A Big Shiny Blue Marble Ch. 04

Selena watched his legs and feet for a moment, seeing once again the fluid movements that he was a little famous for. It was said that he could move like death itself if he had a reason to need the ability. But all that Selena could see was that he was very sure-footed and carried himself with a lot of grace.

After a moment, her gaze went higher to the swordbelt running from over his shoulder with the scabbard attached to it. Like everything else about him, there were mysteries for her here as well. He almost always carried one sword that was visible, a heavy hand-and-a-half sword, and yet she'd seen him with two at times, using both, and though she had no idea how it was possible, she knew that somewhere under that cloak of his, there was a bow hidden on his back somehow.

Finally, she looked at the portion of his face that she could see and once more, that sense came to her of some unknown quality about this man. His skin was a little darker than hers, as though he'd come from somewhere out of the Southlands, though it wasn't true from what she knew. Most times he had the hood of his cloak up and it made him even harder for most people to deal with, though she'd seen him in the middle of a fight with it thrown back. She wondered how many people had ever seen him like that.

Selena remembered her thoughts of the time. She'd only been nearby, not a part of the fight at all. It had happened as she was just passing through. Common sense told her that the best thing for her to do was to just keep on going, but she sat there on her horse like a stump.

He never seemed to need to have the hood back. He had some way to know just what was going on behind him without needing to see. That day, he'd faced over a dozen, a gang of murderers and thieves like any other in these parts, just a little larger and mean enough to have come to his attention for some reason. The thing of it was that Selena didn't know that he could deal with them all. She didn't even know why, but she'd ridden right into the bunch who were behind him and ploughed into the largest. She couldn't explain it to herself to this day.

After jumping from her horse to plant her sword between the shoulders of the large one, she'd wrenched her blade free and killed another before he knew what was happening. Her arrival had upset the balance of things apparently, and the one who she'd sought to aid finished the two that he was fighting and turned, whipping his hood back for a better look.

She'd seen everything then; the long black hair, his clean-shaven face, that jaw, the aquiline nose, those lips, open a little from the effort of the fight, everything.

But those eyes ...

That one look had taken her right out of the fight altogether. She remembered blinking once, or maybe twice at most, and feeling something that she'd never felt since ...

He'd done the rest in seconds. Four more lay dead with the others, and she wasn't sure if she'd even seen him do anything to the last one or if he'd just caused him to fall dead. She was still standing rooted to the spot when he'd wiped off his sword and walked up to her. He'd asked her if she was alright, since she looked so spellbound.

He didn't say it that way, but she knew what he was thinking since she was standing there like an idiot. All that she'd been able to do was to nod with her mouth open like a puppet. He thanked her for her help and then he'd smiled and it was all over for Selena.

The next thing that she knew, that hood was back up as he wished her well, and then he was gone, just gone, running as lightly as an elf over the uneven ground up over the ridge.

The memory of it caused Selena to smirk to herself. Seeing him like that had made her smile that day. She always told herself afterward that he wore his hood up so that his way might stay a little clearer of the maids and wenches who'd no doubt throw themselves at his feet otherwise.

Selena sighed to herself. She had no doubt that it wouldn't ever happen, but if she ever found a chance at it, and could beat down her own pride even a little, well, she'd likely toss herself there too, if she thought that it would get her anywhere.

He carried some mark or marks on his face, usually over his left cheekbone, and since it seemed to change, she assumed that it had to be painted on, rather than tattooed in. His lips were a little fuller than what was common around here as well, and the whole effect was one of dark uncertainty, though to Selena it spoke of warmth at the same time.

And that irritated her as well, since he always seemed to be so focussed to the point of cold brusqueness in his dealings with others. Other than the way that he'd cared for the little girl and how he'd spoken to her that day, he was like a lord from another place, not wanting or needing to have anything much to do with the likes of ordinary folks.

Like Selena.

