Red and Paris.
I don't think Paris would have waited until evening to talk with Red. And she certainly wouldn't want to say what she's wants to say in front of all the ears of our companions. One, she's a quiet person. Two, she has no wish to subject Red to any of the extraneous comments that seem characteristic of this group even when they really have little to add.
Given that we would be traveling with the foresters for most of the afternoon, it is probably safe to assume that there will be a time when it is safe to leave the guidance of the Party to the foresters and for Paris to be able to take Red aside or drop back just a little.
Paris put her hand on Red's arm and said, "Red, I need your help with a problem. Will you slow and talk with me while the foresters look after the others?" The giant lad slowed and they dropped out of casual earshot.
Paris tended to speak quietly. "Red, in the little time we've been traveling together, I have learned that you are a good companion, a good person to fight along side. I want you to know that. When we were in the corridor waiting for all those orcs to come and attack, Brillig thought we should back up. He yelled at us to do so, remember? But I think that you did not want to leave me and I did not want to leave you. We needed to move together, to back up together. I did not have the right words to tell you that was what I wanted to do. What should I have said so that you and I could have moved sooner than we did."
She hastened to reassure him. "As it happened, we did fine. We backed up and then Calais and Brillig could fight while we protected them. That was good. But there will be other times, I think, when you and I will want to work together, in unison or in co-ordination. And I want you to help me plan how we can do so, what I should say, so that you know I want us to move together in some direction or hit the same target or other such maneuvers. Do you have any suggestions?"
Red answered, "We were very lucky. That could have been much, much, much worse; pro'lly should have been too."
[Michael: At this point we would discover we have a common language we didn't have before (as we both have PS Soldier. Brillig should not have even known what retreat meant most likely)...]
[Sheryl: THAT was the problem! :-) Brillig said "Back" instead of "Retreat in good order". Problem solved! :-) ]
"You know Parris, these new words are good and we should try to work on signals for both you and me, and for the rest of the group. Even more important though is not that they know what to do...but that they do it when they know what they should do."
Paris said, "Yes, we will practice signals. I think it's very important that we practice working together." Then she prompts, "Can you give me examples of our doing -- or not doing -- when we knew what to do. Can you explain it to me?" She seemed genuinely interested in his observations.
Red continued, "I don't know why we are doing the things we are doing and I wonder if maybe that isn't more important that what we can do. Do you think that these books came from the man with the books? ...Oh, look at the tree, what a good climbing tree. Did I ever tell you that my Mom used to call me Rhori? I really don't like it when people call me Red but I'm used to it; my real name is kinda hard to say anyways. I think that we need to see what we want to do and if we are going to keep hunting orcs we need to practice together like we did when we ate the cards. Are we going to keep looking for the book man? I don't think these are his books, do you?"
"Rhori..," Paris spoke tentatively. "Would you mind if I called you Rhori? If that is the name you like?"
The boy nodded; Paris continued. "I do not know if these are the books we came looking for. If so, the man they belonged to was probably eaten by the great slug you shot. I found no trace of him in the orc caves, and I was looking." She paused, thoughtful, for a moment. "I think if our forester friends have seen no trace of the man with the books here in their forest, then we should take what we have found back to the duke. He may have something else he would prefer us to be doing, rather than wandering the woods without further clues."
"Orc Forest Conversation" copyright 1999 M.Kennedy & S.Knowles. The contents of this site are copyright 2004 Sheryl A. Knowles unless otherwise specified. All rights reserved.