A Proposition
It was a quiet morning in the tavern as I ordered my breakfast. The festivities had lasted long past the afternoon, and deep into the night. By the time I had returned from the blacksmith with my armor, the dancing and singing was still going strong, still led by the auburn haired woman. I held no ill will to the patrons for this, after all, any reason these folk had to be merry was a good enough one for me. Besides, by the time I had rested for the night, I was so tired from my errands that I passed out the moment I laid on the bed. It was a small bed, but one that was warm, and soft.
I guessed that the patrons partaking in the festivities had likely had too much to drink, hence the near empty bar and tables around me. Only David and a single cook remained behind the bar, the various barkeeps and employees having not arrived so early in the morning. David wore only a simple cloth shirt and trousers, both of which I noticed seemed to carry a faint hint of alcohol on them. I kept this to myself, however, biding my time by spinning a coin on the bar. I was still thinking about Stone.
According to David, he had traveled east of Morrowgale, having left a day before I had arrived. Admittedly, my knowledge of the exact settlements and terrain in that direction was shoddy, hence my carrying of a map on my person. If Stone truly was tracking a bandit camp, he would likely be on the move often, only stopping to eat and to sleep. Perhaps if I was lucky, he found another town or village to stay the night. If he hadn't, he would have likely changed direction before reaching the mountains. This, of course, was assuming he hadn't already changed course. I feared that even in the best case, I would be tracking my friend for days before I found him. And in the worst... Well, I prayed that it wasn't the worst.
I sighed and tossed the coin into the air before catching it again. I observed it, felt it's light weight in my palm. The silver was indented with various scratches, some the fault of my constant movement in the wilds, others leftovers from previous owners. I twirled it between my fingers for a moment longer as I continued my thoughts, trying to remember any details about Stone that might help me find him.
I was still in thought when I flipped the coin into the air again, only this time, I saw the coin snatched away from me, grasped by a slim, pale hand right in front of my face. I recoiled slightly at the sudden movement, and looked to my left. Sitting next to me was the woman with auburn hair, a sly smile on her face as her bright green eyes stared back at me. Her face was astoundingly beautiful, her cheeks and lips having just the faintest hint of red, with one strand of her hair falling just below the rest, settling just above the tip of her back. She gave an amused chuckle as she pulled her hand away and twirled the coin between her fingers, her other hand resting along the bar. I hadn't even heard her approach, though with how deep in thought I had been, I guess that wasn't surprising.
"Best be careful showing off your coin like that stranger, someone might get a bit jealous of you flipping it around everywhere." She said coyly. Even speaking normally, her voice almost resonated with a musical tone. I wondered whether or not that was intentional. With a brief flourish, she slid the coin into her palm, then to a small coin purse at her side. She wore modest clothing, with a long sleeved tunic and what looked like gambeson underneath it. I could see she also wore a plain white cloak and simple brown trousers, travel wear, if I were to guess.
"I would appreciate it if you returned my coin." I said in a stern tone. The woman smiled and looked away from me, annoying me slightly.
"I think I'll hold onto it for now, at least until we have a little chat." She responded. My irritation grew with these words. I am and never have been a man of ego, but I have always been a man of my honor. And holding another man's rightful property from him was as bad as theft in my eyes.
"You mean to steal my coin?" I asked, not bothering to hide the anger in my voice. The woman looked back at me, and clicked her tongue as David moved in front of her, placing a tankard in on the bar before her.
"That was one great show last night my dear! One silver for all the business you brought me!" David shouted with a bellow and a laugh. The woman gave me a wink before turning away from me. With yet another flourish, she produced that same piece of silver in front of him. Was she trying to mock me now? My fist clenched tight as my fury with this woman grew at these thoughts. David looked at me a moment, and surely noticed my look of anger, for he shook his head and looked back to her.
"Maybe not that piece, aye?" He recommended. The woman laughed and slammed the piece down before producing another coin. David took the piece and flipped it into the air before catching it, chuckling before pocketing the coin. The woman turned back to me, now resting both arms along the still stained wood.
"Patience stranger, I just have a favor I must ask of you." She said, leaning forward against the wood. I noticed that she had positioned herself to be leaning against her chest. It was almost as if she was trying to force my attention to it. I turned my attention away from her, focusing instead on the array of bottles and casks in front of me.