His history -- or the little that anyone knew of it -- only added to everything else. Dahlgren was the only name that anyone knew, and it was said that to speak it to him was to almost guarantee that he'd return a cold stare in response. He was reputed to be the product of some pairing between a human man and a drow female, though from what she'd seen of him it wasn't possible at all. His hair was dark and not the normal white of that race, just as his skin carried no hint of the darkness of the drow as an elven people. He had the build of a good-sized human male, but with the grace and speed of an elf. When she'd heard of a drow heritage in an inn one dark night, Selena had scoffed.

Until she'd seen him fight.

Until she'd been allowed the tantalizing look at that face and seen those ears -- much too short for any sort of elf, and far too pointed for any human at the same time.

He could see in the dark better than any cat, and he could call things to his aid -- dead things and more, in the name of the strange faith that he was a priest of, yet she never felt any nasty or evil feel to what he was.

"So, Dahlgren," she whispered more to herself as she looked out through the window to watch him stop for a moment to stare at the stables, "you walking, mysterious, holy half-dead warrior, I'd really like it if one day, you could prove to me that you aren't an illusion or even half-dead."

She took the dagger from the bar and pulled on the light gloves that she had in one pocket as she got off the barstool to make her way to the corner table. Her mood had changed now, and her plans were out of the window. She no longer cared if they settled down or not.

"What's yer name, girlie?" a gravelly-sounding voice said as she tried to pass one table of the ones that she was here to take.

Only one hand reached out to grope her, but the tiny spikes in the palms of her gloves caused that hand to be pulled back when she'd clamped one glove around that wrist to pull it away. She looked into the snide and now-angry face which matched the voice and slapped it - hard, leaving long reminders about the lesson.

"Do that again," she nodded, "and I'll have your eyes." The rest at the table saw the dagger in her other hand and sat still.

She took a seat at the table in the dark corner. There was only an old man there asleep. When she sat herself down, he awoke and, feeling the glare of the others, he'd looked around himself nervously and sat up to go.

"Stay, wise one," Selena said quietly with a smile, "no need for you to go. I won't disturb your rest."

After a long and confused look at the lovely rogue at his table, he smiled and nodded his thanks before putting his head back down on his arms to remember a warmer time, perhaps. Selena glared her challenge around her and then she pulled up her hood before she sat back.

There was a chance that today, she just might regret not being interested in the lewd attention that she'd been generating among the sweaty and smelly males here who'd have long ago done their best to get her knees apart. The only things which had been stopping them were where she was and her skill with a knife. It might have been out of their own selfish needs, but at least they'd have done their best to fuck her really well.

She might have wanted it then, because there was a very real chance that she might not survive the evening if Dahlgren was here and about to walk in. She knew why that was too. She'd taken something from him and there was just no way that she could see that he'd have a reason not to end her life for it.

---------------------------

The barroom fell still as he walked onto the front step outside. When he pushed open the door, Selena thought that everyone seemed to be holding their breath. He looked around without stopping the sweep of his gaze on anyone and he nodded once to the barman before walking straight back through the other tables to pull out a chair at Selena's table to sit down. He looked at the old man with his head down there and then at her.

"A friend?" he asked with a nod toward the man.

"No," she replied, "He's just an old man who I disturbed when I came to sit here. He was going to go, but I told him it would be alright to sit. It was his table first, after all."

The young man nodded and sat down across from her. After a minute or so of awkward silence as he looked around the barroom, most of the people went back to their own conversations.

She thought they made something of a rather mysterious couple, the two hooded ones sitting at the back of the common room of an inn, the upper portion of their faces in shadow. Selena had a thought to get the haft of one of her blades into her hand -- for nothing more than the comfort that it might give to hang onto something, but she didn't. He's likely pick up on the thought, and anyway, she knew that it wouldn't do her any good. She felt a tiny thrill of fear run up her spine, but she forced it down and did her best to keep her face holding what she only hoped was the same sort of small and enigmatic smile that his showed. With a bit of effort, she placed both of her hands onto the table, wanting to give him a reason to trust her.

