In The Cards

For somebody quite dedicated to the use of words I sometimes marvel at how many things can be said without them, things that the words aren't quite ready to deal with yet. Of course, when speaking body-language you may find yourself saying things without knowing it yourself, and that can create all sorts of other problems…

Excerpt from 'Ruminations Of A Master Bard'

Jaheira wasn't all that fond of parties. This was a given fact, much like the color of her eyes or her fondness for sleeping outdoors, at least in pleasant weather. But it didn't seem as if there was any getting out of this one, and besides it was obviously important to the girls. Yes, the girls. The druid sighed and mused upon how little she had known when she had first agreed to do Gorion what had seemed like a small favor at the time. Imoen by herself wouldn't have been that difficult to handle, most likely. The human girl was the very soul of mischief, and likely to get into trouble, but she was also so innocently cheerful that it was hard to imagine even the most infamous of villains not warming to her. Zaerini now, that was a different matter. The half-elf, too, had an inclination towards mischief. But in her it was coupled with a biting wit and there was always the hint of darkness within. And yet she has a basically good heart, Jaheira thought. I know that well enough by now, and I will fight to protect her from those who cannot see that. I would do so even had I not sworn it. But I fear for her. She is so reckless and contrary. If she will not listen to my guidance, how can I protect her from the dangers ahead?

"C-c-copper for your thoughts, m-my love?" Khalid said as he came up behind the druid and sneaked his arm around her waist. They were in a secluded corner in the grand dining hall of Mayor Ghastkill's manor house, and so she allowed a display of affection that she would have tried to avoid in a more visible place.

"I was just thinking about the children", Jaheira said as she turned her head to smile at her husband.

"You m-mean w-w-worrying."

Jaheira gave a short bark of laughter. "You know me all too well, my husband. Yes, as you say. Worrying. They are so…so…"

"Y-young?"

"Yes. Exactly." She gave a wry smile. "Though I suppose even I cannot very well fault them for that. And of course they have no idea of exactly how young they are and insist on being treated as adults. I was much the same, you know. And you know how much trouble I got into because of it. I just want to protect them."

"You c-c-can't protect people from themselves, love. They m-m-must make their own m-mistakes."

Jaheira smiled again and briefly touched her husband's cheek, drinking in the sight of his kind face, his dark eyes shining with love and concern for her. "You are right, of course. Sometimes I wonder just who the wisest of us is."

"J-j-j-j-j-j-jaheira, I…"

"Oh, Khalid. 'twould take a sailor to untie that tongue, I think."

"J-jaheira", Khalid said with feigned annoyance. "M-must you always be so…"

"Insufferable?" the druid asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Y-yes. NO!"

"Beautiful?"

"Y-yes. Yes, that is definitely it."

Jaheira laughed again, a low throaty laugh, and then she forgot all about dead gods and heavy responsibilities for a few moments as she shared a very satisfactory kiss with her husband. When they broke it off she saw that there were now plenty of townspeople assembled, eagerly standing about in front of the dais that had been erected at one end of the room. Apparently that was where the award ceremony was going to take place. The druid and the warrior made their way towards the dais, anxious not to be late. It was with some surprise that Jaheira noticed just how respectfully people made way for them, and how many excited whispers that followed them on their way through the room.

A few minutes later there was a movement in the crowd that began by the large double doors and rippled through the crowds. Edwin came striding up towards the dais, wearing what Jaheira couldn't help but consider an unusually flattering, if not entirely orthodox set of mage robes. The Red Wizard looked neither left nor right as he passed through the room, and he had a rather stunned look on his face.

"Where are the girls?" Jaheira asked and was surprised to see the wizard almost start out of his skin.

"How should I know?" he asked. "I…I'm not some Helmite am I, always watching everything with my all-seeing eyes? (Don't think about watching. Don't even think about it.)" Then he noticed the dais and gave it a horrified look. "Is that what I think it is?" he asked.

"Probably", Jaheira said. "That is where we will stand as we accept the title 'Heroes Of Nashkel' if that is what you mean."

Edwin visibly paled. "But…but I can't do that!" he protested. "Not up there! Suppose…suppose somebody sees me?"

Jaheira looked around the room. She judged that there were approximately seventy or so people here, and more were arriving by the minute, men, women and children. Apparently the wizard also realized the absurdity of his statement. "What I mean", he said, "is suppose somebody sees me who…er…shouldn't see me. That could all prove very embarrassing. (I would probably get sarcastic comments about it for months. Years even.)"

"What do you mean 'somebody'?", Jaheira asked. "Like who?"

"Like…well…"

"Oh, stop it", Jaheria said, feeling irritated. "There are no Red Wizards about if that is what is worrying you. Stop being such an infant."

Edwin was just about to say something when Imoen came plowing through the crowd, her fluffy pink and black dress billowing out around her like a cloud. "There you all are!" she exclaimed. "Er…any of you seen Rini?"

