Tanara sat down with a sigh on an old wooden stool at a small table. It was early afternoon in the town of Beregost and the Jovial Juggler Inn was all but deserted, with only a few patrons sitting drinking at the bar. Unlike the Copper Coronet however, this inn smelled clean and fresh, and the rats were conspicuous by their absence. Tanara was tired, bone tired from walking around Beregost asking at every tavern and inn if anyone had ever heard of a bard from the far north, who went by the name of Tlaman. So far her quest had been fruitless and no one had ever heard of a man by that name. I thought I would have better luck in a large town like Beregost than in a smaller place like Nashkel, but that does not seem to be the case.
She laughed quietly at the thought of Nashkel being a small town. A year or so ago I had never seen anywhere as half as large as Nashkel, and now it is a small town to me. Even if I could return to the Clan, I do not think I could live in such a small, isolated community. I understand now why Tlaman never stayed long when he visited. The thought of her brother brought back her lack of success in finding him. "I wonder if I will ever find him?" she said in a quiet voice, but then she reminded herself of everything she had accomplished so far. I killed my brute of a husband and escaped from certain death in the hangman's noose. I survived in the Temple of Bhaal for almost a year - I even survived a night in Bhaal's bed. I managed to flee the temple and cross the Cloudpeak Mountains, albeit with a little help from Adjel. Finding my brother should not be hard after all that. When a bard appears here later, as one surely must, I will ask him if he has heard of my brother. A bard is more likely to have heard of him than any other person, and a drink or two should loosen his tongue a little.
A renewed feeling of resolution filled Tanara as she recalled all she had accomplished, and she knew that she would find her brother, sooner or later. While waiting for a bard to appear, Tanara made her way to the bar, intent upon buying a meal for herself and her young son. By now she was six and a half months pregnant and the growing child within her sapped her energy, making her feel tired and lethargic all the time. At least the morning sickness has stopped - that was truly awful. I shall be so glad when this wretched pregnancy is over, and I will no longer have this foul beast feeding off of me.
The innkeeper was a tall, thin man with piercing blue eyes and a serious demeanour that jarred with all Tanara had heard of the Jovial Juggler Inn. As she reached the bar, he spoke in a deep resonant voice that was at odds with his thin frame. "Is there anything I can get you madam? We have a fine supply of ales and spirits from all corners of the Realms, and many fine rooms available for rent at very reasonable prices. Later on this evening we will have fine bards to entertain our patrons."
"Just some water, if you please, and a meal for my son, and myself," Tanara replied, looking forward to a proper meal after a long day spent traipsing the streets of Beregost.
The innkeep called to the cook to ready a meal, and as they waited for it to appear he spoke again. "Well then, what brings a woman as pregnant as yourself to Beregost? I would've thought you'd have been better off at home, in your condition."
"I am looking for my brother, a bard by the name of Tlaman. I do not suppose you have heard of him?" Tanara asked, with scant hope in her heart that the innkeep would have.
"The name does ring a bell, though I know not why," the man paused for a second and Tanara felt her heart fill with hope that his memory would not desert him. He clicked his fingers suddenly, evidently having recalled the memory. "Ah, I have it! Last night one of the bards was spinning a fine tale of a bold band of adventurers who had liberated an old keep that lies several miles north of here, along the main coast road. The place has been a menace for travellers of all descriptions for many a year, for an undead priest of Bhaal had set himself up there, if you can believe that. If my memory does not fail me, one of those adventurers was called Tlaman. I know not if he was a from the North though, but one of them was definitely called Tlaman."
Tanara felt a shock run through her at the mention of the priest of Bhaal, and silently thanked the Gods that he was no more, and would not impede her journey northwards. It was all she could do not to hug the garrulous innkeep, but she managed to keep her emotions under control as she spoke again. "Do you know anything else of him? Where he is now or...or anything really?"
"Hmm...let me think for a moment. Oh yes, this bard also mentioned that two gnomes from the party had set up an inn in the old keep building. Goes by the name of the Friendly Arm Inn apparently. Meant to be quite a nice place, or so I hear."
