About Blood 43: Discussing Politics

43: Discussing Politics

“… Hand and legs and feet! I’m human again! Oh thank you teacher Thalantyr!” The young apprentice Melicamp said, overjoyed that he had retrieved his human form.

“Teacher hm… I guess that is what I should be then, if only to prevent you from repeating such mistakes. I can only hope you’ve learned something from all of this.” The old and rather grumpy looking wizard gave the group a not unfriendly look. “My gratitude for helping him. It’s a fool boy, but I was worrying about him nonetheless. Now… is there anything I can do for you?”

The five visitors were just recovering from the tension. They had found the polymorphed apprentice by the road in the form of a chicken, and at his request had taken him with them to Thalantyr. The retired adventurer had chided the careless apprentice for his fooling around with magical items, and warned him that the cure might very well cost him his life. Luckily the fear had been in vain.

Dynaheir smiled. “If the party is willing, I would like to buy a robe, some spell reagents and a spellbook. A book of modest price, if possible. I would not drain our purses needlessly.”

“Dyna!” Imoen exclaimed. “I told ya, you can use my book! I’m not gonna use it!” Imoen said.

“And I did use it, friend Imoen. I merely hope to have one spellbook to fall back on. One never knows when one hath a sudden need of one.” The evoker answered neutrally. Imoen rolled her eyes.

“Hmm... that accent. You’re from Rasheman? A wychlaran I suppose?” The older mage said a tad warily.

“That I am.” Dynaheir answered. “But if thy worries are those that I think plague thee, worry not. I have no intention to introduce the laws of my home. Our ways are not thine, and twould be unseemly for a guest to expect his host to conform to him in such a manner.”

Jaheira raised an eyebrow and hummed thoughtfully but said nothing. Khalid decided to quickly switch the subject nonetheless. “D… do you have any information about the state of the village, master Thalantyr? A… about the… happenings a few days ago?”

“I prefer not to get myself involved with problem anymore.” The old mage said. “I moved here because I wanted to be left in peace, so I have little use for what happens in that pissant town.”

“But I know!” Melicamp exclaimed. “Everybody was talking about it! Something about a halfling and a swordsman manipulating a girl into joining a killing spree across town!”

“That’s NOT TRUE!” Imoen immediately yelled. The apprentice looked rather shocked, but Jaheira motioned him to continue.

“How is the situation now? Have tempers cooled down? Has the swordsman been seen in Beregost since?” she asked.

“Not when I checked yesterday. I haven’t been in town today because… euh… the thing with the magic bracers… I know, there’s a lot of people still very angry, mostly the parents of the young men that were killed. But a detachment of Flaming Fist mercenaries arrived in town yesterday and they said they’d take care of it. I’ve heard their leader is a pretty smart one.”

“W... we should talk to her.” Khalid said.

Jaheira nodded. “We should go to town anyway to face this ‘Tranzig’. But I think Imoen should stay here. We do not want to face an angry mob. The two of us are relatively unknown, you have been seen together with them, so some people might react violently.” She turned to Thalantyr. “If her presence doesn’t discomfort you?”

Thalantyr shrugged. “I am not used to having guests, but considering the circumstances I suppose I can bear it, as long as the girl doesn’t disturb me while I try to teach a thing or two to Melicamp here. I think a lesson in the proper procedures to handle unknown magical objects might have more captive an audience than a few days before.”

Melicamp smiled sheepishly. “Yes, master Thalantyr.”

Imoen made a dirty face at Jaheira, but a long stare from he druid made clear that she wasn’t about to budge. Leaving most of the camping equipment in a discrete corner of the wizard’s home, the four others left for Beregost. Khalid and Minsc quickly got into a conversation, Khalid expressing admiration at Minsc’s impressive but disjointed tale of their travel through Thay, while Minsc did the same at Khalid’s self-effacing reports of his own experiences. In the meantime, Jaheira held pace with Dynaheir.

It was the Rasheman woman who took the initiative. “I see from thy visage that thou hath matters to discuss with me, and that they have been waiting overlong. Pray tell, what is it that would hold thy tongue? I hope I have not caused offence.”

Jaheira smiled. “As you say. But it is a matter that I would not want to discuss in front of Imoen. And no, I have no problem with your behaviour. In fact, seldom find I so little fault in someone.” Her smile died. “It are the customs of your home country that I would discuss.”

“The walk to Beregost is not too unsafe I have heard, and this seems like a good moment to get things in the open. Is there any particular custom thou wisheth to speak of?”

“A couple of them.” Jaheira started. There was a tense feeling to the conversation. “Tell me, is it true that, in your lands, the punishment for disobeying a Wychlaran is death?”

Dynaheir’s face remained impassive. “That is true.”

“And what is your opinion of this policy if I may ask?” Jaheira continued on a neutral tone.

“The few times it occurs I find it necessary. To be truthful, I have already invoked said punishment… once, though the order disobeyed was not mine.” Dynaheir still kept her face carefully blank.

Jaheira’s neutral façade showed a crack as a scowl appeared. “Hmm… I must say that… disturbs me somewhat. Khalid and I have something of an interest in promoting freedom.”

“A noble goal and one that Rasheman shares.” Dynaheir said. There now was a definite challenging undertone in her voice, despite the casual expression.

“I fail to see how a magocratic dictatorship is promoting freedom!” Jaheira said vehemently.

“Mayhaps one of the reasons is that thou hath never BEEN in the country thou judgeth so eagerly.” Dynaheir answered. “Is it so different here? Can a peasant disobey his lord without punishment?”

“There is much to change here, but only the cruellest nobles would demand absolute obedience!” Jaheira answered, her voice getting louder as she spoke.

