Date: 9/1/00 1:44:44 PM Central Daylight Time
From: none@beseen.com (ME!)
Reply-to: none@beseen.com
To: XTMBakery@aol.com
Time: Fri, 01-Sep-2000 18:44:08 GMT IP: 195.252.44.157

ME! regained consiousness, she felt bruised all over and her head
hurt in many places. She began to make a mental list of all the
places she hurt and felt extremly sorry for herself. Then she
relized that things were just as bad for Kathye, Sar and Alinora;
hey were all accused of being witches.

She opened her eyes and tired to look around but everything was
rather blurry. "Hey, how do you test witches in England? In
Sweden there is this water test, if you drown you're innocent."
She tried to sit up but failed. "By the way, I don't know how to
swim."

===============================================
Date: 9/2/00 6:38:38 AM Central Daylight Time
From: none@beseen.com (The Mob)
Reply-to: none@beseen.com
To: XTMBakery@aol.com
Time: Sat, 02-Sep-2000 11:38:22 GMT IP: 152.163.195.201

The four women were dragged from the cellar, blinking, into the
sunlight. They were led to a small platform and made to stand in
front of the assembled mob. A man stood to one side, holding a
duck.

"Witches! Witches! Witches! We've found witchs! Witches! We've
got witches! Burn them! Burn them! Burn them! We've found
witches! Witches! Witches! Witches!"

"We have found witches. May we burn them?" asked the Inn
Keeper.

The mob shouted, "Burn them!"

"No! First we must have the trial! Bring out the duck!" Dave the
Carter said as he stepped up onto the platform

ME! turned and whispered to the others, "Why a duck?"

Kathye and Sar groaned. "Don't ask!"

But it was too late. Dave had heard her. He turned to the crowd
and asked, "Tell me, what do you do with witches?"

"Burn! Burn them up! Burn!..."

"And what do you burn apart from witches?"

"More witches!"

"Shh!"

"Wood!"

Dave nodded. "So, why do witches burn?"

[pause]

"B--... 'cause they're made of... wood?"

"Good! Heh heh."

"So, how do we tell whether she is made of wood?"

"Build a bridge out of her."


"Ah, but can you not also make bridges out of stone?" Dave
said wisely.

"Oh, yeah. True. Uhh..."

"Does wood sink in water?"

"No, it floats! It floats!"

The crowd took up the chant. "The pond! Throw her into the
pond!"

Dave held out his hands, trying to calm them. "What also floats
in water?"

"Bread!"
"Apples!"
"Uh, very small rocks!"
"Cider!"
"Uh, gra-- gravy!"
"Cherries!"
"Mud!"
"Churches! Churches!"
"Lead! Lead!"
"A duck!"

Dave nodded again. "Exactly. So, logically..."
One of the brighter members of the crowd puzzled that one
out. "If... she... weighs... the same as a duck,... she's made
of wood."

"And therefore?"

"A witch!" the crowd shouted back.

The man standing to the side of the platform stepped
forward. "Here is a duck. Use this duck."

Kathye looked over at ME! "I told you not to ask. It's silly
beyond all reasoning."
*******************************
Note: The whole duck bit comes from Monty Python's The Holy
Grail. Thought I should explain it.


===============================================
Date: 9/2/00 9:13:59 AM Central Daylight Time
From: none@beseen.com (Lord FitzWallace)
Reply-to: none@beseen.com
To: XTMBakery@aol.com
Time: Sat, 02-Sep-2000 14:13:48 GMT IP: 205.188.195.48

The man standing to the side of the platform stepped
forward. "Here is a duck. Use this duck."

A well dressed nobleman stepped forward.

"Stop this nonsense! You cannot condemn these women by comparing
them to a duck!"

The women exchanged relieved looks.

"I am Lord FitzWallace, recently returned from the Holy Land. I
have a proven method for testing for witches. Do you see this
stone? This stone was taken from the base of the cross that Jesus
was crucified on. No one can lie when it touches them."

Sar turned pale when she saw the stone. She whispered, "The
Musestone. How did he get the Musestone?"

The nobleman approached the women. He stood in front of ME!

"There's no need to test this one. She's the captain of the
castle guards -- obviously an unnatural woman."

He stopped in front of Sar and pressed the stone to her
forehead. "Do you believe in the Pagan gods and goddesses?"

She struggled to speak. "I... I..."

Lord FitzWallace smiled. "You see, she cannot deny it."

Next he approached Alinora, again pressing the stone against her
forehead. "Have you ever practiced magic?"

Her lips trembled, sweat covered her face. Finally she
whispered, "Yes. Yes I have."

The lord nodded.

Finally he came to Kathye. She felt the freezing cold, slick
stone against her forehead.

"Are you responsible for the brightly coloured lights in the sky?"

She tried to force the word "no" from her lips. She knew that any
other answer would condemn her. "N... n...." She gave up and
glared at him.

"You see? You have no need of this duck! They are condemned by
their own words! Prepare the fires!"

He turned and walked away. He went to the Inn and into one of
the private rooms upstairs. A cloaked figure waited for him.

"I have done as you requested, Master."

The figure held out a hand, and he dropped the stone into it.

"You have done well. Now, return to you lands. You will
remember none of this."

"I will return to my lands. I will remember none of this," Lord
FitzWallace repeated blankly.

After the Lord left, the figure walked to the window to see piles
of wood being constructed.

===============================================
Date: 9/2/00 10:44:34 AM Central Daylight Time
From: none@beseen.com (Alinora)
Reply-to: none@beseen.com
To: XTMBakery@aol.com
Time: Sat, 02-Sep-2000 15:44:10 GMT IP: 152.163.213.54

Alinora watched in horror as the mob starting building the fire
in front of them. "This is completely ridiculous," she whispered
to the others. The one time that I acutally wish my uncle would
appear so I could use my family for something, he's no where in
sight! And I quite doubt these people would believe anything I
say." She stood in thought."You know, if we were all really
witches, wouldn't we just be able to make ourselves dissapear or
something while they decide just how well done they want us? Or
is that a silly question?"

===============================================
Date: 9/2/00 1:55:30 PM Central Daylight Time
From: none@beseen.com (ME!)
Reply-to: none@beseen.com
To: XTMBakery@aol.com
Time: Sat, 02-Sep-2000 18:55:02 GMT IP: 62.20.229.30

The nobleman approached the women. He stood in front of ME!

"There's no need to test this one. She's the captain of the
castle guards -- obviously an unnatural woman."

"What d'you mean I'm a unnatural woman. I'm taking that as a
personal insult!"

===============================================
Date: 9/2/00 2:31:46 PM Central Daylight Time
From: none@beseen.com (Robins +band)
Reply-to: none@beseen.com
To: XTMBakery@aol.com
Time: Sat, 02-Sep-2000 19:31:36 GMT IP: 195.121.6.105

:"What d'you mean I'm a unnatural woman. I'm taking that as a
:personal insult!"


"Right," Huntingdon whispered, "It's time to use our smoke-pot
plan."

"What's the smoke-pot plan?" Loxley asked.

Huntingdon sighed. "We throw pots with heavily smoke developing
herbs over the wall, free the women and dissapear into nothing",
The blond Hooded man explained. "We used this trick while you were
out nesting," he added in a stinging tone. Loxley stuck out
his tongue in reply.
"Well, let's hurry, shall we?" Marion asked impatiently.

Nasir took the torche they had taken from the pottery and set the
herbs inside the pots afire. Quickly the outlaws covered their
mouths with wet rags and descended into the now panicking mass.

