“Let me start things off by addressing the question of what happened last night,” Ferron informed the meeting attendants and the longhouse at large.
Similarly to last night, people stuck close to the convening group of leaders to listen in on the discussions of the powerful. However, this time, there would be no audience with the villagers and the arranged members sat in a closed circle. The village leaders looked with mild interest at Ferron’s deliberation while the warriors sat silently, knowing the result already.
Valentin found himself in between Ferron and Hrost. Despite the esteemed man to his side, he was the object of the majority of the curious eyes in the room. He tried to slip more slyly into the background to little avail.
However, there was something that had helped dampen Valentin’s nerves from the barrage of eyes that targeted him. Sitting on the other side of the circle from him was Guin. Standing behind him, the unmistakable shape of Cnap. He tried to take a page from Hrost’s book and attempted to remain stoic.
“The boy that sits beside me is now considered my ward. You will give him the same respect and consideration as if he were my son,” Ferron announced, casting his indomitable protection over Valentin. “Now that we have that out of the way, Chief Glenna.”
With Ferron verbally backing down from the conversation’s lead, Chief Glenna took the reins to drive the topics forward. Ferron’s announcement had been the nexus of interest, and, with that gone, most people only listened with half interest; perking up when some word or phrase may pertain to them. Some remaining few with interest over the topics of governance lingered close by.
Sitting in on the occasional meeting with his father at Tiarna Lunoult’s longhouse had acclimated Valentin to the meeting that presided before him. Though, he found those conversations difficult to pay attention to and all his energy was donated to not dozing off.
This time, Valentin’s mind was alight trying to dream up different ways to tear the petty Guin down. He drafted up different speeches to disarm and annihilate the object of his indignation in front of the assembled leaders. Different scenes played out in his mind. Guin would respond in different ways to try to discredit Valentin’s accusations and Valentin would masterfully throw them aside.
In his mind, there was no way he could lose. Though, he felt that way when he had approached Morna. He had to consider the possibility of making things more difficult for the people he wished to help. What if Ferron isn’t receptive? What if Guin has the perfect response? What if the proper opportunity never arises?
“Now on to our food stores,” Glenna’s voice cut through Valentin’s planning. “Guin, how does our stockpile look?”
Guin cleared his throat and bowed deeply towards Chief Glenna while sparing a glance towards Ferron. “Yes Chief, our stores will comfortably take us to the end of Faur. The Chief Mouser, Meone, caught four mice in the grain stores and we believe they did not have a chance to reproduce.”
Guin continued his report and Valentin felt more animosity towards the man as the leaders looked impressed with the report. Valentin had seen the type many times before, the person that attempts to curry favor with those above them. While Guin’s actions were, in truth, fairly innocuous, Valentin’s mind had searched for the worst in every action Guin took and in every word he spoke.
“Thank you for the update, Guin. Things have been well in order since your appointment,” Chief Glenna complimented the man and many of the other leaders nodded in agreement. “Now, let’s move on to-”
If Valentin were to act during this meeting, it had to be now. He slapped his cheeks to chase his anxiety and Ferron offered him a brief glance of curiosity.
“Excuse me,” Valentin interjected before the next subject could be brought up. “There is a comment that I’d like to make about the work that Guin’s been doing.”
Guin regarded the boy in confusion before providing a cordial smile and a bow. “Apologies, Tiarling. I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced. I am Guin, son of Elder Delma. What is your name?”
Valentin grinned with joy. Guin’s eyes quivered with recognition, but he could not speak out in the same way that he in the days when he was able to criticize Valentin freely. What a transformation a bath and some new clothes could accomplish to change a person in such drastic ways in the eyes of another. He knew that it was Ferron that opened this door, but, he could not deny that he felt exuberant. There was no more room for doubt on this plan, he had to use this moment to the greatest possible extent.
“Oh, this may be slightly embarrassing, but we have been introduced,” Valentin corrected, relishing in the moment. “My name is Valentin, and our interactions are the reason for my comments.”
