"First I'd like to go to the local stable my horse needs a proper place to stay I shouldn't have left him outside the bar last night anything could have got him." Roland said, "Let's go and collect him first though."
"Sure." Imp replied, the two then began to walk down the muddy street. It was beginning to rain only slightly but enough for people to start to head for cover. The two plodded on though despite this.
"I need to ask you a question, Imp, if you don't mind that is?" Roland said striking a friendly as possible.
Imp considered the question a moment then nodded.
"Where did you fail the test?" Roland said.
Imp laughed at the question then smiled, Roland couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief he had no intention of offending the lad and he was in dire need of an ally in this strange town.
"Gilead of course, I know who you are Roland Deschain. You are the youngest Gunslinger at the age of fourteen, I was only eleven at the time and still in my studies I heard your name whispered along the streets that very day. I was in my studies at the time with my own father."
"You were a Gunslinger's child?" Roland pressed.
"No far from it, my dad was some what of an expert when it came to riddles, he often made me practice. He always said a true Gunslinger's primary weapon was his mind."
"He was a wise man." Roland complimented.
"He was a proud man" Imp spat.
Roland was taken back by Imp's sudden change of tone.
"You
didn't part well?" Roland asked.
"No, after I failed my test
I snuck back into Gilead I had to see him again. However when I got
back to our house he threw me out saying he never had a son, no son
of his would fail their test." Imp explained seething under the
collar as he did so.
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to drag up the past." Roland said, After all he knew more than any, how painful the past was.
"Thankee 'slinger." Imp replied although he seemed less than pleased by the whole conversation.
The two moved on in silence as the rain slowly grew heavier. They reached Topsy in the silence.
"Hello again old friend." Roland said stroking the neck of the creature.
Topsy replied by giving him a nudge of his nose.
"Let's get you some where proper to sleep." Roland ushered as he untied Topsy's reins freeing him from the outside of the inn.
Then Imp suddenly brought up the conversation.
"Who is this man you're chasing 'slinger?" the curiosity present in his voice.
"He was a traitor to his people and his leader." Roland, this time his term to get upset.
"Marten?" Imp questioned.
"That's one of his names, you know of him?"
"Sure he was Steven's advisor, He let the Good Man's troops in through the main gates." Imp replied, obviously he knew more of the downfall of Gilead than Roland gave him credit for.
"You were there?" Roland asked confused by how much Imp actually knew.
"I was." Imp replied, "I went to try and find my father before the Good Man's troops arrived. I arrived there and snuck in again only to find out he was among the Good Man's followers. I was there on the day of the battle as well. I watched my father fall by some of the younger gunslinger's hands. I did nothing to prevent them either. He deserved death. I saw your father fall too, on the walls defending his home. A rifle in hand." Imp told him.
Roland reflexively reached down and touched the revolvers on his belt. The touch of their handles reminding him of his father.
"Thankee Imp." Roland said, deeply touched by Imp's story and took a moment to stroke Topsy again.
"How did you escape from Gilead then if it was attacked?" he asked bidding Imp to continue with his tale.
"I resorted to a low action, well one that you'd consider low 'slinger, I pretended to be one of the revolutionaries, it wasn't hard as they were all wearing marks of the Good Man on their hands. However as I left the city some one recognised me, as I did for the first few hours of the battle fight along side those loyal to Gilead."
Roland couldn't help but interrupt Imp's tale. "You fought for Gilead, why?"
"I had to, even though I was outcast Gilead was still my home. The ones I loved were still there."
Roland nodded; his sympathy for the exile was growing more and more.
"However, when I was questioned by the Good Man himself I told him that I was an exile and if they looked in the records of Gilead they would find my name among those banished. They did this but just encase I was just a well informed traitor he had me flogged, fifty lashes."
The rain was no very heavy but the pair we so engrossed in their business that neither of them noticed the rain and the continued in the direction that was towards the stables.
"Then I served in his army for a while till I recovered my strength and I was able to leave the city one night after dark. Taking a horse with me." Imp continued, "I headed for many days and nights hardly eating. I found a town that excepted me for a while as a deputy for the law due to my skills with weapons but I moved on then after a few years of wondering I made my way to this town and met Evan and Abel."
"Who are they though?" Roland questioned "Really?"
Imp paused to think about it for a moment then he shrugged his shoulders.
"I have no idea, They seemed like nice guys but they wont tell me anything about their past other than the fact that Evan was an exile and Abel is a wizard, I figured Abel has served with the Good Man at some point as he has mentioned the Good Man in a few conversation's we've had." Imp explained.
"What was this Flagg man like? Did he know Abel or Evan?" Roland pressed.
"I got the impression that they did, I didn't know who Flagg was at the time, if I'd known he was Walter/Marten I would have shot him dead."
Roland smiled and actually offered Imp a pat on the shoulder. Now was the question that Roland really wished to know more than anything.
"Did Abel tell you to keep an eye on me?" he asked nonchalantly.
Imp laughed. "No hiding anything from you is there 'slinger?"
Roland smiled and said "I'm good at riddles too Imp"
"I trust you are 'slinger." Imp replied.
"Good well I suggest you move on back to the bar now. As we're here we need not talk any more. I suggest though that you watch your back from now on some people might night take too kindly to our new friendship especially your current friends." Roland said.
Imp nodded, the rainwater dripping from his hat.
"If you think the others are my friends 'slinger you've missed judged me." With that the young man was gone.
Then Roland managed to get Topsy a stable for the nights he intended to stay in the town then he made his way back to the bar.