Consolidation Securing Vestvinfol and Planning Expansion

[Sylvia Ulfbitenn]

Sylvia leaned over a large table in the middle of town square while the villager ran in different directions around her. Vestvinfol had been a hotbed of activity since Suthra had been subjugated and the Iron Lady had in one swift move packed up her ‘people’ and moved them to their new home. Now here she was recreating the Barony in all its glory, but it wouldn’t be just here. Oh no right now in her castle she had her dear brother Maen kept somewhere safe and alone watched over secretly by Donna’s mothering gaze. The man was not ready to be handed back the key’s to his newest County. She believed that he could handle it, but he would need to be eased back into the reigns.

Regularly she received messages from Mara, where the Trangaals handled their part of this grand building with their usual strength… supported by the full force of the Night Lords and their pet. What had been even harder on Sylvia was convincing the Great Stag to migrate the Flayed One’s to these new lands. However when presented with fresh hunting grounds… things had managed to settle down. Now even two years after the start of their conquest of these lands… the last battles had ended only a month ago. Allow the Duchess to truly start consolidating her power before she began her expansion…

The thought actually brought a chuckle from her lips. Oh what was she talking about, she never once ceased her vision of bringing the Brython Isle’s under her and Harrul’s control. Now with her beloved Prince Aubin at her side… it seemed like less of a dream. She had a deeper reason to keep going beyond blood lust. The child in her belly needed its mother to sit on a throne that was surrounded by a barrier like the sea, and a navy that could keep away all enemies.

So while they not only built up defenses here, with new walls being put up around the village and traps laid in the woods. She had also invited a group of mercenaries to Vestvinfol whom she had heard rumors of their abilities. Normal humans whose abilities could potentially match an Abhertach in hand to hand combat? Oh now this was something she had to see, and as such she had made clear to their leader if he could prove himself in a friend no-weapon spar against her… then he would receive more than his usual pay. This included a state sponsored chapter of his guild being set up in Suthra. She had not let out any hints on what she truly was, but this was to try and measure how prepared this group was, and how far they where willing to go to win.

Yes it was just a friendly match, but she wanted those who would do whatever they had to in order to win as this was still a dangerous time for Harrul’s kingdom. They needed to expand to stay alive. They had already done so with the creation of the Northern Alliance as it was coming to be called. All of the diplomatic stuff had been handled, and of course her marriage to Aubin that would soon happen tied a ribbon on that bow. She was sure at some point Harrul would want to have a large celebration and invite Queen Noemi to announce this alliance to the world, but for now her job was to make sure their large piece of conquered land stayed under their control and was eventually expanded.

@Aubin Belyea-Le Lieur @Gabriel Morningstar

 

[Gabriel Morningstar]

@Sylvia Ulfbitenn​

---

The carriage trundled along the warped cobblestones, as it crossed the bridge into the quaint yet bustling village of Vestvinfol, the market square a hubbub of activity. William pulled back the black shade of the carriage door with a gloved finger and peeped out the window, at the pokey houses, practically built ontop of one another, the architecture like something only a madman or a drunk could’ve conceived. He took up his large mace, and pounded the heavy blunt hammerhead on the thin roof, halting the carriage on the spot. He stepped out, his tall, broad, brooding figure causing a stir among the townspeople, not to mention his outlandish appearance and accoutrements as he paid the driver some coin, and hefted his mace and trudged the rest of the way…

“What a lovely shite-hole, I can smell the local’s warmth for tourists already…” He caught a woman glare at him at his crass words, and smirked.. “Sorry love…term of endearment where I come from…” He made a mock bow, then turned on his heel and continued through the winding swathes of townspeople until he reached the main square, and caught a glimpse of his contact and soon to be employer. He strolled over, pushing through the crowd and took a seat at the table of the fiery haired woman, her countenance matching her description in her letter quite accurately…

”I presume your not out here to experience the charm and warmth of the locals either love. Name’s William…William Charcutier, but you can call me Will, or "Butcher"…the pleasures all mine m’lady. I recall from your last correspondence with meself, that you was anxious to meet in person, particularly to discuss availing of my services, and some help from my brothers in arms, though it did puzzle me noggin alittle as to why I weren’t informed further as to what me services would be put to use with here…I mean look at the place…the closest thing I could find in this place to a beastie, would probably be in the nearest cathouse, hehe…but all banter aside, not much round here worth killin, which gets me to thinkin’…my employ is in need of something much more….diabolical”

Will rested back in the seat, tugging at the armour straps, the weight of his heavy armour bearing down on him, not to mention the dead heat that sprung up around them, from the activity and bustling crowds swarming through the square like ants in a hive. His eyes locked with the woman’s, her gaze unwavering, and seemingly unfazed by his roguish charm or blunt uncouthness in general. Something told him deep down, that whoever….or whatever this lady was, that he would care to tread lightly, less he land himself in yet another world of bother….

