Tales of Solhaven (storyline)/Observations of a Magister 1 - Odelgarde 01.5123 (vignette)

Observations of a Magister - Part 1

Odelgarde watched the room full of merchants and their quiet murmurings as they sat beneath the flowing orbs of the Armory. They had cleared out much of the unused items, leaving behind only a guard of ancient armor and a long table covered in parchments. It was the parchments that the merchants were pointing to and discussing at the moment. She shifted her gaze slightly, noting that Athalia wasn’t very good at feigning to read but also noting that there was a small, secretive smile on her face.

What was she up to? the magister wondered for not the first time since being assigned to this post.

Athalia’s book suddenly tumbled from her fingers and, though she couldn’t be sure, Odelgarde could swear that the Lady kicked it towards Girvahk’s feet. The merchant glanced down and then up at the Lady as she stood. He picked up the book and as Athalia approached he handed it to her.

Smiling abashedly, in a decidedly uncharacteristic fashion, Athalia demurely said, “Thank you, Master Dwarf.” She cupped her hands around his as she took the book and then turned his hand over in hers, examining the palm.

“Your scar has healed nicely,” she noted.

Smiling the old dwarf nodded and, at the call of one of the merchants in the room questioning what scar the lady was speaking of, he explained that his niece had fallen over the edge of the Vornavian cliffs one season. He’d only held on to her by the slip of a rope, which had dug into his hands, but he’d managed to cling to the little lass until the Vornavian guard could scamper in a harness up to meet her.

“Sargassa, didn’t you tend to both of them?” Athalia inquired.

“I did. It was good the guard was there because that day could have gone very differently.” The healer replied.

“This reminds me of the day that those terrible shadow creatures circulated through the southern sections of Solhaven. Pasha, didn’t your cousin fall ill during that?”

“Yes, Lady,” the woman said some secret smile playing on her lips that was truly unreadable. “And Red came to see me every day until he felt better.”

Embarassed, Red mumbled, “Twern’t nothin’.”

Grinning slowly, Sohlmon looked down at his nephew and then back up at the group. “And if I remember correctly when the floods happened, it was Ragnoz that helped pull me up out of the water.”

Ragnoz nodded, confusion written on his face. “What does this have to do with our current negotiations? We’ve been at it for weeks.”

Taking a pencil from the pile of implements on the table, Athalia leaned over the table and said, “I just couldn’t help but think to myself. Through all the years, the dark, the water, the fire, the laughter, we Vornavis and Solhaven went through it together. Citizen, friend, and neighbor. Wouldn’t it be simply an amazing thing if the Freeport were truly free? Wouldn’t it be an amazing thing if we could truly embrace equality?”

Standing up, she laid the pencil on the table and gestured at the parchment as she stepped back.

Those gathered looked at her figures and Odelgarde just stared at the slow grins.

After days of these meetings, it looked like they had an agreement.