Vian sat at a table with the rest of his party, drinking ale and lost in thought. It seemed to him he could no longer wait for the other members he had hoped would join the party. Konrad and Gror would not be joining them, and if they tried, they would no longer find the party at Oleg's Trading Post, the point from which they had agreed to set out. Vian could not say he was surprised, but he was saddened nonetheless. Ever since that argument with Konrad in Restov, he had worried that Konrad would not be joining them. Konrad and Vian were similar personalities, which is to say they often butted heads. Vian could see in Konrad a definite ability to lead, much like his own. He had potential not just for greatness, but also for goodness. But it was a potential only, one that had been neglected, not nourished. Only his potential for greatness was fostered. Konrad wanted to lead, but his ideas of good government were very much at odds with Vian's. Vian had probably asserted his position too strongly and too harshly. Doubtless Konrad's pride had been affronted. Vian was not much used to failure in persuasion, but Konrad was too like him, too independent and strong-willed. Gror meanwhile had always been of a similar political persuasion, so it was no surprise that the charismatic Konrad had persuaded Gror to split ranks and join him. Join him where? Vian had a guess. The charter which Vian's party held was not the only one of its kind. Konrad perhaps had set out with one of the other parties to establish a kingdom where he would not be restrained by Vian and his morals. Whatever the case, Konrad and Gror were now beyond their grasp. The time had come to set off.
Vian was disturbed from his ruminations by argumentative sounds coming from Svetlana and Oleg. He observed the exchange between Svetlana and Oleg with amused interest. To the rest of the party, he murmured, "
What do you guys suppose that is about? Clearly we have outstayed our welcome with Oleg." He did not say to the party what he thought of Svetlana.
What is she saying with her eyes? Is she attracted to me? She wouldn't be the first. Many were drawn to his air of exoticism, doubtless from his fey blood, thin though it was. His half-fey mother was a celebrated beauty, and he had not fared the worse for it. Again he murmered, "
Well, unless someone objects, I'm going to ask if there's any way we may ingratiate ourselves to Oleg." With that, he began to push out his chair...
BTW, did I miss something? I'm not seeing any labels on the map.