Recently I have faced many ups and downs with my writing, mostly with the Hemlock books. I have had far too many plots and characters for the series and, after much work and arguing – which included death threats and dagger pulling, making me long all the more for my sword – I have come to terms with everyone and we have settled on many things.

Hemlock is now a six book series. I completely took out Trisli's plot and am using it for another series I am planning – which just had a cool title and a character with a cool name. Trisli is still in the books but I do not go into the story of – oh wait, that would give away a plot. Moving on.

Also, I am pleased to announce that, as I have finally finished the final version of Despair and Hope, it is now being edited. I am in the hopes of completing editing by May at the latest and seeking out a publisher soon. Among changes in this book is the change in title which now appears as:

The Tales of Hemlock

The Stranger

A Story of Despair and Hope.

Another quirk I am trying to work out is Theobald's hood. I have been debating changing it to a mask but have yet to find one that suits him, me, and the plot. It is terribly hard to de-mask a guy, ten times easier to de-hood him. Not to mention I have been having interesting dreams about the Lone Ranger since then.

Book two has also changed in that it is now book three and there is a new book two. In this book Reid returns out of the blue. Need I say more?

Then there is that death scene I wrote for Maddock but which was strongly voted against by many of his adoring fans. I still determined to use it on someone and made a character for it, only when I wrote it it was lacking in something. Roderick could not pull it off. So, Roderick lives – and Quentin has offered to take the scene. Rather he was voted in to it being I would not be killing off one of the main heroes while at the same time making it sad – yes, that was an interesting debate.

While book one is coming along very well book two is struggling. I am uncertain about the plot and am therefore going at it more slowly then I normally do. However, I have not stopped writing all together and am reviving a story that was about to be sent to the black hole. The character in it gave me some major problems – kidnapping the muse I share with my best friends and holding her hostage for a whole night. However, I think everything is better now – at least I hope it is. I shall keep everyone updated on that but for now I have to be off as the character is calling

Okay, I'm going to try really hard to start posting, b/c I'm working on Chapter 19 right now and I'm just now posting 8....

Let me know if you guys have any suggestions on anything. :)

Chapter 8

   Outside Kit and Aaron followed the doctor to the hospital. The building itself was no different than any of the other buildings. But once inside beds were placed anywhere they could. Beds were also made on the floor, making a very narrow path between beds for nurses. Every single bed and pallet was filled with a fevered body, most with a red rash on their chest. Women ran around with bowls of water and towels to bathe the fevered heads.

   Kit and Aaron wasted no time in helping. They asked for no permission to attend to anyone. Starting with the most advanced cases, they worked without a word.

   Kit was running for more water when her cloak was pulled on. She immediately stopped and looked to fin a young boy, not more than eight, holding onto her.

   “Can you help me? I’m cold,” the little boy said.

   Kit looked at him with great sorrow. She knelt down and stroked his fevered forehead, brushing his tangled hair away.

   “Yes, of course,” she said with emotion.

   He released her and she rushed on to grab blankets along with water.

   She quickly returned to the boy and covered him with a blanket. She also gave him the special powder. He started to shiver, so she again knelt beside him on the floor and stroked his head.

   “What’s your name?” she asked, trying to distract him for a while.

   “My name is Jacob. What is your name?” he asked curiously.

   “My name’s Kathryn, but everyone calls me Kit.”

   “I like the name Kit,” he said, smiling.

   “Where are your parents?”

   His face fell and Kit regretted asking.

   “Maw died yesterday and Paw left with Michael,” Jacob said this as tears came to his eyes.

   Kit hugged the thin form closely to her bosom, tears coming to her own eyes. She hugged him for a while longer before kissing him on the head and telling him to get some rest.

   It was the end of the day and Kit had witnessed ten deaths, she could vividly remember each and every one. Tears clouding her vision, Kit made her way to the front of the hospital. She encountered Aaron on the way out, he tried intercepting her, but she budged by.

   At the door, Kit felt as if she didn’t let the tears fall she would burst. She leaned over hospital railing and covered her face to try and hold them back.

    This is the state Aaron found her in. He was a bit uncomfortable and didn’t know what to do. But he put his arm on her shoulder kindly. Kit turned to him with tears in her eyes and burst out in tears, burying her face in Aaron’s cloak. He understood her feelings…he felt the same way.

   Kit started talking into his cloak. Not understanding her, Aaron lifted her chin and looked at her with raised eyebrows. She smiled weakly through her tears and told him about Jacob.

   She stopped shedding tears and looked up at the sky.

   “It’s time to go,” she murmured.

   “Are you alright to go right now?”

   She nodded sadly and followed Aaron into the night.

~***~

   Kit was not overly excited about going to a city pub. She wondered why they were meeting there of all places.

   It wasn’t too far from the hospital and soon enough they could hear the loud shouting of the pub and the bright lights were seen.

