*The following titles of "In their absence" is Arostir's notes and journal entries during his lonesome stay in Bree, in the absence of the company he has learned much from the local folk... Even in the quiet rustic town of Bree, danger lurks still... *
In their absence, Part 1: A brewing plot...
So I've finally returned to this worthless pile of sticks, what of it eh? Have I seen so much of a silver piece since this whole mess started? Not bloody likely... I'm tired of bleeding for spit and my patience grows thin... How I wish I stayed with the company!
I have travelled hard and slept little. Though I have found some comfort in the warm of the Prancing Pony. But even here I am watched by folk with suspicious eyes...
I have taken to learning the recent gossip of the townsfolk, for in our absence rumours have grown and not surprising either, for it's much like the simple folk of Bree to spread tall tales and discuss amongst themselves crude theories of things they know nothing of.
Though what surprised me indeed was on the first night of my return to Bree, I learned of a sinister plot. A young boy by the name Ruevir was talking amongst the locals about what he claimed was a 'witch'. I listened intently while remaining unseen as the boy span his tale of how this witch would blight the land with a terrible curse... I found it a most amusing tale until I realized he was serious... And he called the witch by name.
He spoke of Ulfey...
My heart started racing, my breath caught still as I held my mug of ale in a tightening grasp, did I hear correct? Was this boy saying he was going to hunt my dear friend down over some blasted fairytale?
The locals of Bree are... Superstitious to say the least, they know very little of the ancient lore surrounding that of healing and they were ignorant to the knowledge of herbs used by my kin to treat many otherwise incurable wounds. And as I expected, word of our exploits in The Old Forest several months ago had reached the ears of almost everyone. It appears that they mistook the blight of Sharkey as Ulfey's doing. My predicament is indeed troublesome.
I began to spin a series of threats and finely crafted manipulative words over the course of several days in order to in a way convince the boy not to take to hunting Ulfey... Needless to say it was folly to do so. For I've learned that the Bree folk are stubborn to a fault and rather foolhardy if not courageous in their own right. The details of my encounters with the locals of Bree during this dark time shall be recorded in this journal of mine, though I fear I may need a fresh book for this diary has seen more than its fair share of ink spills and ripped out pages...
My first encounter with Ruevir was interesting to say the least. He seen me in my rugged travelling attire and hooded cloak as a sort of Ruffian. He did not expect a friend of Ulfey to threaten him so. It was clear that the boy scared easily as much to my own amusement I began to lead him astray, pretending that Ulfey would indeed curse them if they tried to attack her... This perhaps was my first mistake, for Ruevir then seen me as cursed myself, he said that I was a 'minion' and if he killed Ulfey, I would be free from her charms...
The true charm about this 'witch' is her skill in healing, medicine and cooking. Not to mention her unwavering care of her friends and allies. Ulfey means no harm at all and in fact it was she who warded the darkness from the Old Forest... But try telling that to a scrawny young boy who has his head in stories and tales.
