13. A Girl And Her Tin-Man, or A Few Good Mages

13. A Girl And Her Tin-Man; or A Few Good Mages

13 FLAMERULE 1400
CANDLEKEEP

Aerie, Imoen, and Nalia were sitting around a table piled high with books and scrolls on the fourth floor of the Candlekeep library, which housed among other things the keep's works on necromancy; and this was the subject material of the texts on the girls' table.

"It's funny," Imoen sighed while twirling a quill, "People tend to think of necromancers as villainous, and I guess the only one I've known was pretty evil, and insane too, and even looked like a demonic clown. But I wonder if that's really the preponderance of them? I mean, there's a lot of good stuff in necromancy, like all your healing spells, Aerie."

"Yeah," the avariel agreed, "I think maybe if more clerics and necromancers insisted on reviving bodies in...natural ways...it wouldn't get such a bad rap. But all the undead creation and death magic and negative energy tapping is flashier, I guess, and the practitioners are swayed by the power. Not that death magic can't be used justly, but...I guess most of them don't? Or the evil ones just get more attention? Maybe the attention the powermongering ones get is what lures them there, and so evil necromancy becomes a more famous field, and it's sort of a vicious cycle." The avariel bit her lip and looked out a window, pensively.

"I think you're right, Aerie," Nalia said as she fidgeted with her bonded signet ring, "People don't get as much attention for good deeds, and it's a shame. Like I've noticed when someone donates to the poor it largely goes unnoticed. If anything, other rich nobles will just quietly scoff at them."

"Well," Aerie added, "Ideally people shouldn't do good things just for the recognition, but I guess it's better than not doing them at all."

Nalia nodded and then asked, "So, Immy, any reason it was on your mind?"

A sad look came over Imoen's face. Her eyes glanced longingly at Aerie's long pointy ears and then she looked down in her own lap. "Yeah...I was reading in this book here about, ya know, good stuff you can do with necromancy. Not just healing, but….well, you know how they say Elminster extended his life? Theories on that."

Nalia's face fell too and she understood Imoen’s full meaning. "I guess...we all get our chance to be the jealous one," she sighed and looked Aerie in the eyes, cracking a sad smile at her own joke. "I never really thought about it until this week," she added, and Imoen nodded.

"I know this might seem stupid," the avariel began, "But...me too." The humans shot her envious glances, and Aerie felt their full sting, and Nalia's 'jest' made her grit her teeth in regret of her own envious spat earlier that day. "What I mean is," she continued, holding one hand of each of her companions with her own, "I was thinking about how...I don't want you guys to...grow old and..." tears began to well in all six eyes, "I want the best for everyone else too, and I don't want everyone to...leave me."

"Not everyone will," Imoen flipped a few pages of her book with her free hand, and began to skim it as she spoke, "For example, apparently having a superhuman constitution can make a human lifespan...more like other races'." She looked pointedly at Aerie. "You're in luck, babe," she smiled.

A flash of happiness came over Aerie's face, but then melted into despair. "But he...he..." her face began turning red, "You heard what Phlydia said..."

"Aerie," Imoen clasped Aerie's hand between both of hers, "You don't really believe that, do you? I mean, bards get things wrong all the time..."

“But we all know it is based on truth, Immy,” Nalia countered, causing Aerie to wince, “You missed a lot of it while you were in Spellhold, but I’m sure you’ve noticed the tension lately too. And now that they’re alone…”

Aerie laid her head down on the table and began to sob softly. “I’m such a fool! I should have gone with them! And used my magic to protect him too! Now this has happened, and he might die anyway!”

“Maybe we all should have gone,” Imoen sighed, “As strong as they are, can you imagine them having to go through all our recent ordeals without this half of the party! All their mages! Well I know they’ve been joined by others, but…we should have gone.”

Nalia nodded and Aerie let out another sob from the table. “I’m so STUPID!” the avariel gave a muffled scream.

