The group returned to the slave pens of the Copper Coronet, and Anomen carefully approached Etoni, who was quietly crying in the corner.
“Etoni?” he said gently.
“Don't touch me. Please don't touch me,” the man wailed.
“Etoni, do you remember who I am?”
“Anomen? It wasn't a dream…you're here. Run, Anomen, before Lehtinan catches you here! He'll hurt you!”
“Lehtinan is dead, and I am going to take you to someone who can help you. Come with me, my friend.”
Using soft tones and reassurances, Anomen coaxed the trembling man out of the cell. When he saw that Etoni's clothes were torn to shreds, he wrapped his cloak around him. Etoni shied back when he saw the other party members, whimpering like a frightened animal. Trying to be as comforting as possible, Anomen murmured, “It is all right, they are my companions. They will not harm you.”
They went outside and mounted the creaking steps up to the tiny temple of Ilmater. The Ilmateri priest looked even more mournful than usual at the news of what had been occurring under his nose. “I knew that slavers operated here in the slums, but I had no idea that Lehtinan would be so brazen as to use them in the Coronet. I will help your friend, and I would recommend he rest here for a while.”
Anomen said quietly to Jarran, “I would like to stay with him for a little while. I want to be sure that he has recovered and… I should speak to him. Apologize for my words. I owe him at least that.”
“Of course. We'll go back down and see if Hendak needs any more help.”
The three men went into a private chamber, and the servant of the Crying God began his spell. When it was complete, Etoni looked up with more clarity in his eyes than Anomen had seen since discovering him in the cell. “I… I can think. My mind isn't trapped in misery anymore.”
Anomen turned to the other priest. “Thank you… Molison, isn't it? Thank you for your help.”
“It was my pleasure. The Broken God delights in removing the pain of others. I will leave you alone now.”
Etoni stretched, then grinned at Anomen. “I can't believe I am out of that… that pit. And to think I owe it all to my squire in shining armor.”
Anomen chuckled. “Even better, I am a knight now.”
“Wonderful! Oh,” he clucked disgustedly. “I need a bath so badly. Do you think the Ilmateri run to hot water, or do they revel in the sacrifice of bathing in cold?”
“I am sure they would gladly give you a hot bath, Etoni.” He was happy to see his friend acting more himself, though the poor man would need more than a bath. Etoni was naturally small and slender, but after being in Lehtinan's dubious care he looked thin and frail, and the nearly violet eyes that had caught the attention of so many were sunken. “Etoni, how did you wind up in the slave pens? I thought you and Lehtinan had an arrangement.”
“We did, but evidently my freelancing was taking too much business away from his own boys. He decided why have just a share of my earnings when he could have all of them. When I didn't cooperate, he…he gave me the worst customers to make me change my mind. When I still resisted…he said if I wasn't going to earn my keep one way, I'd earn it another.”
“I am so sorry, my friend.”
The former slave leaned close to the priest, carefully examining his face in the gleaming armor. “My scars are gone. Well, all I need is some cleaning up and new clothes and some decent food and I'll be back to normal. Who owns the Coronet now?”
“Hendak.”
“Hendak? I wonder if he will agree to the same bargain I had with Lehtinan.”
“Etoni! Surely you do not intend to go back to that life?”
“Why not? It was easy work, and quite lucrative. And I was so very good at it,” he purred. “That reminds me, I do owe you a great debt of gratitude, and I know just how I'd like to repay you.” He slid his hand up the breastplate of Anomen's armor.
The priest grabbed his hand and held it tightly. “Etoni, I am sorry for the harsh way I refused you before, but my answer is still no.”
“Why must you play hard to get? I could show you things…”
“We have had this discussion before, and I have already given you my reasons. I will not go over them time and again.”
Etoni's face flushed angrily as he snatched back his hand. “Most men aren't so choosy when offered pleasure.”
“This is not the sort of pleasure I want. You are my friend, but nothing more.”
“Yes, I remember what you told me you want. You'll need all of Tymora's blessings to find what your heart desires,” the little man snarled.
Anomen stepped back, startled by the venom in the other man's voice. “I… I thought we had some measure of friendship, but I see that I was wrong. I will leave you now.”
“Anomen, don't go! I'm sorry, that was cruel. You will find love someday, I know you will. I just wished… you were so kind to me. I thought it would be nice to do something just because I wanted to, not because I was being paid to.”
“And I'm flattered that you feel so strongly, really I am. But you have already repaid me for any kindness I showed you before. You talked to me and kept me company when no other person would. I would have gone mad with boredom and loneliness had it not been for you.”
“R-really? I am glad, but… there is still the debt I owe you for today.”
“There is only one thing that you could do to satisfy that debt.”
“What? I'll do anything for you, Anomen, anything.”
Softly the priest said, “Leave that terrible life, Etoni. Stop destroying yourself one night at a time. It has worn away your ability to find honest friendship, even between the two of us. I offered you companionship, and you assumed that I wanted something from you in return. Your heart has been hardened.”
“I…I can't.”
“Have you learned nothing from this? Enslaved, tortured, driven mad, all because of that life? How many stories did you tell me of being beaten? How many times did you tell me of being ill used by your… customers? You have intelligence, humor… surely there are other things you could do.”
Etoni was silent for a long moment. “But it is the only life I know. When Father discovered what I was and threw me out, it was the only way I could survive. I am… afraid to do anything else.”
“Then it will be the death of you, my friend. The next time you run into danger I will almost certainly not be there to save you.”
“But how could I live if I stopped working? Lehtinan stole what gold I had saved. Do you want me begging in the streets?”
