In The Cards

No matter how skilled and strong an adventurer becomes, he or she would do well to remember this lesson. Outside help may require payment in kind, but sometimes you will have no other choice but to accept it. Just don't forget that a rogue may catch a rogue, but will rarely do it for free.

Excerpt from Ruminations Of A Master Bard

As soon as Zaerini saw the Flaming Fist soldier purposefully walking towards her she knew that he was going to be trouble. He had that certain look of zealousness combined with stupidity about him, and his two subordinates followed his lead.

"You there!", he said in an imperious voice. "You're under arrest for banditry, and highway robbery! We know you're part of that bandit group who's been terrorizing the Coast Way. Give yourselves up or there will be.......trouble."

"Oh, come on", Zaerini said. "We're not part of any bandit gang."

"Really now, and why should we believe you?"

"A very good question", the bard said, "and one deserving of an answer." She had no idea what she was going to say, but she kept talking anyway, hoping that it would come to her eventually. "How, indeed, can one divine the truth in a case such as this? After all, anyone can be a bandit. I assume you attack and kill everybody you meet, just in case. I mean, why should people be allowed to walk peacefully down the road when they might just be bandits?"

"Uh…yes", the man said, looking dazed and more than a little confused.

"And isn't it said that every person is a criminal, it's just that some people haven't had the time to commit any crimes yet? So that means you should try to kill everybody in the world."

The mercenaries nodded. When it was put that way, it sounded very reasonable.

"Except of course that makes you criminals as well, right? Conspiracy to murder or something like that. Tell you what. Why don't the three of you just fight it out between yourselves right now?"

Rini could see the tiny wheels turning inside three very thick heads. She wasn't about to let them make what passed for their minds up though. While the three soldiers still eyed each other suspiciously she attacked. She had finally been able to inscribe some spells into her spellbook, and now was the perfect time to try one of them out. A green ray struck the first soldier in the chest, and he gasped with pain, obviously weakened.

Great! Rini thought, as she felt some of the man's lifeforce enter her. That fixed the chafing wound on my big toe. Old Larloch knew his business. She followed up with her bow, joining Imoen in peppering the soldiers with arrows while Khalid and Jaheira charged them with sword and staff. It wasn't long before all three soldiers lay dead in the road.

"Very…creative", Jaheira said. "But are you certain it was a wise thing to do?"

"Oh, come on", Zaerini said, and grinned in a way she knew would infuriate the druid. "Serves them right for molesting innocent people on the road, after all." She handed Khalid one of the dead men's suits of platemail. "Here, try this on. Looks like your size."

"B-but suppose the Fist find out?" he protested.

"Why would they? It's not as if there was a nametag inside the armor."

"I think he meant the dead bodies", Jaheira icily remarked.

"Oh", Rini said, absentmindedly chewing on a lock of bright red hair. "I guess you have a point. Hey, I know! Remember those hobgoblin bandits that tried to attack us before?"

"Yessss…" Jaheria said, still not willing to take anything for granted.

"Well, some of them ran into the bushes, remember? I'm sure they wouldn't mind disposing of the bodies for us."

"Yuck!" Imoen said. "That's disgusting!"

"Not really. They're already dead, and hobgoblins aren't human, so it's not cannibalism. Just part of the Great Circle of Nature, right Jaheira? Isn't that what you always say?"

Jaheira didn't respond. She just gave the half-elven bard a very dark glare, grabbed one of the soldiers by the ankles and started dragging him into the bushes, in the general direction of the hobgoblin camp. Khalid took hold of one of the others and followed her with an apologetic glance.

Zaerini spread her arms wide and shrugged. "Did I say something wrong?" she asked innocently.

The journey from Beregost had been a mostly uneventful one. The party had taken a detour to the Friendly Arm Inn, to get their reward for the spider killing, after they had taken the opportunity to get Imoen decursed and returned to her original gender. The priest at the Lathander temple east of Beregost had explained that the magical belt would switch the gender of whoever wore it. Jaheira had wanted to throw the thing away, but Rini had insisted on keeping it. She didn't know when she was going to use it, but it was a prank too precious to be wasted. Imoen had agreed, once she was back in shape.

The rest of the enchanted items had turned out to be a belt that offered some protection against attacks, a wand that could shoot lightning bolts, and a ring to enhance a wizard's magical powers. Rini was wearing the belt, and she was saving the other two items for later. She couldn't use them herself, but sooner or later they might meet up with a wizard willing to join them. Some extra magic would be useful, she was still very limited herself.

And now, after plowing through a large group of hobgoblin bandits and fighting off a couple of ogrillons they were almost in Nashkel. Zaerini sighed with relief. She was getting better at fighting day by day, but it sure was going to be nice to get back to civilization. To sit down in a pleasant inn, put her feet up and relax. That mine thing could wait a day or two, certainly.