Before long they had reached the four Bakery women. Rapidly, Marion cut them loose while John handed them a couple of rags to keep the already heavily coughing girls from inhilating more of the smoke.
"We must hurry," Loxley said, and pulled Kathye along, who was blinking her eyes against the stinging herbs. Pushing their way through the crowd the small group made their way to the town gate.
===============================================
Date: 9/2/00 4:58:34 PM Central Daylight Time
From: none@beseen.com (Sar)
Reply-to: none@beseen.com
To: XTMBakery@aol.com
Time: Sat, 02-Sep-2000 21:58:13 GMT IP: 198.165.106.107

"We must hurry," Loxley said, and pulled Kathye along, who was
blinking her eyes against the stinging herbs. Pushing their way
through the crowd the small group made their way to the town
gate.

They had almost made the gate when Sar grabbed Kathye's arm. "I
have to go back!" she yelled through the smoke.

"Not a good idea. Come on."

Sar shook her head. "That FitzWallace guy had Quimoe's musestone.
Something's going on here, and I think it's all been connected,
all of it since the night the kitchen was trashed."

"If you go back you'll burn. I heard Quimoe tell you to hide, and
you're not going to be any good to him dead, are you? So you're
going to shut up and come with me- with us, I mean." Kathye
finished, glaring at the other woman and hauling her toward the
gate.

===============================================
Date: 9/3/00 7:17:15 PM Central Daylight Time
From: none@beseen.com (Ariana)
Reply-to: none@beseen.com
To: XTMBakery@aol.com
Time: Mon, 04-Sep-2000 00:16:52 GMT IP: 206.172.162.129

:"We must hurry," Loxley said, and pulled Kathye along, who was
:blinking her eyes against the stinging herbs. Pushing their way
:through the crowd the small group made their way to the town
:gate.

*she was concealed not far from the platform where the four
women were to be burned and trying to think of a way to help
them,. The smoke rose up and she started coughing, wondering what
was going on. She heard Loxley's voice through the smoke and
smiled to herself slightly and started heading towards the gates.*

===============================================
Date: 9/5/00 10:25:39 PM Central Daylight Time
From: none@beseen.com (Kathye)
Reply-to: none@beseen.com
To: XTMBakery@aol.com
Time: Wed, 06-Sep-2000 03:24:49 GMT IP: 152.163.213.183

The small group of women and rescuers made it out of Nottingham
town and to the safety of Sherwood. It was strange, but no one
noticed them running through the town. No one even seemed to see
them at all.

They were soon at the outlaw camp. Kathye collapsed to the
ground, her chest heaving (and, I have to tell you, that's not a
pretty sight). "Cut that close enough, didn't you? A few more
minutes and we would've been barbequed!"

The wolfsheads looked at each other, a little confused.

Kathye glared at them. "You know...sauteed, broiled, roasted ...
Dead, for heaven's sake!"

Scarlet looked outraged. "You ungrateful little... we risked
our necks for you! The least you could do is fank us!"

Kathye blushed and looked down. "I... I'm sorry. I don't know
what came over me. Thank you, of course. I just thought...that
it was finally the end."

To cover her embarrassment, she stood and walked over to Sar,
who was staring back toward the direction of town.

"You're still worried about the musestone. We'll start tracking
down this FitzWallace tomorrow. But there's nothing we can do
about it today, so you might as well sit down, eat, rest. Sing a
little, to take your mind off of everything."

Sar replied quietly, "I don't feel much like singing."

Kathye sighed. "Quimoe?" Sar nodded.

"He's a Jedi Master. He can take care of himself on a little
backwater world like this. I'm sure we'll be seeing him soon.
Now, come over to the fire and have some of this stuff they call
ale and some venison. "

Kathye pulled a reluctant Sar over to join the others, then
turned to look back into the forest herself. She almost thought
she could hear someone calling her name out there. Shaking her
head suddenly, she turned away and stepped into the circle of
light cast by the fire.
****************
Meanwhile, in another part of the woods....

An old woman was walking through the forest, collecting branches
for her fire and herbs for potions. A little pig ran back and
forth in front of her, rooting excitedly through the leaves and
dirt. Suddenly, he ran off behind a fallen tree, squealing
excitedly.

"Now then, little one. What have you found?"

The woman was startled to see a man lying behind the log,
mumbling incoherently. She knelt next to him and
listened. "Hmmmm? What's that? 'Sir, danger'? I'm not a "sir"
stranger." When he didn't respond to her, she looked at him
more closely.

"Drugged, that's for sure. Maybe even a little bewitched. Come!
Up with you."

She grabbed a hand and pulled him to his feet, showing
surprising strength. Pushing the stumbling man toward her hut,
she added, "You'll soon be feeling better. Mab has just the
thing for you."

===============================================
Date: 9/6/00 2:20:45 PM Central Daylight Time
From: none@beseen.com (ME!)
Reply-to: none@beseen.com
To: XTMBakery@aol.com
Time: Wed, 06-Sep-2000 19:20:13 GMT IP: 213.64.28.86

ME! was completely confused over this sudden rescue and couldn't
see or think clearly in all the smoke. She saw many shapes in the
smoke but her eyes reconized only one figure.
"Michael!" she ran over and hugged him hard. "Michael, what are
you doing here- you, you saved me!" She held him closer. "And
it's my birthday too, what a present!"

(I don't care that we already made it to Sherwood in Kathyes
post, it's my birthday and I'm gonna cling to Loxley as much as I
want.

P.S. Found out yesterday that the Oysters will be playing five
gigs in Sweden and I can make it to three of them... yes, I've
got this deep urge to gloat.)

===============================================
Date: 9/7/00 10:01:39 AM Central Daylight Time
From: none@beseen.com (Quimoe)
Reply-to: none@beseen.com
To: XTMBakery@aol.com
Time: Thu, 07-Sep-2000 15:01:21 GMT IP: 209.128.29.254

The mysterious figure crept slowly through the trees, circling
around the clearing where the outlaws and recently rescued women
slept.

Just enough moonlight filtered through the trees to make out the
dim figure, something for which Quimoe was profoundly grateful as
he followed in silent pursuit.

They were only a few feet back from the clearing in the trees when
the Jedi caught up to his quarry. Using the element of surprise
to his advantage, he grabbed the figure by the wrist, holding up
the trapped hand to reveal a syringe glinting coldly in the
moonlight. The figure snarled and tried to get away, but the
Jedi's grip held firm.

"Not this time, Kathye."

===============================================
Date: 9/7/00 7:16:33 PM Central Daylight Time
From: Kathye@looksmart.net
Reply-to: none@beseen.com
To: XTMBakery@aol.com
Time: Fri, 08-Sep-2000 00:16:09 GMT IP: 152.163.194.176

The figure snarled and tried to get away, but the Jedi's grip
held firm.
:
"Not this time, Kathye."

"You! I knew I should have just killed you, when I had the
chance!"

She twisted and tried to break Quimoe's grip, but he held
tightly. He took her face in one hand and looked into her eyes.
Despite her cursing and squirming, her eyes were curiously blank.

"I don't know who you are, but release her. Surely she can do you
no good now."

"Kathye" relaxed and smiled up at the larger man, with a cruel,
shrewd look. "So you've figured that much out, have you? Smart
man, but nowhere near as smart as you think you are. You're too
late. Events have been set in motion, and I will have my
revenge!" She paused for a moment, then smirked. "And everything
else I desire. And you won't be able to stop me."

She stopped and seemed to consider. "Yes, now that I think of
it, I'm quite happy I didn't have her kill you. I'll enjoy
seeing the expression on your face when I take what is mine."

