Blueprints and deals...

Ciara of Cuchlia meets with Siobhan and discusses with her, the projects she has planned. The scene ends with Siobhan accepting the position of chief engineer for the Deep Dig and Deep Road projects.

It's late afternoon in Amber, and yet the city is still just as full of life and people as it ever is. Though, news seems to travel that a visiting Lyonesseian dignitary is in town seeking to meet with Miners and Smiths from all lands wishing to seek out new opportunity. After a long day of doing just that with very little luck, said dignitary enters in to the Crown and Rose proper.

 

It's almost impossible not to notice her, the young woman with icy blue eyes and raven black hair in a flowing soft blue dress with a gold sash about her waist. She is flanked on both sides by two female knights. Both clad in full plate armor, their surcoats emblazoned with a red and gold candle-flame over the heart. Both of them carry long swords on their hips and shields on their backs.

 

As Ciara enters, she is almost instantly beset by eyes from those present. One of the tavern wenches exclaims, "Countess Chantris! Pleasure to have you here your Excellency!"

 

Ciara smiles in return and curtsies, "No need for all that now please. I'd like a booth to sit in please, I need room for myself and my knights." With that asked for, she is guided to just such a booth and takes a set. One knight sitting across from her, and the other right next to her. The seem far more intent on keeping their eyes open and Ciara protected than anything else.

 

Siobhan is one of those that's already in the Inn, set up at a table off in one corner. The table is littered with papers full of diagrams and blueprints. There's a mechanical, clockwork hummingbird standing on the table before her. She's tinkering with it, making some sort of adjustments to the tiny gears and servos. She glances away, very briefly, toward the metal-clad apparition. But then turns immediately back to what she's doing. She ignores the commotion of the people all greeting the Countess. Until a single word catches her attention. Chantris. Chantris?? She looks up and her eyes, indigo and very, very intense, settle on Ciara and study her.

 

One of the two female Knights responds by locking her own eyes on Siobhan. There's an intensity to this woman and her actions that borders on something, well, on something akin to someone being entirely to over protective.

 

Ciara, notices this and slowly places a hand on the woman's vambraced arm. "Sarah, that's enough. Not everyone wants to do me harm. People are free to look at me as they wish, settle yourself and order something to eat."

 

The female Knight, now named Sarah, nods, "As you wish your Grace.." she replies plainly, relaxing and pulling her gaze away from Siobhan. Ciara, at this point slowly turns her gaze towards Siobhan and smiles warmly. She raises a hand and waves in greeting.

 

Siobhan's response to the intensity of the knight is to ignore it. Her focus and attention is /all/ on Ciara. The knight is completely irrelevant. The actions are likely noted and cataloged, though. Such is the intensity of her focus. The warm smile and the greeting wave are met with a nod, and a smile of Siobhan's own. She nods to her table, head tilted in query. The question is silent, but clear. Care to join me? Siobhan's inclination for making things is obvious from the clutter of the table, though there is clear space and free chairs. Most of the clutter seems to be centered on Siobhan's seat.

 

Ciara seems lost in thought a moment as her gaze remains on Siobhan. She's not really sure how to take this and it's obvious as she seems to think it over a little before finally nudging Sarah. The knight turns slowly to Ciara and looks confused, "Your grace?" she asks. Ciara smiles to her warmly and nudges her again, "I'm going to go sit with the young woman over there" she replies to her, a warm and friendly smile on her soft face. "You both stay here, eat, drink. If anything does happen, I trust you both to keep the peace." Without letting either of the Knights reply, she shoves her way out of the booth, to the surprise of both of them and walks over to Siobhan. Once she arrives at her table, she smiles warmly, "You wished to meet with me I take it?"

 

Siobhan rises to her feet as Ciara approaches. She smile warmly at the woman. "I did. I heard your title. I too am Chantris. I hadn't realized we had a Countess as well as a Baroness," she says. "My name is Siobhan." She waves to a chair and cleans up some of the clutter so it's in a slightly more compacted form. That doesn't keep the pages of charts and blueprints from being seen as they're stacked together.

 

Ciara waits, with her hands clasped together about her stomach. She smiles warmly at Siobhan, and nods to her. "I well, my relations with House Chantris are strained, though it's best we not talk about that." She watches Sio clean things up and when she's done, Ciara sits down in the empty chair and crosses her legs as she leans back against the chair backing.

