As the vote went on, Eliz clenched her teeth... Even Serhiem... fine, if he wanted to go pass the rather unique opportunity of her having a debt to him, fine, fine! Still up, she raised her hand in the air but realized there was nothing she could say or do now. They were engaged toward the priests... and the vote had gone so crushingly against her. Her hand balled up in a fist which came down on the table.

She closed her eyes, this was worst than the defeat she had suffered earlier. Defeat? She had cut down twice and trice the number of Greenfeathers that she had lost! She raised her eyes, burning with rage toward Odo. "...You'll make a fine warrior..." Eliz then turned her back on him and the council, making her way out of the room. "Leader I cannot know..." Oh some people had leadership of course, but it wasn't everyone that had tactical acumen, and no one had hers.

That was however her curse, she was a positive genius when it came to warfare, but all it took as a little defeat to throw doubt at her abilities. Maire had been a failure as a leader the moment she tried to step up to the task but it wasn't a problem because she had no reputation as such to maintain, because people would expect her to fail.

Eliz pushed and shoved her way out until she met a bigger Kern, who did not bulge and looked down at her with visible anger. "What do you think you're doing? Move..." But move, he did not. Looking around, she noticed the gaze people were giving her. Would they? Right here in front of the council?" Instinctively she reached for her sword but she had none, she didn't even have armor because of that wound on her shoulder. "You heard the woman you dumb oaf, move!" It was Bedwyr and other Gallocmen. Not a face she'd thought to be happy to see anymore. Still, Fflur was nowhere to be seen. She knew where that leak came from, who had told people about the skeleton episode. "Are you ok?" Pulling her out of her thoughts of revenge there was Bedwyr who looked down to her with some concern.

Eliz shrugged it off and continued walking like there was nothing of concern. "Maybe that bow was cursed after all! Seems like I'm shortening for people not to see me anymore." No, it was the memory of the kern that shortened. Already they had forgotten about her earlier successes just because of one failed raid. Idiots, all of them.

"Eliz..." But her plans would come to fruition. Plus, she had one ace up her sleeve. "Eliz!" She stopped on the dry street and turned to Bedwyr. They were alone, the other Gallocmen had stayed behind to look at the kerns and make sure people didn't follow them. "Yes, I'm right here, no need to scream." Bedwyr sighed and crossed his arms. "What now?" She smiled, ignoring what had just happened, business had to be taken care of after all! "Oh, I have a little idea to deal with Greenfeather, one that won't even get me or the clan cursed if you can imagine, I will-"

"No, not that. Here." Eliz merely rolled her eyes, honestly, who the hell cared? "Opinions and like fire, if Maire likes to play with them so much she'll get burned. Plus what can happen? Me getting kicked out of the council? Exiled maybe?" She laughed it off. "Not as long as Serhiem is alive. He's smart enough that to see me become a bandit or worst still, a mercenary, would be a nightmare come true." Bedwyr looked at her and frowned, did she not get it?

"Aren't you supposed to be the smart one? What keeps that witch in check is that you're the warleader, that the Gallocmen will follow you. That's because they know you and trust you, for the most. But the kerns, not so much. You know that, but you must also know that before becoming Gallocmen, people are kerns... We've lost a lot of good people Eliz, and they'll get replaced by people who don't trust you. And I know you know what people are trying to do, find an alternative to you. And what then? And what about that idiotic exploration mission you're talking about?!"

Eliz sighed, her enthusiasm somewhat vanishing. "That is it. Its the damage control. Maire can insinuate as many things as she wants but if I'm not there, people won't care, they'll forget. As I said opinions rarely last over a season, much less a year. So I'll come back, bringing wondrous discoveries and pick up the slack. Oh sure, people will have been trained but there won't be another war leader, everyone on the council is too damn defensive. My bet is that no one will stand up to the task. And because of that, you, and the others, will still be there. A core of warriors who, lets face it, will be senior to all the rookies with no experience the others will have trained."

