by Leona Jarnefeldt 2nd June 2020, 12:14 pm
Leona was slowly starting to piece together what the chief meant by the "winds of change." He clearly meant that things in the village were about to change thanks to his illness. The very first thing that the Wizard Saint thought of was a change in leadership, which would indeed be a big change for a village that had been led by the same man for decades. That change would mean that the alliances with Berreb, Regudo, and the Blue Sky Clan might have to be renegotiated because Joshua Hamlin was an unknown quantity. Could he lead Nebdoui with the same patience, charisma, and skillful speechcraft as his father?
Joshua certainly did not seem to think so. He anxiously tended to his father and occasionally muttered something that sounded like a prayer for Chief Elijah to recover and spare the youth the burden of leadership. The new Joshua was a far cry from the one Leona knew from two years ago. The Old Joshua was exceedingly confident in himself and was certain that he had all the answers, but the new one was timid and unsure of himself. Leona was not sure what to make of that drastic change.
The chief raised a hand like he wanted to say something, so Sophia hurried to grab a scroll of parchment and a pen. Joshua stepped away and froze in place with a facial expression of utter dread.
"Right now I'm too ill to lead, so Joshua will have to lead in my stead." Chief Elijah spoke the words that Joshua did not want to hear. Sophia dutifully recorded those words on parchment so that no one could accuse her, Joshua, or Leona of concocting a lie for their benefit. The black-haired youth was stunned beyond words... he could barely stand and his footing was so unsteady that a fly could knock him over.
"Joshua is capable. He has what it takes to lead Nebdoui into the future. He can make a village that's more than a collection of canvas tents." Chief Elijah expressed confidence in his son. Those words finally gave the youth the catalyst to speak.
"But father, I don't know the first thing about leadership! I've tried to learn everything you've taught me, but I'm not ready to lead! Everyone in the village looks up to you!" Joshua protested, hoping against hope that the burden would be lifted from his shoulders. Chief Elijah gave a weak smile.
"You've already taken one step in the right direction by admitting that you don't know everything. That's why I'm going to appoint Sophia Jarnefeldt as an official advisor." Chief Elijah answered. It was Sophia's turn to be floored. The scribe suddenly stopped recording and stared at the chief in shock.
"Chief Elijah, I don't think that this... this is a good idea. It's all too... sudden. What if the villagers think I poisoned you to maneuver myself into a position of power?" Sophia lodged a polite protest and spelled out why she felt that way. Leona could see where her mother was coming from. As a teacher and Nebdoui's most experienced and longest-serving scribe, her mother was one of the village's most influential people. It would be easy for skeptics to believe that the woman had poisoned Chief Elijah to position herself as the power behind the throne. Once in place she would reduce the youth to a puppet king whom she manipulated to fit her agenda.
Leona did not know why her mother would ever want a position of power badly enough to poison someone. Sophia was content to be a scribe to the chief and a teacher to the village's youth. She had never expressed unhappiness with her place in Nebdoui; all Sophia wanted was for Nebdoui to be safe and for Leonidas and Leona to give her grandchildren. Still, her mother's concern was well-founded. Some might see the chief's sudden illness as a poisoning done in retaliation for Leona's exile or as a simple play for power.
"Sophia, everyone in the village knows that you wouldn't do such a thing. If you didn't poison me after I exiled your daughter, then you wouldn't do it now." Chief Elijah voiced his belief that if poison was to blame for his condition, it was not Sophia's doing. Sophia and Leona remained silent and let the chief continue speak.
"You've got what it takes to guide Joshua into the future, Sophia. The village knows you and respects you. You've served me well for over twenty years. I'm confident that you'll help Joshua until he can stand on his own." He tried to reassure the scribe that the decision to appoint her as an official advisor was not made on a whim but was a decision that had been carefully considered. Sophia was not sure what to say to that, but she spoke nonetheless.
"Thank you, Chief." Sophia said in a subdued manner. Now it was her turn to look like the world had dropped onto her shoulders. Leona knew exactly where she was coming from. When she had been appointed Guild Master of Silver Wolf Leona felt the very same way. That title was not something that she had sought, but the privilege and the responsibility of leadership had been placed on her shoulders nonetheless.
Leona was now beginning to see why the "winds of change" was more than a fancy speech device meant to make an impression. It was a very real thing. Not only had Joshua Hamlin been placed in charge of Nebdoui, but now her mother had been made an official advisor to the new chief. This would change Nebdoui forever. Not only would this day change the village, it would also change the Jarnefeldt family dynamic too.
From here on out Sophia would have to be very careful in how she interacted with her children. There would inevitably be critics of her sudden promotion who would take any chance to accuse Sophia of nepotism if her children received anything that could be perceived as preferential treatment. Leona had thought that she was making progress towards mending fences with her mother, but the events of this day might destroy what progress had been made since their trip to the Tri-Council City.
[Post Word Count: 1,042]
[Total Word Count: 1,834/2,500]