Aron found one of Bob's chickens and scooped it up. The hen gave a weak cluck. Aron blinked back tears forming in his eyes. He tried telling himself that it was just a building. But he and his sister had grown up here, his cousin had summered here. He had raised his family here. The memories were still in his heart but it hurt seeing his life reduced to such rubble. "I'm sorry, Papa. I was never fit to follow your footsteps."

The Inn and the Bakery... the first real homes LIadan had ever had. She felt herself beginning to tear up. They couldn't really be gone.

Aron turned to look at Lia.

Liadan couldn't stand it. She threw her arms around Aron and sobbed.

Aron wrapped his free arm around Lia and held her close. The hen periodically pecked at each of them as Aron rested his chin atop her head.

"It's can't be over." Liadan whispered, talking about more than just the inn and village. "Not everything."

"I don't see how it can be rebuilt," he said of the village. "But then I have no useful skills so what do I know." Aron sighed. "I don't want everything to be over, but I feel useless." And unwanted.

"You're still a good father." Liadan sniffled. "And husband."

"I just...I don't how to explain it properly. You are so strong and able to take care of yourself and the children. I was too busy with the inn to be available to the children so they learned to come to you. Or Aislyn or Brie or Shawn. Even Sileas when she was older." Aron sighed. "I can't even protect you all. I feel like a failure."

"The kids hardly ever come to me for anything." Liadan laughed bitterly. "I told you I'd make a terrible mother."

"You're a wonderful mother. They are coming to you less because they are older." Aron shrugged. "Looking back, I don't think I seemed approachable. Kind of like Papa was before Mama left. Aislyn wouldn't know this of course since Mama left when she was born, but Papa never wanted to be disturbed when working. Which was all day and night. I tried to not make the same mistakes, but I think I did."

'You've always been there for the kids." Liadan scolded. "How often had the babes played on your desk while you were supposed to be working?"

"I tried to always be available," Aron said. "But I know I wasn't always able to do so." Aron glanced at her. "I know there were times I wasn't there for you either. And now I have no way to support us or to give us a home."

"I grew up without a home." Liadan sighed. "I just always wanted the children to have it better than me."

"What are we going to do, Lia? We have nothing to build from now?" Aron said, his voice slightly shaking.

"First we're going to find our Yehudit and bring her back to the keep." Liadan said. "Then we're going to find the momzers that destroyed our home and kill them. Then we'll rebuild."

"It's going to take years to rebuild. Look around Lia, there's no need for an inn here now. The village is gone."

"People will come back after those raiding momzers are dead." Liadan said. "Now c'mon, we have to find Yehudit."

Aron knew that would be highly unlikely. The village would forever be tainted, there would be nothing to draw more than passers through. A tavern perhaps might be the way to go but an inn? No.

Liadan heard her daughter screaming. She dropped the bell and ran.

Aron hurried after her.

Shawn set off down the road toward the village. He figured the best place to start looking for the raiders was to pick up their tracks their. His borrowed armor didn't fit quite right, but well enough to protect him. Shawn carried the helm under his arm.

"What the hell am I doing?" he muttered to himself, stopping in his tracks. "I'm going to resign my post and I should be with my family protecting them instead of being on this fool's errand. I won't find the raiders anyway. Shawn felt like a cloud of anger had lifted from him. His heart had finally won out over his head and told him he needed to be with his wife and daughters. He headed back toward the keep.

Bai spoke very little as he walked to the keep. He was thinking about the missing artifacts. Some of that stuff could just about destroy the world in the wrong hands.

Dyfrig walked alongside, wondering why the place was in such a mess and who might be settling nearby.