The Beast and The Brain.

No one came near me as I ate. This was the treatment I was used to having. Before I learned how to control my anger my power went unchecked. Everyone was scared of me and I was almost always alone, but when I finally practiced controlling it, people were less afraid, key word being less. Right now, I had no top over my emotions. I was just focused on stuffing food into my mouth and getting it into my system. Everyone stayed clear; the waitress came and left as quickly as possible.

After I ate until I felt like I could burst, I went upstairs. I locked the door behind me I managed a cold ironic laugh. J still managed to get the bed. I checked her wound but it didn’t look serious. She was still out cold and her ropes were still tight. I put a blanket on the floor along with a pillow and settled down next to the fire. I laid on my back and kept looking over at the bed to make sure J didn’t suddenly disappear. I was nervous, very nervous now that I had caught her. A grin played onto my lips. If only Kegan could see this. He would be cussing his guts out. After everyone who has ever gone after J, I was the one to catch her. The Beast. The one who everyone thought they could easily fool and defeat.

I let a low chuckle come out. I was proud of myself. To say the least. I went up against two Brains and came out on top. Not a lot of people could boast about something like that. Something else that was putting my spirits higher was the storm. It had started snowing, hard, and it wasn’t going to let up anytime soon. I was safe from Kegan and any other enemies for the time being. I closed my eyes, shifted around until I was able to find a somewhat comfortable position and drifted to sleep.

~ ~ ~ ~

I woke up early in the morning. It was dark out so I pulled back the shudders and found that there was a blizzard outside. I stood there for a few minutes and stared at the snow swirling violently down. I shivered from the small draft, went over, and added some logs to the fire to keep the room warm. J was still unconscious, something that was starting to worry me. I poured water from the basin and took a wet cloth to her forehead. I wiped the blood away and checked where my fist had made contact. It was a bit swollen, but I didn’t think it was enough to give her a concussion.

I went downstairs and found that the common room was relatively empty. A few men were around the bar drinking, and a family was eating breakfast. I took a place in the corner and the server came over to me. My temper was under control this morning. I was actually in a very good mood. Things were finally looking up for me.

“Good morning.” I smiled at her kindly. She smiled back, a little hesitantly.

“Good morning sir, would you like some breakfast?” She asked.

I nodded my head, “Everything and anything you have, coffee too if you have some brewed.” She nodded her head and shuffled to the kitchen. I propped my feet up onto a chair and looked out the window that looked onto the street. The snow was violent and on occasion, the wind rattled the windows.

The waiter came back with a mug of hot coffee and some sugar. I put a few spoons into the black drink and sipped happily at it. I couldn’t remember the last time I had had coffee. It was delicious. It woke me up and it heated my core. She brought out my food a little while later. Eggs, sausage, toast, jam, and there was even some jarred fruit.

After I ate, I thought about J, but decided that she could get food when she woke up. I went upstairs and searched for my heavy fur cloak. Once on my shoulders I made sure J was comfortable and made sure there were plenty of logs in the fire to keep the room warm, then left. I waved to the innkeeper on my way out and slipped out the door as fast as I could so the cold air wouldn’t get inside.

The icy wind took my breath away and I for a moment I couldn’t move. I tightened the hood around my head and breathed through the cloth until my lungs adjusted to the cold. I went across the street to the stable, slid the door aside, and slipped in. The barn was warm from all the horses’ body heat. Stable hands, managers, and trainers were all working about the barn. I was relatively quiet, besides the horse noises and creaking of wheelbarrows carrying manure. I made my way among the stalls until I found my horse. He was quietly munching on his grain when he spotted me he let out a whinny and came over. I stroked his forehead, and realized that I hadn’t gave him a name.

“Well what shall it be?” I asked him and moved his mane over so it was out of his eyes. “I think I need to think on it a bit more. To be honest I haven’t given it to much thought.” The horse dipped his head and went back to his grain.

“Everything alright?” A stable hand came over and asked me.

“Fine, just checking on my horse, you are doing a good job with him. Keep it up.” I tossed him a copper coin then went out of the barn and back into the cold. I took another moment to get accustomed to the cold, then decided that it wasn’t worth it. I released some of my power and instantly my core temperature rose and heated my skin. I sighed content and began the long walk to the other side of town.

The streets looked different in the snow and a few times, I had to turn around and asked for directions, but finally I managed to find the tavern where I had found J the day before. I turned off my power and stepped into the tavern. The warmth from bodies and fire hit me like a hot summer day. The tavern was packed so I slowly made my way over to the bartender.

He recognized me instantly and bought me a drink and soon I had a crowd of people gathered around me. They cheered my name and urged me to tell the story. I pushed them aside and asked them if they knew where she had been staying. One person did, a teenage boy who was too tall for his own good. “I know where she stayed.”

“Can you take me there?” I asked holding up a silver coin between my fingers.

“I can.” He nodded and grabbed his coat off his chair. He took a moment to fasten it up and then motioned for me to follow. I walked behind him in the snowy street as he made is way up a few back alleys then he led me inside a two story inn. I closed the door behind me.

“Hey Frank.” The teenage boy called to the innkeeper.

“Hi Jason, what brings you over here?” The innkeeper smiled and looked up at me. I stepped forward.

“A women by the name of J stayed here.” I told the man, he nodded knowingly, “She’s changed inn’s, and I’m here to pick up her things.”

The innkeeper frowned, “I never heard this.”

I shrugged, “I’m just the bodyguard, she says go, I go. She didn’t want to come all the way over here in a storm to get her stuff, so she sent me.” I pretended to look annoyed, “So now I have to take her horse and her crap all the way across town.”

The young man looked confused but didn’t speak up, finally the innkeeper nodded, “Her horse is in the stable out back, I’ll fetch her things from upstairs.” I nodded my head and followed the young man to the stables.

J’s horse was one of five that were in the barn, the horse nickered at me with greeting. “Glad to see you still recognize me.” I told the horse and put on the saddle, there was no point in walking all the way back.

“Why did you tell him that you were J’s body guard?” The young man asked.

I shrugged, “Technically I was, it beats having to explain everything that’s going on. When you need to get revenge one day you’ll understand. For now, just keep silent.” I tossed him a gold coin and he nodded eagerly.

I led the horse out of the barn and gathered J’s things from the innkeeper then mounted her horse and headed back. It was already midday and I was in need of a large lunch. J’s horse made his way carefully through the snow. I only passed a couple of people on the street. It seemed that the festival had been cut short by the winter storm. The harder it snowed the happier I was. I was safe, for the time being.