"Do I know you?"
Aderyn Reikhart spun around, startled by the voice behind her. The man speaking was tall and blue-skinned, with bright green eyes and silvery hair. He was clearly a hagspawn, but he was the most beautiful man she had ever seen. She knew him immediately, but he couldn't possibly know her.
"I'm here to see the Knight-Captain," Aderyn said, nervously pushing her hair out of her eyes.
He watched her in silence for several seconds. "I feel like I've seen you before," he said calmly.
"I doubt that," she said evenly, and then, "Is the Knight-Captain available?"
The hagspawn, Gannayev, Gann-of-Dreams, smiled at her. "If she wishes to see you, she'll find you. Wait here in the Keep. I'll tell her that I saw you." The hagspawn nodded to her once and wandered away, his mind clearly already consumed by something else.
They were a strange pair, the hagspawn and the Knight-Captain. She was a very small moon-elf, with long black hair highlighted liberally with blue, gray eyes, and a stunningly beautiful face. She looked so natural, and he so unnatural, that it was hard to imagine that they came from the same world. It was also interesting that she had chosen the path of Warlock, and he was a Spirit Shaman: paths of two very different worlds. If they ever chose to have children, their offspring would be strange indeed. Could elves and hagspawn even reproduce? She wasn't sure.
The Knight-Captain's name was Varinia Ilphukiir, and she had returned to the lands of the living only a few months ago. Before that, she had not been seen since the end of the Second War against the King of Shadows nearly a year before.
In truth, Aderyn had no real interest in the Knight-Captain. She knew a great deal about her, but so did most of the world nowadays. Aderyn was actually interested in the fate of the woman's former lover, Casavir. Varinia Ilphukiir seemed to have forgotten her first love rather quickly, since the hagspawn had clearly taken Casavir's place a very short time after the end of the war.
If rumors were to be believed, Casavir had actually been her second or even third love. Many people held that she had first been in love with her childhood companion, Bevil Starling, and a few even claimed that she had loved the Ranger, Bishop. No one knew for sure, of course, but Aderyn sincerely doubted it.
First, the Knight-Captain was known to be a woman of pure heart, despite her complete disregard for law. A good woman was not likely to have fallen in love with an evil betrayer as the human Bishop proved to be. Second, Bevil Starling still worked in this very Keep as a sergeant, and he had married a local girl. Aderyn suspected that his young wife was even pregnant, although she could not tell for sure. Those were not the actions of a spurned lover.
It wasn't her business, anyway. The Knight-Captain's love-life was only a minor concern of hers. The reason it involved her at all was that the Paladin of Tyr, Casavir, was her cousin, and she had been tasked by her family with discovering what had befallen him. He had no siblings to fulfill the duty for his parents, so it had fallen to her.
His parents were getting old, and they wanted very much to know the fate of their only son. It was no real inconvenience for her to stop here on her way to Neverwinter, and she could finally give her aunt and uncle the peace of mind that they deserved.
Of course, all of this was only if the Knight-Captain deigned to speak to her. She was a very busy woman and the concerns of one novice adventurer probably were not very important to her, especially now.
Aderyn sighed and glanced around the Keep. Bustling commoners crowded the roads, eyeing her with curiosity when they thought that she wasn't looking. Aderyn started to make her way towards the local inn and tavern when she noticed that most of the people in the courtyard had stopped moving and were staring up at the main road leading up to the Knight-Captain's home.
Aderyn followed their gaze until it rested on the Knight-Captain herself, standing at the top of the hill on which her home rested. The woman was every bit as beautiful as Aderyn remembered. Waist-length hair left loose in the wind shimmered with a vibrancy that made her seem almost surreal. Bright eyes surveyed the Keep below her with a keen intelligence. She was dressed in gray tights and black knee-boots with a blue tunic and heavy black cloak. She had a pair of daggers strapped to her hips, but no other weapons were visible. She was tiny, a fact made even more obvious when her very tall husband walked up behind her to point directly at Aderyn.
When Aderyn's eyes met those of the Knight-Captain, she could feel the power radiating off of the other woman in waves. It was almost disorienting, to look into such energy, and Aderyn absently gripped her stomach. Varinia Ilphukiir smiled, as if she knew exactly what Aderyn was thinking. The scary part was that Aderyn was fairly sure that she actually did.
The Knight-Captain waved at Aderyn, motioning for her to follow, and Aderyn complied without a second thought. To deny such power was beyond her means. When she saw that Aderyn was following, the Knight-Captain turned on her heel and returned to her home, the hagspawn on her heel.
