Summer 10th 506AV
"Let's just cut him loose."
The barracks of the Daggerhand Armory rang out in echoes of raucous argument. Rodrin Sarlune a trusted Daggerhand veteran, Teygar the dungeon keeper and Jorin Harlander a representative for the Daggerhand high leadership had gathered in a large, well-lit hall to discuss the Symenestra kid who had simultaneously ushered in a unique opportunity and an irritating pain in the arse.
"And risk letting him run off?" Teygar shouted impatiently. This seemed, to him, a very simple matter. He wasn't quite sure why this had warranted such an involved discussion. "Keep him locked up in the dungeon and we can pull him out whenever we have use of him. Keep him in the dark long enough and he'll relish the opportunity to perform whatever slavish task we invent."
"A child doesn't pack up with strangers and travel half way across Mizahar because he has the world on a string," Sarlune returned. "He's got no home, no where to go, no one to turn to and no way to leave this piss pot of a city." Though his intent burned with malice and venom, his tone was misleadingly mature and reserved. "We'll be able to gain control of him whenever we need him again."
"Still," Teygar persisted. "Why allow him the freedom to leave? You talk about using him like a weapon. When you have a valuable weapon you hang it in a safe spot in the armory, you don't lock it away to be lost in some storage space. We don't need to waste resources in trying to wrangle him back at every moment that we have a need for him."
"Once again, Teygar," Sarlune jeered, "your short sightedness bars you from advancing your status, worth or even a single one of your ideas. I could care less about the Symenestran brat. He's just a tool and yet hear you are trying to feed him. You want to clothe him, to shelter him from the dangers of Sunberth by protecting him within the thick walls your the dungeon. Resources? There are your wasted resources! Do you have disposable money and food, stowed in your prison, that Robern doesn't know about?"
"So proud of yourself, Sarlune. If only Teygar was as careless as yourself. He too, could idly watch as the spider goes straight to the Night Eyes in order to exact some sort of retaliation."
Until this point, Jorin had resigned himself to silence. For the most part, he was just here to monitor the conversation and to make sure that nothing could occur without Robern's knowledge and approval. In his moderation of the dispute, he found an interesting opportunity to play devil's advocate.
"However, Sarlune does make a valuable point, Teygar. It is true that if we keep him in the dungeon, we have full access to him. It could maximize our ability to use him, yes, but it wastes resources on an untested child. We'll let him loose. You're rightfully hesitant to allow him the potential to disavow himself of us. We do need to make him desperate. We truly will make him beg for our attention. We need to force him to be unconditionally loyal to us. We'll force him to create, in himself, a skill that we can utilize."
Sarlune started to grow concerned at all of this talk. He started to fear that Jorin meant to train the kid. It almost began to sound as if Jorin wanted to raise the spider up as some sort of full fledged Daggerhand recruit. Sarlune was very well appeased when Jorin's talk took a sharp twist.
"Will our purpose be well served by feeding and sheltering him under the mansion? Or will it be better served by setting him on his own? We don't have to lift a finger to help the boy. Think about it, Teygar, he's penniless and alone in Sunberth. He'll have no freedom out there. We'll cast him off on his own.
It will be a test. We are going to keep an eye on him but not to provide even the smallest amount of aid. We'll watch him. If he goes to our enemies we'll kill him immediately. If he can't handle the streets of Sunberth, we'll watch as the city tears him apart and we'll have wasted few, if any, resources. If he finds his way, however, then perhaps this kid may be of value to us. Let the helpless puppy go loose. If he grows into a predator then we'll pull him back and refine the killer in him."