Lurel nods. "Looking for clues outside is a good idea."

He turns to Ari. "Proof? What would you consider proof that our intentions aren't hostile?"

Outside sounds like a plan
*Picks up his Pack again and heads to the door*
proof? i'm not sure i was hoping you might have something that corroborates your storey?
*Wanders outside and starts searching for tracks (especially other this his peoples) and other things out of place*

*also wanders over to the store to see if any messages have been left there*

"surely you must have something to deal with this alien magic and evil cloud thing?"

Ari has wandered off looking for tracks and finding only those of his own people. They have made no attempt to hide these, reinforcing the view that they left in a controlled way and not under immediate threat. Ari and indeed Siffli could follow their trail with ease.

Ari's search of the store reveals nothing, but the fact the Held have not hidden their tracks is sign enough that he was intended to follow.

The store contains less than usual but the few larger items like tapestries and rugs are still there.

Lurel and the rest of the party have split up (I hope) and are poking around in different parts of the settlement. Ford has been looking at the area used for cooking and can tell from experience that the last fire was two days ago. There are a few pieces of burned paper that might be interesting. Lurel is standing outside a locked hut some thirty paces away from Ford. Midge has disappeared into the dwellings in the tree tops. Ari is inside the store. Siffli, still in a huff, is ignoring you all pointedly and is hovering outside Ari's house. Lisette has chosen the moment to clean her weapons. Each of you is visible to the others (except Ari and Midge) but you are not close enough to converse in normal tones.

Except for Ari the rest of you have a strange sense of being watched.

Ford is constantly looking over his shoulder.

'I could swear someone's watching me... maybe a couple villagers stayed behind to watch over things...'

He looks down at the camp fire and picks up some of the burnt paper. He squints at it, trying to decipher what's left of it.

Lurel tries the door, but upon finding it locked wanders around the hut looking for an alternative way in. He considers using his earth magic to tunnel through the floor, but decides against it.... he is uncomfortably aware of being watched, and doesn't want to draw attention to his abilities.

If Lurel finds another way in, he'll have a look inside the hut. If not, he calls out to Ari to find out whose hut this is.

Ford can see that the paper will break up if he touches it. Lurel might be able to help with a magic spell but Lurel is walking away from him. Better attract his attention.

Ari is still looking through the store hut but learning nothing of interest. The Held's full store of arrows has been taken, meaning he needs to be careful with the ten he has left.

Ari *Sighs* and counts again 'well i'm screwed if anyhting serious goes down, enough for hunting till we find the rest the village at least'

'i wonder if the others have found anything'

he wanders out insearch of lurel, ford & co
Calls out:
"Lurel, ford. you guys found anything?"

"The stores are pretty much emptied. There a lovely set of oak drawers in there and some really nice tapestries but anything that could sensibly be carried has gone."

"i guess that implies they don't recon it'll be safe to return for some time if at all "

*Looks for others* if he sees them he wanders over.

*despite trying to sound optomistic ari isn't looking happy*

As Ari shouts out Lurel's name the air begins to shimmer. An elderly woman appears out of nowhere. She is dressed impeccably but in old fashioned clothes. Her ground-length skirt is of black velvet patterned with yellow diamonds. She has a waisted velvet jacket in dark green over a yellow silk shirt. Her shoes are those of a lady, not practical for walking around a forest. She seems to be about a hundred years old, though her eyes are piercing and highly intelligent. She moves slowly, supporting herself on a stick.

"Lurel! I am glad you have come. You will not remember me although we have seen each other before. My name is Thail."

Lurel, Lisette and Midge may remember her from the Battle of Marghulon but it was all too chaotic for memories to be clear. She is one of the four wizards of Levdia who helped your comrade Zekic in the past. She specialises in blights and 'chemical' attacks.

"We have been tricked. I and my colleagues have ben investigating the strange cloud that formed over Witten but it was a diversion. The real danger was a much more insidious change that started here shortly after the Witten cloud appeared."

She calls you all to her, Princess Siffli for once responding positively.

