In the following weeks, it was with mixed feelings that Doc received the news from the Thane that, circumstances permitting, Mirrindale’s population would be fully evacuated in a matter of months, save for the worst of the offenders amongst the Merchants and the soldiers. Hearing this decided him to stay on, even after the abandonment, though he decided for personal reasons to withhold this information from the Thane for the time being.
Parting with his young friends was hard, and when it came time to say goodbye, he was surprised at himself for being more emotional than anticipated. ‘Well, Doc,’ said Ralph, standing before him awkwardly, ‘I guess we won’t be seeing each other for a while.’ Malina wept, and embraced the old man, causing him to say gruffly, around an unfamiliar thickness in his throat, ‘Well, get on with it then. I hate long goodbyes.’
Pran was somewhat taken aback when he found that the group leaving Mirrindale would be led by Birin, having naturally assumed that the Elf soldier would continue his duties as Mirrindale’s chief captain. But the Thane had taken this role upon himself, ordering Birin instead to lead the refugees. This did not entirely make sense to Pran, as he did not think that Birin was the best choice for such a task, though he was a natural leader, known to soldier and civilian alike, and possessed a knowledge of the countryside, at least to the ends of the Elf Kingdom, that was second to none. Pran reasoned that perhaps the main reason was that Birin was deep in the Thane’s counsels, and had as good a grasp as could be had of what was to come.