[alaklondewen]

Collothion and Cuilad stood at the outer edge of the crowd that had assembled to hear the tidings Borgand brought to the settlers. Thorgil’s death was troublesome and did not sit well in Collothion’s heart. Any death caused by the brutes that lived in the hills would have been ill news, but the murder of the leader of the rangers was something else entirely.

Those men… Collothion thought. Men?…hm, those uncivilized beasts…must be a greater threat than we thought, Collothion spit a wad of unwanted saliva at his feet in disgust. The older man suddenly had a bitter taste in his mouth.

Cuilad, seeing his father’s motion from the corner of his eye, turned to meet his father’s gaze. Collothion could easily read his son’s green, anxiety-ridden eyes. His son was filled with uncertainty. What would happen if the hillmen, proud of their accomplishment, decided to attack the village? The older man squinted and burrowed his brows as he assured his son, “We will be fine, son…The rangers are still strong, and we have Borgand and ranger from Rohan to lead us. Don’t you worry, we’ll be fine.” His voice trailed off as Borgand changed the subject to the impending hunting competition.

Borgand was a wise man. Collothion recognized his ploy to distract the settlers from the danger in the hills with a friendly competition with the rangers. It would hopefully bring much needed food to the camp as well.

The competition peaked Cuilad’s interest. He felt a strong desire to go with the men from the settlers’ camp. He was quick and silent and felt he could learn much from the other hunters. Not only did he feel that it would be a great opportunity to be free from the camp for awhile, but the time might also give him a break from the herbs his father was so passionate about.

Cuilad bit his lower lip and glanced at his father to see what the old healer’s reaction was to Borgand’s announcement. Collothion stared straight ahead in thought, giving no clue as to the processes going on his mind. Cuilad would ask for his father’s permission to join the competition when the time was right.