Swamped

"Doc's on this list? You said she was too busy for Council work."

"She is. But they can't deny her extensive experience, so they're looking at her as an option. I did say she'd be my first choice if they could somehow persuade her to join, but I find that doubtful."

Ugh. You really don't want to talk to Doc yet. At the least, you want that information from Mudviper first. Not that it'll make things any more pleasant, but you'd rather have something to talk about than the past. Some kind of excuse she'll believe, at the very least.

You thank Keeper for his time, and giving you a chance. Then you head out and try to figure out which of these candidates you need to know more about.

"What's this, now? Checking out the competition, are we?"

"What the..." You turn around and see Crosswinds. "How long have you been there?"

"Shut up and tell me why the hell you, of all people, got recommended as a councilor."

"Apparently, because unlike our esteemed leadership, I've got the sense to know when I've screwed up. Why do you care? I know council's not your thing, they'll want to keep tabs on you all the time so they can drag you to meetings."

"Heh. Can't deny it. But look at that list there, Corvus. Doc's solid, but she'll never accept. Everyone else? Pathetic." They let out a sneer. "Now, if the council had an ounce of sense between them, they'd pick Mudviper. Razor may hold a grudge, but she'd easily persuade the others under normal circumstances. But they won't, because that would be admitting they screwed up by calling that raid."

"Your point?"

"My point being, as little as I want to deal with council meetings and other nuisances, I'm prepared to make that sacrifice if there's no one better available. So, just like you, I'm scouting out the competition. Seeing who's worth half a damn. Maybe I'm misjudging someone."

They lean in close.

"Like you, perhaps. So, go ahead. Prove you've got what it takes. Make your case however you'd like."