Chapter 5: A Time for Change
I, being a light sleeper, awoke immediately to the disturbance. Fear gripping my heart, I dove onto the floor, making a loud bump in my haste, and crawled beneath the bed. I held my breath, and quickly came up with a few ideas of escape. Sadly they all seemed to conclude with my capture.
I hesitated, before scooting myself forward a few inches, to try and see who had wandered into the room. As I was doing this, a dull orange light flooded into the space beneath the bed, and stopped right under my nose. I saw two pairs of dark boots, one a little too close for comfort.
My body was in pain, from the unused adrenaline pumping through my system. I shook relentlessly and clenched my teeth, to keep from screaming. I had to get control of myself. Closing my eyes, I took deep, but silent, breaths; filling my lungs with oxygen and trying to flush out the unwanted hormones. It was like sleeping, or meditating. Blocking the outer distractions, and focusing on the body, on your inner soul; a practice which had been taught to me by an elf, traveling out of Rivendell.
It was then, coming out of my trance, that I noticed the face directly in front of mine.
"Well hello there," the stranger greeted me. In the dim light, I couldn't make out his face, but that voice; I knew that voice.
"How'd you find me?" I asked, not for stalling but to simply know, for they did it rather fast.
"The clothes in the sink gave it away." Oops. This slip in my memory, reminded me that I was wearing next to nothing. The mound sounded fairly decent, perhaps I would go untouched. As for a plan, there was no use. I would wait for an opportune moment, and go from there.
"So what is it that you're doing in my room?" Still that voice, I knew it, I'd heard it before, but from where?
"Last time I checked this was my room." I longed for him to pull from under the bed, so as to see his face, but I'd rather not be exposed.
As if reading my mind, he grabbed me by the wrists, and soon I was standing in front of two men; one named Irwin.
"Well look who it is, Dani! So we meet again." I couldn't believe it.
"Irwin, what are you doing in Bree?" I had paid no attention to the other man in the room, until he spoke up.
"Irwin? Strider, what's the lady talking about?" I gave Irwin, or rather Strider, a knowing look.
"Thank you for informing Miss Dani of that," he said this with a falsely sweet tone. "You may go."
"But I want my money. The little wretch…"
"She'll pay later. Now get out!" So this Strider seemed rather upset about the other man revealing his name. I figured he must've worked here, since he wanted my money. After the door was shut, I turned back to the man at question.
"You know how I feel about not being introduced." We both turned to face the other.
"My apologies, he was just the innkeeper. You should've known considering you rented out a room."
"How do you know if I did know and was just acting as if I didn't?"
"I don't." He answered without missing a beat. Most would stumble on the question and blubber stupidly. He sensed my surprise and chuckled to himself. "I saw how the lock was picked. You weren't fooling anyone." I smiled, extremely uncomfortable in my lack of clothing.
For a while, we just stood and stared, but eventually our conversation continued.
"You might want to put some clothes on." He had a smirk upon his face, which I wished to slap off.
"I'd love to, so if you'd kindly leave." I gestured to the door.
"I'm not going anywhere." Nasty perverted man. I grabbed my clothes from the sink, still a little damp, and turned to get my shell, but… "Looking for this?" Strider dangled my beloved shell before me, tempting me to reach out and grab it. This was a characteristic gesture of a man. Once you moved your hand forward, he would grab it and pull you closer. Then talk greedily and breathe in your face; sometimes a hint of alcohol was found. Then you'd have a snappy remark, which would be returned with a rough kiss. With a quick kick in the groin, soon you'd be on your merry way.
I'd long since learned to beware such amateur tricks. Instead I shrugged carelessly, stuffed my clothes into my bag, and lifted it onto my shoulder.
"Don't care," I said simplistically.
"Don't care? I doubt you'd carry along a sea shell, if you didn't care." The tone of his voice, angered me for I was the one being mocked.
"Actually, I found it and figured I could make some money off it. That's the only reason it's stayed with me. Now if you'd excuse me Mr. Strider, I'd like to be on my way." I gave a fake attempt to shove past him, only to be blocked.
"It's past midnight, where are you going?" He continued to question me, and my patience grew thin.
"Anywhere but here if you would move!" He smiled; happy to be giving me a heart attack. He swung my shell around his finger, and my nerves screamed. I hoped he didn't see the look of terror on my face.
He finally handed it back, and this time without caring about the result, grabbed it.
"Thank you!" And with that I shoved passed him, with actual force this time, and made my way to the door. "Hopefully, this will be our last encounter." I slammed the door, and walked off in search of a nice tree to stay in. Luckily I hadn't encountered anyone, for once I found an Oak I realized that I was without pants.
Conveniently, I had chosen one of the tallest places to settle in. I could look over tree and roof tops alike, and see into the main street. My view also included the Inn and the gate into Bree. Mr. Stone came into the town from a different place, so apparently I had wondered to the other side.
I stayed in my tree until the sun rose and the streets bustled with life. I hopped down from temporary home, and left in search of food. Because of my dilemma, made by the shell, I had failed to gather my supplies. I set out in search of a market, but all seemed to be run by pig headed men. Four stands I visited and all ended in my leaving. It was always hard to be a female and a nomad. Often would you come upon troubles with the opposite sex. It was especially hard being so young. It's difficult to remember when I set out. I may have been six, or five years. I was little, then, I still am. Not ten years has passed since then. How frightful it is, when you're on your own. The dark overwhelms; a fear of things you can't see. The day; a fear of things you can.
I hadn't experienced anything truly frightful, until after I left Dunland. Since then I've despised men. A woman like me couldn't go anywhere without being harassed. I wanted adventure and escape mostly, but no one would take a girl seriously.
Perhaps it was time for a change.