[Flashback - Bronze Woods] Not Lost At All, Really. (Luke)

[Tessa Poe]

He had a really odd way of talking, one chime he was all gruff and crude, the next he switched to an almost over the top formality... was he mocking her? Again? She was positive now that the next time she heard hoof beats out here she was diving into the nearest bush, no matter what kind it was, and hiding 'til whoever it was went away. She was grateful though that she was sitting behind him with her face hidden, she couldn't help but flush a bright scarlet again as he called her 'beautiful'. Again there was an oddness to him, he'd call her beautiful with one breath and then a stinking street urchin with the next. What was she supposed to think of that? Or do about it? It seemed pointless to argue with him, he’d never listen. She really had chosen to live out here away from the city, she couldn’t stand being in there for too long, the place started driving her mad. But since he'd turned down dinner she supposed she didn’t have to try and explain that to him. They'd be back at the road soon, and then he'd be gone, and she'd be moving back down the road towards the city. She wasn't stupid enough to stay at the traveller's shelter she'd seen before, not if he knew she was there.

"Yes, the snare lines are here and I..." She had to bite her lip to stop herself squeaking as he easily lifted her back down from the horse again, her hands automatically reaching out to press against his chest to steady herself. She found herself looking up into his eyes again, and then realise just how close she was to him and took a couple of quick steps away from him. It's alright, it's alright, you were just off balance is all, he knows that right? Just get the snares, get back to the road and it'll all be alright. She cleared her throat a little embarrassedly and nodded to him before turning and heading to get her snares, wondering if she'd have caught anything this time. A pair of rabbits would be fantastic, maybe he'd take on if he knew she had the other for dinner? That way she wouldn't owe him a favour or anything.

"Well... if that's the case, I wouldn't want to get you into trouble with your boss? Is that what you'd call him? Sorry, I don't know all that much about... bandits... but you probably knew that... and the snares? Like I said I can’t really replace them… I could probably get by without them, but it’s not quite as easy to do it. She said over her shoulder as she reached the runs, eyes looking round to see if she'd managed to catch anything. She'd laid them the best way she could think of, well it was the only way she could think of. It was a simple enough plan really, you put a big stick over one of the rabbit holes, slipped a small loop of wire over the top of it and made a sliding noose at the other end that was a little bigger than a rabbit's head. Then, when they came out of the runs they'd go through the snare and it'd tighten, holding the rabbit place and if you were lucky throttling it. The first two were empty so she simply gathered them up, slipping them into her coat, the third though… there was another rabbit! It was smaller than the first one, and obviously still alive as it was struggling weakly, but she’d caught one! She reached out and wrung its neck, just like the one she’d shot and collected it and her snare line, throwing both rabbits over her shoulder and walking quickly back over to the bandit. She’d never asked him his name had she? But then he’d never asked hers either, so she guessed it didn’t matter. It wasn’t like they were going to spend an awful lot more time in each other’s company now was it?

She was grinning as approached him again, the rush of success going to her head a little, two rabbits in a day! It was a relatively rare occurrence for her. She came to a stop next to his horse, obviously waiting for him to help her back up again since there was still no way she’d manage to get up there alone. Her smile slipped from her face, a thoughtful look replacing it for a moment before she spoke. “Thank you, for going out of your way like this… thing is I really don’t like taking charity, guess I just don’t like owing people favours you know? Since you won’t take the rabbit, or share it with me… well I caught a second one in the snares, see?” Tessa brought the pair rabbits round, both dangling from their ears in her little fist, “So… I’ll get to eat, and you get something to eat, and I get a lift to the road and all… please just take one of them?” She didn’t know how to say it anymore plainly than that, though if he turned this offer down she’d tried to do something at least.

[Luke Lammergeier]

