Welcome to Gaia! ::

Astrayl nodded at the Drace Whisperer. In his ind he was still thinking about what he could do for his apprentice problem. Finding a apprentice, or at least one that would survive his training, is hard even among those who live in his clan. Then his mind switched to the matter at hand. "Alright lets do this. I suppose we are talking about the usual trade items. Those in my clan require new metal and food stocks. We are willing to trade workers and warriors as per usual." This was usually routine for the Whisperers, unless a new product was needed.

Toki was sweating while dabbing his face with a wash cloth and looked at the apprentice. "Dragana has requested that you come to this meeting. It will be a good learning experience for you apparently. Also, the other whisperers want to see how you fair in the meeting. We will be heading to the Phelan manor."

Dragana listened to Astrayl list off what he needed and quickly reviewed her mental list of the Drayce resources. Depending on how much was necessary and what kind of metal was needed, she thought she could rustle up some materials. The problem was creating a need for workers and warriors. If she accepted too many warriors, the other Whisperers would assume she was arming for war and become suspicious. Too many workers reduced the job opportunities for her own people.

It is too bad the Bramwell Whisperer could not come. He would have more use for laborers than I.

Her face remained composed in a mild expression, revealing none of her thoughts. She briefly considered using her Whisperer powers to call up a storm along the coastline to thin the population a little and destroy a few homes, but dismissed it as impractical when she considered how the homeless would be fed afterward.

"It would be most helpful if you could describe the extent of your need so that Shira and I might assess how to best fill it."

Astrayl looked at the two of them and spent half a minute to think about what he was going to say. 'My clan needs metal for new weapons mostly. We don't need a lot, maybe 5 carts full would be enough. The only issue is if I state my exact reasons they might think of it as a declaration of war. Then again these two are calm and will understand that sense my people are warriors, weapons come naturally to us. As for food, well the warriors have a never ending hunger.' After he was done sorting his thoughts he spoke. "My reasons for bringing up metal are simple. My clan breeds the warriors, if you don't mind me saying we breed some of the best warriors in the land. We treat weapons as part of ourselves but lately there has been a shortage. I fear that a couple of our weapon stocks have been stolen. Early today I was attacked by some bandits. After I took care of them I noticed that some of them were using weapons from my country. Now on to food. Again warriors, they eat a lot and I mean a lot. For the past couple weeks we have been using our last few food stocks. If you need me to tell you the amount we need of each material I am going to say 5 carriages of metal and maybe 20 carriages of food. I understand that food might be a stretch but again we are willing to pay not just in warriors but gold as well."

Toki nodded at the apprentice whisperer and led her into a separate carriage. Then they were off towards the wolf estate arriving in no time flat. He himself opened the door to her carriage then walked up to the doors. "Hello, it is Toki again. I have brought the Drace families' apprentice whisperer and requested."

Dragana nodded at the news of the bandits and recalculated. Five carriages of raw metal were easily procured, and she was more comfortable accepting gold than laborers. She opened her mouth to say as much when Astrayl's secretary came in and announced Marnie to them. Her eyes widened slightly as Marnie curtsied to her and their host, but she soon regained control of herself. It took much willpower to remain cool and calm, as if she had merely been awaiting the arrival of her apprentice.

What in the world is Marnie doing here? I did not send for her!

It seemed as if Astrayl had sent his secretary to fetch her, but for what purpose? It wasn't as if they needed records kept of this meeting. If that's what Astrayl had wanted, he simply could have asked Toki to do it.

Did he think I was not coming? Was he attempting to manipulate the Drayce family in some way through her? He must be aware that she has no authority to speak for me unless I personally grant her that, which I have not done.

Out loud, she welcomed her apprentice and motioned for the girl to sit. Turning to Astrayl, she said, "We can trade you the raw metal for thirty gold coins and twenty laborers. For foodstocks, I suppose we can dredge up about four carriages' worth in exchange for an additional ten gold coins."

Another thought occurred to her about Astrayl's intentions for bringing Marnie here. She was aware that he had been unsuccessful finding a suitable apprentice lately that could meet his exacting standards.

