Joseph Vanderbilt who now referred to himself as Augustus Caesar had been charged by sir Alfred to make a secure camp for the refugees.
The forest where they found their selves at this moment was the endless forest as many parts of the forest had not been explored.
His first task was to find a water source that was hidden away to avoid discovery by the imperial forces.
After so many hours of searching he came across a small stream,few miles away from the main River source. It was very isolated therefore making it the perfect place for fugitives to hole up themselves.
Finding camp was the first hurdle, the next was to convince sir Alfred to lend his knights to help with the camp building efforts so the first thing he did was to use the remaining parchment that he had to draw out a detailed plan of the camp.
According to the the blueprints,the plan was to clear up some parts of the land , use the felled trees to construct a wall , build four wooden towers around the wall for sentries and to cover blind spots, dig a six by six feet trench around the camp and finally to build a self compost toilet at the edge of the camp.
When the blueprints were presented to sir Alfred,he received it with mixed feelings.
"Ceaser, this is a fortress not a camp. The Blackthorns are either hunting us or making plans to hunt us and you want us to dig in to be slaughtered like animals." Alfred said as his men nodded in agreement.
Ceaser in anger and frustration then threw his cup containing water on the floor while replying,
" Should we then run like animals, do you really think we can outrun the empire and even if we did , how sure are you that the next place we go to would be better than our current situation.
I need you to grow some balls and stop acting like a pregnant woman, peoples lives depend on your decisions."
Just then Ceaser realized that he may have crossed the line by berating a man who was capable of beheading him in a blink of an eye. Also the rent was very quiet , so quiet that one could cut the tension with a knife. So Ceaser reiterated,
" I'm sorry that I lost my temper there , but I need you to trust me and know that my plan would enable us to be able to push back thousands of their men with very few casualties."
Alfred then took a deep breath before replying,
" I see , so this is the real you. And here I was thinking that you were just a brat who had a way with words.
Fine do what you want, but if your plan ends up endangering us further then I will have no option than to shut you down , forever."
The next day work started as land two hundred meters away from the stream an in a two mile radius was being cleared. It took time but as the trees were mostly bamboo tree , the had less time dealing with undergrowth.
Next they dug a foundation for the fence and started laying down trimmed bamboo trees around the perimeter to act as fences. They were laid down to be about three to five feet thick and seven or eight feet tall.
After the fence was put in with the gates which were made out of stronger trees, people had already started to move in and setting up their tents according to the plan that Ceaser had drew. The tent arrangements were not haphazardly erected but were cleanly erected in rows with clear pathways for quick movement in case of escaping from attackers or an emergency.
Soon enough the self compost latrine was built and when asked about the significance of such building, he explained that it would greatly reduce sickness and would help mask their location from their hunters.
Then the moat and the towers were being built simultaneously and in shifts, ensuring that the others had time for other things.
As the project was coming to an end , brought all the less busy children and thought it them how to use mud to make utensils like pots and plates for storing water and cooking .
In his own personal time , he enlisted the help of the women, to make large pots out of clay for the purpose of storing water for emergencies.
Soon all projects were done and people were actually happy with themselves, it gave them hope of survival. This fortress or camp was not just a place for them to lay their heads, it was a place that signified a chance to take back their lives.
As for Ceasers living situation, he started a small construction in the space assigned to him, instead of the regular rents, he opted to use bamboo to construct a hut, mud was then used as plaster to provide insulation.
Inside the hut was a bed made out of bamboo, an earthen stove, earthen pots that were used for cooking and storing water . It was small but it was better than staying in the tents with unbearable cold.
As Ceaser was basking in the joy of his achievements , he heard a knock on his door. When he opened it, sir Arnold and his second in command, Butrus walked in and made themselves comfortable.
" It is nice what you have done with the place." Arnold said with a subtle smile on his face and then continued,
" Everybody is happy and singing your praises, the man who brought hope back in their hearts. But we both know that these walls are not stopping any serious army, so what is your plan for our protection, after all you claimed that with our measly numbers, we would be able to push back thousands of Blackthorns soldiers."
" Yes I have a plan that would guarantee Victory for us in any situation we find ourselves,but first we need to prepare for emergencies." Ceaser replied.