I had just left the pony, my stomach filled with a raging hunger. As I stood on the steps leading out from the pony, my eyes were drawn to a Market stall that seemed to carry the most beautiful fruit I had ever seen. I shifted Raedan in my arms and walked over to the stall, trying not to draw attention to myself. It worked. I picked up an apple and pretended to inspect it's quality. The vendor didn't even seem to notice when I walked away carrying the apple.
I decided to hide behind a haystack to eat my apple. I didn't want to have people seeing me eating a stolen apple. Especially given two of the people I just met were on the steps, and quite possibly watching me. Now, if you have ever had a baby, you know that asking it to be quiet while hiding is like telling a dog not to bark. So there I was hiding behind a haystack, baby in one arm, and my apple in my free hand.
It wasn't long before a man walked by my hiding spot. It was quite clear to me that he was looking for someone. Likely me, as, if I recall correctly he was speaking in the language I could understand. Right as he walked by my haystack, he said, 'Now where did she go.' Inconveniently at that moment time, Raedan decided to whimper, letting me know he himself needed attention, likely food.
It turned out the man was none other than Edelred, the Captain I had just met. Strangely enough, he seemed to already recognize what my son sounded like. Despite my son's whimpering, I remained quiet as Edelred spoke to me, trying to coax me out from the haystack. However the man was persistant. So finally I spoke, though I still remained in the haystack.
I do not remember exactly how it came up, but conversation started about my living arrangements. He told me he wanted to take me somewhere where I could stay. I did not trust him, and so I told him such and that if I came out, he'd take me to the town's dungeons or something. He told me that he would do no such thing and just wanted to make sure my son and I were well taken care of.
I continued to argue with him, saying things like how I couldn't take his money. Somehow however, he knew just the words to silence each of my protests, and it became inevitable that I had to go with him. I finally climbed out of my hiding spot, the apple now finished. I held Raedan tightly in my arms as Edelred led me away.
Time seemed to pass slowly as he led me around the town, taking me, it seemed, the longest way possible to wherever it was we were going. He took me by every market stall, it felt like, that Bree had, reminding me that an apple was definitely not enough to satisfy my hunger. I also had kept getting the feeling he knew that I stole from a vendor, even though he said nothing about it. It was extremely hard for me to pass by all those stalls and not reach for some food item.
Finally after what seemed like hours of walking, Edelred brought me in front of a door. He said, 'I took you the long way so you could see everything you will be near.' And then he explained that he was bringing me to the place where he first stayed and worked when he came to Bree. He said I would be taking care of a lady who's surname was Appleblossom and her cats. She'd pay me well, and I'd be able to stay in an apartment next to her. When Edelred took me inside the apartment, I was appalled.
I had never seen so many cats in my life! Edelred explained that this was where I would be staying, and that even the bed was mine to use. However, I insisted on sleeping on the floor of the closet with my little Raedan curled up against my chest. I'm pretty sure at that point Edelred thought I was crazy, but I had been travelling so long and living in the alley the past few days, that a bed almost frightened me.
Edelred left me alone shortly after that, promising that he'd be back to check up on me... Little did I know then that that man would change my life.
