[Esgallhugwen]

Esgallhugwen looked up at Lira 'tell her that I will help too if the situation gets worse, but now I am in need of a few hours rest, I rode from a great distance without little stop last night' She excused herself and headed up the stairs. She closed the door behind her, sitting on the bed she took up her dark yew bow and stroked the silver engraving plucking the string to ensure that it was taught enough to fire an arrow.

Setting the bow beside her pack she layed back drifting into unsettling dreams that remained untame.

Esgallhugwen awoke in her bed, long sheer curtains of a green hue flew out across the open floor, the room had no doors or window; it was her summer room. Filled with the fresh scent of flowers, she rose to see her mother.

When she arrived her mother had tears streaming down her face 'daughter I fear your father has fallen to great darkness, a shadow lies within him our doom is near at hand, I will not live to see the end whether it be good or bad though more likely the later. But you must promise me that you will live to see the end so that there is at least some goodness in it!' her mother wept tears of joy and sorrow, knowing her child was of strong mind and body and also knowing that her time drew nigh come the passing of the next year. To live to see the end Esgallhugwen promised for she too knew of the sorrow, the Dark Hand's reign had grown taking hold of her father though he accepted Sauron as his master willfully and they knew not why.

Seeking now to have council with her father she pushed past the gaurded doors and entered the long hall. 'Father' she beckoned him from his throne 'Many people hath followed you here in hope of independance, and I percieve that many will still follow you into your folly! A darkness has reached across all the lands of Middle-Earth, are we not ment to be Sauron's foe, instead to be his ally?' With that he struck her across the face drawing blood from her lip.

'Never before have you spoke such treachery to me, ill gotten daughter better to slay you now and have my wife bear me a son... but alas she spent her great spirit in the making of you!' hot and fell were his words. Esgallhugwen's spirit raged with wrathful fire but her eyes remained hauntinly calm as she gazed upon her father; seating himself once more upon his throne.

She turned smoothly like a ghost she seemed her pale blue gown trailed out behind her. She went past the great doors of the hall. He would no longer listen to reason not even from his own daughter.

Esgallhugwen and her mother did not speek to him for over a year busying themselves with helping small groups of their people to escape without notice. But too slow they had acted for he had a plan of his own.