A small matter of supplies

Courtyard <>

Stout walls of stone encircle the courtyard of this keep, which once again serves as a waypoint and fortress along the road. The walls, rebuilt and cobbled though they are, are still thick - clearly they were built to withstand attack, for guard posts can be seen at regular intervals. From within, the contrast between the older weathered stone and smooth new blocks is clearly apparent. The northern and southern entrances to the courtyard are protected by heavy gates, thick wood reinforced with iron. The keen-eyed might spot a mason\'s mark low down on the right-hand gatepost as they pass through. Outside the walls, the Old South Road snakes its way across the mountainous wild land.

In the flickering light of the torches, shadows seem to shift and move across the courtyard.

Obvious exits:

Southern Gate leads to Old South Road - Dunland <>.

Northern Gate leads to Off Old South Road - Dunland <>.

Main Doors leads to Main Hall <>.

Stairs leads to Watch Tower <>.

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Dunland Time and Weather Forecast

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Real Time is: Sun Nov 23 14:42:26 2008

IC weather is: Wind: - Clouds: sparse

IC Moon is: First quarter

IC time is: Dawn

IC date is: Mersday, Day 5 of July in the year 3045.

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Day has just begun, and the early morning sun slants down on Iolair\'s courtyard. At this hour it is cool and pleasant, but the absence of clouds promises that by midday the heat will be stifling. Swallows dart here and there, swooping down on low-flying insects - a pleasant, typically rural scene.

A yawning Brev walks slowly across the courtyard, the scowl that so often graces his features within these walls fixed firmly in place. As a swallow brushes past his ear, he ducks and mutters something that has the ring of a curse to it. He stoops for a stone.

Through the gates comes a small foraging party, hunters carrying some game, a few others with fish, and Carac and another leading a pair of goats. Carac says something to the one beside him and the man heads off towards the keep.

Carac then raises a hand to brush the hair from his eyes and chuckles as he spots Brev. \"The swallows so starved they have taken a liking for ears?\" he asks as one swoops down near him. \"There\'s enough fleas on these to beasts to give them a feast, I think,\" he adds and lifts the lead rope attached to the goats.

Brev half-turns, the stone still in his hand. At the sight of Carac he relaxes a little. \"I was ... startled, that\'s all,\" is his defensive response. Eyeing the goats, he snorts. \"But not us?\" He gives them a second glance. \"Planning to set them breeding? Get that woman with the chickens to look after them, they\'d be right up her street.\"

Another yawn, then he adds with apparent disinterest, \"Where\'d you find them? Thought there wasn\'t much left round here.\"

Carac hands the lead rope over to another and steps towards Brev. \"If she wishes to care for them, she may,\" he says. \"Though I\'ve a feeling she\'ll not show any interest in anything that doesn\'t cluck or crow,\" he adds with a grin.

He then makes a gesture off towards the dark forests of Caerdh in the distance. \"There\'s little enough round here, that\'s true enough. There\'s still a bit to be found if you range out far enough.\" He bats a lock of hair from his eyes.

\"These goats have actually given me a bit of an idea.\"

Brev glances eastward, blinking as another swallow darts through his field of view. \"Maybe you should try getting her to domesticate swallows,\" he suggests drily. \"Nearest thing to a chicken I can see within these walls.\" He spares the gates an uncomfortable glance, then returns his attention to Carac. \"What? You\'re going to settle down as a farmer? There\'ll be a lot of disappointed folks - heroes are supposed to chase down Forgoil, not strayed livestock.\" The scowl briefly gives way to a smirk.

Carac laughs. \"A farmer?\" he asks as he shakes his head. \"I despise digging in the dirt.\" He wrinkles his nose and looks towards the east himself.

\"What I am thinking,\" he says then. \"Is that the Ceanni will not give up land for these people until we have proven the cost to them will be too great otherwise.\" He turns back to Brev and bats a lock of hair from his eyes.

\"Should we \'forage\' a few halls of these Fianni,\" he says. \"I think they may begin wishing to deal with us.\"

Brev raises a brow at that. \"There\'s plenty of land out there,\" he remarks, waving an arm vaguely north-east. \"Just not safe land,\" he adds, his voice rather lower. \"Most of those who came from Kierkgard have forgotten how to fight, they\'d never hold against the goblins.\"

He pauses, rubbing at his face. \"As to the other - what did you have in mind? Haven\'t noticed anything so far, have they? Probably too busy blaming each other.\" His expression is self-satisfied. \"My d-\" He stops, checks himself, then amends, \"Someone said most borderers never learn to count. Don\'t have same number of sheep two days running.\"

\"Most with us can not fight, \'tis true,\" Carac replies. \"There are many amongst the clans who can, however. If the Ceanni were to give men the chance to own their own lands, there are many who would gladly take such an offer even if it did mean having to fight to hold it. Let those go to Northern Caerdh and build their longhalls and set up holds. People will then be needed to fill the voids they leave.\"

He shrugs slightly. \"It is not the soundest plan, and still needs more thought. Yet, it is one idea more than I had yesterday.\"

He chuckles finally at the jest concerning the goats. \"I do not doubt, these will be noticed,\" he replies. \"We want to make sure that the Fian who held those lands got the message.\"

