[VanimaEdhel]

Early light broke over the camp of Easterlings. The commander was awake and he quickly barked an order to the others to wake. Navru roused himself quickly and sat up, stretching and listening to his back crack. They would have to watch that wretched tree again today. Why they did not just kill it and be done with it, he did not know. It slowed their progress greatly. He did not even know why they had it. It served no purpose.

The commander ordered that they check on the sapling. Navru quickly rose and trotted over to where they had left the thing the previous night. Ataman would not even be awake yet, unless Bosha and Goman decided to wake up early and were now playing at home. They did not have to worry about the stupid hunk of firewood.

He looked around. The thing was not there. Navru saw the bar where it had been tied left a mark dragging along the ground into the woods. The tree had run away in the night.

"Ai!" Navru barked, "It's gone!"

The commander swore and strutted over to where Navru was standing. A few more men came over to look. The guard was still sleeping not far off. He snorted and awoke to find a very disgruntled commander staring at him.

"I just...wha-...what?" was all the tired man could manage.

The commander lost his head. He yelled at the Easterling, gesturing madly and using swearwords that Navru had not heard in a long time.

"Commander!" Navru said, holding his fist over his heart in salute and nodding his head quickly, "May I speak freely?"

The commander turned with fire in his eyes, "Yes, soldier? Be quick!"

"Would it not be more beneficial to look for the...erm...whatever it is? It cannot have gone far with that heavy bar. Also, it made no attempt to hide its trail. My guess that, at a quick speed, we may catch...erm...it...by nightfall this evening. At the very latest, that is..."

The commander looked hard at Nazru. "What is your name?" he asked gruffly.

"Navru, sir. Son of Bocte, son of Nevbosh, son of-"

"Yes, soldier, I get the picture," the commander said briskly, "Navru is it? Well, I put you in charge of the rescue team. If you do not, in fact, catch the prisoner, you will have to answer to me."

"Sir?" Navru said, "I am not sure it is my place to do such a thing." He nodded respectfully again.

"Soldier, you have your orders," the commander said, turning around and walking away.

Navru grunted. Ataman was going to kill him. She did not want him going anyway. With Goman and Bosha, she was so busy. But he had his orders.

"You! And you!" Navru barked, "You heard the orders. Now get moving."

He selected nineteen men to accompany him on the rescue mission. They scurried to get ready. Navru quickly packed up. They set out on the trail, the morning passing quickly...

[ September 21, 2003: Message edited by: VanimaEdhel ]