[center][h2]Sapiliezen Hill[/h2][h3]Early morning[/h3][/center][hr]Of course getting the people happy was the solution to most nation’s woes, but [i]’How?’[/i] and [i]’With what?’[/i] were the real questions. “Perhaps the citizenry could be encouraged to visit the City of Darkness and look across the strait to see what will become of them if they don’t stand against the tide.” She offered with some bitterness before picking up on the equipment side of things. “All the more reason to secure the Empire’s roads so that foreign merchants and craftsmen are convinced of their safety when they come to sell their wares or practice their craft.”

‘Five years. Better step to it.’ Myrrhis thought to herself, the Elf viewing the passage of time from a completely different angle than a Human or even a Dwarf would. In five years, a Human went from apprentice to Journeyman or decided that the woman he met was the right one. In five years, an Elf decided that the new barn should indeed be painted red, not blue. Barring disease and injury, they had all the time in the world. Perhaps that was among the reasons why they kept to themselves, to spare themselves the pain of having to watch their fellows of other races wither away. Yet at the same time, they had to respect the short lived ones for how much they could get done with a paltry few decades.

Hearing of a bandit attack five days of travel away sent chills down Myrrhis’ spine. No, not that, anything but her former conscripts committing such an act. She had not heard of their order, which gave her hope they weren’t from around Yllaren, but dark thoughts usually prevailed in such situations. Bad enough she failed them, much less if others paid for their mistake with their lives.  “May I ask, Father, where you came from?” She hid the worry in her voice well, though Gordon had been by her side long enough to notice, raising an eyebrow before forcing himself to adopt a neutral expression again. “That must be invaluable for reading in bed.” The young squire said with genuine appreciation of the demonstrated magic.