[Child of the 7th Age]

Andreth worries about her son...

Will? Edmund was with Will? Kali's news had the opposite effect that Berilac had intended. Of all the situations she could imagine, this had to be one of the worst. She vowed to make good on her threat that she'd voiced in her earlier letter.

Still, that didn't solve her present problem. She needed to get her son back as quickly as she could. Will was twice as old as Edmund. What could the older boy possibly want other than to tease Edmund, or drag him off on some serious mischief?

Her own reaction had initially been one of anger that her son had stolen off without getting his mother's permission. But as minutes dragged on into hours and still no Edmund appeared, her anger gradually ebbed and was replaced by deepening concern. What if Will attacked the boy or enticed him into some dangerous situation where he could get hurt? She could not simply sit here and do nothing.

Andreth ordered Ban to saddle one of the horses and ride over to the Farroweed household to try to find out when their son was expected home. But there was no one at the house, not even Letty who had a clearer head on her shoulders than the other members of the family.

Next Andreth tried searching the streets of Bree and personally inquiring at the houses belonging to families with whom Edmund had been friendly. But no one she spoke with had seen her son. She even scratched out a brief note for Mayor Harald asking the deputies to let her know if any of them chanced upon Edmund in the course of their daytime rounds.

With nothing to do except sit and wait, wild thoughts ranged through her mind. Perhaps Kali was wrong. Perhaps, it hadn't been Will at all, but one of the ruffians from outside the city who'd come to threaten innocent children. She should have taken up Berilac's offer to help her find the boy. Panic welled up in Andreth's heart as she remembered the day that her husband had driven off in the wagon and never returned. In a very real sense, her boy was everything she had left.

Andreth pushed down her mounting unease and forced herself to go through the steps of greeting visitors at the Inn, discussing the menu with Cook, and instructing the servants on what to do, all the while keeping close contact with Ban who'd been sent out to do more searching, including all of Edmund's favorite spots where the lad liked to go when he was upset. When the stable boy returned without any news, Andreth found herself unable to continue with her chores, begging off, and going out on the porch of the Inn to talk with passersby and inquire if they'd seen either Will or Edmund.

By late afternoon, there was still no word and Andreth found herself fighting back tears. Her son was six years old and should be here at her side, not off somewhere with a band of hooligans. Just let him come home safely, she begged of whatever greater powers might be nearby, and I will make Will and Tom Farroweed sorry that they ever tangled with our family.

[ November 02, 2003: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]