It seemed to be taking a while for any of the wenches to find the courage to ask about either of them wanting a drink. Selena lifted her chin to the barman and pointed at her companion. The barman shook his head -- until she began to stand up. He suddenly developed an interest and the young thing who was sent over at last looked as though she was about to wet herself in fear of them or something.

"I'll have a pint of ale, and my colleague here will have another dark," he said as he turned his head to face the man wiping the bar, "and tell the man at the taps that I have a better than average sense of smell." He paid her with a silver and told her that the change was hers to keep, since she'd be tasting the pints first.

"Colleague?" Selena asked, tilting her head a little, "How did you know what I was drinking?"

"Other than what I'm taking as another matter, you and I seem to be here today for a common interest," he indicated the men behind him with a movement of his head. "and if that's light ale that I smell on your breath, then I won't want any. Too rich for my taste."

He looked at Selena. "Why did you steal my horse?"

There it was, she thought, confused now that he was buying and then laying it down between them like this.

"I didn't know that you were following them at first," she said, looking at her hands for a moment before she looked up at what she could see of his face, "I didn't know it was your horse either, until a little later, and by then there was no point in going back. I needed to follow them here. The one with his back to you -- the big one -- he stole my horse. I wanted to get her back and -- "

"And collect what you really came here for," he said quietly, "bounty hunter?"

Selena kept her nose down a little, wanting to keep her eyes in shadow from him and knowing that it wouldn't do her the slightest bit of good anyway. "We all have to make a living," she said, "today I'm a bounty hunter and tomorrow ..."

"Today you're a bounty hunter and a horse thief as well," he said, and she could see no humor in what she could see of his face. "A trip to any sheriff's hole and I could make you into what they are, with a bounty of your own on your neck. Tomorrow, you could be dead."

"I needed to follow them," Selena repeated, "I don't even know why you use a horse anyway -- um, ... "

She relaxed then and it was more out of admitting her guilt and the futility of denial than anything else. "Look, uh, ... "

She relaxed her hands on the table and looked at the edge of his face under the hood, "Is there a name that I could call you by?"

He smiled thinly, "You already know a name."

"No I don't," she said, "not really. All that I've ever heard is one name, but then I've also heard that you won't answer to it and you just glare at anyone who says it and then you leave. "If I'm a --"

She waited while the wench appeared with their ale. When they were alone again, he nodded for her to continue after she thanked him. He held up his hand and carefully sniffed their tankards.

"Why are you doing that?" she asked him, "You had the girl taste them."

"She looked as though she tasted them," he said, "Maybe she did, and maybe not. Even if she did, we don't know if she's important to anyone here at all, do we? I know that I have enough enemies around here for it."

Selena was a little shocked, both at what he'd said and that she hadn't thought of it, as careful as she was about these things.

"If I'm a horse thief now," she said, "then I'd like it if I could be given the honor of at least knowing the name of the one who-"

"Dahlgren," the lips smiled a little, "Dahlgren Runei. Stop thrashing around over my name. I only put up a fuss with people who I have no reason to want to have any sort of dealings with, that's all."

She smiled a little hopefully in spite of herself, "So you're saying that you want to have dealings with me, then, is that it?"

"Well I have to, don't I?" he asked, "You stole my horse."

Selena smirked a little then, just before she put on a tiny pout, "Oh, that. I was hoping that you'd just forget about that."

His face still showed no humor over the offense, "Do you know how far it is to walk from the top of that mountain back there all the way here if you don't have a horse?"

"Yes," Selena said, heaving a sigh, "I'd like to say something smart here, but I do know how far it is. That's why I did it, and I wouldn't have if they were on foot. I wanted to get my own horse back. I can't afford to buy another like her -- or even a broken-down old ass. I'd probably offer you the lie that she has sentimental value to me, since she was given to me by my mother, but I won't."

"Even if it's the truth?" he asked, a little shocked.

Selena's mouth fell open. "You -- you know? How --"

His face softened a little suddenly as he nodded, "Without even probing. The way that you feel about it shines from you like a flame to me. I could walk in here knowing nothing about you, and with one look, I'd know how you were given your horse. Please, go on with what you were going to say, and I am sorry about your mother."

