It was some days ago that I met a strange lass. Cold, keeping a distance and not trusting, and what a surprise, she's a Dawner! Her name's Chaney. On a first glance one can say she's strange, always sitting alone, hiding, almost trembling. But as it seems she has a reason for all that. A man or a woman will stop being trusting if something terrible happens to them, and I think something happened to her too.
Distrusting and cold, hiding but bold, she must have lead quite the life, luckily for her she's one of us now, and we take care of our people. At first she was aggressive towards me, it's quite impressive what difficulties can do to a person. Slowly I tried to reach out, first with my palm, as if trying to tame a wild animal, and then with words, so that she understands what is the Bloody Dawn. She always wore a hood... And kept her head low... Each time I was lecturing her that Dawners aren't cowards that cover their faces... Each time she was taking it off and the next time it was on. Until I learned why...
It was a beautiful night and I was enjoying some good weed from the Shire and as always guards were passing two by two by that spot. The moment that I took that tasty weed into my lungs and closed my eyes to enjoy it I heard a "Pssst" from near the post. I leaned forward to see that grumpy face under the hood, every two minutes hiding from the guards that were passing. I took her to the Dawnhall, but how we got there is another story... I had to bribe every guard that was passing by so that she'd feel safe. When we got to the Hall I heard parts of her story, it didn't surprise me. She had a hard life, and she was forced to be distrusting and to keep a distance for everyone, to her eyes everyone was an enemy, lurking in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to lunge at her.
And that moment I saw it... She is a diamond, a raw diamond with great potential, and someone has to unlock it, someone has to show her that the world isn't what she thinks it is, not all of it at least. And then shape that diamond, reveal the true form of it, underneath that hard shell. I asked her where she lived, she answered only after the third time... Wherever she could find. And as her being a Dawner I told her to stay at the Dawnhall. There is a bedroll for every friend there and I offered her the spot, which she has the right to claim. She wasn't sure at first, she was almost lost in it, but when I reassured her she pulled the hood up to cover her face. It wasn't hard to guess why... After solving the first problem, her accommodation it was time to solve the other problem. But first... I had to do something...
Most of the times I've seen her she was alone, and when I talked to her she was wasting her time around the Beggar's Alley... It was time for her to find a new friend, a friend who would take care of her as long as she would do the same to him... I took her to my house and after making sure that she knows how to ride a horse I gave her Bertnar... After Hyrien sending me Hedinn from Rohan, Bertnar was spending his days lazily, eating in the back of my house. So it was time for him to get into action again, and who would be best to be under his protection? Chaney! Somehow I feel that that horse will keep her away from trouble, and I could see her smile as we rode back to Bree. She could feel the freedom of when one rides a horse and Bertnar was happy to have someone on his back again.
The second problem was too easy to take care of... The useless Bree town guards were after her for some minor things she did, obviously due to her lack of a home and proper company. A pouch with some gold and silver convinced the man in charge that she was not a criminal, just a lost girl, which now, was to stay away from those bad influences. After that came the usually time in the Prancing Pony, some ale and talk with the company of an Elf who was playing some music, filling the inn with colorful notes.
When I could catch her unprepared I could see something in her eyes, a sense of happiness maybe, I presented her the sigils of the Dawn, she's one of us and she has to show it. I hope I earned some of her trust that day. I want to show her that not anything is what she believes it is. I want her to be comfortable among us, and slowly begin training with her so that she will show us her talents, which I'm sure are many. She came along at the perfect moment, the moment I decided who I am. Now I have to keep up that way, and lately I did, despite some inner conflicts I managed to keep calm and go on. After all that's who I am.
