"Take your pick. As long as it hasn't already been granted to someone and isn't too close to Silvermoon City, there shouldn't be much of a problem," Sylvanas said.
After studying the map for a long while, Yu Lin Bloodhawk pointed to an island at its westernmost edge. He remembered this place. It would later become the Night Elves' forward base for entering Quel'Thalas, and a dock could be built there.
"I want this one," he said.
"Shalandis Isle?" Sylvanas shook her head. "Listen to me. That's not a good place. Pick another."
Shalandis Isle had indeed not been granted to anyone. But it currently had no residents and was occupied by large numbers of Murlocs. The nearest settlement on the mainland was Goldenmist Village, but even though the village's western coast faced Shalandis Isle across the sea, that was hardly any help. Both shores were crawling with Murlocs, who frequently harassed the villagers of Goldenmist Village. There were no elves living on Shalandis Isle at all.
Yu Lin Bloodhawk shook his head too. "I still think it's a pretty good place, and it's big."
"Big?" Sylvanas scoffed. "It certainly is, but do you know why such a large place still hasn't been granted to anyone? Because there are too many Murlocs. Rather than calling it the kingdom's territory, you might as well call it Murloc territory. And it has no residents. How would you pay taxes to the king? How would you muster troops when called upon to go to war?"
It wasn't very far from Windrunner Spire, so Sylvanas naturally knew the place well. Taking it would be little different from conquering new territory. Besides, while its area was indeed large for a barony, it was still too small for someone of higher rank.
"I have to pay taxes too?" Yu Lin Bloodhawk exclaimed. He could understand supplying troops, but paying taxes put him in a difficult position.
"Of course you have to pay taxes! Did you think being a lord was that easy? With a title and a fief, you're a lord. Even if you're only a minor lord, you still have to obey the kingdom's laws and fulfill your obligations. That's why I said it wasn't a good place. I really think you should choose somewhere else," Sylvanas urged.
"No. I still think that place is better!" Yu Lin Bloodhawk said.
"All right. If you can capture it and hold it, all of Shalandis Isle will be yours. The Windrunner family can manage that much. I suspect those councilors will even applaud and celebrate," Sylvanas said. "But can you tell me why you want it?"
"What's wrong with it? It's big and not far from the mainland," Yu Lin Bloodhawk said. "The only problem is the Murlocs. Come to think of it, they shouldn't be very strong, right?"
"They aren't. Otherwise, how could Goldenmist Village have been built near that coast? They're just incredibly annoying. When they can't win, they all flee into the sea, where we can't catch them. Once we leave, they come back out to cause trouble," Sylvanas said.
"There's one problem! If the kingdom grants me a fief, surely I won't be going there alone? And I'd have to pay taxes too. If that's how it works, I'd be better off not taking it," Yu Lin Bloodhawk said.
"Don't worry about that. If the kingdom grants you a fief, it will certainly lend you some money. But it's a loan, so you'll have to repay it later. You can also form a personal guard of fewer than fifty people to accompany you to your domain," Sylvanas said.
Generally, a personal guard could be recruited from commoners willing to follow their new lord, or selected at the recruitment offices from that year's new army recruits. As long as they were willing to go, there was usually no problem. However, if commoners already had a lord who refused to release them, there was nothing to be done. After all, that affected the lord's tax revenue. New recruits posed no such problem. Once they enlisted, they belonged to the kingdom, and their lords had no right to stop them. Unless, of course, someone tried poaching men from another lord's guard. That would cause trouble.
"Your circumstances are rather special. You might be allowed to form a guard of fewer than a hundred people to go with you. For example, that squad of recruits you lead could accompany you, as long as they're all willing," Sylvanas said.
She had considerable confidence in the Windrunner family's influence.
A hundred people really wasn't much! Yu Lin Bloodhawk sighed. "Why so few?"
"You should be grateful. If that place weren't a special case, you'd get fifty at most," Sylvanas said. "A hundred is already company strength, and you're still complaining? Other barons only get a fifty-person squad, understand? Actually, that figure of a hundred was only my guess. I'm still not sure whether you'll be allowed a company-sized guard. I'll help you as much as I can."
"I understand all that. But even with a hundred people, how am I supposed to collect taxes without any residents? How would I repay the loan?" Yu Lin Bloodhawk was troubled again.
