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Chapter 21


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#1 Guest_Jover_*

Posted 29 May 2003 - 03:22 AM

Chapter 21

The Five Flagon’s Inn turned out to be everything Korgan had promised and more. Not only was the bar stocked with any manner of alcohol that could be thought of, and some that were not to be believed. The crowd was equally diverse, people of races and faiths that would normally attack one another on sight were seen peacefully drinking and swapping stories. The owner and barkeep Samuel Thunderburp meet the companions with a warm greeting and quickly had them settled in…

***

Despite all the tension between his companions during the day, Jover found himself rushing though his bath and then dressing quickly in his casual clothes. The fighter still hoped to get down to the inn’s main room in time for dinner and before any of his companions did something dangerous… like speaking with one another. He had finished the last button on his shirt and was about to reach for the door knob, when that door opened without warning, revealing Jaheira who was also dressed comfortably, but holding her staff at the ready.

“What’s wrong?” Jover asked worriedly, “Are we being attacked?”

“We are not.” Jaheira said coldly, as she entered and slammed the door shut. “However now that the others have gone downstairs, you have much to answer for.”

“And you’re going to beat some answers out of me?” Jover said with a grin as he nodded at the druid’s weapon. “What’s all this fuss about Jaheira?”

“You know very well ‘what’!” Jaheira said angrily as she leaned her weapon against the wall before turning her fury on the fighter once more. “I did not appreciate your attempt to tell that embarrassing tale in front of the others, especially that Drow!”

“Oh please, that story would’ve been a perfectly good example about being careful not to get caught unprepared.” Jover said, evenly. “And Viconia couldn’t care less that you and Khalid got ambushed by assassins while… being intimate.”

“What my husband and I do.., did... together is no business of hers, or yours for that matter.” Jaheira said, her voice catching as she spoke of Khalid in the past tense. “And I will not have you making my Khalid appear foolish! Not to anyone!”

“I would never do that, and I resent your saying that I would!” Jover said tightly, as his own anger grew. “Khalid was the first friend I ever had outside of Candlekeep, and anyone that would insult his memory had better be ready to fight me.”

“How can you say that and still try to…” Jaheira began.

“Khalid would have loved me telling that story.” Jover interrupted with certainty. “He spoke of that day.. and you often.”

“He.. he would do no such thing.” Jaheira said taken aback.

“I’m telling you Jaheira, Khalid remembered that incident with great fondness.” Jover said with an honest smile. “Let me see if I can remember how he put it, ‘Jover my friend, if you are ever fortunate enough to meet a woman like my dearest Jaheira, then marry her quickly. Because a passion capable of making you forget the world around you is a rare treasure.’”

“I.. I did not know that he spoke of such things.. with you.” Jaheira said her cheeks blushing slightly.

“Like I said we were friends, and at times the only men in our group, so eventually women were bound to become a topic.” Jover said, with a hint of a smile. “The two of us had some rather interesting conversations.”

“I.. this.. is somewhat disconcerting to learn.” Jaheira said with embarrassment as she wondered what other personal things her husband had shared. “But it does lead us back to the other problem we are faced with, namely your woman the Drow.”

“Heh! Viconia isn’t anyone’s woman but her own.” Jover said with a laugh.

“If you can see that, then what hold does she have over you?” Jaheira asked, grateful that the discussion was moving on.

“Vic’s a kindred spirit, she…” Jover began.

“That Drow seduced you away from your friends and into giving up your mission to find Gorion’s killer!” Jaheira said, her anger returning in full force. “Then soon after you regained your senses and returned to the group, she abandoned you!”

“From your point of view that’s what happened.” Jover said carefully, not liking where this talk was headed. “But my decision to leave was exactly that, my decision. Just as Viconia decided to go with me.”

“Leave?! You did not merely leave!” Jaheira said hotly. “She had you sneak away like thieves in the dark without so much as a farewell, and now you seek to protect her with this ridiculous lie.”

“There’ve been a few lies told between us Jaheira, but that wasn’t one of them.” Jover said with a sad look at the druid. “Viconia wasn’t to blame, I suppose it’s too much to ask for you to just accept my word on this.”

“I.. I want to trust you Jover.” Jaheira said hesitantly. “I do normally, but…”

“There had to be a but.” Jover said with a sigh, as he went to the bed and sat. “Fine, you want to have this talk? Then I want one rule made clear, only the truth tonight, from both of us. Can you agree to that?”

Jaheira looked deep into the fighter’s blue eyes and saw the weight of secrets held too long and after briefly thinking of the ones she herself carried, gave a curt nod. “Agreed.”

