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Part 18


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#1 Guest_Flarn_*

Posted 24 May 2003 - 09:17 PM

Alyndria stared into the darkness, tracing the paths of the standing monuments, wondering idly who lay beneath each, until she realized that everyone was looking at her. Of course. She was the leader. "I guess that's that," she found herself saying, dusting her hands off - an artificial, nervous gesture - as if she had just completed a bit of sweeping. But it wasn't, she felt torn, knowing now who she was dealing with - how could she, in good conscience, support either one of those organizations, knowing what she did? How could she explain to Khalid? What would Gorion have done?

Maybe if she had more answers. Yes, it was impossible to address a problem until you knew all the facts. With a plan forming in her mind she felt a little more focused, if not exactly better. She forced a confidence into her voice she didn't feel. "Tonight the stars must be in perfect alignment for late night visits. I think we should pay one more, to Gaelan Bayle." There was a chorus of muted assents. "I, for one, don't think I can sleep after this..." she whispered to herself.

Together they started towards the exit. Khalid was at the fore, followed by Nalia, Aerie, and Anomen, with Yoshimo at the rear. Alyndria ran to catch up with the older half elf, then slowed as the jangle of her splint mail echoed, unnaturally loud, feeling sacrilegious, as if it would affront the resting dead.

"Khalid?" Alyndria reached his side finally. "Khalid... I'm so sorry... I swear I didn't know they were Shadow Thieves..."

"That's perfectly alright, my dear..." The endearment slipped out unexpectedly, and he didn't seem to be aware of it - it was a reassurance he had often used to address Jaheira when his Druid wife was being particularly importunate. It made him sound much older - like the courtly greybeard he doubtless would be by now if he were full human. "I did."

"I really, I..." she caught herself mid-ramble. "You what? No, of course you would know, your connections..."

"Quite right."

"But, back there, you seemed surprised."

"I guess I wasn't expecting her to put it so plainly." The older half-elf valiantly fought the last words out, despite the trouble they gave him with his speech impediment. "I, well, actually I couldn't be sure it was them, but since they have been one of the major powers here for a long time, I knew that sooner or later we would be forced to have dealings with them."

"There's got to be another way," Alyndria decided firmly. "We'll talk to Gaelan but I won't make him any promises until I've checked out my other lead. I'd almost forgotten, but the scroll-seller I met in Ribald's told me about someone I could speak to in the government district who is in charge of licensing magic users. He has connections to the Cowled Wizards. Maybe we can pay him a fine, or a bribe... and get Imoen back that way. Fifteen thousand is a lot of money, after all."

"And if that doesn't work?" Khalid responded, his voice infinitely sad and weary, but gentle, almost regretful, as though he wished his emotions were not there to burden her. Yes, that was just the way he would be thinking, after travelling with him for a year now, Alyndria knew it. Knew him. "You must do what you must to get Imoen back. I know how hard it is to be alone in the world..."

Her chest seized and her eyes filled with a suddenness that staggered her. First his family, then Jaheira... and now she was forcing him to... to... "I am so sorry..." she whispered, swallowing hard, trying to sound normal, averting her face so he wouldn't see the tears.

Beside her Khalid stopped, and pulled her to the shadow of one of the towering monuments. She was startled by his abruptness, barely aware of the others stopping to watch them. He placed his gloved hands on her shoulders and she swallowed a sob, looking down until he lifted her chin. "Look at me," he stuttered kindly. "I will not let you take this upon yourself."

"But..."

"It all happened many years ago, when I was as young as you are now. I too lost a home and a family all in one night. It was wretched, and I wouldn't wish that fate on anyone, but it happened. But do you know... it was all because of the Shadow Thief plot that Jaheira came into my life. She was in Calimport for... other reasons, Harper business, you know, but she was diverted when it became known that they were planning to assassinate such a large group. If not for that, I probably would never have met her. I cannot separate those two events, they always have been, and always will be linked for me. And there is really no knowing if I would have changed anything, it is more, I think, than a mortal mind can do. These things happened, there is nothing for it but that.

