War by Other Means (Skype Log)

[Blueblood]

An outside observer would rarely come to the conclusion that Caribou politics were all that complicated or sophisticated.  Clans did what they needed to survive, and hit each other if their needs conflicted until one side stopped.  Like most such simple views, it lasted in the mind of the tourist until he first came upon an inconvenient fact, such as all the blue-colored caribou that seemed to be spread about over Whitescar.

These strange beasts were members of Clan Breen, and they were all over the place because a great many of them had chosen service in the Vakstrya, the guardians of the roads of the continent, over expulsion from the limited clan territory.  Over time, they had more or less begun to take over that organization, putting themselves in charge of it's way stations, trading posts, and fortifications across Whitescar.

Which could be considered problematic, if you were, for instance, King of Whitescar, and harbored concerns about clans with independent bases of power.  Clan Breen was... not exactly a follower of the current High King's standard.  They didn't oppose his policies, but they maintained an aloof attitude towards his agenda, focusing more upon their own affairs, and waiting to see how the chips fell.  After all, the roads would need guarding, no matter who called themselves King.

One such member of the Vakstyra, Halvard, was making himself conspicuous in Heil, spending his winnings from the Arena in Saarvergerg.  And not making a secret of where the gold came from, either.  As the King had actively discouraged arena battling of the sort of stakes that Halvard would be talking about, this was perhaps not a development that he could afford to ignore...
~

To say the politics of Whitescar were not the  normal faire would be an understatement. No one knew this better than the High King, who rose to power through feats of strength and became known for his wisdom after he had visions. Though many of the clans have either allied or defected, one clan remains aloof in the grand scheme, performing the duty it has for generations. Clan Breen.

They did their duty and they did it well, however their nonloyalty to the greater clans of Whitescar was worrysome. Havardr did not mind so much lack of loyalty to him, but the lack of loyalty towards their people was something not to be permitted. Gaining power for the good of Heil-Barn, maintaining a place within was something to be applauded. The king still valued strength, because strength was still required to maintain peace. It was vicious usurpers like the Red Jarl, whom seemed to thrive on violence and carnage that was not the be tolerated. 

The King got word of one of Breen fighting for money in the Arena. The king didn't always like the arena, even though he once did the same for honour, but fighting for money seemed dirty in a way. The king made his way there and saw the bull he had heard of, Halvard of Breen, Vakstrya of Whitescar. The king made his approach as he was collecting his winning.

"Fighting for honour is one thing Halvard of Breen, but fighting for large sums of money is quite another. It is a perversion of the traditions of the Caribou." The king opened to Halvard. "I do believe it is time to discuss the stance of Breen among the clans of the land of Whitescar."
~

Halvard was not what one would call a boisterous sort.  Well, relative to most caribou.  He could drink and carouse, for that was in the blood of all his people, but in character he was more of a wry sort, and more apt to spend his money on equipment upgrades to the full suit of armor he insisted upon lugging about everywhere.

He was just concluding his business with the smith when the King approached him.  The heavily-loaded caribou was nonetheless quick with his reply.  "I fight to sharpen my own skills against opponents of many kinds, and there is only one arena in this continent where I have the widest range of opponents.  If they choose to give me gold, that is their business."  Clan Breen did have a reputation for pragmatism, and Halvard was doing nothing to dispute it.

"I'm flattered that you think us politically important, and me politically fit to discuss such matters."  His tone was dry and even, almost amused.  Certainly not the sort of reverential respect one would expect to give one's king.  But then, Halvard himself had never sworn loyalty...

~

The king listened to Halvard and his flippant attitude. Everything he had remembered about Breen seemed to hold true to this moment. Still, if the king wished to secure the support of Breen, he would need to go to most of them individually, and this was his first stop, as it was a rather important route.

The King listened to his reasoning and nodded. Fighting for the betterment of himself was a worthy endeavor. The King once had skirimishes for similar reasons, the only difference was lack of prize money, which is why the king looked down upon that. When money gets involved it clouds one's judgement usually... "Do you know why I disapprove of these fighting arenas? It isn't because I disapprove of fighting." The king gave a pause. "Quite the opposite, I have found in my years that fighting for monetary gain in such arenas clouds the judgement and can send those with good intentions down a dark path...." He looked at Halvard's demenor and his current attire "However, you do not seem to fall into that category. I hope you continue on the path you are on and the ignore monetary gains."

