Sythe rubbed his temples, wishing not for the first time that he had chosen a different career. Yes, his job was important, yes, it needed to be done by someone trustworthy, yes, said person had to know the different regional dialects of every Keidran clan, as well as human and Basidian, but it was just frustrating today. He had spent the last nine hours translating from Basidian to Keidran for the sole purpose of labeling storage. A riveting task, as no one would put it. He understood exactly why it needed to be done, he just wished someone else would have done so. Several of the Tiger clansmen had been putting things in a storage pile just outside of town, as they had been doing for a few days, but today was bad. They had put fire-starters next to black powder, which was a recipe for disaster. One stray spark, one wayward pinch of potassium nitrate, one errant twitch, and the whole thing would have exploded.
It really was no one's fault, which he had been trying to explain. The labels had only been in Basidian, which the Tigers couldn't read. Thus, his task for the day. After calming down the irate Basitins, Sythe had to carefully explain what the problem was to both sides, meaning he was very suddenly much more well informed about the kind of thing the warehouse was holding, and it made him anxious to get out as fast as possible. Black powder was volatile and extremely dangerous, and he was not too keen to find out exactly how dangerous.
Still, the job was done, and he walked through Edinmire to a place that he knew was going to be less deadly and more welcoming. The Dawnhearth Inn was lively and boisterous, full of people, with songs and music echoing from the door. It was a place that Sythe could always go for a good meal and a cool drink, a place that in the past few months had become deeply ingrained in the community. Within, there was a band playing on the stage, with two lynxes slurring their way through what sounded like a drinking song, clearly a few past what they should have had.
Sitting down at a secluded table off to the side, he smiled as Maren glanced at him. She was clearly busy, but he would not be forgotten here. As he waited, he watched from his corner, many of the patrons joining in the song as they raised glasses and mugs, smiling and laughing. "Well, haven't seen you in a week or so." His eyes were drawn to Adira, who walked over with a plate of food. "What new problem did you solve today?"
"Difficulty with one of the warehouses. Someone tried to put flint strikers next to explosive powder. I'd rather go back to dealing with Templars that have to stand in that warehouse again." He shook his head as he reached for the steel silverware, ready to devour the salted pork and potatoes.
Adira did not leave like she usually did, but sat down across from him, frowning. "You're not the only person who can do things, you know. There are other folks that can translate. You can take a break."
"What do you think I'm doing right now?"
"No. You are done for the day, that's not the same as taking a break. You need to slow down and relax a bit. Let someone else deal with tomorrow's problem."
Sythe didn't respond, instead opting to try and scarf down as much food as he could. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he didn't particularly trust most other folks to do the same job. There were a few, sure, but not enough that he really trusted. Of those who could translate between all three primary languages, only a handful could also read all three languages, and even less were qualified to do the same work. Utkr, the wolf who had joined early in the spring, was rather helpful, but also had to pour much attention into keeping the city running. The various diplomats and ambassadors like Eruinsa had their own people to look after. "Maybe you're right. It's draining, honestly. I spend so much time trying to fix other people's mistakes and problems, I barely have time to deal with my own."
Adira raised an eyebrow, thoughtlessly snagging a cup of ale from Karen as she passed. "You don't seem like the kind to have that many problems."
"Not on the outside. I'm burnt out, exhausted, but more than that I'm ready to be somewhere else. I like it here, but everyone else feels like they belong here. Like this is where they were meant to be. I don't feel like that. I feel like there's something more I could be doing, something bigger. I just don't know what."
"I don't mean to offend you by saying this, but what else would you do? I've heard you're a coward, barely able to hold your own in a fight. What's more, you're good at what you do. Really good. There's not a lot of folks who even want to spend their time doing bureaucratic work."
Sythe rolled his eyes, wishing he could have just eaten in peace. "Look, whether you think I should be here or not doesn't change how I feel. There's something more that I could do, I just know it. Yes, I'm a coward. Yes, I can't fight. Yes, I am really good at what I do. That doesn't change things. I still feel like I'm not where I need to be."
Adira shook her head as she stood up. "Well, wherever you end up, I hope you find what you're looking for. And if you don't, we'll be here with a warm meal and a mug of ale for you."
…
It had been a near disaster that morning. It wasn't the first time, and it certainly wouldn't be the last time he was thankful for Sythe. Were it not for him being in the right place at the right time, they might have been dousing fires and putting shrouds over bodies. Dark thoughts indeed. Dark thoughts that Keiren had to push away. He needed to be strong, now more than ever. With so many eyes on him, he needed to look like a leader they could trust, a leader they could follow, a leader they could fight for. He needed to not just look strong, but he needed to also look wise. Surrounding himself with people he trusted like Utkr and Sythe, he was able to put on the show that he was a capable leader.
And yet, he also needed to show that he was a caring one. In his home in the middle of town, Maeve was growing far more quickly than he had anticipated. In the spring, she was barely up to his waist, and now her head was next to his shoulders. It was baffling some days how much she had changed, and yet she was still very much a child at heart, playing and reading and creating stories to keep herself entertained. But the thing that made him suddenly realize how much she had grown was when he found a book he didn't recognize. A book that had her handwriting. A book that told a story he had never seen before, of a dashing knight who defended his home against monsters.
She didn't know that he had read it, and didn't seem too bothered that it had gone missing. After all, she had hundreds of books, and that one was finished, so why would she need it again? It would not be missed for a while, so he moved it downstairs, where he kept it in his desk. It was his way of reminding himself why he fought so hard, why he became who he was. He needed to do it for her. For everyone. "Sir? Are you there?"
Keiren was snapped back to reality suddenly. "Ah, yes. Sorry, I didn't realize how much my mind had wandered. What were you saying?"
Lynn smiled kindly, the old Basitin another one of his most trusted accomplices, helping with much of the management of the city in regards to external affairs. "No worries. I was trying to say that we did not have enough gold to keep purchasing food and metal from some merchants. It would seem that, despite the peace, the Templars have enacted tariffs on some of our most needed goods: flour, iron, coal, and lumber. It might be tricky, but there are ways for us to cut back on our current consumption of said resources."
"We need to prioritize food. A hungry army is an unhappy army, and that is an army that won't fight. We've been trying to cut back on imports of lumber for a few weeks, but no matter how much we try to cut, people still need it, and with everyone that shows up, they seem to need more."
"Indeed. We are caught. We need the resources to sustain the city, but we do not have the funding to continue to supply them. If we stop supplying some, then we will not be sustained for long enough." Keiren looked down at the paper, a list of resources and prices that he needed to balance. Estimated current consumption had them going through their entire supply of food and materials within the month, and it was only getting worse with every person who arrived.
"They've found a way to starve us out, put us under siege without a single weapon."
Lynn frowned slightly, but his words were kind and reassuring. "You will figure something out. I have seen you perform the impossible before, and I am certain you can do it again."
"I am glad you have such faith in me, but we've already stretched everyone so thin. Everything that can be spared is being exported already, and we are only growing in number as more and more soldiers show up. We are on a time limit, and there is nothing we can do but watch the sands fall through the hourglass."
