29th Day of Early Spring 768 n.c
I woke up late, the sun was already overhead when I looked out of the window. After I made breakfast I had to ring the bells to get Malkarov up as he had slept in as well.
"Your father will most likely be coming into town today for a meeting of the town council," Malkarov said around a mouthful of sausage, "I think it would be best if we both attend and then you could head back with him."
I agreed with him, "That sounds good. But what will happen at the meeting, what input could I have that you could not?"
"A second perspective will always be different," he replied, "but more than that, it's important that you go so that the town can thank you."
"Thank me?" I asked.
"Yes," he said with a smile, "if you decide to become a wandering wizard, join with a party of adventurers, then you might get rewarded by a town or city for solving a monster problem. For me and by extension you, we do not get rewards for saving our town as the town is always looking after us in other ways."
"What other ways?" I asked.
"To begin with," he answered, "I was granted this land to build my tower. The town pays me a small amount each season to stay here. Wizards in larger cities will often be paid more or granted land and title. As the Wizard of Easthaven Shire, I have exclusive rights granted by the shire through the guild to harvest components in the Shire."
"Didn't we collect components in Sunhaven Shire?" I asked.
"Yes," he replied, "The Wizard Trilliash of Eastholm Castle has the rights to Sunhaven Shire. She and I have an agreement that we may use each other's Shires to find components for personal use and any components that we sell are split half and half. She is a Potioneer so in practice I will often offer her potion components first before selling them and she will often offer me the ingredients I require for enchanting before selling them."
I nodded, it was a sensible arrangement. The town bell rang out loud and clear. Dong... Dong-dong. Dong… Dong-dong… Dong...Dong-dong. This was the signal for a town meeting, for everyone to gather. We had many different signals that I had never really learned properly but aside from the emergency bell (Just aggressive, random ringing) the town meeting call was one that I remembered.
We finished breakfast and I got everything that I needed into my pack. Once we were ready, we headed out to the town square. Mayor Crownever was already there, as was most of the town. A few were still heading in from the direction of the farmer's common. Malkarov spotted Father first and called out to him. He came over to us and caught me up in a hug then held me out at arms length to look at me.
"I heard a little of what happened last night," he said to me, "are you alright? Are you injured?"
"I'm fine Father," I reassured him, "One of them hit me with something and broke my shoulder, but Sister Tera healed it up as good as new."
"A sling stone," Malkarov interjected, "most likely. We're lucky it didn't hit your head. We will have to practice incorporating Shield into our training."
"Obviously they decided that they wanted more than just a bite of one of my cows," Father said, "I feel that the general consensus will be that we attack their cave to get rid of them."
"That would probably be the likely course of action," Malkarov agreed, "their males are their warriors but are also their hunters. They have likely lost the majority of their males and will be in a precarious situation. The unexpected attack however, will likely result in a violent retaliation."
"Against what will likely be females and children?" I asked, a little shocked.
"Most will not see that," Malkarov nodded and stated, "but will only see enemy kobolds."
This troubled me. It was one thing to kill armed kobolds that were trying to kill me, but to kill kobolds in their home that were just trying to survive?
After a short time Mayor Crownever began the meeting.
"People of Easthaven! Good people of Easthaven! Last night we lost one of our own. Kardin Jorganshard was murdered last night when the Jorganshard, Danshold and Yorda farms were attacked by kobolds." The crowd murmured angrily. Many shifted uneasily. "These kobolds came armed to conduct war upon us! They attacked without warning, in the middle of the night. Missus Jorganshard and the Yorda family survived only through the divine actions of Sister Tera and the blessings of Celestine!"
The crowd cheered. Missus Jorganshard looked torn between her sadness at the loss of Kardin and her relief and gratitude at being saved by Sister Tera. Master Jorganshard just looked angry, furious in fact.
"We don't know why the kobolds changed their minds," Mayor Crownever stated, "but they did. The attacking force was killed by the magics of the Wizard Malkarov and his apprentice Sharein Askilain!"
