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[h1][u][b]Blood's Jewels[/b][/u][/h1]
[h2][u][i]“Terreille in Trouble”[/i][/u][/h2]
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[@nohbdies] Liran swallowed heavily, his bow clattering to the floor along with the arrow he had been prepared to stick into Vaclav and Artemis as he made a beeline for the outside. Managing to get off the stoop before the sounds of retching could be heard. The other lad of roughly the same age and not yet at the majority of the blood's twenty odd years, cast a worried look after his friend. With good reason as well seeing as the young Warlord had left unarmed. Snatching off his cap, the lad wrung it in his hands. "We didn't mean any harm, Miss." The yellow jeweled Warlord protested, before back tracking his words in correction of himself. His eyes turning from the dead Hyallian. "Well, we did mean harm I suppose, but to him! Them bastard from Hyall got Grayhaven up in a ruckus and their just killing anyone whose loyal to the Queen." The capital of Dene Nehele, Grayhaven, was the center of the Territory and home to Queen Karlianne. If there was an attack there it was a sure thing that times were changing and in these dark times it was most likely not for the better.

The sounds of Liran loosing the contents of his stomach outside came to a stop as a soft snuffling noise could be heard, for the lad was weeping. "Even those who aren't joint at the hip with the the First Court." The lad amended his face pale and drained of color as he stumbled back to lean against the wall. "Their just killing anyone who resists them in Grayhaven and the Hyallians are sporting about the country side. Liran and I were out hunting and on our way back when Father warned us." Beneth, for that was the name of the yellow jeweled man, trailed off looking lost as the anger fled his system. Grief and horror at what had been done and seen catching up with him. "There's just blood everywhere." The boy whispered, staring blankly in front of him.

[@eclecticwitch] Hyall had once been a very giving land, but the land was a reflection of the Queens that ruled it. For centuries the land of Hyall had been put to the yoke of the Queens just as the people were for the pleasure of the Queens that claimed dominion. The toil farmers had to put into the land to receive so little back was something that was unheard of in those territories that still gave. Especially in the Shadow Realm of Kaeleer. It was like an itch that needed scratching to the attentive Queen, and to those who were not? It was nothing more than a mild irritant which they used to barb and prick the Court to their whims. The village of Eldan was a simple place. It's funds coming from the farms and the wool of the fat and lazy sheep that plodded about the steep hills. Those bits of land that had been given over for woodland were thick with nuts, berries, and dyes. The combination of wool and dye giving rise to a well sustained if not prosperous village's Weaver's Guild. Traders would come with supplies the village could not supply themselves and leave heaped with cloth and yarn.

Durik, the Steward for Queen Fatima, was looking over the supposed income they would be squeezing from a dry land. The sheep had a bad year due to flooding and mold in the grain. It wasn't anything they couldn't make up the next year with dropping a few new mine shafts into the nearby hillsides. However, the problem with that was the drop in the water and earth that would endure crops and sheep. Already the weavers had complained long and hard about how [i]goats[/i] had inferior wool. Yet what more could the expect when they lost land that the herds of sheep could graze on! Running a hand through his patchy and balding hairline, the Rose jeweled Hyallian Prince groaned aloud.

"We could go and push our luck against on of the neighboring Courts for more land." The new Master of the Guard, Beneth, noted with a slight smirk. As far as anyone knew the lad was far too eager for a fight. Reasonable seeing as he was a Warlord Prince wearing the Opal. A powerful jewel in this region. Yet he had kept it hidden, resorting to his Birthright Jewel when company called. A good measure as well, if one of their number moved on it risked all their skins. The previous Master of the Guard had made that error and had 'went to visit relatives in Pruul'. Arranged per several members of Fatima's First Court. They could not risk word of their powerful Queen slipping out lest it bring the ire of the other Queens upon their heads and the heads of their families.

Hynter was already shaking his head, a mere Warlord of the Summer-sky, but he was a solid man. "And risk the District Queen or the Provincial Queen taking a look at us?" His tone was one of annoyance and contempt for Beneth, the two of them had never gotten on well at the best of time, so Durik hoped it would be headed off early before blood was shed. While he would do it himself, he didn't want to risk his neck when the rest of him was quite literally drowning in paperwork. His seat and part of the large table where a majority of the Court was gathered to argue covered in reports.