 

Siobhan looks curious, but nods and doesn't ask. She seems fairly well self contained and calm. "I understand strained," she says. Once she's done with the cleaning, and the Countess sits, Siobhan sits. "So. Am I to understand you are in search of people to help with a construction project?"

 

Ciara blinks a few times and folds her arms under her bust line. She looks Sio over and takes a moment to look over all of her paperwork and her contraptions. She returns her gaze to Sio and nods, "I am. I'm looking for a lead engineer to help with a deep dig mining operation in to the Raining Mountains in Lyonesse. That, and also building a tunnel. The mountain range spans some sixty six miles from our western most border to our eastern border and we've discovered large amounts of coal and magnetite ore. So, it's my hope that be beginning a deep dig operation via shaft mining, and by building a tunnel through the mountain range, that we can help to bolster our economy and help overland expeditions to the northern unclaimed lands on the other side of the mountain range."

 

Siobhan listens quietly, her hands folding sometime during the conversation into her lap. There's something seriously intense about Siobhan, almost intimidating but not quite. The whole of her attention and focus appears to be on Ciara. "Hmm. I have some experience there. I am a well versed artificer and engineer, as well as craftsman. I can tinker with most things until they work, when I can't outright fix them with the right parts."

 

"Yes, well, that's all well and good.." replies Ciara plainly, who does not seem even remotely phased by Sio's intense focus. Ciara's only response is to return it with a gaze of her own. One that speaks to a young woman who is far more than she seems to be. "I need an Engineer.." she says bluntly. "I need someone that can draw up plans, and direct foreman and help us build a multi level shaft mine as well as a giant tunnel through dozens of miles of mountain.."

 

Siobhan waves to the plans and blueprints that she'd stacked. "I can do all of that. I'm also versed as a military adjutant, which is applicable when directing foremen. Also means I'm really good at making sure that what is needed is on hand." Much like the other woman, there's more than meets the eye here, for she's wearing a Victorian style dress.

 

Ciara listens and looks at all the blueprints and nods. "Well, do you think you'd be willing to take on such a project?" she asks of Sio. "If the answer is yes, you can name your own wages and I'd give you a room in the castle keep in Cuchlia."

 

Siobhan nods to the question. "I would be willing," she says. "Wages are fairly easy. Meals and unlimited study of anything we find." Well, that's not much, now is it?

 

Ciara shakes her head no, "No, that's not much at all. Though, I'd feel better if you'd take some form of payment outside shelter and meals. Though, if you're willing to take this project on. Then I would be in your debt miss Siobhan. This is a project that's going to take some time, so I do hope you don't mind traveling and living in another land for extended periods?"

 

Siobhan nods. "If you wish to pay me some form of payment outside of those parameters, you're welcome to at your discretion. I won't argue." Siobhan grins, and then sobers again and nods. "I'm an archaeologist and Librarian at heart. I spend quite a lot of time living in other lands for extended periods. This will not be a hardship."

 

Ciara smiles brightly then and nods, "Then it's settled. You'll leave for Cuchlia via boat and be accompanied by my guards on your journey. When you arrive at the Castle, you'll be given a room and allowed access to all the resources you need to begin the project. This includes speaking with my ministers and assisting in hiring and finding us skilled miners and prospectors. I'm glad we could come to an agreement here Sio, oh and while I have you.." she says. "I'd like to commission you for plans for a Library that I'd like to build in Cuchlia proper."

 

Siobhan is quiet through it all until she's called Sio. She smiles. "Call me Von, please. Siobhan von Krugendorff." My, that's a mouthful! She nods enthusiastically to the request to draw up plans for a Library. "I would love to. Libraries are always a good thing and something I'm interested in." She tilts her head of a sudden and grimaces faintly. "When does the boat leave? I'll need to pack."

 

Ciara blinks and blushes, "Apologies Von.." she replies plainly. "Good! Then we have much to discuss when we arrive in Cuchlia proper. As to when the boat leaves? It will be leaving in three days. I'm here just long enough to seek out aide and a few more trade deals before we return. So, please be ready by that time."

 

Siobhan smiles. "It's alright," she says. "You didn't know my preferred nickname." She nods about the time frame. "I will be," she agrees. She has started to gather her things. It all goes together into a neat little portfolio that had been sitting tucked under the table on the seat of another chair. "If you'll excuse me? I'll get to it." She rises to her feet and hurries out.