She shrugged. "But you're right. This one is useless now. I'll
give her back. But just remember, you'll never be certain if the
person you're looking at is her ... or someone else!"

Kathye started laughing a low evil laugh, then slumped. Quimoe
grabbed onto her, keeping her from falling. When she looked up at
him again, all traces of the other person were gone.

"Quimoe? I...I don't feel so good. Something's wrong. I'm so
confused. I... I..."

She was shivering hard, and on the verge of panic. He placed a
hand on her forehead and whispered, "Sleep."

Then he carried her back into the camp, waking the others. He
told them everything that had happened, then turned to their
resident magic user.

"Alinora. Do you know any tests for the presence of evil
influences?"

===============================================
Date: 9/8/00 7:37:44 PM Central Daylight Time
From: none@beseen.com (Nan~Reincarnate Cat)
Reply-to: none@beseen.com
To: XTMBakery@aol.com
Time: Sat, 09-Sep-2000 00:37:27 GMT IP: 216.208.65.46

:"Alinora. Do you know any tests for the presence of evil
:influences?"

*the small tabby looks up from where she's curled by Alinora, this
human understood her and she intended to stay close. Nothing was
going to happen to this one, well, not anything that the cat could
stop from happening, which unfortumately, wasn't much. She's only
a cat for crying out loud.
She listened to the other human with
great power, although different from the female's this man was
strong. He wanted to know about sensing evil, well, she could
sort of tell. She rose to her feet and rubbed against his legs
and then turned to Alinora*

"Cats can tell if a human has
good intentions"

*which to the other humans sounded simply like---meow meow mew
mew purr meow mew meow purr*

===============================================
Date: 9/10/00 4:15:45 PM Central Daylight Time
From: none@beseen.com (Alinora)
Reply-to: none@beseen.com
To: XTMBakery@aol.com
Time: Sun, 10-Sep-2000 21:15:20 GMT IP: 152.163.213.212

"Alinora. Do you know any tests for the presence of evil
influences?" She rose to her feet and rubbed against his legs
and then turned to Alinora*

"Cats can tell if a human has
good intentions" which to the other humans sounded simply like---
meow meow mew mew purr meow mew meow purr*

Alinora, thinking hard at Quimoe's question and trying to shake
off the lingering effects of almost being burnt at the
stake,almost didn't hear the light voice of the reincaranted soul
at her feet. "Wait just a minute," she said to the Jedi and
others, "I think we may have a way to do what you asked without
too much ritual involed." She knelt down nex to the cat and
petted her head. "What was that Nan-cat, you can sense whether a
person is intending good or evil? I suppose it's worth a try,what
do you sense in Kathye?" she questioned hoping the others didn't
think her too insane for asking the help o f cat and hoping the
cat could actaully do what she thought she could.

===============================================

Date: 9/10/00 5:02:30 PM Central Daylight Time
From: none@beseen.com (Robin of Loxely)
Reply-to: none@beseen.com
To: XTMBakery@aol.com
Time: Sun, 10-Sep-2000 22:02:03 GMT IP: 152.163.213.187

Robin stood to one side of the camp, looking uneasily at the
scene in front of him. He didn't like any of this.

First they met that strange man outside the gates of
Nottingham. Robin still wasn't sure why they had accepted his
help. One minute he was going to tell the man to go away, and
the next he was following the man through the gates. It worked,
though.

Then Quimoe woke them up, carrying that Baker back with him,
saying something about evil influences. He watched as the magic
user talked to the cat, and then as the cat examined the woman.

He ran his fingers over Albion's hilt. This had the feeling of
evil magic about it. Perhaps he should go consult Herne about
this. If anyone knew about evil in the forest, it would be
Herne.

===============================================
Date: 9/10/00 5:40:05 PM Central Daylight Time
From: none@beseen.com (Nan~Reincarnate Cat)
Reply-to: none@beseen.com
To: XTMBakery@aol.com
Time: Sun, 10-Sep-2000 22:39:40 GMT IP: 216.208.65.27

*the small cat walked over to Kathye and rubbed against the
woman, sniffing the air delicately. She purred softly as she
inspected the human. Her tail sticking straight up in the air
she walked in circles around Kathye and then leapt into the air
onto the shouldesr of the woman, using her feline senses in the
way cats have of knowing what sort of itentions somebody has.

Tuns her head towards Loxely sensing his unease but sticks her
tonue out part way and continues to purr as she rubs her cheek
against Kathye's earlobe*

===============================================
Date: 9/10/00 7:21:57 PM Central Daylight Time
From: none@beseen.com (Kathye)
Reply-to: none@beseen.com
To: XTMBakery@aol.com
Time: Mon, 11-Sep-2000 00:21:49 GMT IP: 152.163.194.193

Tuns her head towards Loxely sensing his unease but sticks her
:tonue out part way and continues to purr as she rubs her cheek
:against Kathye's earlobe*

Kathye slowly woke up, finding Nan rubbing against her head. She
absently reached up and stroked the cat.

"I've had the strangest dream..."

===============================================
Date: 9/10/00 7:48:40 PM Central Daylight Time
From: none@beseen.com (Nan~Reincarnate Cat)
Reply-to: none@beseen.com
To: XTMBakery@aol.com
Time: Mon, 11-Sep-2000 00:48:33 GMT IP: 216.208.65.27

:Kathye slowly woke up, finding Nan rubbing against her head. She
:absently reached up and stroked the cat.
:

:"I've had the strangest dream..."
:

*purrs softly and looks at Alinora*
She is perfectly fine, confused, but there is no evil intention in her now, I will watch
her if you wish.

===============================================
Date: 9/11/00 8:49:44 AM Central Daylight Time
From: none@beseen.com (Alinora)
Reply-to: none@beseen.com
To: XTMBakery@aol.com
Time: Mon, 11-Sep-2000 13:49:25 GMT IP: 205.188.193.162

*purrs softly and looks at Alinora*
She is perfectly fine, confused, but there is no evil intention in her now, I will
watch her if you wish.

"Thank you," Alinora replied, "I think that , at least for a
while, perhaps you should." She got up from where she still kenlt
and turned to Quimoe, "The cat says that Kahtye is back to her
old self, at least for now that is, but she'll watch her and tell
me if anything changes. "

===============================================
Date: 9/11/00 7:05:12 PM Central Daylight Time
From: none@beseen.com (Sar)
Reply-to: none@beseen.com
To: XTMBakery@aol.com
Time: Tue, 12-Sep-2000 00:04:40 GMT IP: 198.165.106.125

Sar had stood, very quietly and alone, throughout Nan and
Alinora's assessment. Slowly but surely, the pieces began to come
together in her mind. She walked calmly and deliberately towards
Kathye, neither seeing nor hearing anyone else in the clearing.

"It was you," she said quietly, a strange glint flashing in her
eyes, "Gisbourne, and Jack... did you set the fire, too?"

Kathye looked horrified for a moment. "I..."

"She couldn't have set the fire, we can account for her
whereabouts until the explosion," Quimoe said tiredly, rubbing his
eyes.

Sar ignored the Jedi, and kept walking. "You drugged him, you hid
him away," she was yelling now, her face inches from Kathye's,
"AND YOU TOLD ME HE LEFT!!"

"I don't remember!" Kathye cried in frustration, trying to push
the irate bard away.

Sar knocked Kathye's hand away and shoved back, hard. In moments,
they were out of control, screeching and slapping at anything that
came in range until they were forcibly separated by Loxley and
Quimoe.

