The sun rose slowly over the Eastern Sea, and the man carrying the day's water from the river indulged himself to look at the golden rays illuminating the forest below him. From the small cabin on the mountaintop, he could see for miles. The land of Alba stretched out before him, largely made up of forests with a few dozen villages and a handful of cities. To the west, the sun fell on the mountains of Cambria. Beyond them was the island kingdom of Hibernia, and Gavin found himself wishing once again that he could see past those mountains to his homeland. But he averted his eyes as he entered the cabin and deposited the water. Viggo was still sleeping, and Gavin closed the door quietly on his way out so as not to disturb the older man.

He took a deep breath as he hit the mountain air again, and began his daily regimen. 100 stationary shots with his bow. 100 shots in motion. Running from one peak to the other and back, followed by two hundred more shots. By that time, the old man had staggered outside. And, of course, he was carrying his swords.

"Sword! Now!"

"Good morning to you as well, Ser Viggo."

"If it wasn't for me..."

Gavin sighed.

"Half your sentences start like that. I know. I'd be murdered in my bed. I couldn't read. I couldn't eat. I couldn't shoot. I couldn't fight. I couldn't manage to live a single day on my own."

Viggo tossed on of the swords to Gavin, who caught it easily and swung it.

"Son, if your sword was as quick as your tongue I wouldn't have anything left to teach you. You're a smart young man, and you can shoot a bow twice as well as anyone I've ever seen in my life. With your reflexes, you should be a master. So why do I keep..."

The old man lunged forward; Gavin dodged easily, but had his sword knocked out of his hand.

"... beating you?"

Glaring, Viggo lunged forward at Gavin- but halted abruptly as the younger man notched an arrow in the blink of an eye. 

"Because I'll never let anyone get close enough to swing a sword at me. You know that."

Viggo sighed and grumbled, but there was a hint of pride there as well. 

"Fine. But we're still going to practice. You should be prepared for anything."

The sound of clanging swords was heard until the sun was high in the sky.

Gavin sighed as he stacked all their money on the table. Viggo, who was reading a book in the corner, simply watched him. Eventually, Gavin broke the silence.

"It's not enough."

"Son, there's more gold there than most people see in their lives."

"But we- you- had all that when we left in the first place. What have we added in the last decade? 80 silver? A couple hundred bronze? The only gold here in minted in Hibernia."

Viggo scowled as he always did when their home country was mentioned, and he quickly changed the subject.

"And what do you propose, young master?"

"Well, we're not doing anything here. Hunting wolves and bears for villagers isn't going to buy us an army. Or ships. Or anything, really, other than food. Why not head to the cities? With the way the countries are grating against each other, there're people selling their swords and making their fortune. I'm not saying we join one of the armies... but why not take smaller jobs? When we were last in the village, I heard some bandit had a bounty of five gold."

Viggo was quiet for a long time. Gavin wondered if he'd fallen asleep, and so he spoke again.

"Viggo... I'm ready."

The old man closed his book, sat up, and nodded.

"I... suppose you are. As much as I don't want to admit it. I don't want you to go... but I wonder if I ever will. I've spent the last ten years throwing everything I can at you, teaching you everything I know. I don't regret it. I've served my king and my country as best I can. Maybe you're right. We have a duty to you and to the people of Hibernia, even if part of me does want to see you stay here in this cabin for the rest of your long, uneventful life."

Viggo crossed his arms.

"One more week. We'll focus on the sword... defensive moves to help you stay alive. After that, we'll burn the cabin and move on to the next chapter of our lives. You can earn your fortune. And I'll... I'll go back to Hibernia."

Gavin arched an eyebrow as the older man continued to speak.

"You can't become a king... become the man you're supposed to be.... if I'm constantly following you are here and fretting after you like a mother hen. It's time for me to trust you, to trust the training I've given you, and hope that you'll make it through your trials. Besides, if you land a foreign army in Hibernia you'll look like a conqueror. You need someone over there organizing things on the inside. There are many who were loyal to your father. I'll organize them. And years from now, when you do return? You'll have help on the inside."

Gavin stood, unsure of how to act or what to say. Instead, he simply hugged the man who had been his Father, Mother, Brother, and Friend for the last decade. After a long time, the old man turned away and headed outside.

It was not proper for a knight to cry in front of his king.

Along the great river Gorgan, which runs from the northernmost city of Frostfort to the southern port city of Tarrin, is the city of Dewsbury.  A busy town of stone pathways and two-to-three story wooden buildings, surrounded by rich farmlands as far as the eye can see.  While this city is busy enough on any given day of the year, it is in the autumn that Dewsbury explodes with activity.  During the harvest season, farmers travel from far and wide to meet and negotiate the sale of their goods with members of all the great merchant houses. 

As the wheels of commerce turn, moving the capitalistic society forward, another set of far darker wheels also pick up the pace.  In the corners of the city where good men dare not go, other less savory business opportunities arise, another world of possibilities and legendary power & wealth opens up. 

Down a dark alleyway, between two larger buildings that fit tight together on the front side but not the back, is a squat one-story establishment that seems jammed tightly into its place as if by giant’s hands.  The building is only made more curious-looking by its walls that are slightly higher on the left than the right side. 

Above the door is an old wooden sign held up by two rusted chains.  The face of the sign, made for clientele who neither has the ability nor the drive to learn to read, features a man wearing fancy clothing dancing with a noose about his neck.  To the locals this place is known as “The Deadman’s Dance” and for the naïve or unwary traveler who happens upon it – it might prove the last place they’d ever buy a drink. 

