Nimeway had lived in Bree for a little while. She had made only one friend at that point, being her dog, Baloo. The only other person Nime really knew was Maydawn, her sister. Nime typically spent her time sitting in the back corner of the Pony for it was the easiest place to snatch a little food and was warm. To tell the truth, Nime never told Maydawn of her hardships. She would always smile and pretend that everything was alright whenever she spoke to May.
But in those days, the only thing Nime could do was steal, for she was too shy to go out and actually try to find any other work, whether that work was selling herself or other resorts people take when they have nothing else. Instead, Nime just stole things and took them to one man in Beggar’s Alley who never asked her to speak. He would just look at the item, then take it and give Nime some money. No words spoken between the two. That’s how Nime liked it.
Though most of the little money Nime had made didn’t go for food. Yes, some of it did. However, the most went for a satchel Nime saved up for and then plants and bandages Nime used for healing. Sometimes after she made a little money, Nime would use it all on dried leaves and forget to put some aside for food. She always felt that healing others was more important for her to spend the little bit of money on.
So because of all this, Nime was tiny. She was only three inches above five feet, and she was very thin. Though even in her thinnest state, Nime was still quite beautiful. Though she never knew it, she refused to look into the mirrors. She refused to see her own reflection from the puddles and rivers.
After this carried on for a little while, Nime’s life found a new path to follow downwards. The path she had already been following would have more than likely led to her own death. Though the new one wasn’t necessarily the safest. Nonetheless, it was safer than the last. It started when a man named Hardoleth first met Nime. Alas, poor Nime was shy in those days. Though she never truly broke through her shyness. Still, she was much worst.
Hardoleth asked Nime her name, she stared at him. Of course this annoyed the man. I mean, wouldn’t it annoy you? Nime finally mustered up enough courage to give him short, simple answers such as, “Nimeway.” And when he asked if she was willing to join a company called the Bloody Dawn, Nime said, “Yes.” She didn’t ask what this Bloody Dawn was or what they did. She only knew she had nothing else to lose.
It was a good choice for Nime. Life has many paths appear, some safer, some more dangerous. Some are both combined. Nime’s choices were to stay on the path of loneliness and either die of starvation or freezing to death in the night. Or her other choice was to follow on the path that led to both friendships and loyalty, but also the risk of attacks and jobs that were dangerous. Still, the second path was what Nime chose, and it was both good and bad.
Shortly after Nime had joined the Bloody Dawn, she met her brother-in-law, Dataak, who was also a member of the company. Poor Dataak tried really hard to convince Nime to speak to him. Though Nime’s shyness always won out. Many people tried to convince Nime to talk. All did except one lady who went by the name River and sometimes Celoneth. But alas, none of them were successful. Only one person was able to break through the barrier and access the true Nimeway. After him, it was easier for the others, but still Nime kept much from them.
Now you may be wondering how the man was able to break through. You may not, but I don’t care. I will say it anyways. He was not able to break through at first. The first time Nime was introduced to him, which was by Dataak, she was afraid of him. A large man who was rambling on about some lass he had fallen for. Nime didn’t know what to think.
Though after a little time Nime was sitting in the back corner by some barrels in the Pony, he was sitting in the seat by the stage with his feet propped up onto the table. He looked down at her and simply waved her over. Nime blinked, was he really inviting her of all people to socialize? But alas, Nime rose to her feet and sat down in the chair across the table from him.
He spoke, Nime listened. Nime didn’t say a word that time, just let him ramble on about whatever. She responded to his questions with a nod, shake of the head, or just shrugging. It wasn’t long before another lady came over and propped herself onto his lap, giving him a bottle of rum. Her name was Neyaa.
The next time Nime sat down across the table from him, and just him, she spoke a little bit. Eventually, Nime was able to speak when she was with him, though only until Neyaa or another one of their friends, Ninvolos, came around. The people Nime was able to talk to grew, which included Maydawn, Dataak, and the man, Rossethor.
