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Old 10-26-2003, 10:44 PM   #125
Ealasaide
Shadow of Tyrn Gorthad
 
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Sting

Benia

As they left the ranger Dulrain behind and rode back into the traffic of market day Bree, Benia found her thoughts and emotions in turmoil. On one level, she was deeply puzzled by the exchange that she had witnessed between the bounty hunter and the gray-eyed ranger, while on another level, she was stunned by the strength of her own reaction to the stranger. Shrouded again in the heavy fabric of her veil, she allowed the bounty hunter to push past her on his gray horse and take the lead again as they re-entered the main thoroughfare. His warning, something about staying near him and new saddlebags, was mostly lost to her in the muffling effect of the veil and the competing street noises, but she nodded anyway. Let him make new saddlebags of her skin, if that was what he was about, but it would not be without a fight.

She reached up under the veil and wiped a bead of sweat from her hairline, replaying the scene from the side street in her mind. What had happened there, she was not sure, but it had been apparent to her that the two men had some sort of connection to one another, perhaps in the past, that the ranger had wished to pursue. The bounty hunter had not. She could tell by the way he held himself. Unable to hear most of what had been said, she remembered the way the bounty hunter had paled at the sight of the other man's second sword and refused to touch it when offered it. She wondered if that sword had been responsible for some of the scars borne by the bounty hunter. Yet, throughout the encounter, she had seen no malice in his eyes. Anger, yes, but it seemed an old, cold anger, one more of long-standing resentment than of hatred or the desire for revenge. As for the other man...

She felt a slight flush rising again in her cheeks as the memory of his gaze on her face washed over her. Her disappointment when he had turned and simply ridden away had been fierce, but, she reminded herself, he had left them the whistle. Granted, he had left it in the charge of the bounty hunter, but his offer of assistance had been made not only to Kaldir, but to her and Gilly as well. She wondered if Dulrain would raise a sword against the bounty hunter if she or Gilly were to summon him. Based on the scene she had just witnessed, she found herself unable to predict him, one way or the other.

The one thing she did know was that in that instant when Dulrain's eyes had first met hers, a charge had passed between them. It was that charge that had caused her to blush and momentarily loose her purpose. Regardless what the connection was between Dulrain and the bounty hunter, she felt that, in that instant, she had forged a connection with him as well. But which would prove stronger? Unlike the bounty hunter, this man seemed kind and just. If he was the ranger that he appeared to be, then in all likelihood, he was not only brave, but rooted in the paths of righteousness. After all, was he not one of the king’s own brethren? She knew better than to hope for the love of such a man, but if his regard or even his pity were offered, she would accept it. She and Gilly could not defeat the bounty hunter on their own.

She watched Kaldir’s broad shoulders as he led the way into the courtyard of a deserted shop and dismounted. Her heart sank when he gestured for her and Gilly to dismount as well. She was a little more familiar with Kaldir and cellars in empty buildings that she would have preferred to be. She hoped he didn’t intend to tie her and Gilly and leave them in the darkness, hungry and alone, as she had been back in that cellar near the Forsaken Inn. She didn’t think that she could bear it again. Hesitant to go anywhere near that evil-looking building, she watched as Kaldir drew his dagger and deftly forced the lock. The door swung open and he stepped inside. Filled with misgivings, she dismounted and followed Gilly into the filth of the deserted building. Stepping lightly at first, Benia was delighted to discover that her ankle had improved greatly. It scarcely pained her at all, so that she was able to walk with only a slight limp. A new hope surged through her.

Ahead of her, Gilly made a remark about the mess.

Benia smiled and, heartened by the improvement in her ankle, decided to take a chance. As the door swung shut behind her, she reached up and removed her veil, watching the bounty hunter closely as he gave the place a cursory search. The sudden thought that perhaps he was on the trail of yet another bounty to add to her and Gilly rose abruptly in her mind. She felt a flash of anger. Surely, it wasn’t another of her mother’s tribe that he sought. She knew that a small group of Painted Sand people had been traveling in the direction of Bree. In fact, before her unlucky fall on the stairs back at the inn, her plan had been to join up with them and travel south with them to the desert to assist in an important matter regarding another of her kinsmen. But her fall and subsequent encounter with the bounty hunter had changed all that. Since the bounty hunter had found her, it did seem reasonable that he would know about them as well. She must not allow them to be captured, too.

Not knowing what else to do, she stepped forward and asked the question in a calm, clear voice. “For whom do we search?”

Sheathing his dagger, Kaldir turned and gave her a long, thoughtful look. “Not one of yours, if that’s what troubles you, my lady,” he said finally, ignoring the fact that she had defied his order and removed her veil. “Our quarry is far more worrisome that a stray tribesman or two.”

“Then, who?” she asked stubbornly. It was easy enough to deny that he sought any of her fellow tribesmen, but, in order for her to believe it, she needed to know who the true quarry was. From the corner of her eye, she could see Gilly glancing worriedly back and forth between them.

For a long moment, the bounty hunter did not reply. Instead, he walked to the grimy window and with a corner of his cloak wiped clean a spot large enough to allow him to see the yard where they had left the horses. Satisfied that the horses were still there and waiting in good order, he returned his attention to Benia.

“Someone you may have heard of,” he answered, a bitter smile twitching on the corner of his lips. “It’s unfortunate that you happen to be with me now that she has surfaced, but since you are, I suppose you have a right to know. Her name is Naiore Dannan.”

Benia felt the blood drain from her face. “Naiore...” she echoed breathlessly. She reached behind herself and gripped the doorknob for support. She had heard tales of Naiore Dannan. Stories of her horrible and relentless cruelty were whispered throughout Middle Earth. In some circles, her name was spoken with nearly the same dread as that of Sauron himself.

“I see you know of her.” Kaldir leaned one shoulder against the window frame.

Stunned, Benia nodded. “But why do you seek her? She’ll kill you. She’ll kill all of us.”

“Because I have a score to settle with her,” Kaldir answered bluntly. Pushing himself away from the wall, he walked to where Benia stood. When he reached her, she half-expected him to strike her for her insolence, but, instead, he reached out a hand and touched the silver chain that traced a shining line across her cheek. “She stole something from me that no one has the right to take,” he said by way of an explanation. His icy blue eyes bored into Benia’s. “I intend to take it back.”

“What-” Benia started to ask, but the bounty hunter had already moved away.

“Put your veil on, “ he ordered her gruffly. “We have work to do.” He pushed past her out the door to the courtyard and the waiting horses, but as he passed she heard him murmur something else:

"I wasn't always the monster you see before you."

[ October 26, 2003: Message edited by: Ealasaide ]
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