A Strange Announcement

Common Room

This large and rectangular room serves the purpose of Common Room for the Prancing Pony. Large windows along the western end of the room peek out over the Great East Road which runs outside the Inn. There are long tables with bench seats for the patrons in the centre of the room. Nestled into the wall is a large fireplace with several bundles of wood piled next to it. Sunlight streams through the windows to mingle with the smoke that floats above the ceiling beams, and provide an odd sort of illumination that, even in daylight, doesn\'t quite reach the corners. The lamps which hang down are presently unlit.

Contents:

Cordelia

Dart Board

Obvious exits:

Out

Cordelia

Twenty years have not yet come and gone for this woman with pale skin, very straight black hair that falls to the middle of her back, and narrow dark brown eyes set at just the slightest angle in her face.

The back of her right arm, at the wrist, is branded with a dwarf \"K\" rune, though the brand is usually covered by her sleeve.

Her clothes are simple and functional: An underdress of plain linen, topped by a wool overdress dyed deep green and cinched at the waist with a woven leather belt. She wears a pouch, and a dagger, generally hidden, and leather riding boots. When the weather calls for it, a thick hooded cloak of grey wool is worn, fastened at the neck with a bronze brooch.

Asht

A tall man, a little under 6\", Asht is also incredibly thin, indeed his height and weight lend him a scarecrow-like appearance. Dark brown eyes are set in an almost immaciated face, his sallow skin drawn back tightly over high cheekbones. He seems to be at least in his thirties, although the fine wrinkles that line his face may be more the product of suffering rather than the ravages of time. Dirty grey brown hair is worn long and tied at the back with a simple leather thong.

Asht wears a shapeless black travelling cloak which covers his thin form to the ground. His hands are exposed though, his fingers unusually long and thin. In all, Asht\'s thin frame and sallow skin give him the air of a very sick man. The look in his eyes, however speaks of intense focus and is certainly not reassuring.

It\'s an early May evening, and the Common Room is dark and crowded and smokey. A serving maid hurries in from the kitchen, carrying a tray of newly washed mugs to the bar. She slides the tray to the barkeep, then leans against the bar briefly to take a break, brushing a strand of her hair out of her eyes. Her hair is jet black--unusual for these parts, and it makes her stand out. Half of it is hidden by a kerchief, but her locks are long and hang down her back.

The door to the Common Room open slowly and a face peers in. Asht\'s thin sallow features can be made out through the smoke as he takes a slow and careful step inside. The tall man is clad in a long black cloak which covers him entirely as he stands glancing around the room, his eyes adjusting to the light. After a moment his dark eyes come to rest on the aforementioned serving maid and a thin smile forms on his lips. He watches Cordelia, his expression searching, but as yet makes no move to approach or speak.

\"Guess I should go collect more dirty mugs,\" Cordelia smiles as the barkeep unloads the tray and hands it empty back to her. \"Place is busy tonight and my feet are hurting from walking back and forth so much.\" Her eyes sweep the room for a moment, coming to rest on the dark stranger that has entered the room. There\'s no recognition in her face, but she frowns as she looks at Asht.

As his eyes meet Cordelia\'s, the smile drops from Asht\'s face. After another long moment he walks slowly towards her, his movements are strangely sinuous. The travelling cloak falls back as he walks, revealing simple attire- leggings, tunic and boots, all in a murky shade of brown.

Asht stops a pace from Cordelia, maintaining his icy silence a moment longer. Finally he speaks. \"Greetings, lady,\" he says a little loudly. His voice is strangely deep and a little grating. \"I see from your face that your uncle has explained nothing to you. Perhaps he wished to keep me as a surprise for you, yes?\" The tall man cocks an eyebrow at Cordelia but seems disinclined to say more.

There is no mistaking where Asht is from--Cordelia\'s face pales even as the man crosses the room to her. \"Greetings,\" she says, her voice not quite steady, though she struggles to make it sound normal, given the close proximity of other customers here. \"My...uncle.\" She bites her lip, eyes narrowed as she takes in Asht, then shakes her head. \"What..what surprise?\"

A smile returns to Asht\'s face and he looks around the room quickly then turns back to Cordelia. \"Ah, my dear, not a surprise, but perhaps a cause for celebration,\" he says, his voice loud enough to carry across the room. The sallow-faced man pauses a long moment, studying the serving maid\'s face searchingly.

