Goldleaf mounted her horse as Sen appeared to be ready to lead his army out of Westfolde. She caught his glance and knew that he was surprised to see that she was going with them; she returned it with a small bow of her head. Deawen and Morwen may not have been going with the Rohirrim, but they had a lot to stay for. Goldleaf had a job to do and a king to obey.
She listened to the lord of Westfolde's words. As the horses began to move, she spurred her own horse on into a fast gallop. The surge of the Rohirrim was awe-inspiring, as their helmets and spears glittered under the morning sunlight.

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~~Siggy by Lembas~~

Deawen shut her eyes to hide the tears that fell from her cheeks. She watched the rohirrim ride away until she could no longer see them. She turned back to her hall climbed the stiars with her dignity intact. As soon as she cleared the doors she began issueing orders. " Take all of the tapestrys down and move them to the cellar." Deawen said pointing to the eleborate hangings on the walls. " Replace ceremonial weapons with real no point in uselessness..." she was interrupted by her children. THey were already packed and ready to leave. She said her goodbyes through many tears, after all these were her children. " Behave yourselves. Be the little courtiers I know you to be. I will write as often as I can. Eodred watch over your sister." she hugged them tight never wanting to let them go. Once they had left Deawen was in need for a break. She sat in her bedchamber moodily staring at a cup of herb tea. The hall was too quiet with her children gone, the fimilar laughs and cries vanished.

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Lips, ripe as the berries in June
Red the rose, red the rose
Skin, pale as the light of the moon
Gently as she goes

as always a hero comes home

Morwen smiled. "As we established, Rohan is a bit more tradtional. But I do envy you--having your father's support. My education began in secret. Anyway, god hælo, to you both." With a wave, she watched the two mount before leaving. She went home and found her boys sitting at a well-scrubbed kitchen counter. They were all pretty dour. She gathered them to her and gave them big hugs. "You know what this means, Eohrmen?" He looked questioningly at her. "You get to ride your horse. Make sure you take care that your brothers don't fall behind. Keep Eorllic with you on the saddle." Morwen took them to Deawen's and sent them off to her children. She just overheard Deawen's charge "Be like little courtiers..." Morwen whispered in their collective ear, "Be little ruffians for your guardian. But if you must make trouble, don't get caught." She swallowed her tears, gave each boy a last kiss on the head, and stood back to watch them go. She sat with Deawen afterwards. "I don't know how you can drink tea. It seems a good tankard of ale is more appropriate."

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Reasons I love England #217:
I saw "whilst" on a traffic sign

The corner of Deawen's lips raised in a half smile. " Yes, but Ale effects me too strongly. THe last thing I need is a fuzzy mind." She said sipping the tea. " Sides can't stand the stuff anyway, not even wine.." she shuddered slightly at the thought of it.

_________________
Lips, ripe as the berries in June
Red the rose, red the rose
Skin, pale as the light of the moon
Gently as she goes

as always a hero comes home

Morwen chuckled and sat. "I think what I really need is to get out of this accursed corset." She hadn't really had a chance to change fully out of her festival garb. "And, perhaps, some sleep if I can manage to catch it."

_________________
Reasons I love England #217:
I saw "whilst" on a traffic sign

Deawen laughed, after the feast her corset was the first thing Deawen removed. She hated being uncomfortable, and now wasn't the time to be.

_________________
Lips, ripe as the berries in June
Red the rose, red the rose
Skin, pale as the light of the moon
Gently as she goes

as always a hero comes home

(Sorry for the long wait; very busy week...)
*They rode out, spears held high, banners streaming in the wind. Sen rode at the fore, a grim set to his mouth. For the first few hours, he spoke not a word, nor did any of his commanders speak to him; his mind was busy, and troubled. Yet, after time, his thoughts brought him about to one of his companions. He turned slightly in his saddle, and spotted her...*
Goldleaf, ride with me for a while. I wish to speak with you, and there is a good many things I would like to know, and I am sure the same applies to you...
*He continued on, not slowing his pace any, but waiting in expectancy...*

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"True Evil cannot be reckoned with. Only Defeated." - Sen L I Starfire

(Banner thanks to Imlosiel the Lost! )

Hearing the lord of Westfolde address her, Goldleaf spurred her horse onwards so that it rode next to Sen's horse. "Of course, my lord," she said. "What would you wish to know?" She looked at him gravely. She wondered what he wished to speak with her about. Matters of state, probably, and news from Gondor. She looked ahead of her, waiting for his reply.

