Looking Outwards

[Kell Lo'Tharan]

"We should look at expanding soon." Kell began between mouthfuls. The two were sat in the manor house at a table in the now considerably cleaner main room eating lunch, said lunch being sandwiches as the kitchen had yet to be restored fully. Kevin near choked on his lunch at hearing Kell speak and required several hearty smacks on his back before he was able to speak again. "Why would you think that? We barely have enough of a military to defend the land as things are currently, adding more land just means we have more to patrol and we don't have the men for that." It was sound argument, but Kell had thought this through already many times by himself. "The main reason we have no army is because we have no Ritz, if we had more land we'd have more to farm and more to mine, more lumber. Wouldn't that be good? More people even to recruit our military from." 

It was definitely going to be a risky venture, despite having been here for a while Kell didn't know much of his neighbours, or how open they'd be to this idea. If they weren't open to it and instead take offence at it then it wouldn't end well most likely, but he couldn't think why they'd take offence if he worded it rightly. Make it sound as if it was to their benefit and surely they couldn't take offence, at worst he'd get a no right? "What's the worst that could happen? At worst they say no thanks and at best we double our land. It means we have more borders to control but it also means we'll have more money and more resources coming our way which is exactly what we need to build up our army. It's a risk at first to expand our borders but the success once it's done means we can patrol them easily. If it fails then we stay how we are and lose nothing." Kevin still didn't seem all that convinced, it was a big step for sure. "Think of it this way, at some point we will expand, so if we try it now and in a peaceful way then maybe later we won't have to spill blood on the matter."

Kevin remained silent for a time, mulling it over in his head as he ate. Kell let him, he'd already drafted the letter and was just waiting to see Kevin's thoughts, Kevin had a viewpoint he didn't always and so it'd be good to see if he came up with anything. "Well I don't like it, but I see what you mean and I agree we'll end up expanding sooner or later if we want to keep this area safe so we might as well do it now without blood being spilled."

·Cplo2nze

[Kell Lo'Tharan]

"I knew you'd see the sense of it eventually. We've made this little patch of land fairly safe now all we need is some military to defend it. The men we have are adequate for dealing with small disputes and patrols but we have no way to defend ourselves should someone bigger and better armed turn their sights on us. We need the ritz to hire and arm those men and we are aleady at maximum production capacity as things are now." Kevin still seemed a bit sceptical but at least he was agreeing with Kell's idea now, it was definitely a step in the right direction that he'd managed to get Kevin's approval, although he could go ahead without his companion's say so it was nice to have someone else who thought his idea would work.

"A bigger force would mean less crows. There's war to the north and dark energy in the hills to the east, we need to be able to defend ourselves from both should it come. I see where you're coming from, we need coin for that." Both the men were momentarily transported back to their terrifying run, the crow had come from nowhere seemingly and they'd had no way of stopping it, all they could have done was run. Kevin shook his head to dispel the images, "The foothills have always been a bad place but we'd never had a run in till then. Maybe it's time to see if we can contain it or even stop it over there. It's a stain on good lands." 

The foothills Kell knew very little of, other than it seemed a place of demons and dark energy. Not something he would be particularly excited about encountering, but it was to close to his lands and people for him to ignore forever, that and something spawning demons and exuding dark power shouldn't be left unchecked. It was a recipe for disaster. "I'll not risk any of our people out there, i'll go myself, i'll need some equipment for it if you're up to the task?" Kevin's response was to raise an eyebrow, they both full well knew he could do it. "First though we need to sort sending these letters." Then i'll start preparations for an expedition out there." 

"I still don't like this letter idea too much, it announces our position too much and we aren't able to defend with the men that we have if they decide instead they want our land as well. Can we not just buy the land?" 

"Buy the land?" 

"Yeah you bought this land and we've got some ritz stored away. It's a much safer way and you'll make the money back quickly enough anyway." 

"The thought hadn't even crossed my mind. I'd forgotten that it was possible to buy land after purchasing this first. It would be much easier. you're a genius. Start making enquiries and we'll see if we have the coin." 

"I have my moments. I'll get on it."