Fortunately for William Bowden, he is neither.  For the last eight years, he’d worked in places such as this all across the kingdom, beholden to none save himself.  Selling the use of his sword arm to the highest bidder, a career choice few embraced for the love of it, but one that paid handsomely. 

The rusty door hinges complained loudly as Will pushed the door open and entered a wall of smoke.  The sweet and acrid scents of the variety of herbs being smoked in the room made for an interesting cacophony when combined with the smell of lunch, unwashed bodies, and spilled libations of the patrons inside.

Boisterous laughter, the din of dozens of people talking, and even a bard poorly playing a rendition of ‘The Battle of Mirkwood’ overwhelmed him.  Even if he wanted, he could not hear someone who was not standing right beside him in this den of iniquity.  And so, he cast his gaze about the open room, searching for the woman he’d been following for weeks. 

“Can I get you somethin’ sweetie?”

Will had to look down to see the person addressing him.  He was not particularly fond of Halflings as a rule, but even he had to admit that this blonde wench was easy on his eyes. 

“Whiskey.”  He said, more warmly than he felt.

“Comin’ right up, Doll.”  And with that, the little woman disappeared into the crowd. 

Will looked up and towards the back of the room, which was where he would have been sitting had he been here with a pocket full of coins that didn’t belong to him.  Back to a wall, someplace he could see the comings and goings of the room. 

And there she was, raven hair falling on pale skin was a sight that grabbed him and drew him in.  Black leather held tight to supple curves and no-doubt concealed more death than any man wanted to cross paths within one lifetime.  Poison?  Certainly knives.  Who knew what else!

Will leaned against a support beam and watched her for a while.  Crimson lips held tight a cigar in her mouth as she flirted with the men around her table, cards in hand and money in front of them.  In less than one minute she’d winked at two of them and none seemed the wiser, as if they were the only man sharing the space with her.  Had he been such a fool when they first met?

Isabella Luciano was a beautiful flower, the sort you found in the far south, with brilliant colors that draw in flies and even small frogs only to consume them whole.  If he hadn’t had plans for that damn coin he might have walked away considering their time together a fair trade for it, but he did need it… badly.  If he ever hoped to have a life again, one that didn’t involve constantly tempting the headsman’s ax, that money was the start of it.

“Four crowns.  Read ‘em and weep boys!”

As she stood up to claim her winnings, his eyes fell down to the small freckle at the top of her right breast and he found himself staring at it, remembering the last time they were together … how he’d traced circles around that small mark on her body for so long that she’d fallen asleep.  Heat rose in his body as he thought about how lovely she was and…

Gods damn it!  I’m every bit as bad as they are.

He used his frustration with himself to force himself forward, across the room as she sat back down. 

“Will!”  she said happily as if she hadn’t robbed him blind the last time they were in the same room together.  The fact that he wanted to smile back at her made him love her and hate her all at once. 

“Isabella.”  He said calmly.  “Good day at the tables?”

“You know me, Will, every day is my lucky day.”  She winked at him just as quickly and easily as she had winked at every other man who sat around her as if entranced by her charm.

“That’s good.”  He said nodding.  “I guess you won’t have any problem giving me the money I’m owed then?”

“Is this guy giving you trouble, Isabella?”  A young man to her left said, narrowing his eyes.

Charlie Pavanno was known to William.  He was said to have some small bit of elf blood if he wasn’t mistaken, but despite that he was an up and comer in the underworld.  Some folks said he had aspirations to open his own gaming hall in one of the major cities one day.  Will was certain he’d really enjoy a place like that and so it would be a damn shame if the boy got in the way of him and his coin. 

“No, Charlie, Will and I just remember things a little differently… that’s all.”  Isabella assured her young companion.

“I don’t know, I think what happened at the Red Horse Inn was pretty straightforward.  You left with something that didn’t belong to you.”

Bella chuckled playfully, “If that’s all you remember from our three days at the Red Horse Inn, William Bowden, then clearly next time I need to ride you a whole lot harder.”

Several of the men adjusted uncomfortably in their seats while a few others laughed nervously or out of excitement.  Not many people were as comfortable with their sexuality as Isabella.  She often spoke about the act of making love in such ways that would make whores blush and few men knew what to do with a woman who was so confident.  It was this that was perhaps one of the greatest tools in her arsenal. 

“Why don’t we go somewhere private?”  Will offered.

Isabella pretended to be scandalized.  “WILL!  How forward of you.”  This caused even the uncomfortable men with her to laugh obnoxiously. 

William sighed.

Isabella stood up.  “Alright, alright… we’ll talk.  I don’t think I can bear to take another copper from Charlie today anyway.  Gentlemen, thank you for the game.”

A few of the men grumbled at her departure as she came around the table.

“Whiskey?”  The Halfling had finally made it back with his drink.  William began to dig into his pocket for a coin to pay her.  Isabella, however, was already rolling a thick gold coin across her fingers and letting it land with a clatter onto the halfling’s serving tray.

“My treat.”  She said to Will.

“Generous of you.”  Will said with no small amount of annoyance.

“Keep the change.  We’re going to be using the backroom Paisley, be sure we’re not disturbed.”  She said to the wench as she walked to the door at the very back of the room.  “Come on, Ser William, let’s be done with this.”

