“Why Waterton?” Alexander asked as he chewed on a piece of beef jerky. “Why not out here in the prairies?”
The two men were sitting at a small table as the camp bustled around them. A map was spread across the table so that both men had a clear view of Southern Alberta.
“Defence.” John said the word simply as he planted a finger on the small town that was the end of this long march. “It can only be attacked from one side by land. The prairies only end a few kilometers away, it’s a perfect spot for a fortified settlement.”
Alexander nodded as he chewed. The site was in fact ideal for a town, but if it ever grew much larger they would have growing pains to fit any number of people in there. “Going to be a tight fit if we ever grow large.” He said, giving voice to his concerns.
“Aye, but then we can relocate. For the time being we need somewhere strong to set down our roots and we will go from there.” John drew his finger across the map and tapped it on the Waterton Reservoir. “That is where we will eventually be I should think. Good water, lots of land, out in front to protect what is behind. That won’t be for some years mind you.”
John watched as Alexander’s eyes moved over the map. The land they wanted to take was rich and certainly plentiful. “Or,” he said. “We can simply allow the town to spread along the reservoir and keep ourselves close to the Mountains.”
“Something to worry about when the time comes.” Alexander said with a nod. John knew he was a bit of a dreamer and a visionary; it was good to have Alex around to keep him in reality.
“To right. Well,” he carefully folded the map and put it into a Ziploc bag. “Let’s get a move on.”
The two stood and walked to where their horses waited, held by a young woman who gave Alexander a shy smile. John saw Alex grin back and sighed inwardly, the Change had made people much less subtle about their relationships.
He swung into the saddle and adjusted his great sword as he glanced around the camp. Each of the new towns had provided him a “levy” of men for service. The largest being 30, the smallest five. These men had been welcomed by his own troops who had quickly help kit out the new soldiers in something better then hockey gear and baseball bats.
Beyond the assembling army he could see the small columns of women and children who would be joining them, the wives and children of his soldiers. He knew now, from what little the towns knew, that Waterton was still inhabited and led by a German who had been on holiday when the Change hit.
“All set to roll out, your majesty.”
John turned to catch Alexander smirking at him as he used the title, feeling pretty damn silly when he heard it but the younger people had taken to it with gusto, especially those who had grown up with Lord of the Rings and other fantasy movies.
“Onwards then. Seems we have a Kingdom to forge.” John said with a grin and saw something that may have been awe pass briefly across his long time friend’s face. “Death and Glory.” He said the words with a wink but something he had buried deep in his heart long ago stirred as he spoke. Words he had spoken when joking with friends like Alexander, Patrick, and Antony so many years ago, words that suddenly held a whole new meaning.