Reclaiming (Maiyn) - Chapter 4 - arabellaesque

Wildflowers

-----------------------

Coran watched with amusement as the small brown pony tried to keep up with the two larger horses. Montaron was holding onto the reins with a dark scowl; likely due to Xzar in turn clinging onto the halfling's waist for dear life. The necromancer didn't seem to be enjoying the trip at all, but for once he was quiet. He'd not uttered a word since they mounted, except to scream in distress when they first began moving.

Ajantis had explained he would be travelling via Beregost to perform some service to one of the townspeople. Coran had listened to the details and agreed to help; a spider infestation had taken up residence in the cellar of a home, and the paladin was certain it'd be a quick and easy task. Coran fondly remembered the first time Maiyn had encountered the giant spiders in Cloakwood, how he'd followed her and comforted her when she was ill despite their meeting being recent. The memory helped to quell some doubts that were crossing his mind about travelling to Amn to find her; it was a ridiculously large area to search for a prison or captors and he had began to wonder if she'd want to see him.

He'd decided to not read the letter, instead storing it in his pack for the future. He didn't know what it contained, but either way - good or bad - he couldn't face reading the hand of the woman he'd loved. The woman he still loved. He understood the reasons she had for leaving, but it wasn't enough to remove the hurt he felt over it. He'd made a vow to her, thinking it would be enough to see them through the toughest of times. Instead, she'd gone; granted, she'd arranged for him to be comfortable, but she had not stayed to be with him, to wait for him.

She'd given up hope on him, and the realisation of that cut into him like a knife. Their relationship had been fraught with suspicion and worry on her part, and the part of her guardians, over his colourful past, and his promises to her had only slowly managed to capture her full trust. But then she'd gone when he was infirm, taking her trust with her. She'd told him that she hoped their future would be entwined for a long time. Now he was hoping it could be salvaged.

They arrived at Beregost while the sun was still high, and Ajantis took no time to locate the house he was seeking. An elderly woman introduced herself as Landrin, her frail form bent over the stick she used to support herself. Ajantis invited Montaron and Xzar to join in with the task, but soon changed his mind when Montaron asked how much they would receive as payment. Ajantis gave Coran a questioning look regarding his chosen companions, and the elf just shrugged.

"They were friends of someone I know," he said truthfully as the men entered the house alone.

"You have strange acquaintances then," remarked the paladin with a crooked grin, leading the way down the stairs to the cellar. It took no time at all to wipe out the arachnids, Ajantis having several antidotes to clear the poison from their systems.

They left with the woman's heartfelt thanks, Montaron's muttering drifting in the air as they rode on south, aiming to arrive at Nashkel before night fell. Coran followed Ajantis as he strolled into the inn, dreamily remembering the tales Maiyn had shared with him about her travels before they met. She'd stayed at this very inn only days after seeing her father fall to the then unknown assassins. He paid for his room quietly, and had a sombre expression as he sat down at the table with the paladin, watching the Zhents loiter at the bar.

"You look thoughtful, my friend," stated Ajantis, his keen eyes regarding Coran. "What ails you?"

"Ah, nothing really," sighed the elf. "Just memories."

Ajantis nodded thoughtfully. "Tell me, why are you heading to Amn? I do wonder, though manners prevented me from asking until now."

"Your manners have now given up?" asked Coran with a mischievous grin.

"My curiosity has won out," admitted Ajantis smiling. "You waved off your fair maiden and set out to the south alone. Had you said you were travelling to Tethyr I would have assumed you were returning to see kin. I cannot imagine what Amn has to offer you, let alone a city such as Athkatla."

"Ah, Brielbara is not my fair woman," said Coran carefully. "We are friends, very good friends indeed." The elf decided it was best to leave out the mention of children for the righteous knight's own benefit. "I am looking for friends, old adventuring companions I had until a few months ago."

"Oh?" Ajantis' eyebrow had risen with interest. "You chose to stay behind in the Gate when they moved on?"

"Well, something like that," said Coran hesitantly. "I was too injured to accompany them at the time, and I received word that they disappeared - possibly captured by someone or something unknown."

Ajantis frowned. "That is bad news indeed. Are there no clues to what happened?"

