Upon These Stones

[Rezantis]

Rez is also glad for it. Food!

In any case, when they're done, he goes off to find a servant or someone to inquire as to why nobody else is onstage. They did have other bards and storytellers around, after all . . .

[Brian]

The general concensus is that they're waiting for Master Durant to return from the errand he left to attend.

[Rezantis]

"Layabout, he, and now the rest of you? The halls are silent out there, for shame . . . surely some of you have a story for our warriors, to raise their spirits before they go to defend Stormwall once more!"  Rez rolls his eyes theatrically, "Durant will be back in good time - most probably with a new story to tell.  I'll leave now, and drag him back here myself if I have to, but in the meantime make him proud to work with you!"

[Brian]

After a shuffling moment of silence, an old man with a very worn fiddle and a young girl (couldn't be more than eight or nine) clamber up on the stage and start a song to fill the hall with life and noise once more.

No one was willing to speak of it sooner, but you get the distinct impression that everyone's happier now that the revelry's begun again.

[Rezantis]

Rez nods approvingly, then waves Alec along with him as they leave the hall.

"Next on the agenda for the day, I suppose, I should probably go and see Lord Kevin - if he's available. Then Lord Ekim. Hm."

Rez heads off to try and find Lord Kevin - asking directions, if need be.

[Brian]

The directions lead you back to Lord Kevin's office, once more now apparently open for business.  There's no delay, and when they see you, the guards let you in.  Kevin is pacing before the huge window that looks out over the Stormrider and keep-defender's campsites, and Lammermore is sitting uneasily in a chair next to Kevin's desk.  Both look up at you and Alec when you enter.

"Yes?" Kevin asks, seating himself behind his desk and looking at you coolly.

[Rezantis]

Nathan bows respectfully.

"Lord Kevin, I wish not to waste your time, but there are a few issues I wished to speak to you of, such as why Lord Markham is no longer Lord of the Stormriders."

[Brian]

"Oh?" he asks, seemingly surprised.  "Well ... alright, then."  He gestures to a seat.  "Please, make yourself comfortable," he says, relaxing a bit.

Lammermore looks on curiously, but says nothing.

[Rezantis]

"Thanks."

Rez sits down gratefully.

"Well . . ." Rez sighs, "I should probably start from the beginning.  You know, of course, of Windkeeper Parthipan.  We weren't entirely honest when we left as to the why, because we weren't entirely certain just how it would go down - and we weren't entirely sure of what he'd seen.  The Windkeeper saw a stormrider in golden armour speaking to a man in a grey cloak in the snowfields, about how one army must not see the other.  This obviously made us suspicious, so we went out to meet up with the Stormriders and investigate this."

Nathan takes a breath before continuing, slightly less rushed.

"Eventually Lord Markham's brother, Tomas, was revealed to be a traitor when he attempted to steal Lord Farwell's torc . . . and it was discovered that the dreadmarch was ahead of Tomas' scouts and had cut us off from Stormwall.  He confessed, when caught, and was expelled into the snowfields.  After this, Markham continued to demand that we do what Tomas had been suggesting . . . which was for the Stormriders to give up on Stormwall and leave the dreadmarch to you, and to move north and out of the way.  He believed the dreadmarch were too many for us to take on.  Many of the stormriders, as you can imagine, had objections to this - and Lord Bloom, having retrieved his torc, declared Markham unfit to be king and challenged him to a duel for Lordship of the stormriders."

Nathan pauses a moment longer to let this sink in.

"That was the first thing I wished to speak to you of, Lord Kevin.  I realize he offended you and yours," Nathan nods to Lammermore, "at the last planning session, but I wish you to understand that he brought the Stormriders here when they would not have been brought without him.  Since then he has lead the stormriders to brilliant victories over immense odds - we had lost but scarce hundreds before arriving here, Lord Kevin, and killed a hundred times that number - and I do not exagerrate.  He may not be the most diplomatic of leaders, but the Stormriders follow him because he is damn capable at what he does . . . despite his occasional lapses of tact," Rez smirks, "Which is when someone else usually steps in and corrects him.  One of his virtues as a leader is that he does recognise his limitations in that respect, and tends not to be particularly offended when one of us does correct him."

[Brian]

Lammermore mulls this over for a long moment, and then nods.  "It ... he...."  He can't find any words for a while, and Kevin glances at him.  After a moment, he manages, "This explains much.  I had ... thought him simply wine-addled."

Kevin rolls his eyes.  "The weight of a crown is never insignificant," he opines.  "I understand your message, Sir Shuker.  I thank you for your candor, and ... wish to apologize for our own, perhaps too-swift judgements."

[Rezantis]

"Understanding between allies is one of the most important things of all, Lord Kevin, Sir Lammermore," Nathan nods, "As to the second thing I wished to speak of . . . could I borrow one of the lorekeepers who were wounded earlier, if possible?  I was thinking of going over to the tower where the lorekeepers were shot and trying to work out where the arrows could have come from.  For shots to be placed so accurately, there are very few places they could have come from, I believe.  If nothing else it may help to clarify the chain of events."

[Brian]

"Well ... you have my permission," Lord Kevin says slowly.  "But ultimately, Radagast is the final authority on lorekeepers here, not I."

[Rezantis]

Nathan nods again.

"I plan on speaking to him first, but seeing that I wanted to have a look at the relative details I thought I should clear it with you, so that I'm not stepping on anyone's toes.  We'll tell you what we can figure out after we've had a look, of course."

"The third thing . . . Lord Kevin, Sir Lammermore . . . was that I was wondering about combined stormrider-keeper tactics or formations like yesterdays was first considered as.  I'm wondering if it might be worth our while to have some of your men and some of our men drill together in some basic combined formations - should some more be suggested, I suppose.  I'm not a tactician, but if that sort of tactic is going to be used again it may do us well to have some contingents of men with experience working with each other, at the least," Nathan shrugs awkwardly, "I'm not precisely sure what people may have in mind, though."

[Brian]

Lammermore rubs his chin, and looks to Lord Kevin.  "This seems a fine enough idea, though I'm not certain how much time we have to train," he finally allows.  "If your commanders support it, then I offer my complete approval."

[Rezantis]

"In that case, Lord Kevin, I'll see if I can get some details hammered out and get back to you."

Nathan stands  up and bows respectfully.

"I should probably go and get back to work, there's a fair few things that needed attention today . . . is there anything you wished to ask me?"