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Chapter 2
The Tides of War
She knew there was a tapping coming from somewhere. Tapping? The warrior's thoughts slowly came into focus. How could someone be tapping at her door already she had just lain down? Yes, tapping she thought. Sighing she rolled out of her too short bed and drug herself fully armored to her door.
"Yes?" she growled thru the partly opened door already knowing it was nothing but more duties to see to.
"Uh, well, yeah uh. Sir, Brother Darnim sent me to fetch you." the acolyte finally stuttered out.
"Is the sun even up yet?" Toleen asked as she grabbed her weapons and stepped into the hallway.
"Yes Sir. Well actually it's just now coming over the mountains." stammered the young man looking up at the imposing figure. Toleen sighed. You'd think the members of the Church of Kelemvor would be used to her towering over them by now. She had only been in the Church since she was a small girl. Taking a final look back at her empty too short bed she closed the door and followed the young acolyte down the stairs. Well at least one thing about Settlestone was it had recently been inhabited by barbarians from Icewind Dale and rebuilt to fit their large frames. So no ducking under doors or headaches when she forgot to. Too bad they didn't see fit to leave any of their furniture behind when they returned to the dale. Did nomadic barbarians use furniture? Ha the warrior laughed at her self, a sure sign she needed more sleep when her mind jumped to so many irrelevant subjects.
"Do you have any idea why Brother Darnim wishes to see me?" she asked pulling her cloak tighter against the early spring winds.
The boy half turned to reply, "Not exactly Sir. I know I saw a lot of clerics and paladins from the other churches stationed here gathering at the meeting house in the center of town."
"Am I to meet the brother there then?"
"Yes he said to bring you forthwith, Sir."
"I suppose you have many other duties to attend to. I can see myself to the meeting house. Away with you then your duty is done here." she stomped her way down the muddy streets toward the center of town not bothering to see if the lad obeyed or not. Most people obeyed her without thinking. It was due mostly to her close to six and half foot frame and her bearing she knew. Her height had once bothered her being taller than most men. Some things you just learn to live with. She couldn't imagine how the smaller races got along in a world made for mid sized humans. Oh well get your mind working right or that old dog Darnim will get you for sure she thought as she stepped into the smokey meeting house.
The meeting house served the same function now as it did to the former citizens of Settlestone. It was tavern, government building, meeting room, and all around area where anything important took place. Already most of the clerics and paladins working with the dwarves were in attendance.
There were dwarves, elves, humans, and a couple half elves she could see in the back. She knew there were only nine members of Kelemvor's church here including the two young acolytes that served hardly any function other than pages. Herself being the only paladin at the time, and Brother Darnim being the highest cleric. Their primary duty was to perform funerals for the dead, assist the physicians and other clerics with the dying making sure they had as peaceful a passing as possible.
She was aware Silverymoon had sent clerics of Mystra how many she didn't know with all the wizards running around, one cleric of Tymora Lady of Luck, three clerics of Selune Lady of the Moon, one cleric and four paladins of Helm, the guardian deity. The dwarves had to be from Mithral Hall itself representing all the dwarven pantheon.
Toleen nodded to Sir Bertram, senior paladin of Helm, as she walked over to find a seat next to Brother Darnim. Bertram was probably the only person in the room to not frown when she walked in. Her lack of feminity, her height, her very blunt no nonsense attitude, coupled with the fact she was a Doomguide for the Lord of the Dead tended to keep her popularity to a minimum even with others that followed the same deity.
Now to see what all this is about she thought as the last of the churches' representatives filed in.
A female dwarf stood to address the motley collection of faithful. Toleen tried and tried to remember the lady dwarves name but the only thing she could remember was it had something to do with baked goods. Or maybe it was just her sleep deprived brain running circles again.
"I'm glad ye could make it so quickly. The dwarves an such would like ta thank ye all again fer everythin ye've done fer our people. King Bruenor especially wanted ta thank ye, but he's still in meetins with the Lords and Ladies of the area.. We be knowin that with the spring melts the battles will start agin. We'd like to ask all of ye to think about extending yer stays in Settlestone here and to continue helpin us thru the spring. King Bruenor intends to make this season the last for that foul Obould and his stinkin orcs!"
Cheers came from more than one corner of the building at the cleric's last statement. Most especially from the dwarves behind her. The attendants started shouting out their determination to see this siege to the end. Claiming their deities would not stop until Obould Many-Arrows and his orcs were defeated to the last. Brother Darnim stated in his sonorous tones that the faithful of Kelemvor would stay until the last battlefields were cleared regardless of the time it took. Looking over that the middle aged brother Toleen wondered how many undead he had laid to rest with lectures in that horrible monotone of his.
