***So, Selena is a girl who lives just on the edge of the law. She knows it's there and depending on her mood or purpose at the moment, she uses it to her advantage most times. Dahlgren is a lawful ranger on this world. His authority does not come from any human government, but for the most part, he's recognized as a "good guy" in the more lawless parts where there are no lawmen. They sorta like each other, a lot - sorta. 0_o
---------------------
Book of the Merren Part 2
-----------------------------
It was full dark, a few miles away from the now-alarmed little place where an old man's body lay in the courtyard of an inn along with six others, here and there, who'd had sections of their skin cut out. Everyone knew the reason for that. They'd been wanted men, somewhere. There was no shortage of men such as that in the place, though quite a few of them were trying to make a go of their lives here as honest men, though they'd always have to hide from somebody.
What had shocked them was that there had been a bounty hunter in their midst all afternoon long and they hadn't guessed, and no one knew the sort of man the ranger had been, or whatever he was, the one who'd come to meet her.
Whatever he was, he was now guiding his horse through the winter darkness quietly. Only one of the reasons that this one beast had such value to him was the way that he trusted his master to see for them both on a moonless night such as this one. They picked their way up a long and gentle incline, and knowing that someone had a small fire going nearby -- since he could smell it -- and the way that this rise forced him to use it as the only way up only told him who it was -- and what he could expect as a welcome.
But it didn't happen, and that surprised him. He knew that there had to be a reason for it. He just couldn't imagine what it was. But then, it was Selena, he thought, she was smart and canny. A quiet sigh escaped him as he thought of a few other words; beautiful, deadly and changeable were the ones which came to mind.
He thought quite a bit of her -- even before their meeting at the inn. She might have been about twenty-five at the outside, but she knew a lot about living out here. It wouldn't have surprised him a bit to learn that she'd set the fire as a trap to lure him. He stopped his horse for a minute to listen.
He was certain that this was Selena, given the way that it felt to him and also the way that he could hear little of the normal night sounds around him, father out to one side than the other. He could almost tell which direction that she was in by it. It wasn't as noisy now as it would have been if it were summer, but there were still a few sounds which perhaps ought to be here and were not.
It didn't matter much which method he used. He could feel that it was her and the direction came to him in a heartbeat.
In spite of the way that he felt, he smirked to himself. If he'd done something such as this, he'd have already sprung his trap by this point. The fact that Selena hadn't only indicated to him that there was likely a better place for it. But then he looked ahead and he stopped again. The fire was right there, just a few yards distant now. Was something wrong?
He found her sitting on a rock with her head on the palms of her gloved hands, looking down at the snow by her boots.
"What's wrong?" he asked her.
"What isn't wrong?" she said in reply." I didn't think to check my saddlebags. I just jumped on my horse and left. My bags are empty. They must have eaten my food. My bedroll is gone. The stupid bastard who stole my horse wrecked my bow! I can't hit a thing with it. Everything's gone. I've got nothing, and look at the sky. Feel that air. It'll snow tonight for sure. I really ought to be on the road right now. I'm just trying to get a little warm and then I'll go."
She looked up at him, "You ought to leave as well, Dahlgren. I'm very sorry, alright? I was being a disappointed bitch, that's all. I'd like to tell you that it's not like me, but, I guess it is. You were right to suggest that we act when we did. You'd better go. I'll -- "
"You'll just sit there and freeze to death," he said. "There's no moon. You can't see well enough in the dark to get back to the road without tumbling off into the night someplace, and you love your horse. So you'll sit and freeze waiting until morning. But you'll be dead by then."
She started to cry, and it was something which Dahlgren knew was very uncharacteristic about Selena. He got off his horse and sank to one knee beside her, carefully laying his arm over her shoulders. "There's more, isn't there?"
She sobbed deeply and the voice which came to him sounded so small that he had to listen closely. "I left the bottle with their markings," she said, sounding almost as though she was about to wail in her misery, "I needed those bounties. There's no way that I can live through the winter without that money. I'm such a fool," she said miserably.
"No," he said, "you were only upset because of me and what I said. From what I know about you, you always work alone, and so you're used to that. With me there, and with the way that I , ...
It's not as bad as that, Selena. Here. Here's your bottle, "he said, pulling the long thing from the pocket of his cloak.
She stared at it. "Thank you," she whispered.
"Wait, there's more," he grinned, "My packs are full. I've even got an extra bedroll that I found on the ground outside the stables. It might be yours, for all I know. I still have my little tent, and I had some time to think before anyone came back. I went to the kitchen and because of the way that I was wandering around, thinking of the bad way that I suggested that we begin with the men, I followed my nose. I've even got a few wine bottles."
She looked at him and sniffled with the beginnings of a smile, "I don't like wine," she said.
"Neither do I," he laughed, "that's why I poured it out and filled them up with dark ale. It took a while."
It actually made her chuckle a little, "Why have you done all this?" she asked.
"I might tell you that I did it so that I'd have something to eat and drink on the road, once I got free from the danger of one particularly beautiful horse thief, "he said, "but it wouldn't be true. You may not know it about me, but I can track very well. You tried to hide the signs of your passing, but I can feel you and where you are. I knew nothing about your troubles, but I knew that you needed the markings for the bounties.
Throw a bit more wood on the fire," he smiled, "and I'll do the rest while you get your feet warm."
He had his little tent up in no time and they sat and ate their fill. By the time that the snow began, their horses were staked under a tarpaulin of canvas under some of the few trees that were able to grow here. The tarpaulin was slanted to allow them a little shelter from the wind as well as from the snow. It was far from perfect, but it was a lot better than nothing.
They sat by the fire, drinking ale and laughing. "I always heard many ideas said over what you were," Selena said, "and I didn't believe a single one. But now I know that you are a mage, to have been able to do all of this."
Dahlgren stared into the flames for a moment, smiling softly. "I don't know, "he said quietly," I might have had a selfish reason." He looked at her sitting beside him, "I did some things which needed doing," he said, "out of a desire for your well-being."