===============================================
Date: 9/11/00 8:23:08 PM Central Daylight Time
From: none@beseen.com (Kathye)
Reply-to: none@beseen.com
To: XTMBakery@aol.com
Time: Tue, 12-Sep-2000 01:22:49 GMT IP: 205.188.198.51

"I'm sure she didn't mean it," Robin commented as he stood with
Kathye on the far side of the camp.

She looked over her shoulder at Sar and Quimoe, who were talking
quietly.

"Oh, she meant it. Now, whether or not she continues to mean it,
that's the question.

Kathye took a few steps away. "I don't blame her. I don't trust
myself. How can anyone else trust me again?"

"You were enchanted. They will understand."

Kathye wrapped her arms around herself, looking miserable. "No,
they won't. They'll never trust anyone who let herself be
enchanted."

Loxely grabbed her by the shoulders. "Stop the self-pity. So, you
were enchanted. You're not the only one it's happened too. It
happened to me too, and no, it wasn't pleasant, but I survived
it, and so did you. My men came to trust me again, and your
friends, all of the them, will believe in you again, too.
Now, go over there and face them." He gave he a small shove
towards the others.

Kathye could see Sar and Quimoe were still talking at the edge of
the camp. She sat down on a log next to ME! and looked over at
Alinora and Nan. "Thank you for clearing me of being controlled
by evil spirits. It's good to know." She looked over to Flora
too. "And thank you for sending Nan with that note to the
wolfsheads. We would've been toast without their help."

She sighed. "We have to come up with a plan. Someone very evil
has been causing us harm, and it's time we fought back"

===============================================
Date: 9/13/00 1:51:45 PM Central Daylight Time
From: none@beseen.com (Nan~Reincarnate Cat)
Reply-to: none@beseen.com
To: XTMBakery@aol.com
Time: Wed, 13-Sep-2000 18:51:32 GMT IP: 216.209.119.168

*jumps into Kathye's lap and purrs comroftingly, curling her sooty
tabby body up in a ball. She closes her eyes half way and listens
to the humans, she might help if she's asked, but never if she's
told to do something, it's the way of cat's to refuse human
authority.*

===============================================
Date: 9/14/00 11:13:58 PM Central Daylight Time
From: none@beseen.com (Kathye)
Reply-to: none@beseen.com
To: XTMBakery@aol.com
Time: Fri, 15-Sep-2000 04:13:45 GMT IP: 205.188.193.172

Hi! Thought I'd do a post that summarized everything I could
think of. Hope you don't mind that I've borrowed a few of your
characters. I didn't want Kathye talking only to herself.
********************************************************
Kathye petted the cat in her lap absentmindedly as she spoke,
glancing around at the assembled group of wolfsheads and Bakery
refuges.

"So, what do we know? We know that I was the person who
attacked Jack and Quimoe." She looked over at ME! "You said that
Guy had been found drugged outside the castle the morning of the
fire. Let's assume that I did that too. Now, the question is ...
why? Why would the person controlling me want these people out
of the way?"

"Guy is in a position of power," ME! volunteered. "Perhaps this
person was afraid that Guy would interfere in his plans."

"And Jack is very close to you," Flora said. "He might have
noticed when you started acting differently."

Quimoe added, "I was also noticing that Kathye was behaving
strangely. And from my conversation with this person, he seems
to have a personal grudge against me as well."

"Fine, " Kathye said. "Shall we assume that he was also
responsible for the vandalism in the kitchen, the fire, and for
turning the townspeople against us? I refuse to believe that
those were all coincidences."

"Could there be another person from the Bakery under the control
of this person?" Little John asked. "We were all at that party
the night of the fire, and I remember seeing all of *you*, but I
didn't see that dragon of yours. Maybe he started the fire."

"NO!" Kathye shouted with such vehemence that she woke Nan, who
gave her a dirty look then curled up tighter in Kathye's
lap. "No, " she repeated, quieter. "No more betrayals. I can't
take any more. Whoever was controlling me set the fire. We
won't consider anything else."

They all were quiet for a short time, then Quimoe stood up. "We
have another problem. Sar tells me that a man named FitzWallace
has my musestone. This same man is the one who 'proved' you to
be witches. Can he be the person who has been responsible for
all this?"

All eyes turned to Robert of Huntingdon. He shook his head. "I
know FitzWallace. He's an amiable fool, more interested in
drinking and wenching than anything else. I can't believe that
he's become an evil mastermind."

"Regardless, I believe the disappearance of the musestone to be
connected with everything else that has happened, and
FitzWallace is our only lead. We should pay him a visit, and
see what comes of it."

Kathye nodded. "Sounds like a plan. Have we forgotten
anything? Has anything else strange happened recently"

Loxely, who had been silent through all of this, spoke
up. "There was that man at the gates."

"What man at the gates?"

Robin looked uncomfortable. "When we came to rescue you, we had
stopped outside the gates of town, wondering how we could get
inside. A man came up to us, offering to help us. I was going
to turn him down, but instead we followed him through the
gates. None of the guards -- no one -- seemed to see us. He
handed me this," Loxely held out a small pouch, "and
disappeared. All I know is that he said his name was 'Al'."

Sar's head snapped up. "Al? Can you describe him?"

Robin looked puzzled for a moment. "No, no I can't. I can't
remember what he looked like. Do you think you know him?"

She shrugged. "Probably not. But I'm always suspicious of
helpful strangers."

Kathye stood up. "All right. Tomorrow we pay a visit to
FitzWallace. Try to get some sleep, and we'll see what the
morrow brings us."

===============================================
Date: 9/17/00 7:29:25 PM Central Daylight Time
From: none@beseen.com (Ariana)
Reply-to: none@beseen.com
To: XTMBakery@aol.com
Time: Mon, 18-Sep-2000 00:28:13 GMT IP: 209.226.237.112

*she had been following the trail of the rescued women and the
outlaws for a while now, it was tricky work trying to follow
them, they left hardly a trace for her to work with. But she had
found them finally.

She walks into the clearing adn looks around. She walks over to
her brother, Nazir, and asks him calmly, in their
language*
"what's going on?"
*after being told she shakes her
head and looks at the Baker's and the other women and asks
everyone, in English*
"What will you do now?"

===============================================
Date: 9/17/00 8:18:03 PM Central Daylight Time
From: none@beseen.com (Robert of Huntingdon)
Reply-to: none@beseen.com
To: XTMBakery@aol.com
Time: Mon, 18-Sep-2000 01:17:23 GMT IP: 152.163.197.56

Kathye stood up. "All right. Tomorrow we pay a visit to
FitzWallace. Try to get some sleep, and we'll see what the
morrow brings us."

Robert of Huntingdon interupted Kathye.

"I don't think it's a good idea for you to leave the safety of
the forest right now. I'll go see FitzWallace tomorrow, and come
back to tell you what I've found out."

The small group of refuges went back to sleep. The next morning
they welcomed Ariana to the camp, and then spent the next day
resting and relaxing, for the first time in a long time.

Near the end of the day, Robert returned.

"FitzWallace is gone. He and his servants left for York the same
day we rescued you. "

Kathye frowned. "That sounds suspicious. We should follow him."

"I don't know about that. His neighbors said that he had been
acting strangely, then suddenly returned to normal, just before
he left. It sounds to me that he was being controlled the same
way you were."

Kathye started to speak, but Huntingdon held up a hand. "That's
not the strangest thing. I stopped by Nottingham too. None of
the townspeople remember trying to kill you all. They think
you've gone off on a pilgramage."

