A Sword and A Shield [The Hobbit X OC]

1 - A Chance Meeting

It was late in the night. Rain fell heavily upon a small, dingy town. The locals here never seemed accustomed to travelers, so I expected the heavy amount of wary eyes burning holes into my body. It still made me nervous.

That anxious feeling even reverberated off my horse; I leaned forward and stroked his dark mane.

The gatekeeper allowed us through the front gate with only a little suspicion. Just beyond sat a small room with a single lamp hanging in the window, and a tiny stable with other horses already boarded up for the night.

After jumping off his back, my dapple grey stallion trotted over to a water trough. "Drink up. You did well today, Arod," I cooed, rubbing his side.

"Well," chuffed a man stepping up beside us, "aren't you a sight for sore eyes?"

I instantly regretted the removal of my hood.

People in this lawless town frequently went about minding their own business, meaning that one could generally do anything without repercussions. However, the lack of any central authority or government also meant that each person had to deal with every situation on their own. Like this one.

Ignoring the smell of alcohol on his breath, I faked a grin. My first instinct was to ignore him and look for the man in charge of the stable, but upon glimpsing this guy's clothing, I knew that I had already found him. "Are you the stablemaster, sir? How much to keep him here for the night? I'll be back in the morning."

He laughed. "Well, stable prices are pretty high at the moment, and you don't really seem like the type to carry around much coin."

Offended, I crossed my arms. "Oh, really? And why do you say that?"

Brushing aside my question, the man wobbled up to me, his eyes going up and down. "If you don't happen to have the coin, I will gladly accept uh...other payment."

A tiny laugh escaped my lips, impressed with the amount of backbone, and stupidity, that this man possessed. "Look. It's been a long day, maybe shorter for you—" I nodded toward the mug in his hand shortening his life, "—but don't get your hopes up. I won't be here for long, and you certainly aren't tempting me to extend my stay.

"I'll ask again. How much to board my horse here for the night?"

Something snapped behind his bloodshot eyes. "Listen here, little w—"

Before he even could throw out a hand in my direction, a thick-headed pole hammer swung out of nowhere and slammed its iron head into his gut.

The man stumbled backward, falling to the ground. Cursing, he lunged at me with a raised fist.

This time, a sword suddenly appeared in his path, dangling a bag of coins. "My turn. You are the stablemaster, right?"

His eyes flickered between my eyes and the blade with the money. "Yes."

"Then here's my proposal. Take this coin and watch my horse for the night. Feed him, provide him with water, make sure he's in excellent shape when I return, and I will gladly uh...not cut off your limbs. Oh, and I'll take back my money if something happens to him."

"What makes you think I won't steal him?"

I laughed, nodding to the gear adorning my body. "Clearly, you didn't look at me hard enough. I can track a silly little rabbit for miles. You steal my horse, and I'll track you down too, and I won't resist driving my blade into your gut. So don't let anything happen to him, deal?"

Swallowing hard, he nodded and shakily accepted the money.

"Good." With a swish, my blade returned to its scabbard. "Come find me if anything happens."