 

[Aubin Belyea-Le Lieur]

Location: Vestvinfol Main Square
Outfit: No Armor
Equipment: Sword
Tags: @Sylvia Ulfbitenn | @Gabriel Morningstar

Though things seemed to be settling, Aubin knew that the fights were just beginning. That both excited and scared the young Prince. He was soon to become a father and in the meantime he didn’t expect that Sylvia was going to let up on her pursuit of domination of the Brython Isles in her family’s name. He had been a little surprised when she had told him they were going to meet a mercenary today. He thought maybe she was looking to ease back a little. But then the less surprising announcement that she had challenged the leader of the mercs to a sparring contest.

Aubin was quite confident in his fiancée’s martial prowess even after hearing the boasts of the mercenary, but taking extra risks was not something that thrilled him. Of course Sylvia would tell him he was being scared and cautious and her cavalier attitude and fearlessness was something that had made Aubin fall for the Duchess. That being the case he didn’t try to dissuade her from the match and stood confidently by her side as they waited.

”Here comes you mercenary I’d be willing to bet,” Aubin said with a smirk. The man who approached was a little rough around the edges, but the tidy prince didn’t discount a person’s abilities because they were not prim and proper. He’d recently seen what a low-born farmer defending his lands could do and the man approaching was obviously a veteran of fighting. There was also something that was bothering Aubin about the man. He felt a bit off. But Aubin wasn’t sure exactly what to attribute that too.

The man’s greetings did little to make Aubin’s opinion change, but “Butcher” was the type that could get things done it seemed, just not nice and quiet Aubin would wager. There was mention of finding beasties and nothing around worth “killin’”. Aubin knew there were plenty of enemies in the surrounding areas. This man was something more than just the run of the mill merc. ”Welcome to Vestvinfol Will. I am Aubin Belyea. This is my betrothed, your contact, Duchess Sylvia Ulfbitenn.”

 

[Sylvia Ulfbitenn]

Sylvia said nothing at first, allowing her betrothed to have the honor of introducing her to this man, whom if she didn’t know any better by their letters would have come across at first glance as just another hotshot merc. Not the type that she would have personally employed for the types of endeavors that she had planned, but all her sources told her that this William Charcutier… he wasn’t just any ordinary man. What first struck her is a certain lack of ‘etiquette’ when it came to how he addressed nobility. It was lucky for him that she was certainly not exactly the pinnacle of manners herself, not thinking twice of showing up to certain events with both her soon to be husband and his entire retinue on either arm. So sitting down across from the man she clutched her fingers together and rested her chin on them,

“Making yourself right at home are we William? Very well I can work with that so long as the results of what you claim your organization can do pan out.” She had to admit she found the nickname that he had been given rather amusing all things considered, “Butcher… well that is a coincidence. They call me the Butcher of Suthra, but I much prefer The Iron Lady… or… The Impaler.” As she said this she would motion out towards the edge of the village were the tree-line began, with a wide shark-tooth grin, “I am sure you saw them on your ride into Vestvinfol, a band of thieves and cutthroats whom we eventually captured and made an example of. As the sins for holding a knife to my brother’s kingdom can only be washed away in a Forest of Blood…”

The more that this William spoke though, she looked up towards Aubin and placed a hand on the small of the Prince’s back as she knew they were both thinking the same thing. That they had indeed stumbled on something who would be rather useful in bringing Brython under their control. Now it was just a matter of running him through a few tests and getting his general opinion on the situation. It was Sylvia’s way of preforming an interview by a trial by fire, as again a playful smirk returned to her features,

“Diabolical doesn’t began to describe what we will need from you Butcher, but I can promise that the pay is well worth the long-term employment that I am offering you and the guild you represent. If you need any references on how reliably I keep those promises.” With those words she would slide a few papers to him across the table with various descriptions of monsters as well as a list of instructions, “The first of these sets of papers are the ‘beasite’ as you call them, that if you kill… you answer to me. They are under my protection. Trust me the benefits of having such things march to war when you need them are quiet useful, but as a hunter I am sure you want to know what you can kill… not what you can’t.”

This was her first quiz for the man, as she wanted to see how much he had did his homework on Bryston and the Isles around them. Reaching over she pulled a chair close to her side so that Aubin could sit near her if he chose, and if he did then the Duchess would gently slip an arm around his shoulder as she pointed in Williams direction, “Now… why don’t you tell me what you know of all the creatures that are running around these lands to hunt. I know you didn’t see anything coming into Vestvinfol, but that is because Flayed One’s are very territorial, but I mean Bryston in general… come now dear. There are no wrong answers.”

