[Child of the 7th Age]

Andreth Speaks to Alvinac

As Andreth marched off intending to speak with Alivinac and Kari, she had advanced only a short distance when she glimpsed the two of them making their way towards the back of the assembly. In the background, she could hear that there were loud and impassioned speeches going on that at least focused on the threatened assault rather than the question of cooperation between the native Breelanders and the hobbits. Although relieved to find the meeting taking this new turn, Andreth found the enthusiastic cheering so intense that she could scarcely understand what Alvinac was asking her.

She tugged on Alvinac's sleeve and beckoned him and his daughter to talk by the side of the plaza where the roar of the mob was a little less obvious. Still, it was difficult to carry on a conversation.

Andreth managed to explain briefly about the afternoon school she intended to run, and how she hoped that Kari would be in attendance there. The Innkeeper had had serious second thoughts about what she would tell the parents. Despite her earlier inclination to hide the fact that hobbits would be coming, it seemed wiser to at least imply that a few of the Little Folk might occasionally drop in as well.

With this in mind, she spoke to Alvinac, reassuring him about the safety of his child, "Yes, I'll be asking the very finest of the families to send their children to the school, only the best of the Big and Little Folk. Certainly not anyone like that obnoxious Will Farroweed! I want no troublemakers there, especially those hobbits or Big Folk whom we know can never get along."

Unfortunately for Andreth, the noise of the crowd was so overbearing that several of her words and phrases were half drowned out under the recurrent rounds of applause and the enthusiastic cheers of the Breelanders. What Alvinac actually heard was something like this: Yes, I'll be asking the very finest of the families to send their children to the school, only the best of the Big Folk. Certainly not anyone like that obnoxious Will Farroweed! I want no troublemakers there, especially hobbits whom we know can never get along.

Alvinac went away happy, convinced that Andreth had enough common sense not to invite any of the hobbit children in such difficult and strained times as these. Not that he wished the hobbits any ill. Only they needed to stick with their own kind. He promised to speak with the other native Breelanders, and encourage them to send their children to the school, which sounded as if it might be a most excellent arrangement for the little ones in the neighborhood.

[ October 12, 2003: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]