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A Bold Plan:
By Markus Thyme
It was first light before dawn, and the folk were back in the tunnel having buried the nine. Even as they grieved, Bruce the elder held council with his aid, Matthew.
“We have heard,” he said, “of other groups
of folk in other places. We have had travelers who tell us of these things.
There be a group in the Mountains near a place called the ruins of
“Aye, Elder. I have heard of those folk. Like us, they live not in the open.”
“Aye Matthew, like us, yet not like us. One traveler tells me of some kind of plotting they do. They have preserved some of the old wisdom. They know of things like the fliers of the invaders.”
“Aye, Elder. It is said they can make light without fire. That be like magic.”
“Magic to us my friend. Mayhap not to the people who once built and lived in Ashville.”
“Ashville,” muttered Mathew wistfully.
“Mayhap, some day we will know those things again. Mayhap some day, we will rebuild Ashville — and Bravard.”
“I admire the boldness of your dream, Elder.”
“It be more than a dream now Matthew. We will make it a plan. My thought is to call a council.”
“A council of the Tunnel folk?”
“Nay, Matthew, a council of all the folk.”
“All the folk?”
“Aye, there be folk scattered over the land in small groups. The travelers know of these. Afore this we thought of the travelers as storytellers and bearers of news. Now we must needs think of them as friends, aids, helpers.”
“How so, Elder?”
“The travelers can teach us of the other folk, where they be, how many they be, what the do. They can carry messages among the folk, from one group to another. We must do that. We must learn our strengths if we are to act boldly against these invaders.”
“I fear I only think of the risk, Elder.”
“Be you not full of the folk hiding in tunnels like rodents? Be you not full of waiting for the invaders to come? Be you not tired of it all, Matthew?”
“Aye, Elder. I be tired of it, but I also be fearful.”
“As be I Matthew, as be I. Yet — I be more full
of the cursed invaders than I be fearful of them. This murder of our young folk
has vexed me. It has made me as
“Yet, you stopped
“Aye, I did, and mayhap I be wrong in that. Yet I be hopeful we can learn from this invader, learn of how to, how to, —.”
“How to avenge the blood of our young,” offered Matthew.”
“Aye, Matthew. That and more. How to drive these cursed invaders from our homes that we might walk as men again.”
“It is a dream worthy of risk, Elder. To walk as men again.”
Matthew stood straight and lifted his chin.
“Aye, Elder. I be ready. Like you, I be full of these cursed invaders.”
“Then, let us plan. Let us first call the leaders of the houses of the Tunnel Folk. Let us speak to them of our hope Let us cause them to hope with us. Let us finally be bold.”
“Aye, Elder.”
*****
A day later, the leaders were assembled in the council’s assembly room. For the folk of both tunnels, some 400 folk, there were eleven houses. Bruce spoke to them of his plan.
“We have suffered grievous indignities at the hands of the cursed invaders. I and Mathew are full of it, full of feeling helpless to protect our children and women. It be time now to act boldly, to test these invaders, to look to resist them. Yes, to resist and even drive them from our homes.”
Bruce heard the hiss of indrawn breath in many of the council. Eyes were raised at the very though of what he proposed.
“Madness! I hear madness,” blustered Thomas of Newport.
“Speak not with a rash tongue,” cautioned Robert of Willets stepping forward. “Bruce be not mad. He has been our councilor and leader many years. Wise he be and bold he be, but never mad. Let us hear him out.”
“I regret my rash words,” offered Thomas.
Bruce nodded with a soft smile. “There be no offense or fault in speaking what one thinks,” he replied. “If we are to remain bound to each other and to a plan, we must needs speak our thoughts, be they agreeable or no.”
“Aye,” agreed Robert. “Say on Bruce. What be your plan?”
“As I say,” continued Bruce. “We have suffered grievous insults from the cursed ones. Now, it be time to act boldly, but with due care. To act rashly is not my plan. The folk need not beg more harm. I ask only that we seek a plan.”
“A plan to
drive the invaders from our homes?” queried Edward the Elder of Ashville.
“Aye,” whispered Bruce. “To drive the invaders out, to rebuild Ashville, to rebuild Bravard, to restore the folk to dignity.”
“That be a bold plan indeed,” marveled Edward, “a bold plan indeed!”
“Mayhap it will come to naught,” offered Bruce, “but let us at least try.”
“Agreed,” asserted Robert. “Let us at least try, and if we die, how much worse will we be than we be now?”
“I am in agreement too,” said Edward. “It be time to plan and act.”
The others quickly agreed.
“What now, Bruce,” asked Wayne the Elder of Sylva.
“I think we
needs first to seek the aid of the travelers,” replied Bruce. The winter
season approaches. Winter be a time to plan and learn. I would try to bind the
travelers into a far-reaching web. We can find the strengths of our brothers in
other places. We can learn how many we be and what tools we have. We tunnel
folk have tools of hunt and stealth. Mayhap, others have different tools. It is
said the Folk at the ruins of Denver still know some of the old wisdom. If they
know, we might learn.
“As we
learn of the other folk, mayhap we can persuade them to join us. Together we
might become a worthy force. Mayhap we can call for a high council of all the
folk come the spring season. We might ask them to come here to plan. While we
await that, we might ask some of our own folk to go near the invaders stronghold
and learn.”
“It be
possible that will happen afore we wish,” worried Robert.
“How
so,” asked Bruce.
“I had
wished to tell you, but time passed ere I could. My son Randolph be
gone.”
Oh,”
whispered Bruce with dread. “How, long?”
“He was not
at the burying,” replied Robert.
“Two
days,” said Bruce. “That can mean but one thing.”
“Aye,”
replied Robert. “I fear he be out to avenge his brother.”
There was a long
pause before Bruce said, “We can do nothing. By sending a runner after
him, we might only add to his peril.”
“Aye,”
said Robert. “I thought of going myself, but you be right. He be swift
and wise. Alone he may have a chance to do what he must and return.”
“All we can
do is hope and wait,” said Bruce. “If he return to us, we may learn
much of our enemy.”
“Let us
hope for that,” agreed Robert.
“And we still have the injured invader in our keep. Let us wait and hope he will recover and betray what he may know. And, while we wait, let us make plans to court the next traveler who calls on us. Let us make plans and count our assets. We have cause to hope.”
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