[Child of the 7th Age]

Tara's post for Lotar and Kandel

Lotar had been staring at Feanwe's hair clip, stirring memories in his mind. The refugee's had come into the camp, and their faces brought him naught but pain. It reminded him of the family he had lost, and his grief could not seem to be any more full.

He heard movement, and heard Guthwine's voice talking behind him.

"Give me just three days for this pack of travellers to rest and train for the siege. On the morning of the fourth day, or perhaps under the cover of night, we will be ready to attack."

Lotar had given up on strategy and war, he simply wanted contentment. For a miraculous moment, his temper did not flare

'Guthwine, you are a man of war. You make your plans. I will follow them if I see fit to do so. I want no more a part. I am tired. And you are blind to your predicament. I think there may be another way, but you will not have it. So have your War.

Lotar sat down, and stared at the sheet of his tent.

~*~

Kandel sifted his way through the camp, and saw Guthwine leave his fathers tent. He stepped in and bowed

'Naught has changed. Bree's defenses are still coming up, and the people are still in slight confusion. What did Guthwine say?'

'He wants his War boy, and I have snapped. I do not know what to do'

Kandel sat by his father and looked at him 'All will be well. Whatever happens, all will sort itself out' Kandel grinned. With that, he stood up and said 'Im out for a quick walk. I want to see if I can find anyone I know' Lotar waved him off quickly

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Child's post for Andreth, Edmund, and Lilac:

Taking a needed rest from the hectic pace of the day, Andreth was sitting on a soft chair in the family parlor, with Edmund nestled on her lap. It felt so good to have him home again. She leaned closer, speaking softly, "Promise not to do that. You can't run off without letting someone know, especially outside the gates. Otherwise, I may not be able to find you the next time there's trouble."

Edmund gazed up and met his mother's eyes, solemnly nodding his head. Then he smiled and glanced over at the three conies who were again back in their hutches. Much to Edmund's delight, the hutches had been moved from the outside pen to the corner of the parlor and set down on top of an old nursery rug. This seemed like a a safe and protected spot where not even Cook could threaten them with her cleaver.

After everything Edmund had been through, his mother had found it hard to punish him. Besides, the bad memories of the fire and the sight of his friends coughing and crying would be punishment enough to keep him from making the same mistake again. Her thoughts were interrupted by a gentle wrapping on the door. Andreth looked up to see Lilac walk inside. The older woman extended her arms in greeting and offered a warm hug, expressing her relief that everything had turned out so well, "How happy I am to see you together. All the children safe at home with no more than a few cuts and bruises." For several minutes, the two women exchanged news, discussing all the things that people had done to rescue the children and keep the fire from spreading.

Lilac looked slyly over towards her companion. She had known Andreth even as a girl, and had a good idea how to make her sit up and listen. "That Will Farroweed was amazing!" the older woman pointed out. "Without his warning, all our efforts would have been too late. It's a good thing folks were willing to give him a second chance, especially with all his earlier shenanigans!"

"I guess you're right, Lilac," Andreth agreed. "It took a while to see what a decent person Will could be."

"That's often the case," Lilac observed. "If you give folk a chance, sometime they surprise you." The older woman hesitated for a moment and then continued on, "Take those so-called outlaws. They've had a surprise or two up their sleeve for us, and I suspect they may have more."

"A 'surprise'?" echoed Andreth. "The only surprise I expect from those ruffians is a dagger between my ribs!"

"Are you sure, Andreth? All those attacks on the farmhouses, the looting and stealing, but not a single person hurt or killed.... Hobbits and men sent scampering out at midnight in their nightshirts, without a single weapon... It would have been easy to take aim with their bows and place a few arrows in the backs of the men they'd robbed. Their job would have been easier, and we would have been even more frightened of them."

Andreth looked up and stared at Lilac. She had not thought of things in that way. But the older woman had a point. The raids had been going on for weeks, and no one had been hurt.

"There's something else, too," Lilac observed. You know that Guy wasn't alone? His daughter Fern was with him, and her story sounds just a little different. She says it wasn't all young fighting men. The glade was filled with mothers toting babes, and small children running about and playing. And there were old folk on crutches, along with others who were still recovering from the wounds they'd gotten from the Orcs."

Lilac glared over at Andreth, "That doesn't sound like your typical army to me!"

Andreth gazed suspiciously back at her friend and sighed, "Alright, Lilac, I'll listen. Exactly what do you have in mind?"

********************************************

One hour later, Andreth and Lilac went to the stables and took out two horses, saddling them up and heading out the north gate in the general direction of Archet.

"You'll keep your promises, Lilac?" Andreth wagged a finger and sounded stern. "I won't go on this foolhardy errand otherwise."

Lilac nodded her head in agreement, "We'll stay out of sight and just have a little look. No harm in looking, is there?"

"I guess not. With all those hundreds of people up there, no one should be upset even if they noticed us, as long as we're careful to stay calm and act like everyone else. And I do have my bow with me." She looked down for reassurance. I must be foolish to even consider doing this. Andreth ruefully mused. Yet, Lilac had been very convincing, especially when she talked about all the children who might be killed. And how would Andreth feel if one of those children had been her own son?

Yet, the Innkeeper had to admit there was a certain irony in this situation. She had just lectured her son on letting people know where he was going and pleaded with him to stay out of dangerous situations. Now she was turning around and doing exactly what she'd told him not to do.

******************************************

The women guided their horses towards Archet and, once they had cleared the outskirts of the village, continued northeast through the forest. They had stopped for a moment in a quiet glade to take a short rest when Andreth, her eyes widening with fear, leaned forward and froze. Dead ahead of them, in the midst of a tangled thicket, she could hear the sound of someone approaching.

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Tara's post for Kandel

~*~

Kandel sifted through the camp of people, looking for familiar faces. He had lost touch with many old friends that stayed there. After searching for a good while, he headed out into the trees with a shrug. He was so busy in reasoning with himself that he did not see two women in front of him, both with very startled expressions.

He looked at them carefully, and small grin played on his face. Their dress was too clean and fine to be from the refugees that had just come in, and they looked to healthy for that. Their tense movements also gave away their fear. Kandel relaxed a slight, finding a little hope in the fact they were yet to flee.

'Well, I can tell a few things from you both. One is that you are not of those from the Weather Hills. And the second is that you are here for a reason, and have not stumbled here by chance...'

'My name is Kandel, and my father is one that runs this group you call banditd, murderers, and savages. And what are your names?'

'We are here to see for ourselves what you are, we mean you no harm' said one, a brave and stern looking woman.

'And I do not doubt that at all,' Kandel said, not worrying that she did not answer his query. 'If you wish you may speak with my father on this. He is a man with a short fuse, but his heart is truer than you would put for a savage. What say you?

<font size=1 color=339966>[ 9:42 AM January 21, 2004: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]