The wooden stairs creaked and groaned with his weight as the weary sorcerer slowly descended to the main room of the bar of the Copper Coronet, any other patrons either drunk and unconscious or in bed at such a late hour. For Greywulf, sleep had not come easily, as what rest he had got was plagued with the haunted cries of Imoen's voice, calling for his aid amidst the mocking laughter and visage of Irenicus. He knew it would be in his best interests to go back to his room, to try and get some more sleep; they already agreed to aid Hendak in another job first thing in the morning... but no. He had gotten maybe three hours of rest and it would have to be enough; for the moment he would find no more, despite their decision to have the group stay here for the night.
The lights spun by the torches lining the stair down threw his shadow across the wall, dancing and flickering with the crackling embers of the torches. He barely noticed as he finally reached the bottom, moving over to one of the chairs by the bar, tucking his gray cloak up behind him as he sat. He ran one hand down his face, the weariness so far built up within not dispelled by the few hours of sleep he had acquired.
Thoughts of Imoen flashed through his head, and he could not help but wipe a few tears from his eyes as he sat alone in the dark. He would have done most anything to hear one more of her jokes, to listen to her girlish laughter as she told a funny story or pulled some sort of practical joke on him… he had always taken her presence for granted as his stalwart friend and companion, one who would never leave him, whose companionship he could always count on. Never again would he take that for granted, he swore. When he found her again, he would make sure she knew just how much he valued her, how much he really cared for her as his sister, blood or no.
He was so distracted by sorrow and weariness that he barely heard the sound of the same stairs he had so recently descended creaking again, the big form that came down unmistakable. Greywulf waved faintly at Minsc as he shuffled down as well. The ranger returned the wave and lumbered over to the bar aside Greywulf, smiling weakly as Minsc sat down on a stool beside him.
"Hi."
"What are you doing awake, Greywulf?" Minsc queried. "Even Boo is asleep now… see how he snores? You should be in bed too."
"I should indeed." Greywulf conceded, but he made no effort or attempt to move. "And what of you, Minsc? I know your back must still be aching... why aren't you in bed?"
"I cannot sleep still. I miss… I miss Dynaheir."
"Me too, Minsc. It feels strange… odd for us to be here without Dynaheir, Imoen, Khalid. It isn't right… not right at all."
"She helped us find our way, told us where to go." Minsc said thoughtfully. "We followed, and she led… a mighty pair we made."
"Indeed you did." Greywulf nodded. "She had a skill in magic few could equal… combined with your bravery and prowess in battle, I'm surprised you two ever got separated in the first place."
Minsc nodded with a faint smile creeping onto his face, remembering the battle with the gnolls…
X X X X X X
Minsc gritted his teeth as the two handed sword he carried swung downward, hewing the gnoll he faced in two with its dulled yet still effective edge. The sword was the same one he had carried since they left Rashemen, and though many opportunities had arisen to purchase or scavenge a new and equally good sword, Minsc was proud and rather attached to the blade; many enemies had fallen to it, though just as many had fallen to his witch's magic through their travels.
He backed up a few steps to make certain he stayed close to Dynaheir, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the field of battle for the most imminent threat. He knew Dynaheir would be doing the same, also looking for any escape plans, one which they desperately needed despite Minsc's inner vehemence that no retreat was necessary. Sixty gnolls had ambushed them in a small pass, thirty on either side. They had been warned that a gnoll stronghold was nearby, though Minsc had been certain that no harm would befall them. Dynaheir had reluctantly given into his arguments and they had taken the pass that was just a bit too close for her comfort. It had turned out badly and here they were, fighting against odds that were far out of their favor. They had been forced to back into a dead end concave section of the canyon, barely angular enough to be called concave... but enough so that Minsc could face all their enemies within his field of vision, rather than some at his back and some at his front. It also allowed him to keep Dynaheir protected better, his primary task.
Despite all this, Minsc had to suppress a grin as he blinked a drop of sweat that threatened to run from his glistening bald head into his eye. More than twenty of the original sixty attackers had fallen to either magic or blade, and he could hear Dynaheir's voice shout out the incantations to another spell, igniting several magic missiles at once. The small bullets of energy tore through the body of another gnoll, dropping it before it could draw any closer to its prey. Victory would be theirs, Minsc was certain. It would be an awesome tale when they returned to Rashemen; a foe of greater size and number, taken by surprise without preparation and yet still victorious-
"Minsc! I need aid!"