 

[Gabriel Morningstar]

*Will smirked, his roguish grin matched with his dark brooding eyes, were enough to make a newborn baby cry. He perused the papers, and his eyes flitted between the documents and the masses of people roaming the streets…*

“Well, from my acute observation m’lady… I can see this place ain’t as dull as I once thought, having now flicked through your little pamphlet here. From a glance, I can see you’ve a couple dopplers about the place…thieves and beggars the lot of em, pilfering coin and valuables of the rich..nasty little buggers them. I also see you’ve got a lubberkin dilemma, now personally, I don’t mind em too much..it’s only when they don’t get fed they start mauling people to death in their beds, so I’ll keep an eye on them blighters. The diabhal madraí and the fad felen…now they’ll bring the price up abit. Aside from that, I think we’re golden, all the other spooks and spectre’s will be a piece of cake don’t you worry your pretty little head about it…Butcher’ll sort it haha..”

*Will rose from the bench, picking up his mace and pack, his heavy armour grinding as he moved, and he shoved the papers in his bag to safekeeping…* “I’ll have a gawk at the rest of your papers later, alittle light nighttime reading to send me off to sleep…but if you don’t mind my interruption into our meeting, but I could do with a pint of bitter, abit o’ grub and a nice lass to keep me company for the evening, unless you got anything else you require of me? I mean I’m sure that duel can wait till the mornin eh? Want to see me at me best right? C’mon, the first rounds on me…” *Butcher chuckled, but he watched the royal couple unfazed, almost inhumanly still as they sat, not to mention the gawk he’d got at the lady’s teeth…meaning she either got in a nasty fistfight…or she was something very very dangerous…endrega…no…dhampir…maybe? He’d seen some things in his time, fighting the foul creatures that roamed the earth, travelling from town to town, but something seemed off with everything, the people, these two royals, the way they acted so cagey, looked so out fo place, and yet no one batted an eyelid to the pale complexion, or aquiline features and youthful looks of these people. Either way he knew he’d be put to the test with the work he’d been offered, and he wasn’t going to try and double deal them like he did his last couple of employers. He smiled and brought out a small semi translucent bottle, sipping the contents from its thin spout, a thin drizzle of green liquid dripped down the side of his mouth, not before he wiped it away with the back of his hand, and shuddered, before leaning over the table, his expression hardening…*

“Oooh that’ll put hairs in your chest haha… look I’m not going to beat around the proverbial bush…you got problems here…and you need em taken care off..me on the other hand, I got principles when working, especially for royalty, so I’ll tell you what, I’ll do it for you, make your little beasties disappear, so you can carry on with your royal duties, if you pay me extra, I mean, I’m the best there is for a couple hundred miles, and this business ain’t for the faint of heart, believe me, I look like a tough bastard, but I can get killed just as easily as the next hunter…..but…if I feel that there’s something fishy goin’ on…or I suspect anyone trying to stab me or my boys in the back, the deals off the table, and whatever secrets you and your posh prince here are hiding..well I’ll be sure to blow the whistle on those…we clear?”

*He then stood and smiled wryly, crossing his arms, and waited for the royals to consider his counter offer…*

@Sylvia Ulfbitenn

 

[Morwen Reese]

Location: Vestvinfol Main Square
Outfit: Fancy Armor
Equipment: Sword
Tags: @Sylvia Ulfbitenn | @Aubin Belyea-Le Lieur | @Gabriel Morningstar | OPEN

It had been since before this land was called Vestvinfol that anyone from House Reese had visited. Morwen was the first to make peace with anyone outside of Gent in ages. She hoped that the fact that she was the first noble of Sylvia’s new lands to bend the knee and join the Eilish invaders did not give the Duchess the impression that she was weak. Morwen was in a position that she needed to rebuild her defenses and with the frighteningly quick advance of the Eilish armies she knew that they would be upon her well before she had recovered from the loss of men that had already taken Gent, including her father.

As she entered Vestvinfol she did not have the same thoughts that William Charcutier had voiced. The relatively new village was clearly an up and coming center for Sylvia’s powerbase. Walking through the “streets” of the village Morwen received a variety of reactions from the common folk. Some still were bitter about the invasion and looked at her as a traitor. Others looked at the striking young woman with flashy armor and it gave them hope of a good future for the region.

When the Main Square was in sight Morwen smiled. The presence of Duchess Sylvia was impossible to miss. As Morwen got closer she noticed that she didn’t seem to gain the attention of the folk nearly as much when she was close to Sylvia. Though some had said Morwen was a bit of a smaller, younger version of Sylvia so there were a few looks of confusion which caused a giggle from Morwen. As she got closer the mercenary and the prince came more into focus. She had to admit that the Duchess and the Prince made for an odd couple, but she admired them for ignoring what no doubt everyone thought when they walked by and gave them a double take.

