Rannie leaned against the pillar, drinking her third ale of the day. The warmth that filled her from the drink had become her favorite way to pass her days, she wasn’t sure when was the last time she was fully sober not that she cared much anymore. She took a long drink from the tankard, twirling the rabbit’s foot between her fingers as she looked around the Pony. It was pretty much filled with the typical faces, she’d seen time and time again and none of them matched the description of the man she had been charged to find.
She had spent most of her days, walking the streets of Bree and drinking in the Pony but she had yet to see hide or hair of this man or any coming close to the description she was given since the boss lady had charged her with following him. Some scout/spy ya turin out ta be lass, she scolded herself, bringing the tankard to her lips she tipped it up till she drank what was left. She sighed with satisfaction as she walked to the bar to leave the tankard. “Thank ya Barli!” she said with cheer, she didn’t quiet feel and left the Inn.
A small smile came to her lips as she looked out at the storm that raged before her. She pulled up her hood and stepped down the steps of the Pony into the rain. She walked with a merry step and no destination in mind till she noticed a hooded figure standing there looking at her with a familiar cold, chilling smile. She had seen this man before and after a few moments recognition came to her, this was the man that gave her Cynraede’s braid.
Feeling safe enough in the small plaza that despite the storm had it’s fair share of people, she walked up to him with her typical smirk. “I wonder how Cynraede is doing. The priestess has missed his company,” he stated once she was near. “Tell me, little rat…where is he?”
Rannie gave him her traditional smirk as she replied to him with a smug tone. “He's doin just fine, back ta normal I say. I don't think that priestess did much...and why should I tell a weasel like ya?” The man tilted his head, eyeing her as if she was some silly child that had just spoken some obvious foolishness.
“Are you so sure about that?” He asked her then added, “You should ask him about his dreams.. I wonder, is he off sobbing in a cave even as we speak?” Anger flared in her at his words and she refused to let him think that he had broken Cynraede. So she snickered as if what he had told her had simply amused her more than anything else.
"Ya would like that wouldn’t ya but ya people ain't as tough as ya think" Rannie retorted and he gave her his icy smile. “I’ll let him know ya was worried bout him eh” she added then he suddenly moved towards her as if he was going to hug her but instead she felt a dagger pressed into her lower back. She stiffened as soon as she felt it but refused to show he’d unnerved her. “Aww ya fancy me eh? Just had ta say so" she teased him.
The foreigner slid his arms around her so that any bystander could possibly think he was just another man Rannie was spending her time with but she knew it was just a means to herd her to where he wished her to go. “Where is he girl, I will not waste my time with you..” he demanded and she simply continued to smirk at him. “'Do not play games with me. It will not end well. Where is Cynraede?”
“But games are so fun,” she shot back with a playful tone causing him to press the tip of the dagger in her back, not enough to draw blood but enough for her to feel the seriousness of the situation but she refused to let him see her worry. So with another smirk she added, purposely in a flirting manner. “I knew ya was happy ta see me" He simply gave her another smile, giving her a good look at his wickedly blackened, pointed teeth that was not a work of nature obviously.
He herded out of Bree town and away from the city to a small lake. “Where is he?” He demanded with a venomous tone that sent a little chill up her spine.
"Oh he’s around here somewhere I'm sure” she told him cheekily and silently sighed with relief as he let go of her side, turning his attention apparently to the pond.
“Paupers die every day, no one hardly misses them. Sort of like how no one looked for the hunter, while he was gone,” he told her and Rannie took a step away from him, not wanting to be near him at all.
"Aye? That's what ya think? He was missed...and we found em alright" She stated, again not wanting him to think he held some power over her friend.
“How long, did it take? Do you have any idea what fun the priestess had with him? Watching him writhe like a worm as the darkness took hold of his mind,” he practically sneered at her and once more anger flared in her but Rannie refused to let him get any reaction out of her that she didn’t want to give him.
“Did she? I hardly noticed cause he was back to his old self in no time...in fact I say he's even better,” she told him with a bright grin. The man leaned over and she could feel his sickly hot breath on her neck as she laughed softly.
“Are you afraid of water, rat?” He asked and she leaned away from him, a sense of dread filling her at the question but kept up her bravado with a large smirk.
"Water? Not at all" She told him simply as if it was a conversation between friends. He reached out and grabbed her with the hand that wasn’t holding the blade causing her to cringe. “Why? Ya wantin ta swim with me eh?” She asked, purposely with a flirty tone but he simply ignored her own attempts to goad him as he yet again demanded that she tell him where her friend was. “I told ya he'll be round here somewhere” she replied.
He clearly had grown tired of her evasive sarcastic remarks as he released her to only grab the back of her neck, forcing her to her knees. He ripped the hood from her head as he looked into the water with a sickly smile that made her heart race with fear. "You will tell me, in time,” he simply stated.
Rannie laughed and sent him a smirk, still refusing to let him see her fear. "Ya sure know how ta talk ta a lass," she teased him knowing how this was going to play out. She had been in this type of situation before with Emion. Just as she suspected he shoved her head first towards the water. Rannie tried push back against him but her strength was no match for his and easily she sunk into the water….