After another long moment he continues. \"Perhaps I should have awaited your uncle\'s return, but I could not resist seeing you again.\" he says, the smile lingering. \"Your wedding has been arranged. Does this not please you?\" Interestingly, Asht turns away from Cordelia and studies the others in the room, almost more concerned with their response to his words than her own.

Those Bree folk who are regulars to the Common Room--and there are plenty of them gathered here tonight--react with surprise and laughter--some of them staring at Cordelia, then at Asht, then whispering. \"Aye, so /that\'s/ what the lass was running from!\" one man guffaws, while another says under his breath, \"Isn\'t she sweet on that teen, Keldean? I\'ve seen them kissing out by the stables just last week.\"

\"Wedding?\" Cordelia chokes on the word, her eyes widening into an unbelieving stare at Asht. \"Wedding?\" she repeats the word. No, she doesn\'t look happy at all. More like terrified.

A low chuckle comes from Asht at the onlookers\' words, he seems to have unusually good hearing. His laughter dies however and turns into a deep seated cough, rasping, seemingly coming from the core of his body and Asht is momentarily overcome by it. Finally, he draws breath and wipes his face depositing spittle on his cheek, before looking at Cordelia with an intensity that belies his fragile condition.

Asht nods slowly as he speaks. \"Yes, a wedding, a cause for celebration indeed,\" he says. His tone becomes softer as he continues. \"My health is broken as you see and I have kept to my room all this while to regain my strength after such a long journey. But I am no pauper and can keep you in the style you deserve. Your uncle has given his approval and I must admit I have watched you from afar for a long while, although you may not have been aware of me. I have had my eye on you Cordelia, yes.\" With that, Asht chuckles again, his face breaking into a benign expression. \"Does this not comfort you, my dear?\"

There is frank terror on Cordelia\'s face at Asht\'s words, the girl guessing full well the real meaning of the man\'s words. Not at all the bride eager for her wedding, and some of the regulars in the room seem to note this, for a few laugh in a low, knowing sort of way. \"Heal up there and quickly, man,\" one offers as advice to Asht. \"You\'ve got a filly who\'ll take some taming, that\'s for sure!\" More laughter from the crowd--louder now. Oh yes, they\'re enjoying this.

Slowly, as the laughter distracts the crowd a little bit, Cordelia edges toward the side of the bar. Never taking her eyes off of Asht for a moment, she gropes about the top of the bar until she finds a cloth napkin, which she extends his way. \"Here.\" Then, quieter, brows knit--and her voice cast so low that only Asht is likely to hear. \"Who are you? I renewed my blood oath and \'uncle\' accepted it.\"

Almost with the air on actor, Asht draws himself up to his full height, acknowledging the loudly voiced comment with a nod and a smile that speaks of a measure of masculine pride which sits strangely on his thin features.

\"My thanks, lady,\" he says to Cordelia as he takes the rag and proceeds to delicately wipe the spittle from his face. He shakes his head a moment. \"If I had come to you in good health it would have been better, but please do not judge my ardour poorly simply because my body is ailing,\" he says, his voice loud but still somehow pitched in a needling whine. With that he moves closer to Cordelia, lowering his head towards hers.

\"Ah, so now we come down to whispered sweet nothings,\" he says softly, his low tone unlikely to carry, his lips turned away from any who might read them. \"My name is Asht and I serve a certain priestess with whom, I think we are both acquainted. Perhaps you know of me? Perhaps that knowledge might suggest the danger you are surrounded by?\" The thin man pauses a long moment allowing the words to hang in the air like a barely spoken threat. \"But enough of this. All you need to know, my dear, is that I am here for many reasons. Perhaps I am here to bolster your resolve? Perhaps I am here to provide you with an escape route if it is needed? Be assured I am not here to find any enjoyment spending time with this rabble.\" The timbre of Asht\'s voice has changed, his tone is poisonous and sarcastic and he no longer tries to mask his accent.

