Nasuada watched from the back of her father's study as the meeting progressed at an almost excruciatingly slow pace. Letting out a tired sigh, she leaned back in her seat in a darkened corner and smoothed down the non existant wrinkles in her elegant dress. A week ago the Empire's slavers had caught yet another set of refugees fleeing from Galbatorix's rule on the foot hills of the very mountains that shielded the Varden. Not for the first time she wished she had a place in the council meeting so she could voice her opinion on the matter. In her eyes slavery, in all of its twisted forms, was wrong, and those who practised and profited from it should not be rewarded as it was in the Empire, but punished – even if that punishment was at the high cost of their lives. Her eyes flickered to her father's face and behind his carefully shielded expression she sensed a tired frustration, borne both of the several tedious hours spent discussing the Varden's needs and avoiding the carefully placed political traps laid out by both members of the council and the dwarves. She knew from their previous discussions that this frustration was also partly down to his need as a leader to help those he considered his responsibility, along with his inability to act upon this need without the full cooperation of those present.
Upon feeling her eyes studying him, Ajihad looked up and met her gaze. With an almost imperceptible shake of his head that told her that her feelings on the matter of the slavers was shared, he leaned forward in his chair. Nasuada sat up straighter wondering if this time he would voice his opinion and decide once and for all what to do about the slavers who strayed too far into the Varden's range. "To save us all time that could be spent talking about other pressing issues I ask this. The main question that this issue always returns to. Do we, in order to save the lives of the few, put the safety and security of the Varden and the others living under Farthen Dur at risk by putting an end to the slavers expeditions?".
The air in the room seemed to Nasuada to thicken at his words, the tension increasing tenfold. Looking around the room she noted that several of the council of elders expressions of careful concern had slipped, ranging from taken aback to disapproving and, in the case of Elessari, already to scheming about how she could benefit from this new turn in the conversation. Turning her head to the left she noted that Orik's expression, unlike that of the council and the other dwarf representative, had changed from that of the frown she had often come to expect from him at such meetings. It was now that of an increased interest and a look of approval at Ajihad's words glimmered behind his eyes. "Mine opinion on this matter for what it is worth, despite not being a member of the council is this Ajihad; what the Varden strives for is an end to the Empire's reign, and if you cannot help those who flee it, especially when they are so close to you, why bother to attack the Empire at all?". A ripple of murmurs, and an indignant muffled snort, spread around the room at Orik's words. Nasuada allowed herself the smallest of smiles and upon meeting Orik's eye she gave a small nod of approval of his words. A small, yet distinctively derisive, cough called Nasuada back to the conversation at hand
