This was a terrible position from which to negotiate.

When negotiating, one must never let the enemy know you intended to say yes to their demand. Even if they were the only source available, and had an absolute monopoly (sigh…!-!-!-!-!) on a valuable commodity, the position of being willing to not accept their deal and maintain your current position regarding resources, implying you didn't need what they had, gave you bargaining capital of a sort. She'd learned this from her mothers, back when she had been younger. They were lessons that every Taniar Demesne girl learned. After all, Taniar was the financial capital of the continent, and maintaining the exchange rates of nearly all the civilized demesne of the known world made them a convenient trading hub.

However, the opening bid Shanalorre offered was strategically too enticing for Lori to pretend they didn't want it. Even worse, given how publicly she had made the offer, everyone else in her demesne knew about it.

The fact she had made such a bid, however, also showed how desperately Binder Shanalorre wanted this. She had set no minimum requirement beyond a Dungeon—or rather, because it wouldn't have the core inside it, it was correctly a shelter—that could protect against dragons in the future—which would not be certain, because dragons were unpredictable and had many different ways to make the places they were traveling over unlivable—and an emergency store of supplies. While that would be corrected during negotiations, had Lori agreed on the spot it would have left her open for lazy, low-effort work.

This was also a transparent bid to keep Lori invested in her survival, since she had cited that the agreement would only last for her life. Not that River's Fork had anyone to replace her, but still! And even if she died, they would still have the shelter!

Granted, if she died, Lori would by their agreement take River's Fork's core, so it would be her shelter, but…

Argh!

Fortunately, when Lori came to her table for breakfast, Shanalorre didn't bring up the subject, simply greeting her with a simple, ''Good morning, Binder Lolilyuri." Thankfully, her… lord? Yes, Shanalorre's lord had learned his lesson and was seated on the other side of the table.

"Good morning, Binder Shanalorre," Lori said. "How have your accommodations been?"

"Very well, thank you," Shanalorre said. "You have been an excellent host, and your demesne has been quite hospitable towards us. I'm very glad to see that those who chose to leave River's Fork have found a better place to settle."

"How kind of you to say," Lori said. The empty platitude was the sort of thing one said in this situation, right? "I hope those who chose to leave my demesne in favor of yours have found things to their satisfaction."

"I cannot say for sure. They are very vocal in their complaints, though strangely they blame you for their difficulties."

"I have no idea what they're talking about, but then their complaints are no longer my concern. They chose to leave, after all."

"Yes. Given what I have seen of your demesne, I have to wonder why they would."

Rian started coughing for some reason.

"Rian, if you're sick, stop spreading it around."

"Sorry, your Bindership. Some spit went down the wrong tube while I was breathing," he said, voice sounding a little rough.

Lori glared at him.

"If you wish, I could try to heal him, just in case?"

"That would be appreciated."

"Uh, that's all right, I'm fine, really—"

"Rian, shut up and be healed."

"Yes, your Bindership."

Shannalorre stood and walked to the other side of the table, moving to stand behind Rian. She was breathing in with deep, even breaths, though Lori was fairly certain that was just to get her in the proper frame of mind to heal. It wasn't like the other Dungeon Binder needed it. Lori was always connected to her core when outside her demesne, even in River's Fork, and she assumed that the same was the case with Shanalorre.

Seen from the outside, being healed by a Deadspeaker wasn't particularly impressive. Well, unless there were large, gaping wounds on your person, or wide swathes of obvious burns on your skin. Then it was probably impressive. When you were watching someone with some unspecified and possibly absent illness that was completely internal with no dramatic symptoms, there was really nothing interesting to see. Shanalorre pressed the back of one of her hands on the bare skin on the nape of Rian's neck, most likely to claim the life in his body, and they stood like that for a few moments.

Then the younger Dungeon Binder let go. "There," she said. "Are you feeling better now, Lord Rian?"

"Uh…" he said, voice still sounding a little hoarse, "not significantly more than before, I think? I really can't think of what you'd need to heal from coughing." He moved slightly, then tilted his head. "Huh. I think that did help. That ache I had on my back is gone. Thank you."

"You are welcome, Lord Rian," Shanalorre said, moving back to her side of the table.

Fortunately, after this Shanalorre no longer seemed to want to converse, letting her discuss the demesne's matters with Rian. The wood storage shed was filling up, so she'd need to give it a quick cure to make sure the wood was properly dried and could be used for fire wood. The waste desiccator seemed like it needed to be opened and emptied again. The weavers were inquiring whether they could grow some ropeweed in the Dungeon farm when the thaw came, as a steady supply of material and as a seed crop if the plants didn't start regrowing naturally.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

"Also, I think we need to have another community meeting before winter ends, while we have the convenience of time," Rian finished. "So we can discuss the broad plans for the demesne's development in the coming year."

"What broad plans for the demesne's development?"

"Yes, exactly."

The two stared at each other.

"All right, I see your point," Lori said blandly. "I know you already have a list of things planned, so prepare to hold the meeting in a few days."

"As you command, your Bindership."

"You WILL tell me what those things are before then," she said.

"Of course, your Bindership."

––––––––––––––––––

Eventually, breakfast was finished.

"I am now amenable to discussing the subject you broached last night, Binder Shanalorre," Lori said, gesturing across the table from her. Rian, very quick to understand, immediately vacated the position. "If you will please take a seat, we can begin the discussion."

Shanalorre blinked. "Should we not be discussing this in your office?"

"I don't have an office," Lori said. "I don't really need one." Technically, her room was her office, but she didn't really want to bring Shanalorre in there.

Shanalorre looked at her in surprise, but rose and walked around the table to sit where Rian had been as Rian moved to stand next to Lori. He was holding his plank and burnt stick.

