*As the paper was thrust into his attention, he set the completed statuette down. The statuette seemed almost alive with power.*<strong>Well, the only thing I can offer in the way of taxes is meager. As my people are too busy trying to survive each night. The only thing Silverpines can really offer is weapons and armor forged from the metal in our mine, lumber as to what can be harvested, and limited amounts of the liquid silver we burn. The balverines are harder to be rid of than first thought of.</strong>*He picked up the sheet of paper and scanned it.*<em>Seems to me they are fine, I could raise an army on this. Had I the people to do so.</em>*His eyes narrowed as he looked in the direction of the king.*<em>Forces may be thin, but my people have thinned out the balverines so much they they are only still strong in our forests. They no longer inhabit Mistpeak Valley.</em>*He snapped his fingers and the statuette moved and howled for dramatic effect, freezing into a howling pose.*