Jump to content


Bhaal's Youngest: Chapter 47


  • Please log in to reply
12 replies to this topic

#1 Guest_Dadri_*

Posted 10 December 2006 - 09:25 AM

My daughter buys the book quickly. Firebead will want a few minutes to talk to Khalid privately. So, she takes the book over to a side table and looks at the cover. This copy of the book has a very decorated cover, surely a monk or mage had assembled it for a demanding patron. The hard leather cover is embossed with Tymora's shamrock symbols and engraved with Beshaba's twisted antler symbols, alternately and with such care that if she isn't looking at one, she is looking at the other. All over the cover this pattern is repeated, except the large round title engraved into a disk of gold foil made to look like a coin. The book's pages are yellowed parchments, she turns through them, making sure none of them are torn or smeared. Her eyes eat up the words as they pass, as she can't not read them if she looks at them. Her reading speed amazes me. I've barely started to read one page when she flips to the next, she looks over the other page, and then the next. It's only been a few moments since she started looking at it, and she's already read it all.

She wonders how her coin fell, whether it was on it's side or which goddess will be throwing things her way. At first she thinks about Gorion and this assassin business thinks it would be Beshaba...then she thinks about Phlydia with her eyelash problem, and how Drepan can't even figure out how to get the antidote's for his cow without her. She thinks about Marl who doesn't know anything about raising the dead. She thinks about getting away from 'the assassins' who killed Gorion. She thinks about the dog that the mage and warrior woman startled and chased instead of finding her. She concludes that luck has barely entered into it, but has been present, in both good and bad proportions. She can't trust luck to be with her. She hopes her coin fell on its side so she doesn't have to worry about gods. Boy is she going to be in for a shock!

She decides that she's given them enough time to talk now, though she has only given them about ten minutes...to her it's 'wasted time' so it seems to pass so slowly. She walks back across the street and knocks on the door.

Khalid opens the door and steps back. Phoenix walks in, all the way around the room to Firebead.

"Did I give you enough time?" She asks. She hopes she has, as she really doesn't want to have to waste more time. She wonders if maybe he has some sewing for her to do.

Firebead smiles. "I have talked with Khalid, and I quite believe that he and Jaheira were fairly good friends with Gorion. I do believe they are to be your guardians..."

"But I don't want them to be my guardians." She says.

"I understand that, Phoenix, but please give them a chance. I have not met Jaheira but Khalid here is quite trustworthy."

"But why didn't he choose you as my guardian?" Phoenix asks, in deep frustration. "Why people I have never met that-"

"That disagree with your chosen path?" Firebead fills in, knowingly. "That is quite a good question, isn't it?" He rubs his chin. "But I am an old man. When he was deciding on a guardian for you, he obviously picked those that he could be sure would still be alive when you needed them." He smiles. "Regardless, Khalid here can be trusted, and I ask that you trust him. I have already asked him to trust you and he's willing to try."

Phoenix sighs. She turns her eyes to the half elf, who has already shut the door and silently taken his seat on the other side of the couch. Under the intensity of her stare, he looks at his feet. "I will also try." She says at last, frowning. She will try, but how can she trust someone who can't even look her in the eye? Firebead sets his empty tea cup on the serving tray.

Phoenix hands Firebead the book. He smiles at the cover, looking it over. "This must be Oneoron's copy of it. I've heard of his impressive leather working and dying skills."

Phoenix smiles. Firebead has told her that it isn't unusual for wizards to devote some of their time developing hobbies outside of just learning magic. He likes to carve wooden figures and paint them in his spare time. Gorion likes telling heroic stories and singing ballads. Phoenix enjoys sewing. Phoenix believes Firebead learns these things as a sort of collective hobby of his own. She likes knowing this detail about him, and how this detail never changes. Somehow that reassures her.

"There are no torn pages, and it's pretty interesting." She said. "The calligraphy is also good." She said. "Not as pretty as Tethtoril's but I'm pretty certain that he has rare skill in it from just the books in Candlekeep in the first place." She smiles.

Firebead smiles in return. "I will read this later. But I promised you a book in return, didn't I?"

#2 Guest_Cel_*

Posted 10 December 2006 - 02:45 PM

I love the description of the book and of her thought processes while she (speed)reads it!

Your Firebead is wonderful.

#3 Guest_Dadri_*

Posted 10 December 2006 - 04:13 PM

Thank you! I was actually wondering if the detail was too much. :cry:

Firebead is fun and fortunately has some influence on Phoenix. Right now she really needs to know that some bit of stability is still there. :D

#4 Guest_IriaZenn_*

Posted 10 December 2006 - 05:50 PM

Bhaal: So nice to see thing told from the main character's point of view. Mine. Phoenix is such a lovely daughter. I just wish she would kill Jaheira already. She doesn't need a mother figure, just me.

Scribe: That's enough out of you back in the closet!

Bhaal: Ack! Someone help get me away from this insane scribe!

*puts Bhaal back in closet*

I enjoyed it. I'm catching up on some of the earlier chapters hopefully I'll get it done soon. :D

#5 Guest_Dadri_*

Posted 10 December 2006 - 06:01 PM

Lol! Yeah, that's Bhaal alright!

Glad to hear you are reading them. :D

#6 Guest_arabellaesque_*

Posted 11 December 2006 - 09:45 AM

Phoenix smiles. Firebead has told her that it isn't unusual for wizards to devote some of their time developing hobbies outside of just learning magic. He likes to carve wooden figures and paint them in his spare time. Gorion likes telling heroic stories and singing ballads. Phoenix enjoys sewing. Phoenix believes Firebead learns these things as a sort of collective hobby of his own. She likes knowing this detail about him, and how this detail never changes. Somehow that reassures her.


