[Child of the 7th Age]

Andreth

Several hours later, with the dinner hour approaching, Andreth gave up her vigil on the porch and trudged drearily inside retreating to the kitchens. It was at this point that Ban ran up and tugged impatiently on her sleeve, pulling her towards the stables. The relieved look on his face said everything she needed to know. The lad scurried to the rear of the building where mounds of hay had been laid down for storage in anticipation of the coming winter; the stacks towered some fifteen feet above the ground. Ban scrambled his way to the nearest mound and began clawing upward, beckoning Andreth to follow. "Up here, Mistress Andreth. Use the ladder. It will be easier than scrambling up."

Andreth quickly scaled the ladder and stood on the topmost rung looking down. There, curled up in a little ball asleep, was a dirty, disheveled looking Edmund with a squirrel peering down from his shoulder. How long he had been there, she could not guess. The boy and his pet had never looked so good. Heedless of the height, she slipped her body into the hay, and cradled Edmund against her shoulder, being careful to bring along the squirrel as well. She managed to slide down the mound, and with Ban's steadying hand, was able to get to the ground with Edmund still asleep.

On the walk back to the Inn, Ban told Andreth the full story he'd heard on the streets how Will had led the boy into some serious mischief. Thankfully, none of the children had been hurt, but that had been a matter of luck. When Andreth heard the details of what had happened, she shuddered and sighed, knowing there would have to be some very serious consequences, both for her own son and those who had enticed him to do this deed. And she fully expected to be hearing from some angry parents shortly.

But something stayed her hand from waking the child now. Let him sleep through the night, which he undoubtedly would. They would deal with the problems in the morning. She slipped Edmund into his bed, pulled up the cover and bent down to kiss his head; then she put the squirrel back into his cage, stopping to feed it with a few nuts and seeds that Edmund had thoughtfully provided. How could a little boy be so loving and caring of such a tiny thing and yet turn around and belt other children? If only she knew the answer to that.....

[ November 03, 2003: Message edited by: piosenniel ]