Coming Clean

Galinn had been more seriously considering - planning even - talking to Laufrey since they'd managed the successful invasion of Vothunleith. Somehow, the fact that Aerfen had taken most of her people away made the time seem more opportune.

He waited until evening, when there was less formal business to take care of. Accompanied by a thrall bearing a tray with a good bottle of wine and two glasses, he made his way up to Laufrey's rooms to be announced by the waiting servant.

A light knocking on his library door roused Laufrey from the sheaf of papers he'd been studying, tax records Pr'kop'tz had sent over from his audit of Vatnleith's treasury. Aerfen's pet neogi could be off-putting at times, but he knew his trade.

"Master Galinn to see you, Jarl," came the call from the other side of the door. Laufrey smiled, somewhat without realizing it.

"Show him in, Nauth," the summoner called, looking up to see the thrall back in with a bottle and glasses. Laufrey raised an eyebrow, idly gesturing for Galinn to take the seat opposite him.

"What's the occasion?"

Galinn settled himself into the chair while Nauth uncorked the bottle and poured two glasses. "Does good wine really need an occasion? Besides - everyone else is off playing and you're working too hard."

"Well, I do have a...country to run now," Laufrey said with a smile, taking the offered glass. He glanced at the papers in his other hand, sighed, and placed them on a side table. "Someone has to do this kind of thing."

"That'll be all, Nauth, thank you," Laufrey offered off-handedly before returning his attention to his companion.

"On something of a similar note, any thoughts as to what your plans are? I certainly appreciate all your help recently, I just wasn't sure if you were looking to make it more official. There are plenty of positions that need filling."

Galinn couldn't help but smirk, taking a drink of his wine. "I'm sure there are." He cast a quick glance over his shoulder as Nauth let himself out, closing the door behind him and presumably taking up his post once more. It was tempting to keep the entendres rolling and see where the evening went a few drinks in, but he'd gathered his resolve for something else. "I have been giving quite a lot of thought to how I might best serve your current enterprise. There are some things I could be very good at, I think, but there are also some complications."

Laufrey gave Galinn a surreptitious, appraising glance, covering with an extensive study of the wine. Slowly swirling the wine, a fine, dark Bantgrawth vintage from Bein Tuilleachaen, considered his companion.

He knew Galinn's wanderings had not been uneventful, and that a skilled mage was likely to have garnered some enemies. Still, he hoped the man decided to stay, for a host of reasons, and it would be better to know what might be coming.

"Complications?" he asked, only mostly managing to sound nonchalant.

"Mmhmm." Galinn sighed. "When We left... Vaenn swore revenge on your father - a familiar sentiment, I'm sure. She became very focused, and she's never really let that go. It hasn't always led to the best decisions. She didn't care about making other enemies as long as she was able to further her own goals. At first I tried to help things go.... more smoothly, but it really just became another tool for her. Over the years, we traveled quite extensively. We would make new allies wherever we went, but she could never keep them - there are plenty of places that wouldn't be glad to see either of us again."

"I hope it's not insulting to say that doesn't surprise me," Laufrey offered. "Your sister was always single-minded."

The jarl sighed and took another sip of his drink.

"How concerned do I need to be? I'm sure I can offer protection, but it'll be easier to make good on that if I know what, if anything, is likely to be coming."

Galinn laughed lightly. "That's charming, you you don't need to worry about protecting *me*. We didn't make the kind of enemies who are likely to come looking - In that regard, all I'd meant is that - once you get out into the wider world, it is probably not going to be in your best interest to have be going out to represent you in person." Galinn took a quick deep drink of his wine - this was the harder part. "But - that's not to say that there aren't other concerns. I don't know precisely what Vaenn is going to do when she hears about this... Muirin Scaermar. But I'm sure she won't be happy to have all of her plans overthrown."

"Well, we're all learning to adjust," Laufrey commented sardonically. "My wife does seem to have a talent for shattering the best laid plans..."

Laufrey paused a moment to consider.

"How concerned should I be? Do you think Vaenn will be dangerous?"

Galin smirked at Laufrey's comment about Aerfen. "She hasn't been resting on her laurels, in terms of her studies - but as far as I am aware, she's not an immediate concern." He tilted his head, swirling the wine in his glass. "The last I was aware, her schemes had caught up with her, and she'd been locked up in a tower. This was in Rathtuaim, out west in Bein Tuilleachan. But I don't know how long that will last, and she has a habit of landing on her feet."

"Rathtuaim? That's a ways a way, at least," Laufrey mused.

"Well," he replied, finishing the glass of wine in final gulp, "now we know, and we can prepare. I can't say I'm not a little disappointed we can't use you for our diplomatic efforts; Aerfen and the Rose are more suited to strongarm techniques, but I'm sure we'll find a use for your skills."

He paused a moment before really meeting Galinn's eyes.

"I can understand why you waited to tell me this, and, while it's not good news, I do appreciate you coming out with it."

Galinn had plenty of thoughs about how exactly they could build a strong diplomatic corps - recruiting from the bardic college, providing further specialized extra training.... But when Laufrey met his gaze, the thoughts and plans all froze. He felt exposed, unsettled, even though this was exactly what he'd intended.

He managed to nod, but the beat seemed to stretch on before he could formulate a reply. "Of course. But I should strive to serve you better, shouldn't I?" He raised the remains of his glass and smiled playfully before finishing it off. "My jarl."