The sound of his charge's cry for help was more than enough to pull Minsc back to the present, his head whirling to spy two gnolls menacing Dynaheir, having bolted through his one man circle of protection for her. She had drawn her dagger and stared the approaching beasts down fearlessly, but their halberds would easily break through such a defense.
He quickly proved why he was more of a berserker ranger than not, his war cry echoing through the canyon walls of the small pass they fought in as he covered the distance between them in the blink of an eye. His massive bulk slammed into one of the gnolls and knocked it aside before the second one had even realized he was there. It managed to pull up its weapon to block in the nick of time, but the force of Minsc's swing cut the shaft of the halberd in twain, leaving the gnoll to gape at the broken weapon helplessly. It never saw the backswing come to behead it, even as Dynaheir spoke more words of magic to engulf the second gnoll, just now rising to its feet again within swirling serpents of flame. Even as it howled, writhing to put out the flame that seared its flesh, Minsc had already turned his attention back to the other monsters that still encircled their prey, unwilling to challenge Minsc directly after the casualties they had endured. The gnolls were instead content to make small half-rushes instead, testing his reflexes before truly attacking.
Minsc could feel the blood rushing to his head, the red beginning to blur the edges of his vision, but he forcibly pushed it away. As much as he loved to indulge his berserker rages, especially when there was an abundance of evil butts to kick, Dynaheir cautioned him about the consequences, tiring himself and possibly hurting those he did not intend to. Unwilling to expose Dynaheir to harm, Minsc did the best he could to follow her directions, though it was indeed a struggle for him. A squeak sounded over the tones of battle, and Minsc glanced down momentarily to ensure himself of Boo's safety. Seeing the tiny face stare up at him from his belt pouch, his eyes widened, listening to what he had heard the hamster say. He turned again, not heeding the attackers before him, instead shouting a warning to Dynaheir- but too late.
The gnoll Dynaheir had set aflame and both of them had left for dead had managed to put the fire out and had used the lack of attention to sneak behind Dynaheir, grabbing her by the mouth and waist, preventing her from speaking any incantations. She flailed within the larger beast's grasp, but the battle and anger driven strength of the gnoll carrying her was enough to subdue her attempts at escape. As he watched his charge manhandled and pulled away, Minsc felt the rage rise within again; this time he did not resist it's pull. The strength, speed, and fury provided by the berserker rage would have been more than enough to dispatch the gnoll holding Dynaheir, and probably grant them victory as well before it wore off… if Minsc had been given the time to make use of it.
The gnolls he had ignored to turn back and see to Dynaheir had taken that opprtunity to charge; they had reached him in those short seconds. With the slam of a halberd shaft across the back of the head, Minsc felt the rage and strength within begin to fade, replacing itself with a cool bliss as unconsciousness claimed him. He heard one last cry from Dynaheir, calling his name... and then everything was black.
X X X X X X X
"Of course we were reunited within days," Minsc remarked as he swung his arms with an imaginary sword, thinking back as his motions sent him into a slow spin on the bar stool. "You and Imoen and Khalid and Jaheira came to my aid soon in Nashkel, the place I discovered what true heroes you were, willing to help a man and hamster in need! We freed Dynaheir, fought off the attacks of the evil Red Wizard Edwin and became the group of butt kicking and vengeance the bards sing of even now!"
"Indeed, Minsc." Greywulf smiled, remembering the day he had met Minsc. Greywulf had always prided himself on being a good head above most people he knew. When he had run into Minsc, it was an unusual feeling for him to crane his head up to meet the eager gaze of the ranger, looking for somebody to help him save Dynaheir. Still, despite the warnings by Jaheira of possible insanity after Minsc had introduced them to Boo and mentioned his head wound, Greywulf had decided it would be better to have such a massive warrior on their side than not; an extra mage couldn't hurt either. Soon they were indeed the 'group of butt kicking and vengeance the bards sing of even now' that Minsc so eloquently put, six travelers unwilling to yield despite the odds.
"What now, Minsc? Do you feel any better?" Greywulf asked, noticing the smile of jolliness that had been missing from the ranger ever since Dynaheir had died.
Minsc frowned as he mulled the words over in his head, then gradually smiled again, turning to Greywulf and nodding slowly. "I… think so. Yes, yes indeed! We still miss Dynaheir, but mighty hamster retribution has been promised, and when it is delivered, hamsters and rangers everywhere will rejoice! Dynaheir would not have us mope and meander like an ice buffalo (though I have the greatest respect for the noble ice buffalo), she would have us seek and wreak death to our enemies! I think I have found my… er… my purpose once more, yes?"
