King Edryd listens thoughtfully once again, demonstrating a skill of great value in any leader, as Packet lays out the proposal. The halfling is pleased to see the king nod at a few key points, and brings his presentation to a clear, firm conclusion.
”When you put it that way, Pathfinder, I have to confess I am somewhat ashamed I did not see the obvious answer as it lay before me,” Edryd responds, quite humbly for a king. ”I have councilors already, as you have seen,” he continues, gesturing to his mother and the monk, ”and I value their insight greatly. Yet neither of them is truly of the people, or lives among them, and thus they cannot tell me all of the hopes, fears, and worries of the people I must protect and provide for. And if this Nalla is all you say, I suspect I will demand enough of her that joining my council will, in fact, feel like a penance for her actions. Bring her to me, and we shall meet on your plan. You have my word that she will be treated well, and no harm will come to her.”
At this, the party leaves the throne room, descends from the hilltop and makes their way back into the waterworks to find Nalla. She is pleased at their success in convincing the king, and agrees to meet with him right away. In fact, she shows the Pathfinders a secret passage off the waterworks chamber that leads into the keep, quite near the throne room. In the passage, the Pathfinders spot an old skeleton collapsed in an alcove, wearing some items of value.
When Nalla appears from the secret passage, Edryd is at first alarmed that she has entered this way, for he knew of the passage, which was built as a last resort for the king to escape an attack, but had no idea the rebels were aware of it. Nalla convinces him, however, that revealing her knowledge of the secret passage is a gesture of good faith, for the rebels can no longer use it to surprise him. This bold move appeals to the king, who quickly takes to the young rebel leader, and agrees to take her on as a member of his council. Nalla, for her part, sends word to the other rebels to stand down, preventing bloodshed and loss of property that would have occurred in the rebellion set for tonight.
King Edryd gestures the Pathfinders to come close to his throne, and speaks to them with gratitude rich in his voice, ”You have done my kingdom and my people a great service, and I thank you for that. The fighting would have cost lives, property and gold, and you have saved the throne and the country all of these. As a reward for your services, though you did not ask for one, I wish to gift you this.” The guard captain steps forward with a small chest filled with gold and presents it graciously to the party, nodding her head in silent thanks, as the Pathfinders have no doubt saved her and her guards much trouble, and perhaps many lives.
With a disaster handily averted, the party heads back to town to meet Venture-Captain Smine. Fortunately, the River Steed Inn stands quite close to Gildtmede Keep, so the walk is a short one. The sign of the inn has a horse rising out of a flowing river, and several rooms have balconies overlooking the Sellen River.
Venture-Captain Smine sits at a desk reading a letter, the open balcony door behind him giving a view over the docks and the river. As he waves the Pathfinder agents to come and update him on developments, he asks, “So, what did you find out? Did you find the old lodge? Any word on the state of political affairs?” Tossing the letter he’s holding on the table for the Pathfinders to read, he adds, ”I got a letter today that concerns me a bit. We may have a tricky task or two ahead of us to sort this out.”
Smine gives Packet an incredulous look, and even begins to laugh, as if he thinks the clever halfling is pulling his leg. Seeing the serious expressions on the rest of the Pathfinders' faces, however - noting that even Robb seems to be staring at him earnestly - the venture-captain exclaims, "Really? You've already spotted the problem and sorted it? You tracked down the rebels, met with the king, and found a lost Pathfinder lodge, all between Toilday and Wealday? I don't often say this, but I am impressed."
He heartily congratulates the party on a job – well, jobs, actually - well done and says his tasks in Artume are basically completed as well, and they they can leave any time. Back on the boat soon after, a careful inspection of the recovered documents reveals that when Napsunar left Artume, she headed to an area in western Cheliax that falls now inside the borders of Andoran. As this information comes to light, Smine gives the party a considering look, as if contemplating a new mission.