"Every land has certain inherent healing capablities - for healing itself I mean. It is not exactly magic, although we may call it that for expedience. It has a specific source and is distributed throughout the land along certain 'lines'. We thought we knew the lines although there were anomalies. But we did not know about this place. I was looking into the anomalies when I realised they could all be explained if there was a source around here. I came to look three days ago and found what was happening. I know about the objects in the Castle of Storms. I would say given the circumstances you are right in guessing the arrow is what must be replaced in Levdia but which arrow is missing? That you must find out urgently. A more serious cloud has formed over the village of Heimdal in the Lakelands and it too has been evacuated. There were a number of very sick children who the villagers were going to abandon. I and Varna, the woman who tends them, have led them, with some difficulty, to a safe place in a clearing in the forest. The Held has also moved there. I must stay here and do what I can to counteract the magic. But I am old. You need to hurry. There is little else I can tell you. The first encroachment was in Witten and I believe you will need to go there to find the missing arrow. But you need as much information as you can get about what a Held arrow is doing in Witten in the first place. Go to their new settlement at once."

She remains looking at you, willing you with her eyes, to set out at once.

"Thail!" Lurel exclaims. "This is bad news indeed - but at least the Held got away. We'll go there as fast as we can - if Ari will lead us. Before we go, there's one thing I must tell you... we have reason to believe that Anromainyus is playing a part in this. Does the name mean anything to you?"

She shudders at the name.

"Anromainyus cannot be behind this but he will certainly be using it to his own advantage. What would you know of him? I have no direct experience. He had three, some say four, brothers and all were evil - except perhaps the youngest, Daro, I know nothing of him. Anromainyus now controls the undead from - wherever it is they exist. Shaura has not been heard of in years. Darendor is entombed here in Levdia but Zekic has told me the spirit is not at rest and may be brought to life again. For the sake of the world I hope not."

She thinks for a moment. "If Anromainyus wants anything with Levdia he has never bothered us before. The only thing I can think would be the raising of his brother. Had he wanted this I'm sure he would have arranged it. Strange now you come to think of it. I wonder if there is a reason why he doesn't want his brother to come back to life?"

She pauses again. "I wonder whether his other brothers are alive or dead and how he feels towards them. He was once just a powerful mage. Where did get the extra power from to lead the undead? He was certainly unscupulous enough to cheat his brothers. I seem to recall the youngest was last heard of in Bashkher. I can tell you more of Darendor but it cannot be of value in your current quest. I will be here until you have succeeded in that and will willingly tell you more."

Something occurs to her. "The current leader of the Held is an ill-tempered woman called Indril. It was - difficult and time consuming to get her to move. She is very unco-operative. I fear you will need to do something to make her like you before you will get much help there."

Lurel nods. "When we return, Princess Siffli can tell you about Shaura. But we should go now, and find the Held, before the influence of the alien magic spreads further. Thank you for your warning about Inzil, too. I hope we will see you again soon, Thail - farewell for now."

He looks at the others, and last of all his gaze falls on Ari. "Will you lead us to the others? And can you tell us about Indril?"

Ford is distracted by Ari.

"Yes, I have... judging by this extinguished camp fire it looks like your people left here 2 days ago... and I found some burnt paper that might have some information on it, but it can't be lifted without it falling apart."

He is about to grab Lurel's attention when the old woman appears. He looks on and listens to her story quietly, trying not to butt in in the various conversations that spring forth.

'Sounds like we have all the answers now anyway. I guess I can leave the papers...'

Lurel notices Ford standing by what looks like an old campfire.

"Did you find anything, Ford?"

(OOC: I don't think Ari has told us his name yet, has he?)

Ford looks to Lurel.

"Yes... as I just explained to our friend, from the camp fire it looks like the Held left two days ago. Also there are some burnt pieces of paper left behind that might have some information on them. Though it does sound like our questions have been answered. I can't pick them up or they'll break apart... could you maybe use a spell?"

"Who was she? that person who just appeared?"

"Yes I'll lead you to them"

"Can we read the bits of paper in place or do you know some way on recovering them?"

"indril, Well, she's nice enough really comes across a bit grouchy though. she's the chief of the held but her being the chief is more a title than any real power, still best to get her on side if we can."

"she's getting on a bit now, in her eighties!, and her eyesight is a little poor. she finds this a bit hard to accept, you see she used to be the best hunter in the village. and people looked to her for things but when her eyesight started to go she just couldn't do it anmore. She'd never accept that of course, way too stubbon to! And i guess accepting it would be like saying ok i'm old now i give up. she'd still be trying to hunt and probably shooting us by mistake if we didn't make her chief! it keeps her feeling needed and out of our way."