"That's the expression, Minsc." Greywulf chuckled. "I'm glad you're feeling better. Why don't you try getting some more sleep now? Your slumber might come a bit easier."
"By no measure of goodness could I do such a thing!" Minsc exclaimed, stopping the circular rotation he had been doing since beginning the tale of his fight. "Minsc was down here because he felt bad about Dynaheir; you are down here because you feel bad about Imoen! I told a grand tale of butt kicking with Dynaheir and me and felt much better…"
Greywulf stifled another laugh as Minsc grinned expectantly at the mage, then finished the sentence. "Thus I should tell a tale of butt kicking about Imoen and me so I'll feel better. An interesting idea, but I'm not sure it'll work that way."
"Of course it will!" Minsc threw up his arms as though Greywulf had questioned the very nature of the universe, that gravity existed or that water was wet. "Besides, if there's one thing I like more than butt kicking, it's a good story of butt kicking! Actually, I think I like the butt kicking best, but in place of it stories are good."
"All right, all right!" Greywulf laughed, putting his hands up in surrender. "I think this particular skirmish happened before we met you and Dynaheir…"
X X X X X X
"If we survive this mess, we are going to have a serious talk." Jaheira whispered angrily to Greywulf as they both stared down the ends of the arrows leveled at them, five strong with three swords approaching as well.
"D-dear, now might not be t-the best time." Khalid pointed out as he tightened his grip on the metallic shield he carried.
Greywulf suppressed a gulp of fear, finding his mouth dry as he quickly did a head count, ensuring that he had not miscounted the first time and that there were indeed eight bandits that faced their group of four. The two half-elf warriors that had joined them improved their odds of survival considerably from when it had been just Imoen and him, but two against one, added to the fact he and Imoen were still relatively new at this whole adventuring thing made the situation look rather bleak.
What made it worse was that this was all his fault, really. Things had actually been going quite well for the moment; he had been careful to stay on Jaheira's good side for the whole day and had even earned a rare compliment from her on the way he had tied up his pack for the rest of the day's hike after lunch. Maybe it was the approval from the usually annoyed druid that irked Imoen, or maybe she had just been bored; it was hard to tell with her sometimes. They had been walking through what Jaheira had been pointing out as a particularly dangerous section of woods, which according to Jaheira was "infested with bandits…we must take great care to avoid running into even a single brigand; if he gets off even the slightest cry, hordes are sure to follow."
Just as she had been getting to the part about 'hordes', Imoen had shoved Greywulf as she ran by him, giving him a raspberry as she passed. Khalid's stuttering yet soothing voice began to break through, telling her to calm down, but it was a bit late. If there was one way Imoen knew how to get under his skin, it was the 'raspberry and run' she had taunted him with since their days in Candlekeep, his legs never quite fast enough to catch hers. The chase was on, her giggles blowing in his face as she stayed just one step ahead of him. They weaved back and forth through the trees of the forest, quickly leaving Khalid and Jaheira behind, the sounds of Jaheira cursing fading behind them rapidly.
"What'sa matter, slowpoke?" Imoen tossed behind her, bobbing back and forth playfully as she ran. "Still can't catch lil' Imoen after all these years?"
"You're just as old as me, Imoen. Are you ever going to grow up?" Greywulf shouted ahead of him in irritation.
"Hm? Yer kidding, right?" Imoen said in mock disbelief. "The raspberry and run never gets old-"
Her sentence was cut off by a yelp from her as she abruptly came to a stop. Greywulf took no notice as to why she had ceased, only that he could now overtake her. He took great pleasure in slapping her back and giving a particularly good raspberry as he whizzed by her, only seeing what had caused her to stop afterwards. Barreling right into a shield sent him to the ground with a painful thud, rolling halfway back to Imoen's position. He looked upward quickly to see the yellow toothed grin of a bandit standing before them, his weapon at the ready.
"Looky here, two young'uns out for a romantic stroll in the woods. 'Ow cute." the thief slurred mockingly.
"We're not scared of you!" Imoen shouted even as her hands trembled, drawing an arrow to her bow quickly. At least she had remembered to get an arrow ready; the last time they had been surprised by enemies, it had taken nearly half the battle for Imoen to remember that she had to put arrows in her bow to be of any use.