His words filled Tanara with joy. At last, I have a real chance of finding him! The gnomes will be annoying, of that there is no doubt, but if they can lead me to my brother, I will never say a bad word against them again - well so long as they don't try to sell my anything even remotely turnip shaped. She shuddered, recalling her experiences with the turnip-selling gnome in Athkatla. "Thank you so much...I can't tell you how much this news means to me. Can you remember which bard it was that told this tale, so that I might ask them if they know anything else?"
"I afraid that your luck runs out there, madam, the bard in question left last night and is heading south towards Amn. Don't know why really, Amn is such a horrible place. Far too hot for my liking."
I must have passed him on the road...what wouldn't I give to talk to him! Still, I have more information than I did before, and that is a blessing at least. She spoke to the innkeep again; "Do you know how long it would take to reach this inn, sir?"
"A couple of days on foot I would wager, especially with the weather as it is now. But I wouldn't recommend that to anyone, particularly not a pregnant woman as the bandits and monsters have been fiercely active of late. You'd be best off buying a seat with a caravan - it'd be a bit slower for sure, but far, far safer," he replied, with a serious look on his dour face.
"Thank you for the advice...I do not fancy a run in with any bandits, that is for sure. Do you know where I could find someone to hire a seat from?" Tanara said, relieved that the man had warned her of the dangers on travelling on foot.
"Well, you see yon man over there?" He pointed towards a short man sitting at a table in the corner of the inn. When Tanara nodded he continued on. "Well, he's the master of a merchant caravan that's heading northwards towards Baldur's Gate and Waterdeep. He may work for an Amnian merchant, and one with a less than wholesome reputation as well, but he seems like a decent enough fellow to me, and he should be more than willing to hire out a seat to you, for a fee of course." He smiled, shaking his head at the money grabbing nature of merchants.
I'd best find out who the merchant is, in case he's someone associated with the Temple - I would hate to be recaptured after making it so far. "Which merchant does he work for then?" Tanara asked, careful to keep her tone innocuous.
"Cor Delryn, madam. The man has an appalling reputation, even for an Amnian, but from what I hear the whole family is like that - rotten at the core, if you understand me. The factor seems like a decent enough fellow though, so I wouldn't worry about it."
Delryn...well that is not a name I ever heard mentioned at the Temple, though by the sounds of it he would have fitted in perfectly. "Thank you once again for all your advice and information - it is nice to have some firm news about my brother, I was beginning to worry if I would ever find him," Tanara said with a smile.
"It's nothing at all madam. I hope you find your brother, and here's your meal, so eat up and stay around for a while so you get to enjoy the entertainment later," he said as he handed Tanara a large plate, piled high with meat and vegetables. Tanara heard her stomach rumble at the sight of the food, her first proper meal of the day.
After she had finished sharing the food with her son, Tanara made her way over to where the factor sat, nursing a small mug of ale. "Excuse me, are you a caravan master?" Tanara said somewhat nervously.
The man looked curiously up at Tanara before speaking in a broad, flat accent that Tanara found difficult to follow. "Yes I am. Is there anything I can do for you?" he said as he waved to the stool opposite him.
"Yes, there is," Tanara said as she sat down at the stool the man had waved to. "I am heading northwards, towards the Friendly Arm Inn, and was told that it would be safer if I travelled with a caravan, so I was wondering if I could buy passage from you."
"Oh, I don't see why not, but you'll have be ready to leave early tomorrow morning, for it's a long journey to Waterdeep, and we must be there within two weeks."
Tanara felt relief flow through her - she had been afraid the caravan wouldn't be leaving for several days. "That won't be a problem, I want to head north as fast as I can."
The man shrugged, and spoke again. "All right then. It'll be 20 gold pieces for both you and yer baby."
Twenty gold pieces! That is almost all the money I have left! Still, I have no choice for the road sounds too dangerous to travel along on my own, and I must find Tlaman as soon as I can. "Very well then, here is your money." The man's sharp eyes watched carefully as Tanara counted out the cost of her passage. "Where shall I meet you tomorrow morning?" she asked as he scooped the coins into his purse.
