About Blood 37: No Answer Desired

37: No Answer Desired

The sun had risen and reached its highest point in the sky when a voice sounded from one of the tents.

“BLOODY, STEAMING PILES OF KOBOLDSHIT! THIS AGAIN?”

A second later Talek, dressed in a tunic with bloody sheets in his right hand and looking angrily at his red left hand walked out of the tent.

Montaron had been sitting by the ashes of the fire. “Oh crap. A nightmare again?”

“Nope. No dream at all.” Talek said. “Shit, these stains are NEVER gonna get out. You don’t happen to have a spare sheet till we’re back in Nashkel, do you?”

“Can you keep your petty complaints to a minimum? In order to operate at my vast potential I need adequate supplies of sleep.” A voice came from another tent. Edwin poked his head out of the tent and looked at Talek. “I am aware that the level of civilization in these lands has hardly passed the level of things that communicate by throwing their faeces, but I HAD expected you to know better than picking your nose. (A disappointment. Why am I not surprised?)

“It’s past noon, mage. And high time to leave if we want to get this Rasheman woman ye’re after.” Montaron said. “And I wish this was something as simple as a nosebleed.”

Viconia came out of her tent as well, brushing her silver hair. “The mark? Again? I wonder what it means. A threat or an accusation? Or perhaps a sign to greatness?”

Talek scowled. “Well whatever it is, I wish it would do it in a way that doesn’t screw up my sheets. Just LOOK AT THIS!” He dumped the dirty cloth in the river and started scrubbing it and his hand. “And it’s even harder to get off my hand than yesterday.”

“What?” Viconia exclaimed. “The same happened yesterday and you didn’t tell us?”

Talek shrugged. “Didn’t think it was important.”

Edwin took his mage robes and spell book. “And may I ask WHY everyone seems to think this is such a big deal? Some petty magician became angry at him and cast some meaningless curse. Get to some temple and have it removed.” He snorted. “Sign to greatness. You simians wouldn’t know greatness if it came to you in a pathetic Amnish town and offered you the chance to work for it.”

Viconia folded her arms. “You did not see him the day before yesterday wizard. Shar himself appeared to him in a dream and…”

“True greatness isn’t received from divine meddlers. (Like that insufferable old bearded coot) ” Edwin sneered. “It is a property persons of superior quality are born with, granting them a destiny at positions of power. His destiny,” he pointed at Talek “is as a guardian of such persons, making sure their paths are made smooth and jealous figures are removed so matters can take their course.”

“Ooooh… I like that ‘removing jealous figures’ part.” Talek grinned. He seemed to have stopped worrying about the blood.

“But you’re wro-ong.” came from the first tent. Xzar was already dressed and grinning widely. “The red mage is a silly-Billy-Willy.” Edwin winced. “And that blood… the blood on his hands. It shows it, yes. It shows it clearly! Great! Happy! Wonderful! Yay!” the necromancer started giggling.

“Shows what?” Edwin asked sceptically. “That you are indeed a total lunatic whose predictions have all the reliability of a carnival diviner without the cheap dramatics?”

“I can’t tell you.” Xzar pouted. “I tried to tell him, but he didn’t like it. He acted mean to me. So I’m not telling until he asks me about his daddy that’s not his daddy but went to his mommy but is still not his daddy. Wouldn’t want to make him angry.” He grinned at Talek.

Talek grabbed his sheets tightly. “And I’m not about to ask.”

Montaron looked at Talek. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but ye might want to listen what he has to say.”

“No” Talek stubbornly replied.

“Talek. The necromancer’s knowledge could help you gain the power. Perhaps you have a birthright!” Viconia said.

“Go on, ask him. There is preciously little amusement sufficient for my taste in these lands.” Edwin sneered.

“NO!” Talek roared, then calmed down as he saw everybody jump. He sighed. “Look, sorry guys, but in Candlekeep, all I heard was people saying how BLOODY obvious it was that I wasn’t Gorion’s REAL son. Every bloody SINGLE day, SOMEBODY reminded me that Gorion CHOSE to raise me because he was so good, and that I wasn’t WORTH it!” Talek’s eyes became moist and he strangled the sheets. “Not to mention speculating what kind of total bastards my REAL parents would have been.”

“Gorion was there in Candlekeep for me, and for all I care he IS my father. And I don’t care WHO or WHAT the guy that slept with my mother was. And I don’t care who or what my mother was. They weren’t there in that triple cursed oversized library! Either they’re dead or they don’t give a shit. Whatever it is, I don’t want ANYTHING of them. Not a single bloody copper! I don’t care if they’re the Big Kahuna of Calimshan or Waterdeep or whatever and they wanna make me the next king or something! Accepting anything of them, RECOGNIZING them as anything is as good as spitting on Gorion’s grave! So talk about the weather, talk about magic, talk about ANYTHING! But don’t talk to me about those people.” He finished his monologue breathing heavily.

“But the blood on yer hand, boy. If it’s a curse that has something to do with them…” Montaron tried.

“I’ll wear a gauntlet when I’m asleep so I don’t mess up the sheets.” Talek said, scrubbing his hand again. “That should take care of that.” He finished the washing and wrung out the partly cleaned sheet. “Now let’s break camp. We’ve got to go after this Dynaheir woman.”

“Words of amazing wisdom. (considering the source of course.) I do not suffer your presence for your fascination with dirty hands and his unknown parentage. As we speak, those gnolls might make it impossible to confirm the Wychalarn’s death.”

