Chapter Four: Night Encounter
The Jovial Juggler was crowded and noisy tonight. Beer flowed easily as it always did but the road-weary companions barely registered any of it. The road back to Beregost had been without conflict, but long in spirit. The papers found in Tazok's tent held no answers, only another piece of a larger puzzle. The mystery of the iron crisis now extended further, reaching to a hidden mine buried deep within the Cloakwood Forest.
The group seated themselves at a table tucked away in a corner of the bar and began planning their route through the dangerous wood. Khalid and Jaheira had only a passing knowledge of what lay in the shadows, none of it sounding overly pleasant. Wyverns and dire beasts were expected encounters, but when Jaheira mentioned the rumors of a giant spider infestation, Allesyn turned pale. The young elf had a very strong fear of arachnids. She pictured herself in the forest running for her dear life at the first sign of the eight-legged creatures. Looking across the table she realized that poor Khalid might be right behind her.
The conversation was interrupted by a disturbance in the bar. Nearby a young man had taken one of the tavern maids into his arms. The lady batted her eyes in deference to her lover, looking quite foolish to the more level-headed patrons.
"My lady, Adrienne," the handsome youth proclaimed in a boastful voice, "I have traveled day and night to see your glorious face. I present you with this ring as proof of my love for you." The man retrieved a ring from his pocket and slid it on to the girl's finger. The maid, Adrienne, squealed in delight.
Allesyn snorted. "Oh, he is so trying to get into her skirts," she said quietly.
Imoen heard her. "You don't think it's cute?"
"They're putting on a show, Imoen. They're more concerned about being seen as in love instead of actually being in love."
"What about the ring? Doesn't that prove anything?"
For the first time that evening, Kivan spoke up. "If you require proof of love, then you do not have it. Just wish for love itself – without obstacles, partings or doubts."
Imoen looked at Kivan, then Allesyn, then back to Kivan. She shook her head. "Oh poo on both of ya! You're both cynics!" With that, she excused herself to go mingle with the other tavern patrons. In the morning Imoen's coin purse was going to be little heavier than it was this evening.
Allesyn flashed a smile at Kivan. "Cynics, huh? I take it as a compliment."
Kivan did not respond. He seemed to be distracted by a person across the room. He got up and left without a word.
Allesyn swirled the liquid in her mug absently. "Why do I even bother?"
She gulped down the rest of the honey-colored drink, letting the alcohol settle as a warm feeling in her stomach. She wished she could order more and spend the rest of the evening in a joyful haze, but she knew that her skills were going to be needed in the morning. Monsters and hangovers didn't mix well.
Allesyn tossed a few coins on the table and headed for the stairs. She spotted Kivan across the crowded room, talking to another cloaked figure. Allesyn was about to ignore the two, but when the stranger left, she caught a glimpse of Kivan's face.
He looked worried.
The emotion faded from his sharp-angled face and the usual stoic expression returned. He started for the stairs and Allesyn headed on up, not wanting to let on that she had seen anything that had transpired.
Allesyn entered her room, but paused before she shut the door behind her completely. She glanced back out to the hallway. Kivan came upstairs and went straight for his room. He closed his door and the light from inside was blown out. Allesyn still had a feeling of anxiety concerning the mysterious elf that did not dim when she shut her door all the way and got ready for bed.
There was not much sleep to be had that night. Apparently, Adrienne and her lover had taken up residence in the room next door, causing Allesyn to decide that the walls of the inn were not nearly thick enough.
Heaving a great sigh, Allesyn got up from the bed and wandered to the window. She opened the creaky wooden panes to let the night air in and steal the sleep from her eyes. The cool breeze danced across her face, twirling her hair. She gazed wistfully up at the moon, almost full in the sky. Beregost was bathed in a silver light making the city look almost serene. Even Beregost's lovely ladies of the night weren't around to spoil the view.
The noise from the next room finally settled. Allesyn started to shut the window and return to bed, but some movement outside caught her attention. Her keen elven eyesight spotted a figure walking away from the inn towards the edge of town.
It was Kivan.
Remembering the quiet conversation the ranger held in the common area earlier with the stranger and his expression gave Allesyn cause to worry. Was he leaving? Was he in trouble? The questions piled up in her mind.
Throwing her armor on quickly, she decided it was best to follow the elf at a safe distance just to put her mind at ease. After adjusting her weapons belt, she slipped quietly out into the darkness.
It was difficult trying to keep up with Kivan without being heard. Allesyn suddenly felt as if every footfall was ten times louder than normal. Even her heartbeat sounded like thunder in her ears. She caught up with Kivan near the edge of town and ducked around a building as the stranger from the tavern approached the ranger.
Allesyn finally got a good look at the stranger. It was an elven woman, a moon elf, Allesyn guessed by her pale skin and silvery hair. She was clad in leather much like Kivan, with a sword at her side and a bow strung across her shoulder. She was also accompanied by several large wolves.