"An-and we're not doin' anything romantic, either!" Imoen added angrily in what sounded like an afterthought. Greywulf rolled his eyes; only Imoen would have thought to defend her pride in such a way when death stared them in the face.
"Too bad. Ye make such a nice couple too." he grinned. "Didn' nobody tell you these here woods are dangerous?"
"Actually, we were told." Greywulf said, shooting a glare at Imoen as he slowly got to his feet. "I'd leave now if I were you. We're dangerous too!"
"Hah!" the brigand laughed. "I'd have to be blind, daft, and dumb to believe that! But ye've got spirit enough, I'll grant ye that. Try not to bleed all over me boots when I slice yer throats."
"It shall be your blood spilt if you continue." Jaheira's accented voice rang through the areas as she deftly leapt into view from seemingly nowhere, Khalid following close behind, his sword unsheathed and held tight to his body at guard position. "These youths are under our protection, brigand. They might seem easy prey, but we are most assuredly not."
"So it's a fight ye want, then? Boys!" the bandit cried out, bringing forth two more swordsmen from behind him, all with weapons ready. Behind those three appeared five archers, and such was the situation as Jaheira glared at their foes, her mind calculating how best to survive the next few seconds. Greywulf forced himself to slow his breathing, hoping that some of the new magic he had learned could be of use, if only to make up for the stupidity he had shown in chasing Imoen.
Before he could come up with anything, the sound of bow strings twanging in succession rang in his ears and he saw two arrows fly wide, another hit Khalid's shield, the last two coming straight for him and Imoen. He barely had time to think before Jaheira leapt to tackle the both of them, one in each arm, as they barreled to the ground and narrowly avoided the deadly missiles. She looked at both of them as they stared at her in fear, her lips forming words quickly and succinctly. "Get out of here. Run!"
She quickly got to her feet and shouted a druidic incantation before their foes could draw any closer, an Entangle spell sending roots and vines from the earth to grasp the legs of their enemies. Khalid did not hesitate but immediately engaged the bowmen to ward off any more danger to the fleeing youths as Imoen and Greywulf scrambled away, the sounds of battle ringing behind them.
"We can't just leave them there!" Imoen panted as they darted back and forth between the thick forest trees, almost out of breath.
"She told us to go!" Greywulf shot back angrily. "Besides, this is your fault!"
"What?! I wasn't the one who ran into the guy's shield!"
"No, you started the damn chase in the first place!"
Before either could argue any further, an arrow flew past Imoen, brushing her hair as it shot by. She nearly slipped in surprise, quickly ducking behind a tree in the direction of the arrow's launch. Greywulf did the same, peeking out to see if he could catch a glimpse of the enemy. Sure enough, two more bandits approached, each aiming at a different one of them. Imoen hastily fired an arrow from her own bow, the shot flying so far off it was hard to tell just who she had been aiming at, Greywulf or the bandits.
"Good job, now they know you can't aim either." Greywulf hissed.
"I don't see you using that fancy magic of yours!" Imoen responded in fear driven anger, drawing another arrow from her quiver with shaky hands.
Spurred on by her words, Greywulf hurriedly began his basic spell, sending two magic missiles out to strike the nearest bandit. He grunted with the impact, then kept on moving forward.
"Great… why don't you just throw rocks next time?" Imoen cried out as she fired another off target arrow.
"So sue me if I'm not good enough to conjure five or six missiles yet!" he shouted, frustration rapidly overtaking him. He had been practicing one more attack spell, but he wasn't quite sure enough of his ability to shape the magic to risk. A malfunctioning acid arrow could kill him just as easily as an opponent if it exploded in his hands. All he could try was another magic missile, but it was clear the spell was too weak to do the job required. He shut his eyes tight and cast his magic again, the unerring missiles finding the same target.
The unmistakable whuff of someone getting the air knocked out of them sounded, and both youths quickly glanced to see the bandit struck doubled over, his bow on the ground. The other bandit was busy reloading a new arrow from his quiver and both of them knew with a glimmer of hope... it was a perfect opportunity. Imoen leaned around the tree, closed one eye as she aimed and lined up the target…
The arrow jumped from her bow and struck flesh, piercing the bandit right through the heart. Technically she had missed, as the bandit she had been aiming at was still doubled over from the impact of Greywulf's magic missiles while the other was lying dead, but it was good enough for the two of them. Both jumped out and charged the remaining bandit, Imoen screeching in fear and excitement as she tried to draw another arrow as she ran. Greywulf had unsheathed his dagger and could barely contain his pounding heart, but for once he did arrive before Imoen, his dagger striking the neck of the man before them. He gurgled once and fell to the ground, leaving the two young adventurers the only ones alive in the clearing.