And there it was the comment about self importance. Well it wasn't that he was the most important of the clan, but the Vakstyra were unique, often acting on their own. "In the grand scheme, the individuals of Breen are as important compared to the whole. As the Vakstyra are often on their own paths ensuring safety I felt it most beneficial to discuss such matters with everyone individually. If it makes it to the clan as a whole, then so be it. Yours is a passage that seems of the greatest important for trade, and so I have elected to speak with you first. " The king looked upon his fellow bou and saw that he really didn't care for his position, which was fine. He was not an advisary like the Red Jarl and should not be treated as such. "I merely wish to make an agreement so that we may all be on the same page. Whether or not you swear fealty is irrelevant, so much as your oath to keep the roads safe and to not ally yourself with enemies of bou kind."
~

Well, it seemed his majesty wasn't going to push the point of arena fighting.  Which was just as well.  It seemed the king had a dim view of mercenary attitudes towards combat, though Halvard wasn't quite sure about what 'dark path' he was referring to.  The bull shrugged, which was impressive when one considered the weight of metal that he bore upon his shoulders.  "There's more efficient ways of getting money if one wants it in any case.  Haven't much to spend it on, myself, aside from equipment and the like."

His features grew a shade more serious as the king discussed the reasons that individuals were being sought out among his clan.  It was true, Clan Breen tended to value the contributions of individuals, both in material and decision making, somewhat more than other clans.  Mostly this was because so many of them were spread out, and to send word back to the jarl every time a decision needed to be made was inefficient, to say the least.  But increased initiative from the parts did not make it easy to achieve a consensus from the whole...

"An agreement..."  Halvard considered the matter.  "It's worth much to us already to keep the trade routes open, and our guard posts garrisoned.  Much of what the Vakstyra swear to do already is according to what you wish..."  The bull frowned, considering the last point.  "With all due respect, however, we perform such for all clans, whether they are sworn to you or not.  Many times, we can bargain to keep caravans from being raided, or at least minimize the dangers to trade, because we are known to deal evenly with both the friends and enemies of the king.  We are many, and strong, but not so much as to continue our patrols across swaths of hostile territory."
~

Havardr nodded at the response to the arena. "This is true, there are better ways, but still it is wise to be weary." The king did not wish to press the issue, nor did he see any value in it. 

The king laughed under his breath with a bit of a "heh." Clearly Halvard  did not understand what he actually implied. "You seem to misunderstand..." The king started "I am well aware of your clans desire to remain neutral, however, there are enemies which wish to reign in chaos to the world. The agreement is in regards to these, or rather your actions in regards to how you bargain. And naturally in return, you will have not only my support but the support from my allies which I am always seeking to expand. Peace, you see, is my overall goal. However peace cannot be obtained without some use of force, as I'm sure you are aware. Your keeping a fair hold on the trade routes is a large part of that. If you ally yourself with those whom wish to bring chaos, things may not work in the favour of anyone. This is why I said you need not pledge fealty to me or anyone else, just reach an agreement of total neutrality to prevent anyone from causing damage to the trade routes which may disturb my efforts toward peace. There is one in particular who might seek your aid to prevent caravans from the Crystal Empire through some of your routes as we are currently trying to repair relations." The king honestly only wanted Breen on his side so much so as anyone wished to have a clear trade route. His fear was more of an enemy destroying the trade route, perhaps through means that did not seem overtly destructive. The routes would also be used diplomatically and having a poor impact there could lead to further war and destruction...
~

Ah, so this had to do with the King's international efforts, did it?  Halvard tended to consider such things above him up to now.  Being forced to consider them brought new thoughts into his head that he wasn't sure how to deal with.  When he spoke, it was slowly and carefully.