"Welcome to Crossroad Keep," the Knight-Captain called to Aderyn the moment she walked into the main chamber. The elvish woman was standing at the center of the room, her hand resting absently on the massive chair beside her. The resemblance to a queen and her throne was unmistakable.
Aderyn bowed politely. "My lady," she greeted.
"Let's dispense with that right now. I have no taste for customs that force others to bow to authority."
"You don't bow to Lord Nasher, then?" Aderyn asked before she could stop herself.
Varinia laughed, a rich, full sound that filled the chamber. "Certainly not. I don't even bow to gods. Nasher knows that I bow to none, and I disdain titles of nobility. This… Keep… is my responsibility to Neverwinter, and if to fulfill that responsibility I need to be its master, and to be called Knight, well… so be it." She was silent for a moment, a smile playing on her lips. "I am Varinia Ilphukiir, although I suspect you already know that, or you wouldn't be here."
"I am Aderyn Reikhart."
"You're an Aasimar, right?" Varinia asked.
Aderyn nodded. "My father is half-celestial and my mother is human."
"What path do you follow? I myself am a Warlock."
"I'm a Favored Soul."
"Of Tyr, yes?"
"How could you tell?" Aderyn asked.
"Followers of Tyr always wear blue, almost as if it is against their religion to wear any other color. And you have a longsword strapped to your back. A Favored Soul always carries their deity's chosen weapon. Besides, you practically reek of duty."
Aderyn laughed ruefully. "That's true. All of my family has served Tyr. I guess we are all this way."
"You… look like another follower of Tyr that I knew."
"Now you know why I'm here."
Varinia looked away from her, to stare at the wall. The silence stretched for several minutes. "You wish to speak of Casavir, then?" she asked softly. Her voice held a terrible pain, one that was too raw for her love for Casavir to have been impure.
"He was my cousin," Aderyn said quietly.
"I tried to find his family when I learned… what had become of him. I couldn't find you," Varinia said. "I loved him, you know."
"There are many tales of your love," Aderyn said in reply.
"They are mostly true. Casavir was a good man. Many say that he was too good for this world. He was certainly too good for me," Varinia said. Her hand went to her throat, her eyes to the ground.
"For my part, I am certain that he loved you, as well. He sent letters home, while he traveled with you. He always spoke so highly of you… how good you were, and kind. He was constantly telling us that when the two of you were done traveling, he hoped that you could be together, and that he could bring you to meet us. He said he had finally met the woman that he wished to marry. His only regret was that your life would last so much longer than his own-"
"Little did he know…" Varinia said, sounding hopeless.
"So he is definitely dead, then?" Aderyn asked sadly.
Varinia nodded. "He died trying to save us all. His- back was-" she paused, the words catching in her throat. "His back was broken while he was holding up a doorway so that our other companions could pass through. I saw it… in a dream of Khelgar's. He showed me the memory."
Aderyn sighed. "I'm sorry for your loss."
"It's your loss, too."
"I'm sorry for my loss, as well."
They could not look at one another immediately. The pain was too raw. After a pregnant silence, Varinia looked up at her suddenly. "What was he like when he was a child? He was such a serious man, sometimes I can't even imagine him having ever been young."
"He was just as serious, I'm told. He was several years older than me, but his parents are always saying how quiet he was, and how hard he studied his books. I can remember him taking care of me when I was a girl. We were both the only children in our families, and our parents often left us together. He taught me much of what I know of swordsmanship. When he left to become a Paladin, I remember crying. We didn't see him much, after that."
"Sometimes I still see him, when I dream," Varinia said quietly.
"Which is why Gannayev said that I looked familiar to him."
"Yes. I think it was for the best, that Gann is so different from Casavir. If he were not, I would constantly be comparing them. The way that things stand, there is very little to compare. They are nothing alike."
"I'm glad you found someone," Aderyn said, uncertain of how to reply. What do you say to someone who has moved on so quickly, especially when you are related to the deceased?
Varinia seemed to know what she was thinking. "I will never stop loving Casavir. Gann knows, but he does not mind. Forgetting Casavir would be like forgetting a part of myself, and Gann would not wish that upon me."
"Perhaps you will see him, in the afterlife," Aderyn said.
"I have seen the City of Judgment, and I hope that he has passed to his Lord's realm by now. I don't want to think of him suffering the screams."
