[Sadbh]

Sadiya shrugged the tattered buckskin further up her shoulder, rubbing her hands together for warmth. In front of her, on the close cropped grass lay a tightly woven wicker basket. She down and cradled the basket gently, staring at the small, soft face inside. The child had been given a draught of herbs only hours before to give her sleep, lest one of the straw-heads of Edoras here the cries of a child outside the city walls. She tucked another soft rag around the child's head to supplement the lining of rabbit fur. It was a cold night, but a fire would have been impractical, given the circumstances.

The woman knew that the band faced a long night and morning, and they would travel hard to put distance between them and the straw-heads. The only regret she had was for her child, for she had been raised as a nomad, and was used to traveling many hours without food, fire, or rest.

The infant, sighing in her sleep, reached out and tugged at the end of her mother's braid. As Sadiya tucked her daughter's arm back into the warmth of the basket, the great gate groaned ever so faintly. She turned to see the group and stood, strapping the small cradle onto her back. She helped coax the gate gently open. As the men, Rhana, and the horses filtered from Edoras, her husband took her elbow and steered her away from the others.

"I hope the brat didn't cry?" He shook her hard as he spoke.

"No, she didn't wake at all!" Sadiya whispered furvently. Her throat pained her as she spoke. The man eyed her critically, but let go of her arm. As the group of horse thieves left Edoras, she trailed nervously and cautiously behind her husband. She had learned by now that any wrong action or word would result in a slap in the face or a cuff around the ear. She lowered her head and felt his gaze pierce her neck. Before her, her breath was tinged milk white in the frost touched air.

[ December 29, 2002: Message edited by: Sadbh ]