"Whatever service you want, I have no intention of granting it." I said with spite in my voice. It was around this time that my breakfast had arrived, consisting of a few slices of brown bread, some roasted asparagus, a piece of lettuce placed on top of one of the slices of bread, and three strips of bacon. I placed another four silver on the counter in front of me as I took the bacon and placed it on top of the lettuce. I could hear the shuffling of the woman beside me as I topped off my sandwich with another piece of bread.
"You haven't even heard what I want!" She protested. I simply ignored her and took a bite of my sandwich. The bacon oozed a small amount of grease onto my chin as I set the sandwich down and carefully wiped it away. I still did not look at the woman.
"And why should I? You've stolen my coin, then tried to use it right in front of me." I responded. I could hear the woman groan, and saw her rub her temple out of the corner of my eye. I remained fixated on my meal, taking one of the asparagus and taking a bite out of it. I chewed slowly, hoping to indicate to this woman I had no wish to talk. She either didn't pick up on my hints, or didn't care.
"Look, all I want is a traveling companion. I hear you're heading east, and that's the way I'm going. I thought perhaps you'd like a little company?" She pressed. I sighed and rubbed my forehead, wondering if the pain in my head was a headache or annoyance. I was starting to suspect that she wasn't going to leave me be unless I at least considered her request. Less than thrilled at that prospect, I lowered my arm and turned back to face her.
"And how did you learn I was going east?" I asked. She placed her arm against the counter and looked me in the eye, a small smile on her lips. It seemed that she was trying to appear more friendly now.
"Word travels fast in small towns, stranger. Especially in a tavern." She responded. I sighed and turned away from her, shaking my head. I was admittedly irritated with her for taking my coin, the prospect of her accompanying me was more than a little unpleasant. For all I knew, this was some plan to rob me of my valuables, my sword, my armor, my coin, and anything else that might fetch a price. Shaking my head, I lifted my sandwich before speaking once again.
"Your actions have proven you a thief already, why should I trust your words?" I inquired. I took another bite of my sandwich. As I chewed, I could hear what sounded like a pouch clanging to the bar. Looking over, I noticed that the woman had indeed placed a small leather pouch about the size of her palm on the table. When I did not react to it, she gently pushed it towards me, with what sounded like the shuffling of coins. I looked from the pouch to her, still uncertain. She simply brushed a stray bit of her hair out of her eyes. Looking away, I pulled the pouch towards me, and set down my sandwich. With one flick of the wrist, I unhooked the iron latch locking the leather pieces together, and furrowed my eyes as I observed the pouch's contents.
Inside was a considerable amount of coin, easily half of it was full with silver, some copper, and even what looked like a few pieces of gold. Was this her offer of payment for traveling with her? Why would she offer so much? Was this just a trick to get me to look over her previous treachery?
"That's 32 silver, 19 copper, and 3 gold. Most of that is from last night." I heard the woman say. Closing the pouch, I looked back at her and saw her adjust herself. She was now facing towards me, her chest extended slightly forward, seeming to try and draw my attention. More than a little wise to this trick, I kept my eyes focused on her own. She seemed to pick up on this, as she smiled and pulled her chest back, covering it slightly with her cloak.
"Look friend, I am sorry for taking your coin, I had to get your attention somehow. I just need someone to join me while I travel." She said, adjusting her cloak slightly. I tapped the bar for a moment and looked back to the pouch, thinking about what she had said. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't still irritated with her taking my coin. But the more I thought about it, I realized a few patterns with how she had been speaking. She seemed to have intentionally found out where I was going, based on what she had said about word spreading. If she truly had just wanted someone to travel with, I'm sure one of the other patrons would have gladly accepted her company.
"Why me?" I asked, looking back at her. She fidgeted at this question, looking down at the floor for a moment as a stand of hair gently swayed back in front of her face. She gently adjusted it back behind her ear, her smile diminishing slightly, but not entirely. For a moment she didn't speak, and I wondered if she was trying to think of a proper thing to say. Finally, she took a long sigh and looked back up at me.
"Let's just say my trip to Morrowgale almost went very poorly. I want to make sure that doesn't happen again, and I think a warden would help with that." She said, her words were softer now, not at all like her previous demeanor. That shift in tone made me closely consider her words. I knew from my own travels that the roads surrounding Morrowgale were more treacherous than they had been in quite some time. There was no certainty she would be in any danger if I denied her request, but there was certainly a chance. I could not, in good faith, refuse her request. Looking back down to the pouch, I once again observed the coins within. It was a good sum I was being offered. Too much, I realized. She was overpaying for the protection of a Warden, not as some apology.