"Where do we go now, then?"

Robert looked over at Robin of Loxely, who nodded at him. "Now,
we go talk to Herne."

===============================================
Date: 9/17/00 8:23:30 PM Central Daylight Time
From: none@beseen.com (Kathye)
Reply-to: none@beseen.com
To: XTMBakery@aol.com
Time: Mon, 18-Sep-2000 01:22:56 GMT IP: 152.163.197.56

What will you do now?"

"Ariana!! So glad you found us! I'm not sure what we'll do now.
However, more help is always welcome."


===============================================
Date: 9/17/00 9:02:52 PM Central Daylight Time
From: none@beseen.com (Ariana)
Reply-to: none@beseen.com
To: XTMBakery@aol.com
Time: Mon, 18-Sep-2000 02:02:08 GMT IP: 216.209.119.57


:"Ariana!! So glad you found us! I'm not sure what we'll do now.
:However, more help is always welcome."
:
:
"Ofcourse I found you."

*looks around and shakes her head*

"the only person I seem unable to find is Ah-Choo."

===============================================
Date: 9/17/00 9:10:53 PM Central Daylight Time
From: none@beseen.com (Nan~Reincarnate Cat)
Reply-to: none@beseen.com
To: XTMBakery@aol.com
Time: Mon, 18-Sep-2000 02:10:17 GMT IP: 216.209.119.57

"Now, we go talk to Herne."

*the cat leapt from where she'd been laying half asleep and ran
over to Loxely and jumped onto his shoulder. She nuzzles his neck
and purrs loudly. Having decided that she's going with him,
there's nothing he can do that will get her off, if he tries using
force, her claws will remove flesh with them.*

===============================================
Date: 9/18/00 2:15:11 PM Central Daylight Time
From: none@beseen.com (The Two Robins)
Reply-to: none@beseen.com
To: XTMBakery@aol.com
Time: Mon, 18-Sep-2000 19:14:18 GMT IP: 63.78.171.2

The two Robins stood before Herne in a glade in the forest, Nan
firmly attached to Loxley's shoulder.

"Herne," they said together, then Loxley glared at Huntingdon.

"I'm older. I get to be the one to talk."

"You'd think that the one who wasn't dead would get to be the one
to talk," Robert muttered.

"Herne, " Loxley continued, ignoring the other Robin, "there is
strange magic about. Evil things have happened in Nottingham. What
do you know of it?"

A fog rose dramatically around Herne as he answered.

"The time of darkness draws near. Evil will strike when day
balances night. Beware the Bard, and protect the Bard." With
that, the fog surged, obscuring Herne from view. When it
dissipated, he was gone.

Robin of Loxley looked confused. "Well, that was helpful. What did
it mean?"

"I thought that the 'older' one knew everything."

"I didn't have the advantage of being raised rich, and getting an
education."

"Don't start that again..."

Their voices faded into the forest, and they never noticed that
another person had been watching the proceedings. Someone who very
closely observed Herne's appearance...

===============================================
Date: 9/18/00 7:50:44 PM Central Daylight Time
From: none@beseen.com (Nan~Reincarnate Cat)
Reply-to: none@beseen.com
To: XTMBakery@aol.com
Time: Tue, 19-Sep-2000 00:49:52 GMT IP: 216.208.65.88


With
:that, the fog surged, obscuring Herne from view. When it
:dissipated, he was gone.

*being a cat and prone to doing odd things the cat jumps off
Loxely's shoudler and sniffs around on the ground, trying to find
Herne's scent. Not finding it she heads off into the woods,
determined to find him. He was a mystery to her and she knew that
he'd understand if she talked to him. She very much wanted to
feel his hand stroke her fur, he seemed a very pleasant human*

===============================================
Date: 9/19/00 1:44:51 PM Central Daylight Time
From: none@beseen.com (Rina)
Reply-to: none@beseen.com
To: XTMBakery@aol.com
Time: Tue, 19-Sep-2000 18:43:51 GMT IP: 213.75.33.249

"Ofcourse I found you."

*looks around and shakes her head*

"the only person I seem unable to find is Ah-Choo."

Rina comes walking by, sniffing, her eyes filled with tears.

"I fink I saw Ah..Ah...AH-CHOO! (cleans her nose) a couple of miles back, at Wi..hi..CHOO!...Wickham."Gets a cloth and blows her nose, mumbling,
"God, I hate having a cold!"

Date: 9/19/00 4:43:41 PM Central Daylight Time
From: none@beseen.com (Ariana)
Reply-to: none@beseen.com
To: XTMBakery@aol.com
Time: Tue, 19-Sep-2000 21:43:00 GMT IP: 216.208.65.45

: a couple of
:miles back, at Wi..hi..CHOO!...Wickham."


*smiles at Rina and disappears back into the woods towards
Wickham, in hopes that her wayward husband is there*

===============================================
Date: 9/20/00 10:00:24 AM Central Daylight Time
From: none@beseen.com (Sar)
Reply-to: none@beseen.com
To: XTMBakery@aol.com
Time: Wed, 20-Sep-2000 14:59:38 GMT IP: 209.128.29.254

Sar sat as close to the fire as she dared, and looked longingly
at the trees. It was bad enough that Quimoe had taken to
surreptitiously placing himself between her and Kathye at all
times; now the two Robins were acting oddly. Loxley was watching
her like a hawk, and Huntingdon wasn't much better, though at
least he tried to make it look like he wasn't staring. The
combined effect was making her claustrophobic.

Finally, she decided that engaging the pair in conversation might
make them back off. Sighing, she dusted off her skirt and
approached the two outlaws.

"You guys are into that whole powers of light and darkness thing,
right?"

Huntingdon nodded; Loxley just stared. Well, so much for that
idea.

"It's just... well, the equinox is only a few days away.
Strictly speaking, from there on in the powers of darkness are
going to have the advantage - nights growing longer than days,
that sort of thing." The Robins blinked in unison, but said
nothing. "I mean, shouldn't we maybe..." she trailed off, and
again got no response. She'd had more productive conversations
with trees. "Oh, forget it," she finally muttered.


===============================================
Date: 9/20/00 5:53:12 PM Central Daylight Time
From: none@beseen.com (Nan~Reincarnate Cat)
Reply-to: none@beseen.com
To: XTMBakery@aol.com
Time: Wed, 20-Sep-2000 22:52:47 GMT IP: 216.208.65.28

*the cat comes streaking into the clearing and races over to the
fire next to Sar. Her tail is puffed and her back arched, bits of
fur are missing from her body and she has a cut on her right
shoulder. She whirls the way she came and hisses furiously as the
wild dog that had been following her stopped adn looked at the
human's nervously, slowly he waged his tail and barked, which only
caused Nan to hiss and back up*

===============================================
Date: 9/20/00 7:06:47 PM Central Daylight Time
From: none@beseen.com (Alinora)
Reply-to: none@beseen.com
To: XTMBakery@aol.com
Time: Thu, 21-Sep-2000 00:06:07 GMT IP: 152.163.213.48

She whirls the way she came and hisses furiously as the
wild dog that had been following her stopped adn looked at the
human's nervously, slowly he waged his tail and barked, which
only caused Nan to hiss and back up*

"Oh poor Nan," Alinora said sitting down next to Sar and petting
the arched back. "Now where did you pick him up?" She looked at
Sar who was clearly not feeling in the best of moods and patted
her hand as well. "I think, in the end Sar, everything will work
out. At least I hope it will," she told her. "It all depends on
what we do next. "

===============================================
Date: 9/21/00 2:33:13 PM Central Daylight Time
From: none@beseen.com (Rina)
Reply-to: none@beseen.com
To: XTMBakery@aol.com
Time: Thu, 21-Sep-2000 19:33:04 GMT IP: 212.123.169.100

*smiles at Rina and disappears back into the woods towards
Wickham, in hopes that her wayward husband is there*

Rina sees her disappear, then remembers something.
"Hey! Wait!" Ariana stops and turns, a questioning look on her
face.