   The small building was buzzing with activity as they walked in. Kit immediately felt uncomfortable being the only female. She wasn’t too afraid, but all the same stuck close to Aaron.

   It took only a second to recognize Lawson in a dark corner with his hood over his head.

   It got quiet as Kit and Aaron walked in, they must not have noticed Lawson, who had come in earlier. The people, who had been shouting and yelling, now stood gawking. This, however odd, made Kit feel more confident as they made their way toward Lawson.

   They sat down at the beat up little table, gradually the talking of the pub came back.

   “Perfect timing,” Lawson said in a quiet tone.

   “Why did you want to meet here?” asked confused Kit in the same quiet tone.

   “No one will bother us. And if this were a mission concerning enemies, unwelcomed ears wouldn’t be able to hear.”

   Kit nodded.

   “What’s your idea?” Aaron asked.

   “I want to hear yours first. I assume the both of you came up with a plan together?”

   “Yes, I thought on it on the way here. But I would like to know what you were doing,” Aaron continued.

   “Nate, being one of the top commanders of the country, gets some of the most important new from the king first. Some very important discoveries have recently been found that we were discussing, but that is for when we get back.”

   “I assume that’s where you disappear to every now and again?” asked Kit.

   “Yes, but that’s enough. We need to take care of the matters that are now pressing.”

   “By your lead, Aaron,” Kit said, nodding her head toward him.

   He nodded and started on the plan they had composed on the way to the pub:
   “Our idea is for Kit to stay here and help, well it was against my better judgment, but Kit insisted she be the one to stay. Anyway, you and I can track Michael as the tracks will be obvious. Honestly I think, and Kit agrees, that some of the men have fallen sick. They have to accept help. I’ve kind of thought on the idea if they don’t accept our help, but really haven’t come up with a good one,” Aaron finished.

   “You have something to add to this?” Lawson asked Kit. He noticed her eyes had a rather deep thinking look.

   Kit started to speak, but stopped for a moment.

   “What if you just watch them? I know that sounds offal plain….” Kit trailed off.

   “No, it was precisely what I thought. I don’t like the idea of leaving Kit behind, but she does have a point and she certainly did make it,” Lawson said.

   “You can’t actually consider leaving Kit here!” Aaron protested.

   Kit snapped her head toward him, eyes flashing.

   “Now don’t get worked up!” Aaron said, putting up his hands defensively.

   Kit started her tongue, but a sharp look from Lawson held it back.

   Just then a few men came tumbling toward them. They had obviously had too much to drink.

   “You…Rangers! Wats you talkin bout?” one of them said, his words slurring together.

   “Now Jim, you’ve had a bit too much, I think you ought to sit down,” said a sober man who came walking up to the small group.

   “I sinks yous right!” said Jim.

   But then Jim got worked up again a moment later and cursed very loudly at the Rangers, mostly toward Kit, being a girl.

   Kit wasn’t used to this kind of language and it took her aback. However, being a Ranger, she didn’t flinch.

   “I’d like to give him a black eye,” Kit said under her breath, trying to resist the urge.

   Aaron and Lawson had heard her and both looked at her warningly.

   Eventually the same man, who had talked to Jim first, punched him in the nose. Jim fell to the ground with a thud, unconscious, but alive.

   The man walked toward the group of Rangers.

   “My name be Carl, this is my place. Now I ‘preciate your work, but I have to ‘gree with Jim over thar, that thar female ain’t fit to be a Ranger!” said Carl.

   Kit looked away, face pink with rage. Her knuckles were turning white from gripping the tables.

   Lawson stood up with a determined, set face.

   “I’ll ask you to not demean my young Rangers, despite their gender,” Lawson said.

   “I’m sorry, but I don’t like women-folk takin’ to wearin’ trousers. Why, I’d only  believe she was a real Ranger if she knocked me out and, at the same time, pinned me to that thar post with an arrow!” he said laughing, however he started to look nervous when he saw Lawson stand up in anger. By now, the uproar had caused the entire pub to watch the commotion.

   Lawson raised an eyebrow.

   Kit looking at him with pleading eyes.

   He sighed and let his eye lids fall slightly, consenting.

   Her eyes glistened with fire and she smiled dangerously.

   She turned around swiftly, punched Carl in the face, and drew and arrow almost at the same time. She shot the arrow and pinned his shirt to the post he had earlier pointed out. After he fell, she added another punch for offending her.

   Kit turned and sat back down gently as if nothing had happened.

   “Nobody messes with my pride,” she thought.

   Aaron stifled a giggle and Lawson, sitting back down, had touches of a smirk on his lips.

   The entire pub fell under a blanket of silence.

   Soon enough someone came with a bucket of water and threw it at Carl’s face. Carl awoke, still groggy. It took awhile for someone to pull the arrow free from the post.

