What with the rain, the cold, the mud, and the lingering awkwardness from the morning - not to mention the presence of the two guards - Rastellion and Imma say little to each other, besides the brief exchanges required by immediate troubles. Imma huddles in her heavy cloak throughout the trip, fending off his several queries about whether she's feeling any better. She can't shake the fear that she's been followed - though there's no sign of anyone trailing them - nor the growing conviction that she has to talk to Rastellion about everything, afraid though she is. Better that he hear it from her. And maybe Zandrianna is right, that it won't shake his affection.
They dismount in the muddy courtyard and hand the reigns off to a grumpy stable-hand, who cheers up slightly when Rastellion slips him an extra coin because of the weather. Then the four make their way inside, shaking cold water off cloaks and hoods. Tilly looks up from her counter as the bell jingles. The Inn isn't crowded tonight - the weather keeping the locals snug at home, so only a few travelers are in the common room. As they approach, her face lights in recognition. ''Immalaine? Didn't think to be seeing you here again so soon. And master... Rastillon, wasn't it.''
''Rastellion, ma'am, yes. T' tell th' truth, we'd not meant to come back so soon neither, but seems we need a affidavit t' convince the notaries in Bree that Immalaine is herself.'' Out in the countryside, his north downs accent has slipped back into his speech, replacing the town speech he's been cultivating for his work among the traders. ''So seems we'll be needin' a room t'night, an' we'll be having t' find the notary again, first thing in th' mornin'.''
With a brief smile and a nod, Immalaine steps up to the counter as Rastellion explains the situation. "Need three rooms, if ye got them," she says, watching Tilly's eyebrow lift in surprise before she nods and hands Immalaine the guest log.
Rastellion looks at Immalaine in surprise, turning her away from the counter with him. "Three rooms? I ... why?" His tone mirrors the confusion - and hurt - in his voice.
For a moment Immalaine doesn't answer him, seeing the hurt in his eyes. She bites her lip, chewing it, before replying, "I'm not feelin' so good, is all Rastellion. I reckon it's best if we didn't share t' same room, I don't want t' see you get sick too." She reaches out her hand to touch his check, but pauses and drops it again at the last second. "I'll pay fer my own. That way it's no burden t' you."
Rastellion looks even more upset by this last comment. "You're no burden," he says; "you should know that." Then repeats to himself, softer, "You should know that." He shakes his head, thinking how this just proves that Rossiath was right. "Of course you won't pay for it," he says, reaching into his money-belt. "If you really do think it's best." He forces a smile onto his face. "Though I was counting on you to be close at hand to defend my honor - or at least my outfit - if our room was burgled again!"
"Oh, don't you worry about that, sir," Tilly says, coming back into earshot in time to hear this ls comment. "Got a guard at each door, now, all night."
Turning, Immalaine opens her mouth to argue with him, then closes it again and attempts to give him a smile. She turns, nodding gratefully at Tilly as she hears the comment. Feeling nervous about being alone at the inn, she tugs at the collar of her dress, fidgeting with the laces as she thinks to herself that after she told him everything tonight, he'd likely be more than happy with her decision to get the extra room.
Tilly puts the book away and nods at them. "Well, you're in luck. Got the three rooms on the top landing free. And th' kitchen's just finished up, but we've got soup and mebbe a bit of sliced meat left, and some bread left over from th' mornin'. I'll have it fixed up for ye while ye put your bags away."
Rastellion thanks her, then motions to the two hired guardsmen over to carry the luggage upstairs. "Mine in one; hers in another."
Haldrik looks at him, but, seeing the expression on his employer's face, doesn't ask any questions, just shoulders half the luggage and heads upstairs. Rastellion hands their wet cloaks to the other guard before he follows Haldrik with the remaining baggage. "Let's get you over by the fire, then," he says to Immalaine, "while we wait for our food. If you're not feelin' well, best we get you warm an' dry right soon."
With a glance back at the guards, she follows Rastellion to the fire, stopping to lean forward and hold her hands near the flame. "I am awful cold," she admits, taking her hands and rubbing against her arms, before turning to sit in a chair need the fireplace. Watching Rastellion in the firelight, she sits back and ponders how she's going to begin the conversation with him. Unsure of how to begin, she closes her eyes briefly, rubbing the front of her head with her hand before pushing her still damp hair back from her face.
Rastellion reaches down and catches her hand as she raises it. ''You'll feel better with some food in you. Stay here. I'll have them bring a tray over so we can eat here close to the fire. Get you warmed up.'' He spots Tilly pointing one of the serving girls to a free table and he moves to intercept them, quick gestures and words procuring two trays which he brings back to the fire. He hands one to Immalaine and then takes a seat beside her, near the hearth. The girl puts one plate on each tray.