"Not since…" Edwin started, and then he broke it off.

"Oh", Imoen said and her face fell a little.

"Children", Jaheira said in a warning voice, placing her hands on her hips. "What exactly is going on here?"

"Nothing!" Edwin and Imoen said at the same time, both looking extremely guilty about something.

"Nothing? Now, why is it that I do not believe that? I am going to ask you one more time. Where is Zaerini?"

It was at precisely that moment that the double doors opened once more and a great hush spread through the crowd. Zaerini walked inside the room, her back as straight as that of a queen. As she approached Jaheira thought she could guess why it had taken the girl so long to prepare. The bard was wearing a red dress, one that seemed to gather up all the warm highlights of her hair and eyes and reflect them back, magnified and enhanced, creating the impression of a woman made of pure fire. It also served to enhance her…womanly attributes…in a way that Jaheira was fairly certain Gorion would never have approved of, particularly the rather dramatic bodice. The skirts flowed equally dramatically from her slim waist and a necklace of gleaming amber decorated her pale throat. Her face was very calm and collected, regal almost, but her eyes glittered in a worrying manner as she swept past Edwin and Imoen without sparing them a second look.

"Shall we?" Zaerini asked Jaheira and Khalid, and then stepped onto the dais without waiting for their answer. Jaheria exchanged a curious look with her husband and then followed their young charge, making certain that Imoen pulled the still feebly protesting Edwin along with them.

Once atop the dais Jaheira surveyed the room. For a manor in a small mining town it was grand indeed, the wooden floor had been polished until it glowed with a warm light all of its own, and candles burned brightly on the walls. The tall windows were hung with heavy green curtains that obscured the revelers from any unwanted eyes. In the next room she knew that the dinner table had been set, or rather the dinner tables. A large one for the 'heroes', the Mayor and his family and the town's premiere citizens, several smaller ones for the other guests. And this room was apparently meant to be transformed into a place of dancing once the award ceremony was over and done with. Jaheira wasn't planning on dancing herself though. She rarely wore dresses and had satisfied herself with cleaning her armor, donning fresh clothes and brushing out her golden-brown hair until it shone. The children might enjoy it though.

Speaking of children, she was uncertain of whether they were enjoying themselves right now. Zaerini stood in the front, and she certainly seemed to be basking in the adulation of the crowd, but she also seemed to be annoyed about something. Imoen kept giving her friend nervous glances. As for Edwin, he kept trying to hide behind the others, and eventually Jaheira and Khalid had to grasp him firmly by both arms to keep him from sneaking off. He still kept scanning the crowd in a highly agitated manner though.

"…and so", the Mayor went on with a speech that had already lasted half an hour, "I give you the Heroes Of Nashkel! Not only have they defeated the foul villain Mulahey who had tainted our precious ore and let his kobold minions prey upon our brave miners! No, they have taken the time to extend their noble efforts to even the more humble of our citizens, as well as our proud forces of law! Yes, they found the escaped artist Prism, and the emeralds he stole have been returned!"

"What?" Edwin hissed out of the corner of his mouth. "I thought we were going to keep those!"

"They were stolen", Jaheira responded in an equally discreet fashion, while keeping her wide smile plastered across her face, "and I returned them this morning."

"But…"

The crowd cheered wildly.

"Furthermore", the mayor went on, "they brought back news of one of our dear departed friends. Miner Joseph may be lost to us, but his poor widow at least knows his fate, and I am pleased to be able to say that she was generously provided for by our Heroes!"

"WHAT?" Edwin almost screamed.

"Er…that was me", Imoen admitted. "I kept that ring we found in the mines, and I found out where the guy's wife lived, and then I felt so sorry for her and well I thought we could spare a little gold…"

The Red Wizard hung his head despondently. "Please don't be watching", he murmured in a quiet, despairing voice. "Please don't be. I'll do anything. Anything at all."

"Let's hear it for our good and noble friends", the Mayor trumpeted, "the justly famed, the pure of heart, the stalwart champions of Justice, the friends of the needy and defenders of the meek, the HEROES OF NASHKEL!"

The crowd went mad with cheering. What seemed to be a small gnome jester turned somersaults across the stage, horns blared and drums rolled and confetti was sprinkled all over the surprised adventurers. A troupe of small girls in white dresses came rushing onto the dais thrusting flower bouquets into the arms of the newly appointed Heroes. Most accepted gracefully, though Jaheira had to twist Edwin's arm in order to make him take his. She didn't think his groan was entirely due to physical pain either.

"And so", the Mayor continued, "the time has come for our Heroes to journey forth once again! Aye, for 'tis not the nature of Heroes to sit idle when needed, and Nashkel needs Heroes indeed. Brage, our former Captain of the Guard, still terrorizes the woods, slaughtering all that approach him in his madness." Lots of disapproving murmurs from the crowd. "But now that we have our very own Heroes they will no doubt deal with him shortly." More wild cheers.