It was Bedwyr's turn to sigh and let his shoulder down. He would follow Eliz to the end of the earth and back, but he couldn't help but disagree with her on this. "You should stay and accept your defeat. Train more people, let them see that you care. If you just sweep in after a year and reap the benefits of others you know what people will think." She turned around and lamented. He was asking her to spend time with people! PEOPLE! Still Bedwyr continued. "It can work. Kerns are kerns and they don't like close combat, too dangerous. We have those dwarven bows and you said it yourself, its easy to use, you'll be able to train them faster and they'll be happy they don't have to get their hands dirty. Plus, they'll know you care, that you want people to fight without loses and so forth. They'll like you. If you're not up to it then just chose group leaders and never say a word to these idiots."

Eliz paced around for a while. It was actually a good idea. No matter what Maire did, Eliz could do something she couldn't: Lead by example. "...I'll think about it." Bedwyr winced, thinking this as a veiled refusal. "Eliz-" She raised a finger. "I'll think about it. Now just come with me, I have something important to do this season and you're needed." Bedwyr sighed. No way to change her mind about something. "What do you need me for?"

"Drinking... an important task of any more personal diplomatic negotiations." Bedwyr was about to go on and on about how 'Diplomacy' should never be in Eliz's vocabulary, but she would have none of it."

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"AND that's the THING! What? Would you believe the greediest bastards of this gods forsaken valley would hire mercenaries to stay around and wait for something to happen? Would you think they'd train much people to do that?" Bedwyr wasn't sure he understood what Eliz was trying to do, but he sure enjoyed whatever she was doing. He took another swing of mead before laughing at... something, he wasn't sure what but others around him laughed so hey...

Others around him being Vendari clansmen. He had dreaded for the worst to happen when Eliz had told him her plan but thus far it had not been going too bad. No, she didn't go to the council to try and appeal to them for something, she had just come in as someone interested in buying horses, who just happened to be the commander of the forces that had sent the combined greenfeather and nightfell raid packing. A stay at the local tavern later and they had gathered a little audience to listen to their adventure and to listen to Eliz going on and on about Greenfeather, what little strength they had and the great many details of their weaknesses.

"I bet your next raid will be spectacular then!" Said one muscular man with multiple scars in good spirit. Eliz laughed and raised her flagon to that. "If only!" She lowered it and brought it to her lips, not taking any of its content in her mouth though. "Three dozen good warriors on horses..." She said, widely exaggerating the numbers. "And then bam, Dyvella's children of mercy walking through the front gate."

There was a collective 'awwwww!' in the room as everyone could guess where this was going. "Two whole seasons of mercy to the Greenfeathers, ancestors oblige... It pisses me off, I'm a Gallocman so its just one of the numerous things that can piss me off but... Eh, its kinda worst because of how easy it would have been to just waltz in, face a few Kerns and loot the place completely and be able to say 'We're the Valley's clan of rich guys now!'... But the gods didn't meant for that clan to be Aonghus, maybe someone else will take that prize."

And maybe someone else will deal the crippling blow Eliz was desperate to inflict on Greenfeather. It clicked in Bedwyr's hazy mind. It was why they were here talking to the common folk, to the warriors and maybe to some council members in the crowd but in no official manner. Vendari was a known clan of opportunists and Eliz was just handling one opportunity on a silver platter. "Well. Thank you all for your hospitality and for the look I was given at your horses, but I think my friend and I will go now. Its been fun. You'll hear of our council soon!"


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Eliz got up from her seat, this time before the council had began speaking of the order of business however. "Good day to you, fellow council members. As an order of business I'd like to add a suggestion, that is to have mandatory ranged weapon training for all kerns, men, women and child, able to use a dwarven bow on a single day of the week. This would not take the entire day, as we do not have enough bows and potential trainers yet, but we would separate people in groups. This would aim to provide the clan with a defensive option that would allow everyone to fight with little risk using a weapon requiring less training than others. Thank you for listening to this suggestion and I hope the vote will be favorable."