The common folk could be seen in the distance working diligently in the fields trying to get the crops ready for the harvest before the rains came to ...tart the new growing cycle. Some half-naked, shoeless urchins ran past them shouting stilly rhymes unfamiliar to Rowena’s ears. It had been a long time since she had played randomly as a child and even then she was not all that interested in anything that did not have a value or a purpose for the art of survival.They all paused to give the Friar. "My men are ready to march this instant! Say the word and we're on the road north!" Go!" Gamelin told him without hesitation. "You yourself, stay and await orders, but get them moving."He reached out for the message, silently cursing himself for reacting too quickly. Wouldn't it look silly if the message said she'd killed them all and was returning as planned? He saw the pale look on the messenger's face and decided that he'd have the other division moving in a palm-width as well."Five thousand. He took Beth, the last girl, to the door and watched as she made her way down the stairs. Closing the door, he walked over to the couch where I was sitting and sat down next to me. He put his arm around me and kissed me on the forehead."Miss me?" Uh huh." Well, I'm still here."I leaned over and kissed him."I know. I knew you would be. But it was really weird tonight." Weird?" Yeah. I know we each do our own thing all the time but if you come across something while you're surfing the net or I. He could not afford to be caught up in the mountains in a snow storm He felt bad leaving his daughter behind, but she was safe warm and well cared for up there.Although supplies had been stretched thin, a furious time had been spent in shifting supplies to make sure everyone had enough to ride out the storm. More people had shown up looking for food and a place to sleep that was warm. With the fresh influx of people, he now had almost 150 persons at the ranch, including 6 children under 10.The.