Rush Of Blood To The Head, part 2.18.

Rush Of Blood To The Head, part 2.18.

I climb out of the dark hole - the sewer entrance as the last. I see that Jaheira is already tending to Yoshimo’s injuries despite her own leg bleeding heavily. I slowly slide down on the graveled walkway with realization of how badly my shoulder is aching. Carrying Jaheira, fully equipped on my broken shoulder… if not for the fear and panic giving me unnatural strength, I would never have been able to accomplish it.

“Rather a close call, this one,” I exhale as Jaheira sits behind me and prepares to heal my shoulder. “Don’t,” I speak, “take care of yourself, first… my injury is not bleeding…”

“Do be quiet, foolish one,” she laughs half heartedly, “and next time when we meet a group of bandits, I will do the talking.”

I feel a cold, soothing wave of energy flowing through my body as she completes the incantation and the pain slowly fades away. Still the shoulder will likely be sore for a day or two…

As I still lay on the ground and watch as Jaheira takes care of her injury, Nalia pipes up, “We failed… how could this happen? We will not be able to save Haer’Dalis then?”

“Nalia… we cannot always succeed. There is always a chance that we might fail and I’m afraid that Haer’Dalis is most likely dead if he ran into those bandits. I’m sorry,” I try to calm her down.

“It’s just,” Nalia sobs, “we have done so much good… I did not imagine that we would be suffering such setbacks… after I failed… daddy …” now she is crying openly, “Why did I have this illusion that the good heroes always emerge triumphant from every battle?”

“Nalia, did you know why I ordered us to run?” I ask and seeing her shake her head continue, “the mage was chanting an instant death spell… if he would have finished it, one of us would have been dead now…” Nalia stops her wailing and her face becomes pale from horror.

“How did you recognize the spell?” Yoshimo asks interested.

“My… father was a mage of some skill… He thought that knowing such things might save my skin and today it did,” I reply trying to keep my voice as stable as possible.

“I am sorry to hear about your loss… you have my sympathies, friend,” Yoshimo bows politely.

“It’s all right, Yoshimo, I have dealt with that loss… I think,” I smile wryly.

“Perhaps we can return later, when those bandits have left,” Nalia muses, “I just need to know what happened to him, be he dead or alive… the uncertainty about someone’s fate is very… disturbing.”

“Maybe… if we have time…” I don’t want to make a promise that I might be unable to keep, “right now, I think we should get back to the inn, it’s getting late… the vampires will soon be stalking in the streets.”

I slowly rise to my feet and while doing so ask Jaheira “Can you walk? Looked a bad cut, that one…”

“Do not concern yourself, I am all right,” she replies.

After walking for some time, Jaheira leans closer to me and whispers, “I think I will go over to see Bernard. I know it is only two days, but maybe he has picked up something already.”

“I’ll go with you,” I speak decidedly, “you just have been injured and I don’t want you to walk around alone at night, I don’t care about this whole Harper secrecy, your safety is my priority.”

“Very… very well,” she is a bit taken aback by my determination, “there is nothing really to be so secretive about - I trust Bernard enough. Trust me as well – you do not have any reason at all to fear the Harpers.”

“Ok, listen up everyone,” I hand out the orders to the others, “you three will proceed back to Mithrest, while Jaheira and I will take a small side-trip… stop giggling, Nalia! This will be a serious information gathering task, not some kind of lover’s stroll in a park… ugh…” I wince as Jaheira elbows me in the ribs and the others just laugh.

So, after crossing the bridge our paths separate – Yoshimo, Nalia and Jan head back to Mithrest, while Jaheira’s and mine path leads to the cesspool of corruption… I meant the Copper Coronet…

 

We make our way to the Copper Coronet in silence, but I do not feel the need to speak, I feel content enough walking alongside her. I make an attempt to grab and hold her arm as we walk, but every time I manage to do it, she breaks loose from my grip thinking such attentions to be foolish… until at the fifth or sixth attempt she does not resist anymore. We walk holding hands and as our fingers link, I know that she is smiling in the dark.

