Arginett; Your Friendly Neighborhood Mercenary
Chapter 2
I TAKE NO CREDIT FOR ANYONE IN THIS STORY EXCEPT FOR ARGINETT.
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Arginett: That means that the person who recorded this story doesn't own anything!
Cecelia: Aragorn! Why won't you just admit your love and be with me?
Arginett: O.o
Aragorn: … O.o
Cecelia: T.T
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When the two eccentric young (A/N: Ha! Young…. Right) woman left the Arginett residence on horseback, those in the streets tried not to stare. They were worried, to say the least. No, they weren't worried for Arginett, oh no; they're pity was purely intended for the young lady who seemed to have missed some of the rumors about the woman she was riding with. Obviously they hadn't heard that this woman was a mercenary, who worked for the great Gandalf himself! She wasn't someone to be taken lightly, and Cecelia was in danger-or so they thought. Cece was still trying to pronounce her horse's name, which was something like 'Bumblebee'. She sighed in defeat and turned to Arginett, "What's the horses name again?" Arginett smiled, "Beelzebub. And he's got the personality to match the name." Cece nodded, as if she understood the joke, when, in reality, she had no idea who this 'Beelzebub' was. She sighed once more before banishing the thoughts from her head, to make room for ones about what Arginett had told her.
*flashback*
"We're going to rendezvous with my friends, and then we're going to find the king." Arginett said in her low tenor voice. Cecelia gasped, "The king?" Arginett nodded. We are going to offer our assistance in ending the war. We've been helping behind the scenes for a while now, but today we are going to make it official." Cecelia's eyes widened. "I'm going to meet the true heir of Gondor…"
*end flashback*
Cecelia turned once again to Arginett, frowning at the uneasy look that her newly (self-) appointed mentor had on her face. When Arginett saw her apprentice looking at her, she smiled and asked, "Do you need something, Cece?" Cecelia shook her head, "No, I just wanted to know what the king looks like." Arginett pouted, surprising Cecelia, "He looks a little like me, only his hair is around this length" here she gestured to a place high on her neck, "and he's much shorter, though most people are. He also wears leather, chain mail, and a cape. His eyes are blue, and he has stubble that wants to claim it's a beard." Cecelia nodded, and turned back around to ponder what Arginett had told her.
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After they made their way to the edge of the city, Arginett got off of her horse and tied it to a post outside of a bakery. She then told Cecelia to do the same. After Beelzebub was properly restrained, they walked inside. Arginett told Cecelia to look around while she went to talk to the Baker, and Cecelia obeyed her, eavesdropping on the conversation that her mentor then started. "Hey Maccus! Can you stock us up for a two-day journey?" Maccus, the baker, looked up from his desk and smiled, "Lady Arginett; how nice to see you again. You said we, so I can assume you are traveling with that nice girl over there?" Arginett snorted, "Get a life, Maccus. Your personality is just fine, so don't go changing it like that." Maccus grinned, "Ah know. Ah just like messin' with the new customers, that's all. A stock up fer a two-day trip, comin' yer way!" And with a dramatic flourish, Maccus leapt into the back room, where clanging and mumbling could be heard soon after. Arginett shouted, "We'll be back in a little bit, so don't rush, Maccus!" A little obscene language started up before he came out and glared at her, "Ya coulda' told me that sooner, Lady Arginett." The 'lady' giggled, before flouncing out the door, dragging Cecelia behind her.