''I can bring a table over for you soir,'' she says, wide blue eyes fixed on Rast. ''So as you don' spoil your fine clothes.''
''That'd be right kind; thank you, ah...'' Rastellion glances back to her, giving her a distracted smile.
'Lily, soir. M' name's Lily. Like th' flower.'' She bobs a slight curtsey, adding, ''I remember you from your last visit.'' Then blushes slightly and turns away. ''I'll just go see to that table.''
Rastellion frowns after her briefly, then shrugs, dismissing her from his thoughts, and turns back to Immalaine. ''There you go. Feeling any warmer?''
Barely paying attention to anyone around her, Immalaine absentmindedly nods as she continues to think through what she was going to say. She picks up her fork and begins pushing her food around on the plate. "Hmmm?" she says, after a moment, realizing that Rastellion had spoken. "Oh ... yes, is much better here at the fire. I can almost feel my hands again." She attempts to smile at him before turning to look back down at the food. "Rastellion ..." she begins, "I ... I've told you a little about my past …"
"It's okay. I know you were still young, back here, but, still, there'll be folks that knew you well enough to sign. How about Wil's wife - what was her name? Did she know you? They live right in town. Could get a signature from her quick enough in the morning; get ourselves and the affidavit back to Bree before nightfall..."
Taking a bite of her food, she begins to chew while she thinks. 'The signature ... of course he thinks that's what she's talking about,' Immalaine flinches inwardly and thinks to herself. She swallows, hardly tasting what she had eaten, as she shakes her head and once again tries to find a way to brooch the subject on her mind. "After the ... after my farm was destroyed ..." she says finally, staring into the fire to avoid his gaze.
Rastellion sips at his soup as she speaks, then pauses ... the pause stretches. He leans forward and touches her hand lightly. "Immalaine, I know it's hard being back here, and hard asking for help from those that should have helped you back then." Does this explain her apparent reluctance to return, he wonders. "But it'll be fine, you'll see. And once you get your land back - even if you do sell it - you'll have the security again that that fire took away from you." He swallows nervously. 'Just say it, he thinks to himself. Tell her you want her to stay in your life. She's not like Giselle; she's not looking to run off.'
"Speaking of the security," he says, a bit awkwardly; I've been thinking. You know how widow Rossiath wants to sell her mill? I started to wonder - my pa could do a miller's job, much of it. He'd just need someone to do some of the lifting and suchlike he can't, on account of his leg. And then he'd not have to expect me to go back north, or even say in Breeland, and do the farming that he can't. So I was thinking, after we're done with this, I might go home and see what he thinks. I don't quite have enough from the sale of our farm, but there are folks here who'd lend me a bit, and..." He breaks off, then jumps to the important part. "Anyway, would be a way of taking care of him, even finding him something t' do rather than just mope by the fireside, and it'd let me stay in Bree...." He trails off, as Immalaine is still staring into the fire, seemingly oblivious to what he's saying. He'd expected her to be happier at the possibility that he might be able to stay in Bree - stay with her. "Immalaine? You alright?"
Absorbed in her memories of the past, though not so much that what Rastellion had said didn't register in the back of her mind, Immalaine stares down at her plate. She holds her breath for a moment, knowing what he had suggested seemed unlikely, if not impossible. Still, she thought to herself, it didn't change the fact that after what she had to say, he'd probably not even want her around. She turns her head to look at him, a stricken expression in her green eyes, everything she'd ever wished for so close ... and so far away. "I ... never told you much about ..." she started.
Rastellion grips his wooden spoon tight in frustration; she seems uninterested in what he's trying to say about the future - their future. Or is it just that she has something she wants to say first. He forces his grip to relax; puts the spoon down; picks up his bread from the tray. "About what?" he asks, gently, trying to keep out of his voice the disappointment he feels at her unenthusiastic response.
Taking a deep breath, Immalaine tries again. "After ... after my guardian died, I was on my own for a little while," she says, stuttering to a stop as she tries to find the words to describe what she'd been through. "There was ... was a man. He ..." She bit her lip, pausing as memories she'd pushed aside came flooding back to her. Things she had promised herself she'd never talk about; things she swore she would forget. Her shoulders slumped as she played with her food, her appetite gone.
Rastellion stares at her, feeling as if the warm food in his stomach has turned to ice. "A man?..." he begins.
