[Manardariel]

When Vieana woke her, Tessa had been sleepy eyed and grouchy. But as the woman launched into her report, Tessa felt herself waking up. Her hands shook with anger she she got up from her chair and walked to the window.

“You have GOT to be kidding me. That´s what they said?! But- but- scum! Dirtbags! Rotten, disgusting dirtbags. How can they dare to even think such a thing?!”

Tessa´s eyes filled with tears, tears of anger, frustration and doubt. She felt hot, bitter hate fill through her. It was not fair. None of them had really wanted to come here, Finduilas least of all. And now they were here, trying to cope- but no one seemed to acknowledge that. No one bothered. And Tessa knew they wouldn´t, ever, unless something outrageous happened. If the ladies had decided to hate them, there was nothing Tessa, or Averyll, or Vieana could do about it. Their hands were bound.

“But who would say such a thing?”

Tessa looked up. Elen had posed the question, innocently an confused. But the question really was: who was interested in weakening Finduilas? Someone interested in weaking the steward-to-be! It it Tessa with a shock. Suddenly, it all became painfully clear. As if someone had pulled a curtain away from her eyes, she suddenly understood. This was not about idle rumors, about tooth-picking. This was about big politics, about the kind of thing that effected everyone in Gondor, from Lady Pelien to the fishers in Dol Amroth.

“Girls,” Tessa said, trying to calm herself. “Girls, this is big. For all we know, these rumors are something that is supposed to weaken Finduilas. But by weakening her, they also weaken Denethor. And who would be interested in weakening the steward-to-be? None of the ladies among this court, I´m sure....It´s someone who would desire a weak steward....and a weak nation.”

“You don´t think it could be.....?,”Vieana asked, paling. “You´re not thinking of the corsairs, are you?”

“I am.” Tessa replied. Corsairs. Scenes were playing in Tessa´s mind, tales of attacs on ships and villages at Lasgalen. For all her life, the only thing that had scared her, or her father, were corsair attacs. Don´t go into the city at night. The corsairs could get you. That´s what people had told her. She´d have thought Minas Tirith was safer than Dol Amroth. Well she´d been wrong. This was not right, this was not true. Why was she stranded in world politics? she had come here in search for freedom, and now this.

“But what do we know? We´re just guessing here, we have no proof. And besides, who could it be? It´s not lile a bunch of corsairs could be kicking around with out anyone noticing it. That´s not going to help us at all.” Averyll had said what they all were thinking secretly. Tessa felt the strength, the exitement drown out of her again. She was tired, very tired. She wanted to sleep, she wanted to cuddle in Finduilas arms and hear the crying of the gulls. She wanted to go home

“This is too big for me. Good night, girls.”

She went upstairs, cuddling in her blankets. She could tell her sister was still awake, and so, without saying a words, she crept in her arms, and felt her sister rock her to sleep.

Finduilas lay awake, Tessa snoring peacefully in her arms. She could not sleep. Very gently, she kissed her siter on the forehead, then got put of bed. She walked to balcony, staring outside, looking at the moon. She knew she was not the only one who could not sleep tonight.

[ September 07, 2003: Message edited by: Manardariel ]