Arranging A New Life

[Liminal]

Winter, 509 AV

This evening, the Council of Elders was meeting to discuss affairs pertaining to the city of Riverfall. These meetings were usually convivial, but there was an underlying current of seriousness to them. The Akalak did not treat their business lightly, and every decision they had to make was carefully considered.

It had been a reasonably straightforward meeting up to this point, with some discussion of road repairs, maintenance of the temple of Wysar, and the harshness of the winter weather. At length, Nevar Chivan, the Sovereign, cleared his throat, and the attention of all focused upon him.

"This section of the meeting is reserved for discussion of new and existing businesses. The Council currently has no concerns regarding existing businesses before it. If any wish to speak about new businesses, they are invited to do so at this time."

[Kavala]

Kavala had waited nervously for most of the meeting, quietly sitting in one of the empty chairs near the front. She'd been surprised that the seats had filled up quickly, having had no experience with these sorts of meetings in Endrykas. The city was mobile, informal, and didn't have the logistical problems that a city that never moved did. She had paperwork, hours of sketches she'd done from hand. It had been a healing of sorts, from the capture and abuse, to sit in the sun and think about the future. The past was too painful to think about sometimes, so she'd channeled her energy and indeed her hopes into the one facility she thought Riverfall could use.

So when Nevar Chivan opened up the floor, Kavala glanced around, noted no one was rising, and herself rose. She didn't know if the Lord of Riverfall had any idea of who she was, but it didn't matter in the long run, not really. Hopefully they'd know her name when the meeting was over. The konti woman strode around the seats in front of her and beside her, to walk down the center of the meeting hall to the public podium located in the center. She wasn't afraid of speaking in crowds, though it was usual that the entire crowd was mostly comprised of males. Clearing her throat and rustling her vellum papers... Kavala got started.

"I wish to thank the people of Riverfall for their hospitality. Two months ago I was a prisoner of a caravan bound for zith territory. I was taken when my horse, through my carelessness, went down after hitting a tripwire. It was the worst day of my life. And it was what I thought would be the end of my life. I was rescued though, when an Akalak group raided the caravan and liberated the women who were enslaved within it. When I was taken, there was nine women with me. When the Akalak men struck down the caravan mercenaries, there were only seven left. I do not think many of those would have lived to see the Zith, and certainly they would not have lived much past meeting them. So I am here today because the brave men and women of this city do things to free people. I know that there has been a statement that no debt is owed. But there is a debt of life... a huge debt. It is one I wish to repay."

Kavala said gently, her voice growing stronger and bolder as she spoke.

"I noticed that while you have a very nice healing facility here in Riverfall, there is no healing facility for animals. I know there is a high population of kelvcs here... I've come to understand Riverfall imports unwanted kelvics females. I have two main skills... animal husbandry and medicine. Along with that I have a deep and profound faith in Rek'keli, and she's marked me with her healing. I would like to open a clinic... a healing facility for animals and kelvics, for even people with a bestial nature need their beasts cared for as well as their human sides. In addition to this, I'd like a boarding facility attached to the clinic so that not only do visitors to Riverfall have a place to stable their horses, but they can have a place to purchase horses when they leave or are in need. Riverfall lacks a stable, and an animal clinic needs a place to house those larger sick creatures as well. Now, I do not have a business mind. Finances confound me because I come from a place where barter and trade fuel the world, not mizas. But I've heard that Riverfall helps people start businesses, provides them a place to work, and so long as their business is needed and successful, those that work hard will be rewarded. I think I can give back to Riverfall and provide a much needed service... for the people and their animals. I would need a facility... a large building with living quarters and a barn that has at least twenty stalls if not more. An arena would be nice but not necessary, so I could teach younger horses and do rehabilitation for those creatures that need it as part of their healing. The edge of town, near where there is grazing would be preferable, though we could make due in town."

Kavala took a few breaths, shuffled her paperwork, and read down a list.

