3. Broken Window to the Past: forgotten memories

Broken Window to the Past: forgotten memories

  • A

    A prelude to memories returned

    It's funny how quickly memories come back, and the strange times they do. Seemingly innocent things often alight at the most inopportune times, and most often when least expected. My mind is far from whole, scarred over by a shadow that light only now begins to drive back. I don't know why I came here, or even how; I do know why I left…

    It's amazing, I sit at the Boarshead, not unusual in itself and also not unusual in the choice of companion I kept at the moment. Mirkali Vragnorich sits opposite of me, and close in the level of inebriation of myself. I can never keep up with him, but he'd been drinking since sundown. By now my world is fuzzy, sleep a tangible thing just past giggling laughter and barely above vominting. Through fuzzy eyes I stare, and my cheeks grow red, staring, to my eyes, at the most handsome and charming and irresistable man imaginable. It struck me as odd... I'd thought those words before once...

    My world spun, no longer was I in a smelly tavern far past half-drunk on cheap ale, but I was home. Not my room in the inn, but my old home, where I'd grown up. Whiteriver. It was that day, the one that made me what I am. The day he came. Justin. My love. The One. the bard.

    I was in the village square, just one pretty maid among many, my pink tresses the only thing distinguishing me from the other dozen girls sighing and making calf eyes at him. He looked a prince, sitting proudly on his bench in the square, a lute in his hands as his fingers plucked notes from Heaven itself. Curly, brown hair framed a boyish face with the most gentle of blue eyes, and the smirk that always seemed in place whenever he'd look at anyone. He strummed, and sang songs of valient heroes and pretty damsels… and more often than not, I'd pretend I was one of those damsels, and he the valient knight.. I wished he'd whisk me away from this farm village and out onto the road to adventure, we'd sing and laugh by day, and makes out bed in only the most romantic of glades and valleys by night, and by the warm fire we'd grow warmer still as..

    My cheeks grew warm as Mirkali's slurring voice brought me back to the present, "Hey, you listnen? If I didn't know you better I'd think you had a crush on me with the way you keep looking at me and blushing, but since you're just drunk, I'll let it pass perhaps." He grinned, he loved to tease me, I was far too drunk to care.

    "oh quiet you, like you aren't as drunk as I am. Just thinkin's all, rememberin somthin. now, shhh.. for I find the nearest haystack and throw you in it. You know what I think of men of your calibre." I winked at him, gods he made my blood boil. I knew if I ever had the guts to carry through with my threat, I'd love to join him in the hay, perhaps even steal a kiss or three.

    Gods I was drunk, my head slumped back to the table, my mind whirling back to a place much greener and warmer besides.

    My smile was untouchable, my feet seemed nearly to hover above the ground. Justin had asked me, me! to come with him on his wanderings from town to town. It was unbelievable, it was unthinkable. He wanted me, he could have any other pretty little maid he wanted, but he'd chosen the pink haired one. I could've died on the spot.

    Da, however, saw to the matter differently. He forbade it, "No daughter of mine will run off with some damned minstrel to be his damned toy til he tires of it. Did'ya even think of your ma and me? To hells you did, you thought everythings dandy, you can go be his newest plaything til he finds another in the next village. Don't you even say it. I know what it is, and its for your own good. You leave with him, and don't you bother returning. As far as I'll be concerned you'll not be a daughter of mine, no longer can you expect any hospitality of self respecting Laers (her families last name). So get to bed with you, and quit that damned crying!" He thundered, I knew he'd thunder. He always thundered when I told him I liked someone, at least he didn't hit me this time. He used to, like when I kissed Barry Adleby, he thrashed me til I was black and blue. He's got a temper sometimes.

    Anyways, I was sick of it. I didn't want to be a Laer, to hells with it. I ran away, met up with the caravan leaving for the next town, and curled into one of the wagons with my love. I twined my hand through his, and kissed him gently to wake him... My cheeks matched my hair when I realized I'd somehow managed to cross the room and twine my hand through Mirk's and even now had my lips pressed against his. '

    I backed away, quick as I could, muttering how drunk I was and for him to quit grinning like that. He grinned all the wider, and even made a show of licking his lips. Oh, that was fine alright, I marched straight up the stairs.. leaving him with a grin, and the tab.

  • A

    Tears came unbidden to her eyes as the memories assaulted her, it all happened years ago, but the memory was fresh, forgotten until now. Lilly weeped unabashedly, still not risen from her bed, and doubtless when she did it would be only to make her way to Barle's bar.

    All too well I knew what I'd find going into that inn, a scene much too alike to the one that played out in Whiteriver, Justin sitting at a table, surrounded by a gaggle of women eager for his every affection. What I wasn't prepared for was for one of them to be upon his lap, and her lips enmeshed with his own. Jealously flared within me, this little twit had led me on all this way then at the first chance he jumps at the nearest woman.

    Growling I approached, irritation heavy in my voice and only slightly masked by the tears choking it. "How could you! You said you loved me…" unable to speak, I picked up a mug from a table and hurled it at the group. "The hells were you thinking? Aren't I better than this, this, that thing on your lap!" Tears now overwhelming me as I downed the contents of the nearest mug, choking at the bitter taste of the ale within.