When he set her on the ground. She placed tender hands on his chest. Bracing herself of course, there was no doubt about that, but it still sent Luke's heart into his throat. She was giving him such an odd look as well, mixed with subtle embarrassment and something he couldn't pin. Her eyes were surprisingly beautiful and looking past the dirt and grime. So was she. When she quickly stepped away from him. A coy smile touched his lips. He was a little disappointed, but also amused by her nerves. Obviously she felt something. Otherwise she wouldn't think anything of the embrace. "Well... if that's the case, I wouldn't want to get you into trouble with your boss? Is that what you'd call him? Sorry, I don't know all that much about... bandits... but you probably knew that... and the snares? Like I said I can’t really replace them… I could probably get by without them, but it’s not quite as easy to do it. Said Tess, a little nervous as she started off towards the rabbit traps. Not waiting for an answer. Luke didn't bother giving one and just tended to his horse. Trying not to grin too much. People never went for monsters like Luke. Unless there was some copper between them or he wasn't anywhere near his men. Luke was massaging a small knot in Zephyr's front. That spot seemed to bother her recently. He would have to have Andrew look at her when he went back to camp. Andrew had a way with the beasts. Chimes later, Tess came up grinning. A rabbit richer. Her enthusiasm was charming and complimented her care free nature and soft features. He laughed again as she stood next to the horse, expecting the lift. When her smile faded and she again offered the rabbits. Not wanting to take advantage of his generosity. He sighed and looked off thoughtfully. The idea of fetching a rabbit and taking it back to camp was logical, but he hadn't had a meal away from the other men in ages. Civilized company was much needed. ”Well, if you insist I won't refuse, but I grow tired eating around a bunch of savages.” He paused as he hoisted her onto the saddle and got on himself. ”They are good men, cut throats the whole lot. But they are still well loved, but they never bathe. They must think the stink wards of monsters or something.” He softly clicked his teeth and urged the horse on at a leisurely pace. ”So I don't see any problem in taking a night to have us a small dinner. You cook and I skin. You can fetch a fine price for pelts in Syliras. Help you out some. And don't worry about me getting in trouble, I can just say I was bedding a whore.” He roared with laughter at the thought of Kain ever accepting such a ridiculous excuse, but she didn't have to know that. ”They aren't the smartest bunch. Tell anyone I said that and I'll gut you.” He tried to have a serious tone but he couldn't keep it up. Chuckling as they went on.

[Tessa Poe]

Finally he’d accepted something from her, now there’d be no debts between them. A hot meal for a lift back to the road, that was a fair exchange wasn’t it? His offer to skin the rabbits was a most welcome one, she tended to just make a complete mess of it whenever she'd tried to before. It did mean that technically she owed him something more, but she was going to be doing the cooking and providing the tubers to go with it. Was it really worth worrying about? He’d accepted the terms, that was enough. It did mean she had to spend a little longer in his company though... and she found her nerves fluttering again as he lifted her back into the saddle with the same ease as before. She still wasn't quite sure when he was joking and when he wasn't, though she was fairly sure his comment about gutting her was a joke. He laughed at least, even if it wasn't very funny. Gods she was mad to be trusting this man at all, not that she had a lot of choice in the matter. She supposed she'd gotten a little luck though, he could have simply carried off like the rest of his band probably would've done.

She winced at his idea for an excuse, he didn’t think she’d… well live up to it, did he? She wasn’t entirely sure how she’d even bring that up, not that it would be a good idea to do it anyway. If he wasn’t thinking of her that way mentioning herself in that sort of way might give him the idea, and if he was thinking of her then flatly turning him down might anger him and then… she had no way of knowing what he’d do, but it wasn’t worth the risk either way. She drew in a deep breath, struggling to stay calm behind him. She couldn’t afford to lose it now, all she had to do was keep it together ‘til after the meal and he’d gone off on his way again.

"I won't tell them, I promise... I don't think I'd get the chance to if they found me anyway..." She gripped his waist a little tighter as she shivered at thought, his earlier words flickering through her thoughts again despite her efforts to keep them at bay. She glanced down, checking to make sure that the reassuring weight of her blade was still at her hip. She knew if it came to it that she could draw it, to plunge it into his back... though thinking about it she'd probably have to drive it into his side, between his ribs. She'd not get the angle to give it enough force to punch through his well-kept leathers otherwise. She really hoped she wouldn’t have to do that though. He was a self-confessed bandit, it’s not as if it’d be her first time, or that she’d be killing a farmer or something, but… she knew she’d still feel guilty over it for weeks afterwards. There’d been that time, after her Da had started teaching her how to defend herself when the caravan had been hit… she’d gotten lucky again, the man who’d leapt into the back of her wagon hadn’t thought she was a threat and the look of surprised confusion on his face as he lay there, blood streaming from his neck, still gazed sightlessly at her from the back of her mind. She shuddered again, pushing that memory away to join her more recent concerns.

“So… why did you become a ummm… bandit?” She piped up from behind him with a false note of cheer obvious in her voice before chewing nervously on her lip. She knew she had to say something, to get him talking again. If he was talking she’d not be left alone with her thoughts; there’d be something to distract her from them and hopefully if he was thinking about... spending more time with her he'd be distracted from that. “I mean isn’t it risky, with the Knights patrolling the road and everything?” He seemed to like to talk, and she hoped those two questions would set him off. All she had to do was keep him talking and it would all work out. Hopefully.