"The aproach i'd adopt is to tell her what the problem is even if you know the answer and ask her for advice that way its Her Leading. but i cant garentee that will work"

"i've never heard of any magic arrow that i can remember"(correct me if i'm wrong malchik)

"Lets grab what supplies we can if there are any left and head off"

ooc> ford said who he was then ari did so yup he has said his name ;p

"I don't think we should miss an opertunity as far a clues go, everything on a plate is nice but doublechecks are useful if you can try something with the paper then go for it, we've got nothing to lose by trying"

Princess Siffli somewhat imperiously puts in:

"I would like a break from your company. Would one of you be prepared to come with me to Witten. We might as well start looking there too. I can't imagine six of us will be required to get information from the Held. How about you Lisette?"

Lurel attempts to use magic on the pieces of paper - a spell to preserve them so that they can be read. If this is successful, he attempts to decipher whatever is written on the paper.

He looks up as Siffli speaks, and frowns. "I'm not sure that it is a good idea for us to split up - nor for you to investigate Witten without being able to use magic. We don't know the nature of that cloud, after all." He sighs. "However, we can't force you to come with us. Perhaps you should ask Thail for advice - and maybe you could tell her what you know of Shaura, and what Anima told us."

Thail listens to Siffli'sstory.

"I remember Anima. She was a very hard working woman. It is sad about her son although he may not be dead. Zekic has told me my son, who I thought dead thousands of years since, is living. Ah, Tiemmo was such a lively child. He believes I am dead - one of life's ironies."

She looks at Siffli. "So Anima believes Anromainyus wishes to harm Shaura. I am sure that is the key to his downfall. Find the brothers. It seems we can find two but we will need to seek Daro and learn for sure if there is another. This is for a different time. You may be able to help by separating and going to Witten or you may waste your time. You will all need to go there in the end I am sure. But if you do go, do not go alone. The city of Witten is a dangerous place, you will need to be able to fight."

Lurel cannot do anything to the paper but Thail seeing what he is trying to do helps out. The paper is some kind of invoice that indicates three deliveries of arrows were made somewhere at about the time the troubles in Levdia started.

Ari knows nothing of deliveries. As far as he knew the Held did no kind of trading at all. He is as surprised as you are.

OOC> Off until Monday. Rehearsals AAAArgh! Decide by Monday if you wish to split up. Cheers.

"So Who was trading? and whos side are they on and how did they find out? as far as i was aware no one traded at all with your kind! we didn't want that kind of attention."

ooc>who's fire was the letter on malchik

"I think splitting the group is a REALLY bad idea! however i'm certainly in no position to tell people where to go so i guess its down to you. I Must go to my people and check my friends and familly are ok! so thats me spoken for anyone who wants to come may"

"the arrows thing is odd i thought the village fletcher made all the arrows for the village!"

"I still don't rightly understand whats going on!"

ooc> i'm either no computer access today->tues morn or saturday eve-> tues morn

Ford ponders.

"Hmm, I'm not sure it's such a good idea to split up. Especially not if Siffli is going to be taking our strongest fighter with her!"

He gives Siffli a slightly annoyed look.

"That stuff about the arrows is odd... especially since it wasn't common knowledge. I wonder if it has something to do with what happened here..."

EDIT: Corrected my mistakes.

ooc>did i get the wrong end of the stick my lot aren't at whitten are they?

"I thought you needed an arrow ford? surely the clue to the arrow may be with who wrote the note or this could be a wild goose chase?"

"If we do split up, I'd be willing to accompany you, Siffli. But ONLY if you don't complain!"

(OOC: Gah! Damn it. Sorry, got confused. Will edit my post...

Done.)

Thail looks at you. "You should be safe enough with the Held. It might help for the others to go and find a secure place for you to use as a base in Witten. As I said you will all need to be there soon. I will grant you a spell Lisette and you Lurel. It will let you make direct contact with me telepathically so I can pass messages between you."

Ari will lead those of you going to the Held there in less than an hour. Thail offers to teleport the others to just outside Witten.

OOC> You will not be apart for long but it will speed things a little to get the Witten base established and something of the city discovered while you are working out about the arrows.