Having caught up (just about, anyway...) -- Awww -- I liked that bit, especially. And I continue to like your Firebeard, and your Phoenix too.

Seeing it all from Bhaal's PoV is such a good little twist -- it's so emotionless a lot of the time, but then every now and then a bit of his feelings slips in, and makes it just that little bit more sinsister ;)

#7 Guest_Scavenger_*

Posted 11 December 2006 - 04:17 PM

Hm, Khalid and Jaheira are going to have hard times. Especially Jaheira, I think. While Phoenix is a small girl, she is less childish than many adults. And much more determined than most. Two very strong personalities together ).

#8 Laufey

Posted 11 December 2006 - 06:08 PM

My daughter buys the book quickly. Firebead will want a few minutes to talk to Khalid privately. So, she takes the book over to a side table and looks at the cover. This copy of the book has a very decorated cover, surely a monk or mage had assembled it for a demanding patron. The hard leather cover is embossed with Tymora's shamrock symbols and engraved with Beshaba's twisted antler symbols, alternately and with such care that if she isn't looking at one, she is looking at the other. All over the cover this pattern is repeated, except the large round title engraved into a disk of gold foil made to look like a coin. The book's pages are yellowed parchments, she turns through them, making sure none of them are torn or smeared. Her eyes eat up the words as they pass, as she can't not read them if she looks at them. Her reading speed amazes me. I've barely started to read one page when she flips to the next, she looks over the other page, and then the next. It's only been a few moments since she started looking at it, and she's already read it all.


Liked the Bhaal perspective, it was interesting to see him looking out of Phoenix' eyes.

She wonders how her coin fell, whether it was on it's side or which goddess will be throwing things her way. At first she thinks about Gorion and this assassin business thinks it would be Beshaba...then she thinks about Phlydia with her eyelash problem, and how Drepan can't even figure out how to get the antidote's for his cow without her. She thinks about Marl who doesn't know anything about raising the dead. She thinks about getting away from 'the assassins' who killed Gorion. She thinks about the dog that the mage and warrior woman startled and chased instead of finding her. She concludes that luck has barely entered into it, but has been present, in both good and bad proportions. She can't trust luck to be with her. She hopes her coin fell on its side so she doesn't have to worry about gods. Boy is she going to be in for a shock!


Regrettably this is so.


"But why didn't he choose you as my guardian?" Phoenix asks, in deep frustration. "Why people I have never met that-"


I think Gorion foresaw that Phoenix would see combat. Firebead seems like more of a stayathome mage.
Rogues do it from behind.

#9 Guest_Dadri_*

Posted 11 December 2006 - 07:00 PM

Having caught up (just about, anyway...) -- Awww -- I liked that bit, especially. And I continue to like your Firebeard, and your Phoenix too.


Always nice to know my characters aren't annoying. (You know, the ones that aren't supposed to be) ;)

Seeing it all from Bhaal's PoV is such a good little twist -- it's so emotionless a lot of the time, but then every now and then a bit of his feelings slips in, and makes it just that little bit more sinsister



Yeah, it's kind of fun to do the Bhaal commentary but I wouldn't want to have to do the whole story from Bhaal's point of view. :D

#10 Guest_Dadri_*

Posted 11 December 2006 - 07:11 PM

Hm, Khalid and Jaheira are going to have hard times. Especially Jaheira, I think. While Phoenix is a small girl, she is less childish than many adults. And much more determined than most. Two very strong personalities together ).


Yes, it's not going to be easy. Phoenix has a very strong will, Jaheira has a very strong will...

#11 Guest_Dadri_*

Posted 11 December 2006 - 07:31 PM

Liked the Bhaal perspective, it was interesting to see him looking out of Phoenix' eyes.


Thank you.

Regrettably this is so.


Yeah, she's going to have to worry about gods alright. ;)

I think Gorion foresaw that Phoenix would see combat. Firebead seems like more of a stayathome mage.


Exactly. :D

#12 Guest_Tyriel_*

Posted 11 December 2006 - 09:49 PM

Is that a bit of parental pride on Bhaal's part, seeing that Phoenix is a fast reader, especially of an arcane book?

I am terribly curious what their discussions are going to be like and how they will change over time. I don't suppose Bhaal would think of sculpting a dream of talking to Phoenix while they were having tea and cakes?

#13 Guest_Dadri_*

Posted 12 December 2006 - 04:41 AM

Is that a bit of parental pride on Bhaal's part, seeing that Phoenix is a fast reader, especially of an arcane book?


Maybe a little bit. :twisted: (Silly old man Bhaal voice!) These young whippersnappers these days don't even have to sound it out! They just look at the word and know what it says! Back in my day, you actually had to read the darned thing rather than just look at it! Keep that up, girl, and your gonna automatically read one of them symbols of pain or death before you even think better of it! (End silly old man Bhaal voice!)

I am terribly curious what their discussions are going to be like and how they will change over time. I don't suppose Bhaal would think of sculpting a dream of talking to Phoenix while they were having tea and cakes?


Lol! Anything is possible if he gets desperate enough. He is pretty much mentally cataloging things that work for winning Phoenix over. Some things impress him, some don't. It's going to be rather fun when he can talk to her directly. (He doesn't want her thinking she's gone insane). :roll:




0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users

Skin Designed By Evanescence at IBSkin.com