The Protectors war

Chuck nodded. "We might get Astrid's Rangers in on it." A grin: "Pardon me, the Dunedain Rangers."

Laurel looked impressed. "The: Astrid Larsson? And the Dunedain?"

Juniper nodded solemnly. "And Eilir."

"Can we get the tartan we'll need?" Laurel said, looking over at the loom. "For the kilts: "

Juniper winced slightly. "That's not a: ummm, maximum priority, really," she said.

De

"We'll see what we can arrange," she said, and tapped a point on the map. "I think there, on Courtney Creek, would the best place for your folk to settle. It's only ten miles from Sutterdown and about thirty from here; I'll have you shown around it. There's plenty of good land vacant there, isn't there?"

Chuck closed his eyes for a moment, calling up information, before he answered:

"Yes, any amount, and first quality light loam with good natural drainage; if you planted shoelaces there, they'd sprout. There's even some orchard-it won't bear much this year, too neglected, but it could be reconditioned, pruned and cleaned out this winter. Apart from that, there's the vineyard Bra

"How's Alex fixed for time?" Juniper asked. "They'll need palisades, too, and then there'll be houses and barns, worksheds: "

Chuck's younger brother Alex had been a house-builder before the Change. Now he was the Clan's inspector of fortifications, and still built houses. There were a lot of vacant ones, but they were usually in the wrong places and useful mainly as a source of materials and fittings-Sutterdown was the only town in the Mackenzie territories that was still occupied, and the pre-Change farmsteads were all too scattered. They'd have to requisition draft horses and ox teams:

But everyone will be glad to have someone plugging that gap, she thought. The new dun would cover the approaches nicely. Plus the extra hands. Always more work around than we can do with the people we've got.

"Alex is busy like you wouldn't believe with getting the Sutterdown town wall finished, but I'll tell him to draw up some plans." Chuck looked at the map. "That's close to the Ward Butte sentry station anyway. Not too hard to keep an eye on."

Juniper looked back at Laurel. "Now, we're going to have to loan you a good deal of equipment, stock and tools," she said. "You understand, Laurel, I can't just give it to your people; mine have worked too hard to make and grow what we're talking about. It'll be some years before you can pay it all off, pay it with work and a share of your harvest: "

Laurel nodded wryly. "I understand, Lady Juniper. You do think the vote will go through your assembly?"

"Oh, yes," Juniper said. "I'm quite certain. Everyone-everyone suitable-who joins us is like another baby born, another candle in the night. Now, we'll also have to think about training and apprenticeships: some of your people apprenticing to our craftsfolk: although you've got some excellent carpenters, I must say, and that'll help immensely, but you also need someone about the dun who knows basic smithing, to repair tools without losing too much time."

Those two young couples from Sutterdown working for Sam could settle with you, for starters, she thought. They'll do nicely, plus Sam says they've three really decent archers among 'em, and there are a few others who 're ready to start their own crofts or take up full-time trades.

"And you'll all have to think about which sept you'd prefer to join-that'll take meditation, you'll want to hold a Circle: in fact, perhaps my Maiden, Sally, could give you some pointers."

Judy opened her mouth and then shut it again; she might be a purist, but she could see this wasn't the time for another of her who-gets-into-what-sept talks. There were times when Juniper thought she'd be happier in a hypothetical First Congregational Church of Wicca, Calvinist, sitting around with the church elders discussing whether an applicant was truly of the elect.

"Could: could we use your nemed here?" Laurel said eagerly.

The Singing Moon's sacred wood had been famous among Oregon 's pagans long before the Change. Now the name trailed numinous clouds.

"Surely," Juniper said, smiling. The wood deserves its fame, even if I don't. "And another near where you'll be settling, to find the right place for your covenstead. Beltane would be perfect for that; new begi

The discussion went on for some time; when it was over and Laurel went glowing on her way, Judy blew out her lips with a sound like a skeptical horse.

"Oh, great. The septs of the Clan Mackenzie: Wolf, Bear, Coyote, Elk, Raven: and now the Fluffy Bu

"They'll do very well, once they've settled in," Juniper said stoutly. "Nobody who's survived this long can really be an F-B. Lord and Lady witness, looking back on it we seem like F-B's."

The others of her advisors trickled in; she hadn't wanted them all there during the discussion with Laurel. That would have been too intimidating.

And what's to come intimidates me, she thought.

She sighed and closed her eyes, controlling her breathing, let calm if not peacefulness flow through her. Then she opened them again and looked around the table.

"Cogadh," she said. "War. Whether we will or no. Not very soon, not this month, but not more than a year's grace, either, I'm thinking."

"August at the earliest," Andy Trethar said. "When the harvest is in."

His wife Diana nodded. They were alike as long-married couples sometimes became, both slim and dark, with a little salt in the pepper of Andy's beard. They'd run an organic foods store and restaurant in Eugene, then done the cooking for the clan when all they had was the Eternal Soup, and now they looked after food supplies in general besides ru

"We've got plenty stored, and so do the Bearkillers and Corvallis and Mt. Angel. But the Protectorate isn't nearly so well off-they'll be short, until their harvest comes in. That's why they're buying grain now."

Sam Aylward nodded. "Right you are. He'll want to conquer our storehouses, not burn our crops. And he's got projects under way that will take time, things that would improve his position when the balloon goes up. Those ruddy great castles, for starters. More likely after next year's harvest, but possibly this autumn. He's not the sort to attack before he's ready, worse luck."

Chuck made a gesture of agreement, and then one of Invocation. "It's too early to say for sure, but the Lord and Lady willing the harvest this year looks excellent, we ought to average fifty to sixty bushels an acre on the wheat and better on the barley and oats, potatoes look good, and our herds are doing well."

"Plenty of spare weapons," Sam said. "And a reserve of five hundred made arrows for every archer, besides what they keep at home. Chuck?"

"We've got bicycles or horses for the whole levy, and enough draft animals for the supply train; full equipment for everyone, and enough gear to replace losses." He looked at his wife.

"I wouldn't call all the medicos doctors, exactly," Judy said. "Any more than I am. But they know what they need to know, and we've got enough medical supplies: such as they are and such as we can make."