Valentin could see the color drain out of Guin’s face with the realization of what Valentin was going to say next. Valentin loved every little change in expression that Guin tried to employ to hide his knowledge. But, he would not let Guin escape with any dignity. He saw the meetings with Tiarna Lunoult, he knew what these men feared more than anything else. His words would be the torch that would illuminate his shame to the eyes of the elite.
“I’d like to inform all of you of Guin’s conduct within his position.” Valentin spoke quieter so only a few could hear him. “I was the one that reported you, Guin.”
He could not make the same mistake twice. Appealing to a sense of goodness and humanity would not work at this conference. He would not win the leaders or the greater longhouse by detailing the misdeeds against a group that they hated. No, he had to employ a different emotion in others. He had to employ the same logic that would cause Roland to turn red with fury.
Money.
“Guin is a man that spent days on end wastefully watching a group of worthless beggar children,” Valentin began, every bit of his anger splashing away the nerves that gnawed at his mind. “Following them around day in and day out as they dug holes or grabbed eggs or fed dogs. He would take food from their bellies and not repay their benefactor, Ferron Martelle, for the resources not delivered. Tell me, Elders, the village of Lutant, who delivered your food while Guin was preoccupied with the comings and goings of chicken shit? Who was truly doing this good job in his place? I say now that Guin was not only a wedge in the long standing friendship between Ferron Martelle and the village of Lutant, but a detriment to the very townsfolk.”
Murmurs echoed through the longhouse after Valentin delivered his venomous condemnation. This was the most confident that he had felt addressing a group. The preoccupation that would usually seize his mind had been sizzled away by the anger that radiated off of his soul. As the words poured out, even he was surprised by the way that he spoke, as though it were something else assisting his tongue.
The Elders silently conversed with their eyes narrowed and Ferron looked intrigued by the events before him. Elder Delma, glowered at the boy in a similar way that her son did.
“Guin, what say you to these accusations?” Chief Glenna spoke up, reclaiming the lead in the conversation. “I have been told you had been found absent from your post and had others stand in for you on numerous occasions.”
Guin, entirely ambushed by the events that just transpired, struggled to come up with confident words. “It is true that I had to take leave frequently to administer discipline to workers that I deemed were not pulling their weight. That is within my jurisdiction as someone appointed to manage the rations.”
“Were there not better uses of your valuable time than idle slave whipping?” Varn inquired with a tone of condemnation. The forbidden word, slave, rousing up much murmuring.
“Chief Glenna, if I may ask one more question.” Valentin spoke up again, hoping to finish his quarry off once and for all.
“You may,” she permitted with an eager nod.
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“Hubert, as the stand-in for Ferron while he was away, were you ever given compensation for the resources withheld? Resources that Ferron had already been billed and paid for. Or for the damage he may have caused to people that Ferron had yet to appraise and claim?” Valentin asked, hoping that the warrior would assist him.
The mustached deggan smirked at Valentin before quickly responding. “No.”
“That settles it,” Ferron cut in, his voice laced with a growling anger, no longer amused by Valentin’s simple games once his finances were involved. He rose to his feet and moved to the center of the circle to become the new focal point. “Do you think you can filch me and get away with it? Does my name mean nothing anymore?”
“Ferron, please, this is aggravating for all of us,” Glenna implored. “Guin, you will compensate the Armée for the food not provided. I will deliberate on what else should be done with you. Please leave our presence.”
Guin glared at Valentin with familiar ember eyes. This time, Valentin felt no fear inside now. It was almost comical how quickly one’s standing can change all situations. He felt disappointed that he had to use Ferron’s authority to get his revenge. He could not afford to rely on this boon to get his way. One day, it will be his own name that bends the opinions of others.
“This isn’t over,” Guin foolishly spoke again.
“Should I interpret that as a threat?” Valentin responded loudly, winning another annoyed glare from Ferron to pierce the man’s pride.
“It is over! Go, Guin, before I force you to,” Glenna shouted in exasperation.