"Why else do you think I told you to choose somewhere else? You'd be much better off picking a place with people. Even a few would be better than none," Sylvanas said irritably. "Without residents, you'll have to find commoners who don't want to live under a lord, such as people who make their living hunting deep in the mountains. But you can't force them, or you'll be breaking the law."
"It's that difficult? My head's spinning. Being a lord is more exhausting than being a commoner," Yu Lin Bloodhawk said.
"What did you expect?" Sylvanas rolled her eyes at him.
"Then if I built a prison there, could the king send me prisoners to lock up and pay me for its upkeep and management?" Yu Lin Bloodhawk grumbled dejectedly.
"A prison?" The idea of the arcane addiction experiment suddenly flashed through Sylvanas's mind. She had been worrying about where to conduct it in secret. Now, prompted by Yu Lin Bloodhawk's words, she felt a surge of delight. Wouldn't that be the perfect place for the experiment?
After all, this experiment would strip away all humanity and was completely illegal. If exposed, it would bring enormous pressure down on them, so it could only be conducted in secret. Furthermore, gaining a deeper understanding of the final consequences of arcane addiction might take several years. The closer it came to the end, the crueler it would become, making the location the hardest problem to resolve.
"I have an idea. See what you think..." Sylvanas said mysteriously.
The two spent a long while discussing the difficulties and problems surrounding arcane addiction.
Suddenly, Yu Lin Bloodhawk said, "Do you think those arcane mages at Falthrien Academy would be interested in this experiment?"
"Falthrien Academy? You mean..." Sylvanas's eyes lit up.
"Exactly, Falthrien Academy. Heh, your Windrunner family could completely distance itself from the affair while still learning all the results. If it ever leaked, someone else would take the blame. You'd get your own business done with someone else's money. Besides, I suspect building a place for this experiment would cost quite a bit. That's killing two birds with one stone. No, three!" Yu Lin Bloodhawk said with a laugh.
"We'll have to think of a good way to lure those research fanatics into taking the bait. They get quite a research budget every year..." Sylvanas's eyes darted about.
And so the two
Their discussion of the plot against Falthrien Academy proceeded in full swing. Every so often, one of them would let out a sinister chuckle that sent chills down the spine.
"If this works, you won't have to touch a single copper of that loan for next year's initial construction. That's a huge sum. And if the experiment lasts five years, you won't have to worry about paying taxes for at least ten. Shalandis Isle really is a wonderful place!" Sylvanas clapped her hands and laughed. "If I weren't afraid of damaging the family's reputation, I'd want that fief myself. I haven't been granted one either."
"That depends on whether your Windrunner family can deliver and get Shalandis Isle granted to me!" Yu Lin Bloodhawk said.
"Don't worry! If our family raises it in the Council, it shouldn't be much of a problem. The Council has to show us that much courtesy. I suspect they'll even think the Windrunner family is making things difficult for you, or trying to bring you misfortune," Sylvanas said with a smile.
"Haha, then should we work together to put on a little show explaining how we fell out?" Yu Lin Bloodhawk joked.
"A show?" Sylvanas's eyes darted about, and there was no telling what she was thinking. "Good! That's an excellent idea! We should pick a day when my sister comes home. Then I'll take you to my house, and the two of you..." She leaned close to Yu Lin Bloodhawk's ear and whispered.
"No! Wouldn't that completely ruin my reputation? Your sister would hunt me down! I can't beat her. I'd really die!" Yu Lin Bloodhawk cried out, shaking his head furiously in refusal.
This queen of scheming truly took underhandedness to another level. To achieve the best possible effect, she actually wanted to drug both him and her sister so that he could force himself on her.
"What are you afraid of? You're such a coward. My sister would be the one losing out!" Sylvanas said scornfully.
"Of course you're not afraid. Your sister wouldn't kill you, but she'd kill me without a moment's hesitation!" Yu Lin Bloodhawk continued shaking his head.
A beauty was tempting, but his life mattered more. He might escape death at the hands of the undead Scourge only to be reduced to dust by the great hero Alleria Windrunner long before that, without even anyone to appeal to for justice.
"Of course there would be some danger. If we don't make the falling-out dramatic enough, how will anyone believe it? Why would those elders in the family insist on shoving you onto Shalandis Isle?" Sylvanas said as though it were only natural.
Before you continue