Two Halves of the Same Heart (FIOLEE)

In which there is an investigation underfoot

*Fionna's POV* 

I decided to go back to Jenna later. For now, I made my way back to the tavern. "Hey, did you see Marshall Lee and Caerwyn in here? The day that Caerwyn died?" 
"Hmm...? Oh, Caerwyn and the demon. They mostly kept to themselves in the back of the room. Caerwyn looked a bit ill around the gills, but eh, I assumed he was drunk already. Jenna's got some moonshine tucked away, he often has a go at that." 

"So he was already poisoned when he came here?" 
"I guess he was." 
"Did you overhear them say anything?" 
"Um... the demon said something about Caerwyn being the first to show him kindness in a while, and being thankful for that." 

"Was Caerwyn ever cruel to Jenna, or...?" 
"There'd been problems with her mother, and at any time of day, you could hear the two of them yelling at each other. He was a terrible womanizer, see. And a drunk. But he was my best customer." 
I nodded slowly. 

Later, the mortician glared at me. "How am I meant to know what sort of poison was used?" 
"If it's something complicated, it narrows the field." I explained. 
He rolled his eyes. "Either Ms. Callaghan grows it, or she made it. That's about it for local poisons and no one really comes up the mountain. Or down, for that matter, beyond that one family on the summit." 

"My sister." I clarified. "That's why we're in this region in the first place." 

He raised an eyebrow. "Then she'd be worried at your delay." 
"It's better than losing Marshall." 
"I know that you care for your demon, but what if he is guilty? What happens then?" 
"I... turn him over to the proper authorities. But only if I accept that he is guilty." 
"So you will run away with a known fugitive?" 

"Wouldn't you?" I asked softly. 
He paused for a moment, before shrugging. "I would, but I'll be disappointed if you take him. I've never had demon organs before. They'd be a jewel in my collection." 
My hand went for the hilt of my sword, but I bowed and left. I'd have to talk to her, wouldn't I? Sooner or later, anyway. 

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The gatekeeper confirmed the mortician's statement, no one really comes or goes. So the only person who brews poison regularly is Jenna Callaghan. 
So, unless Marshall Lee brought in poison from the outside, he couldn't have done it. And he'd only do that if he regularly carried poison on him, which he clearly doesn't (because why would he?). This entire mystery seems forced, as if they will do anything to believe that it was him. 

Still, all the same, I needed to see if anyone had bought poison from Jenna recently before I condemned her. Something new might come to light. And I needed to talk to her anyway. 

*Marshall's POV* 

The other prisoners, a cattle thief and a drunkard in for the night, stayed well away from me. The cattle thief looked young, and barely blinked for fear that I'd kill them. The drunkard was unconscious, so you can see the quality of company I was entertaining. 

Unfortunately, the cattle rustler's extreme chattiness left me with nothing but my thoughts. And my memories. 

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A few weeks ago, I was cold, and hungry, and it was raining. This was really nothing new. I could try and scrounge something up in the forest, which was unlikely, or appeal to people's goodwill. As you could guess, my search through the forest wasn't going well, not to mention my dignity was taking a huge hit. 
Sometime later, I saw a light making its way through the forest winding up the mountain. Interested, I wandered closer. 

Out of nowhere, a man with faded strawberry blond hair was peering at me. 
"You're a peculiar creature." 
I crossed my arms. Here we go again. "I'm half-human." 
"I guess that means you're alright then. My daughter'll fix us dinner, give you a warm bed for the night." 
Now, an average person would have said thank you. I said, "What's the catch?" 

"There's no catch." He chuckled. "Just that you don't murder me in my bed." 
"Doable, but I'm still skeptical." 
"Come along, then. You can be skeptical over a bowl of soup." 
Jenna was less pleased with another mouth to feed, but she didn't seem malicious. Not to me at least. Caerwyn was a different matter. The two of them skirted around their obvious issues at every turn, throwing out a biting comment every so often. 

I didn't care. At one point, Caerwyn pulled me into his kitchen. "You want her?" 
"Jenna?" 
"I'm eager t'be rid of her. You'll do. You seem spry enough t'dodge her attacks." He snickered. 
I held up my wrist. My watch was at eleven. "I don't... my soulmate's still out there." 
He peered at my wrist. "Ah? Well, mine got stuck at eleven. And even if you meet this mystery girl," or boy, "maybe they won't like you, or the like. Jenna'll do you fine. Y'can never have too many girls." 

I laughed awkwardly with him. 
"So it's settled then. You'll marry Jenna, and you'll take her away in a few weeks." 
"...no? It's-it's not settled?" 
"You like her, yeah? You think she's a pretty little thing? You wouldn't be averse to having her in your bed?" 

This was getting a bit weird. 
"No, of course not." I replied. "I just... she's not supposed to be my soulmate." 
"Look, I've tried pawning her off to ev'ry man who comes through. Just take her off my hands. I've given you a roof for the night, a warm bed... just take the little witch before she does me in. I don't care what you do with her." 
From the pantry, I saw Jenna watching us. Caerwyn hadn't noticed. She had a small glass bottle in her hand, and was glaring at me. 

"Uh... I'll definitely think about it." I agreed. 
That seemed to satisfy Jenna, as she winked at me. It seemed to satisfy Caerwyn as well, as we left the room. 
We had a warm dinner --though I stuck to what Jenna ate-- and Caerwyn dragged me down to the tavern. When we returned, he left, and Jenna sat near me. "You're drunk, aren't you?" 

"Heh, you're pretty." 
"Right, I know that. You didn't try to take me away, why?" 
"S'not right. You're not her. Or him!" I grinned at her. 
"Right, I got that too.  You clearly buy into all of the soulmate nonsense." 
She sighed, and got up. "I'm going to go get myself plastered as well. That way we'll see where this goes." 

And it was fun. She was good at what she did, and she felt so warm. Her bed was so soft and I was... well, that's something I'd prefer to talk about later. 

In the morning, the rain had stopped and I was up early. She was warm, but so was the fire villagers often waved in my face (as if it was threatening). Given the looks the tavern owner had shot me, I'd been lucky to live this long. 

I ran off into the woods before the town woke up. And that was the last time I saw any of them before this mess.