As Guin stumbled away, his pride ripped away and his tail between his legs, Valentin could only hope that Bassett and the others were watching and found it satisfying.
“Moving on,” Glenna attempted to command the conversation forward so it could not linger. Elder Delma’s hands were seemingly glued to her face. “Elder Caci, have you decided who will go to purify the corpse that had been reported?”
“I think Arlen will be enough for the trek,” the druidic leader reported. “I only believe one or two warriors will be required for protection in case something unforeseen happens. The body is less than a season old and the chill of Faur slows corruption and ensures few wildlife will come in contact with it.”
Listening to the conversation of body purification, Valentin was brutally reminded of a fact that had escaped his mind while he had been preoccupied with surviving. The boy tentatively raised his hand and looked at Ferron with fear in his eyes. The warband leader coughed and Chief Glenna saw the boy.
“Yes, Valentin?” A tired question for a boy that has only brought issues to his first conference and a desire to get it over with as quickly as possible.
“There are more bodies than just the one on the trail by the hunting shed,” Valentin spoke meekly, a stark contrast to his inflated bravado just moments earlier. He felt shame at forgetting about the poor souls that he had encountered on his travels and allowing them to suffer longer.
“Where?”
“There is a village further south that was also raided and destroyed. The pyre failed and was drowned by the storm. There are at least forty bodies rotting in the longhouse.”
“You’re fucking kidding,” Chief Glenna asked, jaw dropped. She looked down with shocked eyes and the room descended into panicked conversation.
“Silence!” Ferron’s shout echoed and the room hushed again. “Two villages south of here?”
When the boy nodded his confirmation Chief Glenna looked at the head druid. “Elder Caci, what are the implications?”
The tattooed woman tented her fingers and brought it up to her chin. A look of somber concern was spread across her face. “A corpse pile that large likely has already birthed a spirit. The question is what kind of spirit it became.”
“What can it become?” Chief Glenna asked plainly.
“A multitude of spirits benign or malignant can sprout from such a quantity of unpurified corpses,” Elder Caci explained. “Though, with a massacre such as this, it is usually between two types. The first, and the one I sincerely hope it is, is the guardian spirit. It is a passive spirit that will not spread beyond the confines of the ruins. We can place talismans to ward animals and lesser spirits away. A confrontation can be avoided that way, as long as we assume that land can’t be used again. Entering such a potent guardian’s territory without permission almost guarantees death.”
“What of the second type?” Varn inquired.
“The second type is the retribution spirit. It will actively corrupt and grow until it finds the raiders that slaughtered the village. It will poison the soil and the plant life. It will corrupt the animals that eat the plants or wander in its territory and warp them beyond recognition. If we are lucky, it will spread out to the islands through the seas. If we aren’t, it will spread and destroy everything in its path. If that type is not put out by the end of this cycle, we will need to summon the national druids and invoke a complete purge before it gets out of control.”
“I will send word to the rest of the Jerv tribes and call on them to bring their druids to Altomac Lake. Will thirty days be too late?” Chief Glenna pressed.
“As I said with the single corpse, Faur works to our benefit,” Elder Caci reassured. “It would not be able to begin a rapid expansion until the warm days return. We have fifty days at most. Provided it is the worst case.”
“Would it be less costly to offer a sacrifice to Urzil?” Varn ventured a question.
“Varn, would you use a great sword on an ant?” Caci sharply answered. “To call upon Urzil is to accept that calamity is the only future.”
“What is the cost?” Varn responded calmly. “I want to know all the options first.”
“Ten children per village is the starting price to invoke his power. All villages must contribute or we will face the wrath of interrupting his slumber. We cannot hope to convince the tribes of the necessity of such a scenario until we know what we are dealing with.”
Valentin tapped Ferron on the shoulder. He put his mouth towards the warrior’s ear and spoke softly. “Urzil?”