The Duchess handed some papers to the mercenary causing Morwen to wonder what sort of jobs Sylvia was outsourcing. She felt a little off put wondering what tasks she and her people couldn’t be trusted to undertake. Morwen nodded to Sylvia and Aubin, ”Vestvinfol is taking form quite nicely. Are you having issues with threats?” She gave Butcher a look of obvious jealousy. ”Gent is secured. My soldiers can certainly help.”

 

[Sylvia Ulfbitenn]

@Aubin Belyea-Le Lieur | @Morwen Reese | @Gabriel Morningstar | OPEN

“It seems that hiring you was worth it after all William. If anything you have earned yourself a job when it comes to training my men on the various ways to find, hunt, and kill these creatures… or even trap them if that would be my goal. No worries I don’t plan on replacing you and the guild you work for, but that is only one part of your steady employment the other being to take care of the things that harder to kill.” It was then that Sylvia playfully added as the man continued, as she didn’t show it, but on a certain level… the words… ‘pretty little head’… irked her a bit. Thinking about beating him senseless because of this during their spar though… did put a smile on her face,

“I want you to understand something here Butcher, you are not just here to kill and hunter monster.” As she spoke she would lean forward against given the other a shark-tooth grin, “You will find that the prey I expect you too kill more than any other is going to be people. I am here to fight a war. I keep these lands under my control. I have also heard that your guild can provide powerful mercenaries to fight both monsters and people… and that will include any war beast the enemy might throw at us.” She wanted the mercenary to know in no uncertain terms what exactly it was that he would be asked. Sylvia’s brutal methods towards her enemies was something she was known for, and this man was basically signing up to be apart of this. Though before his comment had irked her only slight… his assumptions about the woman of Vestvinfol… well… it had the Moon Mother straighten a bit in her seat words for the first-time growing firm,

“William Charcutier… let me start first by saying, Vestvinfol for many decades has been a matriarchal society. So more than likely if the lass wants you… you will know. We tend to make very clear when we claim the men we want around here… especially among the tribes I rule.” As she said this she would loop an arm around Aubin, and pull both him and seat he was close to her side making her point, “Now you can’t say that you will lack for accommodations. As you will be staying in the castle among my mostly female staff, but well… good luck with them either. Those gals… well… they know who to come to for real entertainment.” Sylvia couldn’t help laughing out at that one, as she felt that the low blow towards the mercenary was necessary, especially if he hoped to survive around her daughters.

Yes Nora wasn’t here, but if she had been the girl had her eye on that duke from Vethony. As for Donna, well… she was soon to be married… and Marie. Well, now that Sylvia thought about her oldest would probably do something like that, only for William to wake up in the dungeon having been snipped clean the next day. In essence it was her brutal way of telling the man, around her… keep your eye on the prize. However if one of the ladies took a liking to the somewhat charming man, she wasn’t exactly do anything about it, but she did know the villagers had a habit of making sure one took responsibility. Which is why she ended with, “Just make sure William if you plant any seeds, you stick around to watch them grow… because if you don’t… I will find you…”

Her words where drawn off at the appearance of Morwen, causing a complete turn around in Sylvia’s mood, “Baroness Reesse it is so good to see you again!” Turning to Aubin she whispered soft, “Could you give William a run down of the areas we are looking to secure in Ystad and Vestvinfol so that we have a trail for a supply trains during the up coming campaign. You know the ones… we did spend a lot of time going over time my dear.” With those words she stood up and walked over the other woman, and was quick to embrace her in a motherly hug just like she did all of those who served under her. Sylvia tended anyone in her service like family. Butcher would eventually find himself in the same position should the tenure of his guild keep him working for House Vestvinfol for a period of time,

“No nothing in particular, at least nothing new. We are still securing the land against internal threats such as uprisings and your timing couldn’t be more perfect on that end.” Letting go of the woman, Sylvia would return to her seat and offer another place at the table for Morwen. She continued as the Baroness joined them, “Now given that Gent is a cornerstone of our defense we don’t want to strip it too bare of troops, and to be fair Morwen I shall soon be having your Barony’s defenses built up like this soon to strengthen that. However, what we are talking about here today is not just the consolidation of our hold on Suthra, but an invasion into Borodorion… specifically into the province of Sellath. That is the main reason I called Charcutier and his associates… as supplements for my tribal forces and any that you will be providing Baroness.”

