She who would negotiate must first understand

for-a-job-well-done

"Delegate Voshrelka, would you mind joining me for lunch today? My tavern has a balcony if you'd prefer to be in the open air."

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with-the-roots

Hmm. The mayor become archduchess. So if it's a trap, it would be one of the dangerous ones, not something easily subverted like with Vidal, but... Voshrelka doesn't think it's a trap. This is some sort of political something or other. Sure, fine.

"The balcony would be nice," she agrees, with a nod. Somewhere with actual trees would be better, a balcony in a city is a bit like one over a sewer, but, well. Better than being in the pipes. By a small margin. And the attempt to find common ground and see to her druidic needs is noted.

for-a-job-well-done

"Lovely. Shall I meet you there in a half-hour, then?"

with-the-roots

Another nod. The druidic envoy of the Barrowood is the best of the three available druids at talking; this doesn't mean she likes it.

Still, in half an hour: here she is, sipping coffee. She doesn't actually need or usually eat lunch, but she will politely have a scone. Just the one. It makes the civilized people feel slightly more at ease, for some reason. Possibly something about century-long lost hospitality rules they've forgotten but which still feed their roots. The breaking of bread meaning a truce, and all that. For Voshrelka, it's a way to sometimes avoid speaking, so she'll play along.

She sips her coffee, and looks at the archduchess expectantly.

for-a-job-well-done

Alright, she shouldn't beat around the bush much, but a little flattery...

"I've seen you doing good work, here. Quite effective. For those both inside and outside the forest, I imagine, though I won't pretend to know all of the priorities of the-" not 'people' - "residents of the Barrowood."

with-the-roots

Nod. "Thank you." This is a stupid dance, but sure, fine, she knows the steps by now. "I see why your Queen appointed you as Archduchess, you've an insight into the people of Cheliax that many," nobles in particular, "lack."

Okay, dance done. What is it?

for-a-job-well-done

"I would like your advice. On how not to be at war with Ravounel Forest. Delegate Feather is a very sweet, well-meaning, and sincere young lady and she very clearly was not told enough about the world to negotiate anything or even confidently guess what her fellows would consider. It's not your forest but I'd rather trade favors for your guesses, than go in naive or blind."

with-the-roots

Another nod, from the druid.

"I will preface this with - I haven't been there in over a century, almost two. But as I knew them, they were inflexible, insular, and devoted to their charges. They were considered somewhat extreme, even to other druids. I expect you already know that trying to gain ground from their forest will be met with vicious and unmerciful hostility." So: don't do that. Obviously. "If I were to guess at what they might make them sincerely consider peace..." Coffee-sip.

"Hm. They're very isolated, even from us. But I would expect that their mandate is the same as it ever was. The world is a great garden, and they are its guardians and shepherds, nurturing it to its fullest potential so that all kinds might thrive. But different climates lead to different results, and comparatively, their lands are small. I would expect them to lack some diversity of flora, perhaps even fauna, from the dangers they've cultivated needing specific parameters to thrive."

for-a-job-well-done

"That should be something I can seek out. One of the pre-Thrune revivals in Kintargo used to deal with them occasionally, he might be able to ask them for suggestions they're missing." And get out alive. "I don't expect them to be easy to convince we've changed but, well, Aroden's dead. No need to keep at His grudge against wild places."

with-the-roots

Easily said, but the worst of the felling of the Barrowood took place after His death, so please excuse her if she withholds her enthusiasm.

"If lost cultivations are impossible to acquire, then seeds or cuttings from far off lands would still be welcome, if less valuable. It would be offering them potential tools to use."

for-a-job-well-done

"Oh, that's nearly easy." Mostly because of the ships they make by cutting down other forests. Which Voshrelka knows, presumably, but no sense rubbing it in. "I can get some of those before I start anything in earnest. Garundi jungles or Vudran forests, most likely. It wouldn't be much harder to get duplicates for the Barrowood, if you'd like?"

with-the-roots

Voshrelka shakes her head. "No, the Barrowood's less isolated and larger, besides." Also less organized, but she's not saying that. "Instead I sent a letter to the Archhealer requesting the resurrection of dead druids, to match the resurrected nobility as caretakers of the lands, to set the forest right again." Implications: throw your favors at that instead.

for-a-job-well-done

"I doubt she'll take much persuading. Particularly - I don't know many details, but you were right near the old Thrune lands, weren't you? And I've seen pre-Thrune maps, the Barrowood shrank a lot. History is a mess but it's not hard to guess why, if not how."

with-the-roots

"Yes. But the concern is the resurrected nobility having resurrected grudges. I assume you've heard of Marquis de Alemenar and his reaction to my efforts to foster goodwill?" That being: the dumbass that tried to duel the druid.

for-a-job-well-done

"l did. He came off looking like an impetuous fool, it sounded, and rumor didn't need any encouragement to share the story around town."

And now she's guessing it was fully intentional, down to setting it up, wasn't it? Alas, Jilia cannot actually ask, nor compliment it overtly if she did.

"I see your point. He will not be the last, if more druids the returned recognize are around. They, after all, are still Arodenites, in habit if not officially. I'll see what I can do to deflect those before they waste the Archhealer's time bringing the druids back again."

with-the-roots