"Meet me just north of the edge of town, a bit along the coast road."
"Very well then, I will see you tomorrow morning," Tanara said, feeling eager to be on her way.
It was very early the next morning, and the sun had barely peeked above the horizon. It looks like it will be lovely day today, Tanara thought as she gazed up at the light blue cloudless sky, so long as the caravan turns up! She had been waiting at the location the man had given her yesterday for nearly an hour now and there was no sign of the caravan yet. Just as she was beginning to give up hope, thinking that she had either misheard the man or been tricked out of her money she heard the creaking of wagon wheels coming towards. The caravan was partly obscured by the early morning mist, but Tanara could still recognise the figure leading the first caravan as the man she had given her money to yesterday. He waved towards her, and she made her way to the caravan. "I thought you were never coming," she said loudly, above the noise of the wheels and the bawling of the oxen as they were prodded into movement.
"Took us a while longer than I thought to get everyone rounded up today, but we should make excellent time on a fine day like today. Here, the caravan behind this one has an empty seat for yerself and yer son in it, so yes may as well get in it."
Tanara nodded at the man's words and made her way back to the next caravan in line. A burly looking man was driving it, and he gave her a harsh look as she climbed aboard, not even offering a hand to help her up.
"So you're the bloody woman whose brought her way north with us," he said, in a low voice. Tanara nearly lost her grip on the caravan when she heard him speak though, because judging by his accent, this man came from one of the towns near the Clan lands of Tanara's birth. "Well, I don't want to be hearing no complaining from you along the way, and you better keep that brat of your out of the crates. There's valuable stuff in there like, and the little bugger might damage it. Understand?"
Tanara gave the man a cold, harsh look, and drew herself up to reply, "I assure you sir, that my son will not cause any trouble, and you would do better not to speak of him in such a rude manner. Do *you* understand me?"
"You're a bloody Clanner aren't you? Well, I'm surprised that you've even got the entelligence to know whet a caravan is. I don't wanna be seeing none of your sneaky tricks round here, Clanner, do ye get me? And I'll speak of that bastard child of yours anyway I want!" he all but shouted, his face having turned an ominous shade of red when he heard Tanara's distinctive Clan accent.
Tanara felt her blood boil at the insults the man was hurling at her, but she somehow managed to control herself, sure that if she provoked a confrontation the caravan master would insist that she left. Instead she made do with a harsh look, and turned away from the man, muttering under her breath. "No matter where I go, I seem to plagued by fools! If he said such things on the plains of home, he would not have lived to see sunset, but here I will be the one punished if I respond with violence."
The man seemed to understand why Tanara had suddenly fallen silent, and his next words were designed to goad her into a response. "What's the matter, Clanner, cat got yer tongue? Or have ye just lost the ability to speak? Hah, yer a bloody coward just like the rest of your type. And I don't want none of yer mutterings neither, I ain't having no witch-spell cast on me."
The rest of the day's journey continued in much the same fashion. The man did his best to force a reaction from her, while Tanara did her best to ignore him. She found herself watching the sun move across the sky and counting the trees as they went by - anything in fact to distract her from the constant litany of curses that emerged from the man's mouth.
They stopped to set up camp for the night some miles down the road. By now the weather had closed over, and the sky was full of thick black clouds and the air had a heavy, humid feel to it. Tanara slowly made her way down from the seat at the front of the wagon, her legs stiff after a day spent sitting there. She looked around the small encampment and saw what looked like a cooking fire. It had been several hours since they had stopped briefly for lunch, and she eagerly made her way over to the fire. As she drew nearer she could smell food cooking, but to her dismay say a long queue of caravan drivers and guards waiting for food. She made her way to the end of the line and slowly shuffled forward; aware of the leers some of the men were giving her, but determined to ignore them. She reached the front of the queue after a short time, and hurriedly picked up a bowl full of meat stew. She made her way over to a fallen log and quickly ate her meal, sharing some with her growing son.
