Alaric.
Alaric toyed with the idea of using augmenta again to bring Brandson more firmly onto his side. But with everyone this close, it would influence everyone. Gustav and Douglon would become angrier. It probably wouldn’t affect an elf, but it wouldn’t stop Ayda from watching him with that odd look, either.
“You told him all that without him influencing you in any way?” she asked Brandson, eyeing Alaric.
“Of course,” Brandson said. “I told him because I trust him.”
“I’m honored that Brandson entrusted me with your secret,” Alaric said, stepping back from her. “And to prove my goodwill, I will help you find your treasure.”
“We don’t need help,” Douglon said. “Or anyone else to split it with.”
“What help could you offer?” Brandson asked, talking over Douglon.
Alaric was tempted for a moment to tell them he was a Keeper. For Brandson and Gustav, that would put him in a position of authority. But it wouldn’t convince Douglon. All Douglon would see was that he was still a human, and dwarves were unimpressed with humans. Mostly, though, he was reluctant to claim the title.
“I have found a decent amount of treasure myself,” Alaric said instead. “And I have a good sense of an object’s worth.”
“We can figure out how much it’s worth,” the dwarf said.
“Probably,” agreed Alaric, “but I do bring one more thing. A buyer.”
Brandson looked curious, but Douglon scowled.
“If the gem is as large as you think it is, the queen would be interested in it. I’d imagine she would pay you generously for it.” It wasn’t exactly a lie. “If this stone is even a quarter as grand as you say it is, I will talk to Saren about buying it.” The Keepers would pay any price for a Wellstone. And Saren would help.
The group exchanged wary glances.
“And Saren will just do as you say?” Gustav asked.
“ Queen Saren, ” Alaric corrected, berating himself for being so careless, “likes gemstones. She buys them at a generous price from miners. I’m sure she would do the same for yours.”
Douglon and Gustav were watching Alaric with distrust. This wasn’t going all that well.
“If you decide you don’t want to sell it, the queen will have to be satisfied with that, of course,” Alaric said. “But a gem doesn’t split four ways. A pile of gold does.”
“That’s a good point,” Ayda said. She sat a little off to the side, thoroughly entertained by the discussion.
“If you tell your queen about it, she’s likely to take it from us by force,” Douglon said.
Alaric let out a laugh. “You don’t know much about Queen Saren, do you?”
“Queen Saren is known for her fairness and generosity,” Brandson said. “She wouldn’t take it by force.”
“That doesn’t mean a lot coming from you.” Douglon shot a glare at Brandson and gestured toward Alaric. “You trust people a little too easily, don’t you think?”
Brandson scowled.
“It seems to me that you’ve benefitted from that trust a bit,” Ayda pointed out to the dwarf.
Douglon included her in his general glare, then turned to Gustav. “Is it true what they say about the queen?”
“You could probably convince her to pay you more than it’s worth,” Gustav said. “She’s never been particularly strong.”
Alaric bristled, but clamped his mouth shut.
“How generous would she be?” Douglon asked, his expression calculating.
“Very generous,” Alaric said. “I’ve seen her pay almost twice what a gem was worth if she thought it was beautiful.” Not to mention powerful and magical.
Douglon stroked his beard absently.
Brandson cleared his throat. “I vote to let Alaric join us.”
“Me, too!” Ayda burst out, as though she’d been waiting for the chance.
Alaric didn’t meet her eyes. It would be nice to keep his wits clear right now.
He looked at Gustav and was surprised to be greeted by a shrewd look. When Alaric met his eyes, though, the old man’s gaze faltered and
Alaric toyed with the idea of using augmenta again to bring Brandson more firmly onto his side. But with everyone this close, it would influence everyone. Gustav and Douglon would become angrier. It probably wouldn’t affect an elf, but it wouldn’t stop Ayda from watching him with that odd look, either.
“You told him all that without him influencing you in any way?” she asked Brandson, eyeing Alaric.
“Of course,” Brandson said. “I told him because I trust him.”
“I’m honored that Brandson entrusted me with your secret,” Alaric said, stepping back from her. “And to prove my goodwill, I will help you find your treasure.”
“We don’t need help,” Douglon said. “Or anyone else to split it with.”
“What help could you offer?” Brandson asked, talking over Douglon.
Alaric was tempted for a moment to tell them he was a Keeper. For Brandson and Gustav, that would put him in a position of authority. But it wouldn’t convince Douglon. All Douglon would see was that he was still a human, and dwarves were unimpressed with humans. Mostly, though, he was reluctant to claim the title.
“I have found a decent amount of treasure myself,” Alaric said instead. “And I have a good sense of an object’s worth.”
“We can figure out how much it’s worth,” the dwarf said.
“Probably,” agreed Alaric, “but I do bring one more thing. A buyer.”
Brandson looked curious, but Douglon scowled.
“If the gem is as large as you think it is, the queen would be interested in it. I’d imagine she would pay you generously for it.” It wasn’t exactly a lie. “If this stone is even a quarter as grand as you say it is, I will talk to Saren about buying it.” The Keepers would pay any price for a Wellstone. And Saren would help.
The group exchanged wary glances.
“And Saren will just do as you say?” Gustav asked.
“ Queen Saren, ” Alaric corrected, berating himself for being so careless, “likes gemstones. She buys them at a generous price from miners. I’m sure she would do the same for yours.”
Douglon and Gustav were watching Alaric with distrust. This wasn’t going all that well.
“If you decide you don’t want to sell it, the queen will have to be satisfied with that, of course,” Alaric said. “But a gem doesn’t split four ways. A pile of gold does.”
“That’s a good point,” Ayda said. She sat a little off to the side, thoroughly entertained by the discussion.
“If you tell your queen about it, she’s likely to take it from us by force,” Douglon said.
Alaric let out a laugh. “You don’t know much about Queen Saren, do you?”
“Queen Saren is known for her fairness and generosity,” Brandson said. “She wouldn’t take it by force.”
“That doesn’t mean a lot coming from you.” Douglon shot a glare at Brandson and gestured toward Alaric. “You trust people a little too easily, don’t you think?”
Brandson scowled.
“It seems to me that you’ve benefitted from that trust a bit,” Ayda pointed out to the dwarf.
Douglon included her in his general glare, then turned to Gustav. “Is it true what they say about the queen?”
“You could probably convince her to pay you more than it’s worth,” Gustav said. “She’s never been particularly strong.”
Alaric bristled, but clamped his mouth shut.
“How generous would she be?” Douglon asked, his expression calculating.
“Very generous,” Alaric said. “I’ve seen her pay almost twice what a gem was worth if she thought it was beautiful.” Not to mention powerful and magical.
Douglon stroked his beard absently.
Brandson cleared his throat. “I vote to let Alaric join us.”
“Me, too!” Ayda burst out, as though she’d been waiting for the chance.
Alaric didn’t meet her eyes. It would be nice to keep his wits clear right now.
He looked at Gustav and was surprised to be greeted by a shrewd look. When Alaric met his eyes, though, the old man’s gaze faltered and
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