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The Raven's Tale: Chapter Forty-One:


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#1 Guest_Serena_*

Posted 16 March 2005 - 04:37 AM

The Raven's Tale:
Chapter Forty-One:

Ployer stood frozen, eyeing Jaheira and Corris. “You can't kill me, Harper.” He spat out the word. “The courts decided I was to be spared.”

“We both know you are not worth sparing, Ployer,” Jaheira said, “so do not play so wounded.” Ployer eyed her staff warily.

“'Sides,” Corris began in a strangely chipper voice, “they didn't say anythin' 'bout smugglin' Lotus.”

“What?”

Corris held the pouch high with her free hand. “Got this off of a friend of yours.” She wore a smirk, but it was a dangerous one.

Ployer's eyes widened. “You little trollop!”

Corris simply grinned, a grin that bared her teeth. “I'd mind that mouth of yours.”

“Ployer.” I said simply. He turned to look at me.

“Another Harper?” He spat at my feet. “She's the scrawniest mongrel I've ever seen, Jaheira. Are the Harpers really that desperate?”

Completely disregarding subtlety, I dropped both hands to my blades. “Are you trying to make us all mad? If so, I think you just succeeded.” I was in no mood to put up with this. We needed to find Isaea.

“Little Ellie is no mongrel! Boo keeps saying that is a kind of dog!” Minsc boomed, standing up, marching over, and grabbing both of Ployer's shoulders. He spun Ployer to face me. “Look at little Ellie. Does she look like a dog?”

Aerie had a look halfway between laughter and fear on her face. “Minsc . . . I don't think --” She began.

“Well?” Minsc shook Ployer by the shoulders.

“I think the correct answer would be 'no.'” Kelsey said, a wide grin on his face.

“Indeed.” Anomen said.

Shaking Ployer by the shoulders one more time, Minsc then released his grip. Visibly trembling, Ployer gasped.

“You've just met Minsc.” I said simply. “He tends to get upset when people insult his friends – I wouldn't do that again.”

“I --” Ployer gasped again. Then he straightened up, composed himself, and glared at me. “Perhaps I should include you in this matter then, would-be Harper.” Despite his attempt at dignity, there was still a tremble in his voice. Turning back to Jaheira, he had that brutal grin. He took another deep breath, and his voice steadied. “And yet . . . Jaheira, my dear, I have not found you by accident. You ruined me, slandered my name.”

“'Slandered?'” Jaheira echoed, raising a brow. “That perhaps, is going a bit far.”

“'Sides, ya were dealin' with slaves. That ain't slander, it's truth.” Corris glared up at him.

Those dark eyes never left Jaheira's face. “That is beside the point! What matters is that you ruined me, and now I'm going to ruin you!” His voice rose, and I pulled my blades. This was going to get ugly.

“Try it.” I snarled. Ployer had a triumphant grin on his features as he reached under his cloak. A shimmering in the air heralded some unusual magic, and I started the chant for stoneskin. It wouldn't matter if the Cowled Wizards took me in now, there was other magic going off too. Around us, the patrons ran for the door or dove under tables and chairs. Three mages teleported in. Anomen charged one even before he had fully materialized, while Aerie began a chant of her own. Minsc split off, going after Ployer with Jaheira and Corris. Kelsey was chanting out something too, and Magic missiles flew in quick succession into a second enemy mage, keeping him from getting his defenses up. Good job. Fire arrows from Yoshimo hit a split second after, burning his robes and filling the room with the smell of roasting meat.

Aerie finished her chant, and the world slowed. It became easy for me to pull both blades and attack the third mage, though my blades did little but bounce off of his stoneskin. Jaheira was pounding on Ployer, who was trying desperately to defend against the angry druid with a short sword he had kept concealed under his cloak. Already, he was bleeding from a gash across his arm. It was a testament to his skills that he was not dead.

*Foolish of him, to anger Jaheira so, no?* Numel was sitting in the rafters watching the fight and ready to intervene if need be.

