Vierna : Drow in the City (conclusion)
"My lady?" the guard asked meekly as he stood before his lady with trembling knees. He knew very well in what kind of moods she could be if her child went missing.
"Speak up!" the enraged Drow said with irritation.
"My lady," he stammered, while handing his lady a golden locket. "I, emm, found this lying about in front of the stables."
"Yep," Imoen said. "That's Vierna's little locket, alright."
"Oh, this is not good at all!" Minsc announced. "Boo will use his hamster nose to find our little friend!"
"Minsc, he's a hamster not a bloodhound," Imoen chuckled.
"STOP GIGGLING AND GET WITH THE PROGRAM!" Viconia snarled while she opened the locket to see the pictures of her and Karis. It was a magical locket, enchanted to be connected with the one around Viconia's neck and to be able to magically track down Vierna. Problem is, it needed to be around Vierna's neck to do so. "She never takes it off," Viconia whispered, "not even when she goes to sleep."
"We'll get her back, Vic," Imoen said.
---
Vierna took her first steps on the large building containing Waukeen's promande. She was amazed to see so many people in one place, all talking, bargaining and buying stuff. Wow, she didn't even know there was so much stuff to buy in the first place! She couldn't wait to get home to tell her friends about this place.
Remembering she had a gold coin in her pocket, she decided to find a marketstand where she could buy a BIG candycane, but while she was looking for one, her sensitive ears picked up chords of music coming from the other side of the promenade. Eager to investigate, she waded through the sea of merchants and customers until she came to a little quiet corner next to the entrance of something called the 'Vennn...turr's Mar..' where she found three children happily playing songs to a crowd of people.
The first child was a half-orcish lad, who was playing an instrument resembling a chello. The second child was a human boy with a dirty, but smiling face and was playing some makeshift drums. The third child was a very tiny half-elven girl, even shorter than Vierna, and was merrily playing the flute.
For children so small, they played with a remarkable sense of tone and coordination, and many of the members of the crowd were throwing coins in an old hat put on the floor.
The children looked to be poor, and were dressed in moderately raggy clothes, but the girl even moreso than the boys.
Vierna began tapping her toes to the rythm of the merry music and soon enough, she was humming along as well. Humming led to dance, and before too long, she was dancing happily to the music, between the band and the crowd. The crowd was swept up by the dancing and the music and threw even more coins in the hat as a result. The band was also visibly overjoyed by the spectacle of the dancing Drow and swept up the rythm, until finally, the song ended, and the crowd applauded for both dancer and band.
"Wow," the human boy said. "That was great!"
"Yeah," the half-orc said. "You can really move!"
"What's your name?" the girl asked in a high-pitched voice.
"Hi, I'm Vierna DeVir!" Vierna said.
"I am Delli," the human boy greeted. "That is Thorp," he said while pointing at the half-orc boy.
"And I'm Rosella!" the little half-elf said.
"Look at all that money," Thorp said.
"We don't have homes," Delli explained. "We play music to pay for rooms at inns and to buy food and clothes. Mr. Hendak always lets us sleep for free in the backroom of his inn, though."
"Yeah!" Rosella laughed. "He's so nice!"
"We work hard for our money," Thorp said proudly. "We don't steal or cheat. Sometimes merchants ask us to play next to their stands to lure customers, like mister Barterman, but sometimes they chase us away."
"Don't you have any mommies or daddies? Where do you live?" Vierna asked.
"We don't have homes," Delli drooped.
"My daddy left my mommy before I was born," Rosella pouted, "and my mommy died last spring, so I was thrown on the streets."
"My mommy died at sea," Delli said. "And my daddy is in prison."
"My parents were killed by a mob," Thorp said sadly. "My dad was human, but people didn't like my mom."
"Oh, that's so sad," Vierna pouted. "I'm looking for my momma and daddy too. I was taken by some mean men and now I'm looking for my uncle Jan to take me back."