It was dead silent for as minute as Greywulf and Imoen tried to slow their breathing, the adrenaline still coursing through their bodies. "We're alive." Imoen said in shock.
"Then we should find some place to hide while we wait for Khalid and Jaheira to find us." he said, hurriedly pulling Imoen to a small bit of underbrush.
"We're not going to go and try to find them?" Imoen asked in surprise, but he did not answer, pulling her down with him as they concealed themselves.
Even as they stared into the opening before them, hardly breathing, Greywulf pushed from his thoughts the real reason he did not want to go search for Khalid and Jaheira. I already saw Gorion dead because he told me to run; It was my fault he died. I don't... I can't find them dead too, just to protect me. If we wait for them there's always a chance they survived.
Imoen glanced at him and looked like she was about to say something to him, but her head quickly jolted to the side, eyes widening.
"What is it?" he whispered, quickly shushed by the thief.
"Listen!"
He did, and soon heard what her ears had picked up earlier, the sound of armored men creeping through the woods, their words slowly coming into earshot.
"Oy, I'm sure I heard shouts coming from over here."
"Do you think it's more travelers, or maybe some adventurers with gear we can sell?"
"Just as long as it's none of them Chill hobgoblins. I hates those buggers, trying to intrude on Black Talon territory all the time."
Greywulf glanced down at the spell scroll he had tucked on his belt, Imoen looking at him worriedly. He slowly pulled it out, reading the inscriptions once more.
"What're ya doing?" Imoen whispered.
"It's a Monster Summoning II scroll. It could summon a variety of creatures to our aid if I read it properly… maybe even hobgoblins."
Imoen blinked once, then opened her eyes in realization. She grinned at him, "Then what're you waiting for?"
Greywulf took a deep breath and began reading as precisely as possible, picturing the hobgoblins in his head, trying to figure out how to bring the magic from the scroll to his own way of using the power...
"Hurry!" Imoen hissed, glancing at the direction the bandits had been coming in.
Trying to ignore her insistent demands, he carefully finished the spell, as four pods of magic smattered to the ground before them. Greywulf's heart raced as he watched the magic light jump forth from each pod, awaiting the results of the casting…
"We've got some more company!" Imoen said a bit too loudly for Greywulf's tastes, pointing in a different direction from the first group of approaching bandits.
He barely heard her though, watching in supreme satisfaction as four hobgoblins appeared before them, all holding bows and awaiting his mental commands.
"What're we gonna do?" Imoen pleaded, shaking Greywulf physically now.
"Quit shaking me, Im! I got an idea. Follow my lead." Greywulf said with pushing her away as he watched his summoned creatures intently.
A few seconds later the first group of bandits burst through into view, stopping abruptly when they saw the hobgoblins standing above the two dead bandits.
"Hold it there!" one of them shouted as all bows went to ready position. "What're you hobgoblins doing out here!? You part of the Chill?"
They remained silent, not speaking until Greywulf gave the command. The mage watched nervously; if the other group didn't get here quickly enough, it would all be for naught…
The second group suddenly burst on the scene, about the same size as the first. As soon as they appeared, one of the hobgoblins grunted out, "We done like you paid us for; kill all your enemies in the Black Talon."
The man he spoke to drew back in surprise, but it was too late; the reaction by the second group was perfect, from the words of the 'hobgoblins' along with the dead bandits, it could not have been better. "What?! You hiring these knobgoblins to kill all yer peers, eh? Ye'll be the ones dying today!"
The group of bandits which had recently arrived immediately launched a volley of arrows at the first group, felling a number even as the hobgoblins fired at the second group, quickly joined by the beleaguered bandits from the beginning, still unsure why they had been attacked. Within seconds, it was over; both groups of bandits lay dead, arrows pinned through each body. All but one hobgoblin had died as well, the one left wavering on his feet as it struggled with the pain of an arrow in his gut. Imoen and Greywulf slowly crept out, surveying the scene in disbelief that their gambit had actually worked. Before they could do much else, the last summoned monster fell over, disappearing along with the rest of the hobgoblin bodies.