Aderyn winced. The Wall of the Faithless was not her favorite topic of conversation. "Do you mind if I ask if you follow a god?"
Varinia smiled faintly. "A goddess. I'm a follower of Sehanine Moonbow. Gann worships no deity, however."
"Do you intend to bring down the Wall of the Faithless, then?"
"That remains undecided, although sowing the seeds of chaos is a specialty of mine. A friend of mine, Kaelyn the Dove, works on such a campaign in my stead. Eventually, I may join her. I am young yet, and Kaelyn will live for a very long time, as will I. For now, I need to rest and reflect on my life to this point. Things have been hectic the last three years."
Aderyn had never considered it, but obviously Varinia was a very young woman, especially for an elf. The first War against the King of Shadows had only been twenty years ago. The Knight-Captain couldn't be much older than twenty-one. "You're hardly more than a child," Aderyn said in shock.
Varinia smiled. "To have lived so much in such a short time is a trial indeed: two great loves, two great wars, a shard of a sword in my chest and the empty soul of a spirit-eater possessing my body. Now I am a Knight and a wife. I suspect that I have slain more things, living and dead, real and dream, than any other person alive on our planet today. It's time for a break, I think."
"I'll say," Aderyn said. "The bards are busy enough writing tales of you as it is."
"Will they write tales of you, too, Aderyn Reikhart?"
Aderyn shrugged. "The world is waiting."
"I never wanted to leave home, you know. It must be nice to choose your own destiny. I have never had such a choice. Choose wisely, and don't make a choice that you'll regret."
Aderyn nodded. "I have already chosen poorly. Things can only look up from here."
"You are unhappy with the path you've chosen?" Varinia asked sagely.
"I'm to be nothing more than a worshipper for the rest of my life. If I had chosen differently, I would have been more self-sufficient. A Favored Soul is nothing without the blessing of their god. What if I were to fall from Tyr's favor? I would be but a glorified brawler. I love Tyr, but I am not certain that he is all I want from my life." Aderyn felt safe opening up to this woman. They were nearly the same age, but Varinia had seen much more of this world and the ones beyond than Aderyn would probably ever see.
"I would be nothing without my contracts with the infernal. Is it so different from what you do? Still, if you are unhappy, clearly something is amiss. You should think on it. With the same skills, you could have been a sorcereress. There are other things, but you would need to spend years studying them. Sorcery is more… innate." Varinia paused. "A follower of Tyr tends to uphold law and order above all else. The very fact that you question what you have already chosen should concern you."
"It does. I am not like my family. I am always questioning things that they would never doubt the truth of. I think that my future is an uncertain one."
"It is best that you are leaving home, then. You'll do a lot of growing up in a very short time. There won't be Githyanki trailing your every step, but I think that you'll find the Realms to be an unfriendly place," Varinia warned.
"Frightening little girls again, my love?" the hagspawn called, ambling slowly into the room with a slight smirk on his face.
Aderyn glanced over at him. He was more attractive than Casavir had been, and much younger. He was taller, too, but his voice wasn't as deep. He was dressed in piecemeal leather, and he looked as if he had just wandered in out of the forest. "I'm hardly frightened," Aderyn said.
"You should be," he replied glibly, stopping at Varinia's side. He caught her hand in his and kissed the back lingeringly. They shared a quick smile, and he released her.
Varinia motioned towards Aderyn. "Gann, this is Aderyn Reikhart. Aderyn, this is Gannayev, Gann-of-Dreams. Aderyn is Casavir's cousin."
"I see. She looks like him, except for the red hair and the funny eyes," Gann said. "Oh, and the angel blood. You're at least a quarter celestial, are you not?"
Aderyn nodded. "My father is half-celestial."
"He has wings, then, like Kaelyn. They're pretty enough, but entirely useless," Gann said.
"Aderyn came to find out what happened to Casavir," Varinia told him with a warning glance.
Gann nodded. "I thought as much. I can tell that she dreamed of him often, wishing to know what had happened to him."
Aderyn nodded. "And now I know."
"Where are you off to now, Aasimar?" Gann asked.
"I'm heading to Neverwinter, hagspawn," she replied in kind.
He laughed. "Ah, a bit of bite. I didn't think followers of Tyr were allowed such things. I ask because the Lady needs a message taken to Nasher, and I thought you might make an able courier, if you were willing."
"Gann, asking guests to carry messages is considered impolite," Varinia said.