“Urzil, Herald of Storms, a legendary bear spirit that ate a Prince of Jerv and became self-aware. As the stories go, the tribes of Jerv summoned him on top of an invading Novesse army. He ate so many warriors that he ascended and lost his corporeal form. Many promising warriors here still try to earn his favor to empower them, though his price is always too high for any.”
Valentin shuddered in shock. He had never heard of such a terrifying spirit residing within Strettia. He was thinking of how much power a pact with Urzil would provide when he noticed that the Elders were looking at him as though he had been asked a question.
“Could you repeat that?” Valentin asked, mildly embarrassed.
“Did you notice anything about the village that may help us determine what sort of spirit it is?” Elder Caci inquired. “All information we can take with us before we summon the tribes will be useful.”
“The buildings were still smoldering when I arrived,” Valentin informed. “The raid likely happened that day or the day prior. I offered it a prayer and I was able to sleep within the village without anything strange occurring.”
“I see,” Elder Caci replied, disappointed. “Still, it was unwise to stay the night there. You are lucky that you left undisturbed. Chief, I will prepare for the worst and determine what I will need to overcome it.”
With that, the meeting adjourned with the elders seemingly without the energy to address the remaining topics at that point. The air within the room felt stagnant like a ship without wind in its sails. The elders retired to their rooms or to their seats within the longhouse.
Elder Caci left in the direction of the temple. Before she departed, she called out to the longhouse, “If you’d like to volunteer, come to the temple and tell me. We’ll need it.”
“Chief Glenna,” Ferron reached out and addressed the village leader. “I will only be offering volunteers from my own ranks for this endeavor. That is, unless you want to provide additional compensation.”
“I doubt we have the money that could satisfy you,” Glenna replied curtly and rapidly walked away from Ferron and Valentin.
The warband leader smacked the boy on the back, leading him on the walk back to the room. “Your first meeting and you cause all these problems,” he chastised with a chuckle.
“I can’t believe I forgot about those poor souls,” Valentin spoke remorsefully.
Ferron touched his chin thoughtfully, “I wouldn’t feel too harshly about it, surviving was your priority. Besides, do you think they’d trust you before I made you my ward?”
Valentin looked at his feet. It would have brought unnecessary attention to him. Besides he had already seen the scorn that these villagers show their neighbors, he could imagine how they would regard someone from an entirely different region. However, he couldn’t easily discount his guilt over not trying. It was a feeling that kept returning to the boy since he left his home. He lacked power, he lacked credibility, and he knew it.
“In my eyes, the information showed up exactly when it was supposed to,” Ferron remarked with a confidence that Valentin could not replicate. “Besides, what happened to all that joy that you showed when you talked down that man in charge of the rations? Whatever his name is.”
Valentin kept his head low, “His shame does not overturn the pain that was caused. I had tried to do it nicely before and all it caused was the suffering of the innocent.”
“Then, next time, be strong enough to properly punish him,” Ferron replied plainly as though it were the simplest answer in the world. “Now put your head up. Even if you’re upset, you can never let anyone notice. They will take advantage of it before you can even blink. Now that I’ve called you my ward, you will always be watched. Be sure to watch your emotions carefully.”
Valentin brought his head up and made his face neutral. Ferron didn’t realize, but he had confirmed Valentin’s own assertions to power. To never lose, you must be so mighty that you can enforce your will at all times. Justice only exists if the one delivering it believes in it properly. As Ferron’s ward, he was given an opportunity to match the expectations that came with that title.
“To never lose,” Valentin murmured.
“What was that?” Ferron inquired, barely picking up on the fact that the boy spoke.
“To never lose, you must become so overwhelmingly powerful that there is nothing that can beat you,” Valentin started, determination on his face.
A ravenous grin passed over Ferron’s lips. “Not the exact words I hoped for, but it’s more than enough to teach you in earnest.” He lifted a massive finger and pointed it upwards. “Lesson one, never engage in a battle you think you can lose. So do everything you can to assure victory. Be underhanded, if you need to. Be unbecoming. But, never, under any circumstance, lose.”