[Luke Lammergeier]

“So… why did you become a ummm… bandit?” That is a good question isn't it? Not something he liked to think on too much. Even though he chose this life and all its faults. There were things he could do without. Killing and raping for one. Nothing he was going to say to some frightened child though. He didn't need her crying again. “I mean isn’t it risky, with the Knights patrolling the road and everything?” ”You have to be more afraid of the things that come out at night than the knights.” He laughed and urged Zephyr on a little more. They crept around the bend at an easy pace. ”The knights keep to the Karbin Road. That petching stronghold and that tree they like to fondle. They don't have the man power to scour Syliras looking for the likes of us. Too big a land, too few of men.” Had she ever seen Syliras? Hell it was one of the only places you could really go in this part of the land that wasn't crawling with thieves or rapists. ”The thing you need to worry about. Is the creatures that roam the land. They are the real threats, not the knights. Snake like demons with bat wings and razors for teeth. They can strip your arm off before you ever even see them, but Dire beasts are perhaps the worst. More common than you think but they are spread out. Too big to hunt in any packs. You better hope we don't run into any of those. I will have to use you as bait to lure them off.” He laughed hard and patted her arm to let her know he was joking. Of course he wasn't As guilty as he would feel. He had come too far to die for a girl he hardly knew. By the time he was done laughing. They were almost at the end of the clearing. Despite himself he was eager to get a fire going and have some dinner. The sun had been slowly going down. By the time they sup, it would be late afternoon and he was starving. Sadly he doubted his little street urchin could cook. ”Are you sure you can cook child? I'm starving and I'm used to slop being thrown in a bucket for my meals.” He snorted back a laugh. Andrew was the only one of the men that had a clue how to cook, and he rarely got the duty.

[Tessa Poe]

She sighed to herself at his repeated warnings about the risks of living out in the forest, it wasn’t like she didn’t know about a fair few of the dangerous things that roamed the wilds, she really wasn't stupid. She had to admit the-bat winged things with claws were a new one on her though. She half suspected he was just trying to scare her again in some sort of attempt to get her to move into the city or something. She really didn’t get him, on the one hand he was a self-confessed bandit and on the other he was giving her a lift back to the road and seemed to want her to be safe after he’d gone. Maybe he just thought she was a stupid kid who couldn’t take care of herself, but she’d planned this out when she’d gotten back to Syliras after crossing the Suvan Sea. She had all the gear she needed to survive and even without it she could make do most of the time. The forest, at least close into the road wasn't too bad and it only got better closer you got to the city. Plus she never left her clothes or boots outside of her tent to let any of the nastier bugs and things like that crawl into them, it wouldn’t be a nice surprise to get bitten by something that’d poison you in the morning. Other than that she just got out of the way If anything bigger came along and let it pass her by, it'd worked so far at least. She was pulled from her thoughts as he joked about leaving her as bait and managed a weak laugh in return as he reached back to pat her arm, the sudden contact bringing a thankfully hidden flush back to her cheeks, again. She had no doubt that if there was a choice between her life and his he'd pick his own every single time, not that he'd get the chance. If it came to it she'd skewer his horse and leave the thing as bait for whatever happened along. It was better than doing the same to him, it was just a horse at the end of the day. He might not be all that happy with her but better that than being left as food for something, right? Speaking of food, he was on about her cooking again. She rolled her eyes and considered pinching the back of his neck in reply, hesitating for a moment before her irritation overcame her nerves. She bit the tip of her tongue gently and reached up with her deft little fingers and dug her finger and thumbnail into the back of it in a sharp little pinch. She really hoped he didn’t dump her off the back of his speeding horse for that, maybe it’d been a bad idea? "My name's Tessa, alright? Not 'child' or 'girl' or whatever." She said into his back, shielding her face from the breeze of their ride between his shoulder blades. She was starting to realise that she really didn't like being up on horseback, they moved far too fast... it was much better to put your trust in your own two feet. She carried on as if the pinch had never happened, louder this time to make sure he heard her over the breeze of their passage. "I think I can manage better than that, like I said I've got some groundnut to put in a stew, they taste a bit like potatoes, same sort of texture and everything, and there are some things I can throw in too." She risked a glance over his shoulder as she spoke, blinking away the tears that formed far too quickly for liking in the rushing breeze and seeing the edge of the clearing approaching, they were nearing the road at last. Soon enough she'd be back on the ground again and that really was something she was looking forwards to. She knew there was a traveller’s shelter near here, and guessed he did too given that he worked this section of the road and all. Once they were there she could get a fire going and see about this stew once he’d skinned the rabbits. She was practically drooling into the back of his fresh smelling leather armour at the thought of that. A nice hot rabbit stew... it was funny how the little things tended to make everything seem just a bit better.

