Lingering Shadows-Chapter 28

Chapter 28-Just a Little Longer

Notes:

• uh….would you guys be mad at me if the alliance is not renewed?

It looked like one of the most nerve-wracking lunches either Artham or Esben had ever had.  After the food was brought in a couple of the other chief and members of the Annieran council moved somewhere else to eat, so Artham and Esben decided it was okay to do the same, leaving only a few people still at the table in the Keep, including Myndik, who looked like he was ready to explode like a pop rocket, Bonifer, and Kandir. 

Aro followed the brothers outside to eat, and watching Artham and Esben’s nervous faces made him think of what had been for him by far the most nerve-wracking lunch he had ever eaten, about four or five years ago. Except that he hadn’t eaten. So technically just a nerve-wracking midday. He shook his head, trying to stop thinking about it. He didn’t want to think about what would’ve happened.

Artham and Esben sat down at a large round table with three stone benches under a large tree, and Aro sat down in a comfortable looking spot between two roots, immediately standing up with a yelp of surprise, realizing that the ground was very wet and very cold from snow that was only half melted. Artham looked at him, half smiling even though his eyes were still anxious. 

“Come sit here,” he said, gesturing to the unoccupied bench. 

“Thanks,” Aro said, trying to smile but not succeeding. They sat for a few minutes, and neither Artham or Esben actually ate. They just pushed the food around on their plates. Finally, Esben pushed away his plate with a sigh. 

“It’s useless! There’s no way I can eat until after this vote. What if they still vote no, Arth?” Esben asked with a note of despair in his voice. 

“Then we just have to keep trying. But this is the best chance we’ve had so far,” Artham answered, glancing anxiously toward the Keep. Aro opened his mouth to say something, then clamped it shut again. He was going to avoid talking with them if possible. But he still needed Artham to trust him. Besides, not talking meant he had a lot more time for listening, which meant the mission would be completed sooner. So he listened. Artham asked him a few questions, clearly trying to make him feel welcome, but Aro gave short answers when possible. Besides, Artham still looked nervous.

 “Um, Artham? You don’t need to try to talk to me right now,” he finally said with a little laugh. “ I know you’re really worried about the alliance. I mean, if it helps you not be nervous to talk, then I’d be happy to talk, but I don’t mind being quiet either.” he finished, squirming on the bench. Ban Rona was cold. Artham laughed wryly. 

“I was hoping it wasn’t that obvious,” he said, smiling at Aro. 

“It kinda is…” Aro said with a crooked smile. “Is there anything I can do to help?” 

Artham shook his head.

 “Just keep doing everything as great as you have been lately,” he said, then returning to silence and not eating lunch. He wound up giving most of his food to a very happy Connolin, who kept sniffing in everyone’s lap and around their feet for more, including Aro. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to all three of them, there was a bell ringing inside. Aro scrambled off the bench, grabbing Artham’s satchel and passing it to him, then going very quickly toward the Keep. Artham chuckled and went behind him, darting out to grab Aro’s shoulder when he almost wiped out by slipping on the frozen ground.

 They went back into the Keep, and it immediately seemed dark compared to the bright winter outside. Esben took his place across from Kandir, (and was unfortunately beside Myndik, who was at the head of the table) and Artham sat next to his brother. Connolin settled between them with his head held high, but unable to resist every now and then nudging Artham to scratch his head. Artham also found himself relaxing slightly when he was petting his dog. Aro stood beside and behind Artham, leaning against the wall because he was tired of standing. After a second he glanced around and slid slowly down until he was sitting cross legged on the floor. No one ever noticed him anyway, and he could take notes just fine from the floor. 

Finally, everyone was there and settled down. Esben managed to get in the first words, trying to keep everyone on track. 

“As decided before we ate, we are going to take the vote on the alliance today. If anyone has anything else that needs to be discussed about this matter, now is the time to say it,” he said decidedly, even though he desperately wished he didn’t have to open for discussion. It would be another hour or two before they actually got around to the vote, but he knew if they didn’t get all these problems worked out now, they would be worse for the wear later.

Mostly he listened as the chiefs discussed amongst themselves, Myndik argued against them, and Bonifer, Kandir, and Artham pushed as hard as the three of them together could for the alliance. When he did speak though, his answer was well thought out and almost most of the time concluded whatever issue Myndik and the other two on the Keeper’s side had brought up. One of them was looking very threatening, leafing through a general copy of Hollish law, in the specific chapter about alliances and the chapter about council decisions. (They were both relatively short chapters, the sections about fruitish law were about ten times longer.)

Once though, Esben got so absorbed in a heated debate between that particular Chief and Kandir, that the next thing he noticed was Artham nudging him. 

“Es!” His older brother whispered. “Seriously, please breathe. You’re freaking me out.” 

Until then Esben hadn’t realized he was holding his breath, and when he did his eyes widened and he took a huge gasp of air. Artham sighed. 