"Where is that bro...ho...chee!other of yours?"
Ariana points eastwards, as Rina chivers and rubs her nose again. "Danks!" Rina raises a hand in understanding, then walks in opposite direction, determined to ignore Nasirs existence. How hard it will be.
===============================================
Date: 9/21/00 4:26:47 PM Central Daylight Time
From: none@beseen.com (Nan~Reincarnate Cat)
Reply-to: none@beseen.com
To: XTMBakery@aol.com
Time: Thu, 21-Sep-2000 21:26:24 GMT IP: 216.208.65.113


:"Oh poor Nan," Alinora said sitting down next to Sar and petting
:the arched back. "Now where did you pick him up?"

*she looks up at Alinora, not looking at all pleased with
anything, she was in one of those moods that cat's get in
sometimes*
"It followed me home. Can we NOT keep it?"
*turns
her behind towards the dog and jumps up onto Sar's lap and purrs
faintly then looks at Alinora again*
"Herne spoke of her to
those two buffons who right wrongs and all that horse feathery
stuff."
*waves a paw in the general direction of the Robin's and
rubs her cut back against Sar's arm*
"Tell her to cheer
up...petting the cat is always comforting!"

===============================================
Date: 9/22/00 7:34:43 AM Central Daylight Time
From: none@beseen.com (Kathye)
Reply-to: none@beseen.com
To: XTMBakery@aol.com
Time: Fri, 22-Sep-2000 12:31:57 GMT IP: 63.78.171.3

Kathye woke on the day of the equinox before dawn, and
immediately felt uneasy. Something felt wrong. She looked around
the camp -- everyone else was still sleeping.

Not everyone else. She noticed that Sar was missing. Probably off
taking care of early morning bodily needs. Or maybe she'd gone to
observe the sunrise someplace special.

Kathye debated about waking Quimoe, but then decided to wait a
little while longer.

===============================================
Date: 9/22/00 11:03:23 AM Central Daylight Time
From: none@beseen.com (Sar)
Reply-to: none@beseen.com
To: XTMBakery@aol.com
Time: Fri, 22-Sep-2000 16:02:40 GMT IP: 209.128.29.254

An hour or so later, Kathye was dozing, Quimoe was just waking up,
and Sar was shivering, trying to get the fire started.

"You're up early," the Jedi said, taking over and lighting the
tinder.

Sar rubbed her arms and tried not to topple into the small fire.
"Oh, you know, got cold, couldn't sleep..."

"You should have woken me."

"Just... want... heat," Sar said, trying to stop her teeth from
chattering. She was so preoccupied with getting warm that she
didn't notice Kathye approaching the fire.

"Oh good, you're back," she said, sitting down next to Quimoe.

"Back?"

Sar covered her eyes, trying to avoid the suspicious look on the
Jedi's face. He merely moved her hands away. They were freezing.
"What is going on, Sar?"

"Oh, alright!" she said, snatching her hands back and holding them
out towards the flames. "I thought I heard something, out in the
woods, just a few hours after midnight."

"And you went to investigate alone?" Kathye asked
incredulously.

"Well... it wasn't... I mean, I thought... It sounded like
singing, ok? I thought I heard somebody out in the wood singing
in the middle of the night. I went to go see what it was that
could make that kind of noise, but every time I... I just couldn't
seem to catch up to it, and it was dark and..." Sar looked
slightly ashamed of herself, "And I fell in the brook. When I
pulled myself out, the singing was gone. It, um, took me a while
to find my way back here in the dark." The shivering bard looked
up just in time to catch the look that passed between Kathye and
Quimoe.

"Look, I know it was stupid, and I'm sorry, and right now I just
want to get warm, alright?"


===============================================
Date: 9/22/00 1:41:36 PM Central Daylight Time
From: none@beseen.com (Kathye)
Reply-to: none@beseen.com
To: XTMBakery@aol.com
Time: Fri, 22-Sep-2000 18:41:14 GMT IP: 63.78.171.2


:"Look, I know it was stupid, and I'm sorry, and right now I just
:want to get warm, alright?"

Kathye draped a blanket across her shoulders. "Silly person. You
should know, better than most, that wandering after voices in the
woods is dangerous."

She sat down next the fire. "Singing in the woods? I've got a bad
feeling about this."

===============================================
Date: 9/22/00 3:17:37 PM Central Daylight Time
From: none@beseen.com (Sar)
Reply-to: none@beseen.com
To: XTMBakery@aol.com
Time: Fri, 22-Sep-2000 20:17:00 GMT IP: 205.251.200.40

The assembly had just finished breakfast, and Sar sat near the
fire, cuddling Nan on her lap. There was a sudden chill in the
air, even near the fire, and Nan stopped in mid-purr and suddenly
went on the alert, ears perked up and eyes scanning the woods.

"You're right," Sar murmered, and stood up, still holding Nan.

Across the clearing, mist was gathering. A moment later, Herne
appeared, and raised an arm toward the cluster of outlaws. "The
powers of light and darkness are with you. Herne's Son is
needed."

Loxley stood staring at the antlered figure as if in a trance.
"We have to go," he said quietly.

Huntingdon approached the refugees. "You'll be safe here. We're
needed elsewhere in Sherwood."

Herne was already receeding into the trees, and the outlaws
hurried to follow.

Sar watched them go, then turned to Kathye. "Did that seem a
bit... odd... to you?"

"What, that something could be happening in this forest that
doesn't revolve around us?"

Sar stared at the trees, and absently put Nan on her shoulder. "I
guess I just always expected Herne to be taller."

===============================================
Date: 9/22/00 6:39:24 PM Central Daylight Time
From: none@beseen.com (Kathye)
Reply-to: none@beseen.com
To: XTMBakery@aol.com

Time: Fri, 22-Sep-2000 23:39:01 GMT IP: 205.188.192.38

Kathye paced through the camp, waiting for the Merries to return.
This being a fugitive thing was over-rated -- there was nothing
to do here.

She decided to do some chores around camp, starting with a little
picking up. The debris she found was tossed into the fire.

She found a small pouch buried in the mud and picked it up. She
wrinked her nose at the smell coming from it, and threw it into
the fire too.

Suddenly, there was a bright fire, and a strange man stood in the
camp.

He smiled brilliantly. "You called?"

===============================================
Date: 9/22/00 6:52:28 PM Central Daylight Time
From: none@beseen.com (Nan~Reincarnate Cat)
Reply-to: none@beseen.com
To: XTMBakery@aol.com
Time: Fri, 22-Sep-2000 23:52:19 GMT IP: 209.226.236.171


:Suddenly, there was a bright fire, and a strange man stood in the
:camp.
:
:He smiled brilliantly. "You called?"

*on Sar's shoulders she was not in the best of moods. That
had felt strange, something just wasn't right about this meeeting
with Herne. She was to agitated to try talking and she just walkd
back and forth from one shoulder to the next until the man
appeared in the camp.