[Luke Lammergeier]

Luke laughed as the girl pinched his neck. She had guts and he loved it. It was good to have someone around that wasn't afraid to mess around back. She reminded him a little of Andrew. Feisty, smart and a little pig headed when it came to respect. "My name's Tessa, alright? Not 'child' or 'girl' or whatever." He had to grin at that. From his point of view he was still a boy to most of the older men in the camp. And he was much older than this girl. It was no matter though. The child can think what she wants. "I think I can manage better than that, like I said I've got some groundnut to put in a stew, they taste a bit like potatoes, same sort of texture and everything, and there are some things I can throw in too." He still doubted she could cook but at least she sounded like she could. [i]”Haha okay Tessa your a woman grown, and fierce! Pinching a helpless bandit when his back is turned.”[/u] He said laughing. ”My name is Luke by the way. Luke Lammergeier. I wouldn't normally give out my real name but Tessa doesn't sound like a treacherous name. It's far to pretty.” He slowed Zephyr as they came up to the end of the clearing. Before them lay the dim of the Bronze Forest. There isn't that much trail til the next Road house. It will be the safest place to get dinner ready. Luke guided his horse through the thick brush, onto a old game trail that led back to the road. It was nothing but a rut in the grass but it was easier than making their own way. ”Why don't you start telling me your life. It's not often I come across women that can survive on their own, and beautiful ones even less. They are always broad and tough like old leather. With thicker beards than mine.” He laughed as he stroked his own beard. It was thick and wild, along with his black unkempt hair.

[Tessa Poe]

If this kept up she’d be stuck with a permanent blush, either through how much he annoyed her or his compliments, she really wished he’d stop with that already, the whole calling her pretty or beautiful. It wasn’t like it was true… not that he’d ever find out just how wrong he was about her… well she hoped not. To keep herself away from those thoughts, again, she flicked back to considering him. It was a safer topic at least than the other. There was still this strange sort of duality there, complimenting her one moment and then mocking her the next, sort of sweet and then sour, and still she wanted him to… well… she didn’t quite know. At least he couldn’t see her face as she tried to work out exactly what was going on here, still really quite glad that he couldn’t see her face. She sighed and gave a little mental shrug, she was never going to figure it out. It was probably just his way of doing things, and a little mockery was better than other things he could’ve done by now. She did have to wonder why he hadn’t done those other things to her, it couldn’t just be that he… well thought she was pretty. He must’ve done those things to other people who he saw that way, and to people he didn’t, and to people in between. That’s what bandits did wasn’t it? He’d not have survived in the little group he’d mentioned if he didn’t. Was that it then? Did he do those things because he was with that group, and now that he was away from them he had the choice of whether to do it or not? Or maybe it was just a whim, just that he’d felt like being nice and she’d just gotten lucky to run into him today? Gods people were complicated. She had to giggle quietly at his comment about the others she’d seen who spent most of their time out here as she did, he was right too. They did tend to end up looking the worse for wear and weather-beaten, not that she was much better at the moment. She’d have to see if she could a stream big enough to wash in tomorrow, after he’d gone on his way. It could’ve been worse though, at least he’d not turned up a couple of days ago when she’d found out why they called stinkweed, well stinkweed. It’d taken hours of scrubbing to get that scent out of her clothes and hair, feeling the gorge burning the back of her throat all the while. It was just her luck to have fallen into what had to be the biggest patch of it that she’d seen in weeks. Worst of all she’d lost the the little roe deer that she’d managed to wing as it had wandered across her path. “Well… ummm… I’m not that interesting really… Luke…” So that was his name, Luke, it probably wasn’t his actual name, for all that he said it was, but it was a name at least. It was better than thinking of him as ‘the really confusing bandit’. “I’ve been out here for a couple of seasons, since I got back from Riverfall. Sort of decided to head out by myself, leave the caravan behind and all. Oh, you wouldn’t know that… sorry, I grew up on a caravan, the Jones Caravan I guess. At least that’s what the boss is called and they’re usually named after the boss you know? So yeah… we went all over , Mr Jones would pick the market we were heading for and buy up with that in mind…” She snapped to a stop, not wanting to talk about where the caravan went or its usual routes for fear that he’d pass the information onto his band. If they knew where the caravan ran they might try for it, and she couldn’t stand the thought of something happening to everyone that she’d been the cause of. “So…yeah, after I left I figured I’d come back here, get myself sorted and then see if I could find some work, figured I’d do what my Da did and sign on as a guard. I’m not, you know, all that good with my sword, but good enough I figure to manage it, and it’ll pay alright… She tailed off, tongue licking out across suddenly dry lips. That had to have been the most she’d spoken, or on reflection, babbled in weeks. She risked another glance over his shoulder, trying to see how much further they had to go and to get a quick look at his face. It was hard, not being able to see it so she could get an idea of what he was thinking. She didn’t quite manage the latter, but at least there seemed to be a shelter up ahead. She’d be off the back of this horse soon at least, and she couldn’t wait. It hadn’t been that a long ride but her thighs were already aching with the gripping and all. The sooner she got off and back on the ground the better that much she was sure of.