Jover was quiet for several long moments, as he struggled to find a better way to say something that could never be made to sound good. Giving up, the fighter decided to simply proceed and hope for the best. “My leaving the way I did was the best thing.. the only thing.. I could do.” he said slowly, pausing to look up and meet the druid’s gaze. “If I had stayed any longer Jaheira.. I would have killed you.”


***


“I tell ye Samuel, if I had only known what workin’ for tha’ longlimb would lead to I’d hav’ killed him myself tha’ first day.” Korgan said to the barkeep. “Now look at the bloody shape I be in, the damned Slave Lords are after me.”

“I don’t know Korgan this could be the best thing for you. After all, every scoundrel has to give up the wild life eventually.” the Halfling said as he refilled the dwarf’s tankard. “If you’re going to be hunted for being a hero then I say go with it.”

“What?! Ye think I should turn into one of them bleedin’ do-gooders an’ go round helpin’ the bloody less fourtunate.”

“That right and you know why?” the barkeep asked, “Some heroes get to retire and live to enjoy their fame. Old mercenaries just end up dead.”

“Tha’ be true enough.” Korgan mused as he stroked his beard. “Gods know I’ve killed me share o’ them oldtimers, always leaves me feelin’ a bit sad it does.”

“Ha! Think how it made them feel dwarf, and look to your own end.” Samuel said, “The day I retired to buy this place was the best choice I ever made. Gives me some security in my old age, and a soft bed makes the wife a sight more agreeable than that hard dirt out on the road.”

“Har!” Korgan laughed, “Thunderburp, the whole bloody city knows it was yer wife tha’ made ye buy the bleedin’ inn.”

“So, I leave the plan making to someone that can do it better than me.” the barkeep said with a grin. “Maybe that could work for a berserk axe-handler like you as well. That fellow you called longlimb, has he got the brains to act the hero and live to talk about it later?”

“So far.” Korgan grudgingly admitted.

“Then what have you got to lose.” Samuel said, as he once again filled the dwarf’s tankard. “Just your life, and we both know yours ain’t worth much.”

“According ta old Shagbag, the slavers bounty say’s I be a rich prize.” Korgan said a little offended.

“If you try to collect on yourself tell me so’s I can watch.” Samuel said, with a shake of his head. “But if you’re looking for honest work, there was a man in here earlier hunting for heroes and offering a fine reward. He said they’re having some trouble over in Trademeet.”


***


Jaheira’s eyes widened in surprise, but she knew that Jover’s smile would soon follow to make his cold words merely another jest. When that smile that did not appear she quickly turned from the fighter, walking as far away as the small room allowed with her normally quick temper strangely subdued.

“I know that you and I were not... friends, at that time, but did you truly hate me so much that you would…” the druid’s voice trailed off unwillingly to repeat what had been said.

“Jaheira it was only that one night, and you weren’t the only person I wanted dead just the closest.” Jover said, in a rush. “I know that doesn’t help, or make sense right now, but I want you to understand. I don’t hate you… you’ve become…”

“Then explain yourself.” Jaheira interrupted, turning to face Jover with a look of confusion. “What makes that night different from any of others our group has spent together?”

“Tell me.” Jover said ignoring her question. “When I found about my Bhaal heritage, how did I react?”

“What does that have to do with anything?” Jaheira asked even more confused. “It was months later when you discovered Gorion’s letter and thankfully the Drow was long gone by then.”

“Just answer the question.” Jover said flatly.

“Very well, but there had better be a point to be made after this.” Jaheira said, with impatience. “As I recall you took the news well, much better than I would have thought given your impulsive nature.”

“No I didn’t.” Jover said very quietly. “I reacted badly, almost killed you, and snuck away like a thief in the dark… with a Drow.”

“That was… you learned about… back then?… how did?... how is that possible?” Jaheira asked in amazement.

“That’s... not a pleasant memory, and I’d really rather not relive it. What’s important is that you know the truth, at least the biggest part of it, and that you I are friends now.” Jover said, looking at the druid hopefully. “We are aren’t we?”

“Yes, yes. of course we are!” Jaheira said, still a little unbalanced by the revelation. “We have been through too much together to throw away…”

“Good!” Jover interrupted far too eagerly as he stood up. “Let’s leave the past where it is then, and go eat.”

“We are not done here!” Jaheira shouted, having found her anger again. “Friends or not, you do not tell a woman that you wanted her dead and then walk away to have a meal!” as she spoke the druid forced the fighter to sit back down, and then leaned threateningly over him. “You shall tell me the rest of this Jover or I will put an end to your appetite by shoving my staff down your throat… sideways!”


