I really don't know what it is with ideas that are stuck to my mind and that I have to get out, even though I still have ongoing stories. However, to those who read this story, I hope you like it and that you tell me what you think about. And thank you for giving it a shot.

T73.

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It is a cold, rainy and dark day at all. Wafts of mist are slowly sliding through the paths and disappear into dark alleys. The weather fits her mood perfectly fine, it's literally mirroring it.

She's standing in a stable and watches her companion she ever really relayed on. Too many things they already had seen and too many times they had saved each others lives. It's not like she travels all alone through the country though, but she has learned that it's easier to relay on a animal that's your best friend if you treat it the right way than trusting human being who waits for the chance to sell you off to the best bidder. Of course she had a few people she trusts, people who give her a bed to sleep in and warm food, and people who are at her side when she needs them most. She doesn't consider them as friends or acquaintances, she considers them as her family. Especially since she is alone in this world.

She hasn't always been like this, though. She always has been different and she knew it, but it never bothered her. She always liked to help other people and to work hard to support her family, and that's what made her parents proud. It never bothered her to help the man next door or bring the woman that lived up the hill a loaf of bread or a sack of wheat. Not until everything changed. All of a sudden there wean no man next door anymore whom she could help to till his field, or the woman upon the hill to bring bread to.

She clench her jaw and takes a deep breath as those thoughts invade her mind. She runs an hand over the nose of her companion and nods to herself like they could communicate without any words, like they could read each others minds. She can see that her most loyal companion is just as tired as she is and that both of them need some time to rest. She takes care of him since the day he was born. She had to beg her father to keep him and her father gave in as soon as he saw what kind of bond both of them share.

"I know, Amyntas." She whispers and caresses his muzzle. "I know, you are tired of all of this, just like me." She sighs and frowns a little. Her father and brothers had joked about the fact that the horse's fur is as black as her own hair and that his eyes are brown just like hers. Her father always said that they have to be kindred spirits. And somehow she believes that too. A weak smile plays around her lips. "I hope that all of this is over some day and that we can spend our last days somewhere in peace. Does that sound good?"

Amyntas snorts and moves his head up and down like he's agreeing, and paws the ground.

The smile on her lips grows bigger and nods as well. "I thought so too. I thought so too." She turns her head as she hears the door open and the smile dies instantly when she sees a tall, bearded man with a bald head entering the stable with a wooden bowl in his hand.

He rolls his eyes and hands her the bowl. "You know, your secret's space with me." He says with a deep voice and a thick Scandinavian accent. This gave him the nickname Bear.

She eyes the gray content in the bowl skeptically and frowns once again. "What do you mean?"

"That you are able to smile, Jane." He replies and nods at the said bowl. "Oatmeal gruel."

Jane makes a face and shoves the bowl into his chest. "I'm good."

He blinks a couple of times and shrugs. "Better than squirrel stew."

"Take it," she says and starts to walk towards the door after a last pat on Amyntas' neck. She knows that she doesn't have to worry about what Bear's thinking about her relationship with the horse. He is one of her confident that she would die for without thinking twice, that's something she wouldn't do for everyone.

He shoves a spoon full of gruel into his mouth and wipes it with the back of his hand. "The others want to know where we're going next."

Jane is the one who shrugs this time as he follows her. "You and the others can go wherever you want to. It's not like I own you or that you are in my debt."

Bear huffs and stops walking. He's glad that Jane's doing the same and that he doesn't have to force her to. "Jane, it's not like we feel we are forced to follow you. We do it because we want to."

She smiles a little and pats his shoulder again. She knows that he is right, that she doesn't need to convince anyone who is at her side right now. She knows Bear for years and he never questioned a single decision she ever made, just like those who are supporting her. She's quite aware that such trust isn't common, especially because she is a woman. It has surprised her that she has so much backup and that she can relay on those men who are riding with her for years. Experience has shown her that there are also people who only wait for a chance to go behind her back. Those experiences hut her but also made her stronger and wiser.

It's not like she's on a revenge campaign, she just doesn't want to submissively obey to anyone after all she went through and she met her fellows coincidentally on her way. She doesn't care from where they're coming or what their motives are to live such a kind of life, all that matters to her that they have her back and so does she. She was really surprised that the men are listening to what she has to say, but by now she's sure that it is because they had the chance to witness of what she's capable and because of Bear who's always standing at her side no matter what. She has to correct herself. Amyntas and Bear are her most loyal friends she has in life. They accidentally ran into each other as she was riding forestry track and as he was fleeing from some drunk roughnecks. She's sure that he committed some dine-n-dash, but that didn't matter to her in that moment, all that mattered to her was that she didn't find five against one exactly fair. That's why she stopped Amyntas and tried to conciliate. She also offered to pay Bear's debt, but all the five men wanted to do was to beat the shit out of the Scandinavian and that was something she couldn't let happen. Since that day Bear never left Jane's side and protected her every time he thought he had to. And he didn't question her just once. In the beginning Bear said that he owe her loyalty and that he'll do whatever she'll ask of him, but Jane told him that he's a free man and that they can part ways whenever he want to. That day never came. And from that moment on six men also aligned themselves with Bear and her. Their names are Aegeus, Alastair, Tadeo, Baako, Caden and Macario. She trusts them all, but not as much as Bear. If she's honest, she has absolute no idea what Bear's real name is. In the beginning they barely understood each others language and mostly communicated with hand signals, but either of them understood pretty quick that neither of them causes danger for each other. And as they started to communicate verbally, Bear told her about his home and some rituals of his culture and so did she. He became the brother that Jane has no longer and she thinks that she's a kind of sister to him.

