The Private Journal of Piperel Fenflower: 13 Mede
We've just arrived back in Bree and my knees have not stopped shaking. Not from the riding but from the fear. It happened so fast that I could not react, I was standing in the predawn light, just finishing washing up by the river and the next thing I know I've got a hand over my mouth and an arm around my waist. I bit as hard as I could, the man called out briefly in pain but no one heard him. No one heard me struggling. The fist was hard that hit me in the face and mouth, it hurt and I must have passed out for a bit because when I woke I was curled up in a sack and I could feel the rocking beneath me and the soft sound of oars swishing through the water.
I won't go into a lot of detail because I'd rather not remember how scared I was but a man that my father once arrested for extortion and assault had men in the Shire. Someone knew who I was and this Fat Tom had me taken in order to ransom me off to Dad. The idiots did not realize that the men and women with me were not just Breeland guards but hardened sellswords of the Bloody Dawn and it sealed their fate. During my imprisonment, Fat Tom blabbed about how he hated Gatland Fenflower for causing his banishment from Breeland and how he'd lost his plump nest egg because the Watch confiscated his illegal earnings. He tied my hands and told one of his men to put me in the cage. That man started to touch me and I was so scared. I couldn't run away nor fight and his hands were cruel and hard. I made enough of a fuss that Fat Tom came to see what was going on, the man's hand was down the back of my pants grabbing my arse far too intimately. I told Tom that my father would not pay for damaged goods, that if I was spoiled then he would not give gold as I'd not be able to be married off. It was a gamble, but I was counting on his greed and assumption everyone was a chauvanistic pig as he was. He told the man to leave me alone and gave the order I was not to be molested. Quite a few protested this, but in the end the promise of gold was better than what they wanted with me.
Bound and gagged, I waited and finally heard the sound of a voice speaking about payment. I did not recognize it but once the door swung everything just fell apart. An arrow pierced the throat of Fat Tom, loosed by Taala I later found out. The Bloody Dawn had come to my rescue! Among the chaos, I was still bound at the hands and I crawled away, hoping not to get hit with a stray arrow or sword swipe. The bandits were many but the Dawn were better fighters. I heard the voice I had dreamed of call to me, I looked up and there was Gorlen, his sword dripping red but all I saw was his golden brown eyes, full of emotion when he saw I was alive. I ran to him, ducking a thrown spear and he pulled me aside. The battle was over fast, the dead were everywhere. It was shocking the amount of blood the human body can leak out onto the ground. I was freed and I hugged Gorlen so hard I thought I might hurt him but he held me and stayed close to me as we left the brigand's den and made our way back to camp at the Stock Tower. I ended up feeling the affects of the fear and excitement later, I thought I was alright but then I threw up and started shaking. I suppose it was a delayed reaction. Gorlen held me all night, I dreamed of being in the cage, of the leering filthy faces of the bandits. I would wake up but there he was, watching over me, comforting me until I fell back to sleep.
All of the Dawn are to be thanked, Taala offered her ear if I wanted to talk about what happened. I don't know if I do. Writing this down has been cathartic and I'd rather move on. Dwelling on it will only make me feel scared again. I'm healing now and spent the evening in my apartment with Gorlen, just being with him makes me feel better. We reconnected over tea and he slept over, which is becoming more of his habit, one that I do not wish to break. I love him and having him around is a great source of joy and comfort. Even if we do nothing but chat and have a meal, it is so very enjoyable. I'll finish this long journal entry by saying, I hope that this will make it easier for my brother and father to accept my choices. For it was not the Dawn that got me in trouble, but it was them that rescued me. I told Gorlen once that I wanted the danger but that was a very close call, I prefer not to think of what might have happened had the Bloody Dawn not acted as fast as they did. I am just grateful they did and I'm safe and with my love in the comfort of this tiny room.