It was as her explanation came to an end that she turned a discerning eye to William and asked a question with a bit of a smirk on her face. Oh she had seen him drink down that beverage, and given she was a wine maker and the rumors she had heard about his organization… she just had to find out, “I do hope you brought enough of that stuff to share with everyone as I am a bit of a wine maker myself. My wine is actually famous in Vestvinfol.” Then again when the entire town was a bunch of cannibals, it wasn’t exactly a surprise why they would enjoy ‘blood wine’. Sighing softly she looked the other in the other in the eye,

“If you are implying I will stab you in the back Bucther, I could take that as an insult on Ulfbitenn honor. Be glad that I don’t. As I don’t make threats, I make promises. Just ask the victims of my latest round of impalements. Believe me in Vestvinfol if I want you dead it will happen one of two ways. Like a thief in the night before you can react… or I will kill you face to face… myself.” It was rare to see Sylvia show any such level of annoyance of anything, but there had been an implication that she an Ulfbitenn… would stab someone in back. This wasn’t war… this was a business deal. Her honor had to mean something or it would mean nothing. In battle the large woman pulled every under handed trick possible to win, but this… no… this was different.

 

[Teafa Oistigin]

Location: Vestvinfol Main Square
Outfit: Black Dress
Equipment: N/A
Tags: @Sylvia Ulfbitenn | @Morwen Reese | @Aubin Belyea-Le Lieur | @Gabriel Morningstar

Teafa walked towards the town center side by side with Kadlin Glumdottir. The two women had become close since the relocation of Vestvinfol. They also spent a good deal of time with Mabile Papon in that all three were working closely with the Prince and Duchess in making sure that Aubin adjusted to his new role. Teafa and Kadlin tended to associate more with each other as they were a bit more playful and lighthearted than the mostly stiff and proper knightess.

As they walked Teafa nudged Kadlin’s side with her elbow. ”The Baroness Reese has arrived to check in with the Duchess. Wonder what had happened in Gent…” She spied William as well and smirked. ”Wonder what his deal is? You think the Prince is doing any talking in that group?” Teafa giggled knowing that Aubin liked to stay in the background and let Sylvia take the lead more often than not. She also knew that Morwen was a forceful person, and just by the looks of the other visitor…

”No the Prince is going to need some prodding I guarantee,” Kadlin giggled along. ”I bet you he will say he is learning how to deal with outsiders. As if he didn’t have visitors to his mother or grandfather’s courts.”

”Well then let’s go see if we can’t stir the pot a little bit,” Teafa said with a smirk on her face. She locked her arm into Kadlin’s and the two hurried off to join their charge. As they arrived both women sized up the mercenary. Teafa’s eyes shifted from William to Morwen and then to the ruling couple that she happily served. Good day Prince and Duchess, I see that we have guests. Good to see you Baroness, I would love to meet to talk about supply logistics between Vestvinfol and Gent while you are visiting.”

Kadlin remained focused on William while Teafa spoke. After Teafa finished, the blonde warrior winked at William playfully. ”Who do we have here, my prince?” she asked with interest. ”He looks like the type of guy that makes things interesting.”

 

[Aubin Belyea-Le Lieur]

Location: Vestvinfol Main Square
Outfit: No Armor
Equipment: Sword
Tags: @Sylvia Ulfbitenn | @Morwen Reese | @Teafa Oistigin | @Gabriel Morningstar

The prince listened to Sylvia question the monster hunter’s knowledge, and William’s response. The man surely knew more of the “supernatural” threats surrounding Vestvinfol than Aubin did, but the prince suspected that Sylvia had other advisors who took care of that situation. As the discussion of monsters came to an end with William suggesting they end the meeting and get a drink, not waiting until he reached a tavern or the likes to do so, instead pulling his own bottle and drinking, Baroness Reese appeared in the crowd and approached. It seemed that the smaller red-head might be getting complacent as Gent seemed to be secured.

Aubin stumbled for a moment as Sylvia asked him to take on the task of filling Butcher in on the plans for defending Ystad and Vestvinfol. They had studied this information several times last night, but there had been many distractions as they went about business in private. As he was about to start while Sylvia and Morwen spoke, Aubin was interrupted by the arrival of Teafa and Kadlin. ”Hello Teafa. Good of you to join us,” Aubin nodded his head to the woman who had been a great help to him in fitting in with Sylvia’s people. He was glad that she was more interested in doing a job than causing trouble, at least that was Aubin’s hope.

The prince rolled his eyes at Kadlin as she flirtatiously asked about William. ”This is William Charcutier, though he goes by Will or Butcher,” Aubin turned to Will and motioned to the newly arrived women. ”The blonde is Kadlin Glumdottir and the brunette Teafa Oistigin. Teafa handles logistics, but I’m sure that Kadlin will be happy to join in the conversation of how we intend to fortify Ystad and Vestvinfol.”

”That stuff’s all put into motion,” Kadlin spoke out and laughed. ”I’d rather hit up a tavern and wait for someone to call us if we’re needed. What do you think Butcher? You want to hear about the walls and watchtowers in the area? Or you want to get hammered and make bad decisions…” Kadlin looked at the others and stopped talking for a moment. ”Uh. Should make it known however that I don’t plan to make any decisions that end up with me and you in private…just good ole’ fashioned fun.”