The caravans had formed into a circle around the campfire, and guards were positioned along the edges to watch out for any attack. A bright bolt of lightning lit the night sky around them, and a loud peal of thunder quickly followed, drowning out all conversation. The rain began to fall torrentially, forcing everyone to take cover in the caravan, and Tanara spent a long, tedious night hunched up in one of the caravans, doing her best to make herself a comfortable spot amongst all the sacks and boxes.
After several more days spent driving through the pouring rain, with only the obnoxious caravan driver for company, Tanara felt her heart lift when they finally reached the Friendly Arm Inn. She had never seen such a tall building, and as they slowly made their way closer to it, she could see the distinctive architecture that marked it as a temple of Bhaal. I am very lucky indeed that this temple was cleared out, otherwise I would have been in serious trouble. I have no doubt that there must be Bhaalists chasing me, looking to recover me, so the child I carry can be sacrificed to Bhaal. I do not care much for the child I carry, but I will do what I can to thwart Bhaal's plans!
By now they were passing through a sparse pine forest that reminded Tanara of the great pine forests near her home. The smell is the same, a rich oily smell that I would know from any other, even if the trees are somewhat smaller than the ones of my homeland. A wave of longing for her homeland washed over her, but did not dampen the growing feeling of hope within her. My brother could be within those very walls, and once I have found him, everything will be all right. No more running across entire continents, no more rude caravan drivers; just myself, my son and him. Together we will be safe. They were much closer to the Inn now, and Tanara could just see the gates through the misty forest. It had not stopped raining since the storm several nights ago, and the earth was turned to mud, as the trees dripped water onto the backs of those below.
The caravan rattled across a wooden drawbridge and Tanara got her first sight of the courtyard of the Inn. There were several small buildings scattered about, most in a dreadful state of repair, often little more than a burnt heap of timbers marked them out. There were signs of rebuilding though, and work crews swarmed all over the courtyard. The activity was most concentrated on a long, low building to the left of the main steps that led up to the inn building itself, but Tanara did not notice much of this. Instead she hopped down from the caravan seat, and quickly ran across the muddy courtyard to the steep stone steps that lead up to the Inn. She did not stop as she ran up the steps, her heart about to burst with excitement, sure that she would see her brother within.
She pushed open the heavy doors that blocked her way, and was hit by a blast of warm air, rich with the smells of good food and the sounds of a busy tavern. A few people sat at the tables nearest the door took note of the short, heavily pregnant woman carrying a small child, and the way she glanced around the room earnestly, as though searching for someone. They took little note of the rising look of disappointment on her face, or the dispirited way in which she finally made her way over to the bar.
Tanara's heart had sunk like a rock when she had realised that Tlaman could not be seen anywhere within the large common room. I was *so* sure that he would be here...what shall I do now? I have no idea of where he might be, or even if he is still alive! Why does everything have to go wrong for me? Caught up in her self-pitying thoughts, Tanara leant against the bar, complete unsure of what to do next. She had very little money left, and no means of getting any more by lawful means. The sounds of her young son's hungry whimpers shook her out of her reverie, and she called over to the barman. He nodded to her before speaking, "So what can I get for ya? We have many fine drinks on offer, and our food is second to none."
"Some food please," Tanara replied in a dispirited voice.
"Wait a minute..." the gnome said in a puzzled tone of voice, "you look mighty familiar to me lass...and your accent...you wouldn't happen to be related to a man named Tlaman would ya?"
Tanara nearly fell off her stool, so surprised was she by the gnome's words. She leant across the bar and grabbed him by his shoulders, saying, "Tlaman is my brother, and I've been searching for him this past year. If you have any idea where he is please, please tell me!" She could not keep the tone of despair out of her voice.
"His sister? Then you'd be Tanara right?" At her nod, he continued, "That's mighty odd, because Tlaman told us that all his family had been killed in a plague up north. How come you happened to survive?" the gnome's voice was suspicious, but Tanara could not blame him. I don't suppose he often gets long lost relatives turning up out of the blue like this.