I don't know whether it was the gods, or the Balance Jaheira believed in, but the greatest joy in my life came from the greatest sorrow. I... I think we should find hope in that, don't you?"

"I..." Alyndria sniffed, trying to articulate. Her heart still ached, but she was impressed in spite of her pain, and yet, paradoxically, she wanted to break down and cry all the more. "You're right, my friend," she said at last, when she regained some semblance of control. "Hope is all we have."

Just then, a soft, muffled sound reached her ears, carried on the wind, and she saw Khalid's head come up. He had heard it too.

"What is it?"

"I don't know," the fighter said, "but it's coming from one of the graves."

"Everyone, over here!" Alyndria called, wiping her eyes hastily on her sleeve. "We've found something."



No small amount of scrabbling and digging later, and Khalid and Yoshimo pulled a bedraggled figure from the loose soil in the half-filled grave that had nearly been his grave in truth.

He stood before Alyndria shaking, his face black with dirt, making it impossible for her to be sure of his age. He choked and coughed wretchedly for long moments before finally finding his voice. "Oh... bless you, my lady, bless you!" He coughed again, and his throat cleared somewhat, so he sounded more like a man in his prime than the wheezy elder that had been her first guess. "I did not know how much longer I would survive buried in there as I was!"

"Who are you?" she asked. "And how did you end up being buried alive?"

"I...I was buried by the men who kidnapped me!" Another fit of coughing wracked his form. "They held me for ransom from my family, and after my family had paid they knocked me out. I...I remember being carried here, and thrown into that grave next to another body! And then they buried me alive!"

Nalia was beside herself at the injustice, her voice shaking with barely concealed ire. "Buried alive...? I... I almost can't think of anything more horrible. And all of this just for some money. Pfaugh!"

The man nodded at her assessment of the situation. "I am sure...I am sure I would have died if you had not arrived so soon! What a horrid death these evil men had in store for me! Ohhh..." He drank greedily from a canteen proffered by Yoshimo.

Alyndria, too, was horror-stricken. "You should report this to the garrison at once!"

The man backed away in fear. "Oh, no, I couldn't! These men are still out there...and they will surely come after me and my family if they knew I said anything! They said they had done this before! Kidnapped people and buried them here for money! They will surely exact revenge if I go to the garrison! Please...you must...you must stop them! I beg of you!"

She rubbed her temples wearily. /When will the laws actually protect the people they are supposed to serve?/ Part of her was tempted to tell the man he should have faith, but how could she when she herself did not. After all, it was those same laws that had unjustly imprisoned Imoen on a technicality, for defending herself. "Perhaps you are right. What can you tell me about these men?"

"I... don't know their names. There were three of them. The youngest carried me here. He dressed all in red... strange and bright as you please. I woke up with this in my hand...I think I must have torn it off his shirt when he threw me in the grave. Here...perhaps it will help you find him."

She received the scrap of cloth and rubbed it between her fingers thoughtfully before tucking it into a pouch on her belt. "Is there anything else you can think of?"

"Only that...there was someone who spoke to this man. Perhaps the gravekeeper. You should talk to him, at least... he must have seen something!"

"Thank you...I shall do my best to locate these men and bring them to justice."

"Bless you, my lady! I wish you well. I must return to my family, now, and let them know I am still alive! Th-thank you, Helm, for watching over me!" The man loped off into the darkness, as if afraid that his new lease on life would be taken from him if he lingered.

After the man was out of sight, Anomen stepped forward, an irritated frown creasing his handsome face. "Are there not more important adventures we could be undertaking?" he asked. "This manner of... of aid seems quite tedious. This is a task for the garrison, Alyndria."

"And what if we take it to the garrison and forget about it, and the man then dies, murdered as he fears?" Khalid asked, turning towards the tall Helmite and looking up at him with serious dark eyes. "Perhaps you would be content, knowing that the letter of the law has been f-fulfilled, but Alyndria cares more about the spirit of the law - protecting the innocent - as do I."