"I suppose we must begin with your outrageous offer," Lori said. "The rest of your natural life, was it?"

"There will be conditions to be met first, of course," Shanalorre said. "A required minimum size and depth for the Dungeon to be constructed, for example." Ah. So she had thought of that, or her lord had suggested it to her. "In truth, after seeing your own demesne, it is not the only structure I wish built in my demesne as well, but it is the most needful that I and mine cannot build in a timely manner."

"You have had months and haven't built anything like it at all," Lori pointed out. "At least, not that I know of."

"As you may have suspected, the mine was supposed to serve that purpose, which is part of why we resumed its operation," Shanalorre said, "but because of the nature of mining, it is not very well organized or spacious, and was highly problematic to occupy in a sudden emergency. In speaking with several of your people, however, they informed me of your impressive rate of construction."

"I am a Dungeon Binder, not a day-laborer," Lori said, unable to keep herself from mentally adding, 'anymore', if only in her own mind. "Why should I?" It was bravado, since she had resigned herself to agreeing already—the person who might need healing might be her!—but she couldn't just let herself agree.

"It will greatly simplify future interactions, and you will no longer have to keep negotiating healing from me," Shanalorre said. "I am willing to sacrifice future income to increase the likelihood of my demesne's survival in the event of a dragon. Besides, I have a personal investment in keeping a not-inconsiderable portion of your demesne's population alive. Just because they left my demesne before it became my demesne does not mean I do not wish them well. This will ensure that I do not simply violate our agreement when you finish your part in it."

Next to her, Rian was nodding thoughtfully for some reason.

"Additionally," Shanalorre continued, "as I said, this was merely my opening bid. I am prepared to negotiate any other payment you require for this task should you decide to go through with it, within reason." As if she didn't know Lori would need to accept in any case.

"If I agree, you will need to shoulder the expense of housing and feeding myself and anyone I deem necessary for such a project," Lori said. "This is non-negotiable. After all, it is not as if you will have anyone left to spare to assist me."

"Very well. Though I hope you will be understanding when the accommodations do not match what you have provided here," Shanalorre said.

"Well, it must have, at minimum, be indoors, clean, with adequate warmth and hot food."

Binder Shanalorre nodded. "That, I think we can reasonably provide."

"Secondly, you will be the one to provide all raw materials," Lori said. "Whether that's wood, stone, metal fittings… the materials will be sourced by your demesne."

"Of course."

"Thirdly, myself and my labor force will each be paid to the amount of two sengrains per day of fresh and good quality grains or fruits, outside of the provided food."

Shanalorre blinked. "What?"

"You likely do not have beads, so we will accept tangible goods as payment," Lori said.

"Two sengrains is far more than what any one person will need per day, especially if they're already being fed," Lord whatever-his-name-was protested.

"Of course. The food will be to feed their families. You don't expect men and women to work to feed simply themselves, do you? If you do not have the scales to measure the amount exactly, I'm sure I could build something."

"Agreed, provided the shelter is constructed in two weeks or less, according to the specifications I will provide," Shanalorre said.

"And those specifications are?"

"A minimum of a hundred and twenty square paces of living space, food storage space of fifty square paces, fifty square paces for a bathing area, and storage for twenty square paces of emergency water. Beyond that point, food payments will cease, and meals will only be twice a day instead of three."

"Three weeks," Lori countered. "With construction to begin only after we have finished all the spring cleaning and preparations for the coming year."

"I'm pretty sure the river's going to flood when it thaws, so we have to ready our Dungeon for that at the very least," Rian said.

Lori… had forgotten all about that. "As my lord has said, such preparations must take priority, if I agree to this."

"And if a dragon passes by before you can begin construction?" Lord whatever-his-name-was said.

"Then you'll either be dead, and I won't have to care, or you'll continue to live and we'll continue as agreed upon," Lori shrugged. "The situation resolves itself for me either way."

"You can't really expect us to worry about our commitments to you over our own Dungeon possibly getting flooded, do you?" Rian asked, most likely rhetorically.

Lord whatever-his-name-was frowned but didn't answer.

"Two and a half weeks, after you have finished your own preparations," Shanalorre said. "With my offer of healing only becoming active after construction begins, save for our already standing agreement to assist with any pregnancies."

Lori considered that and nodded. "Fourth, guaranteed passage through the section of river you control."

Shanalorre blinked. "Aren't you supposed to stop at three points of negotiation?"

Lori gave her a flat look. "Why?"

"I… cannot rebut that. However, I would like to set aside the issue of river traffic as its own separate discussion."

Lori considered that. She'd thrown in the issue to see if she could get away with it, but… "Very well," Lori said. Well, she had negotiated the issue of labor pay, materials, lodging and feeding… ah, yes. "Fourthly then, I will have the right to claim all materials I excavate in the course of this construction, such as ore."

Shanalorre frowned. "I… will agree to that," she said slowly. "Though you will have to set aside and store the material yourself, if you want to take it home."

Lori nodded. That took care of any lucky finds she might run into. "Finally, there will be a flat down payment of five barrels of grain, well preserved and adequate to use as seed crop."

"Aren't we already paying you food?" Lord whatever-his-name-was said.

"This is the fee for designing the shelter in question," Lori said. "Unless you already have a design you know for sure can be built in two and a half weeks? I will not begin construction without a finalized design, lest constant changes drag out the length of construction to my detriment."

Why was Rian looking at her like that?

"That is… reasonable," Shanalorre allowed. "Very well. However, I will have input on the design."

"Naturally. I can begin once the site for construction has been chosen."

"Does that mean you accept, then?"

Lori made a show of thinking about it. "That," she said, "will depend on the resolution of the river traffic issue."