Getting a Few Answers

Writers: Anika, Suzee
Date Posted: 27th May 2015

Characters: Eirock, Quellen
Description: Eirock meets with Quellen to discuss the orchards...as well as to seek a few answers.
Location: Sunstone Seahold
Date: month 13, day 16 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: Morin, Yriadha (indirectly)

Eirock

It had already been on his planner to check with the Orchardist on how
the fruit groves were fairing between Threadfall and two hurricanes.
However the Steward knew that he was also looking for an opportunity
to ask about Sophque. Though he might not yet be certain exactly how
he felt or what he wanted in respects to the seamstress, he had to
know if she was being courted by anyone else. Thus, he found himself
out walking among the trees in search of Sophque's father.

"Quellen," he greeted the older man as he approached, "I've come to
see how our orchards are holding up between the weather and Threadfall."

"Sir," Quellen beamed at the Steward when he saw him coming. "Glad you
could come." he held out his his hand in a welcoming handshake. "We
had a few trees in the Northwest Quadrant come down, but the majority
survived with only minimal damage. We'd covered them and tied the
nets down pretty thoroughly in advance. I can show you if you'd like,"
He pointed toward where he'd like to go and waited for the Steward to
precede him.

"Please, I'd like to see," Eirock answered heading in the direction
indicated. "How's the family?" he asked companionably as he walked,
though he was very aware that said family was comprised only of a
wife, one daughter, and one granddaughter.

"Very well, sir. Very well indeed." Quellen wasn't the sharpest knife
in the drawer by any stretch yet he and his wife had discussed the
Steward's seeming interest in their daughter at length. The probing
his wife had done had satisfied them both to think their daughter
would welcome the attentions of the Steward. Unlike her staunch
refusal to even entertain any of their other suggestions in the recent
past. And though she'd also mentioned the Headwoman's son Bortem, he
didn't like that as a match for his gentle girl. He'd known the
brother Yarmel for a hard and vicious man and wasn't certain their
sweet girl could survive a man like him.

"Glad to hear it," Eirock responded, trying to think of an indirect
way of bringing up the subject he really wanted to discuss without
giving the man the wrong idea. "Sophque is your only child, isn't
she?"

"That she is," he nodded as his wife's observations were confirmed
enough for him to hope. "Was married to a sailor but he was lost at
sea. She hasn't shown any interest in marriage since." He looked
sideways at the big Steward. "Though it's probably time."

"I suppose it takes time to recover from such a loss," Eirock said,
having noted the sideways glance. "So, she doesn't have any suitors
currently then?"

"It does," he said though he'd never believed his Sophque had harbored
tender feelings for Inokin. "There have been some," he nodded "and the
Headwoman's son has expressed some interest. Is there a reason you ask
sir?" He'd stopped in the middle of the orchard where there were no
people and turned with a puzzled expression.

"I was curious," Eirock answered, supposing that admitting even that
much was tipping his hand, but then perhaps that wasn't a bad thing.
Expressing interest in no way obligated him to a path, but it did give
the other man something to think about if he was considering suitors
for his daughter. "She has been making some gather tunics for me and
she's an exceptional seamstress. I couldn't help but to notice the
way she calmed and comforted people during the hurricane and it was
easy to see she is a good mother. Undeniably she has some fine
attributes."

"Ah," Quellen smiled and shook his head. "She's always been that way,
even when she was little. You should have seen the tiny clothes she
made for her dolls," he chuckled. "But she amazed me at first fall.
Everyone around was worried even Morin. Were we going to have orchards
left or homes or anything. I"m sure you remember." He couldn't help
bragging on his daughter just a little. She really was something
special and he was glad someone besides himself saw. "She just walked
around with sandwiches like it was nothing out of the normal storm."

"She does seem to have a calm about her," Eirock stated thoughtfully,
"It's rather uncanny, her very presence seems to be...soothing."
Though generally this was true, Eirock couldn't help but think that
his last enounter with Sophque had left him anything but soothed. In
fact he'd been rather hard pressed to overcome the arousal that single
kiss had engendered. "You say she's had some prospective suitors?"
That bothered him more than it should and he had to work to keep the
steel from his voice. Did Sophque reject him because she was
interested in Yriadha's son?

"Doesn't it?" Quellen agreed and privately wondered if the man wasn't
just a bit smitten with his daughter. This was better than he'd hoped
for. "You know she hasn't shown any interest in anyone other than her
daughter in Turns. I believe Bortem may be interested but I am not
going to force her if she can't like him."

Eirock felt an in explicable satisfaction at the older man's comment,
but gave no outward indication of this as he nodded. "I can see why
she'd focus on Sophine. She's a darling little girl. You must be
very proud."

"Oh, I am." He nodded as they reached the most damaged part of the
Orchard. He waved his hand at the downed trees. "The river and wind
took this corner of the orchard. I don't know that I want to replant
here without some protection from storm surge," he said, ready to talk
business.

"I understand your concern," Eirock said as he examined the damage,
not at all unhappy to have the conversation turn to business now that
he'd had his questions answered. "I need to speak with our smiths to
see if there is anything to be done to protect from the storm surge."
The Steward walked the area scrutinizing where the worst damage had
occurred and trying to decide if there were anything to do to mitigate
future destruction. At the same time, he was trying to ascertain the
financial impact of the loss as well as any necessary improvement. By
the time he turned to Quellen to ask for an estimate of yield loss,
his mind had shifted completely from personal matters and was focused
solidly on the needs of the Hold where it would undoubtedly remain for
the rest of the day.

Last updated on the May 31st 2015

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Getting a Few Answers