"And I," said Nalia.

"And I," said Aerie. "While I do prefer the authorities to handle certain things, sometimes they cannot." Alyndria knew she was thinking of the circus, and the guards who had gone into the tent, never to come out again. "Sometimes they have to rely specialists, like us."

Anomen looked at Yoshimo who just shrugged.

"Very well, it appears I am outvoted," the squire groused, then sighed. "Specialists, you say?" His tone brightened as he tested the word. "Specialists... Well, I suppose we are as good as any at that!" He smiled at Alyndria. "If it is your will, my lady, lead on!"



It was still dark when they finally reached Athkatla's slums and turned their course towards the home of Gaelan Bayle.

They were starting up the street when sounds of scuffle from a nearby alley alerted them.

"G-guard!" a desperate voice yelled. "Guard! Help me, please!"

The group advanced cautiously, and saw a man dressed in rags, his wrists and ankles bound with ropes, being manhandled by two heavily armed thugs.

With relief, Alyndria saw the man's pleas were heard, and a member of the city guard approached the party, sword drawn. "What's this I see?"

"You ain't seen nothin'" one thug protested confidently, and there was a jingle of coin changing hands.

"Right then, move along citizen."

"Much obliged, soldier."

"What?" exclaimed the bound man, struggling against his captors, looking over his shoulder as he was being led away. "Are you not going to uphold the law?"

"I see no wrongdoing in this," said the soldier, but his eyes were on the bag of coin.

"No, you can't do this!"

"Quiet or you'll be squished, bug!" One of the thugs cuffed the prisoner soundly.

"You! You there!" The desperate man's eyes found Alyndria's, hidden though she was in the shadows with the others. "By Helm, please help me!"

"I says quiet!" This time the blow sent the bound man to his knees.

Alyndria grabbed her weapons. "We have to help him."

No sooner had she spoken than the first arrow flew from Yoshimo's bow, piercing a thug through the shoulder. The slavers drew their weapons and looked warily in the direction of the shot.

"Now!" She burst from the dark and ran at the man, flail and morningstar at the ready.

Khalid engaged the other man, who was obviously intimidated by his larger weapon and swung his short sword wildly, trying to avoid the sweeping arcs of the powerful, magical broadsword.

Suddenly Alyndria's adversary went into slow motion as the effects of a spell exploded all around him. She lashed him with the Flail of Ages, and then brought Twilight down, pulping his skull.

A similar spell immobilized the man Khalid engaged, and the blow he would have avoided under normal circumstances neatly decapitated him.

As always, Alyndria was a little shocked by how quickly the men had fallen, just as their rescuee seemed to be, standing amazed as Nalia deftly slit his bonds.

The man threw himself on the ground before them. "The blessings of Helm be upon you! Thank you for saving me from the life of a slave!" Then, as quickly as he went down he was up again, and disappeared, fleeing into the darkness.

"Wait, do you need some... money," Alyndria finished lamely.

"Perhaps, my lady, the gift of freedom was enough." Anomen gave her a smile brimming with satisfaction as he looked over the bodies, which Nalia and Yoshimo were searching for valuables.

Alyndria busied herself shaking off the gobbets of flesh from Twilight - the Flail of Ages appeared to have fared much better, only smeared with a little blood. Anomen looked on dispassionately as she worked.

"I'm surprised a lady such as yourself would choose such a bloody weapon. Maces are much easier to clean."

"Yes, but I like the spike for thrusting," Alyndria held the weapon up in illustration. "It has some advantages over a completely blunt instrument."

"Ah, you don't like things which are blunt, yet you still come straight to the point," the would-be knight chuckled, amused by his own wit. "You certainly are a study in contrasts." He watched a moment longer as she peered at her weapon, decided it would pass muster, and put it back on her belt.