“Aerie,” Imoen’s tone became harsher, “Ya know, frankly I’m a little insulted. That’s my own brother you’re accusing, and has he shown you anything but complete loyalty and devotion? He’s utterly in love with ya, ya know – he talked to me about it, heck, it’s one of the only things he talked to me about lately, you’d have thunk he’d have wanted to talk about being bro and sis a little more!! - and he’s the most honorable man I know. And yet you act paranoid, like he’s some scoundrel ready to jump ship at the first chance.”

“I’m not accusing him, Immy,” Aerie said with managed calm as she lifted her head up, “I’m just worried. I mean, you’re right it doesn’t seem like him, but if the story is wrong, isn’t it kind of a strange coincidence that their mistake just happens to be the one thing I was most worried about?”

Imoen admitted, “Yeah, that’s odd, it’s almost like someone’s trying to ruffle your feathers,” and the wingless elf winced at the idiom. Imoen thought she heard a devilish snicker from nearby in the library, but when she turned to look she could she no one.

“Well,” Nalia spoke up, “to a casual observer familiar with the backstory, this would almost seem predictable.”

“NALIA!” Imoen snapped, “This is NOT predictable if you know anything about my brother! Aerie, you know he wouldn’t do this! I’ve known him my whole life!”

“But we were around at times you weren’t, important times,” Nalia reminded her. “And surely you’d agree, that…despite his morals, he did have inklings in that direction? You two did meet…her…nearly a year before we knew any of you.”

“Now you’re disgracing Khalid!” Imoen burst out.

“I still find it hard to buy that she’d have loved a man like he sounded to be,“ Nalia dug in. Aerie nodded; she had once said the same.

“Don’t insult the memory of Khalid!” Imoen’s face wrinkled up. She didn’t like talking about Khalid…what had happened to him, the things she had been forced to watch, had been burned over all her mind’s other memories of the man. No, no, Imoen, she told herself, think of him laughing or talking or fighting or….See? He would cut and say see? Do you see? Cut some more and say do you see? Imoen closed her eyes, took a deep breath, cleared her mind, and continued. “Maybe Onyx HAD inklings at some point in the past, but not anymore! He decided on you, Aerie, and since you’re the one he’s been giving all his attention to lately,” Imoen’s eyes narrowed slightly at the avariel, “you of all people should be confident in this.”

“That all makes sense, but in my heart I just can’t stop worrying, Imoen!” Aerie pleaded, “You’ve never been in love, you wouldn’t understand!”

Imoen’s face grew deathly pale and Aerie instantly regretted her words. “I’m…sorry Immy,” Aerie’s face begged for forgiveness, “I…didn’t mean it like-“

“SHUT UP!” Imoen cried. She put her face in her hands. She did not sob, but rather seemed almost in shock. Aerie and Nalia exchanged worried glances.

Many minutes passed in awkward silence, Imoen keeping her face buried in her hands under her pink bangs, Aerie and Nalia sitting nervously and occasionally looking at each other for silent moral support. Finally Imoen sighed and spoke, “Just…stop worrying Aerie. He loves you more than his own life. Do you know what happened when…Bodhi stole you? He went nuts, Aerie, completely nuts. He shattered an entire row of tombstones with his bare hands. I could smell the Bhaal taint in his sweat. He roared so loud I think they could hear it in the docks district. He uprooted an obelisk and hurled it like a gigantic javelin through a sepulcher thirty feet away. He was more berserk than I think Minsc has ever gone. And then…he started to become this strange beast…but not quite. He started to shapeshift several times but each time returned to his human form, and then he finally collapsed and just cried.”

Aerie had been listening slackjawed the entire time, clutching her hands over her heart while her eyelids brimmed with tears. “Oh…that’s terrible.”

“He really loves you, Aerie.”

“I really love him too, Immy. I mean, I wouldn’t be this worried if I didn’t love him so much. I had a crush on him ever since we first met. Actually, even before we met. See, you guys crossed paths with Quayle in Baldur’s Gate, right? Well, after Quayle bought the circus and started mentoring me, he told me all about your adventures stopping the Iron Throne, and about you guys. It was just like one of those fairytales, except it had just happened. He told me about when he helped you guys rescue that nymph from that wizard, Abela and Ragefast I think were their names. I mean, the old damsel-in-distress and evil-wizard-in-the-tower; it doesn’t get any more classic than that, does it? He told me about it and you guys and I got a crush on this Onyx character I’d heard about; and…well, I can thank Quayle from rescuing me from the other circus, even if it was an accident of business more than an altruistic endeavor, but…well after he told me that story, I used to daydream about being like Abela; I mean not that I wanted to get captured by anyone again, but…you know…the getting rescued part….oh, it all sounds so silly!”

