[Child of the 7th Age]

Stoatie was in no mood for any nonsense, not from the strangers, and certainly not from the others in Ferny's employ who were quickly sidling up to get a closer look at the newcomers.

"Y'all shut yer traps!" Old Stoat raised his cudgel and glared maliciously around the circle. "Back off. Till Ferny gits here, I'll be the one to say if they live or if I slice their throats real nice and quick." His fingers strayed to the dagger that he kept close by his side.

Then, Stoat grabbed up Mithadan's broadsword and ran his finger along the tip of the blade, smiling with pleasure at the sweet twinge of pain the sharp edge brought to him. He glanced slyly over to the owner of the weapon. "So exactly what sort o' job were the two of yer hopin' to do?"

Before Mithadan could respond, there was a murmur of astonishment that rushed though the crowd. Dickon, a sour faced, pimply youth in the employ of the henchmen, had found his way into the circle and eagerly thrust out his dirty hands into Bird's rear pockets, searching this way and that, hoping to bag a bit o' change for the askin'.

With her lean figure and stern demeanor, and her black curls tucked up tight inside her cap, the shapechanger had found it easy to pass for a village lad who'd come along as a companion with the taller, grey-eyed stranger. But one sharp pinch from Dickon, and a feel of soft, rounded flesh a bit further up brought a loud whistle to the youth's lips, "Hey, Stoatie. We got a live one 'ere. This ain't no fella'. It's a gurl."

Dickon turned and grinned at Stoatie. "Let's keep this 'un. We can use 'er to warm our beds at night."

The response from Stoat was swift and immediate. "Git yer bloody hands off 'er,"

The wheels began turning inside Stoatie's brain. Men with swords were not uncommon. But a woman--a woman who could keep kids in line--that was a different matter. Indeed it was a rare treasure. Women knew how to scare young 'uns and give 'em a good whack or two. They could make squirmy babes shut their mouths and not bellow so loud or long.

Stoatie beamed at the prospect of being set free from his prison. The black-haired woman could be set over that rascal Fosco and the Elf Lady's twins so he could turn to more profitable chores. Women were all so disgustingly soft. Just tell her he'd skewer the infants if she got outta line just once. That should take care of things.

With a broad grin on his face, Stoatie yelled out his happy news, "Hey, Mister Ferny, we got a real jewel here. She's a lady who knows how to knock sense into hobbit brats, and can git those Elf babes we're plannin' on haulin' off to shut up real nice. And she's got some scrawny guy with 'er who says he knows how to wield a sword. Maybe we can use 'im for somethin' real important like garbage duty. Then again, 'e may be worth a tad more than that. That's if 'e can learn to keep his mouth shut."

With this, the door of the house opened wide and Ferny emerged in full view.

[ May 22, 2003: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]