Anomen felt his heart go out to the man who had helped him through such a dark time. He could not leave Etoni wallowing in the hopelessness he had fallen into. “You will learn a proper trade, an honest trade. And you will live on this while you do so.” He dropped a bag of gold into Etoni's hand.
The other man's eyes grew large at the size of the bag. “You… you can't mean it. This… how could you give me this much gold? This is what a man would pay his mistress to disappear, not what a stranger in a tavern deserves.”
“You are not a stranger, you are a good friend. Only swear to me that you will no longer be a prostitute, and will earn a respectable living, and it is yours.”
“I swear. Oh, I swear it on my life. Anomen, you don't know what this means to me.” He threw his arms around the priest, crying quietly.
“I think I do,” Anomen said softly. He gently patted the smaller man on the back, and gave him a brief kiss on the forehead. “The priests here will look after you until you feel able to start your new life, and I hope it is a happy one. Goodbye, Etoni.”
“Goodbye, Anomen. And thank you.”
The priest returned to the Copper Coronet to find a great celebration in full swing. He saw Mazzy coming towards him. The halfling said quietly, “Hendak has told us of more slaver strongholds in the city. We will deal with them tomorrow after we have had a good night's sleep. How is your friend?”
“His mind is now clear. Thank you for asking.”
“If he is well, then why the long face?”
Anomen sighed. “I persuaded him to take up a respectable trade, and gave him some gold, but… I do not know if his resolve will hold.”
“So you think he will go back to being a prostitute?”
“It is possible. Etoni has a good heart, but a weak nature. He takes the easy path, even if it leads to an unpleasant destination. Still, he did resist Lehtinan's demands, so perhaps he is stronger than I thought. I will pray that he will be able to walk in the light.”
“I will keep him in my prayers as well. But for now, come share some ale with us. We have saved many today, and have served righteousness well. That, my friend, calls for a mug and a light heart.”
Anomen felt his worries melt away as he returned Mazzy's smile. “A mug of ale sounds most inviting. Let us join the others.”
As they moved away from the door, a large warrior stepped into the inn. Anomen was astonished to see that the person was an ogre. The newcomer glared fiercely around the room, and stomped forward. He glanced down at Mazzy, and rasped out a nasty laugh. “What this? Baby paladin? Girl play dress-up like big warrior?”
Mazzy stiffened and turned to stare angrily at the ogre. “Of whom do you speak, oaf?” Anomen saw her eyes flashing. She did indeed look like a paladin in miniature. The previous day when the group had gone to the Five Flagons, Jarran had given her a suit of magical plate mail that had been in the group's storage trunk, and personally Anomen thought she cut a rather impressive figure in it.
“I talk you, pipsqueak. Go home to dolls, this big Gorf's world. I show you difference in wimpy halfling punch and Gorf squishy hit. Watch me.” With careless disdain, he swung his club, sending a crushing blow into the chest of one of the former slaves. “See difference, little nothing?”
“You beast!” the halfling cried out as Anomen leapt forward to heal the man. “I can ignore the insults of a brutish fool, but you have injured a man who has already received more suffering than he deserves. I demand satisfaction!”
The ogre furrowed his brow. It appeared puzzled that Mazzy was not cowering in fear. “Huh? What you mean?”
“I mean, idiot, that I am challenging you to a duel.”
“A duel? Little girly want to be squished by Gorf? Hahahahaha!”
“Laugh while you can, brute. I allow you to choose the field of battle.”
“We fight in pit. Gorf see how flat he can squish you.”
“Very well.”
As the ogre stomped away, the group gathered around Mazzy, having heard the raised voices. Jarran said worriedly, “Mazzy, are you sure about this? That… that thing is five times your size.”
“The Shade Lord's dragon was over a hundred times larger than I, but I faced it. I will not let a vicious creature such as that go unpunished for such thoughtless cruelty.” Then the halfling made a sour face. “Besides, nobody calls me a pipsqueak and gets away with it.” She marched over to the pit.
As she and Gorf faced each other, the ogre smiled maliciously. “We make fight fair. No armor, no magic weapons. I have club, you have sword and shield.”
“I accept.”
Anomen started. Surely she could see that she would be at an even greater disadvantage. Why was Mazzy allowing this?
Mazzy raised her sword in a salute to her opponent, but Gorf merely snickered and spat on the sawdust floor, ignoring the fact that Mazzy's lips were moving. He swung at her with the club, but she ducked under it effortlessly. He scowled and said, “Gorf forgot how small Tiny is. Not make mistake again.” He came at her with a flurry of blows, but she dodged them, flowing easily out of his reach.
As he stood panting in frustration, she smiled and said, “And now, foul beast, I shall show you Arvoreen's power.” She chanted a few words, and charged him. The ogre managed to land a blow, but it did not slow the halfling down. She slashed across his leg, and Gorf bent over the deep wound, bellowing in pain. While he was distracted, she stabbed him, sinking the sword into his chest all the way to the hilt. The ogre groaned and fell to the floor.
Calmly Mazzy said, “There. Virtue has won the day, and it has been demonstrated that size does not equal might. Hopefully the lesson has been pounded into the lout's head, if he lives to tell the tale.” She placed her hand on her shoulder where Gorf had struck her with his club, and quietly attended to her own wound.
As the group walked away, a half-orc woman started wailing, “Oh Gorfy, speak to your Bunkin! Is anybody here a healer?”
Anomen and Jaheira looked at each other. The druid gave the priest a wry smile and said, “I do not see any healers here, do you, Sir Anomen?”
“None at all, Lady Jaheira,” Anomen said calmly as the party returned to their table for a well-earned drink.
