eachdraidh | video | locked to Seelie

[Sigrid turns on the feed and immediately continues working, having a number of different maps and books open and sketching at something furiously.]

I need help.

I've got a very official presentation I have to make to the Council in Treun in just six days and I need someone who can make this.

[She picks up the paper she's been drawing on to show...]

[She sets it down again and looks into the locket with frantic and pleading eyes, like a wild thing whose sole source of energy has long since been caffeine mixed with adrenaline.]

I didn't know, I thought just telling them we'd give them the road would be enough, but they want sketches now. They want schematics and contracts for builders and probably budgets. We don't even have roads where I come from!

Does anybody know anything about building roads? Especially through mountains?

[Her sentence gives slightly out at the end. She groans and buries her face in her folded arms as if giving the quest up as completely mad and hopeless.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

If they can blast through the rock, it'll get them through the mountain quicker and make the road straighter. Magic and good old-fashioned hard labor could support any tunnels.

Or, if you want to go around the mountain- supports along the sides of cliffs to help prevent people from falling off. If there are settlements in the area, small towns, they'll most likely appreciate the road because it'll bring more money into the area. Of course, there's the problem of robbers and wild animal attacks.

Not, [ John adds after a moment, ] that I actually have any practical experience.

[All that seems like common sense. Sigrid stares at John for a moment.]

I think they're looking for ciphering. There needs to be ciphering or else they'll think I'm not serious. Ciphering and geometry. I've only balanced my father's books, and Lord Stark's. I'm not an accountant nor a geometr...er.

[ Well, you asked. Besides, he's on a boat. ]

I don't suppose you can tell them in a diplomatic way that no one wanted to waste their time doing all that before knowing if they'd be interested?

[She huffs.]

Of course they're interested. They're businessmen. Right now they have only one road leading them to Caer Glaem and it's had a lot of battles on it even since I've been here. Giving them a safer road is the only way to keep trade open between us. It's such a clear solution that I marvel that no one's done it before. It's a gift of goodwill, practically, not a negotiation at all. I just...didn't know they'd want all that right away!

They're businessmen who may not want to piss off the Unseelie, considering they're the side that's winning. Why trade with us when it's possible Caer Glaem won't even be on the map for long?

Not that you should tell them that. [ He's sure they already know. ]

This road is why. They've had trade with us and the Unseelie for ages, and they've thought about cutting it all off, especially with Caer Glaem, because of how dangerous it is to travel. Think how much fighting happens between here and Caer Scima. But what we can give them that the Unseelie cannot is a safe road south of the fighting. Loads safer than trading with Caer Scima by sea. If they cut one of us off now, it's going to be them, and that will cause all sorts of trouble in Caer Scima's economy.

[ He nods, absorbing this new information. ]

Well then, find out what they want from the road other than the road itself. Should be a joint effort, right?

There will be formal talks during which that sort of thing will be decided. In six days. But we'll have 'em eating out of our hand. You know if the Unseelie win the war, Treun will lose its guarantee that it'll get this road they've been wanting for years. It might be a little incentive, anyway, for them to try to keep the war going for a bit.

Way my thinking is, you need the formal talks before you have the formal plans. [ Though he supposes they'd want a rough draft. ]

Papers aren't plans, they're proof we know what we're doing and are being serious about this. It's our proposal.

Edited 2014-09-23 20:14 (UTC)

Looks like Bolin's volunteered my services anyway.

[Sigrid nods.] I'm sending you your contracts tonight. You should have them in a couple of days, and you must send them back to me straight away after you've signed them.

I'm on a ship.

[ So, uh. Just so she's aware. ]

[...She manages not to bitch at him for his lack of consideration. After all, he couldn't have known he would be asked to sign a contract before going out to sea.]

Then I'll sign yours with an X. Lots of people do that when they can't write anyway.

If they ask, you can tell them I also gave verbal permission and have experience working with the blood granite at Redgate.

It might help if I knew anything about how that might be helpful.

Blood granite nullifies most abilities, especially magical ones.

That doesn't make any sense. Does it make it hard to move or something?

Very difficult. It's also very rare -- a status symbol.

And you could still work properly?

We could. Bolin was there as well.

And you're going to build my road.

[She's smiling now, starting to feel a giddy rush that comes of seeing everything fall into place.]

That's wonderful. Thank you.

You're welcome. Let me know how it goes?

Of course.

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