   Lawson stood up slowly.

   “It’s settled then. We’re going with your plan. Kit, you can go to Sir Nathaniel and explain the situation and spend the night wherever you like. Aaron, we leave immediately,” he added.

   Aaron and Kit looked at him with disbelief, they couldn’t believe he was going to use their plan, but they consented.

   “Kit, if we’re not back by tomorrow night, either something’s happened or most of the men are sick. If that happens, I want you to follow us…alone.”

   “Spending the night alone…” Kit thought.

   Kit was worried, but showed no signs of it. Aaron was obviously not happy leaving her, but turned and followed Lawson, leaving Kit sitting alone in the pub.

Another chapter! Watch out because this chapter is rather sad. So if you're already feeling distressed...you may want to reconcider proceeding. :)

Chapter 7

   Since Lawson was the only one with a horse, they had to run, stopping every 30-40 minutes to rest.
   On one of these rests Lawson asked the young Rangers a question.
   “What do you think you’ve been trained as?” he asked.
   Kit was confused by his question, she thought it was obvious, most would answer “a Ranger”, but knowing Lawson, it had to be a trick question.
   Recognizing neither were going to answer, Lawson answered for them.
   “A thief,” he said.
   He was sitting with his cloak completely covering him, even most of his face with the deep hood. They had planned on resting here longer to warm up with a fire. Despite their high activity level, they welcomed the warm crackling flames.
   The young Rangers seemed surprised by his answer.
   “I guess we could steal anything we wanted without being seen…” Aaron started.
   “And know the lay of the land, trained to scheme a full-fledged attack without thinking,” she continued.
   “We don’t leave tracks, and can track the untraceable,” Aaron finished. 
   Lawson smiled with his smoking pipe in his teeth.
   “The other thing though is that we’re not accepted in society. You both have been part of the society, but neither of you have been on the rejected end. I must warn you that we’ll only be accepted by the chancellor, nobody else,” Lawson said gravely. “Most people are afraid of us. The uneducated, or really anybody who will believe anything, think Ranger’s skills were first developed by forest nymphs!” 
   “Forest nymphs?” Aaron asked.
   Kit looked over at him.
   “You’ve never heard of a nymph?” she asked.
   “No, I’m not into myths and fairytales.”
   “People think that there is a nymph for any natural mark, such as a forest, river, meadow, ect… Sort of like fairies, I guess, you do know what fairies are, don’t you?” said Kit a bit haughtily. 
   “Yes, I know what fairies are!” he said, leaning over to warm his hands. 
   They sat in silence for several minutes, all sitting with their legs crossed, covered in their cloaks. They sat perfectly still, hoods over their faces.
   “Aaron, Kit, also I don’t want you to not voice your opinions, even if you are speaking to your elders. Do respect them though, nobody likes to be demeaned,” Lawson said,” you both are young, but never the less, you are Rangers.”
   “That would make me incredibly uncomfortable, giving an opinion to a leader,” Kit thought.
   “Oh and here is a pouch for each of you. It is full of several plants that have been crushed. Mix a very small amount of it with water and force it down the throat of someone who has got the fever. When we get there, I want you two to work together; it will make it easier to convince the family of any patients to let you help. Also, if any of them are in advanced stages and are hallucinating, one of you will have to hold them down,” he paused as he stood up. “One more thing, look out for signs of the fever, in anyone who doesn’t have it, including us. The only sign will be fatigue, and it will be hard to see, after they pass out they’ll have a red rash on their chest. That’s when you know. Now we better get going, we’ll be there soon,” Lawson said, dowsing the fire.

