If the Royal City had achieved anything, it was to stand like a boulder against the onrushing flood and shatter it. At least the towns of the Northern Frontier faced "only" the scattered spray.
But to ants nesting by the river, even that was a catastrophe.
The next morning, Annan and his Musketeer Corps arrived at the square.
Bright sunlight swept away the gloom of the night before.
"Olmedo..."
"No."
"I haven't even said what I want!"
"Olmedo, the Ratfolk are coming. I need you to lend me some..." Olmedo mimicked Annan's Northland accent and gave him an amused look. "Star-Moon Bay is on the remote West Coast. The shattered Rat Tide might not even reach you."
"How could it not? I'm the Ratfolk Nemesis who foiled their plots twice. They hate me..."
"You foiled the Stuen Rats' plots. That has nothing to do with the McKinnon Rats."
"Really no chance?"
"No."
"I only need one squad of knights. Together with the Knight Captain's men, that'll make a hundred. And lending me Blom would be even better!"
Amusement glinted in Olmedo's blue eyes. "You've got some nerve. Blom is the Family's guard commander."
His Musketeer Corps was still waiting. Annan shifted to a spot where only Olmedo could see him and pleaded softly, "Big Sister Olmedo..."
An odd feeling stirred in Olmedo's heart. She paused, remembering that Annan was only just sixteen—though for a Civilians, that was already old enough to marry and have children.
"All right. But they can't stay with you. They'll have to come back once the crisis is over."
If they survive the Rat Tide, Olmedo thought.
Annan planned to seek help from the other two cities in Plangraced County and the Jana Family at Snow Mountain Fortress as well.
"Will they agree?"
"It costs nothing