“Not at all,” Nalia smiled, “Go on.”

“Well, now if a wizard captured me I’m sure I’d just blow him and his whole tower to smithereens, but you know how I was then, Nal.”

“You’ve really changed, Aerie,” Nalia smiled, “Much for the better I think. And don’t thank us. Thank yourself.”

Aerie beamed. “Thanks Nal! I can’t believe how much my life has changed in only two months.”

Nalia got a daydreamy look in her eyes. “So what was it like when you two first met?” she exchanged curious glanced with Imoen, “Neither one of us were there, ironically.”

Aerie blushed slightly but began to speak. “It was almost like being in a fairytale. Well, no, because it was a heck of a lot scarier…somehow, even though fairytales are usually fraught with danger, that part never really hits home with you read them, even though the good parts do; funny isn’t it? – Kalah really turned that circus into an upside-down maze. So there I was, looking like an ogre, and through the tent doors, smashing orcs as they went by, come these four adventurers. Two big armored men with swords, a roguish looking guy with a bow, and a half-elven lady with a staff. So my first reaction was one of joy, because it looks like they’re here to save us all. But then I suddenly was overcome with overwhelming panic, because I realized I looked like a monster myself. So I call out to them, and fortunately Kalah forgot to alter my voice. The smaller of the two warrior men looks at me closely, and I can tell he’s casting a detect evil, which comes as a great relief to me. Then he takes off his helmet to address me, and wow! He was so cute! Hard to believe that very same day he’d woken up in a cage after being tortured, fought his way out of a large stinking dungeon, had his closest friend stolen away,” Aerie smiled comfortingly at Imoen, “And started blazing through the circus. You’d have thought his face would have been covered in grime and blood and stuff.”

“He always liked to keep his face wiped down as he goes,” Imoen nodded, “For negotiations just like that. Although you probably noticed the rest of him ain’t too clean after a day of adventuring….wooo that guy can sweat…yeech!”

“And he looked…wow…I know it’s supposed to be hard to tell under armor, but like a perfect hunk. Not a big oaf like Minsc - though my new bodyguard is almost like a giant teddy bear! - or a wiry little greaseballl like Yoshimo, but just…perfect.”

“And what did you think of Valygar?” Nalia grinned mischievously .

Aerie thought for a second, “He was pretty hunky. A little too dark and roguish for my tastes, but I know that can appeal,” she grinned back, “But to me, Onyx was just…perfect. Like they draw them in the storybooks. And the first time I saw him sans armor…oooh!” Aerie shut her eyes and smiled unabashedly.

“Yeah, even I can see that,” Imoen winked at Aerie, “Back in Candlekeep he trained pretty hard to get that way though.”

