"You're joking, right?" Haesseth, despite her reputation as a quick wit, wasn't able to manage any other comeback to what she'd just been told. "Please tell me you're joking."
"Do I look like I'm joking?" Nevalle's expression was deadpan, as per usual.
"Then why didn't anyone say anything to me about this before? Why didn't Lord Nasher mention it? In fact, we've just spent the better part of a week on horseback riding back to this keep together and you still didn't find it important enough to clue me in?" Haesseth knew she sounded desperate but she didn't care.
"With all the turmoil going on, it's something that got lost in the shuffle… but I made sure I had everything we needed before we left Neverwinter."
"And what do you need? Apart from me, that is."
"Sand. We'll need Sand. He's an experienced enough mage to do the job. We need you; Sand; this scroll," Nevalle produced a scroll-case and waved it in the air in front of the Knight-Captain's face, "and me, to bear witness and ensure the oath is completed as required. You just wait here and I'll go fetch the wizard so we can get started."
After Nevalle left, Haesseth was tempted to bolt from the keep and go into hiding somewhere in the surrounding countryside but it was a futile thought. She'd stepped up security enough that there were regular patrols on the roads and in the surrounding lands. It would be just her luck to have one of the patrolling greycloaks trip over her in the dead of night. She poured herself a goblet of wine from the carafe the Seneschal had placed on her desk when he'd welcomed her home a scant few hours ago. She sighed and flopped down in one of the chairs by the fireplace in her suite of rooms. She sipped at the wine and wondered, as she stared into the dancing flames in the hearth, what it was in all of Abeir-Toril she had set herself up for this time.
Soon enough there was a knock at the door and Nevalle called out to announce he had returned with Sand in tow. Haesseth took her time in answering the door, eventually letting both men cross the threshold before closing and barring the door behind them. Sand raised a brow at the abruptness of her actions.
"Why, Captain," he smirked, his voice smooth like a caress, "what will the others say when they discover you've locked yourself in your suite with two of your men?"
His remark hit home and Haesseth could just imagine the filth-laden innuendo Bishop would come up with. Thank you, Sand, for the reminder. "He… they'll say nothing if they want to keep their precious teeth in their heads," she growled, flexing her right hand and forming a fist with it.
"Ah, as long as I know you'll be there to protect my virtue, Captain, that's fine," Sand replied, unable to keep the amusement from his voice. "Now," he changed the subject and turned to Nevalle, "what was so important you had to drag me away from my research at such a late hour?"
"This." Nevalle handed Sand the scroll-case and sat down in the chair opposite Haesseth, a smile playing about his lips. Haesseth was immediately suspicious and glared at him. When Nevalle smiled, it was right to be afraid.
"Hmmm…" Sand's voice caught Haesseth's attention and she turned to watch the Moon Elf as he read. "Really, this is quite interesting. I had no idea this was required of the Nine."
"It wasn't necessary until Lord Halueth was betrayed by one of his own." Nevalle turned and levelled a gaze at Haesseth. "You know the one, you saw his likeness in the tomb in Neverneath." Haesseth's eyes widened. She'd never taken the time to learn exactly how it was the man had betrayed Lord Halueth. It must have been an awful and bitter deed to require all of the guardians since then to submit to this final binding into the service of Neverwinter. Nevalle turned and spoke to Sand once more, "when Neverwinter was still known as Eigersstor, the Guardians were not required to take this final Oath of Fealty."
"I see," Sand replied, eyes still scanning the unfurled scroll he held.
"And Haesseth is rather lucky. When it came time for my Oath to be sworn and witnessed, all of the living members of the Nine were present. She only has to put up with me."
"And why is that a good thing?" Haesseth asked in a voice a little sharper than she'd intended.
"The evening degenerates into an alcohol lubricated show-and-tell," Nevalle explained, a pained look crossing his face as he recalled memories of his own ceremony. "And believe me, you're better off not knowing—or ever seeing—the spot Callum chose to sport the physical manifestation of his oath." Haesseth had never thought she'd see Nevalle shudder. It made her grin, even if the thought of what she'd just been told about Callum made her feel a little green around the gills.
"So, Captain, where would you like it?" Sand asked, having finished studying the scroll in his hands.
"You mean I have a choice?" She asked, looking from wizard to knight.
"Of course you have a choice," Nevalle replied indignantly.
"So where's yours then?" Haesseth asked, prodded on by something devilish in her mind. "Come on, let's see it."
"Ah, yes, I have to agree with the Knight Captain," Sand goaded, "do show us. After all I've never done anything like this particular spell, so I'd like to see what glyph or symbol is supposed to be there if it's done right." The Moon Elf enjoyed making Sir Nevalle uncomfortable. He had so few pleasures nowadays. If it wasn't for Haesseth making his days interesting, he might be bored to tears, otherwise.
"Erm… right… well." Nevalle seemed startled by their request. He stood up and tugged on the bottom of his tabard. Haesseth hadn't registered the fact he had shrugged off the mail before he had come to visit her tonight as he still sported the tunic that marked him as one of the Nine.
"Hey," Haesseth shrieked raising an arm and pointing a finger at her mentor from the Nine. "You took your bloody armour off!" Nevalle blushed scarlet at her observation.
"Well, yes, but that's because I knew what would be happening here. I knew you'd demand to see it. That's the kind of person you are, you want something tangible and if I was still dressed in my armour the whole process would be twice as tedious."
"Right." Sand's scepticism was obvious. "You keep telling yourself that, Nevalle."
Nevalle stood and shrugged the distinctive tabard of the Nine over his shoulders. He snapped it inside out and draped it over the back of the chair he had just vacated.
"He's so completely anal," Haesseth whispered to Sand. The wizard choked back a laugh at her comment. It wouldn't do to be oxygen deprived before this ceremony.
After the tabard came the tunic. Haesseth was sure she had a predatory grin on her face the whole time he was unlacing himself, but she couldn't wipe the thing off her face if her life depended on it. She couldn't help it.
Nevalle finished unlacing himself and pulled the edges of his shirt apart. The laces slackened and Nevalle pulled the whole thing over his head so his hands became tangled in the sleeves. He looked up at the Knight-Captain and the wizard.
"Well, here it is."
"That was underwhelming," Haesseth complained.
"But you must agree it's very nicely drawn," Sand countered, poking at Nevalle's shoulder with more force than was called for. "Look beyond the sigil. Look at where the magic is anchored."
"Thanks for the lecture." Haesseth ran her fingertip over the tattoo on Sir Nevalle's shoulder and shivered. The magic bound there was very powerful.
"I must ask again, Haesseth, are you prepared to take this final oath?"
"I am."
"Then I am compelled to ask this question once again. Where do you want it?"