Brev does not comment on the first part of Carac\'s speech, though his sour expression betrays his unease with the subject. He hesitates, opening his mouth and then shutting it as though thinking better of the words. Eventually, though, he queries the other man, \"Are you sure?\" A morose pause, then he continues, \"Attacking the nobles\' lands directly will bring them back here quicker than lashing a wasp\'s nest. Walls aren\'t enough protection - never think they\'re enough protection, Carac.\" His gaze drops to the mud, but after a moment he adds, \"I\'d have thought we wanted them to keep right on blaming each other. Wulf blame Bear, Bear blame Stag ...\"

Carac frowns slightly. \"That was the original plan,\" he says. \"Though we lost most chance of that being successful when Tet\'Nak had the Bear Ceann killed.\" He shakes his head and snorts. \"Total folly, that.\"

A soft sigh. \"These walls are no protection,\" he says looking about. \"They make us a sitting target. The forest and open places are better protection, there we can melt into the surroundings and disappear.\"

He laughs then. \"No chance in this mob melting away, though.\" He pauses a moment and then smiles.

\"Still,\" he says with a glance south. \"There\'s trouble already between Wulf and Bear it seems. We can hope that keeps them occupied for a time.\"

\"What?\" At Carac\'s first words Brev glances up, startled. \"You mean Ryanne? Is that what happened to her?\" Beneath the dark curls there is a spark of something in his amber eyes - interest? Satisfaction? Hastily he follows the direction of Carac\'s gaze. \"If there\'s trouble between Wulf and Bear already, why not work on that? Offer our aid, or simply \'information\'.\" His lips twist as he speaks that last word. \"Want me to go to one of them? I could spin some tale of trouble here ...\"

Carac wrinkles his nose and shakes his head. \"Not Ryanne,\" he replies. \"I\'ve no idea what happened to her. This one\'s name was Kedhern or some such. He\'d just taken the title and then he was dead.\" He gives a shrug. \"Bear\'s had so many Ceanni they probably won\'t even remember this one long, but still his death will anger them.\"

He scratches at his chin for a moment. \"Why no go to Caerdh,\" he says to Brev. \"Find out who\'s leading there now, stir his anger towards Wulf if you can. I\'ll see about giving you something to blame on them.\"

\"Kedhern?\" Brev\'s brows furrow. \"Don\'t remember that name. He can\'t have been /that/ much of a leader. Didn\'t do anything about Mathain, did he? These days Caerdh\'s all mouth and gut, no heart.\" His features twist in disgust. \"But I\'ll go there, see what I can do with the old grievances. Should be easy enough, given I was born a Bear.\" He chuckles. \"Can\'t see it makes much difference, myself - Bear, Wulf, Stag, they all piss the same colour.\"

Carac chuckles. \"It\'s not the colour of their piss, but where they aim it,\" he says with a grin. \"So lets try and convince whoever\'s ruling in Caerdh that the discomfort he feels is the Wulf pissing on his leg.\" He looks at Brev for a moment considering.

\"Might want to make sure you let them know from the start that you aren\'t there to press your claim,\" he adds. \"Still, might want to take a couple folk along just to be safe.\"

Brev snorts at that. \"Just what they\'d expect of an overgrown dog. Shouldn\'t be to hard.\" For a moment he smirks.

The other words bring a raised brow. \"What claim? Half of Caerdh can claim descent from a Bear Ceann - Kiern knows there\'s been enough of them. It\'s deeds not blood that make the leader. Seen me raising any banners? I\'e got more sense. Let others step out from behind the shield-wall and take the enemy spears.\" His chin juts defiantly as he speaks those words to the one he himself has helped push to the forefront of things.

\"Oh, aye.\" Carac replies. \"There be many who could claim descent from one Ceanni or another,\" he agrees. \"And whoever is sitting on the seat in Caerdh isn\'t gonna have been on it long enough for his arse to be too comfortable. He\'s gonna be wanting to get those who can claim such descent to either pledge themselves to him, or be rid of them so they can\'t challenge him later.\"

Brev\'s lips curl in distaste. \"Oaths,\" he mutters sourly. \"Think I care enough about some fat noble to keep his arse comfortable for the rest of my days?\" Then he shrugs. \"Suppose it\'s just words. Everyone knows there\'s no such thing as a lifetime oath. The trick\'s to find the right words ...\"

\"Just wanted you to be ready for what might await you,\" Carac replies. \"I know you say don\'t want it,\" he continues. \"Still you never know what they might offer you. A hall of your own? Name you a Fian, perhaps? Only a fool wouldn\'t be slightly tempted by such as that, and I know you\'re no fool.\"

He turns then. \"I should probably go check on those goats. Some fools apt to put them on a spit.\" He turns back and gives Brev a smile.

\"You\'ve my thanks for doing this.\"

Brev lets out his breath in a snort. \"Only a fool wouldn\'t spend the rest of his days regretting it,\" he mutters, shaking his head. For a moment his gaze slips northward. A muscle jumps in his cheek.

Then he shrugs and clears his throat. \"Needs done, doesn\'t it? Someone has to. And .. ever since Mathain, I haven\'t believed in anything much. Maybe it\'s time that changed. Your Dunland - the one you have up there,\" he taps his forehead, \"it\'s worth believing in.\" With that he turns on his heel and goes on his way, ducking into the newly repaired brewhouse and out of sight.