The soldiers hardly seemed to mind the situation, keeping composure of themselves and keeping their responses, if they did choose to response, measured. They appeared to enjoy a certain mundane and routine nature to it all, a mind which regard this as but another day in service to their Lord.
Though Kalix was much like the soldiers, Kristen could sense a certain unease with Raf and Alistair. Especially so with Raf. At the very least, she could take heart in knowing that she was not alone in her disquiet.
Kalix gave her the small jug of tea, and she replied,
"O-Oh. Thank you." Yet it was not a moment later when Alistair spoke to her in a low tone his words of warning. She sniffed sharply, all at once understanding his meaning. Father, Uncle Tobias, many of the more powerful members of
House Pirian had tasters whose purpose it was to, in morbid fashion, detect if there was any poison in food or drink by putting their own well-being at hazard. Even with magical detection available, still it came down to the old-fashioned certainty of knowing that someone else had likewise partaken of the food or drink in question and was quite alright.
At the earliest opportunity, Kristen would set the jug down somewhere and innocently "forget" to pick it back up.
* * * * *
The meeting with Mayor Ulthelian went well. Well, as in, peaceful.
His abode was quite modest for the man in charge--small town or no. Only Walter, the Initiates, and some of Walter's top advisors and bannermen could fit inside. Among those advisors was an elf--presumably, based off of his or her height and eye shape. But the elf was wearing loose, baggy clothing and a cloth mask wrapped about their head to conceal all but their eyes (including their eyes, whether or not they were pointed). Their purpose became clear after the short introductions and pleasantries between Walter and Ulthelian's parties: they were a translator.
The business was brief. Walter was direct and to the point. He informed Mayor Ulthelian of the Canal Project, that it had been signed off by the Republic of
Vel Anir, and that fair compensation would be given for purchase of the land. Timed well enough, the door to Ulthelian's abode opened and soldiers hauled in a trunk full of gold coins (this being the stipulation that the Republic imposed upon Walter, that House Banick needed to source said compensation from their own coffers for the Republic's approval of the Project). This was punctuated as well with the offer of relocation, and assistance in such should they desire it, for the denizens of Elyr'Adith to the newly constructed Tenements in Ostia Anir.
Still, Mayor Ulthelian appeared reluctant, and outwardly suggested in polite manner possible ways Elyr'Adith could be spared. Walter entertained them for a while, explaining some of his reasoning countering each of the suggested ways. Eventually, he settled on telling Ulthelian, with a thin, cordial smile, "The arrangement is beyond altering."
And that ended the conversation.
* * * * *
Outside Mayor Ulthelian's home, the Initiates (as well as the soldiers) were given their task:
Go door-to-door and inform the citizens to gather in the town square, where Mayor Ulthelian would make his declaration.
Kristen had let out a breath once she had exited the Mayor's abode. Certainly it was one thing to let Lord Banick do most of the talking, to simply be, as they say, "a fly on the wall." But now it was incumbent upon them to go and speak with the
elves and
humans of Elyr'Adith personally, even if it was merely to give them a simple instruction.
What if they did not obey? What if one of the elves of the Fellowship was among the populace, hiding in the plain sight, just waiting for an opportunity?
"I would like to suggest," Kristen said to her fellow Initiates,
"that it would be wisest for us to go in pairs. How does that sound?"
Raf Kalix Alistair Krixus