Nashkel turned out to be a lot smaller than Beregost, a village with but a single dusty street, and a few houses along it. For a place plagued by mysterious trouble it seemed remarkably peaceful. As they passed over the small bridge leading into town Rini could see fields on the other side of the river, and a rooftop here and there. Apparently this was as much a farming community as a mining town.

Such a pleasant place, Zaerini thought. It's hard to imagine anything sinister going on here.

"We should go see the Mayor at once", Jaheira said. "He needs to know that we have arrived safely."

"Sure", Rini said. "Just as soon as I've had something to drink and a little rest. I'm positive he'll be able to manage without our company for another hour or two." Not waiting for the druid's response she walked inside the first house on her left, proclaimed by the sign above the door to be the Nashkel Inn. It was dark inside, and it was a moment before her infravision adjusted. Then she saw the armed woman on the other side of room, staring at her. The woman pulled a scroll out, read it, and then looked at the half-elf again, grinning.

Maybe I'm just being paranoid, Zaerini thought, but something tells me that woman isn't simply out to deliver a letter. She put a hand on her sword as the woman came closer.

"Just fancy my luck seeing you stroll in here, bold as day!", the woman smirked. "I expected a hunt and a chase from the description, but who am I to argue easy coins in the purse. May the Lord of Shadows guide you swiftly to your death!"

Oh, great, Zaerini thought. Another assassin. I'm surprised they don't trip over each other, their job market must be very saturated since they all seem to insist on going after little old me.

"Hey!" Imoen yelled. She had walked in the door just in time to hear the death threat, with Khalid and Jaheira behind her. "That's not a very nice thing to say! Who are you anyway?"

The woman didn't respond immediately. She simply murmured a few words, and a large glowing hammer appeared in her hands. "Who I am is unimportant", she said, "though my name is Neira. What I am, is a hunter of bounties, and on your head is a lovely little sum. Does this satisfy your request? I thought it wouldn't. No matter." Her voice rose again, chanting out another spell, and Khalid stumbled in the midst of raising his sword, a vacant look on his face. Zaerini thought she saw Jaheira jump in front of him, staff raised to attack, but then she felt the world slow around her. It was like trying to move inside taffy, and her limbs wouldn't obey her. Her mind screaming with sudden panic she froze in mid motion, unable to defend herself. The assassin turned towards her, her eyes glinting with sudden triumph and she raised her magical hammer.

NO! Zaerini screamed inside her head. This can't be happening! I have to get free, I have to! But she was held completely immobile by the power of the spell, unable to so much as blink. Her mind provided her with a terrible vision of being beat to a pulp by that glowing hammer, still conscious and able to feel pain, but helpless and unable to defend herself. Where were the others? Had they been caught as well?

The assassin moved closer, smiling. And then the smile turned into a stunned look of surprise and pain, and a red fountain spurted out of her throat around the throwing dagger that had embedded itself there. She dropped to her knees, her weakening hands feebly attempting to claw at the weapon. Then her eyes glazed over and she lay still in a rapidly widening pool of blood.

Zaerini's eyes were starting to water from not being unable to blink. It was hard to see properly, but she tried to follow the path of the dagger nevertheless. It had come from behind the assassin, from the top of the stairs, she thought. Then she finally felt the spell dissolve, and she was able to move once again. Not pausing to think she ran up the stairs, determined to catch the unknown rescuer. But whoever had been there was gone already, leaving only shadows, silence and closed doors behind. In the end she was forced to give up her search.

"Zaerini?" Jaheira asked. "Are you unharmed?" She sounded really worried.

"Yes, I'm fine", the half-elf murmured. "Thank you. Did any of you see where that dagger came from?"

"N-no", Khalid said. "I'm a-afraid that spell made me act very s-stupid."

"So it did", Jaheira said and patted him on the arm. "But I forgive you for it. And no, I saw nothing either. Imoen?"

"Uh-uh", Imoen said, shaking her head. She was going through the dead woman's belongings, and had already set a very pretty helmet aside for further investigation. "Rini, look at this!" She held out the scroll that the assassin had been studying earlier, and Zaerini read it, having a fairly good idea of what it was going to say already.

BOUNTY NOTICE

Be it known to all those of evil intent, that a bounty has been placed upon the head of Zaerini, the foster child of Gorion.

Last seen in the region of Beregost, this person is to be killed in quick order.

The subject is to be considered a formidable foe, and is likely to have well-equipped traveling companions.

This offer has been extended to all appropriate guilds.

Those returning with proof of the deed shall receive no less than six hundred and eighty coins of gold.

