[Belin]

Gondeithel, head of the watch, looked busy, in spite of the fact that was leaning against the well outside his house as Remdil came up. It was a gift. The man could have been taking a nap in sun and he'd still have given the impression that he had no time for you today, or most likely tomorrow either. At the moment, however, he was aided in this by a large book of records, at which he frowned intently. He utterly failed to look at Remdil.

"No, no, this makes no sense," he muttered, pushing his longish, neglected locks out of his face. "Idiot war."

Remdil cleared his throat.

"Idiot forces of evil," continued Gondeithel, still addressing himself to the book.

"Gondeithel--" Remdil started.

"Stupid useless bands of moronic maurading brigands, who do they think they are?" growled Gondeithel.

"Yes! Yes, exactly!" cried Remdil.

Gondeithel's head suddenly moved, and he directed a piercing and rather unfriendly gaze at Remdil. He did not glower-- Remdil's agreement had mollified him slightly-- but all the same, Remdil's unabashed return of his glare was impressive.

"Do you need something?" Gondeithel asked. His tone was perfectly even, not insulting at all, not unless you knew that this was the tone he used when choosing not to insult people he considered beneath his notice.

"Would I be talking to you if I didn't?" Gondeithel nodded slightly, as if in his mind the comment had already turned to his advantage. Remdil sighed heavily (his best attempt at sarcasm). "Look, it's brigands."

"Ah?"

I wonder if I would win a fistfight. "Yes, there was a huge gang of them in the inn last night.. the last two nights in a row, actually, and they..." Gondeithel's cool stare was not making things any easier. Remdil looked at the ground. "They took Livia. I need you to send some messengers to Neniant; I'm sure they'll be going there. And the Neniant watch--"

"Has its hands full. Much like me. Are you telling me that we now have kidnapping stupid useless bands of moronic maurading brigands? I would have thought the killing and plundering would keep them busy enough."

"No,no, they wanted to..." Remdil sorted hopelessly through his fuzzy memories of the night before. Nothing. All he knew was that somehow this was his fault. "... I think I got in their way."

"By yourself? You're a fool, Remdil."

Yes, yes, I am. "But she can be rescued yet. They have to go to Neniant, they have no food, and if we can save her... is this your post or not?"

"Is Neniant my post? Certainly not. I can't spare anybody. Three members of the watch were plenty of us before the war, for all the good that does us now, but now that insanity runs loose in the world and ruffians run loose in Garolin and, Remdil, wasn't somebody killed the other night?"

"Um... oh. Yes. Yes, that's right, they killed him too. Are you going to let this kind of chaos break out?"

Gondeithel laughed suddenly. "I don't plan to. Which is why I can't spare anybody." Something seemed to register with him, too late. "Livia? I'm sorry about that, Remdil." He meant it, too. Remdil could see the slight softening of some of the lines in the man's face.

"Look, she's alive. Or I think she is.."

"If they've taken to kidnapping we can't have this town unguarded. But.. well, why don't you go? I'm sure you'd prefer it to waiting for us to come back anyway."

"But Eolinda..."

Gondeithel gave a short laugh. "And what I've to deal with here is about thirty Eolindas. And I'm hearing all kinds of things.. orcs, evil spirits.. there was a man here the other day who claimed he'd seen a laughing giant of greatest beauty, but he must have been deranged. In any case, strange things are happening. I need to be here. But I'll lend you a horse."

"Gondeithel... don't you... hm. Thank you. Really."

Gondeithel inclined his head slightly and watched Remdil walk away in the general direction of the stables before turning back to his book. "Idiot war," he muttered savagely.

[ September 05, 2002: Message edited by: Belin ]