William grit his teeth so hard they nearly cracked.  He should NEVER have told that woman that he’d been one of the King’s guard.  He didn’t like to think about the life he used to live or the man he loved so dearly and let down… and she knew it!

Silently he followed the sashaying hips of the rogue into the backroom.  One way or another he was going to get what was owed to him.

It took several days of traveling to reach Dewsbury, the nearest city. Gavin had parted ways with Viggo; it had been difficult for both men, but they both had work to do in the world. After exchanging ways to write to each other, they embraced one last time and headed down the mountain. As he walked, Gavin ran his fingers over the golden amulet Viggo had given him: the symbol of Hibernia's royal family. He allowed himself one last look before tucking it deep inside his tunic where it would never be seen.

He had even more gold sewn into secret pockets inside his pants. Gold coins were rare: silver and bronze were commonly carried, whereas gold was used for larger financial transactions. Gavin had enough money in the secret pockets of his pants to buy a farm and live well- but he needed much, much more if he wanted to hire an army of mercenaries... ships... supplies. The task was daunting, and it could take years... but he had time. He was only 24; time was on his side. Ideally, the usurper would die from natural causes and Viggo would call Gavin home peacefully... but deep down, Gavin knew that sorcerers didn't die from old age. 

As he traveled, he slept under the stars and spent his days reading the woods. After ten years with Viggo, he was as skilled as an elf at woodcraft. The city, however... well, that was a different story.

On the first night he was there, he spent almost all of his silver and bronze on a new studded leather cuirass that left him with a good range of motion, a belt with room for money as well as some gathered plants and other supplies, and sturdy new boots. That night he stayed in an inn, restlessly turning half the night after stammering a polite refusal to the woman who'd tried to proposition him. Over the next few days, he had every possible supply he'd need- and only his gold remained. Refusing to break it down into smaller currency, Gavin headed to the Stone Bank and spent four hours opening an account and making his deposit. It wouldn't do to go wandering through the country with that much money in his pants. With his gold deposited, a password created, and all the paperwork signed, Gavin walked out into the street with just a few coins remaining. It was time to get to work.

A cursory investigation of the town revealed the sort of place people would be looking for a sellsword. He walked into The Deadman's Dance with a scowl on his face, trying to look jaded enough where he wouldn't have any trouble. A few eyes looked in his direction as he walked in, but Gavin moved briskly past them toward the bar.

The men and women in the tavern saw a young man in his mid-twenties, well built and moving gracefully. His hair was brown and his eyes were an icy blue. His yew bow was slung over his shoulder and a sword hung at his side. His leather armor was new, but the cloak he wore was old and worn. He moved off to the side of the bar, where the bow would be less obtrusive in a crowd, and drank his ale silently. Another drink or two and he'd ask the bartender what jobs were looking for an extra hand.

"I don't have it."  Isabella said flatly.

"I heard you the first time, but how the hell can that be?  You didn't lose it in a card game!"

Isabella chuckled.  She had several rules about cards which kept her always winning or at least not losing and all of them revolved around who she sat at a table with and how much control she had of their attention.  Men, women, didn't matter... sex was just one way to keep them from noticing what she was really doing as she ran the table handily.  Oh, and she had to lose enough to make sure folks thought she was legit but after hours and hours of back and forth, folks rarely questioned you leaving the table with more than you sat down with ... so long as you didn't get greedy and you put on a good show of some kind.  Barring that, she always made sure she had back up plans well placed and ready to be used if it became necessary.

"Doesn't matter how, I don't have it, I just don't."

Will hesitated just short of grabbing her by the throat to strangle the life out of the woman in front of him. How could any woman be so damn infuriating?!?

"I have obligations too."  She said almost apologetically.  "But look, I get where you're coming from and I like you so... I tell you what.  I'll help you make back your money and then some."

William narrowed his eyes, "And how in the seven hells do you propose to do that?"

Isabella reached into one of her pockets and pulled up a well-worn poster she'd snatched off a pole in town.  

William was stunned to silence for a moment before he found himself able to ask, "Do you have any idea who this is?" 

Isabella shrugged.  "I can't read the words... but I know the numbers.  That's enough gold to get you your cut back and some extra... plus compensate me for my risk as well.  Seems to me this is the perfect job for us.  Your muscle... my... well, me."

Will sighed.  If Isabella didn't have the money, he didn't have a lot of choices. 

She slipped up close to the disgraced Knight and smiled.  "Travel time ... together ... alone."

"We got no hope of getting this guy alone ... even if there were two of me!"

"So we hire help.  We find some sellswords, cut them in for a fraction of the deal, and get you your money... how hard is that?  This bar is full of idiots who can swing a sword."

"We need more than an idiot who can swing a sword."  He shook his head.  "Merrick and his brigands usually hold to the forest on old mill road and they're not going to wait out in the open for us to find them.  Which means we have to traverse the woods.  That's not your specialty or mine, I mean I can hold my own against the creatures out there, but we're as likely to be killed by eating the wrong damn berries or simply not being able to find our way back as we are to get the tattooed hands of Merrick for the constable."

She sighed.  "Always so dramatic, William.  We'll hire a ranger.  A guy who knows the woods and can fight monsters and brigands alike."

Will crossed his arms over his chest.  "You KNOW a ranger?"

"How hard can it be to find one?  Just look for some scruffy looking fellow who looks like he prefers the company of wolves and squirrels to women and there you have him."

