Temperance. Deliberation. The young continued to suggest their blessed middle road, as though it would solve all problems and cause none. When Eyildr rose she did so with more severity than before, and when she spoke her voice was more frosty than it had been before.

"I must first caution all here than working dually with the Elves and the Dwarves will be entirely detrimental. Neither nation will entertain this once they discover that we are working with one behind the backs of the other - and it will only serve to anger both factions rather than one. Likewise, abstaining from working with either will isolate us and weaken us, as well as making us look very weak in the eyes of those who seek to destroy us," 

She paused, point apparently raised. "I thank Jarl Bertil for seeking my opinion," Her voice softened as she nodded her gratitude. "You are correct. The Dwarves are wealthy when it comes to gems, jewels and metals. He is also right in suggesting that the nation suffers from dissent. I am no great expert on the Dwarves, but from my correspondence with those around that area and within it I can confirm that dissent is increasingly common amongst the populace. This, coupled with those creature's characteristic cowardice, does not make for strong allies," 

"The Elves are steady and dependable. Their sense of morality, in my very experienced opinion and the scrolls of my family, is almost impeccable. Nearly all wars with them have been Norsian wars of aggression. They cannot offer us a wealth of material goods - silver, gold and the like - but what they can offer is, in my opinion, altogether more valuable in the long term and I urge all of you to stow away your love for gold for a moment to consider it thusly. The Elves can offer knowledge, and they can offer experience. When my ancestress Thaerina the Undulating first met with the Elves they granted us new agricultural technologies and chronicles that have documented much of the knowledge of Rheagonn for which, before this, we were unaware. These chronicles are stored here, now, in this capital city, amongst the scholarly Orders. These are an insular peoples, and their security can only be breached legitimately, through trust. My Jarldom has come a long way, but I can tell you here and now that the Elves possess knowledge and secrets in regards to technological innovation, history, divinity and even knowledge of the magical and arcane," An observant Jarless of Ashfall might question whether Eyildr eyed her for a moment when she said this. "These, in the long term, a thousand times more useful than any shining metals, swords or baubles the Dwarves can offer us,"