"They will be far from alone," replied Belloc. "Garnak and several of his men will be staying here from now on, so Caspar and company will be in good company, and they will be kept more than busy. There are things kept in this house that I can ill-afford to leave unprotected, and though that is not the primary concern of the men that will be staying here, it is to our mutual benefit that I am giving them the use of this place."
With her back to them as she knelt on her chair and watched the rain outside, Lily asked, "How long will we be gone?"
When Belloc didn't respond, Anest thought that perhaps the wizard wasn't going to answer. But then, he seemed to reach some kind of decision, for his manner changed, and he addressed them together.
"I would like the two of you to promise me something."
When he was sure he had their full attention, he continued. "If for any reason you are forced to flee the Four Kingdoms, and I am not with you, if it is at all possible, you must return here and remove the objects contained in my study, load them all into the old wagon stored in the barn, and leave this place. You must follow the Old Road southwest to Angorain and beyond, along a path that continues in the same direction, until you find yourselves in a forest of birch. From there, you will be guided to a place of safety, where I will join you if I am able. You will take Burli and Caspar and his sons with you. Do you both understand?"