***


“M.. Minsc you traveled with Jover before, d.. did you know about her?” Aerie asked, gesturing at Viconia who sat on the other side of the inn’s common room.

“No, Minsc has met one Drow before, but he was not a she.” the ranger said.

“I.. what?” Aerie asked, puzzled at the ranger’s way of speaking. “Y.. you mean you met a D.. Drow male?”

“Yes, but what was his name?” Minsc asked himself, *squeak* “What was that Boo?” *squeak* “Drizzt? Yes that was it, thank you Boo.”

“You really met D..Drizzt?” Aerie asked in awe. “I.. I heard stories of him while I was t..traveling with the circus. W..what was he like? Is he r..really a hero like Jover?”

“Drizzt is indeed mighty warrior, he even says so himself.” Minsc said in agreement. “Minsc saw him fight off a horde of murderous gnolls single handed.*squeak* Everyone knows that he wields two scimitars Boo, Minsc did not mean that the man had only one hand.”

“All I knew about D..Drow came from what my m..mother told me, but I..I had forgotten about Drizzt. M.. maybe there are some g..good Drow after all.” Aerie said thoughtfully. “M.. Minsc was I wrong t..to say those things about Viconia?”

“No!” Minsc said loudly, drawing an annoyed glance from an exotic looking woman at the next table. “The dark elf said mean things about my witch and made her cry! Minsc will never forget that! Boo, you remember to remind Minsc if he does.”

“B..but Jover protected her and h..he seemed to almost c..care for her... a little.” Aerie said sadly, as she looked again at Viconia who was now ignoring the advances of two men with a cool confidence the Avariel could only dream about. “I.. I guess that might b..be because of how she looks, those m..men certainly seem t..to think she’s p..pretty.”

“There is no prettier woman than you my witch, here or anywhere.” Minsc said in surprisingly quite voice, as he slowly, almost timidly, reached for Aerie’s hand.

The young Avariel however never heard the deep emotion behind Minsc words or felt his hand almost touch hers, because at that same moment she had turned away distracted by a man rushing past their table.

“Miss Raleis! I found him!” the man said breathlessly, as he waved a scrap of paper before the exotic woman sitting nearby. “I found Quayle, and he sent you a message!”

At the mention of her uncle’s name Aerie was on her feet and moving quickly towards the man and woman, leaving Minsc sitting alone and empty handed as his hamster looked sadly on.

***


“Viconia told me.” Jover answered, leaning back on the bed slightly, to put some distance between himself and the angry druid. “She claimed to have sensed something strange when she healed me and sought Shar’s guidance to discover what it... what I was. I guess she could feel the evil within me.”

“No.” Jaheira said, her temper lessening a bit. “You are a great many things, foolish being the first among them, but Bhaal is only a very small part of you Jover. You are not evil.”

“Later that night... I was...” Jover shuddered, as he forced himself to continue speaking. “You see I didn’t just take Vic at her word, not after the way Safana had used me. So that evening Viconia and I went for a walk and I made her prove what she had said.”

“And by what dark manner did she accomplish that?” Jaheira asked, “You trust her too much Jover, she…”

“By helping me to speak with her Goddess directly.” Jover blurted, shaking at the memory. “And that was my idea, just… not one of my brighter ones.”

“You…” Jaheira whispered completely stunned. “I was wrong, foolish does not even come close to describing you. To willingly open your mind to such an evil power, do you have any idea?”

“I lived it Jaheira, I have every idea…” Jover said bitterly, with a haunted look that tore at the druid’s heart. “Shar’s touch… her voice in my mind, woke the Bhaal essence inside me, and it woke up with a vengeance. Every bit of anger I had ever felt came screaming back into my thoughts. The guard’s son that beat me up when I was ten, Ulraunt, the faces of Gorion’s killers, assassins, mages, bandits, kobolds, anything that had ever crossed me. I saw them all… and I wanted them dead! Painfully! And by my hand!” Shaking violently by the time he finished speaking Jover leaned forward placing elbows on knees and hung his head in shame.

Without thinking Jaheira’s sorrow for what her friend had endured, along with her healer’s instinct to make things well, took over. The druid found herself sitting beside the fighter, one hand rubbing the tense muscles in shoulders, her other holding Jover’s hand tightly as she murmured words of comfort.

“No.” Jover said weakly and began to pull away. “Don’t…”

“Hush.” Jaheira scolded lightly. “You have told me all that is necessary, we will speak no more of this.”

