At least it will be a hopefully pleasant distraction from the last two chapters that were filled with angst and depression. Rush Of Blood To The Head, part 5.17.
“Dearest… there is one thing I must ask of you,” Jaheira speaks as we walk through the long corridor of the tavern, leading to our room.
“Anything for you, my dear,” I reply, equally courteous.
“I… would want to be alone tonight,” she says, looking me in the eyes, “I… I need to take a hot bath and then… think of some things… and I need a little space. Truly, you can be so distracting when around me and I do not mind that one little bit, but tonight… I need to spend some time alone.”
“Are you sure? You know that I wish to help you in any way I can,” I look at her, concerned.
“Please, don’t worry so much… I love you and will love you still in the morning to come,” she smiles serenely and plants a wet kiss on my cheek, “it is just… you know that after all what happened… my mind is really not on lovemaking and… well… this has been a hard day for both of us. You are not upset, are you?”
“Well… no… I respect your decision and understand it…” I sigh, before leaning closer to kiss her tenderly, “sweet dreams, beloved…” I whisper as she turns around and disappears behind the doors.
My problem now is to find a bed for this night… I suppose my friends are already sleeping – I don’t think that Jaheira would approve of me sharing bed with Viconia and Imoen, thus Edwin is the only choice left.
However, first I make a brief stop at Viconia’s room and hand the sleepy Drow the book that Solaufein was writing in, luckily Viconia is too drowsy to pester me with questions - she just curses me for disturbing her sleep and shuts the door in front of my nose. Having dealt with that, I head over towards the doors of Edwin’s room, hoping that he won’t be too cranky.
“What is it now?” an annoyed voice rings from inside the room, answering my knock on the door.
“I am death, come for thee…” I reply in a booming, thunderous voice and hear a heavy thud in the room and after a short wait the door opens. A very sleepy looking man, wearing red pajamas with golden stitchcrafts appears in my sight…
“What do you want, idiot? Do you realize that disturbing a wizard in the middle of a highly enjoyable dream might prove highly dangerous for the health of the disturber?” Edwin sneers.
“Ah, plug that mouth of yours, Eddie,” I answer nonchalantly and much to his annoyance step inside his room, “you’ve got a roomie for this night, whether you want it or not.”
“Ha, so the treehugger finally wizened up and threw you out? That does not surprise me in the slightest,” Edwin laughs.
“Yeah, yeah…” I am not inclined to listen to his insults or argue back – tomorrow morning will prove him wrong anyways, “so which side will you take, left or right?”
“I am sleeping in the middle of the bed, naturally. Your place is where the lessers belong,” saying this, he points to the floor.
“Ah, stuff it, Edwin, I am not sleeping on the floor. I take the right side and you can sleep on the left. But if you move to the middle, I will consider that as a sexual harassment and whack you in the face,” I grin.
“Hmm, acceptable,” Edwin agrees after a short thought, “I have to say, I barely recognize in you that sleazy, naive idiot I traveled with, along the Sword Coast. Amazingly enough, it proves that the aphacelous brain cells can regenerate – you are a living proof of that.”
Edwin crawls back in the bed and after having freed myself from my armor, I follow his example. It does feel weird not having Jaheira beside me, thus I simply cannot fall asleep despite my best attempts… and I can’t keep but to think of Phaere and the things she made me do to her…
“Edwin?” I ask, hoping that perhaps a conversation will help me to relax and forget some of the painful memories.
“What now?” he grumbles.
“I can’t sleep.”
“And you woke me up, just to tell me that?” he sounds rather incensed.
“Tell me a story, Edwin. Jaheira always tells me a story when I can’t sleep,” I have trouble sounding serious, speaking these words.
“A story? How about this… once upon a time there lived a tremendously powerful and beautiful Red Wizard and he had an annoying simian for a lackey. Despite his better judgment, the simian kept grating on the Red Wizard’s nerves on daily basis. One day, the Red Wizard had had enough of this and he fireballed the annoying simian. He lived happily ever after. The end,” Edwin finishes his masterpiece.
“Marvelous, Edwin… simply marvelous,” I clap my hands in praise, “speaking of Red Wizards… I was very surprised to find you in Athkatla – after all, you completed your mission and I thought you were to return to Thay. And when Jaheira mentioned that you are a renegade just as she is…”
“Shut up and mind your own business,” Edwin snorts angrily, “this is not for you to know.”
“But how come, Edwin? That wychlaran and her protector were both turned into squirrels and have likely fallen a prey to some hungry canine by now. I thought that Zulkir of yours would be pleased…”
“You just don’t know when to stop, do you? Ah, to the Abyss with it, but promise not to pester me anymore after I have told you the story, agreed?” Edwin sighs.
“Sure, just get on with the tale,” I reply.
“Understand this - there are many of us, Red Wizards, trying to gain the favor of the ruling Zulkir. It just happened so, that one of these jealous upstarts was tracking me all the way to the Sword Coast and spied upon me with the help of a hired Diviner. He found the polymorphed wychlaran and her bodyguard and cast spells to reverse their state – and the diviner transferred the images back to the Zulkir… need I go further or has your simpleton’s mind been able to follow?”