"I would need two stable hands in my employment for general labor, an assistant in the clinic, and perhaps a groundskeeper or housekeeper inside. I would like to be able to pay these people good salaries so that they are happy at their work. I myself would like a salary of ten gold mizas a day... which is a fair wage for a competent animal husbandry specialist, someone trained in medicine... of which I will improve the skill... and a healer of Rek'keli. I would not ask for any additional amount, though I would like the right to live in the facility and hopefully have room for the assistant to live as well. I have someone in mind... someone I suspect is more than competent. In addition, we might breed horses for the populace... and do whatever community outreach work we can. I would like to make this healing service affordable and if necessary free in that it would be a sanctuary for those that need a place to stay and recover. We can cover the expenses, I suspect, by the profits made from the sale and boarding of the horse side of the business."

Kavala said gently, then took a breath. "All I need is a facility, the money to acquire supplies, and the ability to pick the first horses for the startup. I ask no more of the profits, and I would anticipate that the facility would be self supporting if not profitable within a year." Kavala said, finally drawing to a close on her sales pitch.

[Liminal]

The Council listened quietly, almost impassively, until Kavala was completely finished. Then, Nevar Chivan rose again.

"We thank you for your proposal, and we ask that you allow the Council a few minutes to consider it."

It didn't appear that he actually needed or expected permission, because the Council members had already risen as well, and were exiting to a small adjoining room. It appeared that they were going to review Kavala's proposal in a closed session. None of the other Akalak in attendance moved from their seats, so it seemed that there was an expectation that it wouldn't take an unusually long time to return with a decision.

In truth, it was about half a bell before the Council members filed back in. When they had all taken a seat, Nevar Chivan stood and faced Kavala.

"The Council believes that your proposal has merit. We are willing to assist you in starting this business."

"There is a property near the edge of the top level that should be suitable for your needs. It was not designed as a facility such as yours, but can be renovated to accommodate such. Additionally, it has some undeveloped land associated with it, which could be used for pasture or where an arena could be placed."

"The city will assist you in preparing the facility to open for business, and will provide you with two assistants to begin with. You will be responsible for managing it, though it will be administered in the usual way for businesses in Riverfall. We thank you for your proposal, and look forward to its success."

[Kavala]

The wait was nerve wracking. Kavala had never been so bold in her life, standing up and doing what equated to asking permission to start a business in a city that never moved. It seemed strange, but it was something she wanted to do. Give back, that is, to the city that had somehow managed to give her life back to her after her very stupid choice of taking Windsong down the wash that looked easiest. It was odd how one little decision would change the whole course of one's life.

By Endrykas' standards, she was a ruined woman. Though she was konti, and they would overlook such transgressions, deep down Kavala still felt like something precious had been lost. And when one felt so ... angry inside, there was nothing to do but channel that anger into something constructive, a project, that would never be finished. Working with horses was like that. There was always more work, always new people to see, to laugh with, to help, to befriend.

When the doors opened and the council came back in, Kavala tried to read each and every one of their faces. Stone cold, giving nothing away, she had no idea what they had decided. Her konti-gifts weren't of the human sort, but lent themselves more towards animals and knowing how they felt. When Nivan started speaking again, Kavala let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. They would help her. They had a property in mind as well. She stood quietly at the podium and nodded. When he was done speaking, Kavala simply leaned forward, cleared her throat, and thanked the council.

"I will do my best to see that the venture is successful both for Riverfall and for the community as a whole. Hopefully an animal clinic will be helpful both to the animals and kelvics of Riverfall." Kavala said and then returned to her seat so the meeting could proceed.

She waited through the rest of it, heard other such petitions - some granted and some not - until the back doors opened and the audience began filing out. It was then that she moved with the crowd to the outer courtyard and was flagged down along with two other people by a business-like Akalak who had her sign some forms and gave her a slip of paper with the address of the property, and which contained a generous allowance for the remodel as well as the names of some of the general contractors in Riverfall she was authorized to ask to help. It would be up to her to determine who to hire as assistants which was fine with her, because truthfully she preferred having a say in who worked around the horses and anything else that might be in the clinic. And so with the address in hand along with the paperwork that authorized her to be in it, she went to investigate and make plans.