Striding purposefully from the room, Lord Tolan's next stop was to speak with Lord Dalor and pick up the silver coins that were to be delivered to the Shadow Riders before they began their guerilla warfare attacks against Venger's army. As he walked down the hall towards the treasury, lost in his plans, his attention was drawn as a man coming from the other direction paused and snapped him a smart salute."Sir!" the man said with military crispness.
Tolan had been so absorbed in his own thoughts that it took a full three seconds to recognize the man. Then he grinned broadly. "Sergeant Barrod! At ease, my good man." Barrod was the leader of the company of palace guard who offered bodyguard service to all noble officials. He and his men would be the natural first choice for Tolan to use to escort him to the Shadow Riders' encampment. "How fare you?" he asked pleasantly.
"Quite well, M'lord, and yourself?" the sergeant replied.
"Very well, thank you," Tolan said. "I am about to ride out to the mercenary company which the Princess has hired to assist us wage war against Venger, to deliver their commission and half their pay."
"Yes, sir!" Barrod agreed. "May I offer you the protection of my company as you ride out to meet them?"
"No, thank you," Tolan said with a smile. "I was going to speak with Sergeant Jakkarth about using his detail as an escort." Jakkarth's company, palace guards as well, were often called upon to offer protection to royal caravans carrying money, goods, or personages over distances. "I am delivering a tidy sum of money, and I considered this to be a journey, albeit a short one, which made me consider Jakkarth's company. You understand?"
"Of course, sir," Barrod answered, without a hint of animosity or hurt in his voice.
"Excellent," Tolan said, giving the man a salute. "Carry on, Sergeant."
"Sir!" the sergeant said, snapping a brisk salute in return before continuing on his way.
Finally reacing the treasury, Tolan met with Lord Dalor, who had promised to have the advance pay counted out by the time Tolan arrived for it. He was down to counting the last one hundred or so coins when Tolan entered the room. As he waited, Tolan explained again that the commission and forward pay were to be delivered immediately, and that the supplies to the Drow were to follow within two hours. If Dalor had any misgivings, he kept them to himself as he took his neatly stacked coins and dumped them randomly into a small coffer and locked it.
"Here you are, and be careful with it, that seems like an awful lot of coin for a mercen-ooof!" Dalor gasped as it turned out the coffer was a little heavier than he'd anticipated.
"If they will help us rid ourselves of Venger, I will gladly pay it," Tolan replied, picking up the box and not really noticing an excess of weight. He shrugged. Dalor had spent his youth around books and fine food and refined company, not on the adventure trail, swinging a sword and fighting for his life.
Leaving the treasury, Tolan then sought out Sergeant Jakkarth, just as he'd said he would. "Sergeant Jakkarth, greetings!" he called upon finally spotting the man at his post.
"M'lord!" Jakkarth saluted, as did the guard who shared the post.
Tolan noticed Jakkarth's eyes study the coffer for a moment, so he obliged the sergeant's curiosity. "I am riding out to meet with the Shadow Riders and deliver their advance pay," he explained, hefting the box so the coins rattled slightly.
"Very good, sir," Jakkarth said, then offered, "If m'lord needs an escort, my men and I are at your service."
"No, thank you," Tolan answered. "I have already spoken to Sergeant Barrod about that very subject. You understand?"
"An excellent choice, m'lord," Jakkarth replied.
"Thank you, I thought so, too," Tolan said with a nod, as he was unable to salute with the coffer and commission in his hands.
As he walked away, heading for his private chamber to find clothes more suitable for riding, Tolan had to smile to himself. He'd kept to the letter of his promise to the Princess: He had indeed spoken to two companies of the palace guard regarding the subject of accompanying him on his visit to the Drow camp.
He had not, however, in any way, shape, or form, said he was actually going to employ an escort. Refusing their help was still, techincally, addressing the topic with them. Now, he had finally given himself the opportunity to speak to Captain Irzen in private and inform him of everything that had happened, which he could never have said in front of the full Council.
