5
Terehh awoke in a sweat. It had been a fortnight since she had been on the run. She looked around as if to expect something or someone to jump out of the shadows, but nothing did nothing ever did.
"Maybe he forgot." she thought to herself. Not likely it had only been two weeks since it all started
"Maybe he just doesn't care. Far more likely" she thought, but it she wasn't taking any chances she would go to the north, to the spine of the world, he would never look there. She would stay there, at least for a while, at least until it was safe.
Jaerreck looked out at the horizon. He said a quick thanks to Lathander as he watched the sun rise. His thoughts turned to the young woman who was passenger aboard his ship. He wasn't use to having non employee travelers on his ship, but she had paid good money for her passage, 300 Waterhavien Dragons, out of place for a poorly dressed woman, but still gold was gold. Jaereck gave a sigh then returned to his cabin. They would be docking in Baldur's Gate before they sailed on to Waterdeep.
Terehh hastily dress and made her way to the deck of the ship she was anxious to be on soil and dirt again, even if it meant that he might find her, but she forced those thoughts out of her head as she saw a large statue of Balduran pop up in the horizon. The statue was in the Baldur's Gate harbor, and was the statue of Balduron a famous explorer, beyond that Terehh couldn't remember any more of the story.
Terehh was glad to finally be back on land.
"Soon I'll be in Waterdeep, then from there I'll find some a trade vessel heading to Neverwinter, then to the spine of the world, then I'll be safe" Terehh thought as she strolled the streets of Baldur's Gate.
"What if he finds me? He won't" she reassured herself. "But what if he does, its best not to take chances."
"What can I do for you today fine miss?" asked the gnomish store keep.
"I'm looking for weapon." Terehh replied.
"You don't look like the adventuring type to me." the gnome replied.
"I'm not" Terehh answered back
"Do you have any training" the gnome inquired.
"None." Terehh replied.
"None?" Gnome asked in disbelief
"That's what I said." Terehh retorted. It wasn't any wonder why nobody liked gnomes, they were annoying beyond belief.
"Hmmm." The gnome thought out loud."
"I suggest this here short sword." The gnome finally said after while. "Its quite simple to use, just slash and stick"
"Stick?" Terehh inquired
"Yeah you know stab, pierce, skewer." The gnome replied. No wonder nobody liked humans they were duller than a dwarf's sense of humor, and that was saying something.
"Fine I'll take it" Terehh replied
"Your back" Jaereck stated. "And armed to I see. My men making you uncomfortable with there stares" Jaereck gave Terehh a wink.
"No its you." Terehh said.
"Me?" Jaereck asked.
"Yeah you." Terehh replied. "If I find you in my room I cut it off."
"It?" Jaereck inquired
"IT." Terehh answered with a dark smile.
Jaereck took a step back, then grinned.
"I like it rough." he said "Sounds like fun."
"Men." Terehh thought with a sigh as she returned to her room. It would be a while before they finally reached the city of splendors.
The sail to Waterdeep was smooth, yet slow as and orc attempting to get his mind around a witty joke. Terehh spent most of her time in her cabin bored out of her mind, but looking at all the rubies and diamonds in her pack helped ease the pain of the sluggish journey.
"Lemme see I have 19 rubies, 12 diamonds, 21 sapphires, and 3 kings te..." Terehh thought to her self, when suddenly Jaereck entered in to her room. His eyes grew large at the sizeable fortune before him, its worth was greater than that of his entire cargo and ship combine with gold still left over.
"Uhhh I just came in to tell you… something… about going somewhere… or something…" his voice trailed off his mind still on the precious stones.
"Have we arrived at Waterdeep yet?" the young calimshite woman asked.
"Maybe?" Jaereck asked.
"Maybe? Aren't you the captain of this ship?" Terehh inquired. Jaereck just stood there drool now beginning to drip from his lips.
"AH COME ON YOUR WORSE THAN A GAHRPECK!" Terehh shouted
"NO!" Jaereck retorted. "Do I look like a damned dwarf?" he asked.
"You do drooling over these rocks." Terehh answered, and with that she promptly left the cabin, stones and all.
Terehh looked at the poorly assembled group of wanna be adventures before her.