[Luke Lammergeier]

As they rode through the brush and the denser parts of the forest. Tessa chatted about herself. Telling the man she wasn't that interesting... How she came from Riverfall, with the Jones Caravan. The name got a chuckle out of Luke but also gave him a pang of guilt. He had “visited” hundreds of Caravans and never knew their names or the people that bled in them. He also noticed how quickly she stopped. As she started to titter on about where they headed and loaded up for supplies. If this were any other circumstance, it would have been appropriate to be careful. He was a bandit after all and he needed to eat. Luke certainly wouldn't raid her camp though. That would put her at risk, and why would he help her now, only to kill her later or see her raped? His ears pricked up when she mentioned her father being a guard. And her wanting to follow in his footsteps. ”I have fought many guards. Stunned who I could but killed more than not.... They never put up much of a fight. Their downfall is always how safe they feel in a group. If your going to be a guard. Keep your eyes peeled and always expect the worst. Never be close to the fires. It gives someone a better chance to put a shaft in your pretty chest. And pray that we never meet under those circumstances. And fight til your last. Kain, cuts the balls off any man that rapes against his orders. But other bandits are not as polite. ” He reached behind and patted her shoulder. ”Your a smart kid though. I'm sure you will do fine.” Said Luke. They had left the thickets of the forest and reached the road. He could see the log shelter, and brought his mare to a gallop. ”How about you tell me a little about your Da. Is he still with us? Or has Lhex taken him?” His stomach twisted a little with the idea. That he might of killed her father.

[Tessa Poe]

