Relaxation

[Ganem]

Birds sang around Ganem's resting place, a convenient hammock strung between two willing oaks deep in the forest. A stray breeze stirred the hair resting across his face, causing the Priest to to grunt and swat a hand across, clearing the hairs. A deer strolled up, sticking her nose into one of his pockets, snuffling after some hidden treat. Her mate waited a yard away, glaring at the human. Finally the animal opened it's mouth. "Elwood! Wake up before I report you to the Overseer!"

Booted feet slammed to wood-covered flooring as Ganem's eyes blurrily focused on the master of this tiny section of the sprawling bureacracy that was the duchy. And yet, this slight thing in front of him, perhaps half his own weight, with no magical powers behind him, ruled this room with his authority and a willow branch. Shaking his head, he made motions to appease the master, unstopping his inkwell, resuming where he left off on the latest batch of kitchen inventory. Another crate's worth of silverware missing... where did the servants hide so many forks and knives?

Once the old man's back was turned, a worn golden locket came out. Flipping it open, he stared at the white background, a faint Athyrian symbol appearing upon it's face. "Amazes me every time..." With a final sigh, he took the time to fully stretch his sleep-weary muscles. Using these motions to take stock of the room, he tried to hide his smile at the sight of the other scribes working with him... a bunch of equally scrawny "men" half his age, if not more. And yet they openly laughed at him after the master's tirades, some going so far as to try practical jokes on him, which he'd so far managed to turn back upon them for humorous results.

Once certain the rest of the apprentices were also back to work, he pushed aside the previous work, pulling out other sheets bearing symbols of varying secrecy. Tsking softly to himself, he compared various numbers, shuffling quickly through the stacks, jotting down note after note, unknowingly starting to talk to himself. "No money transferred there, the widow had no accounts I can find... where the hell did Baxter hide that money?"