 

[Morwen Reese]

Location: Vestvinfol Main Square
Outfit: Fancy Armor
Equipment: Sword
Tags: @Sylvia Ulfbitenn | @Aubin Belyea-Le Lieur | @Gabriel Morningstar | @Teafa Oistigin | OPEN

Morwen nodded to the Duchess and stood quietly as the Duchess exchanged subtle words with Prince Aubin. The red-headed Baroness blushed at Sylvia’s more welcoming greeting as Morwen had jumped right into business. ”It is good to see you as well Duchess,” Morwen said as she watched Sylvia approach. The hug did not surprise Morwen, but she still took a moment to react. Her face was innocently at chest level as Sylvia embraced her and Morwen turned her face to the side while returning the gentle hug, though all watching would be able to see how awkward it was to the woman.

The Baroness of Gent was glad to hear that nothing serious was occurring in Vestvinfol. Her own barony had not been too difficult to bring under control, but she was a local noblewoman who merely took the side of the invaders when she knew that resistance was futile. House Reese had a reputation in Gent and Morwen had relationships to call on to bring things in order. The job to control Vestvinfol and other provinces by the Eirish invaders would take more time and have possible threats lasting much longer.

”Gent will be happy to hear your suggestions on bettering our defenses Duchess, and I will see to it personally that your plans are followed to the T. I do assure you that Gent’s security as part of our eastern border is my utmost responsibility,” Morwen announced with pride. ”I have a trusted lieutenant that I will leave to the defense of Gent and lead a small elite group of my soldiers myself to aid in your plans Your Grace,” Morwen added with a nod.

The Duchess turned her attention to give the mercenary several warnings of how he was to act in Vestvinfol, as two others approached. Members of the Prince’s entourage. Morwen couldn’t recall the name of the scantily clad blonde, but the other was Teafa. ”That is not really my area of specialty, Lady Teafa, but I would gladly hear suggestions and provide what little knowledge I have. Wouldn’t want the Eastern line to fall because they don’t have proper supplies.”

 

[Foma Kuznetsov]

Walking along the streets, in a uncharacteristic manner, the old figure of House Vestvinfol’s advisor Foma stuck out as he approached the group. Not because of how he looked, his very presence, or even who he was… no… it was the simple fact that he was alone. That he had come down from his mountain hide out was odd to say the least, but without his dear wives, the only two people whom he cared about… and the pair who kept him safe… well… something wasn’t right. Giving a bow in Sylvia’s direction as he passed the Duchess he greeted the woman who had given him that which he valued most as well as his current course in life, “Your Grace it is good to see you again. I hope that plans are going well for the invasion heading forward.”

Sylvia couldn’t help the playful smirk that spread across her features as she reached out, and her hand would pass through the old man’s illusion revealing that as those who knew him might have suspected. He was not really there… no… the lack of his wives presence gave that away almost instantly, “Your Grace I really wish you wouldn’t do that… I have come to report that both construction of the fort that is meant to be our jumping off point for the invasion is going well. I also came to see the Baroness because I have to talk to her about the projects you wanted me to help her with in Gent…”

Foma turned an eye to examine Morwen, leaving the question of how he had known where she was going to be and when she was going to be here up in the air. That was the one thing about Foma that left a strange air about the advisor… he always seemed to know. What counteracted this though was his loyal service to Sylvia and her house, but still it did make him an eerie fellow, “Your Grace I wanted to let you know that just as we spoke about the sister forts, watching over the open plains in southwest Gent will soon be complete, as well as the roads that connect there supply lines to the nearest large town. I would suggest over time developing them a bit further, but I believe for now they should do their job of helping to hold off any invasion while you turn your troops to the west to help the invasion.”

 

[Teafa Oistigin]

Location: Vestvinfol Main Square
Outfit: Black Dress
Equipment: N/A
Tags: @Sylvia Ulfbitenn | @Morwen Reese | @Aubin Belyea-Le Lieur | @Gabriel Morningstar

The arrival, or apparent arrival, of Foma had the magic sense of Teafa raising the hairs on the back of her neck. At first she thought it was just the nature of Foma himself, but when Sylvia put her hand through his illusion it was a bit amazing. Teafa cursed herself for not immediately realizing that Foma’s wives were not present, of course when that is the case Foma wasn’t truly there as well.

”That’s interesting,” Kadlin spoke up with a smirk on her lips. ”Can I just walk right through you?” she asked wondering what it would feel like to walk through a human shaped illusion.