Tessa chewed the inside of her cheek as she listened to his advice, she'd never have thought about the camp fires and how visible they made you to anyone coming towards you... but then he did have the experience of being on the other side of it all. He really was a strange bandit, it didn’t seem much like he enjoyed what he did, at least as far as she could tell from the time she’d spent with him. And then there was the fact that he'd spared her and he was talking about knocking guards out rather than simply gutting them. It all gave her the feeling that he wasn't actually... a bad man? Sort of, maybe, she wasn't sure. This really had been a strange day. The thing was though, if he really didn’t like being a bandit why was he still out here being one? It wasn’t like there was anything stopping him from just taking off was there? That was the point of being a bandit, there weren’t any rules to follow and nothing to stop you doing what you liked. Then again, he’d mentioned a Kain and cutting… bits… off of men. Maybe that was why he was still a bandit? If this Kain cut those bits off a man for not following his orders… that’d be a good reason not to leave. A very good reason. She’d have to ask him about it maybe, and this time she’d keep asking ‘til she got a decent answer out of him. She had to admit the fact that he was worrying about her as he seemed to be was kind of nice, and he called her smart too. It seemed like he was finally coming round to the idea that she actually could look after herself out here, that she wasn’t just some dumb kid or an accident waiting to happen. She had to grin at that, it really was a good thing he’d not found her climbing out of the stinkweed or he might’ve been singing a different tune. She felt his horse pick up its pace and it took her a moment to adjust to the change in the rhythm of its steps. It was harder to talk up here than she’d have thought what with the way the damn thing kept throwing you one or the other and she found herself clinging more tightly to him again as a worry about falling off skirted across the outside of her thoughts. "You sound just like him you know, my Da I mean,” she said with a slight judder in her voice from the horse’s hoof beats. It was strange just how much he did too, the same no nonsense sort of talk about the job and what you had to do to survive. He put it a l little more colourfully than her Da might have, but the spirit behind the words was pretty much the same. “He always said things like” and she dropped her voice, trying to make it sort of gravelly like her Da’s as she spoke, “you’ve to be careful Poppet, if you want to see Syna's next rise that is. Never stop watching, never let your guard down, no telling when something or someone’ll come for you or where it’ll come from.” She giggled as she came to a stop before breaking into a little cough to clear the scratchy feeling from her throat. “Anyway, as far as I know he's still with us, but I've not seen him since I left. I'll probably run into him somewhere sooner or later though, Mr Jones never kept the caravan in one place for very long. I swear he used to count how many mizas every single delay would cost him.” She didn't want to think of the alternative, that somehow her Da hadn't made it. It was a risky job, she knew that well enough, but she couldn't imagine anyone managing to get the best of her Da. He... he was just her Da, the strongest man she'd ever met. No, he was fine, she knew he was, he had to be. As nice as the talk of home was, she really had to ask her question before she forgot about it. Or lost her nerve and left it alone. “So… ermm… I was wondering…” she started as she glanced round his shoulder again and saw they were rapidly approaching the Traveller’s Shelter, it was now or never. She’d not be able to ask him if she was sitting opposite him over a fire, it’d be too… never mind, now or never. “It’s just that, you really don’t seem like you like being a… bandit? Or you don’t like some of the things you have to do, or something. So… why don’t you stop? You know, do something else?” There, she’d asked him, sort of. If he just ignored the question and they got on with dinner then that was fine, she’d managed to ask him and that was that. She really hoped he didn’t though, she wanted to know, she wanted to understand why he was the way he was.

[Luke Lammergeier]

He breathed a little easier knowing her Da was safe. He would probably retch tonight if he knew he was slain by bandits. The unlikely but still possible chance that he might of died by Luke's sword would have been too much to bear. He was, however a little flattered by the resemblance he had to her father. Although it put any thoughts of bedding her aside. How ever remote they were in his head. First time he was looked at like a father instead of a murderer and it was by a beautiful woman. He sat grumbling in his saddle as she continued. “So… ermm… I was wondering…” He tilted his head, with an absentminded Hmmm?. And when she was done speaking he was anything but absentminded. He wanted to brush her off. Ignore the comment, but he didn't think he could. It had him thinking, that was for sure. And she proved trust worthy by not driving that pretty blade between his ribs as they rode. She seemed friendly enough, talking of her Da, but could he discuss that? It was a hard question to answer, and one he asked himself whenever he had to clean blood off his blade. Your a curious thing aren't you? They were coming up to the cabin. His voice trailed off and he kept silent as they rode up. Knights patrolled these houses at a steady interval and he started to get a bad feeling. This girl might be friendly but if she were to see Knights. She might loosen that tongue knowing he couldn't harm her. It happened plenty of times. Men got careless, forgot who they where and bragged to travelers or confided in pillow girls. Their arrogance and trust was rewarded with rope. If the girl showed any signs of betrayal, he would have to give her to Lhex. Much as he hated the thought. Back stabbers would get no love from him. Luke swung off his horse and helped her down. Holding a finger to his lip to hush her. ”Don't make a noise.” He said in a low voice and drew his sword. It was a fair piece of steel that he sharpened methodically. The grip was old stained leather, supple from use, the pommel without ornament. Simple, deadly and afordable. Much like its owner. Walking to the log cabin, he kept his eyes alert. There was no fire inside but it was midday and without a chill. Reaching the door he took a deep breath and pushed gently. It opened without protest. No one in their right mind would leave the door unbarred. He stepped inside quickly. Blade held up defensively. A moment later, he emerged clearly disappointed. If he had to cut someone down he might be excused from talking about the subject. With an all clear he ushered her inside the shelter. It was a wooden house. Small but sturdy windows and lightly furnished with the necessities. The last person was gracious enough to store some wood for a fire. ”Aggravating not to have anyone to kill. I was getting my hopes up. And my blade has been sharpened for too long.” He came over to the horse and sheathed his sword with a dull scrape of steel on leather. ”Start setting things up my dear. I want to get a taste of your cooking. I haven't had a maid, cook for me in many years.” His tone betrayed his jolly words. He was clearly troubled and his brow was so furrowed it looked like a hairy caterpillar nested on his face.