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Old 10-21-2003, 05:36 PM   #113
Hilde Bracegirdle
Relic of Wandering Days
 
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Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: You'll See Perpetual Change.
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Hilde Bracegirdle has just left Hobbiton.
Sting

Gilly

Gilly found herself alone, though Benia was close by. It was a strange thing to see her all swaddled in the heat as though she were just another stranger journeying though this strange town. All that betrayed her presence were the narrow tattooed hands, the rest of her countenance fully shrouded on this hot summer’s day. Gilly was downcast recalling only a few short days ago, how artfully her friend had sung, those same hands mesmerizing the commons room at the Forsaken Inn with finger cymbals. They held no trace of joy now.

Anxious should Benia be overcome from the heat, the hobbit kept a nervous watch, ofttimes glancing over to her friend. More than a wall of fabric seemed to envelope her, as the group plodded along. She wondered if she also was guessing that this hunter had spared them only to collect his bounty here in Bree instead of in the south as they had assumed. And what then would become of this lady of the Painted Sand clan and a useless hobbit? Gilly sighed trying to rein in her imagination, which seemed to erode the ground from under her feet.

Take it as it comes, she lectured herself. No possible good will come of growing maudlin now!

Looking back once more, the hobbit saw that the ranger who had earlier acknowledged them with a nod had followed them into the side street where Kaldir now walked before them. He had noticed too, ordering them to stay further up the alley as he turned to ride back and address the man. Straining to hear what was said, Gilly watched as Kaldir spoke; perhaps it had some bearing on her future. But the market beyond had grown busy and the sounds of it traveled up the street overshadowing their words. It was Miss Benia’s muted voice she heard, mentioning Oleander and something she could not make out.

“Oleander and what?” she questioned, hopeful that perhaps her friend knew the name of this ranger, though Oleander seemed an inauspicious name.

“Oleander and Belladonna….If only we had poisoned the stew.”

“Oh Benia!” Gilly cried. She couldn’t bear to think of Miss Nightshade resorting to murder no matter what the origin of her name might be. She must be truly distraught to consider such things. And surely a knife would be kinder, or better yet some potent sleeping cordial. “I don’t know if I could live with that,” she stated apologetically.

“I don’t think I could live with it either, in the long run,” Benia went on, looking at Gilly through the darkness in front of her eyes, “but I should like to live to find out.”

“You don’t think that he means to kill us do you?” the hobbit questioned. She did not trust Kaldir in the least, but he seemed vastly different from the men Gilly had seen about the Shire in Otho’s day. They had been a selfish and petulant lot. This Kaldir seemed certainly hard, cold, but there was something buried within him, a quality that his crude existence had not extinguished.

Just then, both men turned and rode up to them. Gilly didn’t understand why Kaldir was making introductions, false as they were. But seeing Kaldir’s hand move to his sword’s hilt as he pronounced her Mrs. Tunnelly, she played along as best she could, almost calling herself Mrs. Belladona Tunnelly, in her confusion, before lapsing into a familiar greeting. Thankfully, she was cut short as Kaldir introduced Benia as his wife, asking her to show Mister Dúlrain her face to prove that she was not someone Dúlrain was seeking.

Involuntarily, Gilly thought of the Bywater market’s fruit stand, where the shop keeper will hide the best produce, and will only bring it out to be considered when asked, or maybe for some special customer. The hobbit began to wonder if this might be the one from whom Kaldir meant to collect his bounty and the introductions a mere ruse, but she couldn’t bring herself to believe that yet another ranger would dabble in such trade.

Gilly watched as Kaldir examined Dúlrain’s face, closely gauging his reaction. The bounty hunter had been about to remark when the hobbit noticed he suddenly halted, and closing his eyes, his head bowed forward grimacing as if pain. She thought that the ranger had done something to anger Kaldir, for when he raised them; his hands were formed into fists, and Gilly feared lest Kaldir strike the man. But regaining control rapidly, the bounty hunter shook his head, looking darkly at his companions with teeth clenched.

Dúlrain, quick to offer assistance was swiftly declined, Kaldir dismissing it and firmly diverting the conversation back to the matter at hand. Seeing that his help was not welcome and now being convinced of the draped figure’s innocence regarding Naiore, Dúlrain politely began to withdraw from their company with some hesitation. Gilly was looking at Benia who was quietly watching him depart, when she heard Kaldir ask a curious question about the sword at Dúlrain side. Benia hands moved to clasp one another, and Gilly began wondering if she had missed something vital.

As she turned back, Dulrain was drawing the sword, holding it out for Kaldir to see. It flashed fine and well cared for in the morning light. I thing deadly yet somehow beautiful.
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