"Yeah, you wear nice clothes, so I figured you have a home," Delli said. "Where do you live, Vierna?"
"In a Keep where there's lots of forests and trees and cute animals!" Vierna giggled.
"You live in a castle? No way!" Rosella cried.
"Look at all that money!" Thorp said and counted. "Oh, no," he said while giving an excited Rosella an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, Rosie, but we still can't buy you a new dress. We're just one gold coin short."
"Oh," Rosella pouted sadly.
"Here," Vierna said and handed Thorp the gold coin the nobleman had given her. "I was gonna buy a candycane, but..."
"Thanks!" Rosella giggled and hugged Vierna.
"I gotta go find my uncle Jan," Vierna told her new friends. "Bye!"
"Goobye, Vierna," the three children smiled.
---
Sarevok, Terror of the Sword Coast, Former Child of Bhaal, Aspiring Lord of Murder... was standing in line behind the counter of one of the stands on Waukeen's promenade, trying his best to keep his temper in check. 'I only need a tinderbox and I'll have all the supplies I need... Hurry up, you old dingbat,' he thought as the old crone standing in front of him was, once again, fretting over some of the wares she was trying to buy.
"So, sonny, in my days all these things were much cheaper!" the old crone cackled.
'When was that? During the signing of the Dale Reckoning?' Sarevok chuckled inwardly.
"Why, I could buy a weeks worth of groceries for only a single gold coin," the old crone ranted on.
'But I'd really like to kill you for free today,' Sarevok grinned and fought the urge to slice the lady in half with his Sword of Chaos.
"Hmm, maybe I'll just take this tinderbox," the old crone said.
' OF COURSE, she would take the LAST tinderbox! I tell you, crone. If you take that box, I'll twist your neck around!' Sarevok considered, but then forced himself to calm down. 'Easy Sarevok, easy. One... Two... Three... Four... Five... Six... Seven... Eight... Nine... Ten... Nope, didn't work. I still want to disembowel that hag... Tamoko would never approve.'
Sarevok's thoughts drifted to his love. After years of trying to find himself, after years of conquest and slaughter, a chance encounter had reunited the two old lovers. It took a lot of effort on Sarevok's part to regain Tamoko's trust, but eventually, they started travelling together again and eventually, once again became lovers. They travelled Faerun together, and even Sarevok had to admit that Tamoko had a more than calming influence on him. Now, after years of travel in and out of Toril together, they had decided to see the rest of Toril, starting with Tamoko's homeland of Kara-Tur. During the trip to Amn to book passage to Kara-Tur, Tamoko had been regaling him of tales of her youth, the village where she was born and the hills she often spoke off with such a sense of loss. Tamoko had decided to take care of the details of booking the ship, which had left Sarevok with the arduous task of purchasing supplies for the trip. Their ship would leave in ten days, and he hoped the crone would be done shopping by then.
Still, Sarevok decided he had to lay low. Amn was the land where his 'brother' lived, after all, so a slaughter might attract some unwanted attention. Fortunately, the crone seemed to have lost interest in the tinderbox. 'Now if those damn kids would stop making that noise as well, it would be a perfect day...'
---
Unger was lead into the main hall of De'Arnese and was chuckling inwardly. From the look of it, the guards were actively looking for the little girl, and it seemed the plan was working perfectly. He suddenly found himself staring into the hard eyes of Lady Viconia DeVir, apparently filled with pure hatred at the moment.
"Speak quickly," Viconia hissed.
"Well, ermmm, my lady, ermmm, that is, ummm," Unger stammered.
"SPEAK UP, BUFFOON!" was shouted in Unger's ear.
"Ermm, Lord Twarres, want to... ermmm, offer help, findet, you dauwtor Fyrnia..." Unger stammered.
"Don't you think that's a little convenient?" Viconia sing-songed, while she drew an oddly shaped dagger and traced it over Unger's neck.
