Not having exact plans was going to be a problem, if I allowed it to continue. Vetrov was working to set up foundations, but she hadn’t decided what was going where.
Neither had Xoth, who, from what Tamrie told , had been focused on making sure the refugees were getting safely settled without causing too much trouble.
There were a lot of ideas I’d gotten inspiration from, going back through everything I’d picked up in mory Palace, but I knew I wasn’t the best one to implent them.
So I spent half an hour discussing things with Vetrov. It involved almost as much cussing as I was used to dealing with when I had to get parts from the old scrapyard, despite her otherwise agreeable manner. The first priority was sowhat sturdier shelters. She said she’d set up a couple stepped apartnts, if she was given the spellpower to do so, but that I shouldn’t hold my breath.
With at least a basic frawork in place, I left to find Xoth. He’d be the first to greet the new arrivals, and I hadn’t really talked to him since he’d accepted more responsibility.
Xoth was in a eting with another couple refugees when I found him, Tamrie at my elbow. When he noticed , he gave a nod to both of them, finishing his discussion with a few final instructions.
"Ah, Magus Dominus, to what do I owe this visit?" Xoth asked, folding his arms together in the front of his robe, his hands disappearing into the sleeves.
“We’ve got guests coming. Shapers from the guild,” I replied, looking out over the valley. “Should help get a lot of this in order. We haven’t finished the deal, but they’re sending a delegation.”
“A… delegation?” Xoth asked, his forehead crinkling. “How many Shapers were you able to procure?”
“At minimum, one Pegasus and ten Mage-souled,” I said. “Though we’ll get more depending on who’s available.”
“That is… a considerable number of Shapers,” Xoth said, frowning as his gaze flicked outwards. “I did not realize we could afford such an expense.”
I fought down the smile at his use of the word ‘we’. “It’s not unlimited, but you saw those tier-3 logs I’d traded to Kallum?”
Xoth’s frown deepened at my ntion of the other shaper. He nodded as he smoothed his expression. “Yes. I was… surprised you’d given him so much wealth, especially just to gain a few spells from him.”
I grimaced slightly, and decided that if Xoth was going to be hanging around, I should probably admit my mistake. “Honestly… I was basing it off how much it would’ve been back ho. Kinda failed to account for how rare it’d be out here.”
“Ah, that…” Xoth let out a dry chuckle. “It is easy to forget that you are new to your position. Especially with how skilled you are with your enchanting. I’ve worked with Shapers with decades of experience who would be envious of your runework.”
The praise for that felt a bit uncomfortable. Enchanting was very much like scribing, both of which were very much like welding. And I’d been welding since before I’d hit puberty. Honestly, enchanting was easier than welding, since it was easier to modulate the energy directly. Didn’t have to worry about slag as much either.
Deciding to move right along, I said, “Anyway, have you talked to Vetrov?”
“Ah, yes. Her… enthusiasm was sowhat famous back in Spellford. Witnessing it myself has been educational,” Xoth replied, stepping outside of the shelter to stare up the slope towards where the woman could be heard even then. “Thankfully, she listens to direction, when given.”
“Yeah,” I agreed. Bit surprised by it, if I was being honest, but wasn’t going to complain. “So, you’re not having any problems with her?”
“We must all bend to our new circumstances,” Xoth said, bowing slightly as if to illustrate his point.
I noted he didn’t actually answer my question. “Speaking of bending… thank you for serving on the council.”
At this, Xoth sighed. “It is… required. Politics has ever been distasteful to , yet to simply sit by and observe…”
“Yeah, I get that,” I said, watching as a team of Tethered brought several logs closer to Vetrov’s worksite. “Both parts. You’re intending to stay, though? For the next few decades at least?”
“I do,” Xoth said, giving a slow nod as he glanced in my direction.
So I continued, "And you want this to be a safe place for you and your daughter?" He continued nodding, though a slight frown was already pulling at his lips. "And how many people have you healed, without giving consideration to the cost?"
"That is… different," Xoth said, his eyes narrowed.
"What were you talking about with those n just now?"
Stolen novel; please report.
"They had a dispute about where to place the newest refugees. It was simply a misunderstanding," Xoth replied, shrugging, though his eyes remained narrowed. "What are you implying?"
"I'm implying that you're already invested in Verdant Point. That these are the sorts of things I want out of you as a council mber. You want it to succeed as much as anyone. And being a permanent mber of my council will give you more power to do exactly that. Honestly, the only difference between what you're doing now and being on my council permanently is that we'll hold a ceremony to make your authority official," I said, crossing my arms as I finished.
Xoth's frown grew deeper, as he furrowed his brow in thought.
"Don't need your decision now, but I'd like you to think about it. It's also not like I can't afford to pay you, though we still don't have anything set up yet," I said, running a hand through my hair. "Much as I hate to say it, we'll probably need at least so form of money."
Xoth nodded, his gaze moving towards the entrance to the hall I'd found him in. "I will… consider it. You are not wrong."
"Good, that's all I ask," I said, clapping him on the shoulder before walking out of the room.
"Gotta say, Magus Perth, that was awfully fancy, the way you pulled that," Tamrie said as we stepped outside. "Had convinced, sure as the depths."