“No.” Jover said more forcefully, and looked at the druid. “I know you Jaheira, you still have questions, so ask them already. Tomorrow we’ll have a clean slate between us and… I want that.”

“Very well.” Jaheira said reluctantly. “I.. understand all those others you mentioned. That you would want to… hurt them, but what was my transgression?”

“Heh, Isn’t that obvious? How many times did you lie to my face?” Jover asked with a bitter laugh. “Why was Gorion killed? Why was I being hunted? Why was I having dark bloody dreams that I didn’t understand? For three months I asked those same questions over and over and every time you lied to me, you and Khalid both.”

“Khalid… you would not have…” the druid paled at the thought. “He was your friend!”

“Not that night.” Jover answered sadly. “He was only your husband, and a liar in his own right.”

“I… we, were only keeping your heritage a secret to protect you.” Jaheira said. “As Gorion had done.”

“My father did it to protect me from danger.” Jover said, “But, I had already faced three attempts on my life by the time I met you and Khalid, so tell me Jaheira how did keeping me ignorant about my bloodline serve to protect me.”

“It…” the druid began, only to stop and look away.

“Made me easier to control.” Jover finished, without emotion. “And easier to use.”

“No.” Jaheira said quietly and without conviction.

“You can do better than that.” Jover said, gently taking hold of the druid’s chin and making her look at him. “The truth Jaheira, remember?”

“I…yes.” the druid admitted, “Even at our first meeting you were already an aggravating headstrong... foolish man. And we feared what effect the telling of your heritage might have on you…and on the future.”

“You were afraid.” Jover corrected knowingly, “Khalid felt differently.”

“Is there nothing that you do not know?” Jaheira said giving the fighter an irritated look.

“Hindsight is a wonderful thing, and I’ve had some time to puzzle this out.” Jover said beginning to smile once again. “At the time all I knew was that something was going on behind my back.”

“Khalid and I discussed your fate often.” Jaheira said with a nod, “He thought you should be told the whole truth at once. I however was certain that my way was the correct path… the only path. He tried his best to convince me otherwise, but I would not listen and eventually he…”

“Gave in because he didn’t want to make you mad, I’ve become familiar with that feeling myself.” Jover said the words in his usual joking tone, and was completely unprepared for Jaheira’s reaction as the druid turned away and shielded her eyes with a sun-tanned hand.

“I badgered my husband into agreeing with a decision he felt was wrong… and did so more often than I care to recall.” Jaheira said with an unsteady voice. “What kind of wife was I to do such a thing?”

Silently cursing himself for bringing back bad memories to his friend, Jover reached to comfort the druid as she had done for him. “Khalid didn’t give in because he was afraid, he did it because he loved you. Your confidence and determination were what inspired him.” the fighter said as he stroked Jaheira’s hair. “He said being with you made him stronger and your husband was already a strong man, in his own way.”

“I... it is good to hear him spoken of that way.” Jaheira said deeply touched, as she wiped at the tears trying to escape her eyes. “I know some of the others that we have traveled with believed my Khalid’s gentleness meant he was... weak.”

“Weak, Hell!” Jover swore with a smile. “He put up with the two of us constantly at each others throats, plus all of Imoen’s pranks.”

“We did make it difficult for him.” Jaheira said, managing a small smile herself. “What with all of our endless arguments, from which path to take, to what to have for dinner.”

“The proper way to kill an ogre.” Jover added, chuckling.

“I had forgotten that one.” Jaheira said now smiling openly at the fighter, “What is it about you and I Jover, why do we insist on tormenting one another?”

“Khalid once told me that you and I argue because we’re too much alike.” Jover said with a wide grin. “How’s that for an insult?”

A genuine laugh escaped Jaheira mouth, even as an errant tear slid down her cheek. “Ha! Only my husband could see any such similarity.”

“I can see it... now, it’s that we both care more about other people than about ourselves.” Jover said sincerely, as he wiped the tear from her cheek. The fighter then paused, just long enough for Jaheira to notice his smile turn mischievous. “That, and the fact that both of us can be complete pains in the...”

Jover’s last word was cut off as Jaheira quickly covered his mouth with her hand. “Must you always leap off the cliff?” the druid chastised, only to grow even more irritated when she felt his smile widen beneath her fingers.

Removing her hand to look upon Jover’s grinning face she tried to imagine him coming to kill her and failed. “What… what stopped you?” she asked hesitantly. “On that night long ago, what stopped you from following your darker instincts?”

***




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