Hand Delivered

Writers: Eimi, Patrick
Date Posted: 13th July 2007

Characters: Kosten, Benaroy
Description: Kosten brings his father-in-law a report on hold and family matters
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 4, day 25 of Turn 4

"Lord Kosten is here to see you, m'lord," the scribe the Lord Holder had conscripted to help him reminded him.

"Ah yes, Kosten," Benaroy smiled. Thank Faranth, not _another_ request or complaint! "Come in Kosten!" he called passed his assistant, waving the man in.

Kosten gave a bow to his wife's father before seating himself as comfortably as possible. "Good afternoon Lord Benaroy." He said. He took out the stack of hides he'd brought for this meeting. "You look well. Have they found your daughter yet?" He asked.

"You mean your sister-in-law, Royani? No," Benaroy replied, his smile turning more forced then genuine.

"I'm sorry." Kosten said. The silence stretched for a moment before Kosten let out a loud cough. "I'm sure they'll find her." He said before taking out the hides he'd prepared for this meeting. "But I have some other pressing business that I need to tend too."
Kosten slid some hides across to his father-in-law. "That is this Turns expected yeilds compared to last Turns tithes. And this," He passed another hide across the desk, "Is Hidden Meadows current costs for crafters, including the suspected prices on our new Harper."

"Since when did Hidden Meadows need a new Harper?"
Benaroy asked, surprised.

Kosten grinned a little. He knew his father-in-law's memory was going. It had taken two weeks for the man to remember hold old Kozhan was. "Rythan stepped down almost two sevenday's ago now. I've been working with Harper Faran to find a replacement." Kosten said simply, like he was saying for the first time.

"Ah, I see. I'm glad you remembered to figure that in," Benaroy nodded as he picked up the hides to study them. It was impressive. "Looks like your hold is doing quite well, Kosten."

"Thank you sir. We plan on keeping it that way." The hold wouldn't be going backwards anymore if he had his way. He passed another stack of hides to the Lord. "This is the plans for the repairs and extentions to the beast hold." Kosten flipped to the page showing the finished blueprints. "Its fallen into disrepair and we need more space for the new stock." He explained.

"I have to say, Kosten, the things you have done with that hold are truly amazing." Benaroy wished one his natural born-sons had half the ambition and drive, not to mention foreword thought this man had. His daughter had been matched well. "Thank you sir. Its been my goal since I was old enough to realize what was happening around me. To pull my Hold back from the brink of forgetfulness." Kosten was very glad his father-in-law approved to his management. "Kortol and I have been working non-stop to keep up with the demand for repairs."

"Yes. I only wish the Woodsmith Hall could offer you more timber, but they are just getting back off the ground." Benaran had reported promising progress, but it would be a while before the Hall could turn a profit.

"And there isn't a soul who blames the Hall." Kosten said assuredly. "I make sure of it."

"Still, perhaps you should consider utilizing your stonemasons a bit more." It seemed he could certainly bear the extra cost! This was going to be a good tithe, and it would certainly help Amber Hills. "I have them working as fast as possible. But they can only do so much without the wood for shoring." Kosten said matter of factly. That was the one downfall to Hidden Meadows, no natural cave system.

"True," the Lord Holder conceeded. "How is that young bull I gave you? Has he proved as good a breeder as we had hoped?"

"He's produced some amazing stock. But we have to keep him penned separate almost all the time because his temperment can be a bit, moody." Kosten explained. "We've been very lucky it hasn't passed down. As soon as it does we're retiring him."

"Well, that's unfortunate. Hopefully he'll produce an even tempered stud to replace him."

"Its a bit to early to tell, but we're hopeful at least one of them can pass down his good traits and loose the bad. We don't want to have to cull the whole lot." Kosten said with a tinge of worry. "But thats for my herders to worry about."

"Well, if they are just going to end up on the table anyway, their temperment doesn't mean quite as much as with a runner, for example." "Well we don't want him to breed bad tempered milkers.
That oculd cause problems." Kosten said. "But once he breeds a nice tempered replacement, we'll have to chop him up for the table."

"I'd buy him back from you if it comes to that." He would produce good meat animals if nothing else, and Benaroy always hated to see a good stud wasted.

"Well I'm sure that could be arranged." Kosten's head immediatly began to run through the possibilities those marks would give his hold. He could hire another masoncrafter for his quarters. Anzha had been complaining about the lack of light in their again and said she wanted another window. Or he could use it to by more grain fields from the smaller holder on his western border. The thoughts came unbidden but not unwelcome.

"So how is my daughter? I was rather disappointed she was not here with you." Family had become even more important to Benaroy after Royani disappeared. "She's doing fine. The healers say that there's nothing wrong with the baby." Kosten had been only a bit surprised, if not glad, when the healers had told him and his wife she was pregnant again. "But she didn't want to leave our rooms today, she said her feet hurt." Which was understandable, seeing as he had been the one to sugest the entire family go on this trip to the Main Hold.

"Well, yes, I suppose it is a little far along in her pregnancy for her to be traveling. It's hard to remember when I can't see her progression." And part of Benaroy wondered if maybe he _should_ have known and had just forgotten. He could handle the headaches and the episodes, but what truly scared him was the knowldege that he could no longer trust his own memory. Every slight slip and it made him doubt himself again... "Please send her all of our love, and I hope she will bring the baby by to see us when its big enough."

"I'll be sure to tell her your thinking of her." Kosten reassured. "And if you don't have anything else you'd like to discuss with me I'll go and tell her now." Kosten grinned at his father-in-law.

"I'm sure you're anxious to be home," Benaroy nodded. "Thank you for delivering these personally."

Last updated on the July 14th 2007

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