Lurel, Ford, Midge and Ari

The Held's temporary settlement is of makeshift huts assembled from branches. It is very strange to see 'sixteen year old boys' breastfeeding infants. You realise that Ari might be anything from 16 to 86!

Ari is pleased to see that they have brought a potters wheel and some clay.

After ascertaining where the 'leader' is currently situated Ari takes you at once to Indril. The elderly woman still resembles a sixteen-year-old. She is far from welcoming.

"More strangers! What do you want?"

Siffli and Lisette

You arrive at the Eastern side of the city of Witten. The city is in a pristine state but largely empty. It once housed more than a million people but now there are maybe five or six thousand. The largest group are around the square east of the central (main) square. There is another sizeable community at the southern edge of the city. Other houses may be occupied but most presumably are not. You know that there will be a system of sewers beneath the houses accessible from some cellars.

The street closest to you leads in a straight line to the central square passing through the occupied square.

The buildings along this street are three storeys high. The street is wide enough for you to walk along without fear of surprise ambush.

The sky is heavy and grey but there is no sense of it stifling life as in the Held settlement.

Lurel bows.

"Greetings. We know this is not a good time to intrude upon you, but we have come here to ask for your help in solving a mystery involving arrows."

He frowns, taking in fully what Indril just said.

"More strangers? Forgive my curiosity, but who were those other strangers?"

Ford looks around at the Held.

'Hmm... so what they said was true. They all look 16!'

He motions to Ari.

"Hey, Ari... so... how old are you actually, then? Sorry, I'm just curious."

He grins slightly. Upon their arrival at Indril's hut, he keeps quiet, yet can't hide the surprised look on his face. Despite the things he'd heard about the Held, for some reason, he was still expecting an old crone crouched over a stick!

"Don't try to joke, child, you haven't the knack. One stranger sent you here and saddled us with looking after a lot of other strangers."

(It may be odd to be called child by a sixteen-year-old!)

She scowls at you "What mystery about arrows? You fire them with bows. We use them all the time. I can hit a mayfly at 500 paces!"

She glowers at Ari "Shouldn't you be throwing pots, Ari the potter? We lost enough in the move!"

She glances back to Lurel and Ford. "I'm not in a giving mood today. You want anything from me you have to do something to earn my trust."

"How can we earn your trust?" Lurel asks. "I believe that it is important that we talk, but you don't know us, and have no reason to believe a word we say. Tell us what we can do for you."

'I'm glad we were warned about this Indril, and I don't doubt her claim about the mayfly at all.... I hope we can win her round, though.... but it would be better to mention the invoice for arrows later when she may be less hostile, I think.'

"If you want to earn my trust you must complete the task I set you. Ask around."

At your frown she says. "I have given you the task. Earn my trust!"

She all but kicks you out.

Asking any member of the Held will give you the following information. The only members currently in the village are those too old or too young to work and wet nurses. One group is out gathering food. Another is building a protective wall around the huts. A third is guarding the sick children from Heidal

Ari is told again that the settlement is short of pots and to get back to work.

To cover as much ground as possible you'll need to separate. You won't be able to reach the hunting party. Midge is probably most use helping Ari. Ford and Lurel should divide the other two groups between them.

"Hmm... I have a suggestion... how about I help guard the kids, since I have some skill with a sword, Lurel, you could help build the walls... no doubt your earth magic would come in handy. And Midge, you could probably be of use helping Ari with the pottery. How does that sound?"

Ford looks to the three for their approval.

(OOC: By the way, what's a Heidal? Sorry, memory like a siv at the moment!)

Ford is directed to an area at some remove from the Held settlement. Heidal had been the centre of production of a highly addictive narcotic The herb (cheweed - pronounced Kayweed) has excellent medicinal qualities if used in the right way but is easily abused. The children never used the narcotic but were born seriously damaged because the parents had. The parents will long since have died from the abuse. The children, some thirty of them, are in a pitiful state drooling, mumbling uncontrollably with wild expressions clearly not far off being brain dead. The woman in charge is called Varna. She is tending to a child who is screaming uncontrollably. A one-eyed girl is walking around distractedly talking of 'Dark Portals'. She seems a little more coherent than the others. Some ten 'sixteen year old boys', members of the Held, are standing guard around the area.

One of the guards, the muttering girl and Varna all look up at you questioningly as you approach but all are in different directions. You can only visit them one at a time.

