On the Road Again
"How much further?" asked Gann wearily, summoning a small globe spirit to give them enough light to see by as dusk fell.
"We should come across Nevalle's brewery before morning," replied Marin. Since slipping out of Neverwinter in the early hours of the morning they had been travelling non-stop, changing horses at every inn they came across. "When we find it we can rest up until sunrise, or whatever time you think decent for us to present ourselves to Master Brewer Jacobin. From there he said it's a half-day's ride... hopefully we'll reach Luskan by nightfall tomorrow."
Gann grinned through his fatigue, "The perfect time to break into a hostile mages' tower."
"If Torio's plan works. I'm still not convinced we can fully trust her, but she has helped us so far," said Marin. To say nothing of Nevalle's trust in the woman, strange as it was. Perhaps she was too suspicious. She sighed then, thinking of something else.
"What?"
"Nothing, I'm just going to get it from Khelgar and Neeshka when we get back, that's all," replied Marin. When she'd left for Neverwinter she'd told them to remain at the keep and watch over Marisca, taking Gann along with her instead as an ally unknown to Luskan. "They'll never forgive me for not bringing them along to this."
Gann chuckled. "Don't worry, I already 'got it' from them. Your friends know you too well."
"What do you mean?"
"They both took me aside before we left for Neverwinter, and warned me that I was not to allow you to go off on some hare-brained scheme without them should we pick up any leads on Casavir's location."
Marin raised an eyebrow at that, although if she was honest with herself she hadn't really expected any other reaction from them. "I see. And failing that?"
"Failing that, dear lady, and perhaps knowing you'd not be deterred if we did find anything, they threatened me with all sorts of unpleasant things should I allow anything foul befall you. The dwarf was most insistent about grinding his grimy axe into my beautiful face if I let anything happen to you. Amongst other things I care not to repeat in front of a lady."
Marin looked across at him, her expression grim. "Let me guess, you told them that if anything happened to me you'd already be dead."
"Something like that," replied Gann lightly. "Although when I gave your friends my response it sounded far more eloquent than you've just put it."
"Well then, we'd better make sure that doesn't come to pass."
"My thoughts exactly, dear lady."
Marin said nothing more as she urged her horse on. She knew she was being reckless, that she should be putting her daughter's future above herself, but she couldn't help it. She burnt with the need to find Casavir, seething at what he must have endured for two years in Luskan hands.
She thought then of the sealed parchment she'd given Nevalle before they'd left Neverwinter, trying to soothe her guilty conscience. Marisca would be well taken care of if she didn't return, she'd seen to that at least. Just another reason not to have sent word to Crossroad Keep for Khelgar and Neeshka.