"In my experience... there are few who truly wish for chaos.  Mostly, they wish for honor, traditions, and goods.  And they don't seem to care much whether the latter come by trading or raiding.  Granted, they would trade with caribou and raid ponies, but that is an issue resolvable by use of our trading posts.  We can store the goods in large depots, and have merchants buy and sell from there, rather than having one caravan make the journey from the port at Barn out to the clan lands.  If you don't mind us selling to all, we can ensure the goods will be delivered."
~

The king listened intently and needed to formulate his response carefully... "Trading posts can only do so much. And Breen's involvement within them is still great." The king paused as he considered his next words carefully. "And to suggest that it is an impregnible system is foolhearty..." The king decided to go in for the big attack, something he heard whispers of. "It would seem to me that Breen would resist agreements that could only strenthen the clan. No one within the clans that consider me their king are under any obligation to remain allied with me, but they all benefit from the strength of the alliance."
~

"No defense needs to be impregnable.  It only needs to last long enough for succor to arrive.  And no trading post we establish is without without a Vakstyra garrison, nor farther from a days march from another."  As quick to reply as before, but now there was a shift in Halvard's attitude.  It was subtle, but the king might be able to sense the change from the quipper to the haggler.

"Our clan's strength is dependent on informal alliances.  No clan bordering the roads we patrol would make themselves our enemy, for if we tell their neighbors that they threaten their travel..."  He smiled, but only briefly.  "Our coverage is not yet complete, however.  And we are now bordering on territories where we cannot establish our garrisons if we are seen to be too close to you.  But, once we were to secure those passages... Well, we should endeavor to keep them peaceful and open, and would accept aid from those who would share this goal."

A first offer.  An understanding, more than a formal alliance, but one that promised to pay dividends for patience.
~

Havardr gave a bit of a laugh and a wry smile. He was no fool, he quite plainly saw where Halvard was going. A shrewd negotiator without a doubt, but not too terribly subtle. "It is not your enemies I'm worried about, it is those whom would act under false pretense. But let us leave that for now." The High King paused and looked at Halvard appraisingly. Breen's ambitions were no secret and Havardr knew this well and had long since planned to use it to his advantage.

"Let us not feign false pretense for this meeting..." Halvardr's demenor changed markedly from his lighter demenor which he had sported to start this discourse. "You claim you have holes in your coverage, and wish to strive for peace. I believe that an accord can be reached between your clan and myself to meet our common goals."
~

"Thank you, your majesty.  It is a frank relief to be free of the necessity of walking around rather than straight to the point."  Harvard's shoulders lifted, as if some great burden had been shifted off his armor plating.  "I simply wanted to see if you were willing to do business on equal terms.  But perhaps we should at least talk over the deal somewhere more private?"
~

Havardr nodded at the response. "The round about starts are always stifling but are somewhat necessary for talks such as these. Knowing the state of mind and disposition of your opposite is a rather important part of any discussion." The king replied. Upon hearing the suggestion to moving to a place more private. "Yes, privacy would be good now that we are moving to the actual discussions. Do you have a place in mind?"
~

Halvard considered the question.  "There is a Vakstyra station nearby, which may afford privacy.  But if you would prefer to conduct such negotiations in your own stronghold here, I would understand."
~

The king would normally prefer to do this in a clan stronghold, however there were many advantages of using the Vakstryra station, chiefly that it was part of his aim. "You did not need to suggest my hold. I approached you, not the other way around. The Vakstyra station is also closer. Time is a valuable commodity, and one which should not be wasted frivolously for an illusion of comfort or security." The king replied giving his subsequent reasoning. "Please lead the way."
~

Halvard nodded, and set off towards the station.  It was... not quite like anything else in Whitescar.  Or rather, it had elements of almost everything, in a way that few buildings attempted to encompass.  Within a set of fortified walls, one had a small barracks to house the Vakstyra caribou themselves, a small storehouse and shop for merchants to trade goods, and a lookout tower to observe the roads and sky for travel conditions.  

The bull posted at the gate was evidently surprised to see King Havardr enter, but a nod from Halvard made him keep his peace.  "We shan't be disturbed, and he won't tell half the city where you are."  Halvard explained as they walked in.
~

The High King was very familiar with various outposts. He was quite active in his youger days but even still, having such a cold reception was rather different for him. Even before he was king he was a well known leader. He wasn't sure what would have happened if Halvard hadn't given the signal to be at ease to the guard, but any avoidable confrontation was appreciated by him, especially for peace talks.