"Alas, I have only heard rumours. It is by travelling to Athkatla that I hope to find out more fact, since I know that two other companions have been travelling towards the city in their own search. I hope to find them, and join in with the hunt."

Ajantis nodded. "That would seem a wise move. My Order, the Order of the Most Radiant Heart, would be happy to provide what limited help we could. Our knights and squires tend to know the land well, and may be able to suggest places to visit if you manage to find any further news."

"That would be welcome indeed," smiled Coran sincerely. "Some... one of those missing is dear to me. Very dear to me, in fact."

The paladin leaned over and patted Coran's shoulder. "Then I will pray to Helm for you, and ask for His guidance to reunite you with your friends. May I ask their names? I have not been in Amn for some weeks, but I occasionally hear tales on my travels."

"You may know the name of one of them," said Coran, finding it hard to get the words out. "She is called Maiyn."

Ajantis' eyes widened slightly. "Maiyn? The one who foiled the plot of the madman Sarevok Anchev?" Coran nodded. "Well..." continued the paladin thoughtfully. "And you were one of her companions? I have heard bard's tales about your exploits, but I was also graced with the story from the Grand Dukes themselves. I had an audience with them as an envoy from Amn in the aftermath. I am honoured to meet you, and now I feel a fool for not recognising the familiarity of your name beforehand."

Coran laughed. "It is forgivable," he chuckled. "I am hardly the warrior I was then, though I am recovering now."

"The Dukes told me of your sleep," said Ajantis solemnly. "The healers of the city were at a loss at how to help you as no amount of praying seemed to help. May I ask how you awoke?"

"I am not sure," admitted Coran. "I had no idea how long I had been unconscious, and when I awoke I could only remember the end of what seemed to be a bad dream; light was flashing around me, and I appeared to be in a dark dungeon, possibly a cell. There was a searing pain, it racked my whole body. It stayed with me as I awoke, and I believe I fainted from the hurt. It was... so vivid, it felt real."

Ajantis was listening, his face creased with thought. "It sounds distressing," he said eventually. "Rarely are nightmares bad enough to cause real, physical pain, and not to the level you describe."

Coran swallowed hard. "I have recently feared it was more than a nightmare," he said, noting Ajantis' confused look. "I am concerned it was mirroring the pain one of my friends was receiving."

The paladin's eyes widened in horror. "I... is it possible?"

Coran shrugged. "I don't know, I won't know until I find them," he said with a sigh.

"Stay strong, my friend," replied the paladin firmly. "I will make enquiries when we arrive at Athkatla, and we shall see if we can find your friends."

Coran smiled his thanks, then groaned slightly as he spotted Montaron and Xzar approach. The two Zhents sat down, the halfling only offering the slightest nod of acknowledgement, and several minutes of silence passed before Xzar spoke.

"Did it hurt?"

Coran looked up to see the necromancer's attention was fixed on him. He shifted uncomfortably. "Did what hurt?"

"I saw the wound you know," murmured Xzar. "His sword was big, wasn't it? It looked as though it would have hurt. Mummy looked sad..."

"Fer th' las' time," muttered Montaron angrily, "she's not yer 'mummy'!"

"Mummy was hurt too," continued the necromancer, his eyes glazed over.

"You were there?" Coran's question was sharp, and Montaron looked at him warily but didn't answer.

"She was hit by the large man," Xzar went on, "and she fell over. We could see the blood coming from her, couldn't we Monty?"

"Shut up!" hissed the halfling.

"So much death, you could smell it in the air..." Xzar's lips curled up into a little smile as he daydreamed. "In the end none were left standing except Monty and I."

"When did you get there?" Coran was glaring at Montaron now, the halfling mirroring the look back at the elf.
"I think we be best jus'-"

Coran's hand grabbed Montaron's arm as he tried to stand up, a deceptively strong grip for the recovering elf. "Sit down," he said threateningly, "and tell me everything."

-----------------------

Montaron muttered darkly to himself as he bounced about on the pony. Xzar had stopped thrashing about when his spell had misfired due to his indisposed state, casting a sleep enchantment by mistake which had thankfully missed the thief. He had tied and gagged the necromancer up when he'd dozed off in their room, then dragged him through the empty tavern to the stables. It had taken him a while to figure out which bits went where on the pony, and then he had to find a bucket to stand on just to be able to reach; but eventually he was sure he'd figured it all out. A brief temptation to steal the other horses was quickly dismissed when a stablehand appeared, asking him why he'd put his saddle on backwards.