    Sounding more than a little drunk, remarkable after only starting less than an hour ago, Justin tryed to soothe me, "Settle down babe, you know I like you best.. Just a few strumpets here who need a bit of attention's all. You know, a few were even after me to write some songs for them, should get a coin or two. Anyways.. Elisa here wasn't doing nothing, just tripped is all, swooning like some women do." His grin was wide, the girls around him to enamored with glaring at me to notice the insults he used towards them, and a collective gasp was heard when my fist connected solidly with his jaw. Unhinging more than one tooth.

    For the lass on his lap, Elisa he called her, I grabbed her by the hair (even bound in a ponytail, to make it easier) and drew my blade, cutting through easily. She sqawked like an indignant goose, an analogy I thought all too apt, I didn't care though. I hit her near as hard as Justin, and she collapsed into a heap, sobs coming through and gurgling slightly from the blood pouring from her broken nose.

    Everything that came into my hands I threw, mugs, plates, even a roast fowl, before storming out. The innkeeper looked none-too-pleased, but I figured he'd take it up with the ladies and the astounded bard rather than the fierce jilted lover.

    Seeing the reception I'd already garnered for myself, and having sold most of the wears, Hal was all too ready to leave.. and seeing the look in my eyes, he believed he'd actually found a merchants guard worth having. Of course to be safe, he'd also hired three more toughs, who knew how to use staff and blade. So what if I couldn't use one as good, if I could cause a commotion like that whenever bandits stopped us. And anyways, I'm sure he thought I'd be easy enough to console over the trip, and possibly even to "win over".

    "Bastards" I growled to myself, the episode playing in my head finally through, and myself long having run out of tears. Buckling on my sword-belt, and shouldering my pack. I left my room, firmly hoping to find something in which to vent my returned ire, something hopefully with green-skin.

    (events taking place before becoming engaged to Zach Jora. 🙂 )

  • A

    The morning was chill, all mornings were chill in Norwick, the hard bed and the heavy wool blanket wrapped around her seemed Heaven, compared to the chill and somewhat drafty room. Morning was clearly visble through some of the cracks in the wall, and what she guessed to be the source of letting out the rooms warmth. If she wasn't quite so hung-over from the night before, it might have actually bothered her.

    Groaning she rolled back onto her shoulder, facing away from the tiny beams of light snaking through the crazked wall, and tried to recall the nights events. She remembered blushing plenty, but that was nothing in itself, not like Mirk couldn't get her blushing anytime he liked. A stray thought caught her as she glanced at her belt, with rapier and scimitar still buckled in it.

    In a blur, it came back to her, the memory she regained, why she left home.. and how she started here. It seemed a dream the other night, something only tangible to a drunkards imagination, but seeing her swords there, it made her think of the first blade she hefted, and the tears in her eyes as the path it took her became all too memorable again.

    It was highsun now, three days since I'd left from home, three days I'd been on the road with Justin. Three days since life changed, I didn't mind. I was happy. We traveled through the rough meadows towards Lang's hill, the next village from Whiteriver and the destination of this little caravan. Justin and I sat at the front of the wagon, him telling stories and boasting jokes to liven the men's mood, me I just sat there sighing and toying with the hilt of the rusty shortsword they'd given me.

    It was far from my choice, but they refused to take me on for free, and in my naivity I'd forgotten to bring any coin. Justin tried to persuade them, but merchants seldom care for the idea of giving away something for free when it could easily be charged for. From their leering smiles, I could guess what method of payment they had in mind. Justin had other ideas though, handing me the well-worn hilt of a sword, he told them the fiercest merchants guard they could find, and furthermore, that I'd work for only a quarter of Justin's pay, from his pay.

    I smiled as pretty as I could, and tried to look fierce, they all got a good guffaw out of it, but eventually told me to get in and keep outta the way. I was ecstatic to say the least, and pasted myself close to Justin, snaking an arm around him and preparing for the ride ahead.

    Lang's Hill came all too quickly for my tastes, I'd enjoyed the ride, the coarse stories the merchant and his drivers would tell, the bawdy songs Justin would sing (a few even made me blush, and tingle just a little) and of course the nights when we'd sneak off to the woods to go "snare rabbits". When the chimney's came in sight, and knowing that there'd be another dozen or so girls sighing at Justin and wishing to take my place, I was none too excited.

    We rode in, a crowd instantly gathering about us, shouting for news and for goods, and the dozen pretty maids winking and staring at him. The hussies, cleavage half falling out of their dresses, skirts hiked up to show legs, eyes twinkling as if they'd been struck in the head. Surely I couldn't have looked like that! I tried to shadow Justin, make sure to keep those goblin-mannered women from teasing him too much, but Hal (the merchant) had other ideas.
    "Git back here and unstrap the horses Lilly-wench. You think your only job is to sigh after the bard brat? Git o'er here lass, and git to it!"

    Grumbling, i did it. I unstrapped the horses, and brushed them down, even helped set out some of the wares. I kept darting glances to where Justin even now was performing, it was the same tale of damsel's and knights that had enchanted myself, and I groaned seeing the glitter in those trollups eyes. Grumbling still I worked hard as I could, trying to finish up to go see my love, Hal wouldn't think of it. Everytime I'd finish one thing, he'd have two more tasks for me to do. Bloody merchants.

    Finishing near an hour later, I looked up and saw the gaggle of goose-women had left, and my bard was no where to be seen. I asked one of the women looking at the pots and needles, and made my way to the inn, where once again my life would change.

    The remmbrance left a horrible taste in her mouth, as she leaned over an proceeded to empty the contents of her stomach (mostly last nights drink) into the bucket by her bedside. Groaning, she gave back into sleep and passed out.