The girl would back up and away from Asht as he moves closer to her, but she\'s against the bar with nowhere to turn, so she just continues to stare at the man with eyes wider yet. \"See!\" one of the crowd calls, the laughter deepening. \"She\'ll go after Keldean, who\'s barely weaned from his mother, but a real man scares her!\" That causes much laughter, and then much talk among the crowd, which gradually loses attention as the conversation between Cordelia and the strange man can no longer be heard.

\"I..I know this priestess, yes,\" Cordelia chokes out, then gives out a squeak of panic as the man\'s name and mention of Mara meet in her mind--suddenly, she knows exactly who Asht is, and for a moment, it seems she will pass out, blackness threatening to envelope her vision. She grabs at the bar to keep herself upright. \"I swore. To Ankh. On my blood. He believes me...\" she answers, panicked. Her accent thick in her voice. She struggles again, taking a few breaths to try to regain composure. \"I...there is business to conclude. You could help.\"

His dark eyes stare at Cordelia for a long time as he weighs her words up, his expression thoughful. In a soft whisper he says \"Ah, you do know me, I think. Believe me that your \'uncle\' does not have the final word in this. I think you know of what I speak. Do not cause us any doubt, my dear. Would you have us strip your body bare of flesh to reveal the lies in your heart? Yes, you know of what I speak.\" Another fit of coughing overcomes Asht.

After a time he regains his composure and looks up and around the room. Again he acknowledges the ribald comments of the regulars with that strange expression. With a pointed glance at Cordelia he calls over to the bar keep and says, making sure his voice carries, \"A mug of your best wine for my fiancee and myself, if you please.\" He throws the man a warm smile and lays a coin on the bar.

Turning back to Cordelia, the smile still on his lips, he says loudly \"My dear, changes like these are difficult, I know, but I believe we will be happy together. Perhaps soon you will see that too.\" The barman deposits two mugs of wine on the bar and takes the coin without a word. Asht takes his mug in his hand, raises it and offers Corelia a toast. \"To wedded bliss, my dear, to wedded bliss.\" he stays a smile playing on his lips.

Dark eyes again study Cordelia, glimmering faintly in the darkened bar. \"My dear, are you alright?\" he says clearly, his tone concerned. \"You seem a little pale. I think they are working you too hard in this place. Happily, you will no longer need to work here once we are wed.\" Asht fixes Cordelia with another smile, this one speaks of compassion and care.

There\'s a cheer that goes up in the room at Asht\'s toast, and several shouts of \"When\'s the wedding?!\" More laughter, raucous, as another shout goes up of, \"When\'s the wedding night?!\" and then, \"Will you fight Keldean for the bride?!\"

All this serves to hide Cordelia\'s reaction--she is sinking in front of Asht in any case. She knows of what he speaks, she has seen it and heard the cries and screams of those who have displeased the Eye and its agents. She reaches for the wine glass to drink, but her hand is shaking so much that the wine spills out of the cup, which is not even full to the brim. Her knees are feeling as if they are about to give way under her, and the only thing holding her up at the moment is sheer force of will and a firm grip on the bar with her free hand.

\"What...what must I do to prove my loyalty to you?\" She whispers the words, forcing them out, making her self stay present in this place and time. \"There is a man...a spy for the enemy I believe. The one that helped me kill the traitor Tamara...\"

Asht responds to the cheers by raising his mug to the assembled Breelanders. \"We have not decided, freinds,\" he calls loudly, \"But be assured my fiancee\'s new friends will all be invited.\" A benevolent grin forms on his face as he speaks.

Turning back to Cordelia he reaches an arm towards her for support. As he closes the distance between them he lowers his voice, words meant for her alone. \"Scum,\" he says with a decided hiss. \"I cannot understand how you have put up with these people for so long, they contaminate the very air they breath.\" For a while Asht ponders this observation. \"Proof? Proof?\" he says, his tone rising slightly. \"My dear, proof is not something you can provide us, but something we will ascertain for ourselves. Your actions will speak louder than your voice will. Perhaps I can see into your heart? I advise you to be very very careful. You do not know who watches.\" The expression on Ashts face has become neutral, chilling in its disengagement. \"Now tell me of this spy you suspect and what you want of me.\"

There\'s an attempt on the part of the girl to keep up the act, to play Asht\'s game. And normally, Cordelia would be able to do so--it\'s what she has done all her life, it\'s what she has trained and lived for and it\'s why she was sent out as an agent here, despite her youth. But the unexpected appearance of the man--/this/ man and what he is known for--has shattered her os badly that even her attempt at a smile or a believable answer to Asht\'s feigned compassion seems worse than feeble. But the Breelanders read nothing into her fear other than the fear of an inexperienced bride-to-be, and it just serves to increase their amusement, another cheer echoing through the room at Asht\'s promise of an invitation to the wedding feast.