"I was married to a man from another Clan before the plague hit my family's Clan. I was...was forced to leave, and have been searching for my brother ever since. Is he...is he alright?" she asked, fearful of the answer.
"Aye. Tlaman is fine, though he is not here right now. He has gone north to Baldur's Gate to pick up a delivery for Gellana and myself. He should be back any day now."
"He...he will be here? In a day or so? You...you are sure?" Tanara asked, unable to believe what she was hearing.
"Aye, that's what I said. Ya may as well wait for him here anyway. On the house," he added as he saw Tanara fumble for her purse.
"Thank you...thank you so much. If there is ever anything I can do to repay you, let me know."
"Don't ya worry about that now. Without ya brother we never woulda got this place anyhow. So sit down, eat up and enjoy yourself for a bit."
The next day was the best and worst day Tanara had ever known. The best because she knew she would be seeing her brother, and the worst because she had to wait. Bentley and Gellana made her very welcome at the inn, and quashed any suggestions that she should work for her keep. Gellana tried to ask Tanara why she had been forced to leave her homeland, but Tanara refused to reply, not wishing to alienate the friendly couple. If they knew that I am a murderess they would call down the guard upon me in an instant. And if they knew that I carried Bhaal's child they would not hesitate to kill me, of that I am sure.
Bentley had told her the tale of the keep's liberation, and how he and Gellana had lost several close friends to the priest of Bhaal, and the grief in his voice could not be mistaken. I have no doubt that they would extract retribution upon me, and I have no desire to die. The freak I carry must also live, much as it galls me, for Bhaal intended it to die and thereby fuel His rebirth. I will not let that happen! Bhaal still lives, to the best of my knowledge, but when He does die, and that cannot be to far away, I want that death to be final. If I must guard this foul beast I carry, then so be it. It is far, far better than the alternative.
The long day spent waiting frayed at Tanara's nerves and she found it difficult to sleep. What little sleep she did manage was filled with strange nightmares that she could not quite recall when she awoke but chilled her to the core none the less.
Tanara awoke early the next morning, and after eating a filling breakfast that she barely tasted, she went out into the courtyard to await her brother. The rains had stopped at last, and the roads were drying out quickly - Bentley told her that the caravan carrying her brother should arrive sometime that morning. She sat in a corner playing with her young son, but her mind was a million miles away.
After all this time I will have finally found him - but how will he react to me? He believes me dead already, but will he wish that I truly had perished along side the rest of our kin when he learns of what I have done and been forced to do? I have killed two men, one of them a friend; I have stolen from my adoptive Clan, and from strangers who bore me no harm; I lived in a temple of Bhaal for nearly a year but did nothing to help any of the poor unfortunates brought in there as sacrifice, and worst of all, I went to Bhaal's bed and will bear His child. My brother is a good man, but I cannot say the same about me. Will he turn away from me, cast me out and try to kill me when he learns of my crimes? I do not know what I would do if that were to happen...he is my only hope.
The sudden squeal of wagon wheels shook Tanara out of her reverie, and she looked up to see a caravan pulling into the courtyard. Riding a large black horse by the side of the wagons was a tall, familiar man. Tanara could not see his face clearly, but the way he sat in his saddle told her it was her brother. She suddenly could not move, and stood there, half-crouched, watching him, unable to believe what she was seeing - it truly *was* her brother! She saw Gellana scurry over to him, and speak to him, gesturing in Tanara's direction. Even from the distance Tanara cold see the shock written in the lines of his body, and he whipped his head around to look at her. His look seemed to remove the paralysis from Tanara's limbs and she slowly made her way over towards him, carrying her son in one arm.
Tlaman leapt down from his saddle when he saw her move, and Tanara saw him run towards her, a look of incredulity upon his achingly familiar face. Tanara found herself being swept up in his long arms and heard him cry out in a strangled voice, "You're alive, little sister, you're alive! But...but how? I thought you dead with the rest of the Roaring Boar Clan...what happened? And you...you have a child and another one on the way...Tanara, little sister, what has happened to you?"