After the cheers and proclamations ended the cleric continued, "The meetins should be endin today sometime and we be hopin to have definite battle plans. Startin on the morrow King Bruenor will be letin each of ye in turn to be knowin what duties he'd like ye to fill. Also the king of Mithral Hall would like to let ye know that all yer lodgins, foods, and any other need yer churches might need will be supplied to ye free of charge. Yer to let me or one o' me clerics know what yer to be needin in the way of special items." Nods, thanks, and many smiles greeted this. One thing for sure this King Bruenor certainly knew how to get allies in a war. Free always speaks the loudest. "If none of ye have any questions, we'll dismiss fer our mornin meals."
One of the elves from the Moonwood raised his voice in a question, "How many orcs are estimated to be out there? Surely there can't be that many after the fighting before winter set in."
Men had no right to have that soft and sweet a voice, no matter what race they were thought Toleen.
After three more hours of questions and discussions from the various sects they were finally allowed to break for what was now the midday meal.
Brother Darnim stood and said, "I have duties to attend to. I expect you to attend all meetings along with your other responsibilities. Do remember you were and still are a cleric first and foremost. We are here to help the dead or the dying more than the living. Please keep that in mind." The cleric of Kelemvor never missed an opportunity to let her or anyone else know his opinion on warriors or paladins in particular. Why he had such a jaded view of the more martial minded of the clergy no one knew.
"Yes Brother, I will make sure my duties are completed." Never before had she missed a responsibility or even arrived late for any gathering. Not that Darnim, would ever know or even care. Due to the length of the meeting she was almost late for such responsibility.
Toleen made her way out of the meeting house and back to her temporary lodgings. After locking the door she removed her armor laying it on her bed for cleaning later. She removed her soiled padded tunic and leather leggings. She stood in front of the dressing table cleaning off the dirt and sweat of the previous day. The symbol of her deity, an upright skeletal hand holding a golden scales of justice, laying between her ample breasts. The paladin paused to look at the reflection of that holy symbol in the mirror before her. Not once in her short eventful life had she ever thought to remove that symbol. The only constant thing she could ever remember in her life had been that of her deity. There was no other path for her. Not one for introspection she finished her scrubbing and donned a clean tunic of plain grey wool and brown cloth leggings ran a hand thru her brown braids and exited the room on her way to the only duty her deity asked of her that she was reluctant to fulfil.
The smell told her she was close to her destination before she turned the corner bringing the make shift infirmary into view. No matter how clean the workers tried to keep it, the smell of decay, vomit, feces and blood always hung around the building like a cloud. The only thing as bad as the smells were the sounds. The moaning, crying, and screaming of the wounded and dying inside could be heard day or night.
The tall woman stopped by the door and said a silent prayer to her Lord to giver her strength and allow her to ease the dying men and women inside. She opened her eyes and stepped into the dim room located one of the workers immediately. The orderly noticing her holy symbol hanging around her neck directed her to the farthest corner where the more severely injured patients were located.
She spoke softly words of comfort to the three dying men and one woman whether they heard or took any comfort from her whispered assurances she didn't know. Toleen listened to stories of wives and children at home waiting, of mothers left crying on far away door steps knowing they saw their children for the last time. After close to two hours the words slowly stopped from the four she attended, she stood to leave, stopping to inform one of the orderlies that the woman had passed away. There would be another funeral tonight before the sun set it seemed.
Entering the tavern/meeting house Toleen scanned the room. It was almost half full with ending of the midday meal crowd.
Someone called out, "Lady Toleen come join me for a bite."
Toleen smiled at Sir Bertram, he was the only person she could ever recall adding lady as her title. She made her way to the table in the corner where Sir Bertram was in the middle of devouring one of the rarest steaks she had ever seen.
"You know you could have saved the cook a lot of trouble by just going and attacking one of the cows in the valley"
With one of his usual guffaws the Helmite replied, "Nah lass the fur gets caught in my teeth."
Still smiling from the jest Toleen ordered her own meal cooked much longer than her companions.
When the serving maid had left, Sir Bertram grew serious. "What did you think of that little shin dig we had this morning with the dwarves?"
