatures were likely to try to attack him.
He smiled to see Freddie, in his wolf form, curled in a ball amongst the roots of a tree. He’d found a small rise near camp, where he had a good vantage point, in terms of scent and sound. The wolf might be comfortably resting, but his head was alertly raised, eyes on Drako before he’d even seen the figure. Drako knew it was only his bear’s acute sense of smell that had enabled him to pinpoint Freddie’s direction. For such a large wolf, when he sat still like that he was very difficult to see, even from close by. Freddie’s reddish marled fur was very earthy in tone allowing him to blend in even out in the open.
Drako’s own form was quite different. Being a black bear he was a solid colour that gave a clear outline. Black was poor camouflage in daylight, not helped by the fact that because he was animus, he was substantially larger than a wild bear. He had to seek deep shadows for the most effective cover. However, each had been shown what worked best for their animal and seeking out those types of hiding places was now automatic.
‘Anything to report?’ Drako asked.
‘The road we are taking is surprisingly well travelled,’ Freddie said. ‘I haven’t seen anyone so far, so have no idea who the o
ther travellers might be. We should remain wary.’
Drako nodded a little absently as another distinct scent tickled his nose; feline. He lifted his nose once more and realised he only caught the scent in the higher wind-currents, not at ground level. He noticed Freddie was watching him closely, but that was nothing new of his inscrutable second. However, he did notice that Freddie didn’t seem alarmed. They’d worked together for enough years that they knew each other’s body cues and Freddie would know he’d scented something. Therefore, whoever else was out here, Freddie already knew about them. Drako scanned the branches of the huge tree Freddie sat beneath, but the dense foliage cast black shadow and defeated the eyes. He stepped to one side instead, where the prevailing breeze would bring him the clearest scent information. Ah, he knew that scent.
‘Damn Jack. Where are you?’ Drako had to ask. Knowing such a large and powerful feline sat somewhere above him, amongst the foliage, was a little unnerving. Spotting movement he focussed on a waving paw almost directly above his head. Jack was draped along a thick branch, with all four legs dangling, yet he’d been completely invisible. His spotted coat blended remarkably well.
‘Here,’ Jack responded, amused Drako was unable to spot him, but equally very impressed he’d managed to detect his presence all the same. Freddie had said Drako would probably come out to check on them, but hadn’t seemed at all concerned his lord might have trouble locating purposely well hidden sentries.
‘That’s a good spot you’ve picked. Glad you’ve got each other as backup. Get some rest, both of you,’ Drako ordered before walking back to camp. He was uncomfortably aware the leopard had been sitting well within pouncing range and that kind of weight, even before his teeth and claws came into play, could easily bring down something as large as his bear. With the rest of the wolf pack left at home, tasked with looking after White Haven and hunting to keep the meat stores supplied, he was glad Freddie had capable backup.
Forging Alliances: Wizards of White Haven Page 15