Tolan's shoulders drooped a little as Irzen explained his connection to the Outworlders. Friends and allies, known only for a short time. Tolan had been so sure there had been more to it than that. He'd been hoping so much for a direct link, a way to contact the Outworlders, to provide them greater assistance through a third party. But such an arrangement was not to be.He listened carefully to Irzen's suggestions, nodding to some, frowning slightly at others. Finally, hearing the last question, Tolan summoned up the image of proud Yarfell standing victorious in defiance of Venger, and he smiled. "I think the people of Yarfell are willing to do much to ensure their freedom. Many of them have been preparing for a fight these past weeks, despite the Princess's initial support of Venger."
His smile fell somewhat, and he wondered if the Dark Elf remembered the Princess' comments during the negotiations. "When her father died, the Princess, in her grief, strangely came out in support of Venger when he gave the city its ultimatum. Before this, only one member of the council had been in support of Venger, Lord Droth. Though I must admit his support had wavered a bit recently. Strangely, the Princess's vizier had become pro-Venger shortly before that. We had no way of knowing at the time that he'd been killed and replaced by Venger's doppleganger, who was using some combination of spells and drugs to hypnotize the princess into passivity, thus falling under his influence. This threw the kingdom into chaos. Most of the common people wanted nothing to do with Venger, but they could not directly show their hate to someone that their ruler supported. The Outworlders filled a convenient gap for their anger. Or, at least, the newcomers did." He shrugged slightly, not quite understanding the difference. The Young Ones had arrived in Yarfell and were welcomed with open arms. The newcomers had become scapegoats in less than a day. Of course, the Young Ones had not destroyed the royal ballroom, unleashed a demon, and slaughtered an entire company of palace guard in a span of less than twelve hours, either.
"Rallying the people seems easy enough," Tolan admitted, almost to himself. "I have ridden into the countryside and seen for myself that they will gladly grab their pitchforks and fight for their homes. But how can I unite the people in this effort when the Council itself stands divided? Drax especially worries me. How can we assure ourselves that his support of Venger won't destroy us from within? The only way to do that is to have the Princess declare martial law, as you suggest, which will suspend the Council entirely- including my own position. How would I be able to help you then? The Princess listens to me, perhaps I would still carry some influence with her, even if it was not official. It is a risk I will take if I must."
Running his knuckles over his lower lip, Tolan weighed the possibilities heavily. "We shall see if perhaps the people rally themselves when the news breaks that Venger's army is almost upon us. In the mean time," he said, his mood visibly altering, "in your first, less than hospitable visit to our kingdom, you were imprisoned with several other Outworlders. I see our dungeons did not keep you long- nor were they intended to." He grinned slightly. "Tell me, the others that escaped with you, are they well?"