The crowd cheered so loudly that it almost hurt my ears. Those close to us clapped us on our backs. It came as such a surprise to me that the first one forced me to take a step to steady myself and made me glad that Sister Tera had healed my shoulder (else I would likely have been curled up in pain). Father beamed in pride.
"Together they killed thirty two of the vermin kobold!" the Mayor announced and waited for the cheering to end once more, "We are gathered here to determine what to do about this kobold menace! Raise your hand if you wish to speak and you will have a small amount of time to say your piece."
Master Jorganshard was the first to speak and he gave an impassioned plea to attack the kobolds immediately, to wipe them out entirely and finished by saying "If we don't get rid of these evil murderers now, then your child might be the next one to die!"
Missus Jorganshard burst into tears and together they walked off away from the crowds.
A few others got up to echo Master Jorganshard's words and it seemed to be the consensus of the crowd.
Master Waeder, the blacksmith, stood up, "I'm not going to comment on what we should do. But whatever the decision is, should we not call upon the Baroness Eastholm to deal with it? At the very least, should we not notify the Baroness of the happenings?"
Mayor Crownever stood then, "I will be notifying the Baroness as to what happened last night as part of my Mayoral duties. But I will declare the vote on this proposition now: Should we ask the Baroness Eastholm to deal with the kobold problem for us? All those in favour, raise your hands."
Only a few hands were raised. The Mayor didn't even bother counting. This was a direct attack against Easthaven and Easthaven obviously wanted to deal with it themselves.
Master Danshold came up to talk, "We gave them a chance! We extended our hands in peace, even after they attacked the Askilain farm! We should take up weapons and attack them, kill them all!"
Many of the townspeople loudly agreed. Very loudly. The almost seemed ready to storm off there and then, no matter what the outcome of the meeting.
Malkarov stood up next to me and strode towards the stage. He was welcomed by a splattering of cheers.
"You all know that I am sworn to this town and that I will do whatever the town decides," he began and the crown cheered, "but I would ask that you all consider your actions. Ask yourselves what it means. Most of the kobold warriors are dead, there are only a few left. The majority of the kobolds will only be women and children, the young and the infirm. Even if the decision is made to attack them, let it be not until tomorrow to give yourselves time to think on it and let your hot heads cool down."
Less cheered him at the end of his speech than did at the beginning, but I did notice that a few of those who had appeared to have been only one step away from charging off now looked a bit thoughtful.
A few more spoke, all in favour of attacking the kobolds and 'getting rid of them', but they all seemed less eager to do something immediately. Malkarov's advice was well-heeded.
In the end the Mayor held the vote to attack the kobolds and get rid of them; the majority of hands were held in favour. He then held the vote to hold off until tomorrow and while there were fewer than the previous vote, there was still a majority. I did not hold up my hand to attack and neither did Malkarov or Father, but we three all did for the final vote.
Malkarov escorted Father and I to the Farmers Common and told me that he would stop by in the morning to pick me up on the way to the kobold's hill cave.
"How can they advocate the slaughter of those innocent kobolds?" I asked Malkarov, "Do you think that they will follow through with this proposition born of anger?"
"You answered that yourself, Sharein," Malkarov replied, "It is born of anger and anger is the enemy of sense and morality. I hope that with my delay until tomorrow that they might rethink when it comes time, but I doubt it. They won't see females and children, they will see the prevention of the deaths of those that they care for. They will see a righteous cause."
On the way home Father asked me about the events of the previous night and I described them for him in greater detail. The speed at which we dispatched the attacking kobolds shocked him a little and he asked me about the Shield spell that Malkarov had mentioned.
"Considering the hit you took, I think that the Wizard Malkarov makes a very good point." Father said, "Imagine if it was something worse or in a different place?"
I stewed on the injustice of the upcoming attack all the way home but I was just an apprentice wizard. Maybe I should have stood up and had my say? I kicked myself that I had not. Perhaps I could convince the townsfolk to show mercy on the 'morrow?
I had to tell the story of the kobold attack once more for Mother and my siblings, which entertained them greatly.
After dinner and catching up with my family we all went to bed.
It was lying down in bed, thinking of Shard that I realised that I had to do something.
