[Child of the 7th Age]

Andreth - immediately after the meeting

The meeting had at least turned out better than Andreth had initially feared. Retreating towards the Inn, she glanced back over her shoulder for one final look; the torches flickered and died as both Big and Little Folk streamed out towards their homes or wherever else they had arranged to spend the night. She sighed and shook her head. Perhaps the worst of the bickering was behind them, and they could go forward with the long list of preparations that the Mayor and Rangers had outlined in their speeches.

Andreth vowed to do her own small part by trying to get the children to trust one another and work together, however different their backgrounds might be. But would this be enough? All the good intentions in Arda would not turn back the arrows and blades that would soon be raining down on their heads. And what did she know of weapons or fighting? What practical use could she possibly be? She was an Innkeeper, not a warrior or scout. She could turn out dozens of meals at the drop of a hat or find places for folk to bed down when there were seemingly no places left. But handling a sword or dagger was beyond her.

And then the realization hit. With a shock of recognition, Andreth reflected that swords and arrows were not the only important weapons. No soldiers could fight, no people could endure, unless they had nourishment and rest.

She remembered something Halfred had said in the very last speech he had given: Take thought for those who live outside the town.... because our foodstuffs come from those outlying farms. It was clear that the many hobbits and the few Big Folk living in places like Coombe, Archet, and Straddle would need to be brought within the protection of the hedge and dyke. But what about the crops themselves?

What if the bandits were so enraged that they burned the fields to the ground? And just how long was this battle supposed to last? If it was all settled in just a few hours, then no special preparations would be needed.

But what if the first assault ended in stalemate, and Bree came in for a protracted siege? The folk on the outside would have free access to whatever supplies they could gather; those within would not be so lucky unless they'd had the foresight to stock up on things ahead of time. The fields were being harvested right now. While the crops wouldn't be as bountiful as in a year with plentiful rain, there should be at least some provisions that could be brought into the city and stockpiled in preparation for the assault. With these thoughts in mind, Andreth detoured down a long alleyway and headed in the direction of the town hall, determined to see Harald before retiring for the night.

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Andreth was not totally pleased with the answer that she received from Mayor Harald. But nothing more could be done about it tonight. Tomorrow she would try again.

With this thought in mind, the Innkeeper arrived at the Pony, bounded up the steps and hurried inside, stopping to check on Edmund who was still curled up sleeping nestled deep inside his blankets. She popped a kiss on his curly head, and went running down the hall to the kitchen where Cook was dozing near the fire with a dish of cookies and a half-filled mug of warm milk set down on a table beside her.

"Wake up! Wake up! And get the girls up too! We've something to do that can't wait for the morning. We'll need to clean out one of the old, dusty storerooms tonight so there's a place for our school. And tomorrow, once the breakfast serving is ended, you and the lasses and the stable boys as well will need to scrub down all the half-empty cupboards and storerooms and the sheds in the back."

Cook looked at Andreth beseechingly and rolled her eyes. "And what, pray tell, are we doing this for?"

Andreth quickly responded, "The children are coming tomorrow morning, both the hobbits and the native Breelanders. They'll spend a few hours here each morning where they can practice their reading and numbers. And, after that, I'm expecting wagons filled with foodstuffs, dozens of them coming in over the next few weeks. The children will help sort and list all the different supplies and keep track of how much of everything there is. That way they can learn a bit, and still be helping with some of the preparations that the Mayor said we must do."

"My goodness, Mistress Andreth! You have it all figured out. Only one thing? How do you propose to get all these wagons for transporting the food and supplies? And the willing arms to carry and haul? And are you sure that the farmers will be so eager to donate to this cause?"

She turned around and snapped back at Cook, "They'd better be willing. If they want to save their necks... And, as for the other, I've already talked with the Mayor. I was hoping for a group of burly young men to scour the countryside and haul in the supplies. Mayor Harald says that finding those volunteers may be a bit hard right now, but I suspect that I'll have a little army helping me by the end of the week!" With that Andreth started back to her room to compose a list of the helpers she would need, leaving Cook and the servers in a very foul mood as they grumbled about their lack of sleep and decided which storeroom they would clean up first.

[ October 15, 2003: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]