"I see your security is even willing to stand against one such as myself." The king was of course referring not only to his being a king, but his imposing stature and his history of being adept at battle. He continued to follow Halvard to a room where they could discuss business. As a sign of trust Havardr removed his trusty spear and left it at the door to the room. "I do not think such things will be needed here, unless you think it wise we both remain armed..." The king said slyly. "So now, down to business. I do believe we can reach an agreement of mutual benefit. And fear not, I do not ask anyone to swear fealty, that is not conductive to anything." The king nodded and continued... "Put simply I have resources and you have control of the trade routes. While I'm sure the Vakstra are rather strong, I'm sure using the my resources to bolster your power and influence on deeper trade routes would not be an adverse arrangement."
~

It was, actually, something of an open question of what would have happened if the King had made an aggressive move.  The Vakstrya were strong defensive fighters, but most of them would be out on patrol at this hour.  Long-term, of course, any fighting between them would be disastrous to both, hence each's willingness to come to terms.

Halvard left his own weapon beside Havardr's, but kept his armor on as he moved into the room.  "It would certainly be a boon, your majesty."  The bull replied, taking a seat by the stone table in the center.  

In the flickering torchlight, there seemed to be a great many markings upon the tabletop.  Closer inspection would have revealed it to be... a map of Whitescar, carved into the rock!  Not exactly to scale, though; the Western side of the continent was proportionally larger than the Eastern side, but the reason for that was apparent enough: the map was of all the trade routes and Vakstrya stations, which were much more densely packed in the west than in the east.

Halvard watched the king for his reaction.  "Not many bou outside of our clan or organization ever see this map.  Those who do are often surprised at all the roads they never knew about."
~

The king smiled at the reaction of his would be guide into the hold. Clearly they thought the same about altercations. There would be no good to come of it, and that is why they were together at this moment. With both their weapons at the door, Havardr felt they could be on equal terms. This is despite the fact that Halvard sttill had his armour, however the king considered this to be less an affront and more habit. He too was a young bull believing that being in armour meant being ready for anything. It was not a foolish thing to consider either, but the king's confidence had become such that relinquishing such once thought necessities was no longer even a question in his mind. 

"The boon would be to both, make no mistake. Peace is far more profitable than war. In more ways than one." They came to a table which had a map inlaid. The great stone map had various trade routes in the west layed out in intricate detail. 

The king nodded at this map. "I'm not sure if you were aware of my history, but I was once known as the "Wandering King" seeking both war and peace in my younger years. Seeking to expand my influence through all of Whitescar." This was in all likelihood a silly question since the Vakstrya were one of the clans that resisted this more... forceful approach. "I became aware of many routes across the whole of Whitescar... And even still there are some on this map in the west that I don't recognize. The expanse of these routes is most impressive, and I can only consider that some only were created after I had ceased traveling as much as I did after the Vakstrya truely came into their own as a clan controlling the western trade..." The King paused when he said this. He looked up at the queues from Halvard, hoping that he did not cross any lines. "However your cover in the east is abysmal." The king smiled. "I can see why you are not adverse to talks..." The king reached into a small bag he was carrying at his side attached to the light magic reflecting armour that was so well known in Whitescar. Against caribou this armour would be shattered in seconds, but it was not something that he was all too concerned with. 

The king rolled out the parchment onto the table. Since you have shown me yours I shall show you mine. The map was quite a bit different. The two sides were more equal in size, but the east was far more detailed. The main trade routes in the west were well documented but as the king realized, they were scarcely incomplete. Most of the additions he did on his own from his travels. The east however had just as much intricacy as the west of the stone map that the parchment rested on. "I believe we can say we have opposite problems when it comes to trade, though we are slightly more selective on who may move through our routes than the Vakstrya. This however can be negotiated of course, in the interest of expanding global trade." The king paused "However, I have heard whispers that expanding trade routes is not the only thing the Vakstrya are after...."
~

Havardr's younger years were before Halvard's time, and it was not until after his Will Test that the bull had taken much interest in the world outside the fjords and valleys of Clan Breen's home country.  But he could understand what it was that had led the King to wander, to defy distance and impose his wishes upon the land.  Perhaps he, too, felt that there was magic in the roads themselves, in the way that they seemed to squeeze far places together.  Of such magic was the Vakstyra's sacred trust.