Teafa rolled her eyes at the less serious woman. If Foma was here it was for a reason. It seemed that he wanted to talk logistics, which had Teafa’s attention immediately. She had her own opinions about the supply chain to and from Gent, but would allow the Baroness to make comments on her own needs. However Teafa had some news on the mobilization of Ystad, where the next strike of the Vestvinfol armies will be initiated into Sellath.

”Lord Foma,” Teafa replied with a smile. ”The roads westward into Ystad are quite adequate for our needs at the time. We have troops and supplies on their way to the expected fronts almost daily. Things are looking very promising for our expansion into Brodorion”

 

[Morwen Reese]

Location: Vestvinfol Main Square
Outfit: Fancy Armor
Equipment: Sword
Tags: @Sylvia Ulfbitenn | @Aubin Belyea-Le Lieur | @Gabriel Morningstar | @Teafa Oistigin | @Foma Kuznetsov

Morwen tilted her head to the side as the bearded man mentioned that he was here to discuss things with her. Few people in Gent even knew that she was here. It was a bit suspicious, and Morwen gave the Duchess and Prince a bit of a glare before her look softened. If they had informed this man of Morwen’s expected presence there must have been a reason.

When Sylvia’s hand passed through the man Morwen’s eyebrows raised. She had seen magic here and there, but never spoken with a person who was not physically in her presence. It was a bit strange, but Morwen knew that magic was a strong partner to have in ruling a baronry and waging a war. Morwen had suspected that there was a bit of magic in Sylvia’s court, but even still this was a bit odd. Morwen would have to get over it quickly.

”Gent is doing quite well,” Morwen stated a bit defensively. ”But there is always room for improvement. What are these projects that you wish to invest time in? I hope that we can find these things mutually beneficial.”

 

[Aubin Belyea-Le Lieur]

Location: Vestvinfol Main Square
Outfit: No Armor
Equipment: Sword
Tags: @Sylvia Ulfbitenn | @Morwen Reese | @Teafa Oistigin | @Gabriel Morningstar

The mercenary was seemingly willing to put off the challenge of his talents for another time in order to drink and find other entertainment. Not knowing where the man had come from Aubin had trouble finding fault in that. Though the Pottaun Prince did not drink very often he did find a good deal of entertainment in his nights. The entertainment was sometimes the main focus of an evening, sometimes it was a break from studying the troops of Sylvia’s holdings. Whatever the case, Aubin understood seeing to one’s needs.

”My beloved Duchess,” Aubin spoke up as he watched Billy for a moment. ”Since the hired muscle seems to need to recharge after his journey, perhaps we should see what Foma and Teafa are discussing.” As they changed their focus from Billy to the others, Teafa caught Aubin’s eye reminding him of the studying they had done the night previous.

”Teafa was showing me the supply lines for Ystad last night,” Aubin stated to try to maintain Sylvia’s interest and to show that he got enough out of studying with Teafa, Mobile and Kadlin to continue. ”Ystad does nearly nothing for itself. If it weren’t for Ceredion the lands would be completely dependent upon the sea for food and there would be no civilization between the coast and the borders with Gent. Ystad was about to invade Ceredion when your people arrived. It was why they gave in to your rule so easily. But the roads that Teafa’s people have put in place could be used to move troops from Gwynod south quickly to aid in the invasion of Sellath. It would take time, but Teafa and Foma are still working on fortifications on our side of the front.”

He gave Sylvia a wide smile as he took her hand and led to the conversation already taking place. ”I must admit that Baroness Reese’s arrival was a surprise to me. I think that some time studying the situation in Gent is certainly in order for tonight.”

 

[Sylvia Ulfbitenn]

Sylvia couldn’t help the gentle smile that was brought to her face by the actions of the prince. Seeing Aubin taking charge of the situation was a welcome change of pace and she was more than happy to follow along. As it was true that they needed to focus on the build up of their defenses in Gent. So she walked over with the male and slipped an arm around his shoulder as they joined in the other conversation allowing Kadlin to take care of their new mercenary hire. She listened quietly for a moment as her soon to be husband spoke, proud of him that he was starting to learn and understand everything that he would need to know to help her run Suthra,

“You did forget about the fort that was established on the border with Sellath for both defense, and soon to be a supply station for the invasion that I want to launch. I admit dear I am rather proud of how well you have been paying attention during our planning and study session. I know they are not exactly what you are used to, but these are skills we can use to help your mother regain her kingdom too.” As she said this Sylvia would lean over and gently kiss Aubin on the top of his head before pulling him closer, and acknowledging the other two,

“Now everything he has said is correct, though I believe the troops from Gwynod need to be spread throughout the rest of Suthra as a second line of defense in case we are attacked during this campaign. There is a reason I am only trying to take one province at a time and that is because we are still trying to get these lands fully under our control so I don’t think we should commit everything into this single operation.” The Duchess grinned softly as she looked over too Foma knowing exactly why the man was here and what he had come to report on,