“You don’t think of me being a coward because of that incident?” I finally break the blissful silence.

“What?” she has been thinking about something else and it takes time for her to realize what I was asking, “Oh… No, I am grateful for what you did…the thought of death in such a horrid place, it is sickening.”

“Jaheira? Why did you not retreat at once as I ordered? Your injury was bad, but surely you could outrun that dwarf…”

“I… I did not want to leave you behind me, I… needed to see you in safety…” she says quietly.

“So you were waiting for me to run and I was waiting for you to do the same… if this indecision would have lasted a second longer, one of us would be dead,” a cold thought squeezes my heart.

“I am glad that you do not hesitate to take the initiative… be it in battle or in…” she falls silent and turns me around to face her. Awaiting me is the gentlest kiss I could ever hoped to experience and we stand in front of the Copper Coronet’s door, entwined in a passionate embrace…

 

Inside, the poorly illuminated hall of Copper Coronet is as always filled with drunken patrons, courtesans and ruffians, simply looking for reasons to start a fight. Well, we are not looking for a fight - we are looking for a Bernard. And sure enough there he is, I recognize him, even if I have never seem him before – he is a chubby middle-aged fellow, with ingratiating smile on his lips.

He slightly bows his head seeing Jaheira appearing in the crowd, but restricts from speaking until we have come closer.

“Evening, Jaheira,” he speaks in a quiet baritone, “I see you are not alone this eve… this must be that charge of yours, Theodur, isn’t it?” Bernard smiles.

Charge, indeed… I think, but I only reply with a customary polite greeting and fall silent, letting Jaheira do the talking. So he knows who I am… might be important, maybe not, probably Jaheira has told him about me on their last meeting, but what and how much?

“Jaheira, I have good news for you,” Bernard smiles, “for both of you, I guess. I have found a person who has the information you need… about this mage Irenicus.”

“Good, I knew I could count on you Bernard,” Jaheira shoots me a quick, warm smile, “let us hear it, then.”

“Oh, he did not entrust me with it, I’m afraid,” Bernard spreads his hands apologetically, “he told me that the information was far too important and dangerous, so he would not endanger me by letting me know it… he will only pass it to you when you meet face to face…”

“Jaheira, I…” I speak, as I don’t like the turn of events.

“Relax, such secrecy is nothing extraordinary, especially when considering that Bernard is not amongst the ranks of Harpers,” she tries to convince me, “he is more like an agent, a gatherer of information… himself, he has a very restricted access to any other information and he has no saying whatsoever on the decisions made by the Harpers…”

I see that Bernard flinches at her words and a slightly pained expression overshadows his face for a second or two – that makes me slightly curious, as I do not really understand his reaction.

“If you say so,” I say, “so where would this exchange of information will take place?”

With a concern on his face, Bernard looks at Jaheira. “You can speak, I do not hold any secrets from Theodur,” Jaheira speaks.

“I trust you know where is the Five Flagons playhouse,” after receiving a nod from Jaheira, he continues, “the contact will meet you there tomorrow evening, second floor, go through the corridor amongst the side-rooms until you reach the large hall loaded with theatre requisites. He will be lingering somewhere around there… by the way he expects you alone, Jaheira…”

“Well, then use your network and tell your contact that she will not be alone,” I interject, sharper than I intended and Jaheira shoots me a half-annoyed, half-grateful glance, “I will be going with you and that is decided,” I finish adamantly.

“Very well,” Bernard shrugs his large shoulders, “I’ll pass him the information… well, that’s all then I can tell you, unless you want to stay for a while and empty a mug of ale or two…”

“It’s past midnight, already,” I tell her, “perhaps, we should stay here for the night and return to Mithrest in the morning.”

She nods at my suggestion and I turn to Bernard to arrange our accommodations for the night. The look in his eyes as I order a single room for two, suggests me that perhaps I have made a mistake…