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Chapter 1


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#1 Guest_Jover_*

Posted 28 November 2002 - 07:21 PM

Chapter 1

***

The Copper Cornet seemed almost peaceful in the morning, mostly because the majority of its patrons were hung over or completely passed out from their previous nights activities. The three companions were silent as well, but not from anything that could be considered enjoyable, each was lost in their own thoughts as they ate what passed for breakfast at the inn.

"So, where to now fearless leader?" Jaheira said, pushing away her half eaten plate of food, which Minsc quickly picked up and added to his own.

Jover winced slightly at the tone in the druid's voice, a tone he knew all too well. "Hmm, I don't rightly know Jaheira, I'm open to any suggestions."

"I would suggest you get moving and decide on a plan, and never again say something like 'don't rightly know'. You sound like you were dropped as a child." Jaheira said, looking coldly at the fighter. "Or kicked."

Jover stared back at half-elf, an angry response on his tongue. Then without speaking, stood picked up his long sword and walked out of the inn leaving Jaheira and Minsc still siting at the table.

Getting along with the druid had always been difficult, even with Khalid and Imoen helping to keep the peace, but now without their presence Jover feared what an argument with Jaheira would lead to. 'What does she expect from me.' He thought while buckling on his sword belt. 'One night's sleep on the floor of a room in this filthy inn - after weeks of torture and I'm supposed to know how to free Imoen and defeat Irenicus, just like that. I barely know my own name right now.'

"Patience my child, remember to always think before you act." Gorion's favorite bit of advice sounded clearly in Jover's mind, cutting through some of the anger and frustration that he felt inside. Smiling, Jover tilted his face up to the sky enjoying the feel of sunlight on his skin again. 'Thank you Father.' he thought. 'I'll try my best.'

Turning to go back inside he almost walked into Jaheira and Minsc who were coming out to find him.

"Jaheira I'm..."

"Jover I...."

They both said at the same time.

"Go ahead..."

"No you can..."

"Hush my friends, Boo says that someone is watching us from those steps." Minsc said, as his hamster companion scurried down from the big man's shoulder to hide inside the armor Minsc wore.

They turned their attention to the man, dressed in gray, who was leaning against the stair railing some ten feet away. The man, realizing he was found out gave up his casual appearance and approached the trio of adventurers, but seeing them reach for their weapons made him quickly spread his hands to show that he wasn't armed.

Jover stepped forward, hand still on the hilt of his sword. "Why were you spying on us, what do you want?"

"Coo! You'd be the one I be looking for, if I not be mistaken. Jover be ye name, aye?"

"It might be." Jover said, about a dozen assassins in his past had made him cautious about answering that particular question.

"That so? I was thinkin' me sources of information infallible. Well, I suppose ye won't be wantin' any information on the young woman arrested by the Cowled Wizards when ye first came to Athkatla, then?"

Jover reached out and grabbed the man by his vest pulling him forward then turning and shoving him backwards into Minsc and Jaheira. Minsc placed his big hands on the man's arms pinning them, while Jaheira put the end of her staff at the man's throat.

"You're talking about Imoen! What do you know of her? Speak!" said Jover in a threatening voice.

"Aha! So I does have you correctly. Coo! An' here I thought I be talking to a complete stranger. Heh." The man had a smug grin on his face, and remained calm despite his situation.

Jover, knowing now that the man wouldn't be intimidated without actual violence motioned for the others to release him.

The man took a moment to straighten his vest before continuing. "Now, Imoen, aye... that be her name. Young lass made the misfortune of castin' a spell or two in a city that frowns on such business. Bad timin' it was. You be thinkin' ye wants to find her then?"

"You know we do, so get on with it." Jover said. "But first, tell me who I'm dealing with."

"Well, bless me for bein' an idiot if I haven't gone and forgotten me manners. My name be Gaelan Bayle. Ye needn't stretch your brain thinkin', I be sure it's a name ye haven't heard. Your name and the company you keep though, that be a different matter. You be renown enough that someone might be willin' to find this Imoen for ye, or maybe the wizard who held ye. Either way, they both went to the same place."

"You seem to know a great deal about our group, how did you come across this information?" Jaheira asked prodding Bayle on the shoulder with her staff.

