"Ho!" Brutin called out and saw the blacksmith glance around his forge to glare at him for the interruption. Brutin ushered his three prizes forward and the girls stumbled to a halt as the blacksmith froze in stunned surprise. "I am in need of a chain to clasp between their collars, I shall also need more of the collars if you are in a mind to make money." Brutin continued, giving the man no time to gather his wits.
For his part the Blacksmith blinked at the girls, taking in their dazed looks and dirty, smudged and torn clothing. "What are you?" The Blacksmith asked pointedly and Brutin realized he had found a man of morals. Fancy that.
"I am glad you asked, I am a liberator and savior. Bidden by kings to save them from scourge and merchants from competition. I am fresh from a great deed and seek home and hearth my good man, if you please." He indicated the girls and then looked at the long chains strung along the ceiling. "It is getting later and those chains will not sell themselves." He added for good measure.
"How came you by these women?" The blacksmith asked as he begrudgingly reached for a length of chain.
"I plucked them from trees." He answered and then pointed. "Those there, the ones you have are too heavy, I do not want their backs bowed trying to walk home." He added for good measure and the Blacksmith frowned at him.
"Are you a slaver?" The Blacksmith spat and Brutin silently sighed.
"You wound me, I am but a fair citizen beset by a clutch of beautiful women." He replied as the Blacksmith got the chain down and started hooking the collars together.
"How came you by this one?" He asked suddenly and Brutin glanced at the girl, her dark hair was in disarray on account of his having to pull it several times before disarming her.
"She is an assassin sent to kill me." Brutin remarked and smiled at the girl as she glared back at him.
"Infamous I see." The Blacksmith replied, happy to have some excitement in his life he forgot himself and worked quicker.
"The woes of public relations I am afraid." Brutin replied honestly.
The Blacksmith moved to the second girl and noticed her trembling as he hooked her up. "And this one?"
"A singer." Brutin shot back and the Blacksmith turned to him momentarily.
"What did she do then?" The burly man asked.
"She sang of course."
The blacksmith finally moved to the last girl and hooked her up his eyes falling on her in surprise. "Edaline? Edaline the Baker's daughter? What are you doing here?" The man asked as the girl started to break down crying, the stress of her predicament versus the shame of being recognized in this way crashing against her in powerful torment.
"I was selling cookies by the gate of the marketplace as always." The girl replied in clipped tones, fighting off an outburst of emotion.
"Poisoned cookies! She sought my destruction." Brutin added quickly and the girl cowered from him, not daring to gainsay him.
"If that is so Mister, then produce the cookies to the Magistrate and they can be tested for the poison, it is a dark thing to lace food and sell it to strangers, the law will protect you. Do you have those cookies?" The blacksmith finished and turned to Brutin who stepped forward and pressed gold in the man's hands.
"Unfortunately not, at the outset it was my intention to keep some for future inspection but after the chase and binding of said criminal I became famished and not a little envious and so in a fit of appalling lack of self control they were thus destroyed." Brutin admitted and put his head down as if in shame.
The blacksmith shook his head and looked back at the girl, slightly confused but no less shocked at his neighbor's behavior. "I am not sure I undertand you sir." The smith said as he pocketed the money, the transaction complete. "But how were those cookies destroyed?" He finally asked as Brutin took up the end of the chain and gave it a little tug, the girls turned to face him and he led them towards the main avenue.
"I ate them." He admitted and waved farewell.
For his part the Blacksmith blinked at the girls, taking in their dazed looks and dirty, smudged and torn clothing. "What are you?" The Blacksmith asked pointedly and Brutin realized he had found a man of morals. Fancy that.
"I am glad you asked, I am a liberator and savior. Bidden by kings to save them from scourge and merchants from competition. I am fresh from a great deed and seek home and hearth my good man, if you please." He indicated the girls and then looked at the long chains strung along the ceiling. "It is getting later and those chains will not sell themselves." He added for good measure.
"How came you by these women?" The blacksmith asked as he begrudgingly reached for a length of chain.
"I plucked them from trees." He answered and then pointed. "Those there, the ones you have are too heavy, I do not want their backs bowed trying to walk home." He added for good measure and the Blacksmith frowned at him.
"Are you a slaver?" The Blacksmith spat and Brutin silently sighed.
"You wound me, I am but a fair citizen beset by a clutch of beautiful women." He replied as the Blacksmith got the chain down and started hooking the collars together.
"How came you by this one?" He asked suddenly and Brutin glanced at the girl, her dark hair was in disarray on account of his having to pull it several times before disarming her.
"She is an assassin sent to kill me." Brutin remarked and smiled at the girl as she glared back at him.
"Infamous I see." The Blacksmith replied, happy to have some excitement in his life he forgot himself and worked quicker.
"The woes of public relations I am afraid." Brutin replied honestly.
The Blacksmith moved to the second girl and noticed her trembling as he hooked her up. "And this one?"
"A singer." Brutin shot back and the Blacksmith turned to him momentarily.
"What did she do then?" The burly man asked.
"She sang of course."
The blacksmith finally moved to the last girl and hooked her up his eyes falling on her in surprise. "Edaline? Edaline the Baker's daughter? What are you doing here?" The man asked as the girl started to break down crying, the stress of her predicament versus the shame of being recognized in this way crashing against her in powerful torment.
"I was selling cookies by the gate of the marketplace as always." The girl replied in clipped tones, fighting off an outburst of emotion.
"Poisoned cookies! She sought my destruction." Brutin added quickly and the girl cowered from him, not daring to gainsay him.
"If that is so Mister, then produce the cookies to the Magistrate and they can be tested for the poison, it is a dark thing to lace food and sell it to strangers, the law will protect you. Do you have those cookies?" The blacksmith finished and turned to Brutin who stepped forward and pressed gold in the man's hands.
"Unfortunately not, at the outset it was my intention to keep some for future inspection but after the chase and binding of said criminal I became famished and not a little envious and so in a fit of appalling lack of self control they were thus destroyed." Brutin admitted and put his head down as if in shame.
The blacksmith shook his head and looked back at the girl, slightly confused but no less shocked at his neighbor's behavior. "I am not sure I undertand you sir." The smith said as he pocketed the money, the transaction complete. "But how were those cookies destroyed?" He finally asked as Brutin took up the end of the chain and gave it a little tug, the girls turned to face him and he led them towards the main avenue.
"I ate them." He admitted and waved farewell.