[piosenniel]

Berilac

Hugh Oatleaf spoke hurriedly to the man peering out through the small barred gate. ‘Well, Hal, what do you see out there? Who’s banging on the door?’

The two brothers stood whispering together, their stout clubs in hand. Hal, the older of the two, said it was Miz Lilac and Miz Andreth. ‘Well, then let them in,’ whispered Hugh. Telien said we could let those in that we knew by sight.’ Hal shoved his younger brother up to the grate for a ‘look-see’. There was a gaggle of wretched looking children and women with them, dressed in ragged outlander clothes, and some rough looking man along with them.

‘They’ve been captured by the bandits!’ growled Hugh in a low voice as he turned back to his brother. ‘They’ll want to ransom the two women for entry into the city!’ Hugh peered out once more. ‘And those women they’ve brought with them – dirty and ragged, hard to see their faces. For all we know it could be the bandit men in disguise.’

Hal pulled his brother away from the opening, giving him urgent directions. ‘You run for the Mayor and Cap’n Telien, Hugh. Get them here as fast as you can!’

Hal spoke once more through the grate in a gruff, booming voice. ‘Move back! The lot of you!’ His voice lowered to a whisper as he made eye contact with Lilac and Andreth. ‘You two can stay by the door, Miz Andreth. We’ll have the troops here in a trice to rescue you!’

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Hugh sped up the path toward the mayor’s office, his heart pounding in his chest. Fear drove him like a brisk gale against the sails, and so focused was he on his errand that he did not see the two Hobbits coming down the path toward him.

‘Begging your pardons, sirs,’ he apologized, as he stood up from the collision and offered a hand up to Berilac and Rosco. Berilac stayed him with a hand to his forearm as the young man prepared to run off again. ‘Aren’t you supposed to be at the gate with your brother, Hugh?’

‘Oh, Mister Berilac, I have some frightful news. Hal is at the gate and it’s locked tight. Bandits are there, and they’ve captured Miz Andreth and Miz Lilac! And they’re wanting in!’ His eyes rolled wildly with fright. ‘They look dangerous, sir. I’m off to get the Mayor and the Cap’n.’

‘Let Rosco go, Hugh’ said Berilac. ‘You come back with me to the gate. We’ll see what we can sort out.’

The three split up, and soon the Ranger and Hugh found themselves back at the gate. Berilac could hear Andreth arguing with Hal, but the man had remained firm about opening the gate.

‘She says they’re not captives,’ whispered Hal to Berilac. ‘But just look at that man with them. Shifty and dangerous as I’ve ever seen!’

Berilac looked through the grate. ‘By the One!’ he murmured to himself, catching the eye of the dangerous bandit.

‘You there!’ he bellowed in a commanding tone. ‘Take your mates and move well back from the dike.’ He could see Minastan herding the others away from the gate. Lilac and Andreth moved to follow them.

‘Hold on, you two!’ he said loudly to the two women. ‘Get in here, and be quick about it. Andreth, you’ve got some explaining to do!’

The small door on the left side of the gate was unlocked and unbarred. Hal threw it open quickly, reaching out with his great ham fist to yank the ladies in one after the other. ‘Your safe now, ma’ams!’ he said, as they fell in an ungraceful heap well inside the gate. His quick hands redid the bar and lock, and he turned back with a grin for a job well done.

Berilac watched as the two stood up and dusted themselves off. Neither of them looked appreciative, and Hal’s face fell at the sight of Andreth’s scowl. The Ranger shook his head at the spectacle.

‘Well, Andreth . . . Lilac . . . what in blue blazes have you been doing?’

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Down the path, running at a quick pace came the Mayor, Rosco, and Telien with a troop of bowmen . . .

<font size=1 color=339966>[ 5:58 PM February 01, 2004: Message edited by: piosenniel ]