Now they were trotting through the hilly forest, the moon occasionally managing to break through both the clouds and the leaves to provide a little light. Montaron had no qualms about travelling in the dark - if anyone was stupid enough to attack, he'd gladly fight them; and the way his luck had been going, he wasn't even sure if he cared about dying.

He scowled as he remembered the elf manhandling him in the inn. It was one thing to be verbally threatened, but quite another when Coran had whipped out a knife from somewhere in his tunic and pressed it against the halfling's throat. No one else would have noticed either; the elf had moved so close to him, one arm around his shoulder as if they were the best of friends. He could still see the manic glint gleaming as he listened to the tale; Montaron had kept it vague, but kept it truthful too. By concentrating on what he saw of the girl ranger to appease the elf, he was able to skip over most details.
The paladin had been holding his own weapon, a shining longsword, dangerously close to Xzar. Montaron had almost wished he'd used it, as it would likely have only saved him the trouble of having to murder the necromancer at a later date. As it was, the paladin was all he expected - all bluster, and no action. Coran had let his grip go when Montaron had described the blow to her head, and the halfling had darted off, dragging Xzar with him. He'd waited until he was sure they were both in bed before setting out, determined that he'd not run into either of them again.

Now he had to keep heading south until they reached Athkatla. The Cloudpeaks were said by some to be one of the most beautiful areas in Faerun, but Montaron had no time for such frivolity. The Zhents had to get to Amn and find out about this new group so they could end this mission, and Montaron was convinced that this time, surely, he would get to go home.
Without th' flamin' mage, he hoped.

-----------------------

Coran wasn't surprised to find that the Zhents had left before he arose the next morning. He was pleasantly surprised, however, to discover both his and Ajantis' horses were still safe and sound. Wonders may never cease, he mumbled to himself as he mounted, then followed the paladin's steed as he cantered south, onto the main route through the Cloudpeaks.

Coran sighed as he saw waterfalls in the distance, tranquil forests and stretches of wildflowers. They two men had ascended to the top of a fairly high peak when Coran called out to the human, asking to pause for a moment. The paladin nodded, taking the time to sort through some items in his pack while Coran's attention was taken by a sight to the west.
He remembered a dream Maiyn had told him; the night she'd realised she was one of Fenmarel's clerics. She'd vividly described her surroundings..."I was standing on a tall hill that was almost entirely covered with a sparkling blue lake." she'd said. "A small stream ran from it, bubbling past, cascading down into a beautiful waterfall; the spray was creating a faint rainbow in the sunny sky. There were trees dotted around, making it feel secluded and safe. Then there were the flowers... a lot of wildflowers."

His gaze was fixed on a smaller incline. From his vantage point he could make out the shimmering of water between the fairly close growing trees. A waterfall poured down a cliff on its side, a rocky ledge disappearing behind the flow - the path that led up to the top. Small flecks of colour suggested the wildflowers Maiyn had described, and Coran's mouth was dry as he vividly remembered the dreamy expression on her face as she'd spoke of it.

"It was so beautiful, it has to exist somewhere," Maiyn said moonily, ignoring Coran's bemused stare.

"Perhaps it does," he agreed. "When we have finished our task, we should seek it out."

Maiyn laughed. "Faerun... nay, Toril is a large place!"

"And we will have plenty of time to make a good effort!"

He sighed and reluctantly broke his gaze. He'd find her; he'd find her safe and sound, and he'd take her back to the Cloudpeaks. He'd take her to that hill, ask her if it was the one in her dream. It was still possible - it had to be possible.

Coran nudged his mount on, riding up to Ajantis. The paladin asked if he was ready to go on, and the elf nodded grimly. With one last, quick glimpse at the sight Coran mumbled under his breath before he rode away. Amin tulien, Maiyn. I am coming.

Reclaiming (Maiyn) - Chapter 4

#1 Guest_arabellaesque_*

#2 Guest_Cel_*

#3 Guest_arabellaesque_*

#4 Guest_Keldan_*

#5 Guest_arabellaesque_*

0 user(s) are reading this topic