Halvard took no offense on the King's remarks about their eastern coverage.  "We have had to work our way across the continent station by station.  And the further we are from our homeland, the less we tend to be trusted by the locals.  I myself have been in talks with potential allies but... Royal Aid would certainly not go amiss with us."

He stared, fascinated, down at the map the king now spread out.  "This is... valuable.  Though I don't know how many would estimate its value truly."  Raising an armor-clad leg, Halvard traced along the road that led up from Barn to Heil, and then east to the territory of Clan Askr, all the way through to Saarvergerg.  

He didn't look up immediately after Harvardr remarked on further plans of the Vakstyra.  When Halvard replied, it was with words chosen carefully.  "We... have developed our own opinions about the best course of action which the caribou as a whole should take, with respect to their traditions and their future.  We seek to persuade through what methods we have to use, for the good of us all."
~

Havardr surveyed Halvard's expressions closely. This was where things could get interesting. Both have shown their hand with the core of this meeting, the trade routes. Next would be the strength of their abilities in combat, but this is something Havardr hoped would be secondary to the meeting.

"There is no other way to increase one's coverage. There are no short cuts. Even if one manages to take a kingdom by force, if one doesn't explore for themselves, things are often missed." The king was speaking from experience here. In the beginning when clans were joining with him, not even by force, not all was known. The map he had placed down was the result of not only his exploration, but him sending out special scouts with cartography skills to learn everything they could. "As for being trusted by locals, it all depends on how you present yourself. A show of force can only get you so far... I learned that the hard way. Learning to inspire hope rather than fear was an important lesson." The king smiled "As for having royal aid... that is why we are here."

Halvard surveyed the map more closely, clearly impressed... "Yes, intelligence is the greatest weapon and asset. The wise understand its value." The king said appraisingly of Halvard. "As for the path of the caribou, I would be interested to hear what your 'opinions' are. However, bear in mind, I do not think there is a caribou out there that wishes the destruction of our kind, even the Red Jarl believes what he is doing is for the best, as misguided as he may be."
~

The Vakstyra guard was not ungrateful for the generosity with which Havardr spread the wisdom of his years.  Far from it; it was not only valuable in and of itself, but it gave Halvard an insight into how the mind of the King worked.  Nevertheless, he couldn't help but add some clarifying commentary, "It must be said, however, that a show of force is often very effective, in its way.  Although, not always in the way most bulls would expect.  For example, in my last trip to Saar, I matched up against Jarl Sigrun.  According to the judges, I lost the match, but given that my performance was enough to win her respect... I was able to win full approval for Vakstyra establishment within Askr territory.  I doubt a battlefield victory could have gained so much as that Arena loss."  Not to mention the fact that it was unlikely in the least that he could ever gain battlefield victory over the Silver-Eyed Queen of the East, but that was another matter.

As to the king's last question, though...  Halvard frowned.  The old bull sounded as if he were fair-minded, but there were a great many things about Clan Breen that he did not know.  Perhaps it was best to start with an obvious fact, and it's implications.  "You see on the map, how the home territory of my clan is in the Far West of Whitescar?  The Southern Wilds are on the Far East of the continent.  Which means that every single caribou of our clan, from time immemorial, has had to go all the way there, and all the way back.  On average, the journey takes up to a full year, and that's not including the time dedicated to the Will Test itself.  And it has occurred, to many of us, as we were spending all that time tramping the roads, that there were a great many more useful things we could be doing with that time."

Halvard had spoken slowly, deliberately, at pains to emphasize his reasonableness.  True, Havardr had been known to be willing to cast off a few old caribou traditions, but what the blue-coated young bull was saying here had capital-R Radical implications.  The Will Test wasn't just a tradition, it was the tradition, one of the common touchstones that all caribou shared.  To suggest that it might be cast off, like a useless period of idleness, betrayed a strain of thinking in Clan Breen that even His Majesty might find a little hard to swallow...
~

"We seem to be talking about different shows of force" The King began is calculated response. "Trial by combat, what you refer to, is a time honored tradition among Caribou and a way to gain respect." The king smiled "Do you think I gained the power I did among the caribou by being a weak king incapable of winning in single combat?" The king was leading into the brunt of it though. "I am talking about war and skirmishes... they are rather different... They often do not work... Subjugating people, any people, can cause a resurgance or uprising of those whom feel the occupation or control is unwarrented or unjust. It is this realization that took time to see in my long life..." The silver-eyed queen Jarl Sigrun was brought up specifically... "As for the young Jarl... she is a fine cow with an extreme pride. She respects strength almost to a fault. Due to this she almost fell in league with the Red Jarl... But that is not important, she like many other bulls and cows will respect a caribou combatant if they fought well in single combat, though she would more than most in my experience..."

