A competent official's first move was to put his own people in important positions.
Annan wasn't quite that competent, but he knew his companions needed something to do. The Bard, for instance, was a former prisoner and no stranger to dungeon guards.
He also put the young knight and her companions under the Bard's lead, including Joan and the mute boy. Joan's solo trading trips between Breeze City and Betar City proved she wasn't fragile. As for the boy, Astolfo and Gray Wolf had both insisted.
Annan liked the boy. For some reason, standing beside him always brought back memories of his days with Martin.
Then there was Daniel Goldberg, the flatterer. Having a surname meant he was neither a displaced person nor a pauper. As a local who had offered his services, Daniel became Annan's assistant, though Annan left the Dungeon investigation to the Bard.
Daniel needed watching. He flattered Annan, but he would flatter other nobles just as readily.
And once Annan had settled matters in Betar City and revealed himself as the King of the North, he might have several trustworthy subordinates to take home.
The Deputy Warden's position came with nothing beyond an official residence and a one-gold-narl weekly wage. But nobles had never needed more than land and holdings to live in pleasure. Word of Olmedo Just Right, the oddly named newcomer favored by Lady Deepwinter and the Deputy City Lord, had already begun to spread.
Nobles came bearing gifts in droves. The gifts alone were worth at least dozens of gold coins.
The Bard's investigation would take time, so Annan had the young knight quietly sell some of the gifts. He used the proceeds to buy clothes and food, which he and Joan delivered to the Orphanage.
This time, the children gathered around Annan