They all met that evening to discuss their future strategy. The weather was warming, and they stood around a fire while others continued to clear the battlefield.
"Where do we stand?" asked Anna.
"I"m afraid our army is greatly reduced," said Gerald. "We"ll have to rebuild our strength."
"Yes," agreed Beverly, "though we now have my father"s troops."
"Perhaps enough to take Tewsbury," offered the baron, "if we act quickly."
"Agreed," said Gerald. "Word won"t have reached them just yet, and with any luck, we can convince the garrison to surrender the town."
"It"s worth a try," said Anna. "Gaining Tewsbury would let us control the north."
"Yes," agreed Beverly, "and it would give us a base of operations where we could rest and recover our strength."
"The garrison there might still re
