"Can you break up fights without hurting people?" Ollie had asked one summer afternoon when Daithi approached him, asking if there was more that he could do than working as a laborer helping to build the village. Hauling stones and timber was honest work that required a strong body, but compared to 'monsters' like the men from the Clan of the Great Claw or the dextrous builders from the Clan of Painted Masks, it was hard to feel like accomplished much, or that he was making the best use of the skills he'd developed while serving under Lord Owain's banner.
"It's getting crowded in the village," Ollie explained. "And some people don't know how to get along yet. The Clan of Painted Masks steal from each other like it's a game but they don't always understand when the thing they've stolen is an irreplaceable treasure to the Heartwood Clan and some people are still terrified of the Night Weaver Clan because of their poisons," he said, shaking his head and letting out an exhausted sigh.
