Interviews

Writers: Avery, Eimi
Date Posted: 3rd March 2008

Characters: Ishek, Penryn
Description: After a child-induced delay, Ishek and Penryn discuss succession issues of a minor hold.
Location: Garnet Valley Hold
Date: month 8, day 12 of Turn 4

"Come on, Bryalen. Just a little." The Steward tickled the baby's bottom lip with the bottom of the spoon, trying to coax him into opening his mouth. This whole solid food thing was new to both of them and so far Penryn was finding the whole experience time-consuming and frustrating. "Please, just open up a little?"

"Penryn?" Ishek called, sticking his head into the door. He saw his Steward near his son, and paused. "Oh. I see you have your little one here." He hadn't meant to interrupt him, but he hadn't known Penryn was with his son.

"Oh, Ishek, I'm so sorry," Penryn groaned as he suddenly remembered the meeting he had specifically scheduled with the Lord Holder. A meeting they had been post-poned twice already. "I'm trying to get Bryalen to eat and he's just having none of it. Please, just give me half a candlemark more and I will be able to give you my undivided attention."

"It isn't a problem. Your son needs to eat after all." Ishek said lightly. Shouldn't Penryn's wife be taking care of it? Of course, he knew that a babe was stressful, and perhaps the mother just wasn't feeling up to it for the past sevenday or so. Or had it been longer? Or maybe it was that Penryn wanted to be an active father. Well, Ishek didn't want to interrupt a touching family bonding. "I can always wait."

Finally Penryn was able to slip the spoon into the baby's mouth, only to have the child push all the food back out again with his tongue.
"Shardit Byralen," Penryn sighed as he watched all the mashed poridge slide down the baby's chin. "I'm sorry," the Steward said with an appologetic smile towards the Warder. "This is still a little new to the both of us."

Ishek hadn't ever had to feed a child more than a few times, but he didn't remember it being this difficult. Maybe he just wasn't familiar with babies. "It's good to see you involved with your child." he said.
"Will you need less duties so you can spend more time with him?"

"No, we'll be fine," the Steward quickly reassured the Lord Holder and then groaned as the boy spit out the second spoonful. Feeling utterly frustrated he, sighed and threw the spoon back in the bowl, ignoring the splatter of poridge that landed on his trousers. This was just not working. For anyone. "I honestly don't know anymore."

"If you need more time, you can always ask me." Ishek assured him.
"Family should come first."

Bryalen reached out towards his Papa with a small wimper. Penryn picked him up with a sigh. "I think I'm going to have to go find a milkmother."

"Go do that. I can meet with you in my office later."

"Yes, sir," the Steward nodded, feeling embarrased and frustrated by the whole situation. Shards, if only Ryalane...

***

"Are you free now, m'Lord?" Penryn asked as he peeked his head into his office, still feeling the sting of shame from having postponed their meeting once again.

"I am." Ishek said. "Did Bryalen wind up eating anything?"

"He seemed more than content when I left him," the steward said with a tired smile. Bryalen still prefered breast feeding to solid food so he was more than happy to stay with his milk mother a while.

"I'm glad you resolved the situation." Ishek said.

Penryn winced inwardly. He had been rather distracted from his duties as of late. "Yes, I'm very sorry about that. I was working on compiling a list of possible candidates for Evergreen Hold. I have the most likely candidates here." He frowned at the slight smudge across the top page. "Please excuse the porridge."

"It's not a problem." Ishek assured him, examining the page. "Should we meet the potentials?" he asked. It was easier to judge a man's character in person, or so he thought.

"Yes, I would suggest you do," Penryn nodded. "I can arrange a time for them each to come and be interviewed if you like."

"I would appreciate that. Whenever the scheduling can be made will work." He'd have to brush up on the Hold and its situation, and find out what he could on the men. "How many are there?"

His steward pointed to the names written on the hide. "Three. Fulrod, the former Holders elder son, Ramak, the Holders younger son, and Fistor, the brother of the former Holder."

All of them had close enough relations to have legitimate claims. That was good. He didn't know much about the Hold. Maybe Kiomo did. "Let's try to make the interviews as soon as is convenient for everyone." Ishek decided. "That way we don't leave the hold without leadership for too long."

"Agreed," Penryn nodded with a weary sigh. He was just so tired all of a sudden, and the day was only half over. "I will get right on that."

"Is there anything else we need to discuss?" Ishek asked.

"I don't believe so." At least the Steward hoped not. He just needed to find a pot of klah and start in on the rest of his duties for the day, now that he was free from interruption.

"I should let you go, then." After all, his Steward had duties, as did he. "And do let me know if you ever need a respite." It wouldn't do for Penryn to be worn out, after all, and losing his services for awhile was well worth it when it meant giving one of his most hardworking men a break.

"I will," Penryn promised. Although a break from work was not necessarily what he really needed.

Last updated on the March 3rd 2008

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