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Rush Of Blood To The Head, part 2.11.


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#1 Guest_Theodur_*

Posted 25 June 2003 - 05:18 PM

Rush Of Blood To The Head, part 2.11.

“You were right, Nalia,” I tell her as we are sitting at the table back at Mithrest Inn, “he is a complete bastard, I have to apologize for the rubbish I told you earlier… once you are a bastard, you remain a bastard, nothing can change that.”

Shortly after our arrival in Athkatla, a messenger had located Nalia and informed her to come quickly to her father’s funeral. There, we had a chance to finally meet the infamous Isaea Roenall, Nalia’s betrothed.

“What about the threats he issued?” Yoshimo asks, concerned expression on his face, “are they to be taken seriously?”

“We should be prepared just in case,” Nalia nods, “you must understand that for a man like him… I am just like another trophy to conquer… just like he claimed my keep, he will try to claim me as well…” the painful memories once again make her end the sentence in sobs, as Yoshimo comfortingly places his hand on her shoulder…

“Theodur,” Jaheira leans closer to me and whispers in my ear, “I think I will go to the Coronet and talk with my informant there… I will go alone, that will be… more reasonable,” she adds in a voice that eliminates a possibility for me to object. My eyes are fixed on her as I watch her rising from the chair and heading to the doors, I realize that everybody is looking at me with a different degree of interest… I simply turn away and take a sip from my mug of ale.

We’ve been sitting for a couple of minutes, before Aerie, who has been silent for a long time, looks sheepishly and speaks, “Theodur… I’ve been thinking for a long time, but I simply don’t understand… what was Jaheira doing in your room back in Trademeet?”

“Err… we were just… talking… you know… whatever two good friends do…” it’s hard to maintain my composure, seeing the expressions on my companions faces…

“Good,” Aerie blushes, “I… I got the feeling that she does not like me… I c-cannot understand why… Everyone else likes me, d- don’t they?”

“Yes, Aerie,” I am having trouble sounding sincere, “we all like you… and Jaheira likes you as well… she’s just… having trouble showing that…”

“Oh, indeed, lass,” Jan agrees, “her fondness for you can only be compared to my fondness for griffons… and that is saying a lot…”

 

It’s already past midnight and my companions have already returned to their respective rooms in Mithrest Inn, I am still sitting at the table waiting for the return of Jaheira. She’s been gone for a couple of hours and I’m slowly growing impatient, I’ve really should have gone with her, secrecy or no secrecy…

With nothing to do, I can devote my time rethinking our latest accomplishments. We have gathered over seven thousands in gold coins, but part of it will be spent on equipment; I’m planning a trip to Ribald’s shop tomorrow. The rate at which the gold has been flowing in has been a steady one and hopefully won’t cease soon as we are still far from being ready to rescue Imoen. Jaheira had pointed out previously that not only we have to acquire the necessary sum of money, we have to be prepared much better equipment and skill-wise.

With these thoughts in mind, I start to evaluate the contribution of my fellow party members. Jaheira’s concern about lack of good frontline fighters has come true to some extent. Luckily, my heroic antics in Nalia’s keep and my daring rescue of hers from the clutches of TorGal, has convinced her that I am not that hopeless with the sword and she has allowed me to join in the melee if the situation beckons. Yoshimo has proved to be competent at the least, but he still has not won Jaheira’s trust… Jan and Nalia have proven to be very useful as well, at least I can rely that they will take the correct decision in the midst of battle… Nalia is a very accurate archer as well - I have to admit that, being one myself. The only member of our group that has been causing problems is… argh, heading my way!

Aerie sits across the table and stares at me with her large blue eyes before opening her mouth “Can I ask you a question, Theodur?” and before I can even say no, proceeds “I...need you to tell me what the worth of a life on the ground is. Is there anything to compare to the freedom of living in the clouds?”

Well, isn’t that a lovely question… how about turning this into a philosophical debate, or maybe I should just tell her the truth?

“Yes, Aerie, there is. I’m sure, even though as a lowly half-elf I have been deprived of the chance to experience the joyous floating in the clouds,” she is immune to sarcasm, that I have established already, “so I am not in the position to give you a certain answer,” I see that she is having trouble following me…

“For example, love. When you love somebody, it gives you the feeling like floating in the clouds…” I add.

“R-really?” she blushes, “I don’t know much about… love…”

Yes, that much is obvious. She doesn’t seem to even know what a man and a woman might be doing behind closed doors…

“Oh, someday you will learn,” I smile, “it is a truly undescribable feeling… it gives you the strength to accomplish even the most impossible-seeming things, it makes you forget everything else around you…” I don’t even have to lie to her, albeit a very cruel way when I will tell her the whole truth.

“It seems so beautiful… I wish I could experience feelings like t-that…” she sighs all the time blushing heavily, “tell me Theodur, have you… have you ever experienced such feeling yourself?”

“Yes, I have Aerie,” my smile widens, “in fact, I have been feeling like that very recently…”

“R-really?” she is not only blushing heavily, but now is starting to tremble.