William laughed.

She put her hands on her hips and glared at him.  "What?"

"I sometimes forget how little you get out of the cities."  He shook his head.  "You know what... it'll be worth it to watch you and your recruitment process, but if this Ranger wants a big enough cut that it starts to dip into my share then it's on you."

"On me?"

"You're gonna do the job and pay me back."

"And if I refuse?"

William stared at her.  He didn't want to threaten her, but she had to know he was serious.

Isabella sighed.

"Fine."  She finally said knowing he was going to chase her endlessly until she paid him back.  Better to be rid of him now than to have to keep pushing him off.  "But if you keep making this a habit, William, you're sincerely going to hurt my good opinion of your noble nature."

He rolled his eyes.  "So where do we start looking?"

"Right here... in the tavern."  She said striding towards the common room.

"Oh lord... here we go."  William said exiting the room, following her like a giant shadow hovering above and behind her.

Isabella strode into the room like she owned the place, and most folks here knew her so it didn't cause many folks to take notice until she stepped onto the chair in front of the bard causing him to halt his poor song and up onto the table the chair was at.  As she moved she put her fingers into her mouth and made a shrill whistle causing the din to quiet almost to silence.  Almost every villainous eye in the place turned towards her.

"I need a man."  She said in a sassy voice, putting a hand on her hip, knowing exactly how a rowdy bar full of miscreants would take her words.  She let their laughter and crass comments die down a bit before she continued.  "I need a Ranger, someone who knows how not to get dead in the woods and I’m willing to pay … if you’ve got the skills, of course.”

A few men made comments about showing her their woods and their skills, but until she slapped the coin purse on her hip ‘accidentally’ she was sure most folks hadn’t taken her very seriously.  Now, however, they’d be thinking of money… her money … and how to relieve her of it either legitimately or (in her experience) not so legitimately.

She took Will’s hand and hopped down off the table.

“You’ve poked the bee’s nest for sure now… you know you’re gonna have to kill someone to get out of here with that purse, right?”

She smiled at William.  “So sweet you care, Ser Knight.”

“Shut it.”

“Ah… there you are, William.  And I thought I’d lost you.  Let’s get a table and wait.”

“Couldn’t we have posted a want ad or something?”

“You know many well-read Rangers?  Do they learn philosophy from bunnies and their numbers from owls?”  She scoffed.  “Don’t be stupid.  Word will get around and by tonight someone will come asking after the work.  Trust me.”

She settled into the booth and Will slid in beside her.  All they had to do now was wait.

Gavin was sipping his refilled beverage, smiling politely at the halfling woman, he was interrupted- along with the entire bar- by the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. He hadn't seen a woman like her in a decade... although it was more accurate to say that he'd never seen a woman like her at all. He'd seen women as beautiful at the court, but they were wearing gowns, not black leather armor that left little to the imagination. 

Eventually, he wrestled his imagination into submission and found the halfling woman still standing there. Grinning bashfully, Gavin ordered another ale and a sandwich. When he was finished, he reached deep inside his tunic and rubbed his pendant for luck before making his way over to the table where he dropped into the seat across from the woman, reciting her own words back to her.

"Someone who knows how not to get dead in the woods... how far are you traveling? And how much are you paying?"

Isabella smirked at William and then looked back to the handsome younger man in the too-new armor hidden beneath a well-worn cloak.  She thrilled at how he looked at her and blushed ever so slightly. 

Perfect. 

"I wish I could say for sure."  She began with a shrug, making note of the hard lines of the stranger's body beneath his clothes.  He suspected he had a sweet disposition and by how he kept trying to keep his eyes from her breasts, little experience with women.  An ideal candidate for her job as she'd likely get him to come along on the cheap.  If he had any real skills to speak of, she might actually walk away from this job with more than enough coin to fund a trip to the Capital where she could indulge in some REAL gambling. 

"Ideally not far from here, but for all I know we'll end up circling the same couple of miles for days before we hit paydirt."  She picked up her ale and crossed one leg over the other while speaking, "The local constable has finally come upon a number large enough to get my attention and he'd like very much for us to bring him a pair of hands which keep dipping into pockets along Old Mill Road.  The hands, however, belong to an experienced and very dangerous woodsman."

There was no doubt that any local or Ranger worth his salt in the area knew who the woodsman Merrick was.  The man and his small band of followers were something of local folklore in recent years, hitting numerous targets during the autumn months and disappearing with their ill-gotten gains until the next fall. 

Farmers and merchants alike had run afoul of Merrick and while anonymous (and generous) gifts to needy families had been attributed to him in the past, no one knew who Merrick would hit or why.  It wasn't just the rich merchant houses, or unprotected farm families coming into town who ended up on the wrong side of his blitzes.  That's what made this one brigand so much more fearsome than others.  So it was that everyone who traveled that stretch of Old Mill Road that went through the woods did so with an eye to the trees, fearful of who might jump out at any moment to take their goods, coins or lives.

"Unfortunately, I doubt he and his friends are just sitting around waiting for someone to show up and claim the bounty.  While I and my friend here are quite handy with the business of acquisition, I wouldn't know the first thing about tracking down prey in the woods, finding my way back the way I'd come, or the difference between winterberries and chokecherries even if I do know one of those can kill a grown man."

She sipped her drink. "A man with the right skills could get us to our target and home quickly.  They could make sure we didn't get ourselves killed just trying to find a bite to eat while we were searching."

