Legends of Belariath

Hindenne

Hindenne drowsily opened her eyes, recognizing the faint forms as her eyes adjusted to the dim dark of her cell. The thumping in her head reminded her of how she got here, three guards beating her down to jail her for her "crime". The 12 foot tall minotauress snorted angrily at even thinking about it like that. She had comitted no crime, she had not sinned, she had not hurt the balance of the world. All she had done was cut out a cancerous lump from the surface of the world, and now she was being punished for it, like she knew she would be. Her hand ran through her long black hair, as she ran the events back in her mind.

It wasn't that long ago really, when she learned of this man-beast. She was strolling down the Court's halls just like other nights. She had some work left to be done, investigating a case of thievery. As captain of the guard in the fairly large minotaur city she was normally busy all times of the day and often the night. But not this night, as a rather short minotaur guard ran up to her, tugging her on the shoulder. She instinctively spun around, her hooves tapping against the stone floor as she snarled "Don't sneak up on me for crying out loud!". The small guard, barely standing at 11 foot tall jumped back at Hindenne's snarl as he stammered "S-s-sorry ma'am, b-but there's s-someone you have to see, q-quick ma'am!"

She blinked at the young guard, but followed him through the hallways, ending up in the main room of the courts. Before her laying on a table was an older minotaur, wounded and bleeding from various cuts and bruises. Moving closer to him, retaining her regular posture of calmness, she saw a bloody stabwound in his chest. She immediatly knew that this had been no accident or normal mugging, she saw the weapon had been twisted and turned inside the wound to make sure it would not heal and be fatal. Leaning over the fated man she asked calmly "Who did this to you?". The minotaur winced and cringed as he tried to speak. She leaned in closer, his voice no more than a mere whisper, he spoke "Barlo". With that, and no further thought she stormed back through the halls to her chambers, to find out who this criminal was so she might bring him to justice... not soon after the young guard came to her door, informing her the man had just passed away right there, on an oaken table in a cold courthouse.

Without reply she slammed the door shut in the guards face, enraged. She spent the night in vain, searching through her documents, but nothing was known about this man. Not once did the name Balro come up in her files. She slept that night, a restless, dreamless sleep...

Opening her eyes the next morning she did not find herself in her bed, rather next to the low cot, she had rolled off during the night in her restlessness and not even noticed. Getting up she stormed out quickly, hooves thumping on the stone floor as she went to report this matter to the judge, and ask his council in the matter. She arrived at his chambers, and stared at the large door for what seemed like a long time before finally knocking, and entering. Behind his desk was sitting Mirochar, her friend and mentor, an old and wisened minotaur, large white hair dangling aside his face, his fur a light shade of grey. He smiled as Hindenne entered, a smile she had grown to know and appreciate since she had met him.

"Master...", her voice sounded hoarse and uncertain

"Yes Hinde, what is it? You seem troubled... what's the matter?"

"Someone named Barlo murdered a man last eve, and I cannot find out who this vile murderer is."

Mirochar startled "Hindenne, drop this matter now if you know what's good for you. There is nothing you can do, and nothing you should do. Forget it ever happened." "But Master-...!", she stammered

Mirochar just shook his head slowly and wearily. "No Hindenne, let it go. If you pursue this, I cannot help you."

Hindenne just blinked in disbelief, then, turning towards anger she snorted angrily, slamming her hoof into the ground "Then I will do it alone!"

Mirochar smiled sadly "Like I knew you would Hindenne... I can give you only one thing, a name. Seek out Justan, he will be able to tell you more"

With that, and without a further word Hindenne walked out and slammed her mentor's door shut, snorting angrily. She knew Justan, for far too often had he eluded her grip by providing her with information about other criminals. He was a little rat, but served her purposes well. Heading out of the court building she went straight for the Steaming Bull Tavern, the worst of taverns in the city, and she knew she would find him there.

With a slam she shoved the door open, stepping inside the crowded bar. Everyone stared at her, for they knew who she was, then returned to their business, not eager to cross her. Hindenne looked around and spotted Justan in his regular corner of the room, sitting alone at a small round table, his beady little eyes darting around the room looking for a nice opportunity. He was a rat in the purest sence of the word, the vile little minotaur barely reaches Hinde's chest, a valuable commodity for a thief and pickpocket.

Quickly she moves over to him, he looked up at her towering form and gave her that sleezy little smile she despised.

"Hello Hinde. You look upset, what's wrong? Bad hair day?" he snickered. Not in the mood for his mock-innocence she grabbed the small minotaur by his neck and slammed him into the nearest wall, holding him there as she slowly tightened her grasp. "Tell me what you know about Barlo, Justan."

"I-I-I don't know anything, let me go!" he squeeled. Hindenne tightened her grip around his neck, squeezing just a little more.