Did he think to steal my apprentice? He must certainly be aware that she is not suited for the vigorous battle training the Bear clan demands. Besides, she is not even related to him. The bear spirits would not accept her. If that was his plan, he must be more desperate for an apprentice than I thought.

Dragana wondered if Astrayl had discovered that he was suffering from some terminal illness. He looked well enough to her, still hale and hearty. There weren't even any visible scars from the battles she was certain he must have fought in. Finally, she gave up her scrutiny and made a note to find out more at a later time. It bothered her that the man had surprised her. She had thought she was not easily surprised, but obviously, that was not the case.

I must keep a closer eye on the Bears. Dismissing them as savage brutes seems like it will cost me dearly in the long run.

Shira listened to the other Whisperers making their deal, keeping a calm outward appearance. Inside, she was fighting not to reach out and straighten the Drayce apprentice's clothing and hair. The child looked like she'd been rushed to get there, and Shira's perfectionism was acting up.

She nodded gracefully to accept the male Whisperer's apology and said, "You may expect your goods within the week. They'll be delivered to your homelands. I can accept payment now or later, whichever suits you best."

The meeting continued, as the masters bartered and traded goods and services with each other. Dragana kept an eye on her apprentice out of the corner of her eye, noting how the girl kept scribbling down notes. Later, Dragana would examine them and determine whether to keep bringing Marnie to these kinds of meetings. It might be better to keep the girl close anyway. It would put a major kink in Dragana's plans if Marnie was assassinated by one of the other clans. She had plans for the apprentice.

Finally, Dragana rose in a smooth motion during a lull in conversation. "Shira, Astrayl, it is always a pleasure to see you. I am afraid that my apprentice and I must leave, however. I have other appointments to keep."

With that, she bowed her head slightly to each of the Whisperers and left with the same icy grace as she had arrived. She alighted in her gray carriage, with Marnie right behind her, then away they went. The driver kept the two black mares at a sedate trot, pulling the carriage along at an easy pace.

Dragana gazed out the window, watching the landscape roll by. After a moment of silence, she spoke without looking at her apprentice.

"I did not summon you to that meeting, Marnie. How is it that you were brought there?"

A million different answers sprang into Dragana's mind when Marnie asked if she could do anything differently. In the end, she dismissed them all as expecting too much from her apprentice at the moment. She looked at the girl and smiled slightly.

"Not at your current level, I think. It was my fault for not ensuring you were better prepared or protected. Astrayl caught me by surprise, that was all. I'll take steps to ensure this does not happen again." Her smile widened a little as an idea formed and she raised an mock admonishing finger. "Though perhaps next time, you could send a message to me by one of the dragons. You know how to summon the smaller ones, and I would be able to send you some of the more powerful ones to protect you."

A thought occurred to her then. "Your parents didn't object to you coming? I notice they did not even provide you with a proper escort for being alone with a man."

Dragana could not help but laugh gently at her aunt and uncle's naivete. Many people of that generation simply weren't adapting to the changes of the world. They had no idea that changes were about to take place, rendering the world a more deadly place than before. Dragana was well aware of the fact that relying on the strength of the Drayce name was pure arrogance now. Younger families were starting to sniff at the edges of their territory, looking to take what they had not earned. Only the existence of the Whisperers kept these upstarts in check.

"Forgive me, Marnie, I do not mean to ridicule your parents. It is just that they are sometimes blinded by their greed."

She leaned back in her seat and sighed, then said, "I think perhaps you should stay at my family's estate tonight. I must meet with some suitors, of course, but the rest of the time may be spent studying. Is that agreeable to you, cousin?"

Dragana had no intention of taking no for an answer. She'd already miscalculated once today. She had no idea why Astrayl had thought she wouldn't be coming to that meeting, or why he had summoned her apprentice instead. That old bear might say he meant no harm, but Dragana was too jaded to accept his words at face value.

I know, at least, that Marnie is better protected by being near me. And it might serve to put her parents in their place if I remove their precious gem from their home for a while.