"I knew it would work." Greywulf said with a deep breath, trying to sound cool and collected.
"Right…" Imoen snorted, though she could not hide a sigh of relief even as she rolled her eyes. "Yer just lucky I'm here to keep you alive."
The sound of running and heavy breathing caught up to them before he could respond, and off to their side Khalid and Jaheira burst into view, each looking around wildly as though to fight off any threats to the two of them. Both of them had a number of injuries, and Khalid's shield arm looked slightly out of joint, but nothing beyond Jaheira's healing abilities. They slowly took in the scene, Khalid gulping in disbelief as he counted the number of dead bodies lying about.
"I see you two are more capable than I had given you credit for." Jaheira exhaled with a frown. "Now, I believe we should leave this place before more bandits show up. And as for both of you, we are still going to have a very long chat once we are gone."
X X X X X X
"My ears were ringing for hours after Jaheira finished her lecture." Greywulf laughed as he finished recounting the tale to Minsc. "But it was a small price to pay to see the look on both their faces when they saw all the dead bandits. They thought Imoen and I had killed all of them by ourselves… a notion we didn't exactly get rid of right away."
"Ha! Villainy is no match for our might!" Minsc said grandly, pounding the bar with a meaty fist. "Even as small ones Imoen and Greywulf fought the muck of villainy back to its lair and administered the beat down!"
"I can't tell you how scared we were at the time," Greywulf sighed, shifting his weight on the stool. "But if Imoen hadn't been there, I don't think I could have made it. I owe her a lot."
"But you feel better now, yes? The tales of heroism and boot-stomping have lifted your spirits!"
Greywulf nodded after a moment of thought, shrugging. "Yeah… you're right, I do feel better. I think I might actually be able to get some sleep now."
Minsc slapped Greywulf's back, knocking him off the bar stool and to his feet as the ranger stood as well. The two friends began making their way back to the stair, but were stopped when out of the corner of his eye, Greywulf caught a glimpse of a body sitting in a chair at the far table in the corner. Minsc saw it right after Greywulf stopped and they both walked over quietly. The shallow light was enough to reveal Jaheira in the chair there, her eyes fixed on the table before them, not looking up at her two companions.
Greywulf glanced at Minsc; the ranger nodded gravely and they both circled the table to sit beside her. She barely moved her gaze as they seated themselves, the object of her intent becoming clear to them. Her hands held the simple gold band she wore on her finger, the twin of the one Khalid had worn as well. She fingered the wedding ring for a moment longer, then quickly slipped it back on her finger, wiping the glistening tear trails from her face.
"How long have you been down here?" Greywulf asked quietly.
"About as long as you." She murmured in the dark.
"Ah, then you know what we mean when we say… it's your turn." Minsc said with a gentle smile.
X X X X X X
"Just what exactly will this mission entail?" Jaheira queried, fingering the quarterstaff she carried with a hint of anticipatory excitement.
She had been accepted as a full member of the Harpers less than a week ago, and she had already been given an assignment with a group, something of what sounded like utmost importance. The leader of this mission was to be the wizard Gorion, though her fellow comrades were unknown to her. She was to meet them today at this meeting... waiting was not exactly one of her strong suits. Gorion leaned back in his chair, puffing once more on his pipe before answering the druid's question. "Patience, Jaheira… we should wait for the others to arrive before we begin the briefing."
"Of course." she replied easily, though she was still quite anxious to begin. She had finally found what she believed to be her calling in life, an organization whose sole purpose was to protect the balance, the same reason she left the druid grove in the first place. "They appear to be somewhat late."
"Nonsense… you know what they say about wizards and being late." Gorion chuckled.
"Are there many wizards who will be accompanying us, then?"
"Er… no. I do believe I'll be the only one… two more warriors will be with us, a bard, and a rogue. Enough for our purposes."
Before Jaheira could say any more, the door behind them opened, revealing those Gorion had spoken of. A tall man in a green cloak and hood stalked in first, a dark mustache and goatee gracing the lines of his face. He winked once at Jaheira before seating himself halfway across the table with his legs up, quite relaxed. Jaheira immediately took note of the multiple throwing daggers and lock picking equipment strapped to his belt and marked him with a frown as the rogue, then moved on to the others.