"Coo!, me lady. I knows very little meself, I can however, link ye up with a group that knows a great deal. Or can be findin' out. But this be not the best place to hold such a dialogue. I be having a place that would suit far better. An it be just a short walk from here."

"Lead on then Bayle." said Jover, stepping back to allow the man room to move.

Jaheira walked beside Jover as they moved through the crowd of homeless and poor that lived in the slums district. "How do you know that this isn't some kind of trap?" she asked.

"I don't." Jover admitted, "Not for certain anyway. But this man knew who we are, where to find us and just how to hook us, like a fisherman. This group he represents wants something from us, something more than just our deaths. Besides, you told me to get moving and decide on a plan and for better or worse, this is where we start."

Jaheira thought for a moment, trying to find a flaw in his reasoning but was unable to come up with anything better. She sighed, "Very well, as long as we don't end up as bait for a bigger fish."

Jover glanced at Jaheira, her expression was the same as it always was, confidant, almost serene. 'I could have sworn that was a joke.' He thought, then quickly dismissed the idea.

Gaelan Bayle lead them to a small house on the far side of the slums. "Coo! I see that ye were able to keep up with me all right then? I was afraid I'd lost ye there, heh. Lords and Lady welcome to me home." he said and opened the door playing the part of gracious host.

"We kept up just fine. Now tell us what all this is about." Jover said, looking around the small room - just in case.

"Aye, I'll be doing that quick as ye blink. I tell ye straight that I know a powerful group that can be helping ye. They can be findin' the wizard and the young woman both they can. But they can be doing far better than the findin' my friend. They can also affect the rescue of your lass an' the capture of the mage, to boot."

Jover almost laughed in the man's face, but managed to stop himself. "Free Imoen and capture Irenicus, just what is this organization."

"This I cannot tell ye. Rest ye fine that they be willin' to help and be havin' enough power to do it. That's all ye needin' to know." Bayle grinned even wider than before, leaning back against a small desk, confident that he had the trio right where he wanted them.

"I see, and just how much will this help cost us?" Jover asked.

"Ah good, ye be interested then, but you should know that it requires my friends to cross the Cowled Wizards. Not something ye would be able to do on yer own."

"You would be greatly surprised by what we can do on our own." said Jaheira, growing impatient. "Now get to the price!"

"It may seem costly, but this be a fair price if you think of the danger in crossin' the Cowled Wizards. It be 40,000 gold pieces for their help."

"40,000 gold pieces! That's an outrageous sum!" said Jaheira.

"Outrageous, is it? 'Tis a lot, but ye ask me friends to go against the wishes of th' Cowled Wizards an I told ye it not be a thing to be done lightly."

Minsc had been following the conversation as best he could and understood enough of it to know that he did not like what he had heard. "We don't need gold to find Imoen!" Minsc shouted, startling everyone. "We are heroes! We will crush wizard after wizard to find her! Our friend sits in prison and you want gold before you will help her! Your evil deserves a special butt kicking!" Minsc drew his big two handed sword and moved towards Bayle.

Jover and Jaheira grabbed Minsc by the arms to try and stop him. "Minsc no! Calm yourself, Please! Violence won't help Imoen right now, let me handle this my friend!" Jover pleaded, as Boo began squeaking loudly from Minsc's shirt pocket.

Minsc stopped to listen to the voices of his friends and hamster, lowering his sword till it's point rested on the floor. "Boo says you are right and that Minsc should listen, but Jover you must promise to tell Minsc when to unleash the boot of justice this... this seemed like the right time." Minsc sheathed his sword and moved to stand by the door, a sad look on his face.

"I will Minsc, I promise." Jover turned back towards Bayle, who had retreated to a corner of the room and looked a great deal less confident than before. "Is there no way to lower the cost?" Jover asked.

"N.. None. It be 40,000 gold or me friends canna' be helping ye." Bayle said, keeping his eyes on Minsc.

Jover looked at Jaheira to see what she thought of the offer. "He may be right, Jover. It would take someone of power to find good information on the Cowled Wizards. This might be our only opportunity to find Imoen." Jaheira said.

Jover thought for a moment, remembering Gorion's words and then made his decision. "As you are no doubt well aware, we do not have that much gold. How are we supposed to raise such an amount?"