“Worry not, I get it…that’s pretty damn annoying, Edwin… can nothing be done about it? Is there no way to reconcile the matter?” I ask.
“Eh, my teacher is currently… working on things… he needs to gather some proof that I was framed, but it will be hard to do – after all, polymorphing her was not the proper way to finish the deed (all though, I must admit it was highly amusing and entertaining). That is also why I had to flee the Gate, teacher Dekaras informed me that they had tracked me and a confrontation with a group of Red Wizards might have proved somewhat challenging even to someone with my inconceivable talents. That is why I cannot return to Thay… at least for now.”
“Geez, that sucks, Edwin,” I say, “by the way… I remember how vehemently you insisted on staying at the Gate, after we dispatched my crazed up bro. What were you up to, there?”
“Now that is absolutely none of your business…” Edwin snorts, but it seems to be a rather sad sounding snort…
“Ah… I see, Edwin – I should have guessed from how you were looking at Jaheira…” I smirk.
“Your treehugger holds no interest for me whatsoever, fool,” Edwin sneers, “I am not the sort who would take a lover only because of pity.”
“Ah, but Eddie… she’s a half-elf too… that’s what it’s all about is it not?” I laugh quietly, “It’s all about a woman…”
“I refuse to talk about this. Goodnight.” Edwin pulls his blanket over the head.
“Ah, I remember her well, Eddie,” I chuckle, “tall, slender figure – she was a ranger, was she not? She reminded me of Jaheira – they both look quite alike, heh, if I didn’t have Jaheira, I might have fallen for her myself…”
“Don’t be ridiculous, you don’t have anything to offer to a woman as statuesque and beauteous as my…” Edwin suddenly stops at half sentence, “wait a second – what did you say? You mean, you and the druid… back then? You can’t possibly be serious, nothing escapes the notice of the sharp-eyed Edwin Odesseiron.”
“Who is that? I only know the blind-as-a-bat Edwin Odesseiron,” I snort, “and yes, Jaheira and I were lovers already at that time. But we are discussing your love life here, Eddie… now what was the name of that half-elven beauty? Ah, yes… Noralee?”
“Pronounce that name again and I will suffocate you with my pillow,” Edwin retaliates.
“Yes, Noralee… I suddenly remember a cute, little story for this occasion. If I recall correctly, the beautiful Noralee asked us to do her a favor in finding her missing gauntlets. Naturally we were too busy to go about on such a minor chore, am I correct, Eddie?” I fully enjoy myself, embarrassing the good, old Edwin, “So it came as a huge surprise that one morning when we awake in the inn, Khalid discovered that his gauntlets were missing. And they were not the only thing that were missing… a certain Thaywian was missing as well…”
“I warn you…” Edwin hisses.
“And after this certain Thaywian returned to us some time later, he was acting rather oddly… walking around as if in daze, unable to cast even the simplest cantrip,” I am trying hard to oppress the laughter, “so you stole the gauntlets for her and got laid – that’s a good deal in my book, Eddie… and she was your first one, wasn’t she?”
“Now you have done it, suffer the wrath of the Red Wizard!” Edwin roars and whacks me in the face with the pillow. Of course, I retaliate and soon a monumental pillow fight breaks out as we skillfully exchange the punches with the fluffy pillows… The fight comes to an end as one of the pillows is torn apart and the room is suddenly full with thousands and thousands of small feathers… we both end up coughing violently and slump back on the bed exhausted…
“So… you stayed with her, after we killed Sarevok?” I ask, having recovered from the heavy coughing streak, “and you left her and fled to Athkatla? Why didn’t you take her with you?”
“I thought about that,” Edwin suddenly speaks like a normal human being, perhaps because of the exhaustion, “but then I decided against it. I was a hunted man and had she stayed with me, she might have perished… of course, being as skilled as I am, I could have protected her, but…”
“Eh, you don’t have to explain, Eddie… you were afraid that she might get hurt. Though, she did look like a woman that can take care of herself,” I add.
“Says the ignorant that has never faced a Red Wizard in the battle,” Edwin retorts.
“Obviously, she means a lot to you, Eddie… and I think you feel that you have made a mistake by leaving her,” I say, “it is not too late to correct it – after we are done here, I think you should return back to the Gate to see her… perhaps, the rest of us can accompany you – who knows. Or… are you afraid to see her? Afraid that she might have found another?”
“Hmph, it is absolutely impossible to forget someone like Edwin Odesseiron,” his reply does not sound as convincing as intended, “now look at what your pathetic mewlings have caused, I have lost all the desire to sleep. I suppose I should go and make those drow concubines gasp under my erotic onslaught…” Edwin rises from the bed and starts to clean his red mage robe that is covered with countless little feathers.
“Sure, Eddie, that’s the easy solution. I’m sure that Noralee would be so proud of you,” I remark.
“Ah, who cares what…” Edwin stops and stands silent in the middle of the room. Without uttering a further word, he climbs back in the bed and falls silent.
