I had made my way into the Chetwood. To well did I know these trees and dusty roads. I knew what creatures hunted here and their territories. The rock nook to the west has always been home to a large pack of wolves. The south was damp and cold from the Marshes and riddled with spiders half my size. The Brigands who camped in the central and eastern areas had helped me many times before and the lake further north had for years served as a safe home whenever I had need of it.
Today I needed both.
The Brigand camp offered me bandages and some quick attention to wounds and cuts. While the lake and its surrounding rocks would hide my armour and sword as their use has for now expired. I could not enter Bree with these items.
Some hours later I would emerge from the Forest having the guise of another man and ride for Combe. The evening was in full cast and the night was getting closer, this day had already taken its toll on me but I pressed on, stopping only in the inn for food and water. As darkness set in, it made it easier to slip by the Bree watch who stood at the gates of Bree. Should they notice my wounds or blood, I would have been stopped but they was in idle talks with one another regarding the guards wife not performing her duties and as my luck would have it, neither was he.
Beggars Ally was my first calling. This dark, western region played host to all villainy of Bree and therefore difficult to tell one ragged man from another, the perfect place to hide and gather information about the factors of this town. The horse Faustino had me placed upon fetched me a few coin. The price was low in order to rid me of it, perhaps the buyer saw a meal more than he did a steed but I was not concerned of this man’s use of the horse. The coin was enough to earn information about who has rode in and out of town today and Julian was on this list, as was Ilaru.
The Old stones sit only on the north east exit of the ally. An unfortunate scholar, dressed in fineries was spending his evening in the study of these rocks. Some ancient people from before his time was not his final concern. The man wondered to close to my hunting ground and I had requirements of a disguise which would go unquestioned in the more desirable areas of Bree town. A hooded cloak was easily gathered from a passing stranger upon the Scholars stairs for my final few coins.
I could now completely go unrecognized through the market place and northward towards the Prancing Pony all the while having a watchful eye for the Gondorian and any of the House of Midnight as I still do not trust them not to betray their word.
As I approached the courtyard of the Prancing Pony, ensuring my hood was properly masking my face, I scouted around. The townsfolk walked by and the guards marched through as they have always done. The cheers and rants of drunkards could be heard from Butterburs walls, horses reigned to posts feeding on dirt ridden hay while awaiting their Masters. The sight matched that from when I was a boy, having seen over forty winters since, I calmly took in the sounds which echoed those in my memory. The water from the well splash as a hobbit emptied a bucket, a peaceful moment.
The cold had met a few drops of blood seeping from the bandage on my leg. My garments kept it hidden from sight but harsh Bree winter meant no place was kept warm from the bitter cold. It was this that brought me back from my long glare across the courtyard, perhaps I was slipping for my tiredness. Only to find I was looking directly at Ilaru herself sat upon the bench before the well. I do not think she knew it was me by that point but she had certainly given me a glance that told me I had been noticed. As such I walked as steadily as I could around the outskirts of the yard until her back faced me and then made my approach.
My gloved hands fetched water from the filled well which I used to quickly wash traces of blood from my face and then I uttered my opening line. Going back to when we used to stand upon Scholars stairs and admire the views it offered, I felt irony as I asked her if she was enjoying her view this evening. Ilaru stood up quickly. She knew now who I was just by my voice alone. She span with haste and almost jumped on me had I not placed my finger on my lips to silence her for fear she would scream out my name and disband all of my efforts to conceal myself.
Soon enough we moved away from the crowded activities surrounding the Prancing Pony and moved up the hill to the ruins above. She led as we spoke but not so much as you would expect. I had prepared answers as to my location but the conversation never called upon them. It was as if only yesterday was our last meeting. So naturally approached was this meeting that I had not even made observation on how close we had crept to one another or that my hand had rested upon her face. It took considerable will to gain control once again. Each time I would lose myself in our conversation, I found myself turning back towards her like that of a man’s head who fights his coming sleep. My tired body and mind was not up for this, time and time again I could feel my wound fester and on occasion it would cause a shaking which forced me to make effort in order to hide my condition from her. She had noticed I was injured and offered her healing hands but I stood to proud to allow it and did not let on the true extent of my afflictions.
By now our conversation was in full flow, She spoke a small amount of her tribes people and how she was cast out but I pressed her on the notion that she has been with Bree for long enough now to call it home. She was not agreeable to the concept but I consider her thoughts on this to be strange. I feel she holds a compulsion to being considered an outsider. She has done so for such a time that she know no other mindset. Her excuses for it are frail at best for no outsider could be the influence she is yet she does not see the role that Bree has gifted her. I have so many times watched from a distance the men and women from all cornerstones come to her for support as she sits in respect of various viewpoints throughout town.
More recently she spends time upon that bench as I would observe her from afar in order to keep away any dangers I might bring her. She spoke of her current troubles, some argument regarding the Iron crown which may soon lead to bloodshed. I cared little for the details instead carelessly offered my assistance if required.
Instinctly,I would not allow harm to come to the girl and would lay out my sword even at times where I knew my own matters could well be hindered by these actions.
Our conversation lasted but a short while before I had to admit to myself that this day has taken enough of me, I must retreat from Bree for some time before I begin my assault on Julian.
Forced to depart I left her with the promise that I would return. A promise I should not have made as I know I am not able to keep. Julian will soon discover that I was freed and the House would begin a hunt for me. They would search here first if I assume they do not burn my home to cinder. If they knew of my attraction to Ilaru, they would take her and not a single thought in my mind questions the idea of handing over my life so that she may live.
