[Child of the 7th Age]

The pine trees split apart to reveal an ancient track. It was broad enough that the shade disappeared, and the summer sun beat hot upon their heads. Azra's face was grey and streaked with tears, but she wept in silence now, no sound escaping her lips. Nitir trudged beside her, a cold look upon her face. She said little to Azra, or any of the others, keeping her thoughts to herself.

Physically, the trek was easier than the night before. But the hobbits were tired and hungry. And many were openly grieving for their losses.

At mid-day, the guards, who still numbered over five hundred, called a halt to the procession to eat and rest. For their lunch, they tore apart some kind of half-eaten raw carcass which reaked in the heat of the sun. The hobbit families took out whatever food remained in their packs and shared it among the group. A few stared at it and refused to eat, but most were grateful for whatever little there was.

Since the Orcs seemed content to ignore their prisoners, as long as they showed no resistence, Maura went from family to family, checking on their members, and encouraging them to keep up their strength. He came at last to his own family. Maura knelt beside his daughter and grandson, talking briefly with them. Azra had finally stopped crying, and was sitting next to Raza, her head resting on the young man's shoulder.

Maura looked over to where Nitir sat alone on the ridge. Her face was blank and frozen. He sat down beside her and, for a long while, said nothing. Then he asked, "Why is Azra crying? Has something happened?"

Nitir tersely explained about the death of Piosenniel the Elf. She said nothing about her dream, or how she had learned about her friends's death.

"She was very close, this friend?" He remembered the tall Elf he had seen on the city walls when Mithadan had come searching to find out about Azra."

"Yes," Nitir said, refusing to say anything more.

The hobbit pressed on, "And sometimes you spoke with her on the ship when you were upset? She listened to you and tried to help?"

"Yes, sometimes." A flat response came back.

"I am so sorry that she is gone," responded Maura. "If you would like to speak about your friend to me or my daughter, we will listen and try to understand. I know you loved your companions on the Star, but they're very far away. Now, you are part of our family. We are prisoners in the middle of a strange land." Maura glanced about him to the forests which were deep on all sides. "All we have to get through this is ourselves. For our sake and yours, please don't turn away from what little we can share with each other."

Nitir looked at him and said nothing. But she noticed that, tucked into the belt at his waist, he still carried the copy of the book of lore which he had been reading to the children the first time she had seen him.

Any further discussion was cut short by the shouting and commands of the Orcs who, once again, pushed the hobbits to their feet and shoved them forward on the trail.

[ August 12, 2002: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]