Jazelle

A councilor of Loshev.

When the Valiant Few came before the council with what they had learned about Beltran Grayeras, Jazelle stood to answer them, which in that room is a way of taking up more space than the argument needs. Her case was that fear does its own damage. The town was already frightened, the company was making it worse, fright would go through the commerce of Loshev and the commerce of Loshev is how anybody in it eats. She got out ahead of the obvious reading before anyone could offer it: she was not talking about coin for its own sake and was not some miserly councilor who cared nothing for the town’s troubles.

She would not be interrupted, either. Told that none of this had been known until the company said it aloud, she said to let her finish, predicted the rest of the argument, and called it ridiculous on the grounds of sheer distance. Pressed on whether distance was the whole of it, she added that Beltran had neither the manpower nor the means. Another councilor observed, with no offense meant, that she had no experience in matters of war. She snapped back that neither did he. He agreed, and that was his point.

It was the strongest thing said against the company all sitting, and it was what gave Mikhail his opening. If distance and manpower were the only objections, then the only other standing army in reach belonged to Draazstone, bound by a pact Beltran had already been shown to be breaking. He asked the room who else was supposed to stop the man.