In The Cards

If you find yourself certain that you are in the right you should always question your motives and actions closely. There will be a very real danger of you being hideously in the wrong.

Excerpt from ‘Ruminations Of A Master Bard’

The nymph was beautiful of course, as all nymphs are. This one had hair of a rich golden color with just a hint of green to it, and it flowed like a silky waterfall down her attractive back. Her eyes were green as well, like sunlight shining through new leaves, and her face was indescribably lovely. The green dress she was wearing was just revealing enough that one could tell that her body was just as perfect as her face.

There was definitely something wrong with her though. As beautiful as she was, she also looked pale, and very tired. And she was wearing a thin collar of braided silver around her neck, and fingered it nervously as she spoke. I think that must be the binding item, Zaerini thought. The wizard must somehow be keeping her from escaping him, after all. It’s probably muting her powers as well, or he wouldn’t even be able to look straight at her. Nor would we, for that matter.

Ragefast the Wizard himself was an unremarkable young man, skinny and with rather large hands and feet, and with uneven tufts of what he probably intended to be an impressive beard in a few decades. What is it about wizards and beards anyway? Eddie looks really cute in his of course, but he’d look equally cute without it I’m sure. And this guy would look much better without his.

I think, Softpaws said, they do it to look older. But you’re right; your wizard does have nice face-fur.

Oh, he does. I wouldn’t want him to go over-the-top like Elminster though. There’s such a thing as too much.

Ragefast didn’t look at all pleased at seeing six strangers enter his private laboratory. “What!?” he cried out. “What bandit dares enter the home of Ragefast?! Identify your purpose here, that I might know what to put on thy tombstone!”

“You dare call us bandits?” Jaheira said as she stepped forwards, her hand on the hilt of her scimitar. “You, who have imprisoned a free creature of the wilderness, enslaving her to your will? Let her go now, or you will regret it.” The druid was glaring at Ragefast in a manner that indicated that such regret would be very brief indeed.

Some of Ragefast’s anger dissipated, but he wasn’t about to give in yet. “No!” he cried out, grasping the nymph’s slender arm so hard that it made her wince with pain. “You do not understand! I love Abela, I truly love her! She is the most wondrous creature I have ever seen, my love, and my very life! She makes me forget everything else, even my most precious spells; I want nothing more than her. I would be hers as well, but it takes time! She will grow to care for me, as I her! I just have to make her see…”

“You say you love her,” Rini said, struggling to control the anger that was trying to take control of her once more. “But you show your love by taking her prisoner, keeping her here against her will? If you truly loved her you would do what’s best for her, not for yourself. If you truly loved her you would set her free.” Out of the corner of her eye she could glimpse Edwin startling at her words, looking uncomfortable. She had to concentrate on Ragefast though.

“You do not understand,” the young mage whispered, giving the nymph a pleading look. “I love her. I…I never loved another woman as I love her. All others wither in my eyes as I look upon her. I must keep her, I shall die without her. She will…she will love me. She will learn to be happy here. We will grow old together.”

Zaerini felt that old and familiar anger seething deep in her soul, straining against her will. How dare he speak of love? He keeps her collared like a pet and claims to love her? He blinds himself to her pain. He has taken her freedom from her. The flames were rising, flickering higher and higher, the blood was singing in her veins, singing of the glory of murder.

YES! Her sire’s voice was like the door to a crypt slamming open in her soul, bringing with it the darkness and stench of the grave. SLAY HIM DAUGHTER. YOU KNOW HE DESERVES IT. HE IS ONE WHO IMPRISONS ANOTHER, KEEPS HER FOR HIS PLAYTHING. THE SORT OF CREATURE YOU HATE THE MOST. LOOK, HE IS TURNING HIS FACE AWAY FROM YOU. HOW EASY IT WILL BE TO DRIVE YOUR BLADE THROUGH HIS BODY, TO FEEL HIS FOUL BLOOD ON YOUR FACE, TO SEAR HIS SOUL WITH THE FIRES OF YOUR MAGIC. DO IT DAUGHTER. IT WOULD BE JUSTICE, YOU KNOW IT.

Zaerini felt her fists clench, her teeth bite into her lower lip. The taste of blood enticed the flames, made them roar even louder in her ears. She could barely hear the voice of Ragefast any more, and her vision was shrinking, shrinking until the wizard’s scrawny throat was all she could see through the dancing flames. The prey. The jailer. It would be just. Wouldn’t it?

And then the sweet and clear voice of Abela broke through her trance, dousing the flames like gentle rain. “Look unto me, Ragefast. My beauty fades even now. Keep me here, and you will only keep me for a short while before I fade entirely.”

Ragefast paled visibly and went to his knees before her. “Abela, your beauty is as brilliant now as the day I found you. Say not such things.”

The nymph sighed. “'Tis flattering, but you are blinded by your passion. Truly see what is become of me. I should not age, but my spirit fades in this ugly place. Yours does as well, but from obsession over me. If you love me, my Ragefast, if you truly love me as you say, then you will set me free, as this woman said.”

There were tears rolling down the wizard’s cheeks by now. “But we were meant for each other! Your very words had said so! Please Abela, you know it is so!”

Abela smiled a sad smile, stroking Ragefast’s hair. “In my glade, amidst the stars and moon. 'Twas beauty in that, but I cannot be confined with thee. I am not human, and this is not my home.”

“But…but this is MY home…”

Zaerini stared at the crying wizard, trying to shut out the insistent voice in her mind. WASTE NO MORE TIME, DAUGHTER! SEE, HE IS HELPLESS AGAINST YOU! SLAY HIM NOW, AND THE NYMPH SHALL BE FREE, AS YOU WISH HER TO BE. YOU KNOW HOW IMPORTANT FREEDOM IS TO YOU.

