“You’re a foolish little rat,” the guard who brought her in sneered at her. “Do you really think that villain is going to come back for a rat?” He asked as he pushes her into her cell. She smirked at him with smug assurance. Belegandir loved her and wouldn’t allow her to stay here longer than need be. She was sure that he was hidden away somewhere already well into a plan to free her.
“You foolish rat! You really have no idea of what kind of man he is do you?” He asked but clearly didn’t expect her to answer as he kept talking. “This is not the first I’ve heard of that villain…nor are you the first rat he’s used…Let me guess what did he promise you? A better life? Lots of Coin? Maybe Love perhaps?” He asked again then suddenly burst into harsh laughter. “It was love wasn’t it? I can see it on your face rat. You even more foolish than I thought!”
“How could you think anyone…even a villain like him could ever love a rat like you” he said then spat at her feet, with a condescending smug look on his face. Rannie simply smirked at him, refusing to let his taunts sway her faith in Belegandir. This stupid guard knew nothing of them or her. He continued to try to goad her for some time but she simply walked in the cell, confident in their love and Belegandir intentions to rescue her. It was just a matter of a few days, maybe a week at the worst.
As the days passed, turning into week which in turn turned into months Rannie came realize the truth in the guards words. Belegandir wasn’t coming for her and the love he had so eagerly claimed to have for her was just another one of his clever little schemes. When this first realization came to her, Rannie fell into a pool of despair and fury. If he had been near her, she would have sunk her fingers into his skin, ripping the flesh from his face. It consumed her to such point for a while it was all she could think of.
However, after horrible storm that flooded her cell slightly Rannie saw her reflection into one of the many puddles of rain water. It caused her to freeze on the spot, her face was cold and hard with a terrible frown upon her face, and it was a fearful sight at the least. “Where did I go?” She asked reflection and then rubbed her face, as if that would help her get her old self back. She sat there on the cold stone floor thinking of what she had become. This person wasn’t her…she always knew how to laugh, shrug off her problems, and enjoy life no matter how dark things become.
After that night, Rannie felt free of her bitterness, anger and despair. She took to making friends with the other prisoners and gambling with them to help pass the time. Much to her delight, her re-found love of life bothered the guard to no end. His name calling and threats no longer held power over her no matter how much venom and malic he put into them. She wouldn’t have exactly said the remainder of the year happily, for she was often cold and seldom fed and longed to feel the sun on her face once more but it eventually passed.
To her surprise just before she was escorted out of town, the mayor came to see her. “Well here you are young one” he said as he walked up to her. “I hope you have learned something while in your stay with us.” Rannie smirked with a nod, glancing at the guard who so wanted to enjoy her torment causing her smirk to grow.
“Aye that I did Mister Mayor,” she told the older man as she looked back towards him. “I learned quite a bit thank ya.” The mayor looked at her for a moment longer in silence then nodded.
“Yes, I believe you have which is why I’m giving you a parting gift,” he said and held out his hand which someone gave him a small pack. “Here you have some coin and enough food to get you to the next town…a way to help you keep from your dishonest past,” he explained as he handed the pack to her. The guard started to complain about the gesture when the mayor waved a dismissive hand at him.
“Uh..Aye…thank ya,” she said, unsure what to say at first then looked up into the elderly man’s face. “I plan ta go back home, make a new start” she told him seriously. Once again the guard made a rude gesture of his disbelief in her words but neither the mayor nor she made any acknowledgment it. The mayor nodded once more and wished her well in her travels back home before two guards escorted her out of the town.
With a smirk and a wink she waved to her escorts as she started down the road, already thinking of home though the way back to home was a long slow process. She had to pool all her luck and what wit she had to keep from going back to the old habit of stealing coin or food. But after a year of traveling Rannie finally was before the wooden gate of Bree. A smile spread across her face as she walked into the busy streets. She was finally home and things were going to be alright from there on out…she was sure of it.
