((OOC- This was not written by me but by "Beaddan" a kinmate))
Chapter one: A stranger in Bree
The sun was setting on Bree, most merchants were already packing their wares and the guards at the South-gate were preparing to change shifts.
The gate was already closed, as was custom at sundown. In the distance the sound of approaching hooves could be heard. One of the guards being relieved, was still packing his belongings from the small guards building.
“Oy, William, seems you got another one before you can head off to the Pony!” yelled one of the recently arrived men. Taking up his pack he stepped outside and grinned “Oh no it’s not! The sun has set, he’s all yours, about time you earn your wages, Britt!”. From behind the gate the sound had stopped, two hard knocks followed, the man called Britt opened the small viewing panel in the gate and saw a hooded man standing next to his horse. “Whaddayawant, stranger, the gates are closed!”.
The traveller looked up through the viewing panel, the last rays of the sun, glimmering on his armor, blinded Britt for a second. “I only seek food and shelter for a few nights.” He said whilst taking his coin purse out. “Perhaps we could make an arrangement that would satisfy both our needs?”. The guard seemed to over think this development and decided to risk it. “Fine, but if I find out you cause trouble, you’ll be sleeping in the town jail for quite some time!”. The traveller nodded “A fair deal, gatekeeper.”
With a loud creak the wooden gate opened and the hooded figure stepped through it,
“perhaps you could give me directions to a place where I could find some food and lodgings around here.” He said whilst placing what seemed like a considerable amount of silver coins in the hand of Britt. The guard was stunned of the money in his hand and barely could say “The Pony, sir. Aye the Pony is a good place. Just follow the road east, passed the boar fountain. You’ll find it right there, sir.” without stuttering. The stranger thanked him and went into the direction he was given. Passing the buildings he took a good look around and shook his head in disbelief. “Bree…if this is the center of civilisation in these parts, I dread to see the rest.” He patted his horse, which neighed accordingly.
After a short walk he saw the sign of the Prancing Pony, he handed the reigns of his horse to the stable boy and walked up the stairs to enter the pub. As he arrived the door swung open, nearly hitting him in the face. “outtamyway!” the drunken man yelled. The stranger took a small step to the right, but clearly that was not enough place for the drunkard to step past. Tripping over his own feet he stumbled against the hooded man, grabbing him to keep straight on his feet, ripping his cloak in the process. With a quick reaction the man took him by the arm “I hope you have not yet drank all the money out of your pocket, sir, for this cloak shall be repaired at your expense.”.
The drunkard, looking up, started laughing. “I have lost everything, the few coins I had left I just spent on ale. You think your cloak means anything to me? Leave me alone!” The last part sounding very threatening with which he tried to take his small dagger. The stranger noticed the glimmer of the steel, and quickly overwhelmed the drunkard. He took his knife whilst holding him in a strangling hold, pointing it close to the his neck. “If you’d think that a petty knife would scare me, think again. You will pay for the cloak, my friend, be it with silver or with work. Do we have a deal?” The man carefully nodded, the stranger loosened his grip. Handing over the small, rusty knife again “Now tell me your name and perhaps we could somehow have a civilised start.” Bernard, he replied. “Very well, Bernard, let’s go inside and see how you can be of assistance to me.”
Both men walked back inside where the smoke clouds overwhelmed the stranger. Peering through the pub he saw a vacant table near one of the corners and walked towards it, Bernard trying to follow as best as he could.
Not long after they were seated and one of the staff stood at their table “Good evening, sir…s. Bernard? What are you doing back in? And who is this friend of yours?” The man, next to his obvious drunken glance in his eyes, looked completely clueless.
“Friend of a friend, miss.” Taking down his hood revealed a handsome young man, around 28 years of age, the colour of his hair and goatee appeared to be blonde, but in the dim light of the Pony that was hard to tell. The waitress was taken aback a bit, she had seen quite some figures as of late, ranging from the ugliest trolls to the most handsome, but this one certainly was in her top 10. “Oh my… euh…” the blonde man noticed the sudden stuttering and smiled at her
“Would you be so kind as to bring me a mug of your best ale and something to sober up my friend here? Also if it wouldn’t be too much trouble could I enquire if you have two rooms available for at least a few nights?” With his calm voice and putting a few silverlings in her hand, he kept his hand touching hers just that second longer than needed. He knew he had already swayed her. If he wanted to, he could ask anything from her now, as long as he was careful enough. He had always been known as a charmer, but apparently it runs deep in his entire family.
