[Mithalwen]

In Bree-town

On most evenings the brothers would have been happy to install themselves in the Pony for a few hours of drinking ale and catching up the local news but the weather was such tonight that even Seth would have forgone Butterbur’s finest brew and flirting with the comely serving maids to be back at the farm with no need to go out again that day.


Seeing the Woodeaves enter, the landlord had reached for their pewter tankards,which hung like those of other regulars from hooks along the bar shelves. The boys’ mugs were next to their father’s - now dark in colour and worn after nigh on thirty years use- Bryn’s was still shiny since only one full year had passed since he had been allowed this coveted badge of adulthood. Seth grinned momentarily as he remembered how Jessamy had horrified their mother by asking when she would be old enough to have one too. But it was only a moment’s respite from the the anxiety that he could not dispell. "I don't think we have time today - we need to get looking for that silly sister of ours" said Seth.

"So I've heard but I've mulled some ale - you'll need something warm inside you on a night like this" replied the Landlord and Seth let him fill the three tankards with the brew which he took across to the table where Silas was studying the framed map of the Downs which he had taken from the wall.

While he tried to work out how far they might have gone and in which direction and ever practical Bryn was back and forth organising everything they might need , Seth fretted resenting now each moments delay. The warmth and welcome of the inn served now only to remind him that Jessamy was out there somewhere freezing to death if she weren’t scared there first. He looked around the bar - quieter than usual - and muttered about how there was never a ranger around when they might be useful. The wandering folk were subject of a certain amount of mistrust in Bree but they were nevertheless known to possess the tracking skill of bloodhounds.

“Seth, what has got into you? Not an hour ago you were saying that we used to get up to all sorts of mischief and never came to any harm..” Silas pointed out.
“That was when I thought she was just hanging around Bree.. we never did anything so daft as to go off on the Downs on our own ...and well I blame myself”

“How do you work that one out” asked Silas looking up from the map, intrigued and amazed in equal measure.

Well you and Bryn were both so much more patient with her when you were at home and even when Filbert was still there - well they argued like cat and dog but it kept them occupied but now it is just us - Jessie always wants to helpout on the farm but she is too little to do somethings and a lot of other stuff it is quicker to do yourself than show her how ... so mostly I tell her to buzz off and help Mum if she wants to make her self useful..”

“Well she has got to get used to that - she will have to start pulling her weight in the house whether she likes it or not... “ Silas pointed out.

“But that is it ..she doesn’t like it at all - she loves being outside, she never grumbles about helping Mum with the chickens or the bees or the garden but she hates housework and she knows that is pretty much what her future holds. We all got more freedom as we got older and were able to chose work that suited us .. but it is different for girls. Jessie isn’t knows that she will have a couple more years at the Dame school and then she will be kept on a tight rein until she is wed. No wonder she went for an adventure when she had the chance. Maybe if I had let her help me during the holiday she wouldn’t have felt the need.” Seth added mournfully.

“I think you are taking this a bit too personally”said Bryn “ I think she would have gone no matter what - I mean she looks like she was prepared to go - it wasn’t a spur of the moment decision, she had brought a change of clothes and if she did that she probably took food as well. Did she ask to help you today?”

"No she did her chores early and was off - but I just thought she was keen to see her friend ..”

"Well there you go then.. and now I think we are ready. Fil knows what he has to do." The brother's drained their mugs taking up their cloaks left the warmth of the bar, trotted down the steps and back into the courtyard where Silas's ponies waited with a sturdy saddle horse that Bryn had borrowed. All that was needed was to light the lamps on the cart and they were off. Bryn leading the way to the Westgate and on into to the East Road. They had not gone so very far when they began to discern several small figures trailing along the road towards them. In hope they urged the horses faster into the gloom.

On the Downs

Jessamy followed after Karl as swiftly as her tired limbs would allow and her heart filled sucessively with relief when she realised that the dog really had found Edwin and then horror when she saw his seemingly lifeless body.

"Is he ....dead?" she whispered hanging back a little in fear. Karl shook his head "No, he breathes" but it was clear that something was very wrong.
"Exposure?" asked Jessamy, remembering how they sometimes lost lambs on the farm when the weather changed suddenly, and how they looked and how the ewes mourned . Although she was far from warm herself she took off her cloak and tried to put it around Edwin.
There seemed to be no rousing him... what on earth was wrong with him? She bit her lip and trying not to cry she asked Karl "What are we going to do?" She was used to her elders having all the answers but had a feeling that this was out of the ordinary.