After Ancuta's parents died her uncle and aunt tried to rise her in the appropriate way at their old Inn near Bree but the child was not a easy to educate one. She found pleasure in sneaking near the most dubious of customers to listen to their stories her eyes sparkling and never ran away like children do from any scars mutilated man or woman of bad reputation her uncle just did not dare to invite out of his Inn. They had the gold to pay for their drinks and he was a weak man who did not even have authority over his little niece. When a teenager she simply ran away. No one knows where she spent some years, if she left alone or in the company of some of those dubious Men. When she returned a young woman she found the inn closed and her relatives dead of old age. This had an impact on Ancuta and -along with whatever reasons she had to return- made her want to settle down and re-open the inn but not as a simple country inn but a very discrete and elegant establishment suited for those who seek walls without ears and wine without water in it. Some mutter that she did not redecorate the Inn to its today standard out of the few coins her old uncle left. Perhaps is true. *** The Inn was opened in great style hosting the wedding of Isilorbor Ventris -a well respected military leader looked up as a hero but most Bree-Landers since he established here coming from Gondor- to his old love from Gondor, Lendes, now a widow after her first husband. Of course this are only rumors Ancuta was careful to ear-drop in Bree. Such event in a important man's life is bound to get all the gossip on him revived. He seems to have had more than one relation and -the scandal!- to an Elf lady. Ancuta wonders how come no arrow found yet the heart of the bold Man for such betrayal. The lady herself probably could not find the heart to do it herself and her kind probably despises too much for her choice to care of her honor and probably consider her misfortune a good lesson to others. *** Information -the right information- is power beyond that unfairly granted by high birth, her old lover and master was saying. Information and strength of arm gives you the money to buy even the respect they get. She was 14 when she followed the man fascinated by the power he had over his comrades and by the dangers and rewards of their life. She learned from him how to wield a dagger and how to dance elven dance-steps, from choosing a dress to emphasize her fresh fruit like beauty to stealing a fat purse of gold during a seductive embrace. She got her share of violence when he got drunk but also his protection against anyone else who would have try to force anything to her. *** One day she got stabbed by a fellow she underestimated when she was doing her usual bait mission for her gang and -even if he died under their daggers minutes after- her wound made her a burden to the group. She was left in the care of an inn-keeper fellowed with the gang and they left. In the moments fever allowed her mind to understand what was happening around her she heard the leader deciding they have to leave as some Eriador Army elven scout got too near to their hideout and yet managed to escape unscratched the ambush the guard brigands tried. They were debating if and how to carry their loot with them... *** When she recovered she found out they have been all slaughtered and and their lair set in fire by the Army the same night while they were trying to get their loot before running. She sworn to be smarter then her master who for once in his life proved unwise or weak in front of his Men's greed. Because if he did not perish -she thinks- he would have searched her.. *** She heard Eriador Army was slaughtered in a fight with those forces of evil many fear. She did not care much. This evil they fear so much now was here always she thinks. Even the Elves know of it for long. It will not come closer now if it did not for so long. He has the Elves and their gods to fear. Only fools spill their blood in a pointless fight. They might have too much - she maliciously thinks. *** And in the day of that superb wedding she heard the name again : Eriador Army. Looks like this man Isilorbor was one of the leaders of it... She should be careful to keep her past to herself if they are still around...