"Thank you," she said, still in a little disbelief at both his ability and his sincerity, "though that was a long time ago. Anyway, since they had my horse, it's not such a stretch to collect the bounties on however many I could. I know that you likely won't believe me, but I really am sorry.

We've run into each other before a time or two, so that makes it a little worse, I guess," she said, "and I still don't really understand something. I know that it makes no difference about what I've done, but I can't help but wonder why someone, ... that is, somebody such as you, would even have a need to have a horse. I've seen you before, and I know that you, ... you can, ..." She petered out at that point.

"I can't carry everything, can I?" he asked, "I often need to spend some time at what I do, and I need to carry things then. Besides, people expect a traveler to have a horse, or a horse and a cart. It eases things."

Selena tilted her head again, "Eases things?"

He nodded, "Yes. It's much easier to get facts from people if they don't think I'm something that they can't understand. People are fearful of things that they can't grasp. If I show up over the ridge with a sword in my hand, looking as grim as I always do, they clam up and I won't get much information out of them. I can probe with my thoughts, but most people get headaches from it."

Selena decided that, in spite of her possible arrest for the thievery of his horse, she thought that she knew that he was something that she didn't understand, but she didn't really mind it. "...though I would like to know more, "she said.

"More?" he asked, "More about what?"

Selena looked down, feeling the heat of her blush inside her hood. "I'm sorry. I was thinking out loud. I spend a lot of time alone out in the wild land, and I guess that I must do that sometimes. It was nothing." She looked at him in a searching sort of way for a moment, and he allowed it, not asking or saying anything.

"I do the same," Dahlgren smiled, "My horse has to listen to quite a lot from me. Then again," he grinned, "I don't have a horse anymore, do I? He was stolen, you know."

Selena smiled, "You know? I recall that I've heard of something along those lines - a time or six, anyway. I'm very sorry for stealing him, as I've said, though I must admit that it has gotten me this chance to sit and have an ale with you. And to chat with you like this is nice too. I just didn't know that all that it took was a bit of theft to accomplish it."

Selena pulled her hood back and looked over at Dahlgren, "So, what will you do with me now? I guess that I'm to be tried for theft, and with the punishment that goes along with that, I suppose that I won't be needing to worry about my own horse anymore, and my life will be simple -- because I'll be dead."

"Don't be so quick about things," he said, leaning a little closer, "I'm enjoying this as well, and I promise that I won't mention what you've done in a legal sense anymore, ..."

"What do you know of me?" she asked.

"Not much," he said, but then he smiled, "and certainly not enough, I think. I've heard some tales, some of them pretty tall, I'd say."

"Really?" she smiled in a teasing sort of way, "What kind of tales and just how tall?"

"Oh, little things that I picked up here and there" he remarked, while seeming to be intent on examining the material of his tankard, "mostly about a rogue with a lot of charm -- which she's not above using while she robs you of your bootlaces. I've heard about a girl who always wears dark things and comes in the night to go where she's not supposed to be, things like that. I've seen her around, every now and then; at times and in places where I'd least expect her to be -- which shows that I need to revise my opinion, frankly." His smile grew warmer as he saw her pleased smile to him.

"One of the most difficult things for me to find out was a name for this beautiful thief," he said, "It seems that some of the ones who actually know her are very reluctant to tell anyone who might ask about her. From what I felt, they seemed to be afraid to say too much at all, fearing that there would be repercussions of a very final sort.

What I was left with were about eight different names, but it didn't take me very long to guess that all of them were aliases. So," he shrugged, "I was back where I started knowing nothing. I would like, ... at some point to , ..."

"Selena," she grinned.

She didn't know why he'd want to know, and in truth, she did feel the warning in her head about telling him, but she had a sudden sense that if there was one person that her secret might be safe with, it might be a man who had no need to fear anything from anyone -- or at least not anyone who might have a need for the information.