The day had started off so well. As well as could be expected given a man crossing paths with a former lover. So gifted in the deadly art of ending men's lives. Especially as I did wonder whether or not it was she desired my death. Given the hasty severing of ties with the Firefly whom we both once called friend. She threatened my life if I should hurt her, as I recall. But even as this was a surprise to me I'd achieved my aims of finding what I was looking for. Another job crossed off my list.
I perused the various shops, merchants of weapons and armour for a goodly long time in the town, one or two in the villages. Hunting for gifts. Or a pair of them to be precise. Until I stumbled upon one in particular. And there I found her, stood behind the counter.
Why I let this woman, this deadly beauty live I do not know. For I let my guard down that summer in the Forsaken Inn, when I intended to leave Bree-land and never come back. That of course was my intent. Though things did not go to plan quite so easily. The advantage truly was mine for a time. For I knew the Variag but she could only suspect anything ill of me. I had studied her, witnessed her in the killing of the men who hunted her. Feeding them as she did to the Chetwood spiders. I had contemplated eloping with her all those years ago as well as in recent times. Quite the contradictory notion I know. She does not judge my darker deeds, how could she.
And yet even though she was a target so ripe for the slaughter. I felt sympathy for this woman. This escaped slave of Khand. Raised from an early age to be unquestioningly obedient. To pleasure her master, serve as his bodyguard and to kill without question. Even now they send trained assassins. Possibly women like her. To creep within the borders of the Bree-lands to either claim her, or end her life. Given that she has already escaped one recapture I suspect it is the latter. The woman possesses a firm resolve to keep her grip upon freedom now that she has tasted of it's forbidden fruits. Enviable, for it is better to die than remain a slave. For I was once in captivity myself. And I never intend to repeat the experience.
No, I have no reason to kill this deadly beauty and I pray she has none to kill me. Can I truly slaughter a woman for defending herself simply because she is a skilled assassin and possesses the capability?
I do not think so. Yet she knows that which she knows. Checkmate, I suppose. The fault of the long fog which crowded my judgment. When I fell so foolishly in love with my flower. The aftermath of her death, I ceased to care for any pretences. If she was to be my travelling companion I wanted her to know me. Truly.
Oh it does make me grimace to look back upon my first pages. Though I try not to flick through them where I can, merely drags up memories I'd rather not.
It seems she has abandoned her wagon as a permanent residence and indeed acquired this shop. There she trades wares to whomever she can. Men in the West do not trust a woman with dark skin, understandable to a degree. Yet I have always found there something quite exotic, and enticing about it. Many will not even contemplate purchase of her goods simply because of her origin. They say she is a witch, that she will curse them. Women think she will eat their babes. Such nonsense. Dismember your recently deceased body parts for easier transportation to feed her spiders with perhaps when she's cut your throat if you get on the wrong side of her but really I find these prejudices to be silly. Perhaps I'm blinded with my fascination.
Though her time in my bed was in the past. Perhaps that is where I shall leave it. I would rather prefer not to be stabbed in my sleep or find poison in my cup one morning should enmity come to pass between us. Much as the danger and excitement first appealed to me.
I made purchase of a bow and quiver of Khandish make from her wares, a dagger of Gondorian make oft favoured by knights. Two gifts apiece for my friends that makes given the whiskey and the mead.
I had thought that my friend if I can still call her that would be long gone in my absence. This place is a known quantity to her pursuers, but she does have a point in that she knows this land better now and thus has the advantage against them on home ground. It seems to me that she wishes to make a stand.
I decided for the rest of the day when I had bid my farewell to her I would spend an afternoon practicing and honing my bow arm I seem to have been neglecting recently with all my quill wielding. And so I rode into town, I was a little rusty at first. My aim slightly off but I soon found my form.
Thoughts in my head were muddled, by the time I had finished. My arms sore it was near on dusk as I emerged from the Training Hall in Bree.
I was in desperate need by that time of a good stiff drink. No problem, I had thought. I would collect myself one and simply take my leave, go home.
And then I saw her. Flame of hair and a sword strapped across her back. She must have come in through the front door after I had taken a quick glance around the back rooms to see who was about.