Will spoke up then adding, "To say nothing of avoiding any number of vicious beasties that attack livestock and people from time to time."

"Those too."  Isabella nodded.  "Look, if we're unsuccessful, I'll pay you two silver a day for your services.  If we do bring the bastard in then... 5% of the bounty is yours for leading us to him and home again."

William cleared his throat, obviously disagreeing with her attempt to completely rob the blue-eyed woodsman.  

Damn that man's blasted sense of honor!  How the hell is a woman to make a living these days?

"Fine."  She said letting her annoyance show only a moment before suppressing it and turning to look into the Ranger's eyes again. 

"I'm not opposed to paying for talent when I see it, especially when it's contained in such an ..."  She let her eyes very overtly scan his body.  "... impressive form."

William rolled his eyes.

As her analysis of his body came to an end, she smirked thinking about what she might teach him once their mission was over, if he were so inclined.  After all, she sincerely doubted William would be in the mood for fun with all his 'you took my money' nonsense.  Offering the ranger a little more than she wanted might open the doors to a thoroughly enjoyable celebration after their quest was done.  There certainly was no harm in that... right?   

"10%.  If you have to raise a weapon against one of the beasties Will is so worried about, we'll throw in another 5% hazard pay for a total of 15% of the take.  Should you find yourself tangled up in the nasty affair of acquiring the brigand's hands... we'll cut you in for a full quarter, but I don't think that will be necessary as that's sort of our area of expertise."

Gavin found himself using all his willpower to maintain eye contact with the woman, and he was almost relieved when the conversation turned to the more distracting topic of money. Gavin leaned forward in his seat, raising an eyebrow as he glanced between the woman and her largely silent, but apparently generous, companion. 

"That's a dangerous job, there. Your target's companions are mostly worthless..."

He smirked slightly as he repeated Viggo's assessment.

"... but the man himself is dangerous. I've got a few ideas of where he might be, and I'd be happy to guide you. For a price, of course."

He tapped his fingers absentmindedly against the table, trying to ignore her comment about "impressive forms".

"Counter proposal. If I need to fight at all against beast or bandit, I get a full third as a equal partner. The former is just as dangerous as the latter, if not moreso. If, however, I don't wind up fighting at all, then 20%. And when this is done..."

He smiled at the woman.

"...you help me with a job back here in the city after. One day. Two at most. Relatively low paying, but no risk at all."

Gavin, paused glancing between the two people across the table.

"To balance out the increased cut, if we are unsuccessful, you don't have to pay me a single bronze. There are many rangers around the city, but very few inside of it. Fortunately for you, I know these woods like the back of my hand, and I'm ready to begin immediately. Are we agreed?"

Icy blue eyes looked steadily across the table before he stretched out his hand in between the two- leaving it up to them who would shake first, or at all.

Bella stared at Gavin, thinking, preparing a counter-offer to his.  This course of action became pointless, however, as William stood up and extended his hand, seizing Gavin's. 

"Deal."  He said with a solid handshake, cutting off any protest or further negotiation from Bella who now stared at William with a small bit of surprise.  "I'll need to gather up my things from another inn here in town.  Shall we just meet back here?"

As Gavin nodded William began to leave the table.

"Excuse me a moment,"  Bella said to Gavin, leaping over a chair and dashing to catch up to Will who was leaving fast.

"What the hell was that?!?"  She growled quietly as they made their way to the door.

"He's right.  We're not going to find another ranger easily."

"No, that's not what I mean.  We don't know this kid, for all we know he's untested and you're offering him a solid third which you've already said has to come from my cut to protect what I owe you."

Will smiles, "I did say that, didnt' I?"

The two of them emerged into the darkened alleyway and Bella raced around in front of Will stopping the wall of a man.  "So I have to risk my skin for less than a third so you get half!"

"Call it interest and a strong encouragement for you not to lift my wallet again." 

Will leaned down and stole a kiss.  

Bella scowled. 

"That's the last kiss you'll ever steal from me, William Bowden!"

"Well, if that's so, I will treasure the memory of it.  You and me, a dirty alleyway, outside a bar serving watered-down ale, standing in Gods alone knows what, and you wearing that perfectly cross look on your face."  He stared fondly at Bella a long moment and chuckled.  "I think that's your problem... you'd be a lot happier in this life if you could find a man who could get the better of you from time to time instead of the other way around."

"Is that so?"  She said crossing her arms.

Will nodded.  "It may be a lot of fun being the devilish rogue who always gets her way, and lives on fortune day to day, but some years from now... that luck may not always be so sure and when it starts to fail you, you might find you wish you had something more than a good cup of ale, the coins in your pocket, and a foolish young boy of the week to keep you warm at night."

Bella scoffed.  "Doubtful."

"Well, if you change your mind,"  Will said walking around her, a hand brushing past her shoulder.  "Maybe you could look me up... assuming I don't fill the position of Mrs. Bowden before then."

"Is that how you propose marriage?  And what grand plan would you have for us after said wedding?"

Will didn't look back as he kept on down the alley calling out over his shoulder, "Not a grand plan, my sweet rogue, a simpler one: you, me, a farm in the countryside... give it some thought."

Bella shook her head. 

"No way!  I'd sooner slit my wrists than be a fat old farm wife to any man..." 

Will didn't look back. 

"DO YOU HEAR ME WILL BOWDEN?"