“I believe it,” Aerie laughed, “So once he started addressing me and agreed to dispel my illusion by fetching that sword, of course my heart leapt into my throat again because I had my crush on him and was hoping he thought I was pretty and such. But then my heart sunk again, because I realized I still looked like an ogre, and that can’t be a good first impression! Once he dispelled it I was nervous, and I think I must have had a really obvious stare, and come to think of it so did he – though, being as naïve as I was then, it didn’t really click at the time. After the moment was broken by a goblin on a pogo-stick (which Onyx quickly dispatched with great irritation, and I like to think he was as pissed at the goblin’s timing as at the idle threat it represented) and he agreed to let me join the party, once again I was both exhilarated by the chance to be alongside him, and to be a hero myself, but terrified at having to confront Kalah and his minions. That was about the first time I’d been in a real battle situation. I was so nervous I could barely cast my spells properly. It’s a good thing I didn’t have to go toe-to-toe with a monster then; Onyx and Minsc were doing a good job of physically intercepting them for me. I kinda felt like a burden on everyone though because of that, and Jaheira really let me know it after that first battle, but Onyx said I’d been invaluable with the fireballs and confusions and stuff I tossed during the battle and the healing I provided after (it’s a good thing, because Jaheira was pretty much spent for the day after Irenicus’s lair). When I apologized for being so weak, I remember he just shrugged and smiled and said that’s how it was with spellcasters, he was used to protecting Dynaheir and you,” Aerie nodded at Imoen, “in battles. Of course, Jaheira made a point of disagreeing with him in front of everyone, touting about how she and Branwen could hold their own when the monsters got through him and Minsc. And she was more right than Onyx would admit, and so I tried to get better escaping melee confrontations or fighting back when monsters would sometimes get close, but it was really, really, really scary. I think Onyx’s encouragement – he really does have an amazing ability to instill courage in his companions – really helped, as did my inner drive to try to do the right thing. That was the first time I was really doing good, and it was scary but I liked it. It felt good, it was almost liberating, to stop just worrying about my own misery and do heroic things. That, and,” Aerie blushed slightly, “trying to impress Onyx and be with him are really what kept me going. Otherwise I’m sure I’d have scurried right back to Quayle, I don’t actually enjoy the combat or the stinky dungeon exploration the way some people seem too.”

Nalia and Imoen wrinkled their noses. “Well, exploring is kinda fun,” Imoen smiled, “But not with slime and monsters everywhere!” and the others laughed.

“And I also still had all my old fears about the past, about my imprisonment. I’m so glad Onyx let me just talk to him, I know I babbled and whined, but I needed to get it out. It was so terrible. My childhood in Faenya-Dail was so perfect until that day. It was almost literally like falling from heaven to hell. It wasn’t until you guys that I felt like I was climbing back up again. Thank you.”

Imoen and Nalia gripped Aerie’s hands as a few tears escaped from the avariel’s faraway-looking eyes. “Adventuring changed me a little too,” Nalia smiled. “I never did anything nearly as dangerous – or rewarding – before I joined you guys. I’m glad we were there for each other.”

“Me too,” Aerie smiled, “And I think Jaheira’s scolding might have actually been good for me. I knew she had good points, even though of course I argued back. I had to get stronger, so I worked on it. But I think Onyx’s encouragement helped more! It was really good to have him to talk to. I guess that’s what really made me fall in love with him. When he looks deep into your eyes and asks about you caringly, it makes you feel like the only person in the world!”

“That it does,” Imoen agreed with a faraway look while brushing a pink bang aside.

“And the way he cares about his principles, too. I really admired that. After all the scoundrels I’d come across, and Quayle’s apathy on everything, he was so…strong. But caring, not rigid, like that stupid Annoy-Man guy that we came across, remember Nal?”

Nalia nodded. “He was an arrogant one. Trust me, even before I met you guys, I spent way more time in his company at the Copper Coronet than I’d have ever liked to!”

“Well, Onyx can also be a little arrogant,” Aerie sighed, “But I guess I can too, so maybe we’re made for each other. I like it better than being weak, maybe because I had to work on that more, and all the people at the circus were either spineless, or aggressive in evil ways. And Onyx just seemed like he cared about me so much, as an ally or companion or lover, that it really swept me off my feet, and he was so heroic that it made me want him and want to be like him. But I guess a lot of it is just almost-magical attraction, I just found myself in love with him. Even when you can say all these things you like about someone, it’s hard to pin down exactly why you’re in love. You just are. And I really, really am.”

“I know what you mean,” Nalia replied dreamily and looked up, while Imoen gave the other two longing, appraising glances and bit her lip.

“And I love you two also,” Aerie continued and squeezed their hands, causing both their faces to almost melt. “Like childhood friends, or sisters, I can’t believe I’ve known you only two months. I hope we’re always there for each other.”

Nalia and Imoen’s faces fell and they exchanged sad glances.

Aerie bit her lip regretfully. “Sorry, I didn’t me-…no, but I do mean that. And I more than hope. I *want* us to be there for each other always. So, Imoen, tell us more about what that book says.”