"Put me down, I'll talk, I'll talk, please..." he whispered hoarsely as Hinde's fingers squeezed around his voicebox. She shaked him and then threw him into a corner on the ground, towering over the small minotaur as he coughed and gasped for breath.

"Tell me NOW!"

"Ok ok! But I'm telling ya now Hinde, you do NOT want to go after this one."

She kneeled down and snorted angrily, blowing a stream of hot air into his face "I will be the judge of what I want or not, now talk before I have you jailed, tried and executed."

"Ok, here's the thing, this guy Barlo, he's a bigshot in the underground. I mean REALLY big, I mean damnit Hinde if he knew I was talking to you he'd have me killed before dusk! He has friends, lots of friends in high places. He keeps unknown and to himself, so nobody can attack him, and he kills whoever speaks about what he is and what he does."

"And where may I find this person, dear Justan?"

"Ok you didn't hear this from me, but he has green hair. He dyes it for god knows why, you can find him in the place on the town square, whatsitcalled... Oh right, the Husky Boar, it's a tavern of somesorts, you know, a front for his criminal activities. I'm telling ya Hinde you can't just go and arrest him! God Hinde I don't like ya but jeez you're the one that keeps me from getting killed, if you go after him you'll end up in jail or worse!"

"And what makes you so sure Justan?"

"Look Hinde I didn't want to tell you this but it's for your own good. People in high places owe him, bigtime. Even that grey friend of yours, Mirochar, you can't go near him Hinde, nothing is gonna stop him and you'll end up dead."

"LIAR!", she slammed him against the wall, storming out again. Furious, snorting angrily she stormed towards the towns square, the sun already setting as her large hooves thumped against the brick road. Once she arrived at the place Justan pointed out she rested her back against the wall, arms crossed, until Barlo emerged.

The sun had already set when he came out, two of his minions on his tail. She watched them walk a little distance, not even having spotted her yet before grabbing her large axe from her back, the axe decorated to belong only to the captain of the guard. She snorted angrily and shouted "Barlo!"

The greenhaired minotaur turned around to face Hindenne. From there her memory is blurred, she remembered charging at him, her large axe high above her head, the look on his face as without remorse she chopped off his ugly head in one fell strike, his minions just standing there dazed at her actions. She remembered dropping her axe as the guards came down on her, forced her on the ground as she struggled, and eventually knocked her out.

And then she found herself in this cell, waiting to be tried and more than likely executed. She knew people did not like this Barlo, obviously. Perhaps she would be spared as she disposed of him, but even then all awaited her was exile, never to return to her kingdom again. She slammed her fist against the wall again, her knuckles scraped as blood slowly seeped from the wounds across her fingers, the pain focussing her mind somewhat, enough to hear the jailer approaching.

"Time for yer trial, c'mon. You know the way."

Hinde stepped out and brushed past the jailer, her head held high and proud as she walked down to the courtroom. She pushed open the large steel doors and stepped inside, seeing as she knew she would, her mentor sitting in front of the small standing platform for her, two guards at her back as she stepped in to await her verdict.

Mirochar spoke, "Hindenne Arlusaur, you have been charged with murder on a kin in cold blood... How do you plead?"

"I plead guilty." She had to bite her tongue not to add the word Master at the end of her sentence.

"Because of your services rendered and flawless record as captain of the guard, as well as your shown loyalty to the kingdom you will escape the normal sentence of death, however, for your acts you will be exiled from our kingdom, never to set foot here again, at the price of death. Have you anything to say for yourself before you are escorted out of the kingdom?"

"Yes Sir. If this court accuses me of murder, then I plead guilty. I have murdered one who could not be brought to justice. I am guilty of cutting out the corruptness of this kingdom, and guilty of taking the weight of it's burden on my own shoulders. I'm willing to take responsibility for my own acts, but I will not show remorse."

With that, Mirochar waved his hand and tossed Hindenne a very sad look "Guards... take her away"

And just like that, in the course of a day, her life was turned around. Exiled from her home, never to return again. Long did she drift across the lands of Belariath, this world so different from the one she had always known. Maybe different isn't the best word... No, small is a much better description. Humans that did not reached her waist everywhere, the sight was unfathomable. She slept outside, inns would not accomodate her, because of her size, the few times any town did not drive her out out of fear.

Eventually she came across a much larger inn than she had seen in her travels so far, and stepped in, amazed at the sight. Thundering bulks of trolls and ogres next to drow that reached as high as her bosom, next to the smallest catgirls imaginable. Nobody here feared her, and she decided to stay, building her new home here, intrigued by the many races she had never even seen or heard of in her sheltered existence in the vale, no longer feared, but just another patron.

BACK