A female human with blonde hair that ran down to the small of her back moved in next, sitting beside Jaheira. She had a fair complexion, looking more like a maiden of innocence than a Harper. Her frame was somewhat petite, definitely more so than Jaheira, but she still carried herself with an air of confidence, the studded leather armor she wore not hindering her in the least. The pack she carried seemed a bit oversized, most likely to carry and pad instruments inside. Marking her as the bard, Jaheira gave the girl a quick nod, then moved on to studying the others.
The two warriors came in together, their armor and weaponry giving them away easily. The brawnier of the two moved towards the rogue, his large splint mail shifting noisily as he sat. He carried a large two-handed sword by his side and many scars lined his face. His head was bald and he had a brown mustache and beard. The epitome of the burly warrior; Jaheira really couldn't say she was impressed.
The other one held a smaller long sword, accompanied by a medium shield in his off hand. He was shorter yet still of a good height, though his face was covered in shadow at the moment by the helmet he wore. She did take note that his ears, uncovered by the helmet, had the telltale point of elven heritage. His build was quite a bit smaller than the first warrior, but he came and sat beside Gorion himself on the right, the only seat left on the table. Removing his helmet, Jaheira found herself rather surprised to see the smooth, unlined face behind the helmet. He had striking brown eyes, ones that despite his status as a warrior, seemed unwilling to meet those of his companions while they looked at him. An air of nervousness seemed to cloud his movements; unusual, Jaheira noted. Before she could study the enigmatic warrior any longer, Gorion cleared his throat and began speaking.
"Ah… so we are all here then. Time to begin, I presume. As you all know, I am Gorion, the… 'ahem' leader, of this mission. For those of you new here, I think you'll find that we use the term leader quite loosely amongst the Harpers."
Jaheira tried her best not to blush angrily. She had rather hoped Gorion would not call attention to the fact that she was a rookie amidst veterans. It didn't matter, she reasoned. She would merely work harder to prove her worth among these men and women.
"Now, on to names. The fellow over there whom would do all of us a service if he could remove his feet from the table ( this is a meeting table, not a footrest), is Aritolcus, our rogue for this mission."
Aritolcus sighed overdramatically and slid his feet back off the table, resting his elbows there instead. Almost as an afterthought, he nodded to the group in a circular swoop.
"The young blonde-haired lass over there is Bri, a bard from the distant town of Halfway."
Bri smiled with a look that would have melted every heart to see it, her blue eyes and innocent looks enough to strike the rogue into paying attention. When her gaze reached Jaheira, she winked and then immediately returned to paying attention.
"Yes, well. The lady beside Bri is Jaheira, a druid with more than adequate fighting skills to accompany her magics as well."
Jaheira met each member's gaze in sequence, pausing just long enough to nod as seemed to be the tradition; though she noticed the smaller warrior kept his gaze upon her a bit longer than the others. She returned it until he finally averted his eyes, returning to watching Gorion.
"The balding man over there would be Kurtesh, a former gladiator whose experience will be most invaluable for this mission."
Kurtesh grunted in acknowledge at his name, naught much more was forthcoming from the man.
"Ah, and finally our second fighter. This young half-elf beside me is Khalid, a warrior hailing from Calimport."
Khalid's face reddened just slightly at his name, but he followed suit as the others. Jaheira watched him with a special interest, wondering in her heart about this peculiar man. She was given no more time to question as the rest of the meeting began, Gorion explaining the logistics of their mission. There was a slave trade going on in Calimport, led by one Baron Ployer. There was already a contact awaiting their arrival named Belgrade who would help them once they found him, but it was their job to shut down the ring, capturing Ployer if at all possible. Once the briefing was over, Gorion left them to talk for a while, and the group quickly split into one-on-one conversations, each one feeling out the rest of the group.
"So… a druid, hmm?" Jaheira turned to see Bri sidling up beside her, watching the rest of the group talk as well.
"Er… yes. A druid and a fighter." Jaheira corrected, not wishing to be underestimated or undervalued by the group. "And I trust you are more than just a singer of tales and songs."
"You'd be right, then." Bri beamed. "Bards tend to get the reputation of being useless everywhere but taverns, something that gives us an advantage when performing operations like these in the Harpers. How long have you been a member, anyway?"
Jaheira quietly cursed Gorion again for mention the fact that there were newbies in the group, then said with a forced smile, "This is actually my first mission… I was just recently initiated."