The sound of her brothers voice, the familiar accent of home and his questions only made Tanara weep all the harder, for they reminded her of who she had once been and all she had lost. "Inside...I'll tell you inside...too many people here." she managed to say between loud gulping sobs. Tlaman looked confused, but he led her inside the Inn and up to his room on the second floor, waving away Gellana's offer of assistance. He sat her down on a large chair and crouched in front of her, clasping her small hands in his.
"Sister...can you tell me now?" he asked in a gentle voice, his eyes full of concern.
Tanara drew hold of her wavering courage and decided to tell her brother everything. "I am alive because I was not part of the Roaring Boar Clan when the plague hit. I had been married off," she said in a scornful tone of voice, "by that oaf Devaki, to Dar Darson of the Masked Bear Clan."
"What?!" Tlaman all but shouted. "How dare Devaki marry you off like some chattel! And to Dar as well?! He was a bigger fool than I thought!"
Tanara reached up with one hand to stroke the side of her brother's face. "Tlaman, it does not get better after that...please, let me tell you now, for I do not know if I would have the courage otherwise." At her brother's nod, she continued once more. "Dar...Dar was not a good husband. He was a violent, viscous man who enjoyed beating me. I was married for him for almost two years and never more than a week passed between his beatings. The rest of his Clan considered me a bad luck woman, and did nothing to stop him. His rages were sudden and could last for days, but I will not trouble you with the details. Despite all of this, I managed to conceive. Oh Tlaman, I can't tell you how happy I was," she said, a smile misting over her face. "I was going to be a mother, and have fine strong sons to carry on our Clan name. Dar would no longer be able to call me 'barren' and I even hoped that his beatings would stop if I could present him with a son. But I didn't even get the chance to tell him. I had realised I was pregnant late one night, and the next morning as I was preparing breakfast, Dar decided that I was in need of another beating - to 'remove' the evil from me, as he put it. He had beaten me in this manner so many times, but this time something was different." She paused, and then continued in a firm, angry voice, " I would not stand there helpless and let him beat *my* child to death. I used the only weapon I could find, a blunt old carving knife. It may have been blunt, but was sharp enough to cut through his clothing and into his skin." She shuddered, before continuing once again, in a monotone, "I don't know why, but once I had started stabbing him, I could not stop. I just kept stabbing and stabbing, watching the blood pour out of his mouth and belly. I didn't even realise I was screaming like a banshee until the guards burst through the door and pulled me off of him." Tanara took a deep breath before looking at her brother, and was surprised to see tears pouring down his face. " Do you hate me for what I did Tla?" she said, fearful of the answer.
"No!" he said in a harsh voice. "I hate myself for not being there to protect you! That is the duty of a Clansman, to protect his womenfolk, but instead I was off gallivanting around. Oh, Tanara, I swear I will never leave you again!"
The look of distress on his face touched Tanara's heart and reminded her why she loved her older brother so.
Tanara shook her head. "Don't say that until you hear the rest. That was not the worse thing to have happened to me by a long way. The guards put me in a cell to await my execution at daybreak. Had it been just myself to consider, I would have stayed there, going proudly to the noose...but I was *not* alone. I had my unborn child to consider, and I not would doom him as well. So I picked the lock on my cell door, as you taught me to all those summers ago, and managed to creep out. I knocked one guard out cold, but was forced to kill another. I later found out he was the only one in that Clan who had shown me any kindness at all. And I had repaid him with death." She paused as she felt her brother's hands tighten around hers, but his weak smile gave her the heart to continue.
