Lord Lonsdale steeples his fingers and lets out a long, thinking hmmmm.

"Well, of course, someone impartial would be handy at harvest time, but I wouldn't put Raeburn past giving them a bribe or two. Furthermore, the tree does belong to me, and it seems almost absurd to drop all the legal fees simply to end up right back where I started...ah, but a solution is a solution, I suppose. I take it that Lord Raeburn has agreed to this suggestion?"

"Aye, that's reet, I 'ave."

The three turn, somewhat stunned, to the doorway of the lounge where Lord Raeburn bustles in, followed shortly by a flustered butler who quickly blurts out "The Lord Raeburn to see you, sir. I did try to make him wait, but he just walked in and -"

Lord Lonsdale raises a hand. "Enough. It matters not. Please, leave us be."

The butler gulps, mops his sweating brow, mumbles a thanks and swiftly beats a hasty retreat. Lord Raeburn, with a jovial grin on his face, takes a seat uninvited in one of the armchairs.

"Aye, y'know, it wasnae so long ago I could waltz intae here without bein' on business, or bein' stopped by th'butler."

Lord Lonsdale fixes him with a stern glare. "Times change, Robert."

"Aye, Thomas, as they do. Pretty poor state of affairs when two strangers can solve a problem just by talking tae us both, no?"

Lord Lonsdale seems to somewhat ignore the comment and turns to Darien and Harvey. "No doubt you two asked that Lord Raeburn be present to sign on the required document?"

"Nae, they didn't," he says before they can answer. "I came 'ere off me own back, by my own mind."

Lord Lonsdale looks at him and for a moment there is silence. Then he looks away. "Well, I suppose the terms are satisfactory. May I offer you a drink?"

"Ye still have Callahan Brandy in th' bottle o' seltzer water?"

For the first time, Lord Lonsdale's eyes light up a little mischevously and he smiles. "Ah yes, you suggested that trick when the doctor ordered me to drink a glass of that foul-tasting stuff a day. I'll join you."

Lord Lonsdale gets to his feet, seemingly a little more sprightly than he seemed under the care of his servants, and fills two glasses from the seltzer bottle. One is passed to Lord Raeburn and he sits back down with the other and takes a drink. For a moment, Lord Lonsdale has a large smile on his face, but he soon becomes more dreary again.

"Ahh...well, I suppose we'd better get to business. Sirs, I suppose you had best write up this contract so that we may sign it."

Lord Raeburn lets out an audible sigh. "Aye, I 'spose we had."

Darien and Harvey are passed a quill and ink and a sheet of paper. Familiar with the proceedure, Darien sketches out a few of the legal terms at the beginning of the document. Strangely, he finds himself wanting to sigh in frustration, and that his heart isn't truly in the writing of it.

Here, in his hands, is the document which, in writing, will put the Dragon Amulet into his and Harvey's hands with Lonsdale's blessings for a short time and bring a ceasefire to the dispute between Lonsdale and Raeburn. All he has to do is write it out and have the Lords sign it, and he and Harvey may go. Why does he find himself so reluctant to do it?

OOC: Good thinking regarding not mentioning that Raeburn had agreed, Darien. As for the contract...no doubt a bit of determination would see it written. Perhaps Darien simply doesn't have his heart in legal writing?



"The heavens keep the answers to our worldly problems...
the key is to know how to understand their ancient language"