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Talon's
Nook sat at the intersection of three roads and a stream that ran good and
strong all year, and not just when the snow was melting atop the distant hills
to the east. The stream was not large enough for merchant boats to come this
far upstream, but as a source of life for the community it was exceptional. The
community was large for a farming community, nearly four hundred people living
either in town or less than a days walk from it. It had two saloons, a sheriff
with two deputies, and a general mercantile that could get just about anything
if you had the gold to pay for it. All in all, it had been a quiet community
that sat peaceably and grew steadily for several hundred years without
incident.
Then began the infrequent raids on the Southerly road, the one leading three
days ride into Innskeep down the stream. The raids didn't stay infrequent long,
and before the town knew it, there was a steady fleecing of travelers happening
on the Southerly road, and more than a few people simply vanished without a
trace. The stories were always the same, of course. The bandits always seemed
to show up with at least twice as many people as their targets had, and if the
travelers showed the least bit of resistance throats were slit until all their
pockets were unburdened of the gold that had been in them. Thus it had been for
two years now, and once the bandits had even stormed the jail of Talon's Nook
to rescue two of their own that had been taken in drunk from one of the
saloons. No less than fifty horsemen rode into town and generally made a
nuisance of themselves. The previous sheriff and deputies had died that day at
the ends of ropes on a tree right outside town, and the new tenants of the jobs
had absolutely no intention of doing anything but living. Help from the
regional Earl of South Cardia was not forthcoming, as no one of note ventured into the region
to be fleeced as yet, and so it was of no consequence to him. The locals simply
tried not to go that way, but as of late, farms had begun to get raided as well. The
bandits were growing bolder.
On the northern road, a walking figure topped a small rise that overlooked the
town, and paused to take in the view in the early morning sunshine. The figure
wore a scarlet cloak that was fixed at the throat and covered them from head to
ankle, with matching red boots that had matching plates of red metal attached
to them as armor across the top. The hood of the cloak was pulled up over the
figure's head, obscuring their face but protecting from the chill air of the
morning. The exposed hands that rested by the figures sides were small, and
white, and very human. The only visible ornament was a large cross-shaped holy
symbol that hung on a fine chain around the figure's neck, laying exposed on
the outside of the cloak. Careful observers would also see that the voluminous
cloak also concealed a sword on the figure's left hip. After a momentary pause
to take in the sight of the town, the figure drew a deep breath and started
down the road again towards town, and destiny, and duty.
Tookey the Keep was awakened by tapping. Incessant, intolerable tapping. He let
go of the dream that he'd been having about the Smyther sisters and opened his
eyes. He'd passed out on the cot behind the bar, he saw, and since he normally
woke back up about ten 'o the rooster then that must mean it was earlier than that. He
sat up, and rubbed his face, then turned to look at what was making that
infernal racket.
A gold piece was being tapped on the bar by a slender white hand. He followed
the hand up the explosion of red robes to find a hooded face. Only the chin was
exposed to the light, also pale and finely cut. He could barely see that the
mouth was turned up in a slight grin. Then he turned his attention back to the
right and proper place, which was the gold piece.
"Is it too early in the day for a lady traveler to get a meal here,
sir?" she asked in a deep, pleasant voice, the kind of throaty voice that
made men forget what they were supposed to be doing and do very stupid things instead. "I'm fresh
off the road, and would like some food. And mayhaps a bit of information, if
you'd be so kind."
Tookey clambered to his feet. "'Tis a bit early by my standards, M'Lady,
but gold e're runs my clock. I can stoke the fire and cook you up a couple of nice burgers
to ease your belly, if you'd care."
"That would be wonderful." she replied. "And have you any
milk?"
"No, M'Lady, the only things we have here are ale, tea, and occasionally
coffee. Today we have ale or tea."
"Tea, please." said the lady, and sat down at the bar, folded her
hands, and said no more. Tookey turned and began preparing her meal, but found
himself slightly rattled by the encounter. There was something about her that
stuck in your mind, and he found it hard to pry the voice from his head. She
thanked him when he handed her the tea, sipping it quietly.
"I have your burgers over the fire, M'Lady." He said uselessly, to
cover the growing nervousness he felt when he was in her presence.