~***~

   They arrived on the outskirts of Johnston as the sun was rising. It was strange to Kit, they had been in dense forest on the side of a mountain, and then, suddenly, a huge city appeared. Kit had never seen so many houses before, but besides houses, there were several large buildings that she had no idea what their uses were.
   They walked into the city on a wide dirt road that had wagon tracks running to and fro. They could look all the way through the city just by standing at the beginning of the main road. But Kit could see several roads branching off into the city. She looked around in wonderment.
   Aaron smiled at her.
   “Obviously you’ve never been to a large city!” he said.
   “I’ve never been outside Trinia!” she answered.
   They walked a little ways down the road before seeing any signs of life, but what they saw made Kit want to lose her stomach.
   There stood a gruff looking man; he carried a white bag over his shoulder, the type of bag that held a body. The man set it along the road. As Kit looked, the line of bags continued down the road, several were stacked on top of one another.
   Kit went pale, as did Aaron.
   Lawson quickly pulled them away down a side street, he didn’t say a thing. What was there to say?
   They turned down several different roads, winding this way and that. Kit somewhat kept track of where they were, but she had a hard time concentrating. 
   Eventually Lawson stopped at one of the largest buildings made of stone and looking like a castle. Ht threw up his hood and nodded at his young Rangers. They followed his lead by throwing their hoods on as well, Kit looking up to the top of the building with curiosity.
   Lawson walked straight up the front porch to the guard in front of the door.
   The guard had, at first, looked stern and unnerving with his frowning brow and long spear. But seeing the Rangers approaching from the fog, his eyes got wide and he moved out from in front of the door to let them pass. He watched as Lawson opened the door and walked in; Kit and Aaron followed dutifully side by side.
   They walked into a large room with nobody present; it was a rather plain room, with only a few tables. The tables however, were quite beautifully crafted and had valuable pieces of glass placed on top.
   Kit wanted to look around, but her training wouldn’t allow such odd behavior. So she glanced around once, taking everything in and then start straight ahead. She did keep her senses tuned, for it was natural to do so in a place she’d never been. 
   Being sure of himself, Lawson walked toward the tall double doors on their right.
   Their feet didn’t make a sound as they crossed the stone floor and opened the doors, which surprisingly didn’t creak. 
   This room was much more interesting.
   Drapes with the city’s symbol of  merchant ship hung on the wall in front of them. Maps and books were covering the rest of the walls. Desks stood everywhere buried in dust covered books. But the largest desk stood at the center of the back wall. It was mostly clear. A short, worried looking man stood while a somewhat sturdier man paced in front of him. The short man had been speaking, but at their entrance he paused mid-sentence. 
   Lawson raised his head to show gleaming eyes, then walked up to them.
   The man who had been pacing walked up to him and grasped Lawson’s forearms in greeting.
   “Hello friend! You don’t know how wonderful it is to see you and to have your help,” the man said.
   “You know that’s why I’m here Nathanial,” Lawson replied, “These are the newest additions to the Rangers: Kit and Aaron. I trust their opinion and hope that you will too.”
   “I’m so happy to meet both of you, but please, call me Nate. But enough chit-chat, we’re in a crisis.” 
   “What have you done to stop traveling?”
   “I sent soldiers to surround the borders, and we caught almost everyone.”
   “Almost?”
   Nate looked uneasy as he turned around to the nervous looking man.
   “This is Dr. Fredrick, the main doctor of Johnston. Doctor, would you please update us?”
   “Yes, to the best of my ability Sire,” he said in a voice more steady than his character implied.
   “To my understanding, and as you have already stated, you have sent soldiers surrounding the city only minutes ago. I was about to report to you on thie progress when your…friends arrived. Your soldiers, Sire, have been successful in stopping all traffic from the city, sometimes using force. But none were killed. And traffic into the city was not hard to do. Every quarter mile around the city a few men stands holding a white flag. Of course nobody wants to come near the city. Now do you want me to tell about Michael?” 
   Nate nodded and sat at his desk with his head in his hands. He looked much more stressed after this subject came to pass.
   “Very well sir. Rangers, Michael is…well…the “head’ of the villagers and less wealthy. He basically speak for them, and though they speak highly of him, most villagers are content to leave their heart and duty to Sir Nathanial. But never-the-less he does voice their opinions and some villagers have rebelled with him, leaving the city. However, they left a day before I issued the quarantine. I am desperately afraid they carry the disease,” he said.
   “How many does he have with him?” Aaron asked, looking up from under his hood.
   The doctor was taken aback, but answered,” We’re not quite sure, but we think it no more than 100.”
   Aaron nodded his head.
   “Please, tell us more about the terrible disease. And I want to be updated on the number of lives it’s taken,” Nate said.
   “It hasn't faltered at all, and I cannot stop it. It grows and still has so many lives to feed on. We estimate the lives taken at 200,” finished Dr. Fredrick.
   “How many reside in the city?” Kit asked.
   “More than 1000 before the fever.”
   “I have brought a substance that I have found that cures the fever. How, I am not sure. It may just strengthen the immune system rather than kill the disease,” Lawson said, “But it does work. I would like to talk to Nate in private while Kit and Aaron go out to help.”
   “Of..” Nate started.
   “You have a cure? Why have you never introduced it to the world?” asked the doctor, who was now pink with frustration.
   “My, what a strange man he is,” Kit thought.
   “The plants I gather to make it are extremely rare and only bloom a few weeks of the year. I will gladly tell you the plants, but I rather doubt it will help you any. As it is we may not have enough for the city,” said Lawson.
   “I am sure you are telling the truth,” said Nate kindly, “Kit, Aaron, you may go about as you wish, here is a map. All citizens with any signs of the fever have been ordered to go to the hospital or school. Doctor, you are free to leave.”
   The doctor bowed his head in respect and left.
   Lawson turned to face Kit and Aaron.
   “I want you at the public pub an hour before night fall to discuss our action on Michael and his men,” he said.
   They nodded and followed the doctor out the door, leaving Nate and Lawson deep in conversation.