The words were like a spear through her soul, sending an icy sliver of pain through her. Yes, ‘Father’! Freedom. Like my own freedom, to make my own choices, and not to be your puppet on a string. I will not become another Sarevok, and I will not be your slave. Now leave me BE! The voice of the dead god faded gradually into nothingness, though her mind was still a maelstrom of confusion and panic. Oh gods, he almost got me that time. I was so close…so close to killing this man, without even trying to reason with him. I must control myself better, or I will be no better off than my brother.

You do that, kitten, Softpaws said. Spikes wouldn’t really suit you, you know.

They don’t suit Sarevok either.

Yes, kitten. I know. But you did well. A cat should not be commanded, and you were not. Now go on.

“Look at Abela, Ragefast,” Rini said, making her voice as calm and as convincing as she could. “And this time, really look at her. See how pale she is? She is fading and you know it, though you may have tried to keep yourself from realizing it. In time she will die. You say you love her. I say it is time you proved it. Let her go.”

For an agonizingly long moment the wizard hesitated, and she wondered if they were going to have to fight him after all. But then his eyes darkened with pain and he touched the silver collar, making it fall to pieces with a word and a gesture. “It…it is so,” he said. “Forgive me, Abela. They say the beauty of a nymph can blind a man, and I was blinded to the truth. I release you from my enchantments, and you are free to leave.” He stepped back, his eyes downcast. “Please do not hate me. I never wished you harm. I loved you. But now I know, the price of love is loss. Never did I wish to hurt you.”

Abela smiled then, her face radiant and already healthier-looking. “This I know,” she said. “’Tis my nature to breed obsession in men. I do not hate you.” She gave the quietly weeping wizard a brief kiss on the cheek and then turned to the adventurers. “And as for you, my friends and saviors, my gratitude is boundless!” Taking out a small knife she cut off a thick lock of her glittering hair and handed it to Zaerini. “Take this lock of my hair, to remember me by. And now, farewell.” She smiled again. “I doubt I shall seek the company of men for some time.” A silvery portal formed in the air behind her and she stepped through it, waving merrily.

As the adventurers left Ragefast’s house their thoughts were all of what they had just seen. “I am glad this turned out so well,” Jaheira said. “Very well done, child. Gorion would have been as proud of you as I am.”

“Do you really think so?” Rini asked.

“I know so. I knew him well, and he would have done just the same.” The druid hesitated for a moment. “You know, child…blood is not everything. Gorion was your father too, and today you proved that.”

The bard felt very pleased with this compliment, but she couldn’t quite escape her nagging doubt. “Thanks Jaheira. That means a lot. But you know…I almost…”

The druid shrugged. “What is ‘almost’?” she asked. “What matters is what you did, and you did well.” Then she frowned. “Ramazith will not be pleased of course, but that cannot be helped.”

“Oh n-n-no…” Khalid moaned. “D-did you have to s-say that? I’d almost m-m-managed to forget about him.”

“Well, he will nay forget about us,” Yeslick said. “We might as well go see him right now. If he’s honest as he says, he will understand.”

“And if h-h-he is n-not?”

The dwarf smiled. “Why, then I guess we’ll just have to explain it to him.” He tapped his hammer against his palm. “Politely of course.”

Imoen was smiling brightly, and now she tugged at her best friend’s sleeve. “Oh Rini, wasn’t this romantic? Imagine, he really loved her, and he sacrificed that love so she would be all right! I think that’s just so incredibly sweet and aw-worthy! Don’t you agree, Edwin?”

“I say it was incredibly idiotic,” the wizard sneered, “and the idiot deserves to be hung from his thumbs and flogged with electric eels for shaming wizard-hood like that with his soppy bawling.” There was a distressed look in his eyes though, despite the sharp words, and Rini wasn’t late to pick up on it.

“Immy, excuse us for a moment would you?” she asked the pink-haired thief. Once she had got Edwin out of hearing-range from the others she addressed him, as quietly as she could. “Edwin? What’s wrong? And don’t pretend otherwise, I can tell something’s bothering you.”

The wizard was silent for a few moments, and once he spoke again his voice was troubled and he had a far-away look in his dark eyes. “I…was just wondering,” he said. “If I were in his position…what I really would have done.”

“You would have done the right thing. You would have let her go.”

“Do you think so?”

“Of course I do. You may pretend differently, but I figure I know you pretty well by now. If you really cared about somebody you wouldn’t want her dead because of you. Even if it would hurt you.”

“No…” Edwin said, and he still sounded a bit distant. “I suppose not.”

“Still,” Rini said with a smile, “it’s not as if you’re ever going to have to make that decision. I’m not about to let you go about capturing any lovely nymphs you know.”

And then she felt her breath catch in her throat as the wizard smiled a mischievous smile in return. Oh gods, he’s gorgeous. And those eyes…

“No?” Edwin asked. “I think it may be a little late for that. (Though I will leave it unsaid just who has captured whom.) And if I have any choice about it I will never let her go.” Then he suddenly started violently and cursed out loud in Thayvian as a furry black streak shot out from under his robes. “What,” he said once he finally found his voice again, “in the Nine Hells was that?”

“Ah…” Zaerini said, feeling herself blush furiously as a wild torrent of very interesting images bombarded her across the mental link she shared with her familiar. Softpaws had been in a bit of a hurry and the pictures were blurred, but she could make out just enough to further fuel her imagination. “I think Softy was trying to do some practical research. You know what they say about how curious cats are.”