“Yes, and I had wanted to tell you Aerie something for a long while…” oh, yes, the time to break the poor little pigeons heart has come… back to the circus you go little troublemaker… “You see… JAHEIRA!” I exclaim seeing her entering the inn.

Jaheira makes her way towards us, as I see that Aerie’s face has taken a very annoyed expression.

“What took you so long?” I ask her impatiently.

She does not respond immediately, but instead takes her seat and motions for the barmaid to bring her ale.

“We need to talk,” she sounds very serious, “and this will be a face to face talk,” she motions to Aerie, whose annoyance only grows larger.

“Must… m-must you always muscle in other p-people’s businesses?” she stammers bravely, “Theodur and I were talking, if you d-didn’t notice…”

“Child, I am in a foul mood,” Jaheira speaks with solemnity, “go to your room before I do something we both regret… no actually I think only you will regret it.”

Thankfully, Aerie has enough common sense to refrain from further arguments as she quickly disappears upstairs.

“What’s wrong, Jaheira?” I am concerned - her foul mood is worrying me… blasted Harpers again filling her head with doubts - a thought crosses my mind.

She looks at me for a long time and I grow uneasy from the evaluating stare she gives me.

“I met my contact at the Copper Coronet and he agreed to help us. Bernard says,”

“Ah, Bernard?” I intervene, convinced that the name had slipped from her lips without thinking.

“Yes. Bernard works as a barkeeper at Copper Coronet. And I did not slip, I have no need to hold back EVERY bit of information from you,” she smiles wryly. “Anyways, Bernard told me that it may take a week or so until the information is passed over through the network. Until then, perhaps it is wise to refrain from undertaking any quests outside of the city.”

“Those are good news, Jaheira, they do not explain your foul mood,” I note, but she just scowls at my remark.

“It seems like our visit in Athkatla is at the most impropriate time,” she sighs, “remember those street fights we saw a couple of nights ago?” She continues after receiving my reassuring nod of the head “I almost got caught up in one such fight this evening… I witnessed as a couple of thieves, most likely the members of Shadow Thieves, being killed by some… creatures… they were of the most unnatural kind. Undead. Vampires,” she finally reveals the mystery.

“That may sound worrying, but I still don’t understand how it concerns us?”

“You soon will,” she frowns a bit, takes a sip of ale and continues. “Naturally, I asked Bernard about this and got some interesting answers. I do not know how much you know about the groups of influence in Athkatla, but Yoshimo has enlightened you to some extent… know this – the Shadow Thieves have been the dominating force in Athkatla - until now. It seems that some new guild is challenging them for the power. Even though Shadow Thieves are superior in numbers, the other guild is much more fiercer and violent in their actions… now we know why… they are vampires.”

“My question still stands the same… how does this concerns us?”

“Do you not understand?” she grows impatient. “The very same moment we align ourselves with the Shadow Thieves, by simply paying Bayle the requested amount of gold, we automatically become the enemies and the targets of the other guild… and we cannot stand against the vampires…”

“Well, we knew that all the time… I mean that we need not only the gold, but weapons, armour and adequate skill… you said it yourself, remember?”

Jaheira only sighs and continues to slowly sip the ale. Clearly, this is not the real reason behind her foul mood - I know it. Probably meeting with an old acquaintance must have resulted in many memories brought back…

“You were away for a long time… spent some time over a mug of ale, perhaps?”

“What is this? An inquiry?” Jaheira is annoyed, “I have not seen the man for many years… is it so mind-boggling for you to understand?”

“No… not at all… he probably also wondered about you being… alone,” I know that I am touching a very sensitive matter, but I sense that she needs to talk about it. She looks at me oddly before responding.

“Yes. Yes, he did… we sat there, talking… about,” she sinks into a prolonged moment of silence, “Khalid.” First time, since the escape from the dungeon she has pronounced his name.

“The good old days… hearing him talk about Khalid… how good and valiant he was… I was not prepared. I am not prepared, yet. Not prepared to face my past… a part of me longs to forget everything that happened before,” she avoids looking me in the eyes, so I cannot see just how badly shaken she is, “and the other part of me… wants to treasure what good there was…”

I stand up from my seat and walk across the table to place my hands on her shoulders and surprisingly she does not stiffen from my touch.

“You know that it is impossible just to exclude things from your past as if they never happened… they are a part of you… they are what made you into the woman I fell in love with,” my own words cause a tear escaping from my eye, “I would not wish you to give up your past… in time you will come to terms with it. We will…”

In response, she just lifts her arm to squeeze mine, that is resting on her shoulder… A simple “Thank you,” from her lips warms my heart more than anything else could ever do.

“I think, I’ll head upstairs,” I lean closer to whisper in her ear, “you are welcome to join me…”

“Go,” she looks up to me and blesses me with a light smile, “I will join you shortly… I just need a little time to sort out my thoughts.”

With considerably lighter heart and the feeling that I have been able to ease her mind just a little, I head back to my room. Correction. Our room.




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