"That means," the voice of Lord Karis sounded from an unknown source, "that either you have a spy amongst my men, or you have kidnapped Vierna yourself. And since my guards are honest people, that leaves only one option."
Immediately, Karis and a pink-haired girl rippled into existance next to lady Viconia, while a small group of guards and a veritable GIANT of man wearing an angry scowl stepped through the door.
"Minsc is outraged! And Boo is too! See his whiskers tremble with fury! Give back our little Vierna or I will rip off your legs and kick your own butt with them!" Minsc snarled.
"Ermmm," Unger tried to reply, but was violently shoved in a chair.
"Let us be takin' the buggor fer a walk around the keep, milaidy! We be findin' out where the snaike took our little Vierna!" the guard known as Barnaby announced. Unger gulped as he noticed the men and women were all wearing heavy metal gauntlets and brandished wooden clubs.
"You'll find that Vierna is rather popular around here," the pink-haired girl menaced, while lady Viconia put the strange dagger to Unger's troat.
"This dagger, male, is one of the few things I have brought with me from the underdark. It was used during one of my favorite sports : skinstealing," Viconia grinned evilly. "Skinstealing involves a slave and this knife. The object of the game is to cut off as many skin in as thin slices as possible. You have several opponents, and the priestess who removes the most skin in the thinnest slices wins the match. Would you like me to demonstrate?"
"IT WAS ALL LORD TWARRES' IDEA! HE TOOK VIERNA! HE DESERVES TO DIE, NOT ME! PLEASE DON'T TAKE MY SKIN! VIERNA ESCAPED AND IS WALKING THROUGH THE CITY," Unger cried.
"You... let... her... escape?" Viconia snarled in outrage. "In... a... city... as... dangerous... as... that?"
"Milady!" a messanger shouted as she entered the room and handed Lord Karis a note, which Viconia promptly snatched.
"It's from an officer called Bribeasy and he wrote Vierna is safe and is staying with mister Jansen," the messager panted before she collapsed in a seat at the table.
"She is safe," Viconia sighed in relief.
"Shall I return the potato-knife to the kitchen then?" Karis chuckled.
"P...p...potato-knife?" Unger stammered.
"Of course," Viconia chuckled. "I wouldn't waste my talents on the likes of you, but you needn't be disappointed," she said while signaling the guards. "These guards will take care of you and see to your needs. Boys and girls? He's all yours."
"Oh, milaidy," Barnaby grinned. "We'll take good care of him, don't worry. And we'll put yer teeth in a baggie when you leave, mister Unger."
"NO!" Unger screamed. "Lord Karis, please!"
"I haven't seen anything? Have you, sis?" Karis said, while Imoen shook her head 'no'.
"To Athkatla," Viconia snarled. "I have a score to settle with Twarres."
---
Vierna had just entered the Slums and wasn't liking it one bit. Not only had she mixed up left and right again, and had walked in the wrong direction, but it seemed the sun was setting and her friend Bribeasy had warned her about being in the slums at night. Vierna saw many dirty men and women giving her odd stares, so without hesitation, she set out to run across the slums, hoping she would find her Uncle Jan's house quickly. A few streets later, Vierna ran across a large building where the sounds of music and laughter came from. But Vierna had no time to check it out and continued on her path.
Then, the entrance to the inn opened, and for Vierna, it was too late to stop. With a loud 'ooff' she crashed into the leg of an extremely large man. After getting up and dusting herself off, she noticed the man had dark skin, a small beard and large, glowing eyes.
"Ermm, hi!" Vierna said. "Sorry about bumping into you. You know where uncle Jan lives?"
"Watch where you are going, urchin," the man chuckled. "You might just bump into people much more dangerous than I."
---
Sarevok looked down at the tiny girl with astonishment. 'A Drow child? Here?' he wondered. 'An escaped slave? Or...' Suddenly, an impossible idea popped in his head. 'No... couldn't be'. He decided to probe.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"I'm Vierna. HI!" she replied.