The young bull of Clan Breen answered his inquiry rather directly. And his answer was intriguing to say the least... To suggest the removal of the Will Test was.. curious. But not without reason, and the idea piqued the king's interest. With a raised brow, the King answered succinctly "You mean to suggest the removal of a time honoured tradition...? It is something that helps weed out the weak. But... please continue with this... I want to hear more of how you mean to employ this while protecting those under your charge..."
~

"War may not work... but you are in one, all the same.  I am curious as to how you propose to bring it to a successful conclusion."  It was not sarcasm on Halvard's part; he really was curious.  Knowing the High King's endgame plans would give Clan Breen good information on how to best position themselves.

But now, the conversation was now solidly on Clan Breen's position upon the traditions.  Halvard took a deep breath; this was something that he had been thinking on for some time, but not dared crystallize into anything like a hard manifesto.  Like lava upon a glacier, the cracking and crashing might cause too much destruction in the world of his thought.
But now, the words were coming.  "We... in the clan, began to wonder what was meant by the word 'weak.'  The Will Test might spare our best warriors, but take from us our best beekeepers.  And after a very lean winter long ago, we began to think the trade was not a beneficial one.  It is known that even those who do not pass a Will Test may earn their entry by other means; Jarl Sigrun's own sister is an example.  Our own clan began to be creative in how many we allowed, and for what purpose.  The Vakstyra was one of these, which is why it is still almost entirely made up of our clan.  It is also why we have had enough caribou in our clan to patrol the whole of the country.  We didn't waste them by sending them one at a time into a hostile country to swell the ranks of undead armies."

His voice had grown flatter and more sardonic by the end of it.  "Waste... that's what it is.  A waste a time, a waste of good caribou.  What could we have done with those that we threw away?"
~

"One can consider the current state of affairs "war", however there is no one singular entity with which the caribou, as a collective of clans or individual clans are taking up arms against. There is of course the Red Jarl's forces, however he seems to have turned gurilla, and so we are not engaged in open war with him. As for skirimishes with other clans, there are hardly any. As I've said, I've tried to take a more diplomatic apporoach in my old age." The king smiled wryly, because while he was considerably older than many caribou under his charge, he was still among the most athletic and imposing in battle, and many recognized and respected this fact. 

Halvard began to explain Clan Breen's position on the will test. "Interesting..." The king began "Honestly, to begin with, the will test was never meant to cause great harm to those whom undertook it. However, I do see your position..." The king gave a pause while he considered his words carefully. "While it would be difficult to see all clans removing the tradition, I see no reason why Clan Breen could not follow that path. I have removed many traditions from my clan back when I was a Jarl, traditions which I felt were archaic and not conducive to prosperity. Many other clans saw this as an affront to their own values and until they united under me and made me High King, it was difficult to find common ground with them. Though most still respected my strength and the strength of my clan. That said, I have never imposed my will regarding traditions on clans at large, I do not see the vaule. Many clans have traditions that I do not agree with and I make my position known, but the ultimate decision rests with the leaders of that clan. Whether they take my council is up to them. I... see no reason why your clan must adhere to the tradition of the Will Test, especially after you have discussed and found it ill to your clan's well being..."
~

"I see..."  Halvard regarded the High King with a measure of favorable respect.  The blue-coated caribou now felt as if he had a good idea of what the royal policy was.  "So, if I understand you correctly, you believe in extending a great deal of self-determination to the clans as regards most of the old traditions... save for the suicidal expeditions to the Spine."  He gave Hravardr a wry smile.  "I have to say, we're with you one-hundred percent on that one."

