After one day of raging over the Barrow Downs and Buckland the storm calmed, and the clouds spread over Bree-land and within two hours covered the town itself and the surrounding villages and hamlets. At midday the rain started falling and soon the streets of Bree were empty, even the animals sought shelter from it, under the stalls in the stables, small corners between buildings or under roofs and even shopping stalls. Only the guards remained on the streets and went on with their patrol. The guards at the Gates of Bree were luckily in the small guardhouses with the windows open to a slit, just enough to see anyone approaching.
Fiontann was sleeping soundly to the sounds of the rain at his home. The drops of water that hit the roof of his house were always like a lullaby to him. Despite his suspicion at first due to the stone he managed to sleep and he was unaware of the stranger who entered Hamglen. Unaware were the other members of the Black Steel too, each of them busy with their every day lives or work. The Thirsty Boar was empty at that hour and was waiting for a visitor who sought shelter from the rain, one that was heading towards Bree or leaving it. The stranger followed the main road that leads to the inn and walked the path towards the door.
Dindrik, the Dwarf guard, wasn’t outside, the rain was too strong for him to stand in in and sat down by the fireplace next to the door with a mug of hot tea, his great axe was laying at his feet. Bil was leaning over the counter and was talking in hushed tones with Mandy, the maid who was seated at the stool. Riston, the new member of the staff of the Thirsty Boar was enjoying his porridge at the kitchen with the mute Hobbit, Coridac. The stranger stomped his leather boots on the stairs right outside the door to clean them as much as it was possible from the mud that they were caked it and scraped their soles on the corner of the second step. He took hold of the handle and turned it when he opened the door and closed it after stepping inside a loud thunder erupted covering the sound.
Bil was aghast when he saw the hooded figure under the frame of the door and Mandy turned to look who it was. It was someone tall and thin with a long dark brown coat that reached his knees and leather brown boots, the sleeves of the coat were too long and covered his hands and the hood covered his features. The trousers were dark due to the rain but they were probably dark green. Dindrik turned his head and squeezed the handle of the mug, he stared at the figure with a hard eye but he didn’t seem willing to get up and say something, the stranger was unarmed. Bil stood upright behind the counter and inclined his head from afar and Mandy smiled and took several steps away from the counter to let the person aproach.
The stranger sat at the table that is the closest to the counter without bothering to take down the hood, despite the rule of the inn, no hoods, no weapons inside. He sat motionless with his hands on his lap and his head leaned forward as if he dozed off. Bil and Mandy looked at each other and the young man shrugged and urged her to go take the order with a motion of his head. Mandy protested silently with a grimace gritting her teeth but drew a deep breath and walked towards the stranger after casting a gaze to Dindrik who turned his attention to the fire again without a care by the looks of it!
-Hello?… What can I get you?
The stranger turned his head towards her but didn’t reply immediately, that made Mandy speak again.
-S-sir? Are you alright?
-Iiiss the oowner heere?
Despite being closer to the stranger and him being turned towards her Mandy couldn’t see his face. His voice sounded as if coming from somewhere deep down, it was gritty with a very low tone and dragged the vowels to a whisper.
-No sir, I am afraid that he is unavailable at the moment. Could I take a message?
The figure didn’t answer, he turned his head and looked across the room or even past it for two heartbeats that seemed like an eternity to Mandy. He lowered his head and brought his right hand to his chest and searched the inside of the left side of the coat and produced a folded piece of parchment.
-You can giive him thiiss.
Mandy extended her hand to take the parchment and shuddered, yet she tried not to show it. The stranger got up and left as quietly as he came. When the maid was sure that he got out she ran to the counter and dropped the parchment, then started rubbing her hand on her clothes.
-This is disgusting! I can’t stand it any more!
-What is it?
-Look, it’s some kind of slime, it was on his hand… It’s disgusting!
The young woman kept rubbing her hand and then went straight to the kitchen to wash her hands with soap at the basin. Bil looked at the parchment but didn’t dare touch it.
-Ristooon!
