A woman was singing, her voice barely audible over the clamor of the Pony. She had a lovely, high falsetto voice. Stigandir hated it. It cut right through his skull and in to the seething headache he had as he sat nursing a cup of tea in a secluded corner, brooding.
So caught up in his mental ruminations was he that he did not notice the man who entered, conferred with Butterbur who pointed the man in his direction, and began to approach. In fact, he failed to notice the man even once he was standing next to him.
"You er... Stigandir?" the man said hesitantly. Stigandir swiveled his massive head to face the man and nodded slowly, grunting something of an affirmation. He eyed the man curiously. He had been in Bree barely a week and there were few that new his name, and fewer still who liked him well enough to approach him. This man was none of them, which could only mean one thing.
"I... erm... I saw yer posters..." the man drawled, still hesitantly, watching Stigandir as one might watch an angry dog.
"And?" Stigandir demanded gruffly.
"I'm fair certain I saw the lady an' the boy, though I dare say he were more a man than a boy, size wise 'least." the man explained at length. He now had Stigandir's full attention.
"When and where?" he breathed.
"Two weeks ago, they was in here, not seen 'em since," the man said, and Stigandir almost let out an exasperated sigh, prepared again for yet another confirmation that he was on their trail, but as usual, no closer, when the man added, "But..."
"But?" Stigandir echoed.
"But the lady, see, she were all cozying up to the men, an' askin' 'bout all the brigands we got runnin' 'bout in the hills. Very interested 'bout them folk, she were. Finally left with some bloke I ain't never seen before, didn't much like the looks of him meself." the man said and smiled.
So that was her game. Of course! Staying in town, she'd stick out, but it wouldn't matter if she settled in with a group of people who, by very definition, did not want to be found. Even if they could be found, which Stigandir was sure he could, they'd hardly let him walk in to their den. Still, this was closer than he had been in two years, and despite himself, felt the chase coming to a close.
"Thank you, you've done more than you know," Stigandir told the man, and began digging in his coinpurse, "For your troubles..." Then, despite his better judgment, excitement got the better of him and he tossed the startled man the whole bag, though it totaled little more than a pittance.
This was it. Now he knew her game, all he had to do was find a way to play it against her.
