Sileas had had it. She might not agree with Questa most of the time or feel that violence was always the answer but this wasn't fair. She stormed over to where her aunt and cousin were beating Questa, drawing her blade as she walked. Sileas forced herself in between. "BACK OFF. NOW."

Liadan swore and grabbed Yehudit, trying to pull her daughter away from Questa.

From the position she was in, Sileas couldn't grab Questa without putting herself at risk. Someone needed to calm Yehudit down. "Aunt Lia, you need to get Yehudit under control. We have people who need to get to Difyr and we have no time for this," Sileas hissed.

Muttering about posh people only able to stand a chance when they ganged up on her, Questa grabbed Yehudit by the ankle and yanked her off balance.

Sileas sighed. "Questa, you're not helping at all." She glanced at all three of them. "Wulfsen and I are returning to the keep. The three of you can stay here and kill one another or settle down and come along." She turned and headed for the wagon.

If her mother was not holding her, Yehudit would have wound up on her butt. She was still enraged, screaming, swearing and flailing.

Sileas reached Wulfsen's side. "Come on Wulfsen, let's get Mama and James to the keep. They want to do nothing but fight, let them walk back." She climbed back up in the bed of the wagon and took her mother's hand.

"Damnit Sileas!" LIadan struggled to get Yehudit under control. "You brought Yehudit here!"

"Oi! Oi! The crazy girl were kickin' me! Blimey! I'm bloody well not layin' dahn and takin' that!" Questa said angrily, getting to her feet and touching her bloody lip. "Her and 'er crazy muvver."

In reply to Liadan Buckley (msg # 284):

"I wanted her to stay at the keep. I tried to get her to stay. I wanted to come alone," she said, hopping back down from the wagon.

Wulfsen sat in the wagon seat, ready to go, but he hesitated a moment. "It's not safe here, there are still some raiders in the woods. We would all be safer to travel together... Get her under control."

"You know Yehudit would not be left behind, so you both should have stayed at the keep." Liadan glared daggers at Wulfsen, hating his uniform. "And you let them go, you came along with them." Liadan was having an even harder time keeping Yehudit under control as she felt herself feeling enraged herself. "What favors did you expect in exchange from a grieving girl hoping to find her mother?"

Wulfsen frowned. "I expected nothing from either of them... Sileas was determined to come here and I wasn't going to let her go to a dangerous place alone... and it's a good thing we came when we did because Mrs Spenser is still alive and Sileas saved her."

Wulfsen glanced back in the wagon bed. "But she needs to be seen by a healer right away, she is badly hurt."

"As it turns out, Aunt Lia, I was right to come. I found Mama and I would dearly like to get her to Difyr to be cared for. Can you get her under control so we can get her there before I do lose my mother?"

Aron removed his cloak and waited for his opportunity. He draped it over Yehudit who was struggling in Lia's arms.

Liadan blinked. "Brie's alive?" The cloak quieted Yehudit a little but she still struggled. "You said you had tea?"

"She is, but badly injured. We have tea leaves, no way to prepare it. Questa was trying to subdue her and try to get the leaves in her but everything went wrong."

"No water?" Liadan asked, "If not hot at least warm?"

"Questa, did you find any water when you were seeking supplies?"

Questa wiped the blood from her face. "Might be able ter get some water from the well."

"It's worth a try." Sileas walked over to Questa. "I'm sorry, I didn't know she was nearly past the point of no return."

"I almost 'ad 'er, until 'er muvver jumped on me." Questa said. "They're boff crazy."

"Get some $%&*#( water or I'll set her loose." Liadan said impatiently.

Sileas quietly curled her hands into fists. "I know Wulfsen's right, but gosh I wish he'd just driven off and left them here."

"Would've been easier ter leave Yehudit behind ter begin wiv." Questa said, walking to the well. The well had been partially collapsed. "Yer might be able ter get some water out of this."