*Yeah.* I ducked under an acid arrow. Kelsey sang out a breach spell, and my opponent's eyes widened as his stoneskin died. He blocked my first two blows on his staff, but my next attack took him through the throat. Leaving him for dead, I whirled. Anomen had taken down his own opponent, and was fighting with Corris against the one remaining mage. Aerie was calling out another spell, I could hear her voice. Hold person. Nice choice. Corris was cursing, and Anomen was chanting out something too. The moment Aerie's spell went off, Ployer froze mid-strike. Jaheira stopped, too. The other mage was dispatched with a fire arrow from Kelsey, and Jaheira disdainfully knocked the blade from Ployer's hand. I flashed Aerie a smile for her quick thinking, and got a hesitant one in return.

“Your hired help was rather pathetic.” I said simply.

“What else did'ya expect, Ellie?” Corris drawled, her voice catching on my name. Aerie was chanting a healing spell to mend the burns along her arm. “Didn't move quite fast 'nough.” She jerked her head to one of the downed mages. “I'll be fine.”

“No! Damn you!” Ployer shrieked, falling to his knees like a puppet with cut strings as Aerie's spell ran its course. “Damn you all!”

“Now, I'm going to keep this simple so you can understand it.” I wiped my blades and sheathed them. “We're looking for your supplier.”

“Supplier?” He straightened up. Blood ran from a cut on his forehead.

“Don't play dumb,” I said, “you've already proven you are.”

“No, you don't understand --”

“No.” Corris said, coming closer. “You don't understand. See, either ya tell us, or we beat it out've ya. Pick one.”

“You wouldn't dare --” Ployer began, but he was limping away from Corris as he spoke, coming nearer to Jaheira.

“They why do you flee her?” Jaheira asked, and Ployer whirled. Anomen came forward now, blocking Ployer from the door. Kelsey gripped his staff tighter, while Aerie fitted a sling with bullet. Yoshimo drew his katana in one smooth movement.

“No, let me explain --” Ployer tried again.

“What would you need to explain, cur?” Anomen asked.

“You don't understand --” His eyes flicked to each of us, like a cornered animal. His gaze settled on Aerie. “You wouldn't let them beat me up, would you?”

Aerie blinked, fumbling with the bullet of her sling. “I – I – You're a sick, twisted, slaver and I hate you!” The words came out in a rush, and Ployer took a step back. Corris gave Aerie a smile. Ployer glanced around again, even more frantically.

“You – you're a knight – you can't let these people harm me!”

Anomen raised the Flail of Ages. “You dare ask me for protection, slaver? The Order does not make bargains with criminals!”

Ployer glanced around again, licking his lips. “And you,” He turned to Kelsey. “You won't hurt me --”

Kelsey shook his head. “If you tell the good people what they want to hear,” he said, “I think you might just escape with your hide intact.”

Ployer took one more look around the group. “But – but --” Then he slumped to the ground. “I can't,” He moaned. “He'll kill me.”

I blew out a breath. He was actually going to be reasonable, at least in part. People were peering out from beyond the protection of overturned tables, and The Thumb looked relieved that we had not broken anything. I gave him a quick nod.

“I can think of a good number of people who might desire your death,” Yoshimo sheathed his blade, “but of whom do you speak?”

“He – He --” Ployer was gasping again, holding a bloody hand to his head.

I frowned for a moment, then glanced at The Thumb. Running over, I asked, “Got a room where we can speak -- in private?”

The Thumb jerked his head towards the stairs leading up. “Up there. Secon' door on th' right.”

I nodded. “C'mon, Ployer,” I said, making no attempt to keep the anger from my voice. I caught Anomen's gaze as we started to move, and looked towards Ployer, who was limping along in the centre of the group, under the eyes of Jaheira, Minsc, Yoshimo, and Corris.

“My lady?” Anomen asked.

“Can you heal him?” I didn't want to ask Jaheira or Aerie, and I disliked displaying my 'gifts' in front of strangers – especially people like Ployer, who always seemed to want to try and use me.

“Yes, but --”

“Do it.” I leapt in before he could begin his objections; I had known he would not be impressed with the idea. But we needed Ployer alive.




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