“It’s no fair!” Xzar pouted.

“Tell me wizard. I don’t mind to hear.” Viconia spoke softly to the necromancer.

“Nuh-uh!” He shook his head. “If I’m not telling him, I’m not telling you. I’m not even telling Monty. Not for a million gazillion spleens.”

“Just make sure ye give a warning when whatever happens starts to become dangerous wizard.” Montaron said. “And if ye’re not talking, start packing.”

“Aye-aye Captain Monty!”

…

The sun was about to set when Imoen and her three companions reached the destination of the group they had been following. Minsc stared at the fortress as if he wanted to scare it into letting his witch go.

“So this is where the Evil Gnolls have hid Minsc’s witch. But Minsc and Boo will find her, and with their Hero friends they will make the Evil Gnolls want to hide themselves!” He proclaimed and stepped forward.

Khalid held him by the shoulder. “Minsc. I d… don’t think we should attack them head on. T… they’ll see us coming from far away.”

“Minsc will not leave Dynaheir! Any second she remains unsaved from Evil makes Minsc feel like a hamster without a wheel!” The ranger protested.

“We do not intend to withdraw, but I agree that we should not get ourselves killed. We need a plan, and I think I have one.” She looked at the old fortress. It was built on a small mountain. The path leading to it was clearly visible from the inside, leading across a small bridge. One side of the mountain was easily climbable though, and while it would be dangerous if there would be people above, it didn’t look like the mostly abandoned fortress was guarded at all places.

“Oooh… climbing… I loved to do that back in Candlekeep. I’ve done worse climbs.” Imoen said chipper.

“We’ will climb up, find your witch and get out of there by the main exit as quickly as possible.” Jaheira said grimly. “No fighting unless we have to. Gnolls may not be the toughest of opponents, but once we lost the element of surprise, they will overwhelm us.

“What? Heroes don’t flee! They enter the lair of Evil and kick Evil Butts! And the Evil Butts of the gnolls that took Minsc’s witch need an EXTRA share of the Boot of Justice.” The hamster next to him squeaked. Minsc looked at the hamster. “But Boo…”

“T… there are m… more gnolls than w…we can defeat M…Minsc. And we won’t b… be able to climb the m… mountain in full armour.” Khalid offered.

Minsc hanged his head. “Okay then. But I will remember this fortress. Minsc will destroy the Dark Kitchen of any Wicked Cook that puts his witch on the Evil Menu!”

“In good time perhaps.” Jaheira said diplomatically. “For now, we should focus on saving your charge. We will tie our weapons and some armour on a rope under us so we are not totally without protection, but we should leave anything we do not need immediately in a safe place.”

Minutes later the gear was hidden in a small cave. More minutes later four figures were climbing up, three of them having their weapons hanging under them. As they approached the top and the sun had set a magically enchanted boot came down at the place where Imoen had been.

Talek grinned as he looked at the fortress. “Finally. Thought we’d never reach this stupid fortress. Now… let’s get that Rashewoman.”

“Nice place.” Montaron said appreciatively. “Beasties ‘ll probably see us coming from a long while away. I say we think for a second about what to do.”

“Let’s attack them!” Talek said.

“When I say ‘we’ I mean ‘not you’ Talek.” Montaron said without missing a beat. “I don’t feel like joining the witch in the stew.” He looked at the mountainside. “I say we climb up the mountain and see if we can finish her off WITHOUT getting every last one of them out for our heads. We climb up there, sneak in, I put a bolt in the woman’s head and we take off. If they see we leave the food for them, maybe they’ll leave us alone.”

“C… climbing that rock side?” Edwin exclaimed as his face paled looking at the mountain. “That is perhaps the most ridiculous idea I have ever heard. Mere gnolls will not make this wizard act as undignified as such. Climbing like some monkey. (The halfling is about the same size as a chimp isn’t he?)”

“I think what you mean to say is you can’t climb.” Viconia grinned and folded her arms.

“What? Your inexperience on the surface is painfully obvious, cleric. Anyone indigenous to the surface would recognize that a wizard such as I had access to an unimaginable wide selection of skills, demonstrating his supremacy over lesser simians in everything he does. I just know that climbing is a brainless idea. (Yes that, should do it.)” Edwin protested.

“Eh, I think I should be able to make the climb, but I’d have to leave my plate mail.” Talek mused. “Besides, I didn’t travel all the way here just to watch you put a bolt in her head. I want to get the kill of that Wichawhat, or at least some fights with gnolls. I ain’t scared of some oversized hyenas. I say screw climbing and let’s attack.”

“I think that your support of that idea pretty much shows how bad an idea it is.” Montaron said.

“I agree with the halfling.” Viconia said.

“Guys!” Talek said as both Montaron and Viconia kept their gaze on him. “Gimme a break here!”

“As I am your current employer I am well in my right to demand a say in the decision. If we combine my powerful magic with your bodies between me and those annoying critters, this operation should be concluded in an adequately satisfying manner.” Edwin said. Montaron and Viconia gave him another stare.

“Hm, two against two. I guess there’s only one way out of this.” Talek said and looked to his side.

Montaron frowned. “What do you mean…” He followed Talek’s gaze. “Oh no… Don’t tell me… You can’t mean… Ah gods…”

Xzar looked up from the dead squirrel he had been carrying around. “Huh? Why is everyone staring at me?”