The dispute hit by midday.
Toren had barely returned from checking the western water flow channel when Linae found him—face tight, voice clipped.
"It's the Durns and the Talek boys," she said. "Something about stolen rations. It's going to blow if you don't step in."
He sighed and turned toward the center ring.
By the time he got there, half the settlement had formed a rough circle around two families already in full-volume accusations. One of the Talek twins—Josen—stood with his arms folded, while his father shouted over the din. Maren Durn clutched a half-torn ration crate, her fingers white-knuckled around the edge.
"I saw him take it," she barked. "Two nights ago. Thought no one'd notice in the storm."
"Lies," Talek Sr. snapped. "We've never stolen a thing. You think we'd risk exile over dried roots?"
Toren stepped into the space between them.
System Notification: Local Dispute RegisteredOption: Intervene – YES / NOWarning: Delay will increase Morale Risk: -6%
He raised a hand.
"Enough."
The voices quieted—but not by much.
He didn't ask who was lying.
He asked questions.
Where the crates had been. Who'd inventoried them last. Where the boys were when it happened. Whether anyone else could have moved them—intentionally or not.
Mira watched from the edge of the circle, arms crossed.
The process wasn't clean. Or quick.
But it was transparent.
In the end, it wasn't theft. It was miscounting.
The Durn crate had been half-filled to begin with, mistaken for full stock. The Talek boy had moved some of it to dry ground during the storm—without telling anyone.
Toren turned to them both.
"You were right to speak up," he told Maren. "And you were right to act," he said to Josen. "Next time, talk. Or we all lose."
They nodded, stiffly.
System Update: Dispute Resolved – Tension -5%Leadership Efficiency: +3%Influence Load: +2
Toren felt it—just a whisper. Not tiredness. Not power. Just… weight.
Leadership wasn't orders.
It was pressure.