Strangers and Rangers

Lieve quite often met people through playing her harp at the Pony, they noticing her standing on the podium at the back of the common room of the Pony, practising as was her custom. Often they listened for a while then merely nodded or smiled and left, occasionally they would start a conversation with her. It was in this way that she met a man dressed in black with a hood covering most of his head who came up to listen to her. She was playing one of her favourite songs and watched him as she played, intrigued. He pulled down the hood of his cloak and she recognised him, having seen him around the Pony before. He was tall, dark and handsome, with a small, neat goatee. He smiled at her and a feeling she could not place came over her. She smiled back and explained that the song was about someone who could not express his feelings in words and so had written this song in order to tell his beloved that he loved her. The dark man nodded, saying that it was indeed sometimes difficult to express that emotion in words. After she played another song, she rubbed her fingers, smiling at him wryly and saying it was time she stopped playing for a while. He introduced himself to her then, his name was Haldrid. She told him hers and he invited her to sit with him at a table for a drink. After talking for a while, she realised it was getting late, apologised and took her leave. She often saw Haldrid in and around the Pony after that. One time his father Seraile had been hurt badly and Arlea was tending him. Lieve helped by fetching and carrying needles, threads, boiled water, getting bandages from Polly the Healer. She found out then that Haldrid had a baby sister named Tarlancina. Somehow they grew closer, these two from totally different worlds. Sometimes they would sit at a table in the Pony and drink and talk, meeting with people like Seraile, Erwick and Loriandra or Dalgaroth. Sometimes they would wander around Bree, speaking of this and that or just being silent, enjoying each other's company. One time as she was waiting for him inside the Pony, speaking with Arlea and Mr. Baywillow, a pair of men, claiming to be rangers, started to make a fuss in the common room. Arlea and Mr. Baywillow were having none of it, firmly standing their ground and asking them to settle down. This seemed to cause the pair to become even more rowdy, at which point Arlea asked Lieve to fetch her a frying pan and a broom. Lieve flew to the kitchen and sought out the biggest frying pan and the broom. Hurrying back, she handed the frying pan to Arlea and the broom to Mr. Baywillow. Without any ceremony, they brandished their makeshift weapons at the unruly men, who finally got it into their heads that Arlea and Mr. Baywillow were serious and took to their heels, slamming the door of the Pony behind them. As Lieve breathed a sigh of relief, Mr. Baywillow turned to her, telling her she was a true friend to the Baywillows. She merely nodded, rather frightened by the events but very grateful to have avoided any real violence and proud to be considered a friend.