"Thank you, Tookey." she replied, and he suddenly wondered when he'd
told her his name. She took another sip of tea, raised the cup to him in
appreciation, then set it down and slid back her hood, revealing herself for
the first time. Tookey's breath caught. She was a young woman of about twenty,
and had long blond hair with a reddish tint to it. But what grabbed Tookey and
held him were the green eyes, piercing, wise, and compassionate, all at the
same time. He heard himself gasp for air as his body remembered to breathe, and
her only response was a slight smile at the corners of her lips as she sipped
her tea again to give him a moment to compose himself. But when she set the tea
down and looked him in the eyes again, the smile was gone, and suddenly Tookey
found himself slightly afraid of the wisp of a girl. When she spoke this time,
it was more quietly, and it held him in thrall.
"I've heard tellings that there is a bandit problem in this area."
"Aye, that there is." said Tookey. "Southerly road out there
gets more than it's share. Den of thieves upon it now for two years."
The woman's brow pinched. "Is there no law?"
"The sheriff steps not a foot out of town, M'Lady, and the Earl is equally
concerned with the concerns of the Earl." replied Tookey with some amusement,
quite pleased with himself to be able to help the young woman. Long after she
left, he wondered about how she had affected him so, but when he looked at her,
his heart seemed to melt in his chest. And she seemed to know it.
"And there are deaths?"
Tookey nodded, not bothering to elaborate. She pondered this for a moment, then
motioned back into the kitchen.
"I smell burgers, Friend Tookey." she said with that sly grin she
had, and as soon as she said it, Tookey smelled them, too. He ran back to the
kitchen to finish preparing her meal.
Some minutes later, he emerged from the kitchen and set the steaming meat
patties and loaf of bread in front of her. She surprised him by wolfing down
the first one immediately, without bread and piping hot. He sat and watched
with surprise as she made the burger disappear in record time, then started on
the second with equal fervor. When she was done, she ate two thin slices of
bread, then leaned back with a content smile.
"Very good burgers, my friend Tookey. By the Spirits, I shall not eat
again the rest of this day." She picked up her tea and drained it like a
woodsman this time, and then rose. Her hand slid across the surface of the bar,
and when it pulled back, there were two gold pieces on the counter. Tookey
blanched.
"M'Lady, I cannot accept even one from such as yourself. They were only
two burgers, not worth a silver..."
"Shhh, Friend Tookey. Put them into your pocket, and heed my words. I
shall return to this town inside of a week, and then shall require both more of
your wonderful cooking and mayhaps secure a room for the night. I hope to have
a horse by then, too, so I'll need direction to a reliable stable, and not one
in town. I'd rather my money go to a poor farmer than a rich stablery."
She smiled, and Tookey almost swooned. "I do not see the coins in your
pocket yet, friend Tookey."
Tookey took the coins from the bar and slid them into his pocket numbly, nodding. As he did, she pulled
the cross she wore around her neck from inside the robe where she'd stashed it
to eat, and hung it properly again. Then she took the bloated coin purse off the bar
where she'd had it and affixed it to the outside of her robe. Tookey shook off
some of the fog that was in his head long enough to raise his finger and point
at the valuables she was exposing.
"M'Lady, I'm not so sure that is a good idea."
She smiled at him. "Then I daresay you'll like my next even less."
"And what idea would that be?" asked Tookey, with waning enthusiasm.
"I'm going to travel down the Southerly road." she said, pulling her
hood up over her head again as she turned to leave.
"And what of the bandits, M'Lady?"
She paused. "Any man foolish enough to draw weapons against me dies where
he stands. I'll see you soon, Friend Tookey. Remember to engage me a stable,
please." With that she walked out the door, but not before Tookey noticed
something. Her boots were clean. Not spotless, but not the slightest bit
trail-worn, either. Certainly not the boots of a person who has been walking
the roads like she said, and she admitted that she had no horse. So if she
didn't walk, where the hell did she come from? Tookey eased out the door behind
her, watching her walk down the street to the edge of town, her cloak gently wafting in the breeze of the morning. His head was losing
that fuzziness that it had had while she was here, but even so he found himself
already hoping for her return as she had promised.
Copyright 2008 J. Brown
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