[Sadbh]

Iavas had never lost full conciousness. Her vision had blurred somewhat when she'd been slapped in the head, yet she was able to remain perseptive. Her two year old, Aglarel she carried on her hip, and her four month old Thoronhen was strapped to her back. She had been shoved to the muddy ground in the center of the settlement, sitting roughly in the wet road. With her free hand, she stroked Aglarel's damp black curls, reliving the recent memories.

.............

The short handled broom was sooty and dirty in her hand. She had bent at the hearth, raking the damp ashes from the after noon's drizzle to make way for new logs. Aglarel stood sleepily at her side, hand clutching her dress. Thoronhen was sleeping in his cradle board on her back.

Standing slowly, so as not the disturb Aglarel for the moment, the woman placed the broom against the wall and bent to retrieve her toddler from the folds of her skirt. He sighed and smiled up sleepily at her.

Just as her oldest seemed to drift off, Herlion burst into the house. Aglarel was wide awake. "Herlion, he just-" But her husband caught her off softly.

"There's a bear in the woods. I'll be right back." But Iavas was not listening. A great, scarred face was in the window frame, and it was twisted into a a scowl. A disgusting uttering came from its throat. Herlion reacted immediately to his wife's white-faced silence and turned quickly.

With an instant and swift movement, Herlion had drawn his sword and and set upon the creature, hacking wih his blade. The woman tried to draw herself back from the doorway, yet was unable.

In the blink of an eye, gruesome arms were wrapped around her side. Unbidden, she screamed, and Herlion rushed to her defense, cutting away at the scuttering orc. It screached and drew its claw over her lip and lower face. Aglarel was screaming.

With the butt of his crude axe raised high, a orc lumbered towards Herlion and brang it smacking down on the man's skull. Unable to call, for the orc gripped at her throat with scabby ahnds, she was forced into the dreary road, where screams and the smell of burning skin overwhelmed her.