"I stole a horse and some armour and rode like the winds across the plains. That was the last time I would ever see the Clanlands in all their magnificent glory, though I did not know that at the time. I eventually came across a small town, and thinking myself safe, decided to stop and sell what I had stolen to give me money to continue south, in search of you. While I was there though I saw the guards from Dar's Clan arrive, and I fled back to the inn I was staying in, determined to steal what I could and flee. There was someone waiting for me in my rooms though. A priest of Bhaal." She ignored her brother's gasp and drew breath to continue; "He told me that I could never hope to flee fast enough to escape the vengeful Clansmen, but that he could offer me sanctuary in his Temple. At the time I knew little of the southern Gods and was desperate, so I accepted. I sometimes wonder what would have happened if I had refused his offer, but that is something I will never know. He cast a powerful spell, and I found myself instantly transported to the temple of Bhaal in Athkatla. I spent almost a year there, in the fetid atmosphere of cruelty and hate that dominated it. My son was born there, and the priest's named him Somonas Tritorvel - a horrible name I know," she said catching sight of the look on her brother's face.
"I will choose a better one for him later, sister, as befits my role as bard and closest male relative. Do not fear, it will be a proper name...Somonas Tritorvel indeed!" Tlaman said with a gentle smile. "But what of your second child - the one you carry now?"
"That is the worst part of this whole tale, my brother. About three months after my son's birth, I was summoned to the chambers of the High Priest. I did not know why, but even my darkest nightmares could not have prepared me for what I was told. Bhaal had received a prophecy, or so I was told, that foresaw the Time of Troubles and His own death. He was not happy, as you can well imagine, and had devised a method of ensuring His eventual rebirth. He would impregnate as many females of as many different races as possible with his seed, and create a league of Bhaalspawn. They would all contain a piece of His spirit and would be sacrificed at the appropriate time and place, to return His essence to the Abyss. Once there, He would reform and rise anew as the God of Murder."
Tlaman's face had turned pale at these last words of hers, and he spoke in a quite voice, with a fearful glance at her extended abdomen. "Please...tell me what I'm thinking is not so, little sister...."
Tanara could only nod, and watch his face crumble into despair. "Yes, I was one of the 'lucky' few chosen to bear His children. He appeared three nights later and spent nearly a day raping me. I had thought Dar bad enough, but he was as nothing compared to Bhaal. I still have nightmares of the indignities he inflicted upon me, and I bear both mental and physical scars of that night. After He had gone I knew that I would be guarded most carefully, so I took my first opportunity to grab my son and flee. I left Athkatla as quickly as I could, and decided to head north, away from the Temple. I nearly died crossing the Cloudpeak mountains, but a friendly old woman saved my life, and I continued on once more, not certain of where I was heading, but sure that I must find you. In Beregost an innkeep told me that he had heard your name mentioned as one of the people responsible for liberating this Inn, so I came here with a caravan. And that's all there is really," she said with a small shrug.
"Tanara...words...words fail me. I do not know how you found the strength to survive through all you have, but you must know that I will protect you, and my nephew, to my last breath. What will you do when...when that child of Bhaal is born?"
"I have thought long and hard on this, and spent a lot of time discussing it with Adjel." At her brother's confused look, she elaborated, "Adjel was the old woman who saved my life when I crossed the Cloudpeak Mountains. At first I was determined to take some herbs to end my pregnancy, but she pointed out that if it was Bhaal's wish that His children die, that would only be helping Him, and that a better course of action would be to defend the child. I do not know if I can raise the child of an evil deity on my own though...what if the child is as evil as Bhaal...what effect will the taint have on my unborn child? And can I ever love this child after all Bhaal has done to me? I don't know Tlaman, I just don't know..." Tanara placed her head in her hands, her feelings overwhelming her for the moment.
She felt her brother's arms tighten around her and heard him murmur "Together we can do this, little sister. There is nothing that can stand in the way of a Roaring Boar after all, eh?" Tanara's weak smile raised one of his own. "So dry your tears, and lets go downstairs and eat. I can tell you all that's happened to me these past few years and we can plan for the future. I will be there for you from now on, I swear, and I have powerful friends who can help me to protect you and your children." He pulled her up from the chair, and led her out of the room. As they left the room, Tanara felt as though her worries had been lifted from her small shoulders and there would finally be a chance for her and her children to survive.