Will didn't give any response and so, Bella went back inside, annoyed but prepared to accept the reality of the situation.  William had locked her into this deal with the Ranger and there was no point in being sour over it.  She'd just give Will his cut so he could go buy his damnable farm and rot on it and then she'd go on a real adventure with the young man who was still sitting at her table.

Sliding back into her chair she smiled at Gavin.  "Well, I guess it's just you and me until William gets back.  What shall we talk about?  Shall we share stories and get to know one another a little better?"  Her words were mundane enough but her tone implied a lot more intimacy than mere discussion.  His reactions were no end of amusing... at least that was one thing this botched example of a good quest had going for it.  The company was sure to be entertaining.

Gavin studied the woman carefully. Beautiful. Deadly, no doubt. He could hear Viggo's warnings as if the old man was sitting next to him. 

He bowed his head politely.

"It surely makes sense for us to know who we're working with here. I'd be happy to hear about your story and your skills."

"Well, my story isn't all that interesting until I was about sixteen.  I left home with three silver in my pouch and a very simple goal in mind..."  She smirked.  "Have a good time."

"Ever since then it's been my primary motive to obtain the greatest number of coins possible to achieve that end."  She reclined in her seat, "I did all manner of work in my first few years on the road.  I was a barmaid for a time, a dancehall girl, but both were disgusting and thankless jobs that didn't really pay as well as they should."

"Shortly after my twentieth birthday, I found myself involved in something of a dangerous romantic interlude.  Let's just say the man in question and I didn't agree on what constituted appropriate foreplay and I felt compelled to assert my point of view aggressively."  She shrugged.  "When I left his company that evening, I knew I had to get out of town quickly and quietly if I was to avoid a date with the headsman as my companion was a noteworthy figure in the community.  As I couldn't exit the door I entered, I chose to leave via a second-floor window."

"While I'd never climbed down the side of a building before, I figured how hard could it be?"  She chuckled.  "Let's just say it's a lot harder than it looks, especially when you're wearing a fancy skirt." 

Isabella shook her head and waved over the halfling waitress.

"Another drink, please?  And another of whatever my friend here is drinking as well if you will Paisley."

"Sure thing!"

Isabella looked back to Gavin who seemed to be waiting to hear how the story ended.  "Well, as fortune would have it, I fell right into the lap of a woman commonly known as Mother Marie.  If you don't know who she was... Marie, or whatever her real name happened to be, was an assassin par excellence.  For a time she was the monster other monsters feared, a rogue of rogues and I had been her latest target's lover for the night.  So... when I fell from the sky she quickly put together things had gone badly between us and helped me to escape.  Grateful I traveled around with her for years learning everything I could."

The bard wandered over to the table and Isabella paused, reaching into her purse to pull out a few silver.  Discreetly she shook his hand, palming off the coins to him. 

"Should I return for a dinner performance?"

Isabella shook her head, 'No.' 

He nodded. 

"You did good work today Alexander, maybe next time we work together it'll be in a proper tavern where you can show your true talents.  Sadly, I just didn't think anyone here would buy into someone of your skill wanting to perform here during a lunch hour."

"Probably not."  The bard chuckled.  "Look me up the next time you're around though, alright?  I still owe you a drink for Norwich."

Isabella laughed.  "That you do!  I'd almost forgotten about that... how's your apprentice, by the way?"

"Better than he would have been had you and Arturo not intervened."  He tipped his hat to Isabella and Gavin.  "I'll see you around."

She watched the handsome bard walking off before looking back to Gavin, "I never gamble in a tavern without a friend to watch my back.  Alexander Knight is one of the best bards on this side of the ocean, but he's got a few other talents he keeps real quiet.  Let's folks think he's in it just for the music... but some of us know better.  No one gets involved in this life without getting their hands dirty at some point."

"So... where was I? Oh yes, well, Marie and I split ways amicably a few years later and just in time too.  I heard through the grapevine that one of her lovers put a knife into her ribs.  Ironically, said lover met a terrible end a day later.  Seems that my mentor had ways of reaching her enemies even from beyond the grave."

She accepted the drink from the halfling and passed Gavin a second of his own as soon as the halfling disappeared she informed the younger man, "Don't worry, I'm not trying to get you to drink so I can take advantage."  She gave him a playful wink.  "This place has some of the most watered down ale in town... you might as well be enjoying goats milk for how weak it is."

She took a drink from her own cup.

"So... your turn.  What's your story, Ranger?"

Gavin listened to the woman's story with an unfeigned interest. She was very different from anyone he'd met. For the first fourteen years of his life the people he'd met had all been at court- and his access to those his mother considered of the "lower classes" had been strictly regulated. In the ten years since his father's death and his own escape from a murder plot, he'd spent most of his time with Viggo. And while Viggo had made sure that he understood "real life" of the farmers and peasants in the villages they visited, he had never meant anyone quite like this.

For a moment, he questioned whether Viggo would be more bothered by the idea of him talking to an assassin or a "dancehall girl". 

She was smirking like a predator by the time she finished her story, and Gavin felt his own face break out in an unintentional imitation of her expression.

"You forgot to mention that part about how you're so well known in this tavern that you not only know the names of the servers, but that you tell your life story assuming everyone already knows your name."

He grinned.

"What is your name, my lady?"

The 'my lady' had slipped out unintentionally, but he didn't react to it, playing it off as sarcastic.

"I'm Gavin."

