[color=f7941d][b]ASTER NOLS[/b][/color] - Harrow's Keep: Stables[hr]
They were always in the corner of her eye when she wandered through Harrow’s Keep. The way the roads were paved. Foreign metals sprouting on the sides of the street, like weeds. Inelegant.

[color=d8cfbe]“Streetlights,”[/color] the innkeeper had drawled, her first time here, [color=d8cfbe]“like the Northerners. You know.” [/color]

The drover felt her mouth crease like back then.

The town reminded her of her cousin. It was a charming little thing, proud of its lineage and its role to play in the decades to come. You could gauge its significance at a glance, which explained the tension it always invoked in her, the invisible politics telling her to stay away. It was always the politics, wasn’t it? She was lucky that last job involved a detour around a bridge undergoing repairs. Five thousand sheep, a dozen horses and some good, sturdy stockmen made far better company than Esmerelda’s entourage ever could. Sheep never made a fuss without good reason, unlike her own species.

Case in point.

[color=d8cfbe]“No, no, no. Not today. Please, you can’t take this from me.”[/color]

Ulrich had planted himself between the woman and the drafthorses, face red. She tilted her head.

[color=f7941d]“Ummm… thing is, bud, I can? I’m doing that now.”[/color] She stuck her thumb out to behind her. [color=f7941d]“Better git soon.”[/color]

[color=d8cfbe]“The Nols Principal Driver was [i]my[/i] post. Galryn came to me persona—"[/color]

[color=f7941d]“Aye, but y’know how it is.”[/color] Whoops, she hadn’t meant to cut him off. Ah well. [color=f7941d]“Pa’s orders.”[/color]

Ulrich was grinding his teeth, the movement of his beard made it evident. Like a goat. This was taking an awful long time for such a minor job swap.

[color=d8cfbe]“M’lady.”[/color] Oh, [i]gosh[/i]. [color=d8cfbe]“I implore you. The driver of Esmerelda Nols' stagecoach. This is the most prestigious assignment I will ever get in this lifetime.”[/color]

'Prestigious'? Ah, that's what it was. Finally, she understood his resistance to her. After all, Ulrich was originally a humble cargo driver from a humble clan of horse breeders. He must have been waiting all these years for the chance to get close to House Nols and climb society’s ranks…

…of stagecoach drivers!

[color=f7941d]“Hm.”[/color] Gosh, why hadn’t she realised sooner? There were so many jobs she could have had reassigned to him. [color=f7941d]“Well, I’m going to make sure Pa hears of our exchange. Don’t worry, Ulrich. I hear Solaris has many jobs fer men like you.”[/color]

Remembering what her father scolded into her about ‘effective leadership’ and 'positive reinforcement', she flashed a smile. Ulrich paled.

[color=d8cfbe]“A-Are you letting me go?”[/color]

[color=f7941d]“ ‘f course.”[/color] She needed to let him go and return to the capital and speak with father about it. Procuring a secure relationship with the new territory was a worthy project for Ulrich. [color=f7941d]“I’ve no need fer you.”[/color]

[color=d8cfbe]“But… my family. O-Our stables…”[/color] he quivered. Was he that excited? What did they have to do with anything? [color=d8cfbe]“Where am I supposed to go?”[/color]

[color=f7941d]“…The gate past the tailor’s? Once yer outside the walls, take the left at Ilvan’s Fork and the rail station will be just a few miles down the road. Safe travels, man.”[/color]

[color=d8cfbe]"I've served you for so long…"[/color]

[color=f7941d]"I'm well aware."[/color]

For an aspiring stagecoach driver, he didn’t seem to be very good with directions. The man was silent, stunned. Once again, from the excitement and anticipation of an evolving career, she presumed. Gosh, she was such a good boss.

[color=d8cfbe]“I…”[/color] he whispered. Choking back emotion? [color=d8cfbe]“I won’t forget this, Nols.”[/color]

Her smile only widened. Yes, her gracious conduct would be well-regarded. [color=f7941d]“I sure hope not.”[/color]

His face twisted, and he hurried out. She swore she could hear sobbing – those were tears of happiness, right? – but did not get a chance to dwell on her own magnanimity before a Tower guard darkened the stable’s entrance.

[color=d8cfbe]“Pardon the intrusion. Some servants in the courtyard alerted me to a commotion in here. A loud argument?”[/color]

She chuckled. [color=f7941d]“Oh, dear me, no. No quarrels here.”[/color]

The guard frowned and glanced back at Ulrich’s figure in the growing distance. [color=d8cfbe]“That man—"[/color]

[color=f7941d]“Yer overseeing the Tower, aren’t you?”[/color]

Whoops, she cut someone off again. The guard snapped her attention back to the drover and nodded.

[color=d8cfbe]“Yes. The security for the talks is collaborative effort by House Young and—”[/color]

[color=f7941d]“Ah, perfect!”[/color] Gosh, [i]again.[/i] At least it explained the metal contraption strapped to the guard’s hip. It resembled a mangled silver trumpet more than a weapon to her. She rattled through her rucksack and pulled out a crumpled envelope, sticking it out to the guard. [color=f7941d]“This is for Esmerelda.”[/color]

[color=d8cfbe]“Lady Nols,”[/color] she confirmed, likely to herself. The refined seal on the back gave her pause. [color=d8cfbe]“Do you have authority within the House?”[/color]

[color=f7941d]“Of a sort.”[/color] She did a two-finger salute then used the same hand to tap at a badge on her lapel. [color=f7941d]“Nols Principal Driver, at yer service. You can tell ‘er I just rolled into town. Aster Nols of the Ethra Company.”[/color]

[color=d8cfbe]“…I see. Are you lodging with the House Nols’ entourage?”[/color]

[color=f7941d]“Not at all,”[/color] Aster chirped. Now that her errand was run, she adjusted her rucksack and began heading to the exit. [color=f7941d]“If she asks to see me, you tell ‘er I’m…”[/color]

She thought about it, lips pursed with the effort.

[color=f7941d]“Just tell ‘er I’m around. I doubt she'll make you go through the trouble anyway. Well appreciated, guard!”[/color]

With that, Aster Nols moseyed on out and embarked on the start of her Harrow’s Keep vacation.