Bird made Mith go over the story of his meeting with Stoat again, biting her lip as she heard of this Man's skulking about the borders, and his offer to Mith of "work".
"What kind of work, I wonder? Orc's-work, most likely. Don't you see, Mith. The Halfling folk have done much to protect their borders, but these brigands know that the King's command gave them the backing they needed. Yet here are you and I, breaking that command, and instead of being dragged across the boundries and sent about our business, we have been welcomed!"
"Perhaps those of the Fellowship can find a distinction between us and other 'Men', but there are other folk who definitely won't. And when this news travels beyond the Shire - and be sure that it will - what will these brigands make of it? That the King's orders can be ignored? That Men are entering the Shire, and that the Mayor has allowed it?"
The little skinchanger shook her head. "They will find a wedge from this," she murmured. "A wedge that will make them think that they can get back at 'the little folk' who disgraced and hounded them. I don't like this, Mith," she repeated. "We have done wrong coming here, you and I. I can only hope that greater wrong doesn't come from it."
[ March 09, 2003: Message edited by: Birdland ]
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