"Didn't pull anything Tamrie. Just reminded him of what we're doing here," I said while rubbing at my forehead. "What was next for the day?"
"Well, now that you don't need to be makin' no more dust, my bed could use a bit of warmin'," Tamrie said, fluttering her eyelashes at in an overly exaggerated manner.
Rolling my eyes, I waved her onward.
She chuckled. "So serious, Magus Perth. World won’t end if you laugh,” Tamrie said even as she drew out her journal. “You had ntioned wanting to congratulate Egerta on her new child. As she is walking towards us, I believe now may be an appropriate ti to do so," Tamrie noted, giving a small upthrust of her chin towards the narrow end of the valley.
I turned to follow the motion, and found Egerta approaching with said child happily nursing away, supported by a single arm while she held her golden sword over the other shoulder.
"Oi, mage-boy," Egerta cried when our gazes t. "Need to talk to ya."
"Been aning to talk to you too," I said, giving her a nod. "Wanted to congratulate you on the healthy baby."
"Go ahead," Egerta said as she pulled to a stop.
"Go… ahead?" I replied glancing towards Tamrie, who had a smile on her face. She didn't help clarify what Egerta ant.
"Go ahead and give your congratulations," Egerta explained, with the tone of a mother explaining sothing to an especially sweet but slow child. Not a tone I'd ever heard directed in my direction before.
"I… Congratulations?" I asked more than answered.
"Thank you! He's a right healthy one, he is," Egerta said, hefting the boy slightly with a giant grin on her face. Then her grin slipped away. "But your people won't stay healthy, way they fight. It's like they've barely held a sword before."
"That's… actually fairly accurate. They've only had about a week's worth of training, and none of it with swords. Calbern's often busy with other stuff," I replied, glancing towards the nearby sentries.
"It's a slap across Felor's mighty cheeks, it is," Egerta said, shaking her head. "And not the fun ones."
Tamrie let out an amused snort at this.
Before I could respond, Egerta continued, "Seems to , you need a proper guard captain."
"That-"
"And I think I'd right arse that up, if I were to try," Egerta continued, patting her baby on the back with the hand, eliciting a belch while leaving her sword balancing on her shoulder. "But training whelps to fight? By Felor, that I can do."
"Are you offering to train our guards?" I asked, glancing towards the baby, then back towards the large woman.
Egerta wiggled her smushed up nose then nodded. "Aye. That's exactly what I'm about. I'll get them whipped into shape before the end of the Howl, of that you can be sure."
That wasn't exactly soon, if I was understanding her slang. Basically she said she'd be able to teach them by the end of the storm season. Which was several months away.
Still, with the way she fought… and it'd free up Calbern…
"I think that can be arranged. I'll talk to Selvi, see about a schedule," I replied, offering her a hand to shake before realizing both hers were full.
Maybe I could get Selvi trained up to be a guard captain? She was certainly handling a lot of the duties already. With trade with Spellford opening up, I might even be able to hire soone to teach her.
"Right then. I should get back before one of the little ones decides to light sothing important on fire," Egerta said, already walking away.
"I like her," Tamrie said once she was gone.
"Figured you would," I replied, brushing my neglected hand against my pants. "Now, what was next-"
"Ah, there is the esteed Magus Dominus," a soft silky voice said. I turned to find the raptor-like-folk with scintillating scales approaching. After her arrival alongside Egerta and the others, I'd nearly forgotten about the lizard-woman. Only Tarnie informing that she had plans to leave with her ship had even caused to find out more. Which was when I discovered she didn't have monstrous heritage like Hash. Her people lived in ice caves along the southern ice-shelf. Which ant she was right at ho in the colder parts of the Frigid Peaks.
"Hello Tarnibus," I said, nodding to her. "Heard you were heading back to Spellford."
"That was my original intention yes," Tarnibus said, but then she lifted sothing. One of the books I'd given Inertia. "But then when I was visiting your pet Forgeborn, I saw these."
"Inertia's not a pet," I replied, my eyes narrowing.
"Ah, my apologies, my apologies. Elinder has so few words for my aning. I simply ant a… oh, what is the word… a being of which you are fond but have no intention of mating with?"
"A… friend?" I asked, glancing at Tamrie, who was once again wearing an amused expression.
"No… that doesn't sound right," Tarnibus said. Then she shook her head, tapping the book. "Anyway, it is of no matter. What is important are these. I have never seen this language before."
"That's no surprise," I replied, not bothering to elaborate. "I'm afraid I don't have ti to teach you either."
"So you do know it!" Tarnibus replied, her soft voice gaining an edge of excitent as a subtle cherry scent filled the air. "Is there nothing I can offer in exchange? I have spent years studying pre-Anteun ruins. I have several powerful artifacts, as well as a breadth of knowledge envied by most Djinn-souled. Perhaps one of my pupils could assist you in turn, for a ti?"
"Pupils, huh? So… you've got experience teaching?"
"Yes. Ah, perhaps you wish to tutor your young ward?" Tarnibus asked, her voice regaining its smoother cadence.
"Not… exactly," I said, glancing towards the sentries once more. “How are you at teaching people to read?”
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