Eager to check for the first rose of spring, we had gathered at the meeting hall. Our conversations interrupted when Rose rushed into the room. “Everyone! Oh my please come quickly.” She paused to catch her breath, “The Orc prince HAS THE ROSE!”

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“OH NO!” Elessa cried.

“He Does? How??” Vixen Sonoma asked?

“Ok,” Cathy Earnshaw said standing up. “Let’s go.”

Rose ran towards the door. “Come fastly…I will gate.”

Rushing through the gate into the garden, we were greeted by Jade Orc Fighters.
“Darn Orcs!” Cathy Earnshaw shouted killing another.

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Harriet arrived as we ran out of orcs to kill. “Everyone, Rose has been taken to safety! Find the prince and find the rose!” She turned and ran up the valley. “Everyone to the cave!”

Once more that desert ran red with our blood as wave and wave of orcs arrived…Jade Orc fighters, clan, alchemist, and mages.

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Healing as fast as I could, I saw someone standing beside me. Turning to look I was surprised to see a Jade Orc standing and watching the battle.

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Laughing I called to Starlynn and Epona, “Look at this guy just watching the fight.”

Starlynn looked over and attacked it, “Yes, lil creeper!”

Epona joined her “Or a smart one…actually didn’t want to die too soon.”
If that had been the orc’s plan, it failed.

As the battle ran on, the Orc mages began to summon allies.

Moving from group to group healing, I stepped on something soft. Looking down I found a trail of roses leading back to the mountain. Following it I found the Orc Prince.

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Angerly he watched us defeating his army until he could stand it no more. In a rage, he summoned his pets.

Then a wave of fire engulfed us…he had joined the battle!

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Harriet searched the body of the defeated prince. “We have the rose!! she shouted holding it so all could see. “I am off to bring it to the king!”

After much cheering and shouting, we began the task of healing our wounded, resurrecting our dead and collecting our bodies. Then returned to Britain and began our victory celebrations. Already I was composing ballads of our brave battles. Peace and health had returned once more.

**Tonight’s drop was the second in a series of flowers…The First Bloom of Spring.**

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