“Thank you,” he whispered, tilting his head slightly and smiling when he heard Aro trying to stifle a laugh behind him. 

Finally, when the sun was already casting long, dark shadows, there was nothing else Myndik could argue about, at least nothing that hadn’t already been gone over twice before. Still, he sounded completely confident and still scornful when he spoke. Artham wondered if he imagined it, but he thought there might have been a hint of uncertainty in his words. 

“Are ye sure ye two want to do this? I don’t want ye to be disappointed,” he said. 

That’s exactly what you want, Esben thought, and for approximately the fifteenth time that afternoon Artham fervently wished that he could punch Myndik in the face with no following problems. But that would never happen, so he satisfied himself with a brief glare that he wasn’t even sure Myndik saw. 

“Yes, Keeper. We are sure. Please allow the council to begin the vote.” Myndik growled, crossing his arms and sinking back in his chair. 

“Go ahead then,” he spat out harshly, gesturing at the Chiefs. 

“Yes,” Kandir immediately said, thumping the table with his fist. Everyone looked at him in confusion for a split second. He sighed. 

“I vote yes,” he repeated, slowly and clearly. Esben smiled, intensely grateful, and Artham almost laughed, he was so happy to have a Chief of the Hollows so assertively and steadily on their side.

“Ye can’t vote until they’ve presented their motion,” Myndik growled, extremely disgruntled, his tone very well implying the multiple insults he was thinking but not saying. 

Esben stood up. 

“Council of the Chiefs of the Green Hollows, we propose the decision to override the Keeper’s choice not to renew the alliance between Anniera and the Green Hollows. The vote must be unanimous to succeed in renewing the alliance against the Keeper’s intentions. Vote yes to renew the alliance, no to break it,” Esben then sat down, having presented the issue as clearly as possible, completely oblivious to the fact that he had been rather blunt. 

“Please proceed, Keeper,” Artham said when Esben forgot to. Every single Annieran representative and all but three of the seven chiefs immediately wished that Myndik didn’t have to take the vote.

Myndik looked like he would rather try to hug a squeeblin. Actually, when Esben thought about it, when the he began taking the vote he looked pretty close to what Esben thought someone trying to hug a squeeblin would look like. 

“Kandir ban Yorna, how do you v-”

“Yes,” Kandir immediately said, again thumping his thick hand on the table. Myndik glared daggers at Kandir. 

“Narinda of the Outer Vale’s, how do you vote?”

 “Yes,” the Chieftess said firmly, glaring right back at Myndik. He was the first to look away. Esben almost forgot to breathe again. The other two Chiefs and one Chieftess who hadn’t even once made their position clear were next to vote. One yes went by. Then another. Then a very, very long pause. 

Two minutes that seemed like two hours went by. Esben was literally on the verge of just yelling at the man to make up his mind, and only kept himself from doing it because that might make him vote no. Myndik’s glare was not making it any easier for the man. 

“Yes,” the Chief finally said. Esben sighed with relief, and heard both Artham and Aro sigh as well. Esben’s heart started pounding. He glanced at Artham in despair. The other two were firmly against him. Myndik smirked. 

“Millan of Ban Rugan, how do you vote?” Again there was a long silence. A few pages of the Hollish law book Millan were turned. Esben couldn’t stand it any longer, and knew if he didn’t busy his hands with something or say something, he would explode. He started ripping a piece of paper he snatched off the table into tiny bits, and only by the time he had shredded half of it and gotten most of the shreds in Connolin’s fur did he look frantically down to make sure he wasn’t ripping up some important document. 

Thank the Maker he wasn’t. Artham looked completely stoik, but when Esben glanced under the table, his brother had his hands clenched into fists and one knee was bouncing frantically up and down faster than Esben thought possible. 

Esben ran out of paper to tear, and before he reached for another one on the table, he felt something poking him from behind. He glanced back and gratefully took the piece of regular, not important, blank paper that Aro passed him sympathetically. 

Finally, Millan leaned back with an enormous huff, folding his arms and crossing his arms across his chest. 

“Yes,” he spat out venomously. “I vote yes.” Myndik’s eyes widened slightly and he glared at the man so angrily that Artham firmly decided to keep his brother well out of Myndik’s way if possible for the next couple days. 

Finally, there was only one opponent left. Myndik asked the question, practically burning holes in the man with his furious glare. The man hesitated. And still hesitated. Esben ran out of paper to shred. 

Millan was sitting next to the last voter, and he moved the huge law book ever so slightly toward the man, tapping one thick finger almost imperceptibly on one line. 

If a majority of four Chiefs agree, any one Chief can be removed and replaced from his position. The last man sighed heavily. He avoided Myndik’s eyes. 

He whispered something, barely audible. 

“What did ye say?” Myndik asked, knowing full well what the Chief had said, but practically daring him to say it out loud. The man shouted out his answer, then slumping back in his chair. 

“I vote yes!”