"People of Bree!" Minastan's exclamation thundered out towards the crowd. His echoing voice silenced them little in the expanse of the marketplace, but he continued on. "I come to you now with most perilous of news. As some of you already know, there is at this time, a band of maruading wildmen camped within a day's walk of your bold city gates! We rangers, protectors of your lands for time untold, have agreed that this is a threat we are all forced to face." His last words silenced the crowd as he bowed his head, but the effect lasted few moments; soon the square was erupt with a gross of voiced calling out from every side.
"Citizens! Citizens!" The mayor called out futilely to the crowd. Minastan waved the bumbler off with a slight gesture of hand. "Fair people of Bree, Big and Little Folk alike." The tone of his voice sliced through the yelling uproar.
"We've now no other option but to prepare for the coming hoard! There is no escape from this peril that threatens not only your homes, but your very way of life! They will overrun your lands, they will burn your homes, and they will slaughter your children! The only way stopping them is to fight back! We must fight against this menace!" He stepped back from the crowd as he stopped speaking. There were buzzes and whispers among them, none of which could be caught by his ears.
So effective was his speech that even the Mayor seemed to pale as he bellowed, though Minastan was sure he knew of the situation. They crowd seemed half dumbfounded, half angered by his remarks, though he knew them all to be true.
"So what do you suggest, Ranger?" The raised voice from the crowd called out, the last word rolling in contempt.
He paused for a moment, then spoke loudly in response. "Only this..," pausing for dramatic effect, a twinkle in his eye, "that we band together to face this oncoming danger!"
[ October 05, 2003: Message edited by: Beren87 ]
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