As always, any that reveal these plans to the forces of law shall join the target in their fate.

"So, I'm up to six hundred and eighty now, am I?" she said. "At this rate I'll be worth my weight in gold before next Winter Solstice. And a formidable foe to boot. I kind of like that."

"Don't forget the well-equipped traveling companions", Imoen said with a grin.

Zaerini smiled and pulled the throwing dagger out of the neck of the dead woman. It was a well-crafted weapon, sharp and deadly, and well-balanced. Black hilt. No identifying marks. Well, what did I expect? She thought this a little ruefully. Anybody good enough to turn up out of nowhere, kill a woman with one hit and then disappear into thin air isn't going to have his weapons marked with his initials. I wonder if that fat innkeeper knows anything, though.

She approached the bar and gave the innkeeper her most charming smile. For once it didn't seem to work as intended. The man paled and stared at her, trembling like a leaf. Nervous fellow, Zaerini thought. What's wrong with a friendly smile anyway? "Hello", she said politely. "I was just wondering if you could help me with something, Mr…?"

"O-Odipas. Turl Odipas, at your service M-m-miss."

"Did you see who threw this dagger?" Zaerini asked, tapping the weapon against the counter. "Or do you know who might have?" She didn't know what she had been expecting, but not this particular reaction. The innkeeper turned as gray as a corpse and stared at the dagger with complete terror in his eyes.

"NO!" he almost screamed. "I…I know nothing! Nothing at all! It's none of my business, anyway. I…I became an innkeeper because I wanted a nice and quiet life!" He was almost sobbing.

Zaerini frowned. The man was obviously lying, but she didn't see any way of making him tell the truth. Somebody must have scared him badly. "All right", she said. "I'll just rent your finest room then, for me and my friends." For some strange reason this seemed to agitate the innkeeper even more.

"N…n…no!" he stuttered. "That…that one is t-taken already. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm…"

"Yes, yes", Rini interrupted. Was the man insane? "We'll take whatever you have. Just stop blubbering and give us the keys already."

You didn't ask me what I saw, Softpaws said, flicking her tail with annoyance.

I'm sorry. What did you see?

Nothing much. Just a shadow at the top of the stairs, moving very quietly. No details. There was actually a hint of approval in the cat's voice.

When you say 'very quietly', just what do you mean by that?

Very quietly. As a cat would when hunting. On paws making no sound, unseen in the shadows. Claws and teeth at the ready. The way it should be.

Zaerini wasn't sure she liked the sound of that. Sure, the mysterious rescuer had saved them this time, but somehow she couldn't imagine that he had neglected introducing himself simply because he was shy. No, there was something going on, and she just hoped it wouldn't blow up in her face.

Well, keep your eyes open, would you? she told her familiar. I don't want that strange 'cat' to surprise me if I can avoid it. Uneasily she wondered just what she could do about that.

Meanwhile a conversation was taking place upstairs, in the Nashkel Inn's finest room.

"She is here already?" Edwin asked with surprise and anticipation, almost dropping the scroll he had been studying. "Is she alone? Should I approach her at once?"

"No", Dekaras said, carefully locking the door behind him. "She is agitated and suspicious at the moment, and small wonder. Some assassin just tried to kill her, and almost succeeded. I was forced to intervene or our mission would have been a lost cause already. Pity I couldn't get a closer look at the corpse. It would be useful to find out which other agency is competing with us, apart from the Witches."

"She didn't see you?"

The assassin gave the young wizard a withering look. "Of course she didn't see me!" he snapped. "I'm not some clumsy berserker after all, to charge blindly into battle."

"Sorry."

"That's all right. But unfortunately it means a change of plans. Obviously I couldn't allow myself to be seen, but that also means that she will be suspicious and wary of all strangers. You cannot approach her directly, so we must use one of the backup plans."

Edwin wondered just which plan his mentor was referring to. Then he saw the crooked grin on the assassin's face and knew which one it had to be.

"Oh, no!" he said. "Not that one! I absolutely refuse! It's…it's undignified!"

"Suit yourself. I am only trying to help, but if you insist on being ungrateful and unprofessional…"

Edwin sighed. He didn't like it much, but he knew that the assassin was right. That particular plan was the one most likely to work. That didn't mean he had to like it though. "Can we at least order some dinner while we wait?" he said. "If I am to suffer I should at least be allowed to compensate in advance."

"Certainly, my dear boy. Certainly. Just make sure not to upset the innkeeper too badly. The man seems to get more nervous day by day. You would almost think he was unused to demanding customers. And don't stay up too late. You'll need to be rested and clearheaded tomorrow."

Edwin smiled. At last he was approaching his goal. You need wait no longer, Zaerini, he thought. You are about to see some real magic at long last.