She laughed at his formality. 

"Well, I do know most everyone in the bar because I'm here in Dewsbury pretty regularly and I get a lot of work in this place.  Far easier to travel city to city up and down the river making my fortune than wandering the countryside where I'm bound to run into all manner of trouble."

She shook her head.

"As for my name,"  She made her voice sound like a haughty noblewoman as she said, "Do forgive my rudeness, my lord Gavin..."

She giggled at the game she thought he'd been playing with her, offering her hand to be kissed as she'd seen more than a few highborn women do on occasion,  "I'm Isabella, Lady of the Bottomless Mug, Duchess of Dice and Mistress of a rather large goose feather bed upstairs ... though I fear we won't be enjoying it tonight if we're roaming the woods.  Pity.  Perhaps another time I'll give you a tour of all that is under my benevolent rule."

Gavin was surprised as she extended her hand, but he reacted instinctively, pressing his lips softly against her hand just for a moment, feeling vaguely like the Southern performer who'd visited the castle one year and made a show of kissing the heads of his vipers. He removed his lips perhaps a touch more slowly than he should have.

"Well met, Bella. Forgive me for omitting the rest of your title. And a tour was actually the favor I was hoping to collect-"

The faintest hit of reddening embarassment appeared on his face, but it was matched by a smirk.

"- not of the goose feathers, particularly, but of the city itself. I could benefit from someone showing me the ropes, I think. I'm much more used to being out there in the mountains and forests of the world."

She gave him an appraising look, then nodded seeming satisfied by some unspoken thing she was looking for, "Well, you might come round on the goose feathers in time, m'Lord ... but I think I can at least agree to help you find your way around the city.  It's pretty sharp of you to think of such a thing.  It might seem like common sense to find someone who knows their way around a place and ask their help, but I think you'll find that common sense ain't all that common.  In fact, it's for that reason that people like me are so damn successful."

"So... it's your turn.  How does a skilled, handsome young woodsman end up in a city looking for employment in a dive like this, with people like me?  Why not go find yourself some pretty milksop and have a dozen babies out in the woods.  I'd think that would be a whole lot safer than trying to figure out how not to get yourself killed in the city.  Do bard tales of glory and riches pull on your heartstrings just a little too hard?  Or maybe you like the idea of a softer life... fine things... titles and parties and the pretty ladies of courtly life?"

She chuckled.  "You wouldn't be the first man I knew to get into adventuring hoping to buy their way into the gentry.  Gods know a few have done it, and a slimmer number have married up from that position into nobility.  Take Duke Montgomery up there in the north... fellow started out as a mercenary, ended up with the church, made a mint doing work for them and eventually caught the eye of a proper noblewoman.  That guy, as I hear it told, was born in a hut made of mud and straw with no less than a dozen siblings.  So... I guess it can be done, but trust me... there aren't many among the noble folk who will deal with adventurers."

She shook her head.  "At least not until they need us to kill someone or find something they'd dare not risk their own skin trying to get.  Rule number one of adventuring:  money makes anything possible.  It doesn't matter how fearsome the foe or how dangerous the quest - if you got enough coin someone will be stupid or desperate enough to take on the task and likely get it done.  But just because you're good enough to do their dirty work... don't expect any of them to be overly eager to let their pretty daughters marry you.  The best we simple folk can hope for in this life is to make enough coin to live like we're one of them, but trust, it's a rare bastard - a true diamond in the rough who finds their way to the top."

She chuckled at how much she'd rambled on.  "But listen to me going on, this isn't about my suspicions of you - the mysterious stranger from the wood, it's about you!  So... what's your REAL story?"

Gavin leaned back in his chair as he listened, growing more relaxed both from the ale and the company. If this would be his life for the next years... well, he could think of worse fates. As she asked her final question, he shrugged, as he told his story with enough truth that it still rang true- albeit with a few essential details left out.

"Of course I'm mysterious, considering we just met. But my goal is simple, I assure you: I want money. As much of it as I can get, as fast as I can get it. I figure that if I can pile up enough of it, it's my ticket to a better life. That life you were talking about... parties, courtly ladies... I figure I deserve it."

More than most who want it, at least.

"I'm not looking for glory, excepting that some renown might help me get hired for more lucrative jobs. I'm trying to get from Point A to Point B, and the only way I'm going to do that is with a giant pile of gold. But I'm not much of a craftsman, and merchants need to have money to make money... so what can I do? I'm a hunter and a woodsman, and I'm sick of selling deer hides to tanners for a handful of silver and copper. There's better money in hunting men- and the worse the man is, the higher the reward tends to be. I figure I'd helping myself and society both by collecting a bounty like the one you're talking about."

He grinned.

"For now, at least, I'm not worried about the pretty daughters of nobility."

"My story, such as it is, isn't particularly remarkable. I lost my family and was raised by one of my father's friends. He taught me just about everything I know, but it was time for me to set out on my own to make my fortune. I made it to the city a few days ago, used all the money I had to get some armor, and was told this is the place to go for work. And here I am."

"Did you want to begin our departure now? If we're waiting for Sir William, you could always give me a tour of the city."

Isabella was just about to tell the young Ranger to sit back and relax, that there was no need to rush when William appeared in the doorway again.  This time with a pack on his back that suggested he'd checked out of his inn. 