Leaning back in her chair and draping her left arm over the back she thought a minute before answering, "I think not many of those questions really got answered. I have a feeling the dwarves don't really know what to expect when the real fighting starts. Seemed to me they were trying to ensure all the extra bodies they could get."
"I got the same idea. I also got the not so subtle impression that those dwarves wanted us to call in more from our respective clergy. Very few of us were here last year when the real fighting took place, most have just taken part in the scrimmages since the spring thaw started. None of us really know what to expect from these filthy orcs. I'm seriously doubting what I've heard from some of those that were here last year tho."
Falling silent as the maid placed Toleen's food on the table and Bertram another ale. The Doomguide thought over what her friend had said before continuing the conversation. "I think the dwarves are looking for allies anywhere they can get them. Did you hear the stories about the dwarves from Adbar sinking in the river?"
"Aye I did. Shows how desperate they were. Who puts a bunch of armored dwarves on moving water?" Bertram said brandishing his fork to accentuate his point.
"When you're desperate enough you'll do anything."
"Aye I've seen that before to lass. Do not forget even with all your experience I am your senior in years by quiet a bit. Desperation like that never leads to anything good, just a lot more work for your kind."
They talked a bit more of this and that. Sir Bertram finished his meal and said good day to the fellow paladin with what would normally be a rib rattling slap on the back. She just smiled at the departing armored figure.
She was just finishing her meal when the room grew silent suddenly. Toleen turned slightly to get a view of the door. There was the reason for the sudden quiet. A drow had just entered. He was more than a foot shorter than she was. He wore green fur-lined cloak over a dark colored shirt that looked made of silk tucked into a pair of brown leather leggings. Two fine-made scimitars hung from each hip. The cold spring wind blew his long white hair around him, as he pushed his hair absently out of his face she noticed he had the most startling purple eyes.
He was accompanied by the same red-haired woman Toleen had encountered in the Moonwood this past fall. So this was King Bruenor's pet drow. Like most elves he didn't look like he would be much on a battlefield. She figured like most elves looks would be deceiving.
The couple found a table and as they sat conversations began to circulate the room again. Toleen could guess what the topics of those conversations would be now. She had been in Settle-stone for almost a month now and hadn't seen the drow or any of the other Companions of the Hall. Looked like that this war against the orcs would start sooner than everyone thought if The Companions were getting out. She finished her meal and left to prepare for the nightly funerals.
The funeral of three more volunteers completed and her evening prayers concluded she began the trek back to the room she was staying in. So far she had avoided any more confrontations with Brother Darnim. Which reminded her tomorrow King Bruenor was to start conducting meetings with the various sects in Settlestone, outlining the roles they would need to play in the up coming war.
The cold wind whistled around her the wool tunic not keeping it out. Due to the unseasonable warm weather her cloak still hung on a peg in her room. She quickened her steps to get out of the biting wind.
Coming around the corner of a building with her head down to keep the wind out of her face she bumped into someone. "Oh sorry, I wasn't paying attention."
"It's ok. Wait aren't you the Kelemvorite who saved my daughter?" the big man in front of her asked.
"Yes that was me, Toleen. I didn't recognize you in the dark. How is your daughter?"
"She's doing fine. Unfortunately for everyone in Mithral Hall she's learned to walk." Wulfgar said with a chuckle.
"Sounds like she's a handful."
"Yes she is. Where were you heading? My friends and I were going to meet at the meeting house, would you want to come along?"
She thought a moment, why not the meeting house was closer than her room anyway and most likely warmer since she had neglected to start a fire in the hearth before she left. "Sure I don't have anywhere I need to be right now." She turned around and followed him down the street.
This time of the evening finding an empty table was going to be a chore. With everyone finishing their day's work, the hall filled fast. Tonight there was even a bard in attendance. Settlestone was filling fast with villages and cites sending reinforcements to help the dwarves hold the lines against the orcish army.
Finding an empty table in the far corner from the door Wulfgar followed by Toleen sat down and each ordered an ale while waiting on his friends to arrive. They passed the time talking of inconsequential things until Wulfgar seeing his companions enter stood to motion them over.
Wulfgar reintroduced Cattie-Brie, then went on to introduce a very diminutive halfing named Regis and the infamous drow ranger Drizzt Do'Urdon. Regis explained Bruenor wouldn't be attending due to some unexpected meeting but would be there the following day.
Stories were swapped, ale drank, and hearty laughter rang through the make shift tavern well into the morning hours. Toleen found herself crawling into her short bed hours after she should have already been sleeping. An occurrence that would be repeated often in the coming months.