He took a deep breath, leaning back from the map on the stone table.  "Well!  I think we have come to an understanding, and agreement.  I feel you're the sort of bull one can take at their word, but it would be a convenience to me if I could have a written charter to bring back to my chieftain."
~

The king gave a smile, as he felt they were finally coming to an understanding. "Even the trips to the Spine, I would not impose on anyone. To begin with, it is a choice. I imposed no choice on that particular tradition when I was Jarl, not for the sake of tradition, but to purify my decaying clan. We were in a state of disarray, and the clan surely would have fallen if not for that expedition that left only the strongest and most loyal, for even those whom weren't strong were carried by their bretheren." The king stopped, realizing this was a rare occurence... Very rarely had he ever before stated why he, himself, after casting away so many ancient traditions, forced his entire clan to join him to the Spine. 

"And I am glad we are finally reaching an understanding, and that you feel I am worthy of being taken at my word." The King gave an almost inaudible chuckle. This was rather a new thing for him. Most took him at his word because of his prestige and legacy. For someone to tell him that he was trust worthy was something rather new to him.

Halvard brought up notating a charter. "If you have a writing impliment handy we can get started on that charter for your chieftain"
~

"Oh, so that's the story, is it?"  It was somewhat different from the picture of events that Halvard had held.  But then, Clan Breen had never imposed such an expedition upon itself, and as such had only a vague idea of what it actually involved.  Halvard himself had always thought of it as a kind of blood sacrifice, but apparently that wasn't quite accurate.

In any case, he was quick to fetch the writing implements.  The Vakstyra kept them handy to record trade and inventory.  "There you are.  Mind the ink; it is some time before our next delivery."
~

The king nodded "It was not one of my finer moments, but to this day I felt it necessary to save my clan and bring us forward." The king did not feel any more needed to be said regarding this matter as he picked up the quill and dipped it into the ink to start drawing up the charter. 

To conserve ink the king made an abbreviated charter using bullet points. He outlined the Vakstrya's rights to continue to guard the roads of Whitescar, including royal support to aid in expansion and setting up new garrisons where they had little coverage previously. This would be in exchange for the Vakstyta's aid in keeping the King informed of those whom might want to do harm to the caribou and their goals. Thje king did not put details as that would be up for discussion with the Chieftain when the official charter would be drawn up by them both so that the arrangement would be mutually beneficial, but the chieftain would understand the core of the arrangement. The next set of bullet points detailed self-governace. From the clan's ability to keep ruling as they see fit, to ability to set their own traditions and laws, so long as they didn't go against the core values of the clans under the king. Once again those were not outlined as the parchment detailing those would be brought when the official charter would be drawn up by both clans in unison. The king signed it and rolled it for Halvard. 

"I think that should cover everything discussed. This is not an official charter, and the final would be drawn when your chieftain and I meet officially to solidify the agreement. Feel free to read through it, I kept it short to ensure the lowest amount of ink used, so to not deplete your stores. However there is still ample amount should I have missed anything that you would like me to add, but I feel I hit most of the main points from this meeting..."
~

Halvard took the piece of parchment, reading it over before blowing once to dry the ink.  "I believe this will be sufficient until the official charter is drawn up."  He replied, as he began rolling it up.  "I shall convey it to our chieftain and shaman personally."  He brought out a small tube in which he secured the preliminary charter, before replacing it in his satchel.

"Once again, your majesty, thank you.  I believe Whitescar shall benefit from what we have agreed upon here."
~

The king smiled at Halvard's words. "I agree, and look forward to the response. Feel free to send any correspondance directly to my hold. I shall inform them that discussions have been opened with Clan Breen, so your messangers shall be welcomed as honoured guests." The king extended a hoof to shake. "A shake to the future prosperity of the Caribou nation. I look forward to future meetings with Clan Breen."

With that the king moved to retrieve his spear that he had left at the entrance at the beginning and holstered it. "Until next time, unless you feel that it best you escourt me out." The king said with a bit of a laugh, knowing how the guards looked at him as he entered.
~

Halvard took his hoof and shook it.  "To our future prosperity... and peace."  And with that shake, they both took their leave of the place.  The King stepping back into his duties, and the Vakstyra guard into a new phase of his career.