Cordelia\'s eyes close briefly as she allows Asht to support her with his arm and lean close to her. \"They...\" she tries to form words, but it\'s slow--he could feel her shaking to her core. \"By getting to know them, I learn more about who they are and what they are doing. They learn to trust me and share things that they might otherwise not with a stranger. I ...I have learned much this way. How else do you think I learned of this spy?\" she finishes, and that thought puts some new strength in her.

She opens her eyes to stare at Asht. \"He is a friend of the elves. I have listened to the elves speak to him in their tongue, because they know not that I speak Sindarin. They don\'t suspect me because I am friendly.\" Well, they don\'t suspect her too much, but that\'s a detail she leaves out, conveniently. \"THis man....he is called Seeker here, but his true name is Rhifaroth. Hunter of the Crown in Sindarin. I...I wish to question him about who he is and why he and others like him seem to be here. And why there are so many elves here. I have the means to do so, but he has many friends, and we must be careful.\"

With a languid movement, Asht lays a long-fingered hand on Cordelia\'s shoulder, his touch is icy. Leaning forward he hisses \"Do not take that tone with me, girl.\" His expression falls and for a short moment, the depths of his depravity and cruelty are revealed in his face. Continuing to whisper softly he continues \"Yes, I will help you. But I warn you it may not be possible to \'question\' this filthy ranger without killing him. We must be prepared for that eventuality. But enough of this. Make your plans. I assure I am skilled in encouraging people to provide answers when they are required.\"

Asht takes a pace away from Cordelia, his voice again pitched for all to hear. \"I must retire again to my sickbed, my dear, and deprive myself of your delightful company,\" he says, his voice honeyed and his expression rapt. \"But perhaps before I leave you will give your fiance a kiss?\" He indicates his left cheek with his finger. Upclose, the jaundiced colour of his skin is disturbingly intense, the pores large, the sickly palour of his face disturbing. A thin smeer of saliva can be seen next to his nose.

\"I...\" Cordelia gets out, shuddering at the touch on her shoulder and the look in the man\'s face. \"I apologize,\" she finishes in a hushed voice--a tone she usually reserves for the priestess. But then, this man is clearly a servant of the priestess. \"I think,\" she continues, low but humble now, \"that we have much to gain here by remaining hidden and just listening to things that we otherwise might not heaer. IF...if the elves and this spy don\'t suspect us too much, which, alas, I think they do...\" Even the tone of her words seem to have shifted more to the style of talk one would find in Bree--but isn\'t that what agents are supposed to do?

Fear has never left the girl\'s eyes, but when she looks up now--as Asht requests a kiss on the cheek--there is also dread in them. Dutifully obedient, though, she stands on tiptoes and seems to brush a kiss ot his cheek, but her lips never touch him.She dares not to even breathe.

Asht remains still a moment as Cordelia moves close. The lack of contact is not ignored, but perhaps it is enough for those observing this encounter. The tall man removes his hand from Cordelia\'s shoulder and moves away from her slightly before offering a low bow. \"I shall retire then, my dear,\" he says to here, \"I hope you do not work too hard, you look tired and I do hope you won\'t exhaust yourself. We have many things to prepare, do we not?\" Asht cocks an eyebrow at Cordelia and smiles, his thin lips turning upwards. With that he turns on his heel pulling his cloak around.

Asht slowly makes his way out of the Common Room. As he approaches the door, he looks over his shoulder, his eyes meeting Cordelia\'s. For a long moment he looks at her, his expression neutral. Then with a smile he nods to her and leaves the room. The door slams behind him.