Yaro had been training possible recruits in warfare for a solid week now. Eliona said she had plans, to help stop the Rebellious actions from the Noble Faction, but Yaro had concerns on Yoresire as a whole as well. One week was not enough time to act on it solidly, but while he was preparing the new recruits for battle, he was having those of his original men begin setting the stages for houses- Coin was being spent on tools and other equipment for the first settlement of Nottland, and already there was lumber being chopped down and stone being masoned, in preparations for constructing homes and defensive fortifications. Yaro was being allowed to direct these on his own, Eliona had matters that she apparently had to focus on herself, so he did his best to manage his time-tables appropriately.<br/><br/>Eliona was right that he couldn't solve all of the issues right off the bat, but he could deal with the most immediate problems. The problem was deciding exactly WHAT he should focus on and to that end, he focused on how to best use the resources he had at his disposal.<br/><br/>Out of the recruits found, only twenty four stood out to Yaro as exemplary, Hassad and Pennyworth being two of them. These would be officers in the army, the ones who stood above the rank and file to receive specialized training. Chains of Command had to be established, and the troops needed leadership, so he was glad he could rely on those two as well as the other twenty two to keep order. Still, the army would only grow, so he'd need to find more. Yaro also made note that, despite being members of the First Army of the Queen, their equipment was......rather sub par. True, his forces were mainly cast-offs and criminals, but if they were to win the hearts and minds of the people they were charged to defend, they needed better equipment.<br/><br/>That was also the problem- disorderly conduct was high. Hassad and the other twenty four he selected were maintaining things well, but these people needed proper discipline. His soldiers were taking a strong hand to the situation, but many had a dislike for authority, same for this new army of his. Not only that, but the public image as a Hero for the Kingdom of Alethera and Duke to Queen Vandyl didn't, as help many thought he was just another brown-noser for the Queen. He had the respect of his men, but he'd need to earn the respect of his army. If he didn't have that, the chances of desertion in the face of true danger would be high, and if there was one thing that Yaro would NEVER stand for, it was leaving the field of battle with your tail between your legs. He also wouldn't abide by traitors, yet another problem.<br/><br/>One thing after another, it was as if they gave him this for the express purpose of WANTING him to fail.....<br/><br/>But.....<br/><br/>It had POTENTIAL.<br/><br/>People like Hassad, who refused to follow stupid orders, were the type to stay level-headed on the field of battle and sound council when planning an attack or defending a location. Hunters, like Pennyworth, had skills with the bow and were fast on their feet. These criminals had a unique set of skills and uses that you wouldn't find in a typical trained soldier of the Kingdom. Despite the poor start, Yaro had full confidence that if things could fall into place, this army could be the strongest fore on the continent. Even the Kingdom of Jhoira wouldn't be able to match them for sheer cunning, ferocity, and skill in battle. People expected his forces to be another army of the rank and file, but it was those skill sets that gave them a clear advantage.<br/><br/>There was also this territory, Yoresire- From what his scouts had told him, It was completely unsettled land, full of wildlife, trees, and far away from the civilization of the Inner Territories. Originally, his biggest concern was supply issues, but that was not to be the case, as they quickly discovered- Much to his and ( he believed, though he doubted she'd show it or admit it) Eliona's joy, several streams and rivers passed through here, and the forests were ripe with game. With Eliza Pennyworth here, and most having the rudimentary understanding of hunting their own food, the problem wasn't having enough to eat- It was what they did with all that was left over. There was literally MORE than they could eat and that eased Yaro's worries on the front of food.<br/><br/>There was also the hills and the mountains north of his territory. They were on the north western borders of the Queen's Domain, close enough to uncharted territory that oversight was limited, so he had first pick of any possible mines that were there. He had sent scouts, as he told Eliona he would, to comb through them to find anything of value, and that was coming back in spades- Iron, Copper, and Tin were readily available. Copper and Tin would allow them to make Bronze, good alloy for tools and hunting equipment. Iron could be used for their armor and weapons, actually equipping the soldiers with more useful equipment than cast-offs, and they could sell the surplus back to the Inner Territories, though Yaro was reluctant to do so. But that was just the icing on the cake.