[Child of the 7th Age]

Elanor glanced around with trepidation as the two wagons slowly advanced through the city's crowded streets. This looked nothing like the cheerful market town that she remembered. Men and women were running everywhere, laden down with houshold goods or carrying children on their backs and in their arms as they tried to make their escape.

She could see that a number of buildings were in total ruins. Some had roofs sagging down or walls with gaping holes. One entire block just to the rear of the market square had earlier caught fire and was now burning out of control. The fumes and smoke lay heavy over the city making it difficult for her to breath.

The wyrm had apparently focused his attack on the city's central square where the main warehouses and shops were situated; these were adjacent to the royal palace and grounds. She had often been here with her father on market days. The family's grain was stored in a small warehouse at the end of the row, right next to the stables that belonged to Girion, King of Dale. In fact the rear of the two buildings, the royal stables and the grain warehouse, shared a common private courtyard, a very small entryway where it was possible to load a wagon or two, or to ride out on horseback. Normally, the farmers avoided this back lane out of courtesy to the royal family. However, Elanor could remember standing by the courtyard gate and watching as Girion rode out on horseback with his family: his wife, two daughters and a son, all attired in the finest of clothes.

As was the general practice, their own wagons approached the warehouse not from the courtyard but from the regular public entrance that faced onto the street. There was a huge line of carts and wagons already in line ahead of them, all awaiting their turn to go inside and retrieve their grain. Elanor watched as her father disappeared into the building and then came out again, shaking his head in frustration. He explained that they must go around the other way through the private courtyard, since there were too many farmers crowded at the main entrance. Moreover, they had been told to work as fast as they could. The fire was burning perilously close and, if the wind should shift, they would all be in danger.

Hearing these grim words, they quickly turned their wagons around and rumbled through the alleyway until they came to a small gate that led down to the courtyard. They had no trouble getting through here, since the lane and courtyard were virtually deserted. The wagon was brought inside and backed up against the small silo where the families' grain and hay was stored. While her father and Uncle Rhysdan rushed to transfer the grain into the wagons, Elanor and Elian went over to fill their water bottles from a small well that stood in the middle of the courtyard. Her mother had told them to keep an eye on Eric and Daisy, but somehow with all the excitement they had forgotten about this.