[Child of the 7th Age]

Stoatie turned around to Shifty and glowered. "This ain't no good. No good at all. Boss didn't say anything about grabbin' the brats from a party. I never seen so many hobbits in one place in my life. There must be a hunderd of 'em all eatin' and singin'. No way I can go in there and carry the brats off without bein' caught. Heck, I can't even see those brats, let alone snatch 'em."

Shifty and Stoatie were lying hidden under the rose bushes, peering out across the garden and trying to get a look at what was going on inside the house. No matter how they stretched and squinted, their efforts met with little success.

"This ain't no good. There's only one thing to do. We'll go back to Boss and tell 'em to pull back across The Water and maybe wait for another night."

"Boss ain't gonna like that," Shifty purred.

"Well, yah got any other ideas?....Nope, I didna' think so."

With that the two men slipped out of the bushes, and walked quietly back towards the roadway where Tom was waiting with the horses. Frustrated and enraged, Stoatie aimed at a nearby stone with his right foot sending it hurtling off across the grass and crashing through a nearby window. Almost instantaneously, a harsh sound split the quiet of the night. A familiar wailing sound that Stoatie had heard too often in recent weeks was now coming from inside the burrow where the rock had sailed through the window.

Stoatie looked up excited, his eyes intent and focused, "That's it. That's one of the brats. I'm sure of it." He cautioned his men to wait and propelled his body over the hedge landing in the garden. As Stoatie peered in through the front window of the burrow, he saw a hobbit lass just waking up in the sitting room. She finished yawning and stretching and got up from her rocker. Then she walked purposefully over to the back of the burrow where a window had been broken and brought out a squalling baby, dandling him gently on her knee. She was complaining about hobbit lads who were so careless with their balls and rocks that no one could sleep in peace.

Stoatie's lips curled back in cruel triumph as he raced over to his companions and ordered them to com with him to guard the front gate. "Those brats are full-sized. I'm sure it's them. It ain't the mother, but it sure is the brats. And it's the kids that Ferny wants kidnapped. The Elf is just an extra."

"But don't you want us to come inside to help?" Tom queried.

"Nah, I got it all planned out. Jest wait 'ere for me with the horses." With that, Stoatie vanished behind the rear of the burrow.

[ June 23, 2003: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]