At this moment there's a scraping noise behind him and Lily returns, leading Haldric, who's carrying a small table. "'Ere you are soir," she says, proudly, as Rastellion stands to shift his chair out of the way. "That'll be a right warm spot t' eat. An' your guard was right nice helpin' me out." She pauses, resting one hand on the table, leaning in a little closer to him. "Your man said as you've got th' three rooms up top?" she asks. Rastellion nods. "Well soir," she says, eyes dropping in a show of fetching bashfulness, "You just let me know if you'll be wanting anything later t'night... After me work's done, an' th' tavern's abed, I'd be happy t' offer you any help you might need." The look she gives him from under lowered eyes is anything but bashful.
Rastellion chokes slightly, feeling his own face redden. "I .. uh .. that's very kind of .. I mean, no, thank you, but I'll be fine, I'm sure."
Lily pouts slightly. "Well if you change your mind soir, let me know." She grins and adds, with a giggle, "An' let me know if you'll be fightin' off bandits again, too!" She turns and sashays off, her hips swinging, and gives one glance at him over her shoulder before she heads into the kitchen to fetch food for the two guards.
Dumbfounded, Immalaine stares at the girl's back as she walks away, what she was saying momentarily lost at the brazen behavior of the young serving girl. Shaking her head, she turns back to Rastellion with a look of frustration and - was it worry? - in her green eyes. "I guess I wasn't sittin' right here," she says softly to herself, her hands gripping the tray on her lap. Shaking her head again, she tries to pull back together her thoughts, but she looks back at the kitchen with a frown. "Girl should know better, she should ..." she says under her breath, "than t' be lettin' men take advantage o' her like that."
"Don't worry," he says, sensing Immalaine's tension, trying to laugh it off. "Just because you need the night to yourself, not feelin' well and all, no need to fear I'd be inviting some serving girl to my room." He glances across the common room, where Lily is now flirting with the guards and shakes his head. "Don't see why any man would want to consort with a girl like that," he adds, hoping to reassure Immalaine. "Like as not she's slept with most of the town, and half the travelers that've been through here for good measure." He shudders dramatically and adds a jest, hoping to cheer her up. "Why, it'd be like dippin' my wick into th' privy out back, as that's been used just as hard, and by just as many." He smiles at her. "No, we'll both get a full night o' sleep tonight and be ready to get that affidavit for you first thing in the morning!"
Rastellion's words hammered at Immalaine like the beat of hooves against the cobblestone streets of Bree. 'A girl like that ...' he had said. Looking up at the ceiling, Immalaine's mouth felt dry as she thought of what she had almost told him. How could she now? He'd just shown her what his reaction would be to her telling him about her past. "I ... sleep does sound good." she says quietly, standing up to set her tray aside on the table, the full impact of his words still working their way into her numbed consciousness. "That was harsh Rastellion," she whispered. "Ye don't know a thing about her t' be saying such."
Baffled by her shifting moods and words, Rastellion stares up at her. "I just meant that I'd no interest in her proposition ... I'd not want to sleep with her, that's all. I didn't mean anything else by it." He indicates her half-finished meal. "You should eat more, since you're feeling sick! Sit back down and keep warming up. What was it you wanted to tell me?" Then his stomach does a small flip as he remembers what she'd started to tell him - no, he tries to reassure himself, only what it sounded like she was starting to tell him - and his expression goes cold and bleak at the thought.
Shaking her head, her hair shimmering in the firelight, she takes one look at his face and backs away. "No, I heard what you said 'bout her. You made it clear what you thought. You dun know the first thing 'bout her ... and you don't know the first thing 'bout me either!" she finished, brushing her eyes with the back of her hand as she turned to race up the stairs. One of the guards, noticing her abrupt departure, turned to look over at Rastellion with a questioning glance but, not getting his attention, he stood up and followed Immalaine up the stairs to show her which room was hers, much to the dismay of Lily, who was pouting heavily at his departure.
"What was ... I ..." Rastellion murmurs, helplessly gaping after Immalaine for long seconds after she runs off. . Unnoticed, the portion of bread he's still holding on one hand dissolves into crumbs at the force of his grip. Finally he sits heavily, staring into the fire. "Well, that didn't go as planned," he mutters. He was going to tell her about his idea for the mill, and tell her he wanted her to be with him, either way... and, instead, there'd been this ... this ... this whatever that was. Didn't know her at all, she'd said? Maybe so ... especially if there was now another man who...
Abruptly, he stands up, nearly knocking his chair flat. He reaches for his mug and drains it in one long gulp. Fine. She wants to be alone tonight? Wants to avoid him? Let her. He turns and strides across the room to where his two guards sit, the one having just come back down the stairs. If ever there was a night for forgetfulness, he thinks, it's tonight. "Another round," he calls as he sits with the other two men. "So," he says, looking between them, forcing a false cheerfulness into his voice, "who knows a good drinking game?"
(Credits and love go to Rastellion, who provided the voice of the male characters in this story. *Blows kisses to Rastellion and grins widely*)