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When questioned about their next location, Arginett replied, singing, "We're off to see the chopper! The most wonderful chopper of all!" Effectively silencing her apprentice with her attitude, Arginett then flounced into butchery. "Barry! We've come for your meat! Give it up quietly and everypony gets out unscathed!" A wiry man came out of a door in the back of the lobby, wiping his hands on his apron. "Arginett! What's on demand today?" Arginett grinned, "I'm going on a trip! I need enough meat to feed me and this kid" she yanked Cecelia nest to her using the girls arm, "And me for two days! Think you can handle it?" Barry ran a hand through his brown-ish hair, and grinned, "I can do it! I just have to go get some more victims before I start!" Arginett assured Cece that no, Barry did not mean people; he was just a really weird dude, as Barry got to work on her order. (A/N: Any Fullmetal Alchemist fans out there? Well, meet berry the chopper, version 3.0! Not some insane serial killer (1.0) or some empty suit of armor (2.0) but a nice, friendly butcher!) Once Barry had finished getting ready the massive amount of food that would leave Arginett feeling content enough to fight, they left to go and pick up the baked goods to accompany it. When they got there, Maccus had two customers who glared at Arginett in an un-neighborly way. "Hey, friends! What are you doing here?" Arginett asked them, beaming. One of them, a woman, flipped her off. (A/N: Sorry! I just had to! I apologize to those who thought that this was going to be a G rated story!) Arginett apparently didn't notice it, and said, "Martha, you look really pretty today! What did you do to your hair, give it to Barry? It sure looks like somebody butchered it!" Cecelia was gaping at her. Arginett had just said all of that with an innocent and even childish look on her face. Her acting skills were truly commendable. Just then, Maccus walked back into the room and, noticing the glares Arginett was being sent, scolded her for harassing his customers. Arginett retaliated, "She flipped me off! She deserves to be told the truth, no matter how bad it hurts." The lady huffed, but remained in line; Maccus' goods were the best in the county, so storming out wasn't really of benefit to her. Arginett growled at one of the cakes on display, "You stupid piece of pastry! You make me so mad! You just sit there, ignoring me, and I hate you! How I the name of Ra do you have the right to be a cake? You are obviously an oversized muffin!" Maccus pouted, "Just 'cuz you don't like 'im doesn't mean you 'ave to be so mean to 'im. You yell at 'im every time you're in 'ere." The two other ladies in the room (plus Cecelia) were frowning at this conversation. Arginett sighed, "I'm sorry cake. I shouldn't take my anger at other buffoons out on you. It's not your fault Maccus decided to name you after someone you're not. Maccus, is my order ready?" He nodded, and reached behind the counter, pulling out a large bundle. "Here you go," he said as he gave them to her. Arginett smiled and tossed im the money. After they left, Cecelia started humming as she rode her horse down the street.
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As they left Gondor, Cecelia noticed Arginett nervously scanning the skies. When asked about it, her mentor merely replied with a shaky smile, and a shrug; she clearly wasn't going to tell Cecelia, so she decided to drop it. Sooner than expected, the sun was in the middle of the sky, signaling the travelers that it was time to eat and rest. However, Arginett told Cecelia that they had to keep going for a little while longer. Cece was confused, until she realized that Arginett was now looking at the skies behind her, and not in front or above, as she had been doing for a while. The small apprentice gathered from this that they were in some faint danger in the area they traveled, so she agreed with Arginett and kept going.
When the two got to a grassy plain in the middle of the desert, Cecelia helped Arginett set up camp, and then they ate a small meal together under a shady canvas. During their meal, Arginett told Cecelia stories of times long past, when the Urak-Hai had been less abundant, and danger scarce. Arginett spoke of these times with a strange longing in her voice, as if she had been there, and, not for the first time, Cecelia found herself wondering how old Arginett really was. Once they were finished eating, Cecelia suggested that they played 20 questions; a common game in Gondor, where they would each take turns telling each other things about themselves, until the number of secrets shared equaled a total of twenty. Arginett enthusiastically agreed, and so they started.
"Arginett, how old are you?" Cecelia asked. Arginett frowned, and her fingers twitched as if she were counting. After a little while, Arginett answered with a number that shocked Cece into silence; "I'm 98 and 11 months old." After Arginett ran out of patience with the gaping girl, she snapped, "It's not thatold! My foster father is at least 4 times that age!" Unfortunately for her, the last sentence only made Cecelia more shocked, and her gaze intensified greatly. But then Cecelia realized another thing; Arginett had said foster father. She lowered her eyes, and said quietly, "So you don't have parents either, then?"
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Steve: This chapter was short…
Arginett: So? At least it stopped somewhere reasonable! You got a problem with that?
Steve: ….No…
Arginett: Then. Say. Your. Line. ~.~ *glares*
Steve: *sigh* The writer doesn't own FMA, LOTR, or anything else mentioned in the story, other that the OCs.
Arginett: Those who review get to pet Steve!
Steve: WHAT! I didn't agree to that!