Part 5

They bade Talev farewell the next morning, and made their way through the city towards the gates. A sombre cortege, no one spoke, not even Yoshimo, though most in his position would have, accompanying a group of what amounted to practical strangers. Was he not curious? Perhaps, but he was also stoic, and seemed as disinclined to depart as Alyndria was to bid him leave. It would take some time before she could properly trust him, but he did seem to have much potential. She remembered how his light spirit had somehow managed to bring a little comfort even amidst the worst hours of their trek through Irenicus' prison. And added to that, he was skilled in the talents the group no longer had, with Imoen's unexpected loss. She would need a man like him to help her rescue her friend.

The bounty hunter walked beside her, quiet as the rest, his hand upon his strange, foreign sword - he seemed to have adopted the role of honour guard, and he was not the only one.

"Is it just me," Alyndria asked the warrior of Kara Tur, "or are we being followed?"

"Indeed, lady, you are very observant," Yoshimo hissed. His lips did not move.

"It is alright," Khalid assured them, catching wind of their conversation. "It is only a few Harpers, come to say goodbye."

So it was that they passed unmolested from Athkatla, and into the woods beyond by the time the sun was high.

"Where?" Alyndria asked Khalid.

"Keep walking," the fighter told her, "you will know."

Time went by, a sweep of sunlight through treetops, and silence marred only by the crunch of their footsteps. Gradually shapes and colours became visible through the foliage, and as they passed into the next clearing Alyndria caught her breath at the gathering of people waiting for them - at least two dozen - more than any normal woodland encounter. There were also
a number of familiar faces, including...

"Elminster...?" Alyndria gasped, shocked. "Khalid, who *are* all these people?"

The wizard in question detached himself from the group at their approach. "Khalid, we were all very grieved to hear of your loss. Jaheira will be sorely missed..."

Khalid simply took the wizard's proffered hand and nodded mutely.

Alyndria continued to stare, feeling the sharp prick of tears again at the sight of so many of so many gathered in so short a time.

"Ah, Alyndria, my dear - it is a pity we could not meet again under better circumstances," the old wizard murmured kindly.

"Elminster, how...?"

"We Harpers don't like to boast of our capabilities, but I did not live so long to learn mere parlour tricks, child... This is, in fact, a much smaller group than would otherwise have been here, but our thoughts are with all of you during this sad time... The songs sung of Jaheira will be many this night, all across the Realms..."

"You brought all these people here?" Alyndria exclaimed. "Truly?"

"Well, I did have a little help..."

"So good of you to recognize my efforts, Elm old buddy," a dark-haired man in a sombre, but almost foppishly well-cut doublet appeared behind the white-bearded wizard with a flourish.

"I meant from the Harpers, Volo," said Elminster, a faint trace of irony in his voice.

"Ah Milady Alyndria," said the man, approaching Alyndria. "Tales of you grow exponentially, as does your legendary beauty. I thought I couldn't bear our parting in Nashkel, but now I shall positively languish." Alyndria found her hand seized fervently, and kissed.

Alyndria frowned at the man, wondering why the aura of familiarity about him should not be disturbing, but merely... annoying. Normally it might even have amused her. "Forgive me... sir, but I cannot recall ever meeting you, and..." she leaned in a little closer, whispering, "I hardly think this is the place or time for your misguided efforts at gallantry."

"You wound me with your darts of truth," the man replied, much more quietly. "I should expect as much from a woman of the cloth. Forgive *me*, for though I tend to be a bit excessive, as Elminster will no doubt attest, it is not normally my habit to mock such occasions of solemnity. We met at the Belching Dragon Tavern, in Nashkel. I am Volothamp Geddarm, should you wish to remember a humble wizard in your prayers, my lady, and intercede on my behalf, however futilely, for a modicum of tact." Doffing his beret with a look of genuine repentance, the man departed.

Elminster looked astonished, and actually turned to stare after the man with a wondering shake of his head. "My child, that is incredible - for a moment he actually seemed *humble*. I do hope you will not take his comments to heart, he did not mean to be inappropriate, as I'm sure you know."

Khalid smiled a little. "I do remember him, from Nashkel. I envied his ease of speech."

"A quick tongue doesn't necessarily mean a smart one," Alyndria told Khalid, patting his arm. She narrowed her eyes at the man's departing back. "Wait, I *do* remember him - he left us with his tab!"

Sneaking, ingratiating... well, in reality he seemed no more than a harmless
rogue. With all that had occurred in the months since she had seen him, well, it was no surprise he, and even his rude trick, had slipped her mind. Nashkel - at the time it had seemed the greatest challenge of her young life, but compared to what followed, why it was nothing more than a baby would cut its first teeth on....

There had been quiet times, after the mines, few enough, all things considered, but there had been moments for her group to bond, to become closer. Quiet talks with Dynaheir, shopping trips at the Fair, Minsc tagging along, uncomplaining even under the weight of their spoils, moments where even Jaheira had been forced to smile....



"You aren't wearing a ring..."

Jaheira picked up a dagger, examining its balance thoughtfully, tracing a finger across the runic etchings ornamenting the hilt. "Hmm?"

Alyndria was taken aback a little, as she always was, under the Druid's piercing gaze, though today the changing eyes were almost blue, sky without a hint of storm. "I didn't really have time to notice before, but... you and Khalid, you are married, but you don't wear rings."

"The tradition of exchanging rings is not followed everywhere in Faerun, child," Jaheira replied simply.

"But you used to wear one," Alyndria pointed out, indicating the narrow band of lighter skin around the Druid's finger. "The other night, when Khalid and I were talking... I saw he had one too."

"We... misplaced them in our travels," Jaheira murmured. "We simply were not able to replace them at the time... Besides, love requires no physical symbol to prove itself or enhance its truth."

Whether she had truly heard, or simply read the note of wistfulness in the Druid's tone, the end result had been the same, when Alyndria had presented the couple with a pair of gold rings salvaged from their spoils. Although mismatched, they were the best she could come up with under the circumstances - and strangely appropriate, Jaheira's decorated with a swirl of vines and leaves, Khalid's a plain signet engraved with a shield.

In an impromptu ceremony, she had magically cleansed and Blessed the rings, bestowing them on the couple, both of whom had been genuinely moved by the gesture... in fact, they had retired to a room and not emerged for the rest of the evening, or, for that matter, until the better part of the next day had passed as well.

Jaheira had smiled, truly, at her for the first time. "It is the Spring of Renewal," she had said.