Jane places an hand on his shoulder and pats it once again. "I know, my friend. And I know that you have my back."

"Like you have mine," he mumbles as he shoves another spoon with gruel into his mouth and gives her a light push.

She stumbles forward and frowns at him. Both of them know that only he's allowed to do so without causing any trouble. She tries to push him back but he's too tall, too heavy and to strong to lose any of his balance.

Bear laughs out loud that sounds more like barking in the empty streets and wraps an arm around the smaller woman's shoulders, pulling him closer. "You are funny, Jane."

Jane rolls her eyes but let him do so. She knows that neither of them ever thought about to cross the line of their friendship. In the past her mother always said that she felt like having three sons instead of only two. Jane had explained to her friend that she was different then other women and Bear always respected that and didn't judge her for it. He always says that there are things in the world which are much worse than this. And as soon as a man came too close to Jane, Bear was standing behind her and wanted to know if there's a problem. As soon as men caught a glimpse of the Scandinavian, they disappeared.

Jane wraps an arm around his middle and smiles as she leads the way to an illuminated tavern. "Let's see if one of the guys caused any trouble."

Bear grunts and his face darkens. "I would like to stay here for a few more days." He growls and she looks up at him. "All of us could need some rest."

She nods slowly and agrees silently. They really need a roof over their heads and warm food in their stomachs, and a pause from everything out there. People say that they're living a vagabond life and that they don't do anything to earn some money, but quite on the contrary. They are doing a lots of things rich people think they're too good for. Like if a provisional governor wants that a carriage is escorted to point A to point B, they do it and get paid for that. In a nutshell, they do their dirty jobs. What neither of them would ever do is to go out to a village and enforce payment for provincial governors, even though some of those thought they could misuse Jane's group for that. That meant that she and Bear turned the governors down and added new names on their list with whom their not well-disposed anymore. "I know. Even Amyntas would agree with you."

Bear opens his mouth to say that an animal can't agree, but he knows better and smiles. He has witnessed how horse and rider had interact with each other and is sure that Jane's black horse isn't like any other horse at all. He tugs at her hair that she holds together with a braid and doesn't flinch as she scowls at him. "You have the same hair."

"He has a mane," she scoffs and pushes the wooden door to the tavern open.

He smirks and shrugs. "So? His mane is wavy." He chuckles as she rolls her eyes at him. "Yours is curly."

Jane has to bite back the smile and glares at the man. She starts to regret that has seen her wearing her hair open once or twice. She turns her head as soon as someone calls out her name and stands up from the bench.

"Jane," a blond man also with beard calls out and holds up an jug up. "come sit with us."

Jane eyes Bear long and walks to the table. "What are you drinking, Caden?"

The young man whistles through his teeth and orders the same for her as soon as the innkeeper turns her attention to her. "So, what are we doing next," he asks and each of the man turn their attention to the only woman.

Jane licks her lips and shrugs. She looks up at the woman who places a jug in front of her and waits until the innkeeper is gone again. "Tomorrow, Bear and I have a audience with the governor of this town. I have no idea what he wants us to do."

"I hope that you'll make clear that we're not going to rob poor peasants." Tadeo, a black-haired man, says hushed and looks at the innkeeper.

"We don't need the money that much." The red-haired Alastair states and leans forward and Baako, Aegeus, Caden, Macario and Bear nods approvingly.

"Did we ever do that," Jane asks and the men shook their heads. She sighs and frowns. "As far as I know he wants us to bring his daughter here. She lives sixteen miles from here."

"Sixteen miles," Macario groans. "Really?"

"Do you want to eat," Bear growls and Macario falls silent.

Jane knows how to humor her men and looks at each of them. "Drink, eat and rest. It's on me."

"What about you." Bear asks as she gets up to her feet and knows the answer already.

She sighs and a hint of smile plays on her lips. "I go and check on Amyntas before I go to bed."

"She really loves the nag." Baako says with a grin as he lifts his jug to his lips, but then he stops as he sees Bear's serious face.

"Watch your mouth," the taller man growls and clenches his jaw.

Meanwhile, Jane comes back to the stable and walks straight to Amyntas' box, getting into it. She starts to caress his flank and smiles as peace is running through her. "I know that we all need to rest, Amyntas. But we are not the ones to stay too long at one place, are we?" She waits for a response and sighs. "One last time and then we're going to take a long break." She smiles as his head bobs up and down and kisses his muzzle. "Yes, we deserve it, Amyntas. Maybe after that we go home."

The horse turns his head like he wants her to ask what home means.

Jane closes her eyes and places her head on his neck. "Home's where you are, my old friend." She blinks back her tears as he stands still and pats his neck. She wants to tell him how much he means to her but won't risk that someone catches her doing so. She slides down at the wall and sighs, closing her eyes. "I just stay for a moment and rest my eyes, if you don't mind."

Amyntas turns and drops slowly to his knees, relaxing his body.

She smiles and runs her hand over his nose, knowing that this is a sign of unalterable trust. So much has the horse and the owner in common, so much sorrow. Jane sighs and tries to fight the heaviness of her eyelids, in vain.