[Child of the 7th Age]

Perry made his way back into the forests of Mirkwood. He had a serious matter to consider which came before any thoughts of dealing with the messengers sent out from the Shire. He needed to find a young lad whom he could train in the ways of a Ranger. There was one family of Tooks he knew he might talk to. He knew there were one of the best families in the forest, and on top of that, were Fallohides. Perry believed that the Tooks usually made the best rangers. And he suspected that all the children in the Took family were being well brought up in the ways of defense and the secrets of the woods. That would be a real boon.

Perry tried to remember if the family had any boys of suitable age. He remembered there was a boy and girl who were the two eldest. And what was the lad's name....Seridac, or some such thing. He hoped the lad was the older one and that he was anxous to go out and be trained as a ranger. Too many of the families expected the protection of the rangers but refused to send out any of their sons to learn the trade. They thought it was too dangerous.

Perry thought, not for the first time, that it might be good if the kuduk made an alliance with some of the big folk and include them in the patrols as well. But that would take a lot of planning and sweet talking, and sweet talking was definitely not his specialty. He hoped the family had a lad they could send for training. If not, he was at a loss what he would do. Perry disliked using the word "desperate," but he had just aout reached that level of frustration in recruiting the junior rangers.

Perry walked into the small hobbit village and noticed a large hunting party which had also just returned.

[ August 31, 2002: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]