"Glad to see you could make it to our little meeting," the strange elf said.
"You claimed to have information on Tazok," Kivan replied.
'That I do. However, I must bring up the terms of my payment. You see, I-" The elf was cut off as one of the wolves started growling in Allesyn's direction. "Ah. It seems Swiftclaw here smells someone nearby." The elf raised her voice to the empty air. "You might as well show yourself before my wolves find you."
Thinking it best to circumvent that outcome, Allesyn revealed herself from behind the building. She walked up and stood beside Kivan, trying to avoid the ranger's harsh glare.
The moon elf just smiled. "I had asked Kivan here to come alone, but this works just fine. My name is Imanel. Just who are you, honey?"
"I am called Allesyn."
"All right. To business then. As I was saying, I DO have information on Tazok. However, my payment is that I am to deliver Kivan's head to Tazok."
The blunt statement almost staggered Allesyn. Kivan turned his glower on Imanel.
"Tazok is dead," he stated.
Imanel laughed. "Fools! Tazok lives still!"
Kivan looked as though he had been punched. Tazok's last words repeated endless in his head as if to mock him. He took a step back, trying to center himself.
Imanel seemed to take joy in the archer's shock. "Still with me, Kivan? Thought not. You, Allesyn. You seem level-headed enough. Care to make a deal?"
Allesyn doubted it highly, but she raised an eyebrow curiously.
"I'll tell you where Tazok is and what he's up to if you hand the ranger over to me. If you refuse, well..." Imanel nodded towards her wolves.
"So just how it that Tazok's still kicking, Imanel? Last time I saw him he was quite the bloody mess." Allesyn tried to keep her tone light and friendly, though inside she wanted nothing more than to wrap her hands around this moon elf bitch's throat. She wanted the information that Imanel had, but she would be damned before she would let her have Kivan.
Kivan looked at Allesyn as she spoke, his dark eyes full of questions. To come so close only to fail Deheriana still. His soul felt so heavy that he wondered if he would even feel the sting of Allesyn's betrayal if she chose to do so.
Imanel gave a crooked smile. "Oh no. You're not getting any information out of me until the ranger is dead. Look, I'll even let you have my bow as reward. With the money Tazok's paying me, I'll be able to get a new one easily." She slid the bow from her shoulder and held it out at arm's length for Allesyn to see. The weapon was elegant, appearing both graceful and deadly. Carved into the dark wood were elven runes that Allesyn couldn't translate.
Kivan's eyes widened at the sight. "You have my bow."
The moon elf maiden only smiled wider. She spoke directly to Allesyn. "It's enchanted for only an elf to use and, believe me, it's embarrassing to run around with a weapon that reads like a bad love poem."
"Deheriana gave me that bow on our wedding day." Fury began to replace sorrow in Kivan's heart. "Allesyn, you cannot do this!"
Allesyn whipped her head to face Kivan. "And I won't. I will not betray you, Kivan. Not ever."
A slow relief filled Kivan. His anger at Imanel did not abate, but he felt a strong rush of gratitude towards his companion. "Allesyn, enemy of my enemy, by the first sapling that rose where Shilmista now stands and by the last shadow it will cast before all things will end, I swear to give my blood for you."
Allesyn nodded, her heart touched by the solemn vow. She did not expect such a thing from Kivan. She suddenly realized how much she wanted to be worthy of such an oath instead of being considered a child like Jaheira kept referring her as.
"How touching," Imanel sneered. "Time to put your words to the test!"
Giving a whistle, Imanel danced nimbly behind the flank of advancing wolves and readied Kivan's bow. Allesyn drew her swords, moving into a defensive position. A scruffy, gray-furred wolf leaned back on its hind legs, preparing for a jump. With a sudden burst of motion, it launched itself into the air towards Allesyn. The warrior acted on instinct, bringing her sword up and ramming it down the wolf's throat. Imanel screamed in rage at the death of her animal companion. She let loose an arrow that just missed Allesyn's shoulder.
Kivan fired back with a volley of his own, felling two of the creatures. Trusting Allesyn to guard his back, he focused in on Imanel. His aim was true and the silver-haired elf found herself staring incredulously at the arrow protruding from her chest. Imanel looked up at Kivan. There was no pity in the ranger's eyes. She took a shuddering breath then fell into darkness.
Allesyn finished off the last of the attacking wolf pack, feeling saddened that these noble creatures had been corrupted to serve the moon elf's whims. She would bury the wolves, she decided, and leave the elf bitch out to rot. She looked up at Kivan to ask if he was injured and stopped.
Kivan stooped down by Imanel's body to retrieve Deheriana's gift that had fallen from her fingers unceremoniously to the ground. He ran his fingers along the wood, feeling the carved script, the words of love that Deheriana had inscribed for him. Memories flooded his senses. He tried to back away but only managed a few steps before he sank to his knees. He hugged the bow to his chest.