"Where are your parents, child?" Sarevok asked.
"Ermm, they're not here now," Vierna pouted. "I'm looking for my uncle Jan so he can take me back to them."
'Oh, please don't tell me they live in Athkatla. I am not in the mood for a fight with such powerful creatures right now.' he thought.
"Tell me," Sarevok asked. "What is your mother's name?"
"My momma? She's called Viconia. Pretty name isn't it? My daddy is called Karis. Do you know them? What's your name?" Vierna giggled.
'Just my luck. I happen to run into the child of my nemesis. Just my rotten luck,' he thought.
"Sarevok," he said, while bracing himself. "And you could say I... have heard of your parents."
"Sarevok?" Vierna giggled. "Pretty name!"
'Hmmm, she did not recognize the name. Perhaps they didn't tell her. ' Then Sarevok got a really wicked idea. 'How would they react if none other than Sarevok would bring their missing child home? I could bring her come.... There's more than enough time. And then... Karis would OWE me... Or at least the look on his face would be worth the effort alone,' Sarevok laughed inwardly, but when his train of thought when he noticed the girl was about to run off.
"Sorry, mister Sarevok," the girl yelled back, "but I have to find my uncle Jan before it gets dark!"
"Wait!" Sarevok said and tried to chase her.
---
A few moments later, Vierna finally found the Jansen home, shaped like a turnip, like her friend had told her. Smiling, she prepared to run towards it, but just before she could reach the door, she noticed a group of guards crossing the street. She recognized the colors, not to mention the leader as Roberto, the man who had tried to lock her up back at the home of the funny parrot-man.
Before they saw her, Vierna managed to duck into an alley and hide in a crate just before the guards passed. After putting the lid on top of her hidingplace, she looked through a knothole and noticed the guards scanning the alley before continuing their path. No doubt these guards were sent to catch her! Now, how was she going to find her uncle Jan?
It was then that she found out she wasn't the only occupant of the crate. A small and mangy little grey/brownish kitten, who looked like she hadn't eaten for weeks, crawled against Vierna for warmth.
"Awww," Vierna cooed, picked up the little kitten and put it in her pouch, until only her little head was sticking out. "You're hungry too? And you don't have a home?" Vierna asked. Remembering she had some jerky, she made little pieces and started to feed them to the grateful little kitten. "Wanna come live with me and my cats? They'll love you..." Vierna giggled.
But then, the crate flew open, Vierna was yanked out and put on the floor. Sarevok was once again standing in front of her.
---
"You are tough to keep track off, girl," Sarevok panted a little from the wild chase.
"Hi again," the little girl said uneasily. "Could you help me and my new friend get past those guards?"
"Are you telling me," Sarevok said when he noticed the kitten snacking on some pieces of jerky, "that you have fed your LAST rations to a flea-bitten cat? That spineless weakling of a father of yours is certainly rubbing off on you."
"Hey!" the girl suddenly said angrily. "That's mean!"
"So what?!" Sarevok shouted back. "It's the truth! Besides, how can you be certain he actually IS your 'daddy'."
"How can my daddy not be my daddy?" Vierna looked confused.
'If your mother met an elf or half-elf in a bar and gave him the night of his life, of course,' Sarevok chuckled inwardly. 'I cannot believe that spineless brother of mine could even impregnate a Drow'
"When your mother has been lying to your father, of course," Sarevok replied.
Suddenly, an intense pain shot through his entire right leg as Vierna kicked him in the shins as hard as she could.
"Don't say mean things about my momma and daddy!" Vierna snarled.
"You little!" Sarevok tried to say, but soon enough, pain exploded through his left leg this time. Eventually, he managed to hold an angry Vierna back, by slightly forcing her back by holding her head with a single hand, just barely keeping her flailing legs out of range of his own.
