After the words

[Anastasia]

Sure, this is mostly offscreen stuff so give me a crafting check for it.

[Iron Dragoon]

Craft: Blacksmithing/Cunning Knowledge:

[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+83 : 16 + 83, total 99[/blockquote]

[Anastasia]

Okay cool, all of that stuff is easily done offscreen and to good results. Anything else to add there?

[Iron Dragoon]

Not really. As long as production and trade are moving along, and realm goals are moving, it's fine with me.

[Anastasia]

Okay, you have a bit of downtime. Anyone you want to talk to in particular?

[Iron Dragoon]

No one specific, no.

[Anastasia]

"Alyssa."

Jarem comes up one evening as you rest, gaze out from your high office window. He's in his armor, well kept and clean. "You busy?"

[Iron Dragoon]

"Not really. What do you need?"

[Anastasia]

"Nothing urgent," Jarem comes in and has a seat, resting back. "Just a few questions."

[Iron Dragoon]

"Sure. Go ahead."

[Anastasia]

"Emily looks up to you," he says without preamble, "Are you  mentoring her well enough?"

[Iron Dragoon]

"Yes and no. I've noticed she tends to do one of two things when confronted: dig in or become completely subservient. Neither is good for actual learning. Or teaching. I think it comes from her views on right and wrong. She's very linear. Until she gets over that, I think the best way is to expose her to situations and hard decisions made by others so she can observe, then explain.

In that, I believe I'm being successful. I believe where I'm failing is in forcing her into practical situations where she has to work out similar decisions on her own. Part of that is because... Simply... I've been distracted and not able to find or engineer situations like that for her.

What is your opinion on the matter?"

[Anastasia]

"You're right about her," Jarem begins, a small breath blown out. "She's either stubborn about something or she doesn't fight at all. For all she's trained for it and has the magnetism for it, she's not a leader. She probably won't ever be. See, you can have the talent, but the wrong personality is still the wrong personality. A leader needs to be strong and inspire, as well as with a will of iron."

Jarem smiles just a bit at that, "She's strong and she can inspire, but she lacks the will. I think that if she'd been born a normal woman, she'd be quiet, retiring and focused on hearth and home. The sort of wife that gives her husband a bleeding stomach if they don't get along on the things she get stubborn about."

[Iron Dragoon]

"Oh, I don't know about that. I think she'd be the quiet one until she wasn't. And then she'd likely never be quiet again. Remember the forces that surrounded her while she grew up.

As for leadership... Hmm... I think you may be half-right. I think she has the expectation to lead armies off the bat and so she over-reaches and fails. I don't think, as she is now, she's suited for leadership.

I think she's built not to lead, but to be the one leading the charge. A spear-tip. The problem is, like a spear, she only goes in one direction. Though... Hmm... I wonder...

What do you think of throwing her in as the commander of a small unit? With a suitably wise and tested advisor? Say.. around 15 soldiers?"

[Anastasia]

A small shrug, "I've heard worse ideas." Jarem says, "As long as they're good enough to support her while she feels she's in charge."