Protectively she curled her tail
around Sar's neck adn hissed loudly, almost a growl. She was
small, but noisey*

===============================================
Date: 9/22/00 7:55:49 PM Central Daylight Time
From: none@beseen.com (Sar)
Reply-to: none@beseen.com
To: XTMBakery@aol.com
Time: Sat, 23-Sep-2000 00:55:13 GMT IP: 205.251.200.40

Quimoe turned from the fire, still holding a stick in his hand.
"You!"

The stranger merely grinned, and the stick fell to the ground.

"What is it?" asked Sar, hurrying over. She saw the stranger and
came to a dead stop just behind Quimoe.

"Alan?" she said, astonished. She paused to lower Nan to the
ground.

"Sar, darling! I know it's been a while, but we hardly have to be
so formal, not after all these years... call me Al. Everyone does
these days."

Sar began to walk forward and was forcibly held back by the Jedi.
"Where were you? How could you just leave me like that? You've
been gone for over a year!"

Her temper didn't seem to faze Al a bit. "Oh, here and there,
wandering about the void." His eyes narrowed, and he looked at
Quimoe, who was still clutching Sar's arm. "Don't you have
something better to do?"

"Not really," he replied calmly. "Leave her alone," he said,
making the slightest gesture with his free hand.

Al grinned in triumph. "I don't think so."

Quimoe suddenly found himself across the clearing. Alinora and
Nan came running to help him up.

Sar looked back at Al in astonishment. "What was that for?"

He shrugged eloquently. "He was interrupting our reunion."

Kathye looked back at Quimoe, then stepped up to join Sar. "So,
you know this guy?"

"This is Al... who used to be known as Alan the Rover. This is
Kathye." Sar still sounded stunned.

"Charmed, I'm sure."

There was something in Al's smile that made Kathye feel decidedly
ill.

********************************

Across the clearing, Quimoe had held a hurried council with Nan
and Alinora.

"Above all, don't try anything magical. He'll just suck in your
power and twist it for himself. You'll wait until I give the
signal?"

Nan mrow-ed enthusiastically and Alinora nodded.

"Alright. Just follow my lead."

********************************

Nan bounded back to Sar, and after a moment of emphatic mewing,
was lifted onto her shoulders. "I don't understand," she was
saying, "you want to just... move on? As if the past year and a
half never happened?"

"I know it was a shock, but it couldn't be helped. I'm here now.
You don't have to stay in this backwater anymore!"

Sar looked at Kathye, then back at Al. "But... what if I want to
stay?"

"Oh, but you wouldn't want that..."

Kathye stared at the strange man in amazement. There was something
almost hypnotic about his voice...

Nan hissed loudly in Sar's ear. "No... I appreciate the offer,
really I do, but I think I'd rather stay here."

"Oh I don't think so." Al was speaking more loudly now, holding
out his arm to the young woman who stood before him shaking her
head.

"Looking for this?" Quimoe began to walk toward them, holding up
a small object that glinted in the sunlight. He put his arm
around Sar, and extended his hand toward Al. In it he held the
twisted remains of Sar's dagger. "Your talisman is broken, Alan.
You have no power over her."

Al's face twisted into a grimace. "No!" he screamed. "She's mine,
Jedi! Mine!"

Sar shrank away from the enraged man, trying to hide inside the
circle of Quimoe's arm. "He's insane," she whispered,
terrified.

The standoff continued for a moment longer, then Al lunged and
grabbed Kathye. "I still have control over her!" he snarled,
hauling her away from the others. "You can't protect them both,
Jedi. This one will do whatever I tell her to. As I'm sure you
recall."

Kathye looked horrified, and tried to twist away. She gasped in
pain as Al tightened his grip.

Al grinned in deranged triumph. "Well, Jedi? Which one will you
choose?"

Quimoe looked from Sar to Kathye, then glance over at Alinora, who
nodded. "Choice, is it?" he said calmly, "In that case, I
choose... NOW!!"

===============================================
Date: 9/24/00 5:29:52 PM Central Daylight Time
From: none@beseen.com (Just about everyone)
Reply-to: none@beseen.com
To: XTMBakery@aol.com
Time: Sun, 24-Sep-2000 22:29:34 GMT IP: 205.188.192.47

Quimoe looked from Sar to Kathye, then glance over at Alinora,
who nodded. "Choice, is it?" he said calmly, "In that case, I
choose... NOW!!"

Alinora leapt at Alan, tackling him at the knees, while Nan
jumped onto the arm that was holding Kathye, clawing him
viscously. He let go of Kathye with a curse, flinging Nan across
the camp. (Nan turned in midair and landed on her feet, as is
proper for a cat.)

Kathye scrambled away as he kicked at Alinora, who rolled away
from him.

Alan took a few steps back, then held a stone in front of him.

"Back away!"

Everyone took an involuntary step backwards.

He gestured with his other hand and there was a loud crack of
thunder. "You fools! Did you think you could stop me? I walked
into your precious Bakery and trashed the kitchen, and you never
knew. I stole your possessions. I set the fire that left you
homeless! I turned the townspeople against you, and turned you
against each other! And soon, I will have everything I ever
wanted!"

The wind started blowing, and lighting flashed across the clear,
blue sky.

"Using the power of the musestone, I will have everything I ever
wanted! I will control the galaxy! The only thing I'm missing is
my apprentice at my side." He smiled nastily at Sar, who shrunk
back into Quimoe's arms.

The insane bard continued, shouting at Sar. "First I'll kill your
friends, then your precious Jedi, and then I will take you with
me when I leave this backwater planet. I will have my revenge
against you, and will have you, all in one stroke! I dare any of
you to stop me!"

The wind howled through the camp. He held the musestone above
his head, where it glowed a brilliant blue. Electricity licked
about him. "We are just now past noon on this day of balance. Now
the dark powers grow in strength. I call on the dark powers --
give me your strength! Fill me with your darkness; I am your
servant! Give to me the ultimate power, and I will give you...."

His rant stopped and he toppled over, showing ME! standing behind
him holding a thick branch from an oak tree.

She smiled at them. "And *that's* why I'm Captain of the Guard!"
At everyone's astonished stares, she continued, "Well, he did
dare us. And I've always that a strong blow to the back of the
head with a sturdy piece of oak to be more effective than any
magic."

Quimoe ran over to Alan and took the musestone away from him.
Alinora quickly tied his hands behind his back and gagged him.

Kathye sat on the ground, looking around. "That's it? This
story's over?"

Sar plopped down next to her. "I guess so. Evil has been
vanquished, good has triumphed. Has all the appearances of an
ending."

Kathye struggled to her feet. "Oh. I suppose we should go home
them. Or, what remnants remain of our home." She helped Sar up
and they went to join Quimoe, who was holding the musestone
gingerly.

He dropped the stone into a pocket, saying, "I'm going to have to
douse that in bleach for a month to get his stench off of it."

Sar laughed and took him by the arm, leading him toward the path
to Nottingham.

Kathye, who had been standing still, picked up Nan and ran to
catch up with them. "Hey, we've defeated the forces of evil and
saved the known universe from a terrible fate. I think this calls
for a party!"

She dodged away from them, as everyone walked toward Nottingham,
to see what awaited them there.
(End note: Sorry to take over for everyone, but I thought this
story needed an ending. Meet you all back at the Bakery!)

