17
Waiting for Toriana’s reply forced the whole camp to remain in one place. By the end of the week, members of Toriana’s forces were conversing amiably with Beetlebrow, Argus, Darya, and Rhoda, hearing about the plights of their compatriots and asking after lost relatives. The woodfolk insisted on staying out of sight of Arquin’s troops which led to some awkward moments as the outsiders tried to explain why they couldn’t all just eat, talk, and camp together.
In the end, Arquin had to pull rank and say that she wanted her company to maintain their discipline while they were officially deployed, which meant organising their own campsite, posting guards, and rostering tasks. They were required to seek permission if they wanted to leave their campsite for any reason, ostensibly so that she
