Chapter 5: I'm Telling

Once more I am brought down into the Library bunker. Saul leads me around to the small room the the Council of elder meets in. The council look's like it has only just started when we show up. Saul gives me a quick sly grin before sits down next to Nimrod, like he has been doing this all his life. I wonder just how many council meeting Saul has crashed of late. I wave to my favorite Elders; Miss Jekyll, the farmer: Orion the weaver, Devin the Tanner, Dixon the Smith, Socrates the Librarian and the the leader of the Elders Melville.

Oh let us not forget Napoleon of the Protectors. He is looking smug and cruel; I wonder what he is up to, seeing he makes no complaints about Saul's presence.

Everyone returns my wave, clearing looking delighted that I am back.

Melville nods his greeting to me well. "Welcome home Chronos." he says his voice deep and rolling but sounding just as happy to see me as everyone else. "We were going to call on you for your story, so it is good that you are here early."

I give him a deep bow of my head and say. "I would be glad to give my telling to you."

"And some explanations, I hope." Napoleon adds as he shoots me a look of anger, but even so, he is remarkable calm at this time.

"If I can offer them, I will." I bit out and shot Napoleon my coldest glare.

With that I launch in to a description of what I and the two Knight Protectors have been up to for the last two weeks. The three new groups that we have met and befriended. The trouble we found in the abandon Brute Squad holdings. The strange folk in the tunnels of an abandon coal mine. Our long walk home.

"I truly do not know why these..." I pause to look for a the word. "Children would have come here. They were never invited. I only wanted to make sure they know we could be friends and to trade with us." I end with my defense and bewilderment of the warrior wanna bee's.

"I am sure you must have said something to encourage this kind of response." Napoleon sharpens his tongue on me. "Why else have they shown up, here, in the middle of winter."

"Oh please, Winter only just started. And maybe they were so damned impressed with your Amazons that they figured the Protectors would teach them." Dixon the smith breaks through Napoleon's rant.

"I believe Chronos has a remarkable way about her." Miss Jekyll smiles over at me.

"Whatever the reason, they are here, now." Melville pause and rubs his temples. "Napoleon, can we use them?"

"They are mostly just hunters with some skill at shooting," Napoleon thinks out loud. "I might do something if I had 5 years. but they would still be rank amateurs."

"But they are, Here. Now." I make my idea known. "Right when we find out that there is a new threat." I raise an eyebrow to Napoleon. Nimrod hiss as he sees where I am going.

"But they are just boys." Socrates worries his brow at the idea.

"Yes but they would make a wonderful distraction for our people." I wave back to Napoleon so he now has the elders attention.

"A two pronged attack." Napoleon looks at me in speculation. He has not even considered using the Lost Boys in the fight.

"What, you were not going to ask the farmers to fight?" I ask him. "Right?"

He grinds his teeth as I mention the idea. So that was where he was thinking about asking to fill the ranks. Miss Jekyll looks on worried that he didn't even talk to her about his idea. I can feel Saul twitching in excitement next to me. He and Nimrod have been very quiet during all exchange.

"And when were you planing on doing this attack?" Melville frowns at Napoleon.

He realizes that he is caught, so Napoleon relays the very basic out line of his plans. "I was going to wait till after Yule tide. Take the Protectors and who ever else Volunteered" He looks pointedly at Jekyll hope this would sooth her ruffled feathers.

"I wanted to disembark everyone at night, use the Hummer's fire power to get through the gates then, have the rest charge. Hopeful this would put and end to the intruders in one stroke."

"A bold plan," Devin says thoughtfully nodding his head at the vision Napoleon paints.

"A very bold plan," Melville says agreeing with Devin. "But I am uncomfortable about attacking first, without provocation. It could make us look like..." He looks over at me. "How did you put it, Chronos,?"

"Expansion." I supply a word.

"A bold plan that could get people killed." Nimrod finally breaks in. "That is irresponsible even of you Leon."

Nimrod stands and waves dramatically at the council members. "Expecting to get the farmers to follow you into battle that takes them away from their home. A battle with people we know next to nothing about." Saul takes his hand as he is visible shaking at the end. What if my healing is not working.