"What?" Jaheira heard Zaerini say in a stunned voice. "I never said anything about…"

"See?!" Edwin complained. "Didn't I tell you so? Being a hero means working for free and risking your life for people you don't even know. And it never stops. It's always 'just one more stupendously dangerous quest and then we'll let you lead a quiet life in luxury'. Heroes always die young, you know."

"Oh, stop it", Jaheira said wearily. "You are starting to sound like Xan. Just…just smile and enjoy your flowers."

An hour later Zaerini decided that she had had enough of the party. She couldn't eat any more, she would rather die than converse with yet another stuffy town official, she'd performed a few songs since the guests had asked her nicely, and she had danced with just about every young man in town. Well, almost everybody. Apparently some people found her repugnant enough that they would rather hide than dance with her. Instead leaving her to have her feet trampled by skittish merchants and sweating stable-hands. She didn't know if she was ever going to be able to forget one particularly enthusiastic young soldier who had stood on both her feet and then had the nerve to try to pat her behind. He was lucky she'd limited herself to flesh-wounds.

The bard gritted her teeth and stalked into the manor house's garden, firmly intent on going straight home and to bed. However, once she got outside she decided that the cool night air was just the thing to help soothe her temper, and that perhaps a brief walk around the house wouldn't be a bad idea. She hadn't gone far before she heard something very interesting. A whispering voice coming from behind some bushes.

"So I'll tell her that it was an accident. An innocent mishap. A misunderstanding. She might understand. (Or she might just rip my head off and kick it around the town for offending her.) She might listen if I offer a good explanation though. Assuming she will wait long enough to hear it out."

"Or she might", Zaerini said in a cold voice, "ask you how come you're about the only man in Nashkel who didn't ask her for a single dance?"

There was a muffled yelp and a thud from the bushes, accompanied by the sound of violently snapped branches as somebody apparently stumbled and landed headfirst in the shrubbery. Then Edwin came crawling out from inside a large rhododendron, looking quite lost and confused. It was actually rather sweet, Rini decided.

"Well…", the wizard said in a faltering voice, "I thought, what with what happened earlier…that is…"

"Oh, I'm not mad about that anymore", Rini reassured him. She had planned to let him stew a little, but she simply didn't have the heart. "Immy explained that it was all her fault. If you hadn't sneaked away so soon I would have told you earlier."

"Oh", Edwin said. "That is…good."

"Yes."

"So…"

"So…"

"So, would you still like to dance?" Edwin suddenly blurted out. "I'm an excellent dancer you know. Trained for years and years."

"What, you mean dance out here?"

"Well, I'm not going back in there", Edwin said with a barely suppressed shudder. "If one more runny-nosed child asks me how to enroll in wizard school and where to buy a magic wand I'm going to turn them all into gnats."

"Can you actually do that?" Zaerini asked.

"No", Edwin admitted, shrugging his shoulders. "I wouldn't mind trying though. About that dance… You don't have to if you don't want to. I…just thought it would be the polite thing to ask. I mean, not that I would actually hate to, but I can certainly do without in case you…er…that is a very nice dress by the way. Nothing like Thayvian high fashion, but still very…er…nice."

"Somehow I figured you'd like this color", Rini told him with a warm smile. "Not that that's why I bought it, mind you. I wouldn't want your head to get even more swollen than usual. And yes. I'd love to dance." He really does have the nicest voice, she thought. When he doesn't use it to randomly insult me, that is. And he's not bad looking either. Very nice eyes, almost black, and then that cute little…

"You would?" Edwin said, sounding surprised. He immediately rallied though. "Ah, of course you would. Seeing that I happen to be the best dancer you are ever likely to meet in these parts. You should get down on your knees and beg me to take pity on you. (These barbarians don't just have two left feet, I wouldn't be surprised if they all had webbed feet to boot.)"

"Well, I'm just going to have to compare you to the rest then, aren't I? Now that every farm-boy in Nashkel has dragged me round the floor I'm really curious to find out what the Wonderful Wizard of Thay has to offer. As a scientific experiment, you understand." She reached out to place his hands around her waist.

"Quite. Yes. Of course. Scientific." Did his hands tremble just a little bit?

The music still streamed out through the closed windows, and the grass was blissfully soft beneath her feet, the stars bright in the sky. Not that she paid much attention to the sky. After a few minutes Rini decided that for once Edwin hadn't been exaggerating, he really was good at this. Better than good. I could get used to this, she thought. After a while the music stopped but it was several minutes before either of them noticed.

"So", Edwin said, sounding slightly breathless. "Have I managed to banish the traumatic memories of all those clumsy farm-boys yet? (I should hope so, I suddenly feel strangely hot. Perhaps I'm coming down with something.)"

"Farm-boys?" Rini said with a small grin. "I don't recall any farm-boys. Yes, I believe you managed to banish those demonic memories quite satisfactorily." She allowed her grin to widen. "My Hero."