Lurel finds the fence-builders taking a break. There are about fifty here all seemingly alike. One smiles.

"We can always do with an extra pair of hands. Did Indril send you?"

The voice is male. He and several companions laugh at the mention of her name.

Ford looks around at all the kids.

'Geez... what happened to these guys?'

He waves to Varna, and raises his voice slightly so he can be heard over the child.

"Er, hello. I'm here for guard duty... Indril sent me."

Varna comes across to you.

"Hello - you look to be about sixteen - are you? I find it so difficult with these others. Actually I'm not sure we need more guards. Nor do I know what exactly is being guarded. I rather think the Held are more worried about these poor creatures getting out than anything getting in. I don't know why I keep them alive except to hope that for some there may be a little happiness. I need to feed them a tiny drop of the drug each day. Without it their suffering is unbearable. The whole stock was destroyed, you know, by a boy called Tiemmo but he had the compassion to see that enough was spared for me. I guard it well I assure you."


She looks about, a little distracted. "And then there is Vreli..." She points to the muttering girl. "In all the years I have looked after the children, watching them die in their hundreds, not one has ever got better. Vreli was so bad she had gouged out her own eye but it seems to me that she is getting better. I do not understand it but if the miracle can work for one perhaps it can for the others. Except..."

She looks sadly at the screaming child. "Wrenn is dying. He will not last more than an hour at most. I know the signs. Perhaps you and Moppitt could dig a grave for me?"

Moppitt is apparently the alert guard who, Varna informs you, really is a sixteen-year-old boy.

Lurel grins. "Well, yes, you could say that Indril sent me... does she send along lots of helpers, then? My name's Lurel."

He looks at the work that has been done so far.

"So, what's the plan? Earth wall and wooden fence on top? Looks like hard work, anyway."

'It should be easy enough to raise a wall of earth... the question is, though, how the Held will react to magic. I'd rather start digging than find myself as a target for some superstitious bowmen hostile to magic!'

"Well, we're having a rest just now. Sit and talk, why don't you? Have a sausage."

You are offered a cold sausage.

"Indril doesn't send helpers. It's just that she 'sends' people everywhere away from her. She's got nothing to do, see. She don't like people watching her sitting there doing nothing day in day out!"

After another laugh with his friends he adds. "She was our best hunter but now she's half blind. Too stubborn to admit it. We look young, you see. But we aren't - necessarily. I'm thirty-four by the way. Pity she's so crabby!"

"Thanks." Lurel accepts the sausage, and takes a bite.

"It must be very hard for Indril, though, to come to terms with her failing eye-sight, and not being able to hunt any more," Lurel says conversationally. "I'd never have guessed you were thirty-four - you all look so young." He shrugs. "But then you shouldn't judge people by their appearance anyway."

He looks around. "Are you expecting to be attacked, or is the wall just to be on the safe side? Thail told us that you couldn't stay in your village."

"We've never been attacked before but we knew that part of the forest well. We don't know this bit so it's a precautionary measure. And Indril wants to see everyone busy. Pity we can't keep her busy. Then maybe she'd stay off our backs!"

"Have any of your healers tried to help Indril?" Lurel asks. "Maybe something could be done to improve her vision."

He takes another bite of sausage.

"What happened to your village? Thail didn't tell us much, really, but I'm sure she must have had her reasons."

He looks around again. "Though this does look like a good place."

Ford replies to her question.

"No, I'm 15, but a normal human."

He sighs sadly.

"That's terrible. At least there's hope for Vreli... can't anything at all be done for Wrenn?"

(OOC: He is 15... right? Or have I got that wrong as well? )

Lisette says to Siffli "We may as well head for the square, and ask around to about the arrows." Assuming Siffli is agreeable, they begin walking.

(to ford)
*Laughs*
"As old as my tongue and a little older than my teath"
*grins*
"26"


(to indril)
"Its good to see you well, Yes i suppose i should, I was telling ford he should get some advice from you about woodlore as they seem intent on travelling in it, no-one more experienced than indril!" "I think they might be after some antique magic arrow or something"

(ari goes to spin pots)
He shows midge how to work the wheel and gets out some of the special clay he brought. Its odd and pale though it feels like normal clay.
ari proceeds to teach midge to spin pots
"so have you ever done this before?"

ooc> i'm back (ok thats stating the obvious

Ari and Midge.

