Chapter 8

*

Trademeet, Three Oaks Inn, about 2 A.M.


Yoshimo strolled through the swinging doors to the tavern area of The Three Oaks, looking a bit worse for wear. His hair was mussed, and he clearly hadn’t slept in some time. For all that, the bounty hunter moved through the empty saloon with his usual casual and cocky air. He sat down at the deserted bar and cleared his throat rather conspicuously. After a moment, Imoen appeared from the kitchen, a rag in one hand and a stubborn greasy skillet in the other.

“Well hey, you” she said with surprise. Imoen set the pan aside and tiredly wiped her hands. “Ain’t seen you in a while.”

“My employer has kept me rather occupied of late.” Yoshimo said with a wry grin.

“I’ll say” Imoen replied, tossing aside the rag and drawing herself a sasparilla soda. “You haven’t slept in your room for the past three days.”

Yoshimo raised an eyebrow. “Are you checking up on me, girl?”

“In your dreams, buster" said Imoen, giving him a mock fierce look. "I have to send the laundry out twice a week, so I need to know who’s using their room, y’know?”

“Ah, of course” replied Yoshimo. After a short silence, he glanced back at the kitchen area. “I realize it is quite late in the evening -” he began.

“No problem” Imoen interrupted. “I was just gonna get something to eat myself. There’s not much left from dinner tonight, but I have some fried biscuits and a jar of Mama Mazzy’s apple butter I can split with ya.”

What in the devil is “apple butter”?!? wondered Yoshimo. “Ah, that will be fine” he said.

“Be right back. Help yourself if you wanna beer or something.” With that, Imoen disappeared back into the kitchen.

She really is a strange girl Yoshimo said to himself.


*
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*

Sheriff Keldorn’s Office


“Ach, I wish you’d let me come with ye, Keldorn”

Keldorn chuckled and shook his head. “Really, Brega, you’re worse than a mother hen sometimes.”

The burly deputy made a sour face. “You’ll be wishin’ for a mother hen once those elves get a hold of you.”

Keldorn clapped his senior deputy on the back. “I’ll be fine, Brega. Really. Valygar’s going to be with me, remember? We’re just going to meet with a few of the elven elders and talk with them.”

Brega looked at him hard. “You don’t really think it’s going to be that easy, do you?”

Keldorn sighed, giving his deputy a sheepish grin. “No, I suppose that I don’t at that. To tell the truth, there’s nothing for sure about this trip except that it’s the best lead I have on finding the Rasheman Kid, and maybe finding out what’s driving the unrest with the Sun Elves.

“I thought you said General Sovalidaas was behind the unrest?”

“He is, but…” Keldorn trailed off. He knew he it was pointless to explain further. Jaheira’s intuition (Keldorn refused to call it a divination) had convinced him, barely, that he might find answers about a “disturbance in the Balance” from an elven high priestess named Dermin. It was the wildest hunch Keldorn had ever played, and he knew that Brega would probably lock him in one of his own jail cells if he tried to justify it to him.

“It’s complicated”, Keldorn said, smiling. “You’ll just have to trust me, old friend.”

Brega dipped his head. “Aye, that’s good enough for me, Keldorn. Still, I wish you’d let me ride along. Or at least wait until sunrise before heading out.’

Keldorn shook his head. “I’ve waited too long as it is. Valygar’s expecting me, and with Anarg holed up in his estate for the last couple days, things are cooling down a bit in town. With a little luck, I’ll be back in three days, give or take. And then we’ll be in a better position to know what to do next.”


*
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*

Three Oaks Inn


Yoshimo savored the last few bites of his meal, surprised at how much he had enjoyed the simple fare.

“Not bad, huh?”

“Quite flavorful” Yoshimo agreed. “I take it this spiced jam is popular with many people?”

“Y’mean the apple butter? Yeah, I guess you could say most people ‘round here like it. You never had it before?”

Yoshimo shook his head. “I’ve tried many things since coming to the west, but occasionally I am still surprised.”

Imoen chewed thoughtfully on a biscuit, as if mulling some important matter over in her head. After a moment, she asked “What made you leave home, anyway?”

Yoshimo gave her a quick look, then caught himself. “Why do you ask?” he said noncommittally.

“Just curious. I figured since I told ya about Candlekeep you might wanna –” Imoen shrugged. “It’s no big deal, though. Forget I asked.”

Yoshimo was quite for a long moment. Imoen shifted uneasily.

“I was fleeing a war” he finally said.

“A war?”

Yoshimo nodded. “A civil war. Kozakura – the land which I come from – was forced into a series of long and costly wars at the behest of our emperor and his shogun. Many feudal lords were ruined, sacrificing their wealth and their followers for a cause that brought them nothing in return. Discontent among the nobles grew, and by the time I was a boy, there was open rebellion against the emperor and his shogun. "

The bounty hunter paused for a sip of his drink, then continued.

"Not long after, the nobles turned on each other. Rival warlords fought for control of the land, and soldiers were sent to every town and village to find able-bodied men and boys to press into service."

Imoen’s eyes were wide. “How did you get away from that?”

“The Shukenja in our village protected me at my father’s request. I was perhaps, nine at the time.” Yoshimo chuckled oddly. “He dressed me as a girl to fool the soldiers, quite embarrassing at the time.”

Imoen laughed out loud. “I bet. What happened next?”


“The priest arranged passage on a westerner’s merchant vessel bound for Waterdeep, where my uncle lived.”

“You’ve got kin here?” Imoen asked. Yoshimo nodded, adding a dismissive wave.

“I did not stay long with uncle. He took me in, as family honor dictated, but it was not a pleasing situation for either of us. I left seven years ago, and have made my own way since.”

“Wow” was all Imoen could think to say.

Another long silence settled in, broken finally by an inadvertent yawn from Yoshimo’s mouth.

“Ah, forgive me” he said. “It has been a long day, and I will be expected back in the morning.”

“Sure thing” Imoen said, clearing off the bar counter and turning back to the kitchen. She was heading through the door when she suddenly stopped.

“What do you do after?” she said, her back still to the bar.

Yoshimo, who had been heading for the stairs, stopped.

“What?” he said.

Imoen turned around. “I mean, when you go after a bounty…what do you do after?”

Yoshimo turned around and gave Imoen a stunned look. No one had ever *dared* to ask him such a thing before. And yet, strangely, Yoshimo realized he was not angry. There was no hint of malice in the girl's words, however impertinent they might be.

Yoshimo paused, and looked Imoen directly in the eye.

“Then” he said. “You live with it.”