06-29-2015, 09:18 PM
We are at war. There will be scars.
His mother calls them together, calling them into the heart of the Chamber, literally and figuratively. He is the first to arrive (indeed, perhaps he had seen her moving here, had thought to follow her, had been at an advantage over all the rest of them to reach her fastest).He stands beside her (not in the way of a proud prince, but in the way of a comrade, a brother – or in this case, son – in arms). She welcomes the two new faces, both of whom Erebor likes immensely. It isn't hard to earn his favor; you simply need to be a little bit useful, have some capacity to serve the Chamber and devote yourself to something. She promotes them, a move which he fully supports, and he gives each a smile. "Congratulations." he offers, genuine.
Her next words catch him off guard, and his careful soldierly poise slips just a hair. He wasn't expecting that kind of honor. He knows she respects him, she's made that much obvious. But never in a million years did he expect…well, this. "Thank you." he says to her, his eyes riveted on his mother. He then turns to the others who murmur their congratulations. He smiles to both of them. "Thank you." He pauses, looking far older than his years. "I was born to serve the Chamber, and I will do all I can to serve her as well as I can, however I can." Not that this is news, anyone with half a brain knows what this boy lives for.
He is silent then, listening as Straia turns to the real meat of the discussion. He knows, even though she does not say it, that she leans heavily on him for this. He alone can report back on the Dale, the Valley, the Gates, the Deserts, and even the Falls, depending on whether Kavi is able to return from the business that calls him away in time for this meeting.
Killdare speaks then of finding his sister, but what interests Erebor far more is the tale he tells of a stallion of iron and a mare being force bred. "A stallion made of iron." he says, as though puzzling it out. He glances to his mother. "That'd have to be in the mythical lands, and if it's force breeding, that'd probably mean the evil mythical lands. That's far to the south of here." he sighs. "That's quite a ways to get lost if you're trying to get from the Gates to us." He finds himself unhappy at the thought that a mare on a diplomatic mission here had found herself in that kind of trouble, although he also finds himself questioning her sense of direction.
"When I visited the Gates I found them polite and more open than most, so it does not surprise me that they had wished to ally. But the kingdom was quiet. Very quiet. I don't think we'll find the strength we seek there."
"My impression of the Amazons and the Tundra was very much the same as yours." he nods to his mother. "Polite, but guarded. The alliance between Tundra and Amazons is a natural one, I don't think we'll find that either can be separated from the other." He pauses then, thinking. "I am not sure about the Deserts, however. I met one of the new queens, Camrynn. She seemed…." he frowns. "Far different than I would expect a light queen to be. She's created a magical protector for them, an animated sphinx that seems to have a docile personality, but that can become fierce should they ever need him – or so Camrynn claims." he is fully willing to believe it, given what he's seen of magic. "They also invited us to participate in an upcoming friendly practice challenge that they will be hosting. There are to be events for diplomats and fighters, and plenty of opportunity to mingle with those from other kingdoms besides." He believes in practice, and this sounds like a great opportunity for that. "I think it could be a good opportunity for the Chamber to show its strength, and to resolve any lingering questions we might have about our neighbors. It could be very interesting to see certain diplomats from other kingdoms relating to each other."
"Tiphon of the Dale seemed curious but guarded. The land was very quiet – Tiphon is the only horse we encountered. In every other kingdom save the Valley, there were at least two horses to greet us." he thinks on the Valley for a moment, but it does not occur to him to suggest that the kingdom may be lacking in power. It may have dwindled in numbers, but it holds a magician – something that is not to be discounted.
"I also accompanied Kavi to the Falls." he pauses then, thinking back on their unsuccessful trip. "We were unable to secure an alliance, and they did not seem receptive. We had initially planned to ally with them because of the strategic advantage of the Falls' healing water. However, those falls are now largely dried up, and as a result of that – or as a shrewd political move – the Falls have restricted access. We were in the middle of trying to negotiate." he does not mention how he suspects that a different tactic might have been more successful there. It is not his place to question the governor. He purses his lips together – perhaps now it is. "I don't think our chances of an alliance with them are good, although it might not hurt for Straia and I to return and try again, if we believe the alliance is worth it." He looks to Straia, wondering if she'll understand what he's thinking, but is not even considering implying. "I am not, however, convinced that the alliance is worth it. Using the healing water is not so simple nowadays, and their kingdom is terribly weak outside of that one asset."
He pauses, aware that he's spoken for a very long time. "I suggest we make all of this discussion preliminary, and see how the kingdoms show in this upcoming event at the Deserts." he suggests, his voice bold. "That event will allow us to see how the rulers relate to each other. It will allow us to see how the various kingdoms represent themselves, a far better show of strength than we'd get just from visits." he pauses and looks at all who are assembled. "And I think we should not hesitate to let Beqanna see our strength." he pauses then, letting that sink in. "As far as our ultimate alliance partners…I don't think that any kingdom but the Valley, the Deserts, the Amazons, or the Tundra would even be a worthy partner. And even they are barely stronger than us with our new members." He smiles at Killdare and Engelsfors.
"I'm sorry, that was quite a bit too much of me talking." he apologizes, and actually means it. "If anyone has specific questions about any of the kingdoms, I did visit them all, and am happy to share my thoughts, comparisons, anything I can."
Anything he can.
Erebor
Native Prince of the Chamber
warship x straia