Allesyn was unsure what to do. She couldn't leave Kivan here, drowning in his grief, but she wanted to keep a respectful distance. After several minutes of indecision, she walked up and knelt beside him.
Never had she been so close to the ranger and now she saw the scars. Several jagged lines like claws wrapped around Kivan's collarbone and disappeared under his armor. His hands were covered in the signs of once being broken. Allesyn's heart ached at the sight of how much Kivan had suffered at the hands of Tazok.
Kivan felt Allesyn's presence at his side, but did not acknowledge her. He was engulfed in the memories of that one horrible day. The burden of his guilt threatened to crush him where he was. He needed to be judged. To be reminded of his grim duty.
"It was fifteen years ago," he finally said ever so quietly.
Allesyn said nothing, giving the elf her full attention. She would let him speak, if it would ease his pain.
"Deheriana and I were far away from our home in Shilmista. Tazok and his men found us, had us outnumbered. Tazok ordered me beaten in front of Deheriana, and pretended that her pleas for mercy might touch his heart if only she tried a little harder... His men ignored Deheriana while they focused their energies on me. It became my only goal then to keep awake and be entertaining enough as a victim. The world became a blur, but I was forcing myself on my feet after each hit, I was yelling while my lips were able to move... until Tazok was finally bored by the spectacle and ordered Deheriana killed. I was weak; at length I fainted. When I came back... When I came back..."
Kivan took a deep shuddering breath. "She was lying on the ground, or at least what once was her was lying there - a misshapen piece of flesh, torn, cut, burned... Tazok was wearing a fresh pair of elven ears on his belt - he told me that it was his trophy..."
Kivan eventually turned to Allesyn though he seemed to look through the elven woman, his vision focused on the dark past. "And it is my fault. I led her away from the safety of Shilmista. A ranger's duty is to guide and protect and yet I led the most precious traveler I know to her death. When I first heard the bandits surround us, I had my dagger pressed to her throat. But I could not. My love doomed her. My Deheriana..."
Allesyn took everything in. He seemed so lost. All the strength and aloofness he had displayed in the days before melted away. This was a broken man before her. She did not know the right words to comfort him, if there were even right words to say. She tentatively laid a hand on his shoulder.
"You did what you could. All is not lost, Kivan. You will get your revenge and find peace."
"Peace..." he trailed off, as if he did not know what the word meant.
Allesyn hooked her arm under Kivan's shoulder and helped the ranger to his feet. Kivan regained a bit of his composure as he steadied himself. Together, the two elves slowly made their way back to the inn.
"I'll help you," Allesyn said quietly. "You are not in this alone."
Kivan finally centered his gaze on the woman beside him. "I am always alone, Allesyn."
When morning broke, Allesyn sought to locate Imoen. The young elf didn't get much sleep – a reoccurring experience these last few weeks – but as always, there was a job to do. She found Imoen downstairs making final plans with Jaheira over some breakfast. Allesyn claimed the seat next to the redhead and waited for an appropriate time to speak.
Imoen smiled warmly at her comrade-in-arms. "Heya! I was starting to wonder if you had died in your bed!"
Considering the ache in her muscles, Allesyn wasn't sure if that would be such a bad thing. "Imoen... I think we're heading into something bigger than what we thought originally."
Imoen rolled her eyes. "I coulda told ya that a month ago!" She turned serious. "What's up?"
"I found out that Tazok is still alive."
Imoen's eyes widened. "That's some... pretty powerful magic."
"Exactly. Powerful enough that I don't think we're going to find the source behind it hiding in a mine in the middle of a forest."
As Imoen processed the information, Jaheira narrowed her eyes at Allesyn. "And just how is it that you came by this information?" the druid asked.
Allesyn met the gaze. "That is my personal business." She looked back at Imoen. "Believe me, Imoen, if I thought withholding the information would hurt you, I wouldn't do so."
To Allesyn's great relief, Imoen just smiled. "I trust you."
"Thank you."
Allesyn excused herself from the table to go pack up her room. She could feel Jaheira's stern glare on her back the whole way. So much for making friends with the druid.
At the top of the stairs, Kivan stood, his arms crossed and eyes closed. He had apparently sold the longbow he had been using and now Deheriana's bow was slung over his shoulder. It looked like it belonged there.
Handsome and deadly, like the man himself.
Allesyn wondered where the hell that last thought came from.
Kivan opened his eyes. "You did not tell them everything."
Allesyn shrugged and stepped past him. "It's not my place to tell."
Kivan followed Allesyn to the door to her room. "Thank you for assistance last night... in all things. I would not have been so compassionate if someone had told me the things I told you."
The young woman regarded the archer for a moment. "Kivan... I know you're just going to argue with me over the definition, but I AM your friend. If you ever need to talk, I'm here. My ear is yours."
Kivan's dark eyes eased off their usual roughness and he seemed to see the other elf in a new light. He nodded by way of thanks. "Onwards, then?"
"To Cloakwood."