“The nobles in these lands do not have to deal with what we have!” Dynaheir answered, her voice also becoming louder and as well as colder.

“And what DO you have to deal with that it would excuse a tyranny?” Jaheira asked sarcastically.

“Thay.” Dynaheir said shortly.

“Oh sure. Excuse one group of power-hungry mages because they fight ANOTHER group of power-hungry mages! What use is that?” Jaheira said with a sneer.

Dynaheir stopped. “Thou knowst NOTHING of Thay, as thou knowst nothing of Rasheman. So do not even ATTEMPT to make comparisons!”

“Do not treat me like some ignorant, naïve child! I have seen plenty of examples of tyranny, and I have NEVER found them justified.” Jaheira stopped as well and now stared straight in the wychlaran’s face.

“Thou wouldst rather have Rasheman be yet another stain under Thay’s bootheel?” Dynaheir asked, her cool voice going totally icy. “Shall we ask what rule the people of Rasheman would prefer? Methinks I know the answer!”

“You abuse the people’s fear of Thay to make them accept your own rulership, you mean?” Jaheira was yelling now.

“Our authority is for the sole PURPOSE of defying Thay!” Dynaheir yelled bacl.

Jaheira opened her mouth to answer when Khalid suddenly grabbed her shoulder.

“C… c… calm yourself dear… l… let’s not do something r… rash now.” He stuttered.

Dynaheir in the meantime suddenly had a hamster offered to her. Minsc gave her a nervous grin. “Here. When Minsc is going berserk, Petting Boo helps sometimes. Dynaheir mustn’t go berserk, that is Minsc’s job!”

“Minsc, I do not have need of your… Boo, since I am not about to go berserk.” Dynaheir said perfectly calm. “I was just speaking to Jaheira.”

Jaheira nodded. “We were merely having a discussion regarding the politics of Rasheman. There is no need to treat us like squabbling kids.”

Khalid gave a nervous chuckle. “Oh… n... no dear…but l… last time you had a discussion about politics you p…punched out a Calishite noble.”

“Thou art talking as if we look about to attack one another.” Dynaheir said.

Khalid and Minsc didn’t reply and in fact were looking away. The two women looked around to see that they were pretty close to the town and that there were plenty of people on the midday road. And that those people were in a wide circle around them, looking ready to flee or intervene at moment’s notice.

Jaheira coughed. “Perhaps we… raised our voice a bit… too much.” She felt at her throat and made a perfect figure of nonchalance.

Dynaheir straightened her new robes and folded her hands in a carefully dignified manner. “Yes, mayhap our… care for our ideals made us speak too loud.”

She turned back to Jaheira and said in a calmer voice. “I understand that thou hast reservations. Thy circumstances are different from ours, and I find myself hard-pressed to accept many of thy customs. But I do mean that our current system is the only possibility to stand against Thay. I find no pleasure in my power.”

Jaheira too now spoke in a calmer voice. “As far as I have seen, I do not think you would abuse your power. But power corrupts. If you have absolute power over every single person in Rasheman, who will hold you accountable if you abuse it? Wychlaran’s are as vulnerable to the temptations of tyranny as Red Wizards.” They started walking again.

“Aye, that is true. But a Wychlaran can ill afford to abuse her power. Not with Thay looking for a weakness. To use powers for one’s own good would risk all of Rasheman, and might make the abuser end up as a Thayvian concubine. And of course, the punishment for abuse of power is the same for disobedience of that power. We are no queens in a palace, but generals on a battlefield. It is just that by necessity, everyone in Rasheman is a soldier. And if someone disobeys an order, than it endangers everyone in Rasheman.”

“But why the Wychlaran?” Jaheira asked. “What makes them suited to make those calls?”

Dynaheir shrugged. “How to elect leaders? All the Wychlaran’s are by definition of enough intelligence to learn magic. Tis no guarantee for wisdom, but tis better than rule by nobility or wealth.”

“You could have the people choose their own leader.” Jaheira offered. “Some of the Dales act that way, and they do survive.”

“That is a good ideal, but Rasheman is a rough country, and such matters would be difficult to arrange, and we cannot afford the instability that such a system comes with. We cannot afford any change. We cannot afford any weakness. Even if it would be a change of the better, such a change brings a temporary moment of weakness, and Thay would jump at the chance. If Thay would be gone… than we could change things.” Dynaheir now seemed to become gloomy.

“Hmm…” Jaheira said. “I do think you might do so, but I am sceptical about whether the other Wychlaran would give up that power. And I cannot approve of having despotism, benevolent or not, to fight despotism. You will end up becoming what you fight. Where is the line between Rasheman and Thay?”

Dynaheir gave Jaheira a confident look. “I shall recognize it when I see it.”

Jaheira suddenly frowned. “Did Imoen tell you about that sentence?”

Dynaheir looked questioningly. “What sentence?”

Jaheira made a dismissive gesture. “Nothing, I was just reminded of an earlier discussion.” She looked at the road. “We seem to have arrived. I think we should end our discussion. I do not agree with Rasheman’s politics anymore than I did before, and there are other customs I seriously question, but know that I do not think of you as a tyrant.”

“Tis the wisest choice.” Dynaheir nodded. “Know that I think no ill of thee either.”

“Oh BOO! Minsc’s witch and the nice druid lady are friends again! Joyous day!” Minsc reacted by a crushing hug that ecompassed both the evoker and the druid, while Khalid had seen Minsc’s grin and had taken a little distance.

After Minsc had released the two women and they had managed to regain their breath Jaheira looked at the town. “Perhaps it is best if we split up. Some people may remember that we were with Imoen, Talek and Montaron and dislike us. You investigate this Tranzig, we will find this leader of the Fist and explain ourselves.”

Dynaheir nodded.