The waitress looked down at her hand, blushing a bit “certainly sir, right away, sir. I won’t be long.” The foreigner kept his eyes on the waitress as she went towards the barkeep, when he noticed the prying eyes towards him from another table.
He was used to such looks, but usually it only started after a few days, this was a first. Turning his attention to Bernard he tried to follow their movements from the corner of his eye.“Tell me, Bernard was it? What did you do so wrong, that your own wife kicks you out of your house?”
The man opposite him lifted up his head and sighed “I made a terrible mistake, sir. You see, I’m a farmer, sir, we already had problems as it is with those blasted brigands plucking my fields bare, but we hung on. But as of late, they became bolder, they even stole things out of our house, sir. So I became desperate, some adventurers I met here in the Pony said they’d drive them from my fields…for a prize of course. I paid them all I had, but they never turned up. Instead the brigands had heard of my plan and burned down my house. My daughter….” Bursting into tears “she was still inside, sir. She burned alive. My wife, the poor soul, she blamed me, and she was right, sir. I killed my own daughter.” Tears streaming down his face, Bernard looked at the stranger, who surprisingly was smiling. “My woes, amuse you it seems.” He said in a harsh tone.
The blonde man shook his head “Nay it doesn’t, but it seems we can help each other. Listen to my proposal, Bernard, and perhaps we could reverse some things. And maybe, just maybe, your wife may take you back in.” Bernard had a shocked look on his face “Please, I’d do anything, sir, anything.”. “Very well.” He said. “I am willing to help you bring those conmen and brigands to justice for what they have done to you and your family. in return I must ask you to help me find someone. And repair my cloak” he added smiling. “That is all you demand of me?” Bernard asked surprised. “I demand of you nothing, it is a gentleman’s agreement, if you hold true to your end, I will hold true to mine.” He stretched out his hand “So Bernard, do we have an agreement?” the Bree-lander hesitated for a second but eventually took the man’s hand and shook it “Aye, we do, sir. But I still don’t know your name.” The man smiled “And so it shall stay, for now. You knowing my name doesn’t help either our causes at this moment.” Bernard nodded.
“Here you go, sir, one Butterbur Ale and some good pea soup for our Bernard. Mr. Butterbur always says that his pea soup can clear even the most resistant alcohol in a man’s blood.” She smiled, still blushing, at the blonde man. He in return smiled back “Thank you very much, miss. Have you got word about the two rooms I enquired about?” The waitress’ gaze was not even subtle anymore “ooh yes, sir! There are two rooms available for you if you want. And please, call me Kathy, miss sounds so posh.” As she giggled like a schoolgirl the foreigner reached for his money pouch and took out a few gold coins. “I assume this would be a decent fair for renting them both for a week?” Kathy, looking at the gold coins, reacted quickly “Sir, that is by far too much for two rooms!” The man looked at the money he held and said “Well then, deduct the standard rate from them and keep the rest for yourself, after all a beautiful lady as yourself should be able to pamper herself once in a while.”
He took her hand and put the gold coins in there, closing it and smiling at her. Kathy, not knowing what to say and totally wound around his finger nodded “t…t…thank you sir. Thank you kindly. If there is anything I can be of service, please ask.” The stranger nodded back “I will keep that in mind, perhaps you could show me and my friend Bernard here our rooms later?” “gladly, sir.” She replied and walked back towards the bar, regularly checking her hand to see if there were indeed gold coins in there.
Bernard who had already starting eating his soup looked up “two rooms, sir?”, the man nodded “You wouldn’t think I’d let a man, I just made a deal with, sleep on the street, would you?” For the first time his face was relaxed, joyous even “Thank you, sir. Thank you.”. “Think nothing of it.” He looked at the table where previously the man sat that was staring at him. The table was empty.