Midge is quite good at manufacturing pots but mentions that he would have more fun painting them. When you let him play around with the few pigment boxes the others had taken on your behalf he produces incredibly beautiful designs of birds and flowers.

Ford

Varna sighs. "When death is near the flesh necroses in the hands and feet. I have sedated Wrenn and he will be still shortly. There is no hope for him. He is partly dead already." There are tears in her eyes. "The poor mites have no role in this. Don't their 'parents' see enough to know the results of what they do? Please go and dig the grave. The bodies decompose rapidly and can cause problems."

Moppitt glowers at Varna.

Lurel

There is laughter. "You know a cure for old age? She'd be all right if she had anything to do. There are problems enough, especially at the moment. But who is going to ask HER for help when they get their heads bitten off. We help each other."

Lisette and Siffli.

It is eerie to be walking along streets where the houses look as fresh as if they had been built yesterday but from where there is no sound of any kind. There is glass in the windows, doors are closed, roofs are tiled. A way ahead you can see that the buildings increase in size to four and five storeys. Side streets are all of three-storey constructions.

You think you catch a movement in one of the windows of the buildings to your right. You do see one a considerable way in front of you. That is probably in the inhabited square.

<OOC> Hi everyone, I'm finally back </OOC>

Siffli moves close to Lisette and whisper
" I'ts so empty and quiet here... I wonder where all the people are"

"Wow, where'd you learn to paint like that? is that your job? not meaning to be rude but how old are you?"

*continues pottery*

"What happens if you don't find this arrow anyway?"

ooc> if she's not to blind to see it
*Shows indrel a piece of midges painting*
"I thought you might like to see this. i've never seen anyone paint like that. "

"We're getting there with the pots we'll need to let the dry before we fire them though"

Ford is clearly very upset about all this, but is trying not to let it get to him.

"O-okay... if you say so..."

He turns to Moppitt.

"Let's get this over with..."

He turns to Varna.

"Um... a-any particular place you want it?"

Ari & Midge

Indril grunts at the plate "Very pretty. But what's wrong with our birds and trees?"

She boots Ari out of her hut.

Ford

Varna shrugs. "We had a graveyard in Heidal. I don't know this area."

Wrenn has stopped screaming and fallen asleep. Apart from the ends of his fingers which are discoloured and blackish he seems normal in sleep. He is perhaps four years old.

Moppitt gestures Ford towards a woodland clearing. A stream can be seen and heard burbling in the distance.

"Ground will be softer there. Come on!"

Before you can move the one-eyed girl peers at you through her good eye.

She says to the world at large. "You are needed but you are not the one." She walks away muttering to herself.

As you move out of earshot Moppitt says: "Why don't they burn them? Making us do all this back-breaking work for a bunch of crazies. Should have left 'em behind to die. And what are we guarding them from? They're all goners anyway!"

Although the words are hard, there is a much more complex emotion behind them. Ford is not an empath like Lurel but even he can tell that the cruelty is a shield against reality for Moppitt. The boy stops and stares at Ford waiting for a reaction.

"Well, I'm certainly happy to help you," Lurel grins, "and I could definitely use some help too. I don't know how you feel about magic.... but if you're not too worried about it I could probably use some skills I have to heap up a nice earth wall.. without anyone having to do any digging. And if you don't like the idea of that, or if for some reason my skills don't work here.. well, then I'm happy to offer an extra pair of hands to help build that wall.

He finishes the sausage. "Yes, I can imagine that the sudden move out of the village must have caused all kinds of problems. Stuff like food supplies, I suppose?"

"We don't know about magic but our forebears were wizard so it doesn't bother us. Food's less of a problem than space. Kids are squabbling all the time, my wife can't get away from them and they can't get away from her. Then she takes it out on me and we're all stuck in the same damn room. You need a playroom or something and someone to control it. Now that would be a full time job! Come on guys - back to work."

As they grumblingly get to their feet he turns to Lurel. "You build the walls boy and we'll see to the paling."

Lurel grins. "Well, if I can get the wall built for you, maybe you could use the time saved to build something for the kids.... you know, something like a treehouse and stuff to climb on? Especially with so many new kids in the village."


'I hope the earth elementals won't let me down...'

With that thought, he takes a good look at the line the earth wall is to take, calls out a warning to people and attempts to raise the earth to form a wall and ditch.