Cards Reshuffled

Lies may take you far, but sooner or later you risk being exposed to the truth, with no other choice but direct confrontation. If that happens, at least try not to scream something like ‘How dare you?’ or ‘I am invincible’. It’s not likely to impress anybody.

Excerpt from ‘Ruminations Of A Master Bard’

“So, Aerie,” Jan said, giving the Avariel a sly look. “Where’s your little green cap?”

“M-my green cap?” Aerie asked, her voice hesitant. “I…I don’t know…”

“You don’t?” the gnome said. “And here I thought all priests of Baervan Wildwanderer were supposed to wear one, at least for services. I’m sure it’d look very fetching on you too, maybe it could become fashionable among other elves as well.”

Aerie’s mind was working fast. She’d been afraid of this. Posing as a cleric of a gnomish deity was all well and fine, but having an actual gnome around to ask questions was not, and certainly not when he wasn’t under her control. She could probably get away with being newly initiated up until a point, but she couldn’t come across as totally ignorant. Curse that gnome! Is there no way to shut him up? “W-well…” she eventually said, shyly lowering her eyes. “I…I know I am a bit ignorant still…but Uncle Quayle spoke more of the faith as a…as a whole. Not so m-much about the higher rituals.”

“And quite rightly too!” Jan agreed. The gnome was amusing himself with the lock picking training room that had been set up inside Mae’Var’s guildhouse. Rows of doors lined the walls, each of them tightly locked with a lock of increasing difficulty, and each of them protecting a tiny alcove that held a few coins or small magical items that had been lost by those thieves who had previously tried and failed. So far Jan was winning. “What’s in the heart is far more important than what’s on the head, that’s what I’ve always thought. In fact, that reminds me of a story.”

Aaarrrghhh! Not again! Die, you stupid gnome! Die, die, DIE! “Wh-what story?” Aerie said, making herself smile sweetly. She desperately looked around to see if she might divert the gnome’s attention to one of her other companions, but it didn’t seem likely. Jaheira and Anomen were sitting at a table by themselves, not talking. Both of them were watching the stairs leading up to the third floor with almost identical scowls on their faces. Minsc was sitting next to her, but he was quite preoccupied with feeding Boo.

“Well,” Jan said as he fiddled with yet another look. “It really concerns one of my cousins, Agraminta Jansen. She was obsessed with hats, you see. Had one for every day of the week, every hour of the day. Red, blue, yellow, purple, black, striped, plumed, you name it. She was fond of dressing up too, pretending to be things. She always said it’d make her famous one day.”

“R-r-really?” For once Aerie’s stutter was entirely genuine. Does he know? Or suspect? Have I slipped up somehow?

“Oh yes. She’d wear a cook’s hat one day; a sailor’s cap another, or maybe a beekeeper’s veil. One day she made a bad mistake though. See, she thought she’d dress up as a moose, and she strapped a pair of antlers to her head, before skipping off into the forest, mooing happily.”

“I…I didn’t know that moose sounded like…”

“Well, I’m sure there’s many things you don’t know, missy. Green caps, remember? But anyway, there cousin Agraminta was, mooing happily and scrubbing her antlers against trees, happy as a tot in a turnip pie. And then – disaster!” Jan grinned widely as he said the last word, and Aerie found herself captivated despite herself.

“What…what happened?”

“She’d forgotten that the annual Amnian moose hunt began that day, I’m afraid. Suddenly she was faced with two dozen hunters, all armed with crossbows. ‘No!’ she called out. ‘I am not a moose!’ So then they shot her of course, seeing how rare talking moose are.” Jan scratched his beard as he used his other hand to disarm a nasty poison trap on one of the doors. “She was right though. She did get famous, her head is still mounted on the wall in the Great Hall of the Roenall estate. But it goes to show that antlers on your head won’t do any good if you aren’t a moose at heart.”

“I…I see…” Aerie said, feeling as if her head was spinning. He knows! He has to! He’s trying to…to provoke me somehow. Make me make a mistake. Well, I won’t play by his rules! It’s time for him to have a little ‘accident’ I think. “I…I think I’ll just stretch my legs a little…” The Avariel retreated into the shadows near the wall, pretending to be indifferent to what was going on around her. Jan winked at her, and then went back to his traps. I have to do it now. He hasn’t told anybody of his suspicions yet, if that is what they are, but it could happen at any moment. And even if he doesn’t suspect he is still a threat. Yes, it has to happen now. Aerie gave the stairs leading to the third floor a brief look. She hoped Zaerini would be a few moments longer. What the girl had to say to the Odesseiron brat she didn’t know, but she didn’t like to be even this close to him. She had tried to remain downstairs, on the pretext of being frightened by the presence of so many wicked people, but Zaerini had flatly informed her that she didn’t want the party split up and that she would be safer with the rest of them. I cannot afford to be spotted by Odesseiron. True, when last he saw me he was a mere child, but the risk is still too great. And then there is that gods-damned assassin! This is just the sort of place where I’d expect to run into him, and he would know my face.

True, she wanted to confront her old enemies, but on her terms, and at a time of her choosing. This situation was not to her liking at all, but there seemed to be little she could do about it right now, except to be circumspect. Jan, on the other hand…I have to take the chance, now that I have a perfect opportunity.

Aerie let her hands slide into the sleeves of her robe so it wouldn’t be obvious that she was casting her spell, and she took care to keep her voice down to a faint whisper. Loviatar would hear her, and understand the need for secrecy. She could feel the divine power of her Mistress coursing through her, and it reached out for the trap Jan was working on. Carefully, carefully – and the trap went off with a loud bang. The blast hit the gnome full in the face and he was thrown to the ground, unconscious and with smoldering clothes.

