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 Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2007 9:30 pm
Donovan frowned, he couldn't really make out the name that well, must be some sign that didn't exist in English he thought, but he at least understood the question.
He nodded at Nadya for a moment, realizing they were already here, but put up a hand in motion that they would stop for a moment. They were onto something, and it might help with the questioning.
"In a minute Nadya," he replied before turning back to Gion, "I don't think this is a family business we're seeing. If it was the case that they are bringing their whole families along we should be seeing women... I mean, what's the point of bringing your kid if you aren't going to bring your wife? Not to mention the kids are too quiet, best case the kid would be curious and you have to rope them before they wander off and in worse case the kid would be terrfied and huddling against the adult."
Fortunately the only reason why he knew this was from his family and Kara's. There were enough little children for him to know the general personality a child should have.
"What in the hell hasn't anyone noticed there is something really ******** up about this? It's too eery to be checked off as normal."
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Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2007 9:32 pm
Lin pouted at him, but had a feeling she would have to wait before being put down, which was no fun and she was going to lose the guy! She went back looking over the man's arm down belong. She looked before her, and looked around her, and thought it was boring.
"Can I get down now?"
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Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2007 9:41 pm
The guard couldn't help it - he chuckled.
"No," he replied in a heavily accented voice. "Yhou mus .. stey vit me. For an vhile." And he stood at attention once again.
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Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2007 9:46 pm
It could just be men bringing their children along with them to learn their trade, Gion suggested, though he didn't really believe it himself. And no child going with their father on a trip would dare show any fear or make any noise. It's too dangerous - not to mention, the humans are very strict with their children, and have harsh punishments.
He wasn't implying anything about Donovan, only stating what the humans of this world were like.
But my nephew, the one Triton saved all those years ago, the last time you were here ... do you think these men might be doing the same thing? Selling the children as slaves?
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Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2007 9:47 pm
"Wait," Nadya interrupted softly. "Are you talking about the children that are with the humans?"
She looked from Gion to Donovan thoughtfully and back again. "When I was looking for where we were supposed to be going," she murmured, "I heard children's voices ... crying for help ..."
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Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2007 9:55 pm
Donovan raised a brow at that, well that was an interesting bit of news he felt.
"It's quite possible," Donovan replied, "And while I do admit it's not an unusual practice to bring them along to learn a trade, I could be wrong... but it's too many children at once, it's too much of a security risk, not that some people ever cared about that," he muttered as an after thought, "But I've grown up in a family business, and this is just off."
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Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2007 10:05 pm
Lin pouted again, while this was going to be quite boring she thought to herself. She laid there, looking idily off, but when one was bored time seemed to slow to a crawl. Until finally she couldn't take it anymore.
"I'm bored..."
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Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2007 8:47 pm
So what are we going to do? Gion questioned, fingers flickering rapidly. We came here to stop the men who are targeting my mother, which, in theory, would also stop a lot of the violence in the Four Lands, but the children, if that's what this is, also need help.
He glanced at Nadya. He also wanted to get her out of this land as soon was possible. They had only been in the north for a few days, but despite her resolution not to be a burden she was looking more the worse for wear. Not to mention, it was dangerous, being up here, and he wanted her to get back home, where it was safe.
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Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2007 8:49 pm
Nadya looked from Gion to Donovan. "Well?" she murmured softly, her eyes questioning. "Whatever we do, we had better do it quickly. We're attracting far too much attention, standing here for so long."
And she was right: this seemed to be the most active part of the dead settlement, and both humans and dwarfs were looking at them with suspicious, if not dangerous, glares.
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Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2007 8:51 pm
The guard didn't move. Prince Ruel had only just disappeared from sight, and he had to keep the child with him for several more minutes yet. He said nothing to indicate that he had heard her quiet complaint, but inwardly he sort of felt sorry for her.
However, he was a member of the Home Guard, and he would follow his training.
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Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2007 9:00 pm
Lin looked side to side and up and down and even shifted on her backside so she could look up at the guard, and it was easy being her size to do that wtihout the fear of falling.
"I want to play," she told him firmly.
Since it was obvious she was not going to get down any time soon.
"Aren't you bored?"
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Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2007 9:01 pm
"Look," Donovan muttered in a low voice, "Let's just go on as planned, ask our questions and deduct from there, if there is a chance to grab a few kids and leave then we will, if not at the very least it is possible to leave a report with the elves here to tighten up their secureity, they should have been checking the humans going in and out anyhow, why they didn't is beyond me."
He took both elves by their elbows ignoring the fact Nadya was taller than he which made it awkward for a human.
"Just act like we don't care," he talked to them as if he could be talking about the weather for anyone who did not know his language, "We don't see anything wrong in men bringing their brats along. One thing at a time people. Rome was not built in a day."
He realized belately that neither would understand that saying.
"Forget I said that last bit."
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Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2007 9:07 pm
Gion exchanged a startled glance with Nadya, feeling somewhat as if he were being ushered along like a child who was on his way to be punished. He would have signed to speak except that Donovan had his one elbow firmly in his grip, and his hands weren't exactly free anymore.
He didn't like that feeling. He couldn't reach his sword now, if anything happened. One thing was certain, though. When they went back, he would be having a chat with his grandmother on the subject of these soldiers.
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Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2007 9:12 pm
Nadya had the strangest image appear in her mind suddenly at Donovan's words, a large sprawling city all of stone, but just as quickly the image was gone.
"Let's just continue, then," she murmured softly, cloing her eyes and letting her Sight take over for her once again.
The path they were on reminded Nadya of the labyrinth in the lower levels of the castle: dozens of paths led of from it, and each one of them led somewhere else. One could wander down here for a long time ... and it was so dark and cold, she thought, that it wouldn't take that long before any sensible person went mad.
Still, they were here for a reason.
Still walking with her eyes closed,she moved led the others through the narrow corridors, her movements certain, sure.
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Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2007 9:19 pm
The guard ventured a glance down at the tiny child, careful to make sure that she wouldn't fall.
"No," he replied simply. "I khan't afford an distrektion like b'ing bor'd."
Boredom bread inattentiveness, and that was dangerous.
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