Found:
I love Rahvic. I do. But sometimes it takes a considerable degree of restraint not to slap the stupid out of him!
He came to see me this eve, anxious about something, though it took him a little while to open up to me on the matter. A girl locked away in the depths of the currently closed tavern.
Daft enough to keep a captive. Dafter still to do so when you know there are bounty hunters sniffing around in search of her. Outright foolish to then consider trying to turn her to his side.
I do not condone unnecessary violence, nor do I agree with the purported opinion of Vanden - the tavern's owner and Rahvic's business partner - that she should be killed. But to place any faith at all in a girl who has already fooled them all with a quick tongue and a pretty smile, only to them try to rob the place? A girl who admitted far too freely to her past crimes? Certainly, she did so under threat of being given to the bounty hunters, but that only suggests that she admitted to just enough to ensure an interest would be taken in her story. That interest would lead to questions and the aforementioned threat, which would, in turn, make it look like the two men held the upper hand in that conversation.
To me, it looks like the pair were led a merry dance by a skilled manipulator. To what ends, I can only speculate. Survival, yes, that much is obvious. Beyond that? Gaining their trust. But why? Do they have something that she wants? Does she believe that gaining their sympathy will lead to protection from those who would see her pay for her crimes?
Twice she has worked her charms upon them. Only once have they realised it - and even then, too late. I find myself torn between respecting the skill of this unnamed schemer and fearing for the fate of my sand-brained brother under her machinations.
I have offered the solution of giving the girl that which she claims to want. Blindfold and bind her, take her to a remote location far away and leave her there. No blood would be shed, she would be far enough from Trestlebridge to have a good head start on those who would wish her brought to justice, and the smugglers could simply change their drop locations. But no, naturally, that will not happen.
Loose ends, he says, although I suspect other reasons.
Too much effort? Or too pretty a face?
And why do I care?
I've enough to burden my mind already without dwelling on this. I should simply trust that these men know what they are doing. Of course, that is easier said than done when they signpost their operation so painfully clearly. It's almost as if they're begging for scrutiny!
No. No. Put it away. It's not my problem. I won't make it my problem. I've enough of them already, I certainly do not need more!
I'm not getting involved. Not in this.
Not now.
I am, instead, going to bake some bread and hope against all reason that it doesn't turn into house brick this time.
