He shrugged again. “The Emperor’s Army can do it. He can put three legions in the same place without wrecking it. We reckon to have about five thousand less than that, if we can get everyone out. We just have to allow for animals as well as people, but again, the Emperor’s Army has horses, mules, and a fair number of food animals with it, otherwise the supply problems would be endless.”

Her head swam with all of that, and she was just glad she wasn’t the one who had to try to make all of this work.

“Drop by drop, Lady Fidelia. To the best of my knowledge, all of us landholders in the Duchy implemented roving teams of specialists to look after our lands; unknown to them, that was to prepare them for the fast work needed at the Foothold. Everyone will know his part, and if each of us faithfully does his part, it’ll work.” He patted her on the shoulder, a level of familiarity that could have been a crime in other regions of the Empire. “Have faith. Now, we’ve probably lingered here long enough. Do you have another message to deliver?”

She nodded.

“Then if you’re to get back safe by nightfall, we’d better move on.”

They walked back to the manor; the gatekeeper had tied Sundrop up in the shade near the gatehouse and given her water. The Squire gave Delia a kind farewell, sketched a salute, and went back into his home. She mounted into the saddle without aid and took out her map.

Count Endicrag’s manor was much further from here than this place had been from the Valdemar manor. Lesley was right. She had a long way to go.

—

Lord Gerther Endicrag was the opposite of the Squire: lean, wiry, and very like a much older version of his son Ivar. Delia was in no position to tell if his garments were in the current fashion or not, but they were certainly as stylish as Kordas’s were, and at least as new.

The manor was like her old home, but in a different style. Newer, perhaps. It was not one of those sugar-sculpture creations.

She was met at his gatehouse and escorted to his door. There was already a footman at the door, who escorted her to the Count as Sundrop was taken away to the stable. When the footman led her inside, she discovered that unlike her old home and the Squire’s place, this manor was modeled on the same pattern as the mage-built edifices, in that it had corridors and hallways that led to rooms, not rooms opening into other rooms, which opened into still more rooms. While the latter might be a more efficient use of space, there was no doubt that it was more maze-like, and gave one very little privacy.