The Magic Mirror

Getting Along

Niarosa caught the sight of Browen long before they reached it. In such barren landscape as a steep mountainside -where the trees grew at so close an angle to the rock their branches could have been ferns growing from the ground- it was not hard to catch sight of that lonely plateau with its sturdy, wide houses and chimneys puffing out soft, white smoke.

She was glad to see it. There was nothing more inviting than the sight of civilization after a night in the wilderness, a morning spent swarmed in fairies, and a day riding horse up a tight, precarious mountainside path.

She looked behind her to where the knight and Fritz were riding side by side. The two seemed to have become fast friends in one day. They were a little too chummy in Niarosa's opinion. But when ever she could she caught Fritz's eye and offered her most threatening of looks, by the way he averted her gaze she was sure she still had him scared enough not to mention the stone.

Browen was not big. It was a single road devoted to an inn, an iron shop, a livery, two shops of general wares and a few houses. It had once probably been a very pleasant stop for those making the mountain pass, but Niarosa could now see that it was in an unfortunate state of near ruin. The buildings were pockmarked in charred circles with singed straw thatches on their roofs. Windows were broken and doors hung off of their hinges as if they had been kicked in.

"...what a dump." Niarosa scowled. When all this was over she would be glad to return to her gleaming city and her grand house.

"I see the reports weren't exaggerated," said Marcos. "Go on to the inn- keep an eye out for a gawky girl with twigs in her hair. Her name is Audrin- she will probably be talking to a ring on her finger."

"Excuse me?" Niarosa raised a brow at the knight. "I am a lady! I do not take orders from knights. "

He seemed confused by the outburst but then flourished a magnificent bow from his horse in obvious and over exuberant sarcasm.

"My many apologies your holiness!" he exclaimed. "Please forgive me, it was a perfectly understandable mistake- you see, you claim to be a lady but you behave like a child."

"I never took orders as a child, either," she pointed out. She wasn't in the least swayed by his show of disdain. Most men in her life were just as repulsed by her pride as they were drawn in by her beauty. But she did want to get into new clothes and off of this horse. "I don't have a coin to spare," she pointed out.

He took a pouch from a saddle bag and tossed it at her triumphantly.

"Two rooms, nothing extra," he said.

"Only the barest of necessities, my lord!" She dismounted Sweet Vengeance and curtsied in just as much mockery. "..be a dear and mind where Sweet Vengeance looks as you put him away. He's prone to biting fools." She shoved the reins of her horse into his hands and strode away towards the inn, pouch bouncing in hand.

"Nonsense, my lady!" Marcos declared, "He's really a very sweet and gentle thing, it's being near a petty woman that must sour him."

Niarosa- unable to think of anything better in response- quickly stuck her tongue out at the man. She rounded on her heels and strode determinedly towards the a moment later Fritz had caught up with her, the dog was still at his heels as usual, his horse seemed to be leading itself down the road after Marcos, as if following orders to do so. Once again Niarosa could only sum this up to Fritz's strange understanding with them.

"The nerve of some people," she grumbled. "He may be a knight but there is nothing chivalrous or noble to him!"

"Perhaps," Fritz said quietly. "Can we talk?"