“Before this invasion can began we need to have those forts set up in Gent, because we can’t ask Baroness Reese to commit her troops without having a way to protect her lands from invasion. That is why I invited her my dear. She is one of my most important subjects in matters of defending Suthra from an invasion, especially Vestvinfol itself. Should Gent fall then our enemies have a direct opening to cut right into the core of our homeland.” A gentle chuckle fell from her lips at the suggestion of an extra study session in regards to the situation in Gent,

“Oh don’t worry… I will make sure you are well versed on those matters… I assure you.” A note of innuendo seeping into her voice as she winked at the prince, before looking towards the Baroness, “We wish to mainly boost the defenses of your frontier border Morwen, as I believe that if we can do that you can defend that front with less troops and have a few that can assist the invasion. Also I was wondering if you would join my side during the campaign as I wish to see for myself how well you lead troops into battle. It is the best way I can figure out your skills no…?”

 

[Foma Kuznetsov]

“I would prefer that you did not Lady Kadlin…” There did seem to be a very small hint of annoyance in his voice. Sighing softly the old man look over at Teafa whom he had been working closely beside on this project, though not as much so as the Baroness, “Yes, but it is the roads within Ystad and those leading into Sellath that I am worried about especially once we invade. What we know about Sellath is the road system throughout the province is less than ideal for the sort of warfare that we are used to. It will be the Mountain Tribes who shall bare the brunt of the fighting because of the terrain. That is why we are lucky to have a fully developed fort in the area, but it needs to be expanded… and once the invasion is underway we need to find ways to make sure the troops are well supplied.”

The old man was usually a pessimist when it came to military operations like this, but that was part of his duty as to make sure to speak up about everything that could go wrong… so they could avoid it. Smiling softly at the Baroness as they brought up the subject of Gent, and the Duchess herself came to join in the conversation. Sylvia did well enough in explaining to Morwen exactly what they where going to need out of her, and her people. These projects were not just short term because Gent itself provided an open plains between two mountain ranges that was an easy invasion avenue into Suthra’s heart land. He knew Sylvia well enough to know how she would want to fix it… the same way she had gone about fixing it back in the day,

“Not just the forts that are under construction Your Grace, but a series of forts with walls in between each one so that one day we can rid ourself of the problem of Gent being a potential avenue of invasion into what will be the Capital region of her grace’s conquest. A series of forts and walls that your people will have the honor to help build, defend, and of course receive generous compensation from any… coin that we might charge to cross said border defenses.” Oh there were many ways that Gent would benefit from the plan beyond just the protection that the planned construction added.

 

[Teafa Oistigin]

Location: Vestvinfol Main Square
Outfit: Black Dress
Equipment: N/A
Tags: @Sylvia Ulfbitenn | @Morwen Reese | @Aubin Belyea-Le Lieur | @Gabriel Morningstar

Teafa vaguely listened to the exchange between the Prince and the Duchess. Her lips turned upwards into a smile at the mention of last night’s study. She did give a slight wince when Sylvia mentioned the forgotten fort. They had gone over that aspect of things, but Teafa might have been distracting Aubin just a little too much at that point of their studies. The mention of the High Queen of Pottaun also gave Teafa a bit of pause. It was true that her position with Sylvia was likely to take Teafa to all the corners of Erova and everything in between, but Teafa was getting comfortable again with her people of the Mountain Tribes and wasn’t looking forward to a new assignment. Luckily, the conquering of Brodorion was expected to take some time, and that was just the beginning of things in The Isles.

”You’re no fun Foma,” Kadlin pouted after being told his preference that she not walk through him. The blonde Viking warrior enjoyed pushing limits and experiencing magic even though she couldn’t touch magic herself. It didn’t take much direction to get the woman to move on to the mercenary. After not being allowed to find out what it felt like to walk through an illusion, Kadlin’s next most interesting thing was Billy.

”Gent will be properly supplied with as many forts as needed to act as waystations,” Teafa stated with confidence. ”The people of Gent have been a grand help and the lands are quite plentiful compared to Ystad. The Baroness should not have need of much help from Vestvinfol to keep her major settlements secure. But as Your Grace says the frontier lands might be more of an issue. Be certain we are monitoring it.”

Foma’s concern for the roads in Ystad hurt Teafa’s pride just a bit. As the roads get closer to Sellath it is true they become more problematic. Putting too much effort into those roads has been a question of balance. We don’t want to tip off the enemy of where we intend to come from, so the Mountain Tribes will indeed have to take on a large part of the initial invasion. I have agents working inside of Sellath to try to discover what the logistics of moving an army in the interior of the province would be. Whoever is leading the charge can be sure that our forts on the border will be fully supplied with food, weapons and other necessities.”