"I am sure ye have spent as much in the past and will again. Wait outside an I'll have me nephew Brus find ye an' he'll be showin' ye where to find some work". Bayle said, regaining some of his composure but still staying in the corner.

"Very well, we will be back with the gold." Jover said, motioning for the group to leave.

"Aye, I'll wait for it. Fare ye well then, an' give me greetings to Lehtinan if ye happens by 'im." said Bayle.

As the companions filed out of the house Jover was the last to leave and he stopped in the doorway turning to stare at Gaelan Bayle. "Your friends better be as good as you say, or you'll wish I had let Minsc had finish you." Jover said, before walking out and quietly closing the door.

They waited outside the house looking around to spot the man Bayle said would find them, "Look Boo, apples." Minsc said, pointing out a merchant selling assorted fruits. Boo who was now sitting on the big man's shoulder stood up on his hind legs to better see the fruit.

Jover pulled out a few coins and gave them to Minsc, "You and Boo deserve a treat my friend, enjoy yourselves but don't wander off." Minsc smiled and Boo squeaked happily.

As Minsc walked across the street a young boy with dirty clothes and a dirtier face approached Jover and Jaheira. Thinking the child to be a beggar Jover began to reach for some coins to give to him.

"Hey! I'm Brus. You'd be the one I's lookin' for, aye? Uncle Gaelan told me to give you a bit o' help to find some work. So listen up, eh! This noble name of Nalia, she says her land's been invaded. A big strong fighter like yerself might be of use to her."

Jaheira knelt down beside the boy and began wiping at his face with a piece of cloth. "How old are you child? Is that despicable man inside forcing you to work for him?" she asked.

"Nay, I's told ye at's me uncle, ye twit!" Brus said, pushing at Jaheira's hands and backing away from the druid. "An I's be old enough to mind me own business, ye should try it sometime!"

Jover quickly stepped in between Jaheira and the child, blocking her grab for the boy. "Brus where can we find this Nalia?" Jover asked, wanting to get rid of the boy before he made Jaheira any madder.

"She just left the Copper Cornet with some fancy boy in shiny armor. She'll be back though, her horse is still in the stables. Ye can't miss her, red hair, nice clothes, begging fer help from anyone that'll listen. Want me to show ye to where it is?"

"No, we know where it is, thanks for your help. Bye." Jover said, hoping the child would leave.

"Suit yerself, I s'pose. I gots better things to do, at's fer sure." the boy turned and ran off down the street.

"That child needs to be taught some manners and respect!" Jaheira hissed, poking Jover in the chest with her finger. "Why did you stop me?"

Jover laughed despite the angry woman in his face. "You tried to teach Imoen that lesson once. You do remember that time back at the Friendly Arm Inn and what happened." Jaheira's green eyes widened slightly, just enough that Jover knew that she did remember, as did everyone who was there that day.

"No I Do Not! and don't you remind me of it!" Jaheira said, turning away, her anger at Brus now forgotten.

As Jaheira took a moment to regain her inner balance, Jover waved at Minsc to get him to return so they could go find their potential employer.

Back inside the Copper Cornet only a couple of hours after they had left, the place was still mostly empty. They picked a table with a view of both doors and sat down to wait for Nalia to return. Jover ordered some ale for himself and Jaheira and they snacked on the extra apples that Minsc had bought. Minsc having already ate his fill and being bored with just sitting there, had lain his head down on the table for a nap, after telling Jover to wake him when the action starts.

After a while Jaheira cleared her throat, breaking the silence between them. "Jover, about what I said this morning at breakfast." she began, "I.. I am sorry, I do not wish to cause undue strain in our group. I am merely a bit stressed and no doubt you are as well."

Jover looked at the druid, who avoided his gaze by staring down at the mug she held tightly in her hands. 'I've never heard her apologize before, not even to Khalid.' Jover thought, luckily the surprise he felt did not show on his face. "Think nothing of it Jaheira, I almost lost my temper as well. It's completely understandable." he said.

"Understandable yes, but not acceptable. We are allies and.. friends, and should act as such." She looked up to meet his eyes. They both nodded slightly, a unspoken agreement passing between them. A shared goal and enemy now bound their futures together, they would try to put their old arguments behind them.

***




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