Isabella finished her drink, "Well, I suppose there's really no time like the present.  Your pile of gold won't build itself after all.  Hell, when we get back to the city maybe I'll teach you a thing or two about gambling.  It's not a bad way to increase your bottom line if you make sure the odds are stacked in your favor."

She got out of her seat, paid Paisley, picked up her own sack from the place she stashed it and made her way to Will.  "Our Ranger is eager to get on the trail so, unless you got some reason to wait?"

William shook his head, "I'm ready when you are."

She looked to Gavin, "Well, Ranger, I assume you know how to get to Old Mill Road from here?  If not... follow me.  I can at least get us to the woods, from there we're going to need you to take point lest I walk us into a den of wolves or badgers or something."

With that, she and Will left the tavern and let Gavin take point headed towards Old Mill Road and the dense forest that surrounded it just outside of the city.

Gavin, carrying everything he owned and needing little else in the way of supplies, hit the road easily. His new companions also seemed to travel light- or at least they were doing so for this particular venture. They were only expecting to be gone for a week or so, and they weren't exactly traveling in a straight line, either. Bandits tended to stay close to the road and to the city- not close enough to run into patrols, of course, but no bandit wanted to travel for a week just to rob someone on the highway. No, the newly formed trio would be criscrossing the city and small settlements as they explored the surrounding area. 

Still, the ranger would earn his keep. The woods may not be the edge of the world, but it was still easy to get lost and lose half a day if one took the wrong turn and strolled down a hidden canyon.

Fortunately for Gavin, his first "job" was one that he'd already had some experience with. These woods weren't exactly his backyard, but Dewsbury, while still a good hike away, was the closest city to the cabin he'd shared with Viggo. While entering the city itself had been deemed too risky, Gavin was no stranger to the area. In fact, Viggo had already pointed out a few spots to avoid due to bandits; Gavin would be surprised if they struck out with all three. 

They were on the north side of noon when they set out from the city, but with several hours of daylight left it didn't make sense to delay, although the idea of a feather bed may have crossed Gavin's mind once or fourteen times. 

The trio traveled slowly; Bella and William were in excellent shape, but they seemed more suited to travel on the road than fighting through the forest and back-country of the world. Gavin had set out toward Weathertop, an old fortress that was now a ruin. If he were a bandit, he'd be tempted to make that- well, not his base of operations, since it was so close to the road- but a regular stop. It overlooked the road and gave a clear view of the surrounding area, including any approaching travelers or patrols. 

If Merrick and his gang wasn't there, then there was a canyon on the other end of the city that Gavin thought was a strong possibility.

Failing that, there was an abandoned temple near a lake that had promise. Those were the three that Viggo had highlighted, and Gavin had no reason to doubt one of the best hunters in the service of the King of Hibernia. If those three didn't pan out... well, then he'd have taken Bella and William on a wild goose chase, and he'd have to figure something out then.

The first day of travel passed by largely uneventfully, with the trio making light conversation but mostly making their way through the woods in silence. The first day was always pleasant: you'd woken up in a bed that morning, bathed (possibly), eaten a good meal, and walked out with the sun overhead. The second day was never as nice. 

The afternoon sun was kind as they made their way to Weathertop; Gavin led the way with Bella behind him and Will pulling up the rear. They weaved through the woods in a loose line, and Gavin read the ground to keep himself occupied. There was a sign of a bear's passage- not recent, thankfully. Further on, he saw where a small group of deer had crossed their path. Rabbits. Wolves. It kept him focused as they traveled, especially as they got further off the road. There was only one point, as dusk beran to fall, where Gavin's eyes grew wide and he raised his fist to halt the group. With a finger to his lips and a serious look in his eyes, Gavin led them back with an eye permanently fixed over his shoulder. For about forty minutes he was silent, but his normal demeanor soon returned as he adopted a look of relief. They struck up camp shortly thereafter, as Gavin found a cave that had been empty for months. 

With his back against the wall and his forearms resting on his knees, Gavin finally cracked a smile.

"Well, we're safe here for the night, I think. A bear had lived here, but hasn't been back for a couple months, at least. We shouldn't get any returning guests."

Bella had looked like she was practically going to explode with curiosity about what had happened before they made camp. Gavin indulged her before she could even ask.

"It was a leshen. A forest spirit. Literally the last thing you'd want to turn a corner and run into. It's a forest spirit... a dozen feet tall, with a deer skull and antlers... I've never even seen one. But I've seen the aftermath... a squad of a dozen soldiers slaughtered like they were lambs. I've never seen signs of one this close to the road or the city."

William nodded at the name as if he'd at least heard of such a creature before, but Bella shook her head, "A dozen?" 

She tried to imagine the monster that Gavin described and was left struggling.  It wasn't that she'd never seen monstrous beings before.  There had been a wight in the capital once and dire rats were certainly common enough, but this beastie that Gavin described sounded a whole lot more dangerous than both combined.

As she began to settle in for the night she asked Gavin, "What do you suppose would make something like that come so near to civilization?  Do you think we need to be concerned?"

Gavin shrugged.

"It's possible. My understanding is that more and more monsters have been showing up in the last decade or so; they might be running out of space in the dark corners of the world. Not a particularly appealing thought, I admit."

He glanced down at the small fire near the entrance of the cave as he munched on some hardtack from their supplies. 

"But it shouldn't be a concern for us in the short term, at least. We'll hit a particular canyon I have in mind tomorrow... if we're lucky, we'll be back in the city another day after that collecting that reward."