Anomen hastily cluttered to his feet, Jaheira spit out an oath and did the same. But it was Aerie who reached the fallen gnome first, throwing herself on her knees next to him. “Oh!” she exclaimed. “How…how t-terrible! Wait, I will h-help him…oh my…” I’ll help him all right. Help him into the afterlife, and hopefully it will be one with a permanent turnip famine. She reached out a hand towards the gnome’s chest, preparing to cast her next spell. Just a little nudge…and his heart will stop forever. And then I’ll weep, and cry, and impress everybody with what a sensitive soul I am to be able to mourn that annoying creature so deeply.

And then there was a shout of surprise coming from the top of the stairs, and the Avariel instinctively turned her head, before realizing her mistake in doing so. Zaerini was standing there, her hand on the railing, and it was she who had shouted. But that wasn’t the worst part. There was a man standing right next to her, a tall, dark man with a neat beard and a hideous dangling chain hanging from his nose. He was wearing blood red mage robes, and he was staring straight into her eyes. He certainly had grown a great deal taller since last she saw him, and she was fairly certain that his guardian wouldn’t have approved of that nose ring, but Aerie didn’t doubt his identity for one second. And judging by the look of intermingled hate and fear on his face, he certainly recognized her as well. Perhaps seeing her bent down over a prone body had helped him along.

“You!” Edwin said, practically spitting out the word.

Aerie decided to waste no time with words or challenges, seeing that her cover was already destroyed. Snarling with fury she leapt to her feet, already moving her hands in the graceful patterns necessary to cast a spell. Loviatar, aid me now! All is not yet lost. I may slay them still, and even should I fail in that, my escape will grant me the opportunity to strike at them another day.

A spray of intense cold and ice shot out from her fingertips like a fan, narrowly missing the Red Wizard as he threw himself against the side of the railing, pulling the surprised Zaerini with him. There was no more time to launch another attack. Minsc was still looking utterly confused at this unexpected turn of events, but Jaheria was coming for her. The druid’s green eyes had narrowed to mere slits, and her face was hard as she approached, quarterstaff ready. Anomen seemed almost as baffled as Minsc for a second, but then he took a closer look at the now frozen and splintered part of the wall that had been hit by Aerie’s spell and apparently came to a conclusion. Lifting his mace, he followed Jaheira’s example, heading for the Avariel, and he looked furious enough to go into a berserker rage.

No more time, Aerie thought. I am outnumbered and have lost the element of surprise. Cursing inwardly she twisted a slender ring on her finger, its spell of invisibility immediately cloaking her from sight. Before either of the other clerics had the time to counteract her spell she had already slipped down the stairs, escaping Mae’Var’s guild and was heading into the dark streets of the Docks. You have won this time, she thought. But you are mistaken if you think I will give up so easily. I may no longer be able to strike from close by, but there are other ways. She thought about one such way, an alternative plan she had formulated when she was still with the circus and had chanced to notice a person who stood out from the crowd in more ways than one. Yes. It might take some time, but that will do nicely. Now to figure out a way to make contact, and to gather some useful thralls…that last bit shouldn’t prove too difficult. I may have been unlucky just now, but I still have my touch.

Aerie smiled faintly to herself, her blue eyes glittering with dark amusement. Yes, I will enjoy this very much. This minor setback will only serve to make my final victory all the sweeter. And I will savor their pain for the glory of my Mistress.

At about the same time that these events were taking place, Yoshimo was also out and about, making his way across the vast Athkatlan Graveyard District. The silent abodes of the dead were all around, with fine tendrils of mist drifting between the tombs and headstones, but he paid them little mind. It was by far more sensible to worry about the residents of said tombs. His mission had failed, at least for now, and he knew that neither of his employers would be pleased to hear that. The best he could hope for would be to be left alive and whole afterwards.

How could I ever allow myself to wind up in this position? I, Yoshimo. The clever one, the one with the constant jokes and the witty words, the one who sets traps for others. But now I am the one trapped.

It had seemed so simple and logical at first. Vengeance. Surely one of the most primal urges in a person, and a very understandable one. Tamoko…sister. What would you think of this? Once I would have thought you would approve of my actions, but now I am no longer certain. Things have changed.

His sister. His brave, loving, clever, foolish sister, who had sought love and found death. Death at the hands of a Bhaalspawn, as she fought for her lover Sarevok. That was what the people spoke of her now. Though not all of them used so kind words as that. Yoshimo had taken it upon himself to correct the ones who did not, and teach them proper courtesy, in a very permanent manner. He had not been able to find his sister though.

Her body…still buried beneath that dark temple, her spirit lost, adrift. And so I vowed to find her slayer, and avenge her. Any aid would be welcome to achieve that goal I thought. But that was before I learnt what I know now of my employers, and of my target.

I liked her. Tamoko, forgive me. I cannot hate her any longer. Not even for you.

I would have betrayed her though, had I got the chance. But now…what will those two say now? Surely…surely they must understand that there is nothing more I can do?

Yoshimo shivered briefly as he approached a particular tomb. This one was much larger than the surrounding ones, with marble pillars and a pointed roof, and with marble statues of cloaked and helmeted knights standing guard like silent sentinels outside. Surely I must be able to explain?

As the bounty hunter looked up, he saw that the moon was out by now, hanging low and yellow over the city of the dead. The swift and erratically moving shape of a large bat flickered across it, eyes glowing red with hunger. It was followed by another one, and yet another.

Trapped like a poor mouse with only one way left to run. Tamoko…what will I do now?

Black and humanoid shapes emerged from the deep shadows between the tombs, beckoning him forth. Yoshimo bowed briefly and followed his escorts into the awaiting darkness.