<br/><br/>No, the real treat was<i>gold</i>.<br/><br/>Yaro held in his palm proof that this land was rich in gold- a single<a class="link link--external" data-proxy-href="/proxy.php?link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.johnbetts-fineminerals.com%2Fjhbnyc%2Fmineralmuseum%2F46069.jpg&amp;hash=4ffb159663a74b5ae696f83762a7e8f6" href="http://www.johnbetts-fineminerals.com/jhbnyc/mineralmuseum/46069.jpg" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" target="_blank">nugget</a>from one of the streams. It was barely the size of his finger, and it fit in his hand like a small rock, but it was proof nonetheless. Yaro had to question though- Why did the Queen give him this territory? Surely, she already knew this. Yoresire wasn't completely new land, it had existed within her borders for awhile, so why hadn't she sent anyone to settle it? Surely that would've eased tensions with the Noble Faction, as fresh resources always seemed to relax the hot blooded nerves of those pissants in power. However, Yaro stopped to think and remember what Eliona said- That he underestimated the Queen's generosity and Eliona's own intellect.<br/><br/>Did the Queen....knowingly give him this valuable land? Was that why Eliona wasn't too worried about it providing much?<br/><br/>Yaro had to admit- She knew how to repay those that did a service to the crown.<br/><br/>Yaro tossed the nugget in the air, before catching it. He'd need to apologize to Eliona for doubting her......hell, it seemed all he DID was apologize to her. His initial doubts about her, given her noble blood and general uncaring demeanor, had been practically blown away three times now. He'd need to keep watch- She was starting to become impressive. Taking the map to the territory, Yaro began walking towards the Study. He wanted to give the men a real taste of battle, something to provide experience and to give him a feel for their skills and where they need to improve, and Yaro had found the location of their target-<a class="link link--external" data-proxy-href="/proxy.php?link=https%3A%2F%2Fvignette.wikia.nocookie.net%2Fdragonage%2Fimages%2Fc%2Fc8%2FMercenary_Fortress_Hinterlands.png%2Frevision%2Flatest%3Fcb%3D20150128232907&amp;hash=c17d36e8ef6321b755e0d74e22e2b97c" href="https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/dragonage/images/c/c8/Mercenary_Fortress_Hinterlands.png/revision/latest?cb=20150128232907" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" target="_blank">Fort Vahiren</a>, named after King Vahiren, the late king's grandfather. Bandits took over the location years ago, besmirching it's name sullying the memory of the soldiers who died in it's defense during the barbarian invasions.<br/><br/>Yaro was sure Eliona would agree- It was time to take the Fort back. Not only because it was a good defensive location and had stood for almost a hundred years, but because taking back such an area important to the history of the Kingdom would earn him a few friends. Eliona specifically told him she wanted him to build his reputation as a Hero in Alethera and doing this would definitely put some smiles on peoples faces, along with gold in his and their pockets. Knocking on the door, three sharp raps, he would open it and walk in. "<b>Excuse me. Sorry to interrupt, but I wanted to show you and Jasper this, Eliona." </b><br/><br/>Yaro placed the map down on the table, along with a map of the fort, before speaking up. "<b>Fort Vahiren is well defended by savages and bandits, they've dung well into the position and have home field advantage. However, every fort has it's weakness- I found Vahiren's. "</b>He said, before pointing to an abandoned mine near it. "<b>Cave Systems run along the mountain, Fort Vahiren used them in case the fort came under siege, for ease of access to mines and resources. They've been abandoned for years now, but if those caves are still cross-able, we could strike into the heart of the fort. Take a small team through here and they can take care of the wall defenders, as well as lower the gates, so we could move in full force. We'd have the Fort before they'd raise the alarm." </b>He said to her.<br/><br/>He had literally been scratching his head looking for this damn thing- Finding maps to it was next to impossible, given the poor condition the old nobleman left them in. He was thankful Jasper brought in good ones. Holding up the nugget, he'd speak up. "<b>Land is also gold rich- Only one other person knows, the scout who found it. You've proven right yet again- I admit I was wrong to doubt you." </b>He said, tossing the nugget to Jasper. "<b>Thanks for the maps by the way."'</b><br/><br/>He would then look towards Eliona. "<b>Just give me the word, Eliona, and that Fort will fly House Vandyl's colors once again."</b><br/><br/><a class="username" data-user-id="680" data-username="@Archduchess" data-xf-init="member-tooltip" href="https://blackdahliaroleplaying.com/members/680/">@Archduchess</a>