got a guard force?"
"Is that what you want to do?" Courtney asked.
"Something like it, yes," Herzer replied. He gestured with his chin at a person who was apparently a guard, standing by the entrance to a rather sturdy building. The man had on a surcoat with an embroidered Raven and carried a spear, but he was slouched under the awning of the building, apparently trying to keep out of the late afternoon sun. "But not like that. That's not a soldier, if you know what I mean."
"Are we going to need soldiers?" Courtney said. "Why?"
"Bandits," Herzer replied. "Eventually other towns will be causing us trouble, too. And then there's the war."
"Not much of a war," Mike said. "We haven't been attacked."
"Not yet," Herzer admitted. "But if we're going to oppose Paul, eventually we'll either be attacked or have to attack him."
"How can you attack a council member?" Courtney said, angrily. "They still have power!"
"So does Sheida and her group," Herzer replied with a shrug. "From here it looks like a stalemate. And I don't think Paul will let it stay that way even if Sheida is willing to."
This talk carried them through the encampment and up to the bathhouse where some people were hanging around the entrance.
"Wash your clothes for you, sir, ma'am?" a boy who looked as if he very much needed to use the bathhouse asked.
"Clothes?" Herzer asked, remembering Jody's advice. But the clothes did need work, not just washing but with a needle and thread. And he realized that they were the only thing, besides the basket and blanket Bast had left behind, that he now owned. No, he had a cloak that didn't fit, but he wasn't about to ask Daneh for it back.
"Oh, aye," the boy replied. "I'll take them and wash them when you're in getting your bath and bring them back for you."
"Dry?" Courtney asked.
"Well, I can't be promising that," the boy replied. "But dryish, yes."
"Errr," Herzer said. "I think I'll try to figure something else out. Thanks
"Is that what you want to do?" Courtney asked.
"Something like it, yes," Herzer replied. He gestured with his chin at a person who was apparently a guard, standing by the entrance to a rather sturdy building. The man had on a surcoat with an embroidered Raven and carried a spear, but he was slouched under the awning of the building, apparently trying to keep out of the late afternoon sun. "But not like that. That's not a soldier, if you know what I mean."
"Are we going to need soldiers?" Courtney said. "Why?"
"Bandits," Herzer replied. "Eventually other towns will be causing us trouble, too. And then there's the war."
"Not much of a war," Mike said. "We haven't been attacked."
"Not yet," Herzer admitted. "But if we're going to oppose Paul, eventually we'll either be attacked or have to attack him."
"How can you attack a council member?" Courtney said, angrily. "They still have power!"
"So does Sheida and her group," Herzer replied with a shrug. "From here it looks like a stalemate. And I don't think Paul will let it stay that way even if Sheida is willing to."
This talk carried them through the encampment and up to the bathhouse where some people were hanging around the entrance.
"Wash your clothes for you, sir, ma'am?" a boy who looked as if he very much needed to use the bathhouse asked.
"Clothes?" Herzer asked, remembering Jody's advice. But the clothes did need work, not just washing but with a needle and thread. And he realized that they were the only thing, besides the basket and blanket Bast had left behind, that he now owned. No, he had a cloak that didn't fit, but he wasn't about to ask Daneh for it back.
"Oh, aye," the boy replied. "I'll take them and wash them when you're in getting your bath and bring them back for you."
"Dry?" Courtney asked.
"Well, I can't be promising that," the boy replied. "But dryish, yes."
"Errr," Herzer said. "I think I'll try to figure something else out. Thanks