"Well, you know I'm the soul of courtesy, so forgive me, dear guest. We'll just send some poor sot from the Keep off to Neverwinter, where Lord Nasher will frighten them half to death, thundering across his throne room from that massive chair of his, clanking his armor every time he so much as shifts. I'm sure there's at least one person in the Keep with nothing better to do."
"You're such a pain in the ass, Gann," Varinia said with a sigh.
"I think that's why you love me, Lady," Gann said, giving Varinia a sly smirk.
"Oh, please. I think you slipped me a love potion when I wasn't looking," Varinia replied, folding her arms across her chest and glaring up at him.
"I really don't mind carrying the message for you," Aderyn interjected.
"See there? She doesn't mind. And as for that love potion, why would someone as beautiful as I need to slip some smelly Warlock a love potion? You fell in love with me the moment you laid eyes on me," Gann said.
It was so fast that Aderyn barely saw it, but it seemed that the Knight-Captain had taken offense to her husband's remark. She struck him once, her palm open, in the rib cage, and he doubled over, gasping for breath. Aderyn had heard that the woman had some skill in unarmed combat, but she'd never seen anyone who wasn't a Monk move so quickly.
Aderyn was half afraid that some sort of epic battle would break out right there in front of her, but rather than becoming angry, when the hagspawn finally caught his breath, he began to laugh uproariously. "Caught a nerve, did I?" he choked out between fits of laughter. Tears gathered at the corner of his eyes, whether from pain or laughter, Aderyn wasn't sure.
Varinia turned back to Aderyn, her eyes bright with mischief. She was smiling faintly. "Discipline is key, Aderyn. They have to be properly trained, or they won't respect you."
Aderyn laughed hesitantly. What a strange relationship those two had. "Ah… so do you have a written message for me, or is it verbal?"
"Actually, I was going to write a letter, but it isn't finished yet. Do you mind staying in the Keep until morning? You can stay here, or take a room at the inn, if you are willing to stay. We'd love to have you for dinner," the Knight-Captain said.
"That's a new one. How shall we prepare her? Baked? Boiled? Raw? I've never been one for eating people, but my mother seems to have been fond of it. I do doubt, however, that my mother ever tasted Aasimar," Gann said, still wiping tears from his eyes.
Varinia rolled her eyes. "Maybe you should go down to the inn, if for nothing more than to avoid my husband's constant chatter."
"I think I will," Aderyn replied quickly, glancing back and forth between the two. "Ah- not to avoid Gann, of course… but- um…"
"So uncertain for an Aasimar. The last celestial I knew was practically rabid with her devotion. Go on. Head down to the inn. Things will probably be loud in the castle this evening," he growled, catching the Knight-Captain and gently tugging her against his chest.
"Please. If you'd just learn to control you're screaming…" Varinia replied.
"And on that note, I think I'll take my leave," Aderyn said quickly.
"The devoted are so prudish," Gann muttered as Aderyn turned her back and started back towards the door.
"You scared her off, you pervert. We'll be lucky if she bothers to come back in the morning. I'll tell you now, if she doesn't you'll be the one taking the note to Nasher," Varinia said.
"I scared her off? You were the one who mentioned screaming. And what makes you think I'll take that note to Nasher? Are you going to make me?" Gann asked.
"You bet I am," the Knight-Captain muttered. "I'll-"
Something cut her words short and Aderyn quickened her pace, trying to escape without seeing anything she didn't want to see. When she finally made it out the door, she took a deep breath, glad to be out of there.
"Are they at it again?" a young woman who was walking up the road asked, stopping a few feet from Aderyn. The woman was a slender human, blonde and green-eyed with a friendly face.
"Yes. I wouldn't go in there, if I were you," Aderyn warned.
"Neeshka says that they are much worse than she was with Casavir: always touching and kissing. We figure they'll either get over it, or we'll get used to it. Anyway, do you mind if I ask who you are? We don't see many Aasimar around here since the war ended," the woman said.
"Aderyn Reikhart. Casavir was my cousin."
"Oh. It's nice to meet you. I'm Sara Starling, Bevil's wife. I'm a performer at the inn."
"I was just heading to the inn," Aderyn said.
"I'll walk with you. It's pretty obvious that anything I needed from the castle will have to wait."
They turned to walk back towards the inn. "How are things in the Keep?"
Sara glanced around. "It's never been better. After the war, when we thought the Knight-Captain was dead, things were pretty bad, but she fixed everything when she made it back to us."