There were large boulders and trees on the hillside overlooking the small city called Creagach.
Two pillars extended over a worn and rusted gate. The Queen and the Strategist approached with their four soldiers, noting the Sentry on one of the pillars.
"Who goes there?" The young man with the bow asked, rising.
"Hello," Galian said calmly.
"I said who goes there?!" The Sentry reached for an arrow but Galian remained calm.
"Yes I know, but do Sentry's ever say anything else?! How are you today?"
"I..." It was as if he'd never been asked such a question before.
"Tell Gab Harnair that Queen Galian wished to speak with him."
The gates opened so immediately that the two riders jumped.
Creagach was a modest yet modern place. Most of the citizens were hunters and farmers who shot goats with arrows and some herded goats for their milk and supplied it to the city. It was also prime eagle and mountain lion territory. The hunters roamed, fully armed in their light tunics. Archymides noted the man with a fishing pole in a well, he also drew the Queen's eye, and they didn't notice the Jarl's Squire, Slean, who was bowing to them both.
"Welcome to Creagach, Your Grace, I am Slean, the Jarl Harnair's right hand."
"Is Gab here?" The Queen asked. Slean was uncomfortable with the sight of her in a hood, he hated secrets.
"He is, My Queen."
"Lead on," she motioned and Slean didn't have much of a choice.
Slean bowed again and led them away from the gate. Galian looked around, her convoy protecting her, if there would be an assassin it would probably be in Creagach.
City Hall was Gab Harnair's estate, the man was one of the many Jarls in the individual cities all answering to the kingdom. There were some who did not answer to the royals but they were in the deepest reaches of the world. Of all the Jarls, Gab was the Queen's least favorite. He was too much of a politican for his own good, his incessant quest to be trusted just made him harder to trust. He was too charming, a complete narcissist really, and those were the kindest words that came to Galian's mind when she looked upon the man and heard him speak. Archymides luckily showed his usual temperance.
"Covac has the king," she said bluntly and relaxed into the chair at the long table.
Gab had been studying his drink like a teacher would give him a test on it. He looked up from it and put on his best frown, feigning sympathy, Galian saw right through it of course.
"Oh dear, well it's good you came to me first."
"And why is that?" Galian asked, figuring she might as well let herself laugh if she was to deal with the frilly man.
"Well. Erimon is gone, you're gone, because you're here. Some of the other holds might view this current instability as a perfect time to strike and seize power in the capital."
She wanted to strike him, not for his gaul, his suggestibility, but because his voice was like that of a hissing cat.
"Larian has been placed in charge, he will do a fine job."
Gab pretended to agree. It was the height of his acting prowess.
"Of course he will, the Prince has learned from only the best. The first human King and Queen in generations. I hope you're still considering my daughter as a suitor for your boy. Larian is a fine young man, one any father would wish for his little girl."
Galian was disgusted at the thought, not just because she didn't want to related to him in anyway or have to deal with him on a regular basis. "I'm sorry, isn't she thirteen?"
To Gab, that wasn't an issue, but he went along with her.
"When she comes of age of course. Oh you royals, with your honor, and your... dignity."
Galian looked around the room. Gab was one of the newer Jarls and had already accumulated much wealth. It hadn't been her choice to appoint him, it was Erimon's after Gab's father died, Lucus was a much better man, she wished he was here in Gab's place.
"You certainly live well now, don't you?" She asked.
"Hm, this?" Gab asked, looking around himself. "This is nothing. I'm a man of the people, I'm only here because of your husband's generosity." He smiled. His teeth were yellow and his breath had an unpleasant kick that made Galian nearly gag.
"I'm here because your father was the first to ride to us in the first dragon war."
"Aye, indeed. My father had great respect for Erimon, he was a damn good soldier, I hope he still is."
"We don't know exactly what Covac is planning, but war at least now seems like a great possibility. I need your archers."
"You do realize we have only a small force, yes? We don't have the numbers to defeat Covac if he is indeed planning war once more."
"Creagach is not my only stop, it will be a joint effort, we need all the strongest holds in the Kingdom."
There was wondering in Gab's eyes.
"Men defeated dragons once, Gab, in great numbers. We can do so once more."
Gab continued to think about it, his lips were pursed, his head moved with the conversation within.
"If we don't move now, we risk Covac striking a deal with the goblins and orcs. The Harkins, the Muskigee, who knows what else?"
Gab took a long sip of the tea he'd forgotten was there then groaned with pleasure as he savored the taste, even though it was no longer steaming.
"I need to think about it."
Galian laughed. "What is there to think about, are you not loyal to your Kingdom?"
"To the King, certainly."
Gab stared her down, his words had carried the threat he'd hoped. "But you're not the King, are you?"
Galian was still smiling, though their eyes held nothing but contempt for each other.
Galian waited impatiently at the stables with her guardsmen and it took a whine from Marschula for to realize she was taking her frustration out on the poor animal's fur, as soon as she realized, a good pet and rubdown was satisfactory enough for an apology. Archymides returned, she'd stormed out leaving the strategist to talk business.
"Did you get anything?" She asked, nearly mauling him.
"Half," he said, knowing she wouldn't like it. "And I had to pay."
"Do I have to take royal action?" She wondered and seriously considered it.
Archymides calmed her, steering her back to the horses. "It will add a hundred men and it will help. The last thing we need is a civilian uprising in the middle of this crisis."
Galian threw an arm up, wishing there was somebody to strike. "So the treaties are worthless?"
"Treaties written by ancient elves calling other ancient elves to defend the capital don't carry as much weight today."
"Why can't that moron see that Covac is a threat to him too?"
Archymides nodded then shrugged, he didn't like Gab either. "I mentioned that, he asked how long I'd rehearsed it."
Galian mounted her horse, "yes, well, he knows a thing or two about pretending."