Though when she began to speak to Neyaa and Ninvolos is when she was in Laila’s Market one day. The two came in and began to separately search through the store. Nime caught on almost immediately that they weren’t legitimately shopping, but were here to steal. So what did Nime do? She was still in her old mentality and still stole for supplies. Nime helped them, and stole quite a bit of things. She only kept some of the money though, Nime didn’t want to take too much.
Rossethor just shook his head and laughed, calling the three thieves. Which of course they were. That’s what began the friendship Nime had with Neyaa. A few days after that, Ninvolos and Rossethor decided to get Nime drunk in the Pony. Nime knew she shouldn’t get drunk, she knew she became violent and helpless. She commonly drank herself to sleep on top of the ruins of Ost Barandor, Baloo protecting her from harming herself. She had never gotten drunk in public before.
Though they did push it and they did get what they deserved. At first it was ok, Nime was confused as to where she was and who was around her. Though her speech didn’t just slur together, she switched languages all together. Nime went back to the language she had grown up with, Sindarin. Ninvolos didn’t know Sindarin, but luckily Rossethor did. Ninvolos had to take Nime’s dagger away when Nime pulled it out, and Ross decided she needed to go to wherever she lived.
Nime told him, “I have no home, but I want home.”
He didn’t fully realize what Nime was trying to say at the time, so he just decided to take Nime to his home and allowed her to sleep in the guest room. Neyaa had already been passed out in Ross’s bed across the house. Nime passed out on the guest bed, it being the first time she had actually slept in a house on a bed in a few years.
When Nime was sobered, he told her she was at his home and she was forced to explain what ‘I have no home’ meant. It was hard for Nime to admit her hardships, even when she didn’t go into detail. She hated having to ask people for help, she’d rather figure it out on her own. Nime was and is still very stubborn. It wasn’t good for her, though she finally accepted Ross’s offer to sleep in the guest rooms of his house. She only snuck in at night and snuck out early in the mornings to attempt not to disturb Ross or Neyaa.
Rossethor gained Nime’s trust before any of the Dawners. Then there was the one night Nime was in the wrong place at the wrong time. A man named Norlow stalked behind her from the shadows, grabbing her and pulling her back into the shadows. Nime tried to fight back, landing a few punches on him. But her leg was broken at the time, which she kept from everyone. He tied her up, abandoning her in a house full of cats.
Norlow contacted Maydawn with the information of Nime’s capture and demanded she would meet him in the back of the Pony. Ross went with Maydawn. After exchanging some money, Norlow gave the two a riddle and walked out. Luckily, Ross knew the answer and they found Nime. Poor Nime was terrified, though she was able to control herself and hide it by the time she made it back to Ross’s.
Ross and Neyaa’s relationship had ended not to long before. Well, at least Neyaa had left the house and gave Ross his key back. But that night nothing truly happened between Nime and Ross. They ended up falling asleep in the hammock outside under the stars, curled up with one another.
From there, the two’s relationship began to fully develop. Nime began to trust him more and more as he began to trust her. Nime had no clue what about Ross she liked, but she just knew she liked him. She tried to figure it out, she spent a lot of time trying to figure that out. Eventually she gave up and just let it come to her naturally.
The time Nime finally realized how much she loved Ross was the second time someone kidnapped her. Hardo had assigned Nime to spy on a woman named Eylis. Eventually as Nime gathered information, that included a man by the named Katlum. Regardless, Nime was outside of the homesteads when she saw a group of people huddled together speaking.
She was curious and stopped only for a moment till Katlum rode up to her. He drew the people’s attention and they surrounded the two. Nime was tied up and pulled onto a horse, Katlum was beat. Rossethor had rode by on his way home, and saw the scenario take place. But fear gripped his heart when he found there was nothing he could do but ride back to the Dawn Hall and raise the alarm.
Oddly enough, Nime was not afraid. She used the time to cleverly seek out a little information before Hardoleth negotiated a deal with the men and they released her. To Nime’s surprise, she had come home to an injured Ross. He had charged at the men and a sword had struck through the tendon of his arm. Nime never forgave herself after she had to sever it. She blamed herself for it, but she also found that she truly loved him with everything she had.
“Never believe that a few caring people can't change the world. For, indeed, that's all who ever have.” -Margaret Mead
