“The Alliance are mere miles to the north! They’re marching on Shallowbrook as we speak with three times the numbers and reinforcements to spare!”
“And that isn’t our problem! We’re barely eeking out a living down here. Winter preparations just finished, and you want to train an army and give them over half our food? Our people will starve before the new year comes around!”
“Need I remind you, Elder Varko, that Passidonia is the last real power down here? The Windrunner holdings have completely fallen, and the Sunder collective to the north doesn’t look much more secure. If we do nothing, if we do not unite against these traitors, there will be no standing up to them. We could very well be next!”
“There is no point for them to come here! What do we have that they would want? A few small farms, some river towns upstream from every region that actually has something interesting? They certainly wouldn’t want to go any further north.”
“Wouldn’t they? The old mines are still rich, and they run deep. Who says they wouldn’t brave that damned forest in pursuit of iron, coal and gold? This all has to be made profitable somehow, doesn’t it?”
“If they’re that damned foolhardy, let them. The flames and the dead can take them if they’re that stupid.”
“Are you seriously saying that we should just hand over our sovereignty to race traitors and subversives who abandoned us in our time of need and tried to poison the very well that sustains us? Is that what I am hearing from you, Elder Varko?”
“I have a duty to my people, Elder Zernas. A duty to protect them, to ensure their survival. A duty that you have as well, unless you have chosen to abandon it along with your senses.”
Anokirin pinched the bridge of his nose as the third fight today broke out among the assembled headmen and headwomen, his sigh long and irritated.
From his place in the corner he had a front row seat to their “debates”, which often times devolved into open brawls like the one he was witnessing now. One might have been the usual for meetings like this; six over the course of three days was not.
A door opened to his left; A boy no older than twenty walked along the edge of the room, keeping close to the wall to avoid any errant fists, to hand Anokirin a rolled up parchment. Bearing the same tone of red wax the welp had been using, the old ranger nodded dismissively to the boy before tearing the seal open to read the letter.
I’m leaving soon, just need to find the right time. I’m liable to lose my position here and a lot of the things I’ve worked for, so my insubordination needs to count for something. If you aren’t mobilized by the time I get down there, I might have a few friends who can exert some pressure and speed the process along.
The parchment was rolled back up, held against Anokirin’s lips as he pondered it’s contents.
‘I’ll believe it when I see it.’
Slipping quietly out of the room and glad to be rid of the shouting, he made his way up to the entrance of the council chambers. Donning a thick cloak and grabbing his bow, he set out into the wintry night. He had a witch to see.