===============================================
Date: 9/25/00 2:05:44 PM Central Daylight Time
From: none@beseen.com (ME!)
Reply-to: none@beseen.com
To: XTMBakery@aol.com
Time: Mon, 25-Sep-2000 19:05:11 GMT IP: 213.64.27.80

The whole gang came home at last, they were weary, cold, shaken
and rather sore from sleeping in Sherwood for far to long. They
stopped in the yard staring astonished at the bakery.
"It's it's it's... " said Kathye.
"...a miracle," finshed Alinora.
Nan just meowed and jumped of ME!'s shoulder and bounded across
the yard to the guards who were sweeping up the last of the
sawdust.
"I can't belive my eyes," murmured Sar. "It's as good as new...
It's even better than that."
Nan came back to the group after seeing to the guards, meowing
alot.
"She says that there are more here than just the guards...
people that want to talk to us."

A group over villagers stood waiting for them, not looking very
hostile, but the bakers eyed them a bit suspiciously all the
same.
"Er.. Sorry 'bout your bakery. Not everyday it burns down, eh?"
said Dan the carter. The bakers stared even more.
"Ah, well," said Dan. "We all thought we'd chip in, lend a hand
you know..."
In fact the Potter's replaced alot of the goods that had been
destroyed in the trashing of the kitchen, Weaver's claimed they
had lots of cloth they never used, and thought that the bakers
would probaly need some for new cloths and sheets, and Ben the
miller, had lots of flour just lieing around for no reason
whatsoever, and what's a bakery without any flour?

"Well," said Kathye overcoming most of her surprise. "I guess
this really calls for a party. A really really big one..." ;)

===============================================
Date: 9/25/00 7:45:54 PM Central Daylight Time
From: none@beseen.com (Nan~Reincarnate Cat)
Reply-to: none@beseen.com
To: XTMBakery@aol.com
Time: Tue, 26-Sep-2000 00:45:20 GMT IP: 216.208.65.164

:"Well," said Kathye overcoming most of her surprise. "I guess
:this really calls for a party. A really really big one..." ;)

*mews in agreement, PARTY, that meannt people and petting
and tummy rubbing...and maybe even...dare she think it...things to
bat around on the floor!*


===============================================
Date: 9/27/00 1:38:17 PM Central Daylight Time
From: none@beseen.com (Flora)
Reply-to: none@beseen.com
To: XTMBakery@aol.com
Time: Wed, 27-Sep-2000 18:37:50 GMT IP: 195.121.6.107


::"Well," said Kathye overcoming most of her surprise. "I guess
::this really calls for a party. A really really big one..." ;)


Flora's face was literally beaming with hapiness. "Yes, I suppose
some sort of feast would be appropriate," she smiled. But one dark
thought crossed her mind, but joy drove it away within a
heartbeat. :: It still remains to be seen who started the fire
in the first place... ::


===============================================
Date: 9/27/00 6:54:44 PM Central Daylight Time
From: none@beseen.com (Sar)
Reply-to: none@beseen.com
To: XTMBakery@aol.com
Time: Wed, 27-Sep-2000 23:54:01 GMT IP: 205.251.200.50

Flora's face was literally beaming with hapiness. "Yes, I
suppose some sort of feast would be appropriate," she smiled. But
one dark thought crossed her mind, but joy drove it away within a
heartbeat. It still remains to be seen who started the fire
in the first place...

Sar looked up from her mug of hot chocolate and sighed. "No, Alan
pretty much confessed to that too. The kitchen, the fire, Kathye,
Quimoe, all of it." The mug thunked as she lowered it with rather
more force than was absolutely necessary. "I can't believe it!
Twenty years I've known him, and he turns out to be some sort of
insane evil mastermind!"

Quimoe tapped her on the shoulder, and when she turned, waved his
hand in front of her face. "We won. It's time to celebrate."

Sar's expression immediately brightened. She grabbed her mug and
jumped up on the table. "Is this a party or what!" she yelled,
waving the mug wildly.

Kathye leaned over and whispered in the Jedi's ear, "I think you
overdid it."

"ME! Get up here!"

ME! shrugged, then joined Sar on the table. In no time the two
were happily stomping and singing at the top of their voices.

I will not go!
As long as the room keeps swaying to and fro!
As long as the band can play
Here is where I'm gonna stay
I'm gonna stay at the shouting end, the shouting end of life! ===============================================
Date: 9/28/00 1:39:02 PM Central Daylight Time
From: none@beseen.com (Nan~Reincarnate Cat)
Reply-to: none@beseen.com
To: XTMBakery@aol.com
Time: Thu, 28-Sep-2000 18:38:37 GMT IP: 209.226.237.102

:I will not go!
:As long as the room keeps swaying to and fro!
:As long as the band can play
:Here is where I'm gonna stay
:I'm gonna stay at the shouting end, the shouting end of life!



*trying to hide her head to no avail she jumps onto the
table and sinks her small feet intot he ankles of the so called
'Singers'.
oh, make them stop that racket, adn people threw things at cats
during the night, this was ten times worse.*


===============================================
Date: 9/29/00 8:10:46 AM Central Daylight Time
From: none@beseen.com (Kathye)
Reply-to: none@beseen.com
To: XTMBakery@aol.com
Time: Fri, 29-Sep-2000 13:10:25 GMT IP: 63.78.171.2

... adn people threw things at cats
during the night, this was ten times worse.*

Kathye, who had been sitting comfortably by the fire, reached over
and picked up Nan, then began scratching her ears, trying to
soothe her. She looked over at Flora. "Well, it's certainly been
a confusing time, but it's over now. All's well that ends well."

A brief, confused look crossed her face. "But I keep thinking
we've forgotten something." She shrugged. "Oh well, can't be too
important."

******************
Back in the forest, the wolfsheads returned to their camp after
following what turned out to be a false image of Herne. They were
shocked to find the camp empty, except for a man who was bound and
gagged.

"Oi! Wot's this?" Scarlet asked as he peered down at the man.

Loxley studied the man as well. "It's Al, the man who helped us
at the gates of Nottingham."

"Maybe he can tell us where the Bakery people went," Much said,
and untied him.

Al immediately leapt to his feet and tore the gag out of his
mouth. "You want to know where those fools from the Bakery went?
Well, they're going to wish they'd gone to hell, after I get
through with them. They've foiled my plans and destroyed my power.
You tell them, I'm going away to rebuild my strength, but I'll be
back for my revenge." He sneered. "Especially upon my faithless
apprentice Sar!"

He stepped back and pulled a small pouch from his pocket. Throwing
it into the fire, he shouted, "Evanidus!". There was a flash and
a loud bang, and when the smoke had cleared, he had vanished.

**************************

Back at the Bakery, Kathye suddenly felt much better, but she
decided that it was due to the hot mulled wine that Quimoe was
passing around.

===============================================
Date: 9/30/00 11:53:06 AM Central Daylight Time
From: none@beseen.com (Alinora)
Reply-to: none@beseen.com
To: XTMBakery@aol.com
Time: Sat, 30-Sep-2000 16:52:53 GMT IP: 152.163.207.72

Alinora smiled as ME! and Sar kept singing and poor Nana curled
up on Kathye's lap in terror. "It's good to be back here," she
said," but I've been thinking, I've been thinking that perhaps I
shouldn't practice magic as much as I had been before in light on
what happened. I know it was planned and all, but I wouldn't want
to put anyone in danger again. "

===============================================
Date: 9/30/00 6:53:39 PM Central Daylight Time
From: none@beseen.com (Nan~The Cat)
Reply-to: none@beseen.com
To: XTMBakery@aol.com
Time: Sat, 30-Sep-2000 23:52:58 GMT IP: 216.209.119.28

the hot mulled wine that Quimoe was
:passing around.
:

*looks up from Kathye's lap and mews loudly at Quimoe,
wondering where the bowl of warm milk that she'd ordered was*

===============================================

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