"I've KILLED for less!" Sarevok threatened, but once again yelped in pain as Vierna clamped her mighty incisors around his thumb.
"You wanna fight me?" Vierna told Sarevok with balled fists. "You wanna fight?"
Sarevok just looked at the girl and staring into her blue eyes, which were radiating a familiar determination. It was no longer a question who Vierna's father was. Then Sarevok slowly bursted into laughter. "You are very brave," Sarevok finally said. "But also very foolish. Let those guards come, and I will finish them off for you."
"Squirt!" a familiar voice suddenly called from the entrance of the alley. "Here I come to find out what all the ruckus and shouting is about, and I find you! Why am I not surprised?!"
"Jan Jansen," Sarevok spoke disdainfully.
"Binky!" Jan greeted happily. "Fancy meeting you here. Last time I met you, you were all transparant!"
"Don't remind me!" Sarevok shouted.
"Oy, oy, oy, oy!" the first of three grinning guards said as they entered the alley as well. "Lookey here. Give us the kid and no one will get hurt!"
"I beg to differ," Sarevok grinned and draw his very mean looking sword.
"Come on, squirt! You don't wanna see this," Jan said and took Vierna by the hand to lead her to a branching alley. "Meet me at the house, Binky!"
Jan and Vierna (and the kitten) were away before the guards lost their limbs.
---
Vierna and Jan ran through the alleys until they came to another exit. Bursting from it, they noticed the house was only a few yards away. But in the opposite direction, Vierna noticed her three friends...
"Leave us alone!" Delli shouted while trying to soothe the crying Rosella.
"Yeah!" Thorp said. "We ain't seen no dark elf named Vierna!"
"Shut up, brat!" an ugly guard replied. "I never said she was a Drow! Tell us where she is."
"Go eat poo!" Thorp replied.
"Oh, and it is not right for kids to have so much money," the other guard chuckled. "We'll make far better use of that."
"We need that to buy clothes and food!" Rosella cried.
Vierna turned to Jan with pleading eyes. "We have to save my friends, uncle Jan," she said, while Jan nodded.
"HEY!" Jan shouted. "Leave those kids alone, turniphaters!"
"Make us!" the guards laughed, while the frightened children looked on.
"Okay..." Jan laughed and started to cast his spell.
"Well?" they asked smugly after Jan finished his spell. Jan simply pointed upward.
Suddenly, from the sky fell a gigantic illusionary turnip which started to roll after the screaming guards. And thus began a merry chase across Athkatla. The guards were baffled as to why the giant turnip managed to make every turn no matter how sharp it was, how the giant turnip managed to squeeze through the narrowest of alleys and how it even followed them through the water. Eventually, the guards ran out of the city gates, followed suit by the giant turnip, never to be seen again.
"I love that spell," Jan sighed. "Too bad it isn't a real one."
"Come on!" Vierna said to her friends as they noticed more guards were coming around the corner. Thorp managed to collect the money before running toward the Jansen home where Sarevok was already waiting for them.
---
"I was a fool to listen to you!" Sarevok shouted as Jan closed the door to the Jansen home. Immediately dozens of Jansens came forth to ask what was going on. "How is this house going to keep those guards for bursting in? Better to face them outside!"
"Activate..." Jan screamed at the top of his lungs, "Jansen Anti-Griffin Defense Platform!"
Immediately, a loud siren sounded throughout the house. Immediately, the hole in the roof letting in the sun to the turnip-cellar closed, while large metal plates fell down at every window. Sarevok stepped out of the way before a pillar of metal came from the floor and covered the door to the house. The kitchentable suddenly turned into the floor and gave way to an advanced looking control-center for the entire house while a series of periscopes sank from the ceiling.
"Don't worry," Jan chuckled. "The JAGDP will keep us safe from all harm. Plus we have food and water for five years! Ermmm, but only ten minutes if you're allergic to turnips."
