Bird on a Wire - Part 1
Bird on a Wire - Part 2
Bird on a Wire - Interlude 1
Bird on a Wire - Part 3
Bird on a Wire - Part 4
Bird on a Wire - Part 5
Bird on a Wire - Interlude 2
Bird on a Wire - Part 6
Bird on a Wire - Part 7
Bird on a Wire - Part 8
Riding slowly into Waymeet, Hawke sat on the mare Rainfall as Xanderian and Audea both walked alongside, working to keep him from toppling off. They both smiled however as they beheld the ranger Braichanar awaiting them. A few wounds were bound but otherwise he seemed none the worse for wear as he tossed Xanderian back her now empty quiver, moving to help the mostly unconscious Hawke from the back of the horse.
As he and Audea laid the young man down on the soft grass near the fire the ranger smiled. "It is good to finally meet the cause of so much strife, even if he will be some time recovering from the ordeal."
Audea looked up, having barely stopped weeping since they had escaped from the nearly deserted Kheledul. His words caused her to begin sobbing again. "I don't know how ta thank ta, Mister Brai...".
The ranger shook his head awkwardly, already sweeping up onto his roan. "Thanks are not needed, Audea of Bree and I expect we will be seeing one another again. I hope your young man knows what a treasure he has in you. It was an honour to fight beside you."
As he brought his horse around, Xanderian blocked his way. "Departing without a farewell? And what of me, Man of the North, shall you expect you will be seeing me again?" The raven haired elleth smiled, and the ranger coughed.
"Nightwind...I...umm..yes, I expect so." and with that he galloped away as if the Dourhand were still in pursuit, the huntress's crystaline laughter following him. She turned back to look at Audea, already nursing Hawke, and stroking Rainfall's neck she whispered in the horse's ear.
---
Audea looked up some moments later, surprised for a moment that Miss Xan appeared to be gone, but her horse remained, nuzzling Audea gently. Braided into Rainfall's mane was the flask of Miruvor. As Audea looked for the elleth, she heard her voice in her head and smiled. "When you are both ready, Rainfall will bear you back to Bree...you will be safe here until then. We will speak soon, Love's Blade, my sister. However for now, see to what must be done for your urchin."
As the voice faded, Audea smiled, stroking the hair out of Hawke's eyes, then she paused, Xanderian's words finally registering. "YOUR urchin....what could Miss Xan be meanin' by that?"
----
In a chamber far beneath the ports of Kheledul, Agdarom the Viper carefully counted a final stack of reddish gold coins on the table top. His smooth, rich voice nearly purred as he reached 500. "More than I had expected I admit, but considering the difficulties, not an unfair compensation. Still, all very strange."
A deeper voice across the table laughed. "You did very well. You could have easily found yourself with nothing, assassin. Did you think the high and mighty Gondorians would play fair with you? This way, you walk away with a tidy profit, and are free from the complications that would have waited for you in Gondor."
The Viper shrugged, making sure that the gold was carefully secured in the bag at his side. "I was not questioning you, simply stating that things often take a curious turn. When I arrived here to arrange passage who could have expected you would have a..counter offer."
The rasping voice agreed, "Indeed, and it was worth every penny once I realized who your cargo was. Far more is to be gained this way then if you had shipped him off to stupid Dol Amroth."
Agdarom shook his head. "That much I still don't understand. What use is the boy to you? Why did I need to delay my departure with him, and then let him go so easily?"
Laughter echoed through the room, cruel and harsh. "The Gondoian whelp? Very little. His little girlfriend however, she will prove valuable to me indeed as bait for a trap that will at last bring a troubling chapter of my career to a satisfying close. If you had gone off with the boy, she and her allies would have followed you, and that would have been bad for everyone's business, especially mine."
"The girl? She is just a simple village slut, I would imagine. More nerve than most, but still...?" The Viper rose to depart but paused in the doorway.
"You have no vision, assassin. That little village slut will bring me the archer that gave you so much trouble, and Xanderian the Monk will FINALLY bring me Xandilif the Banshee." Mans of the Dourhand, Overseer of Kheledul leaned back in his chair, his one good eye glowing like fire in the torchlight. "After all, what matters is that I find HER before she finds ME....And once those two elf bitches are dead, not only will my shame be wiped away, but I will be free to move forward with the commands of Angmar....and embrace true power."
As he shut the door behind him, Agdarom the Viper wondered for a moment what nastiness the mad dwarf meant by true power, but dismissed the thought, too content with the fact he had been well paid for a few days pleasant work. Let others worry about Mans' plans, they would have no affect on him, he thought as he strode out to his ship, bound for the East and a new contract.
If only he knew then that his next contact would bring him back to Ered Luin far sooner then he could have imagined.