There was no mistaking her. And indeed as I passed, I noticed that damned Captain's sigil pinned to her shoulder. Béma's name my blood still boils. No sooner had I got to the bar and ordered my rum for the road had a familiar sight caught my attention, the oh so very refined lady of Harondor I have written of at some length and a kinsman. Bidding me join them by the fire. I politely declined. No sooner than I had lifted the rum to my lips and prepared to leave. That woman stormed over, curtly informing me that she had attempted to visit my home not once but thrice and I was not there. The nerve of her. As she headed across the room to the distant fireplace I steadied my breath. That was it, no apology. No nothing. Clearly what seemed to me to be a bare-faced lie. My guardsmen are usually thorough in their relaying to me of my visitors. Even in my absence. And yet I had heard not a dickybird. I must confess I did not give the woman the most pleasant of looks.
Damn it all, I stormed out of the door then whilst keeping my temper upon it's leash. this was not the time or the place. Suppressing my anger deep. More or less ignoring the smirk of amusement upon the lady's lips at witnessing the altercation. I lingered upon the steps of the Prancing Pony for a time. Smoking of my pipe-weed, it does tend to calm me at times. Thus was to begin the next mind-numbing chapter of the evening I had certainly not anticipated. For the fair haired maiden of the Mark I have written about in brief came strolling up the stairs. The greetings we both bid one another were pleasant enough. Though it had begun to rain heavily not moments after. And being that I had time to cool down to a degree I thought I might enjoy some company to take my mind off it. I headed back inside with her whilst she wandered to the bar. And again, we were bid by my ever so lewd, smooth talking companion of the late hours in my tavern who had spoken to me of such filth. Doubtless to seek to make me crave of her during her absence. To join them by the fire. She was stood with a kinsman. A fellow Eorling, I glanced to my present company. Why not, the Ranger lover had found a hearth to stand by far from our own. Out of sight, out of mind. And she was a mutual acquaintance of the man she is due to marry. I had observed. Perhaps my spirits might have been lifted somewhat. What with the thought of the Variag, my decision not to end her life even though she knows too much and my sympathy for her conflicting in my mind. The altercation that had just occured among other things. My damned feelings when it comes to my childhood friend.
Mayhaps some cheerful company might take my mind off matters. But no sooner had I stepped by that hearth. The number around it began to grow far too large for my liking. It was difficult to follow conversation given the incessant pounding in my head. I did notice the lady of the other eve clung to my side. She attempted to draw me into the conversation. And yet, all I could see past the fair haired maiden's shoulders was her. With the Captain's sigil. Stood by the door. A stirring in my blood. Whispers in my ear. Anger which I fought so very hard to restrain. I fear I could not hide the fact my mood was somewhat out of sorts and irritable. As great as is my restraint. My body language tense as I contained it.
Gods, I was going to hurt someone or something. The pounding was driving me near to madness even as I masked it and spoke idly of varieties of pipe-weed. Damn it all, my head still pounds.
The fair maiden had to ask me twice to leave the Inn with her as I simply did not realise that she was addressing me. Whyever she did I am still none the wiser to. Strange girl, most peculiar. The first thing that came out of her mouth was did I enjoy spending time with that woman. Though what that has to do with anything I didn't know at first. I'd not the foggiest idea why she had bid me join her outside having so retreated from the cold and the rain which still poured. But I was glad of it falling upon my features. Refreshing.
What happened next was most odd, she spoke to me of the woman who had bid me join her, warned me of her even. As if I was some naive boy none the wiser. I might have smiled and laughed if I'd been in a better mood had she not seemed to so clearly detest the woman. Something I was quite unaware of up until that point. I would have told her that I am no fool to be manipulated by such charms. The woman is desirable physically, she is amusing. Up to a point, if incredibly and tediously full of herself and tiresome in her questions. Even as I have enjoyed her. But I am no woman's pawn upon a chessboard. I can only assume she has attempted to manouver one of her friends perhaps as a piece upon it.
Yet this wasn't the reason she bid me leave the Inn apparently. Oh no, she stood there looking at me like a rabbit struck dumb it was most bewildering. Had her husband to be found out about my gift and took issue with it? I don't know, it seems she was about to spill whatever it was that was when the man in question came trotting out. Though he did not say much. Merely stood there like a guard dog and she would say no more.
I'm not even going to begin to decipher what was going through her silly head. Ridiculous affair, really. I've barely said two words to this woman and she's dragging me out into the street and acting afeared to speak?
To Hel with it all. I've a mind to stay at home today. But we'll see.
