her brother 's eyes went flat `` it 's all right , '' she assured him , though she folded her hands over a little quiver of fear in her belly at the memory of kord s smokehouse `` his son , aric , helped us escape i got away from him `` `` and came here ' '' `` not alone , '' isana said `` i had just reached the causeway when warner and the rest came down the road i rode here with them `` `` warner ' '' bernard said `` warner , otto , roth they brought all their holders here yours too they 've come to help `` `` those idiots , '' bernard sputtered but his eyes glittered , and he looked back toward the wall and the shattered gates leading into the fort a rough barricade had been shoved into place , consisting of a pair of wagons upended , barrels , and bunks `` how many did he bring ' '' `` everyone , '' isana said `` nearly five hundred people `` `` the women , too ' '' isana nodded bernard grimaced `` i guess we 've got it all resting on one throw , then `` his eyes went past her to odiana `` who 's this ' '' amara swallowed `` one of kord 's slaves , '' she lied `` she saved my life that 's a discipline collar on her , bernard i could n't leave her there `` he nodded , glancing back at the walls again , and let out a slow breath `` might have been kinder to it 's not going to be good `` isana frowned at him and then at the walls `` bernard do you remember when we had our holdraising ' '' `` of course , '' he said `` everyone in the valley helped with that brought up the whole stead-holt , walls , all in one day `` he blinked and turned to her , his voice suddenly excited `` you mean that we could make the walls higher `` she nodded `` if it would help giraldi said they were n't high enough `` `` it might , '' bernard said `` it might , it might `` he looked around `` there that centurion there , he 's the engineer see the braid on his tunic ' we 'll need his help you tell him , and i 'm going to round up our earthcrafters `` bernard hurried off isana approached the man , who glanced up , blinked at her , and then scowled at her from over a bristling grey mustache he listened to her without speaking while she told him of her plan `` impossible , '' he said `` it ca n't be done , girl `` `` i 've forty summers , centurion , '' isana retorted .