In reply to Lek Gerthrim (msg # 850):

"We could ask about going with the knights to Portside. The worst they can do is not allow me to go."

In reply to Aislyn (msg # 851):

Liadan swore. "If she's trained she'll look for trouble even harder than before!"

In reply to Brighid Spenser (msg # 852):

"All Mama ever does is fight." Yehudit sniffled. "If I was gone she wouldn't have anything to fight about."

In reply to Millie (msg # 853):

"I need you with me, and Sileas... Maybe Ila to, she knows where this is." Lek looked at the map again. "We'll have to sneak."

A sea of cruel faces swam in Pinja's vision, and her own bloody face reflected back at her.

"No." Pinja whimpered, covering her face. "Please... Don't."

In reply to Yehudit Buckley (msg # 855):

Brie laughed. "Oh believe me, Yehudit. Your mother has always been that way. That will never change, no matter what."

In reply to Liadan Buckley (msg # 854):

Aislyn sighed. "Well, it's none of my business, she's only my niece. But I'm going to ask about training for myself and Millie. I'm tired of being a victim."

In reply to Lek Gerthrim (msg # 856):

"Well first you're going to have to find Sileas and convince her."

Yehudit felt hurt. She wondered if she should just run away.

In reply to Aislyn (msg # 859):

"Neither of you need a crutch." Liadan said.

In reply to Millie (msg # 860):

"I don't see any reason why Sileas wouldn't want to do this." Lek said. "She like adventure, is good in a fight, and wants to save Papa."

In reply to Liadan Buckley (msg # 862):

"Neither of us are particularly strong.  Most people have a weakness of some sort. The trick is to learn how to work around it."

In reply to Lek Gerthrim (msg # 863):

"I know, but don't you think it's peculiar how she's disappeared? I wouldn't be leaving Mama's side if something like that happened to her, I would think that would be doubly true for Sileas since she went through it."

In reply to Yehudit Buckley (msg # 861):

"Whatever you are thinking, stop thinking it. Your parents love you very much and it would kill them if something happened to you," Brie stated.

In reply to Aislyn (msg # 864):

Liadan scowled. "I've always been strong and known how to fight. That didn't always... Keep bad things from happening to me."

In reply to Millie (msg # 865):

"What do you mean?" Lek did not entirely understand.

In reply to Brighid Spenser (msg # 866):

"I don't want to be with Mama anymore." Yehudit said.

In reply to Liadan Buckley (msg # 867):

"I still think it would be better, knowing one had put up a fight as opposed to just having it happen to you."

In reply to Lek Gerthrim (msg # 868):


"I just mean that Sileas understands what her mother is going through, better than anyone else. She would be the best one to help her mother sort out her feelings. That's all."

In reply to Yehudit Buckley (msg # 869):

"I understand that," Brie said softly. "But you need to talk it out with her. You can't just walk away or ignore her. It will never work."

In reply to Aislyn (msg # 870):

"I didn't let it happen to me. You know I didn't just let it happen to me." Liadan snarled.

In reply to Millie (msg # 871):

Lek felt like he was missing something. He went back t studying Ila's map, and movement caught his eyes. Pinja was hiding her face and looking terribly upset about something. Lek chewed in his lip. He had gotten so used to Pinja helping out in his sister's shop.

In reply to Brighid Spenser (msg # 872):

Yehudit laughed bitterly. "You know it's never any use talking to her."

In reply to Liadan Buckley (msg # 873):

"That is not what I said and you know it. It's impossible to speak with you when you're like this."

In reply to Lek Gerthrim (msg # 874):

Millie got to her feet. She and Pinja had never become what she would consider close, but they were friends of a sort. Millie walked over to Pinja and knelt. "Pinja? Are you all right?"