Christophe started the conversation by asking a question. "Beorn, is there any truth to the legends about you?"
The response of everyone else in the common room was instantaneous. Even though they were all already huddled together on the other side of the room they packed even more tightly together so that everyone somehow managed to put a few more feet between Beorn and them. All conversation stopped. Not a sound could be heard, not even the sound of a mug of ale being placed on a table. The expressions on my other customer's faces became a very interesting mix of sheer terror and extreme concentration.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when Beorn began to speak, and then instantly fell silent.
"I do not know exactly which legends you speak of. There are many lands of men on this world and I have been to them all. Almost every land has at least one legend about me, some have several. Many of the legends are unique and many others are similar to one another. Some more true than others. A few of the legends are entirely true; every word of the legend relates only the facts. Some of the legends are less true, they get a few details wrong, mostly due to exaggeration. Some of the legends contain not a single word that is true other than my name. Therefore I have no way of answering your question unless you first tell me which legends you have heard."
Christophe then said, "I speak of the legends that call you the scourge of man."
After a moment in which not a man in the room even breathed, Beorn replied as follows. Once again there was a sigh of relief as Beorn began to speak followed by absolute silence.
"You must be very brave little one; to come up to one who you think may be the scourge of man and ask him such a question. You must be very brave indeed. Are you a great warrior? Or have you been blessed by the gods and become invincible?"
There was a very noticeable sound of fear in Christophe's voice when next he spoke, but there was also a look of determination on his face.
"I am neither a great warrior nor invincible. I also am not particularly brave. I am simply curious. I think that you cannot be as dangerous as the legends say you are, not that I think you could not be very dangerous if given cause. But if the legends are true, half of us should be dead already and the rest of us should be either dying or fighting for our lives. I would like to know the truth, and how better to learn it than to ask you."
After a moment Beorn replied as follows.
"I am glad that you want to know the truth. Too few men do. Too many men are willing to believe a lie without even questioning it. Too many men are willing to kill for the lies they believe to be true.
"It is true that some men have come to call me the scourge of man, and perhaps I have given them cause, but that is not the way I see myself. That is not the title I prefer. That is not what I aspire to be."
After a few moments of silence during which Beorn drank down the rest of his ale and asked for another, Christophe spoke again. "Then please tell me the title that you prefer. Please tell me what you aspire to be."
Beorn waited in silence until his ale arrived. Clarisa brought it to him as before. I could see that she was a little terrified to be there. She has known him for years and this was the first time I have seen her show the least amount of fear around Beorn. Yet, in a strange way she also seemed to be delighted. She is just as curious about Beorn as I am and I guess that she was thankful for the opportunity to hear him reveal more about himself.
Once his ale arrived Beorn began to speak again.
"I think of myself as the Protector of Man. Once, all men also thought of me in that way, but that was long ago. The memories of men are brief, as are their lives, and men have forgotten a much older legend that calls me the Protector of Man."
