This tale continues from Difficult hunt and mysteries.
It could have been a difficult task tracking, almost impossible most would say, had I not known their destination. I have walked for a few days now, getting very close to the settlement, on hard rocky ground, slippery due to the rain that has been pouring. It feels like I'm soaked to the bone and I’m famished as well, since I had allocated little time for rest. I had forged my will into iron, so I could press on and catch my prey, before they reached the settlement.
Coming over a small hill, I sense the settlement, before I see it. The combination of smells from smoke coming from fire pits and food being prepared and the sour smell of wet timber that have been used, is one tell sign. The other is the sound of people going around, doing their daily duties, hearing horses neigh, the hammer from a blacksmith on an arm bolt, children laughing… everything that gives an impression that the place is safe and secure… for now.
What have I missed? Have my prey taken another direction unnoticed to me? I turn around and look in the direction from where I came, but that view is covered in a grey mist resting like a blanket over the landscape, matching the grey clouds that still share the world with its rain. That could still hide them… The situation is not what I had though, but I could at least warn the settlers about the possibilities of an attack. I stride down toward the settlement, leading my horse behind me, safely down what seems to be a small animal track.
The settlers notice me arriving, but seem not to bother too much about me. I guess they are used to many travelers between Gondor and Rohan and that there is nothing special about me, than the rest who travel past their homes. The stables and what goes for a tavern, is easily spotted due to its location close to the main road that goes through the small settlement. As I walk towards the stable, there is a steady growing concern when I notice no barricades or watchtowers and no sign of anything that could pass for a guard or a rider protecting this place. Has this place been left untouched for so long, that the settlers feel secure enough to neglect such? I secure my horse in the stables, before heading over to the tavern. That mount… Fastrad is its name... I remind myself, have been with me for many years and it saddens me to see how skinny and ragged it has become the last week, following me in my hunt to this place. Turning around to take one more look at him, before I enter the tavern, I see he is eating and reminds me that I’m hungry as well. The mount and the rider are of equal mind then I chuckle, before opening the door to the tavern and entering the dark room within.
Once inside it takes some time before my eyes adjust to the dark room, compared to light outside, despite it being grey and filled with rain. There is a small fire going in a fireplace and I smell fresh baked bread, moistening my mouth. It may be that I'm fatigued and hungry, but it takes some time before I notice the man in one of the corners holding another one up against the wall with a knife against his throat. The man with his knife turns his head and to my surprise I see that he is a swarthy fellow… an easterling? Here? Glaring at me, he speaks to me in a rough westron. “If you value your life rohan man, walk away.” From pure instinct I start drawing my sword, but the easterling will have none of that and press his knife slightly into the other man's throat, making him bleed and stopping me from further action. The other man looks at me with pleading eyes and with a trembling voice addresses me in rohirrim; “I beg of you, save me… he will kill me.” With my hand on my sword hilt, I hesitated and did not notice the shadow behind me, before it was too late, before something hard hit me in the back of my head and the world turned black and in the background a rough laughter echoing in the distance.
I wake up in pain. Not only from a throbbing headache, but an entire body in agony, like somebody has been kicking me several times over and over. And I discover that I bleed not only from the head, which blurs my sight with its red color, but somebody has stabbed me as well and not only once. Trying to sit up and assess my wounds makes things even worse, as the pain increases with each little tiny movement. Letting out a grunt in pain, biting my teeth together, I use a table to lean on, so I can stand up. The room seems to swim around me, making me dizzy and I want to vomit, but I force it back. Leaning on the table and breathing heavily I try to figure out where the door is, so I can get out and get help.
On the floor I noticed the man who had pleaded with me to help him was dead and there was the fire… they had set the place on fire… my mind screams to me and I see the ceiling is already covered with flames and thick heavy black smoke is starting to fill the room. Get out! My mind screams and I try to follow its commands, but I collapse only after a few meters. The pain is almost unbearable, but I start to crawl, which seems even worse than walking, but the thoughts of burning to death spurs my actions and after what felt like an eternity, I reach the door and crawl out into the rain and the muddy ground.
There somebody comes running and drags me away from the building, ignoring my screams in pain over the rough treatment. For unknown reason I turn my head around, despite the pain, and look towards the stables, where I see poor Fastread is laying motionless in the mud as well, blood encircling his body. The last doleful thoughts that goes through my head, before the darkness engulfs me again, was that both the rider and his mount went down, but not together as it should be. Poor loyal Fastread, a long time companion, deserved a better fate than this. As the world turns dark, I'm not sure of if it's the rain or tears that flows down my cheek.
On a wagon heading for Edoras, there lay a wounded man of the mark with dark cold eyes.
