Marrying before the year was out was out of the question, of course. Allen thought he ought to wait until the threat of the Easterlings had been eliminated before asking Ymira what she thought. Since coming to Middle-earth, neither of them had any family here. Whatever thoughts or concerns they had, they could decide for themselves without having to consider much else.
After Allen joked with everyone for a while and acknowledged and praised their recent hard work, the simple banquet came to an end. Everyone returned to their posts and began working on the matters decided at the meeting.
Time flew amid all that work. In just one week, Firentis delivered to Allen a list of the soldiers willing to join the standing army. All fourteen hundred names were on it, including the cavalry. After receiving the list, Allen not only paid their first month's wages in advance but also paid the soldiers stationed in various places the back wages owed for their service beyond the previous two-month term.
Soon afterward, the shops and taverns run by Wilderness Town's administration were packed. Soldiers and their families celebrated, buying up all the goods and drink, while orders at the Blacksmith's Shop also rose considerably. Ymira had been right about one thing: most people's first thought after receiving money was to buy something they had wanted for a long time.
Meanwhile, under Ymira's arrangements, the newly arrived residents found suitable employers and began working short-term jobs. Of course, Allen did not expect this situation to last long. As commerce developed, he would create other jobs so these people could support themselves independently.
For instance, as Marnid began overseeing construction of the Market, some relatively light jobs became available alongside the heavy manual labor: sweeping streets, washing and mending clothes, and cooking