"Is this all your coin?" I asked, turning my gaze back to the woman. For a brief moment, I saw her eyes flicker. The confidence and bravado she had so casually shown faded, replaced by something I could not quite place. She regained her composure quickly enough, but I had already learned all I needed. I did not wait for a response as I turned back to the coin pouch, and gently reached inside. She said nothing as I moved aside the contents of the bag, digging through until I had retrieved two of the golden coins within. I placed them beside my plate, closed the pouch, tied it back up with twine, and slid it back to her. She took the bag, but seemed surprised at my gesture.
"That's it?" She asked. It seemed she was asking this more to herself than me, but I provided an answer regardless.
"That is all that will be necessary, we will leave once I have finished my breakfast. In the meantime, pack anything you intend to bring with you." Her expression once again softened, looking down at the coin purse in her hands as she smiled. A soft chuckle escaped her as she looked up at me again, I simply nodded in response to this, and turned back to my plate, taking another bite of my asparagus.
"You know, I always thought the things they said about your lot were exaggerated. I'm glad to have been proven wrong. Thank you, Warden." I heard her say. I raised my hand and waved off her notion, and received no response aside from the sound of wood grinding against the floor, followed by footsteps. Looking up briefly, I could see her making her way to the small stairway leading to the rooms within the tavern. I wondered briefly where she could have been going, but pushed those thoughts away. That was not for me to know, nor was it for me to ask. All that mattered was she got to where she needed, and after that, I would track down Stone.
I sighed as I looked back down at my plate. My sandwich was mostly gone by now, and the asparagus was much the same. I considered again where my friend could have gone. I knew of smaller, unmarked villages to the east that he could have settled in, but finding them would be a challenge. Aside from shoddy roads, there weren't many markers noting their existence. And worse, there was a chance of Blackstone presence. I was still fairly certain they were not in these regions, but there could always be a scouting party I had missed. Then again, if that were the case, then Stone was in danger as well.
"You're a lucky man Warden, I know men who would pay a high price to travel with a lady like that, and here you are getting paid to be with her!" I heard David say. Looking up, I could see a sly grin stretched across his face.
"I assure you it is not for any carnal reasons." I affirmed. The barkeep simply chuckled and waved his hand, as if swatting away my claim.
"Yes, yes, 'shall not partake in the flesh but that of a wedded bride' and such. Just poking some fun is all." He said. "So, where are you going to be headed then?" He continued, taking an empty mug and filling it with what I assumed to be the woman's drink.
"I am not yet certain. My charge has not yet named a destination, only that she too is traveling east." I said, resting my arms against the bar. David looked up for a moment.
"Well, not sure why she'd be heading that direction. Not much to the East for miles upon miles. 'Cept Herongale, I suppose." He mused, placing the mug beside me. I narrowed my eyes on this. Studying the map of Ashfeld had been a key part of my routine ever since I left Blackstone, but I never saw anything called Herongale. No fort, no town, nothing. Hoping to learn more about it, I decided to inquire of it.
"I can't say I'm familiar with any Herongale." David chuckled and rested his hands along the bar.
"Well of course not, Warden, most of your kind isn't." He began. "Herongale is a small trading post that passes between other settlements. They handle little things, so the Legions tend not to pay any mind to it."
"Why is it not marked on my map?" I further inquired. David shrugged.
"It's too small to be marked. Less than a hundred folk, and even fewer visitors. Locals like it that way. Only reason I know of it is that some of my shipments pass through there from time to time." He explained. I considered this information. I wondered if Stone was aware of this settlement. If he were, this was perhaps the best place for him to go, or the only place. No other known settlement laid to the east for several miles, if any. Unless he were for some reason traveling to the Myre, home of the Samurai. This seemed unlikely to me though. Looking back to David, I asked a favor.
"Would you be willing to mark Herongale on my map? I believe that may be where a friend of mine is heading." David smiled.
"Sure, just let me run a few errands in the kitchen and get some more help first." He requested. I simply nodded in response. He slapped the bar before walking back through the door behind it, presumably to run said errands. Thinking a bit longer, I pondered if Stone could truly be at this unmarked hamlet. A part of me doubted that he would travel to such a place, but with no other leads, I didn't have any choice but to look. Shaking my head, I tried to ease my mind as I picked up the remnants of my food...
And ate.