Nalia and Yoshimo had collected and distributed the loot among their packs and they began walking towards Gaelan's house again. Maybe they would wake Arledian too and trade in some of these goods... er, then again, maybe they would do that at the Copper Coronet, she amended to herself, remembering what she had done to the fence the last time they had met.

Anomen continued by her side, and finally cleared his throat to speak again. "I prithee, my lady...it fills me with no small amount of wonder that you have not asked me of my journeys ere we met? We have traveled a short while, and yet we know next to nothing of each other."

Now that she stopped to think about it, Alyndria was somewhat amazed she hadn't asked too. Normally she liked to know about the people she traveled with, but with the shock of Minsc's departure on the night Anomen had joined them, it had quite slipped her mind. She smiled up at the Helmite, liking this tone of voice he was using much better than some of the others with which he had addressed her group. It reminded her more of the glimpse of man she had seen in those first moments at the Copper Coronet, the kindness in his eyes. "Alright, then...tell me of your journeys, if you wish."

"There is precious little to tell, although my few adventures have been glorious, indeed. The path to knighthood is a long one, however...hence the need for my travels. But a few of my deeds have reached the ears of bards. Battle is commonplace enough throughout Amn, and the Order has fielded its army many times in recent years. Most recently, however...let me think...I was with our men when the orcs came down into the Ommlur Hills once again. In great numbers, they are a force to fear...but individually, they are no match for a warrior. I, myself, was able to fight through many of them alone and take the head of one of their foul chieftains."

Alyndria hadn't heard mention of Anomen in any of the bardsong she had heard in recent memory, and she wondered how it was that he had been able to take anyone's head when as a servant of the gods like herself he was forbidden the use of swords. /Well, maybe he bludgeoned him in the ribs until he died and then got a friend to do the honours./ "That sounds very impressive," she said at last, which was completely true. She almost laughed at the thought - crushing the head, however messy, was the easiest way to end a fight - what a time he must have had smashing away at his foe while trying to spare the face for a trophy.

"Aye, it has been a struggle to prove my worth to the Order. I wish nothing more than to ride into battle with the crest of the Radiant Heart flying over my head. But I speak too much of my own deeds. One would think me preoccupied with pride. I would not blame you were you not interested in hearing tales of my prowess, truly."

/If all of them are this outlandish I would be very interested,/ she thought, as again, strangely, she was put in mind of Gorion. Her foster father had always been a spinner of tales, and though he had never said whose adventures he was really telling, she had a suspicion that at least some of them were his own.

But Anomen was speaking again. "I am interested in hearing something of yours, however, my lady. I have been told a little of your deeds in the Sword Coast, albeit they do sound quite fanciful and exaggerated."

It was becoming harder not to laugh. The pot calling the kettle black! Still, he had not been there as she had, and neither had she been on any of his adventures, so how were either of them to truly know. They simply had to give each other the benefit of the doubt. Not that it really mattered. Fame was not what interested her. "Well, most stories do grow with the telling, Anomen. My story is no more exceptional than anyone else's."

The tall squire looked satisfied by this. "Aye, that has a ring of truth. I did not think that you truly stopped a war in the north on your own, skilled as you might be. Rumour brings exaggeration, I am told."

Her earlier genial thoughts were brought up short by his dismissal. Gorion had taught her manners, yes, and she was bound as a priestess to show humility, but she would not see her friends deprived of their due. Her valiant friends, some of whom had died. For her. Because of her. She looked around at the group, eyes lingering on Khalid. "Actually, I did stop a war with Amn several months ago...but I didn't do it on my own, of course."

Perhaps he was more observant than his occasional arrogance would suggest, or perhaps he had heard the slight cooling of her tone, but his next words had a tone of contrite apology, though his face did not show it. "Well, of course you had fellow companions who aided you then as now. And together you performed deeds as great as those I hope to accomplish in your service. A wondrous thing, indeed. Perhaps you will tell me more, Alyndria, as we walk...I would hear more of these former companions of yours and your valiant tales of the Sword Coast."




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