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~~Siggy by Lembas~~

The first question I have for you is this, lady Goldleaf; what do you know of death?
*Sen asked this with a twofold meaning; both whether she had been in any battles in her time, and how she would react to those she knew dying. He needed to know both, as he knew that she would be seeing both in a short while, and wanted to know how much trust he could place on her. Whether he could count on her to hold her ground when the blood started to run...*

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"True Evil cannot be reckoned with. Only Defeated." - Sen L I Starfire

(Banner thanks to Imlosiel the Lost! )

Goldleaf paused for a moment. "I know a lot of death," she said. "At the age of seventeen, the city of Osgiliath, my home, was attacked. Not on the scale of the larger attacks during the War of the Ring, but all the same, a devastation for the city. I lost my family that day." She looked at him, her blue eyes clear. "After that I was by myself. I lived in the woods of Ithilien - orcs and Haradrim often passed through those lands, and I was no stranger to a sword by that time. Two years later I set off for Minas Tirith - I fought in the siege there. So you need not fear having me ride with you, Lord Sen. I may be a woman, but I have been able to fight since a very young age. All through my life I have had experience with death."

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~~Siggy by Lembas~~

Eston had been riding just behind Sen listening to the conversation, he had no interest in the topic, nor did he want to be drug into the conversation. Goldleaf's story was just one of many, the only diffrence was she was a woman.
Eston saw in the distance smoke, he rode up to Sen's side and pointed to the smoke " Theowen's land," he said grimly. "I suspect from the village of Theowen's hall..." he trailed off in thought Theowen was not a beloved friend of Sen or Deawen's simply another lord. "If THeowen Hall burns it is an ill omen for our own lands my lord." Eston said but was drowned out by several shouts from the soldiers.

_________________
Lips, ripe as the berries in June
Red the rose, red the rose
Skin, pale as the light of the moon
Gently as she goes

as always a hero comes home

Goldleaf looked at the smoke in the distance in silence, her face calm and unmoved.
"Who is doing this?" she muttered to herself, not expecting a reply. She was mulling it over in her mind. If it was indeed a userper, what gain was it for them? What kind of a person would go against their own country, especially in these days of peace?
I can only hope my message reaches King Elessar swiftly, she thought. He an Eomer King are not only allies, but friends also. He will want to stop this evil from spreading across Rohan.

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~~Siggy by Lembas~~

THe smoke came not from the village of Theowen's hall but from Theowen's hall itself. All that remained was three crumbling support columns of the great hall. Charred wood from the walls lay fallen and broken, the walls caved in making the remaining structure seem round, instead of it's proud rectangle. The goldplated doors still standing against the onslaught against it, was barred shut sealing inside the story of the tragedy here. Eston dismounted, along with several officers, and made his way towards the ruined hall. A great weight of saddness feel on Eston as he circled the structure. A chilling discovery was made by a soldeir as they circled the hall, all of the windows were barred shut as well as doors and no one milled about here at the hall or down in the village. Eston found the youngest soldier and gave him orders to ride back to the Westfolde Hall and give the tidings to Lady Deawen then walked slowly back over to sen, with a bowed head. "Dead, my lord, none now live in this hall. What are your orders my lord."

It was the evening meal when the rider approached the gate of the Westfolde village. He wasn't challenged as he rode through the gate. He rode straight up to the hall and through the plated doors. Deawen sat at one of the lower tables with Morwen and a few other women. When he came in through the doors Deawen looked up from her conversation, the smile she wore dropped into a wary look.