"Really?" Bri said in surprise. "I would have never guessed it by the way you look and act. I had my money on that Khalid fellow being the new one here. Poor guy looks like he's got the shakes, he's so nervous. I tried talking with him for a bit, and you'd never believe the way he stutters. Must be a speech impediment or something; he couldn't be a warrior and be that nervous."
"Perhaps…" Jaheira murmured as she watched Khalid talk with Aritolcus, the warrior's expression somewhat sheepish as they chatted. The rogue laughed aloud, slapped Khalid on the back then moved on to another of the group, the rather imposing Kurtesh. "Kinda cute, don't you think?"
"What?" Jaheira was jolted by Bri's words as she winked at Jaheira again, motioning to Aritolcus. "The rogue? Not my type, thanks."
"Tall, handsome and daring not your type?" Bri shrugged. "Less competition for me then, I guess. Good thing too; you're not a bad looking girl yourself."
"Are you always this open in your talks with strangers?" Jaheira said in partial disbelief, one eyebrow cocked.
"Mostly. When you're a bard, you kinda lose all semblance of self-consciousness. But back on the dating circuit again, if you're not put on by Aritolcus, that Khalid isn't bad looking either; in fact, from the way you're looking at him and he's looking at you, I'd guess you've already noticed."
"You must be joking." Jaheira sputtered, feeling her cheeks begin to blush a rosy color. "I'm not-"
"Aw, but you are soft on him." Bri laughed. "I tend to notice this kind of thing pretty quick. Trust me… he's definitely your type."
Bri turned and stalked away before Jaheira could say anything more, leaving the druid in stunned silence as she stared at the man they had been talking about. The girl is daft... impossible. We haven't even spoken, how can she think I'm attracted to this complete stranger? True, he did have a handsomeness about him that Jaheira found attractive, but this was not the place for such things, and definitely not before she had even met the man. She folded her arms and glanced over at the half-elf warrior, noting his build and features. Almost thirty seconds had passed before Jaheira blinked once, realizing that she was staring, his eyes finally catching her gaze. She reflexively turned away, blushing even redder. Her heart thudded in confusion, wondering what had just happened. She had been so excited and focused on the mission for the Harpers a few minutes ago; now she was trying to convince herself she wasn't attracted to a teammate? This was not how it was supposed to go...
The sound of armored footsteps falling close by turned her head again to see in surprise the figure of Khalid approaching, walking up with a warm smile. He held out one hand, the other arm holding his helmet. "H-hello. Pleased to m-meet you, Jaheira. I'm-"
"Khalid… I know." Jaheira replied softly, returning the smile as she shook his hand for the first time.
X X X X X X X
"I can't explain what happened…" Jaheira whispered, staring into space as she finished her tale. "All I know is that we were inseparable after that… we fell in love perhaps the day we met. Now… it is so strange. I sometimes turn to look at him or just hold his hand briefly… and he is not there."
"Minsc knows too." the ranger nodded. "We also want to ask Dynaheir questions and advice as we used to. We cannot… but we still keep going. They are not Dynaheir, no; but we have Greywulf and Jaheira and Yoshimo to ask now."
"You're not alone, Jaheira… not while we have anything to say about it." Greywulf said quietly with a hint of a smile. "What you said of Khalid; it is truly beautiful. I knew him for such a short time and he was so full of compassion, life… I appreciate your trust; sharing this memory must not be easy for you."
"It is not… but it is easier now, I think." Jaheira said, taking a deep breath. "I feel I must… apologize to you. Both of you. I have said things out of anger, lashed out at whomever I could in an attempt to soothe my own guilt and hurt. You both have tolerated my outbursts and indeed taken the brunt of them. I cannot promise there will be no more, but please remember that I need you both as friends; you two are my comfort and support right now."
"Apology accepted." Greywulf said with a wink, giving her a quick hug before she could protest.
Minsc redoubled the gesture by embracing the both of them in his massive arms, gleefully stating, "Oh, but it is a joyous thing to see our spirits reunified again! The tales of butt kicking have done their job as intended! Hamsters and rangers everywhere... REJOICE!!"
Greywulf tried not to laugh as he heard Jaheira's complaints muffled against Minsc's giant arm. The memories of their missing and fallen companions were still with them, but some much needed healing had taken place with the telling of a few simple stories. Not to say there would not be more fights, more arguments and knowing Jaheira, more sarcastic comments... but it was better. All three of them walked back upstairs together and headed to their respective beds. Within five minutes... all were fast asleep. It was better.