"She had memories to forget" By James Sullivan

     He didn't answer her, instead choosing to face the famale that appeard in the doorway. her skin darker than his even and dressed in lightdrab similar to his own, but much more like her cloak in the way that it fell on her. It was also tightened with cords rather than buttons, and was obviously her own hand tailoring. Her hair was a snowy almost pale white that reflected the faint candlelight causing a gold streak to run along it. It also only fell to her shoulders and was self cut and rather choppy.
     "three of them should do, and then get out of town. I will find you." And that was all she said, before vanishing into the dark of the back room.
     Erevan sent her back up the stairs while he organized a stay with the innkeeper, then brought her to their room, locking the door behind them. "Not that it will help," he muttered. He was right, the 'door' was basically a tied together shamble of tiny branches with some tall grasses in the mixture.
     "Who was that? Will she help us?"
     "Enough!" he snapped, "You're just like your mother, you ask too many questions too quickly for anybody to answer!"  Sarah went silent,  holding her hands beneath her cloak.  Erevan sighed, "Sorry,  she wasn't your mother,  I just...  got too caught up in the past in that moment.  All will be revealed in a moment,  just as soon as I do this."  He pulled out a box from under his coat,  inside was three short candles.  He set one on the candlestick and lit it with a small match. 
     "Now,"  he said, "The woman you are concerned about is a friend of mine,  her name is Freya you and she is going to help us. There's just a few things she needs to finish before we can leave." 
     The air was suddenly pierced by a loud scream and a scuffle of chairs being broken and heavy objects being tossed.  The ensuing combat quickly moved through the entry room and out onto the fairway,  where she heard a horse whinny and the distinct thump of hooves disappear into the distance.  There was a lot of groaning from the downstairs soon after she left,  then everything returned to normal.
      Erevan got his longsword off his belt and rested it on his lap, sheathed but more than ready.  Another piece of metal,  distinct and curved,  but rather small, could be seen where his far hand hovered,  over his far hip. "You should get some rest.  We'll be riding hard tomorrow,  and flying far soon after."  
     She sat down on the rather messy excuse for a bed but couldn't bring herself to sleep.  She just had to know.  "Why did she do that?" 
     "You mean why does she do that?  Bad memories,  I assume it helps her forget.  Better than drinking them away,  but she does plenty of that too I'm afraid."  He swung a second chair out for his legs and leaned back on the table, "Its also why I knew she'd help us,  plenty of hate for the one you described and enough thirst for vengeance to bring the kind of aggression we're going to need.  Best to have her on our side anyway,  people on her bounty list don't live very long after all."