Welcome to Gaia! ::

"Someone should warn Amara and Fletcher," Arahad spoke up quietly, looking around at everyone.

"I will," Rhea said with a nod. "But I should not go alone, I think. Will someone come with me?"

She looked to Cindy hopefully.

Rhea smiled warmly at Cindy. "Thank you."

Haradhel looked at Rhea seriously. "You just make sure your parents are aware of what's going on," she said firmly. "Make sure they're prepared for anything. We have no idea what's going to happen, and when - or even if."

Rhea nodded. "I won't forget," she said softly.

Haradhel looked over at Elrohir. "Perhaps we should get someone to talk to some of the workers about training in combat as well," she suggested.

Elrohir nodded thoughtfully. "I know Vanya would go for it," he murmured. "I'll speak to Aragost about it. Most everyone else will be gone."

"Don't forget about the new people," Arahad piped up.

"Of course," Elnara blinked. "Aras said that they had used to be their trainers ... I'm sure they would be able to help out with that."

Elrohir and Haradhel exchanged a glance. "Gwaethir ..." Haradhel murmured.

"Someone's going to have to find him," Elrohir nodded. "He went out hunting this morning. He can be out for days at a time ..."

"He's always watchful for danger, though," Rhea pointed out, "and we need food here ... I'm sure he'll be careful, he won't let anyone take him by surprise. And if he sees anything he'll let us know."

Elrohir nodded slowly. "Then we let him come back on his own, see what happens, I suppose," he murmured.

"Better complicated than compromised," Ahren shrugged. "Now if only we knew where we needed to look."

The Four Lands were vast, one could travel for years and not see it all ... though he supposed the first place they should check was the Northland.

Ahren dropped his fork and stared at Donovan open-mouthed. "What did you say?" he asked, his eyes wide.

Rhea blinked at Ahren, and then her eyes widened with understanding. "The diversion ..."

Ahren clenched his jaw. "We have to check the Northland first to make sure," he said quietly, "but then my guess is that the Southland is the next place to check."

Ahren nodded. "You said it yourself. The humans would be too stupid to keep the elven children themselves ... but banking on that, it would be brilliant of them. Not to mention, by now, the dwarfs have got to be running low on gold - you know how much they've been shelling out, you should see the treasury here! But the humans have been the ones receiving the gold that we've been missing, so they're the ones that will have the money to buy the slaves. Not to mention, the humans would have more use for them, and what with the treaty between the humans and the elves ..."

"They would be almost above suspicion," Rhea finished.

Ahren nodded. "It's brilliant."

Elrohir closed his eyes tiredly. "Can you see the elven people sitting still while the humans steal their children and kill them off when they're no longer useful?"

There was silence in the room for a moment, and Elnara hugged Garrick, who was sitting in her lap, closer. She remembered the last war ... probably better than anyone else there, considering it was far more recent for her than for anyone else. Actually, of all the people in the room, she was the only one who had been a part of it.

"Trust me, we would all like to avoid war," Elrohir murmured, "but sometimes it is necessary. And is that not what we are doing here? Waging a war on those who are participating in the slave trade?"

"That's different, Elrohir," Rhea said softly. "That's not an entire race against another."

"Bit of a shame Terexin is gone," Elnara spoke up with a faint smile.