"Hi!" Vierna told all the Jansens and was greeted in return while the other kids put down their instruments in relief.
"So," Ma Jansen said. "You must be the Vierna we've heard so much about! Come here and eat something. You're nothing but skin and bones! And you kids come too."
---
"I am still in Hell, aren't I?" Sarevok asked himself after spending an hour in the company of the gnomes. He was in the sitting room, hoping to avoid the Jansens, but they seemed to be everywhere. "The last ten years have been the cruel joke of a Balor who's now mocking me, right?"
"What's that, sonny?" the geriatric great-uncle Albert said as he shoved a large copper hearing aid horn in Sarevok's face.
"Ah, mister Sarevok!" Gladys Jansen began. "Have I told you about my son? He's graduating from I.wiz. U. next summer. His grades are so good, they had to leave him back two classes just so he wouldn't upstage the other students!"
"Oh, quit yakkin' about yer son," retired general Eisenhower Jansen broke in. "I've got dozens of warstories. One day, my troops were invading Zentharim territory by our wits and turnips alone. Six days it took us to find a proper campsite which would allow for turnipfields as well. An army travels on its stomach you see..."
"Or would you rather hear a romantic story?" the pretty young gnome known as Aphrodite Jansen said, while she batted her eyelashes at him. Apparently, she had taken quite a shine to him. "So, some years ago, I came across this hannnndsome man, with looks not unlike yours, by the way. So I told, him, 'hey, baby. Wanna light my fire?'. Unfortunately, my kiss was a fatal one. Who knew he was allergic to turnips?"
Sarevok noticed the children were having a better time than he was. Jan had introduced Vierna to his young cousin Gerty and they were now all dancing and playing music for the toe-tapping Jansens, while Jan was constantly looking through the periscope, keeping an eye on the guards standing outside the Jansen home.
"Hey," Jan said. "Something's happening outside.
---
"Should I talk through this?" lord Twarres asked as he stepped through the grime of the slums with a grimace, making an effort to keep his clothes from dragging. After putting the horn to his mouth he decided to speak.
"My good sirs," lord Twarres began. "I request you hand of the girl to my forces. She will not be harmed."
No reaction.
"Please," he continued. "I must ask you again to give us the girl."
Again, no reaction.
"As a nobleman of Athkatla," he said angrily, "I order you shorties to hand him over."
Still no reaction.
"I am A PLAYER!" Twarres shouted. "YOU WILL GIVE ME THE GIRL!"
Then, a single window on the second floor opened. Happy that the commoners had decided to listen to reason, lord Twarres stepped forward. Then, a single rotten turnip crashed into Twarres' head before the window closed again and, while the guards could barely contain their snickers, Twarres shook his head.
Just as he was about to order an attack, one of the towers in the roof opened, and a strange contraption rose from the opening, while it was given curious looks from the guards below. There was a single occupant, an elderly gnome in a uniform adorned with many medals. The machine had a long barrel made from a treetrunk, and a large basin on the back part of the machine which was filled with an unknown substance.
"Tell Kelemvor Eisenhower Jansen sent you!" the gnome shouted and fired. Immediately, rotten turnips came spewing out of the barrel with an incredible rate. The turnips crashed in the many guards and the juices flew all over the ground, making the guard little more than sitting ducks to the onslaught of rotten turnips from above. They slipped, crashed into each other and were totally unable to defend themselves.
Suddenly, bright lights appeared next to the battlefield, and several very powerful people stepped through the newly formed portals. Imoen started to cast several sleep-spells immediately after exiting, while Minsc grinned, grabbed two guards by the neck and slammed their heads together. After that, he grabbed a short, fallen guard by the knee and used him to swat down three other guards. Karis was using kicks and punches, while Viconia had her sights set on a certain person in particular. And she saw him trying to slip away.
Lord Twarres, in a state of total panic, had noticed the Drow was chasing him, but then he steaded himself, wiped the turnip-gore from his head and turned to face his persuer with an arrogant look.