"He does not look like he has been through battle, no blood stained clothing," she thought to herself, he bowed then cleared his throat. The acrid smell of smoke wafted to her instantly alarming her to other dangers than a battle. "My Lady..." he began and then unfolded the fate of the Theowen hall. Deawen sat regally as she absorbed the news. Once he had finished she motioned for him to help himself to some stew and bread before he left. "This is sad tidings my friends, our enemy has stooped low enough to murder villages of innocent people." Deawen stood up suddenly feeling restless. She walked to the center of the hall and looked up the shields that hung above the door. "They burn our houses, murder our children, rise up Westfolde Challenge this foe and drive them back to the shadows!" She had heard the cry many times as she grew up in a war strickened land. Fire was a method of killing in Rohan, with thatched roofs and walls made of wood it was no wonder. But to kill an entire village of innocents was too much. The letter's words hit Deawen like a slap in the face, and suddenly it became clear. This enemy, this usuper was trying to wipe out the nobility so no one could rise up and challenge his place. It served a good purpose, grisly as it was it was effective, by killing the nobility the lands were left without leaders to rise agaisnt him. Deawen figured that the village was killed as well by mere luck, they most likely took shelter in the hall as they were attacked the hall was sealed and burned.

_________________
Lips, ripe as the berries in June
Red the rose, red the rose
Skin, pale as the light of the moon
Gently as she goes

as always a hero comes home

I see.
*Sen said, going over what Goldleaf had said in his mind.*
It was not a mistake to take you, then, if you can hold your own. That was a debate I was having before we left.
*It was then that he spotted the smoke, and heard Eston's words. He was one of the first in the town, and he dismounted beside the charred ruins of the hall. He saw the burnt and blackened remains of the villagers, and an anger welled up inside of him that he had not felt for a long time. When Eston asked what his orders were, he replied quietly.*
I will speak with the men. Then we ride. Look to see if there are signs that Lord Theowen and his family are among the dead.
*He turned to those riders gathered around, and spoke.*
Let this be a testament to everyone here; the rebels that we fight are the enemy. They are the enemy, as much as any orc or goblin raiding party. We will track down those who did this; it will bring us closer to quelling this usurper's insurrection. Maybe we can find peace for the dead on the battlefield. They deserve it. Now search for tracks; they should not be hard to find. The hunt is on.
*Sen mounted again, his mind in a haze of fury and memory. Peace for the dead on the battlefield... Too many ghosts haunted him; too many to give them all peace. Yet his mind strayed back home; if the rebels would go to these lengths to kill off the nobility... He could only pray that Deawen and the rest of them would not be attacked.*

_________________
"True Evil cannot be reckoned with. Only Defeated." - Sen L I Starfire

(Banner thanks to Imlosiel the Lost! )

Eston searched through the remains of the hall but found no evidence of the Theowen family. It was like finding a needle in a haystack. It was difficult to distinguish between villager and noble as all clothes were singed and burned away. Eston found it hard to keep back his emotions, like Deawen he learned to hide true feelings behind a mask but the scene he witnessed was cracking the mask. There was no time for burials, so Eston said the death chant quietly then went with the men to search for tracks. They found some tracks and just as Eston turned to announce their discovery an arrow whistled past him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The great Hall was busy as worried villagers came to speak their fears about the devastating news the messenger brought that evening. Lady Deawen saw each and every villager, shepard and maid that had some fear or problem to voice. Deawen cared about those who worked under her, she felt they deserved a voice and a say in the matters of the westfolde hall. It broke Deawen's heart when a sobbing woman came to her and unfolded how her husband and three children went to THeowen hall two days past for trading and have not returned. Deawen tried to consol the grieving woman as best she could. It wasn't until Deawen's handmaiden led the poor woman away that Deawen spoke to no more visitors until dawn. She sat on the dias quietly watching the servants clear tables and other tasks. Her mind wandered to her children, the woman's story chilled Deawen to the core, sobered her to reality.

_________________
Lips, ripe as the berries in June
Red the rose, red the rose
Skin, pale as the light of the moon
Gently as she goes

as always a hero comes home

Goldleaf dismounted from her horse and looked around the landscape for any sign of tracks - hooveprints, footprints, any sign of what kind of army had attacked this hall. This was a truly sickening scene, with the hall of Theowen charred, reams of smoke surrounding it. What kind of person would attack this place? They must wish ill luck on this country indeed, if they will attempt to kill off the nobility one by one, so that there is no-one to prevent their terrible deeds... Goldleaf looked up as someone called out that they had found tracks. It was then that she spotted the arrow flying past Eston as he returned from the hall, faster than speeding light. She put her hand to the hilt of her sword and unsheathed it.
"Where did that come from?" she said, her voice sharp, her gaze flickering about for any sign of archers.

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~~Siggy by Lembas~~