She had been unable to find a ship that was currently sailing to Neverwinter, and was small enough not to draw to much attention from… "him" she shuddered at the thought.
"We would be glad to have another hand in our journey to Neverwinter." Said the human leader of the caravan. The main would be adventurers were a person of obvious orcish descent, a dwarf, 3 other humans, all from the dale lands, and a charming, if not down right hansom elf. The elf seemed to notice her glance, and gave a soft gentle smile that seemed to fill her with a warmth she had only read about in story books as a child.
"Hello." Said the elf in Alzhedo; the native tongue of Calimshan.
"Hello" responded Terehh in the language of her native land. "You speak Alzhedo?" she inquired
"When you work from the spine of the world to the northern shore of the Shining Sea, it helps to learn the local languages." He winked "what is a young and might I add lovely calimshitess doing this far north might I inquire. You do not look like any other adventurer I've seen."
"I am no adventurer." She said with a giggle. "I'm heading for the spine of the world." she added
"WOW." He replied.
"what?" she inquired.
"Me too." He answered cheerfully.
gahrpeck is a word I invented to be a human racial slur for dwarves.
"YOU ARE?" she asked in disbelief.
"I am now." He answered back with another intoxicating smile.
Terehh giggled, then blushed, then giggled again
"Might I inquire your name sir elf?" she finally asked?
"Nymiilar." he answered. "and yours?"
"Terehh" she replied
"Such beautiful name, its very fitting." He said you never answered my question before."
The calimshite woman hesitated.
"Is it that your running?" he asked.
Terehh gave a nod.
"From what or whom might I ask." He inquired.
"From a monster." She said "from a man named Geradid."
"Geradid?" the elf asked.
"He…he's an assassin for a crime lord in Calimshan." She answered "He…I… He hired me for the night, but I drugged him. I knew he was rich so I just took his money after he was out." She choked out.
"And he hired you for…" he said
Terehh nodded
"Well nothing happened really he was out before he could make any moves." she said hastily.
"Well you're in safe hands now." The elf said, as he moved closer to her
Terehh let herself fall in to his chest it was warm and carried the soft scent of oak. She looked up in to his Gold eyes, as her ran his hand through her brown hair.
"You're tall for an elf." She said
"Or are you just short for a human?" He joked
Terehh felt a slow soft smile spread across her face. The elf bent over and a warm tingling feeling meet her lips. She looked back in to his eyes and gave him another hug.
"We should continue or we'll loose the caravan." she said.
They continued following the caravan.
"This looks like a great place to stop for the night." the leader said.
Before the Terehh, the elf, the merchants, and the would be adventurers stood a small town with a small a few houses here, a market there, and a big inn right in the middle. The small town stood about midway between the Mere of Dead Men and the Sword Mountains.
As Terehh entered the inn she saw many an adventurer more than normally populated a local tavern.
"What are all these adventurers doing here?" she asked the Nymiilar.
"They're rest here before trying their hand at the Mere of Dead Men." The elf replied
"What's that?" she asked.
"It's a swamp that is rumored to contain great treasures." He said. "But little do they know I'm talking to the most beautiful treasure of all." He said with a smile. "Let me buy you a drink."
"Thank you." She said with a blush
"Do you have gold for a room tonight?" He asked.
"Uhhmmm…" she said as she checked her pack and pockets. " No." she lied.
"Well then, I guess you have no choice to spend the night with me then." he said with a big grin.
"I guess so." She flirted back.
"Your beautiful" he said, when they were back in his room. Terehh smiled reached up and kissed him on the cheek.
"And your hansom." She replied
Nymiilar looked down at her and started caressing her hair as he kissed her some more. Her heart was beating real fast now. She had never had sex for love before, and the thought of it excited her.
Terehh awoke with a smile she looked at the elf asleep at her side. Last night had been an adventure in its self. She snuggled closer to his warm body.
"Good morning." She said as he awoke. He wrapped his arms around her.
"I'm glad I found you." He said
"Me too." She said. The elf smiled. Terehh felt a pain in her back
."Defently not worth what I paid for, and I'll be taking my money back." Were the last words Terehh heard before dying, as the face of the elf melted back into the twisted face of Geradid.