"Milady," he tried. "I am a player. I was only playing the game as it was meant to be. Athkatla was built on this unwritten law!"
"Game over," Viconia simply snarled, and a shiny magical disk appeared in her hand.
Lord Twarres didn't even have time to scream in terror. His head flew through the air and bounced across the cobblestone road until it came to a halt in a mudpuddle.
"Ho there!" an officer know as Dirty Cop was leading a contingement of cityguards and surrounded the men of lord Twarres. "You are all under arrest!"
---
Vierna was laying in the arms of her mother, the events of the day were so tiring she had fallen asleep. Viconia was smiling to her little child, while Karis ruffled Vierna's long white hair.
The scene somehow hit a deep chord in Sarevok, as something he desperately would have wanted to have. He considered Vierna was a very lucky girl indeed.
Sarevok chuckled as he remembered the scene when Karis had first entered the Jansen home. 'Sarevok? If you've hurt my child in any way, there'll be no place in the multiverse where you'll be safe!' Karis said, while Sarevok smugly explained how he had helped Vierna. The look on his brother's face was indeed priceless.
"Well, it is time for me to go," Sarevok said. "I do not want to spend any more time here than necessary."
"I understand," Karis chuckled. "And, Sarevok?" Karis asked, while Sarevok looked back one more time. "Thank you. And good luck in Kara-Tur."
Sarevok nodded once and stepped out of the house.
"Excuse me, mister Sarevok," Inspector Bribeasy told him. "I still need to take your statement."
"I'll give you my statement!" Jan broke in.
"Ermm, no thanks," Bribeasy said.
"Oh, it's no trouble. See, it all started when I took a trip to Sembia, where I met a talking mule called Ikea, who belonged to a chain of store selling crappy furniture. Just a..." Jan's voice drifted off as he and Bribeasy walked off into the sunset.
"It seems she has a new pet too," Karis said, while he noticed the tiny kitten in his daughter's pouch. "Plenty of room at the Keep."
"Let's take her home," Viconia said, but Ma Jansen broke in.
"Oh, let her stay and sleep peacefully," Ma said. "Come on, I'll put up some extra beds so you can all stay."
"You know," Viconia said. "Now that we've killed lord Twarres, we have technically conquered his estate. We've added his territory to our lands. It seems our Empire is growing," she chuckled.
"Well, at least his farmers will be happy to hear that news," Karis said. "A lot of extra paperwork, though."
"We have homes!" Rosella suddenly shouted while she ran down the stairs, but hushed when she noticed Vierna was sleeping.
"The Jansens adopted us and now we can play at their turnipstands!" Delli announced.
"Thorp Jansen," Thorp said proudly.
"You can tell her tomorrow, kids," Karis smiled, while Viconia carried Vierna to a bed on the second floor. He was happy to stay over at his friends, but judging from the number of Jansens talking to Minsc and Imoen, he gathered this would be a LOOONNNNGGGG night.
---
"So," Sarevok heard a familiar voice call as soon as he stepped out the door to the Jansen home, "did you have an interesting day?"
"You could say that again," Sarevok grimaced as his lover Tamoko stepped from the shadows and flew into his arms.
"I take it, all the commotion of the day made you forget about the supplies you were supposed to buy?" Tamoko smiled.
"You... were watching all the time, weren't you?" Sarevok sighed.
"Indeed," Tamoko chuckled. "And it has been most amusing..."
"I bet," Sarevok smiled and cupped Tamoko's face lovingly.
"Our boat leaves this very night... If we hurry, we might still buy the supplies we need before we leave..." Tamoko grinned.
That said, Tamoko and Sarevok left the slums, to take their leave of Faerun a few hours later.
Big thanks goes to Lord E, whose characterization of Sarevok has learned me to portray him a little more convincing, I hope. He has mellowed out a little since he and Karis last met, after all.
