As they moved down through the gentler foothills fringing the mountains, the Orthlundyn encountered none of the Riddinvolk. The few small hamlets and farms they passed seemed to be deserted, though there were fresh hoof prints in the snow to indicate that they had been visited recently.
‘Where is everybody?’ Hawklan asked Agreth.
The Riddinwr looked puzzle. ‘Urthryn must have called a General Muster,’ he said. ‘That means everyone has been mobilized.’
‘Everyone?’ Hawklan said.
Agreth nodded. ‘Even the sick and the incompetent have a task in the General Muster,’ he said. ‘The people from these farms and small villages will have moved to one of the bigger villages nearby. The livestock will be being tended by runners in rota. They’ll all be helping, planning... it’ll be a great sharing..
