Sir Grayson Corett greeted her cordially, and set about explaining her role as a squire, as well as the rites that would seal her vow to him, to Nasher, and to Neverwinter.
"My sword is sworn to Nasher, Neverwinter, and Tyr. And it falls to me to teach you chivalry, so that you will not dishonor me overmuch as your knight."
"I hope not to dishonor you at all, Sir Grayson." She strove to keep the irritation from her voice, and failed. Raewyn supposed he was simply observing formalities, but his tone, like her predicament, rankled. Just because Luskan put forth these trumped up charges, everyone suddenly seemed to think her no better than the dock rats she'd been praised for dealing with so 'honorably.'
Grayson raised an eyebrow, but refrained from commenting upon her ire. "Good. You appear capable of defending yourself, so we'll not discuss that. Still, count yourself lucky to avoid years of caring for my horse and scouring the rust from my arms and armor. Your need is great, so I'll take you as my charge."
"The brotherhood of knights is one bound by the ideals of chivalry and honor. Without honor, a knight is nothing more than an animal with a sword. To be a knight is to lead a life of duty and responsibility. We are bound by a code that prescribes our every action…."
Grayson expounded on the rules of knightly conduct, but Raewyn was left wondering how many battles this man had even seen, or if he had ever witnessed true suffering, much less taken up arms to alleviate it. Grayson was kindly enough, but he seemed so pompous, entirely too certain of his own righteousness. In spite of herself, she found herself comparing him to Casavir, thinking of Casavir's quiet, simple, determination to do the right thing, even when it had flown in the face of the very oaths Grayson was reciting. For all that Casavir remained convinced he was an oath-breaker, Raewyn couldn't help but think that Casavir had truly served the people of Neverwinter far more than the immaculately polished Grayson, and she resolved to tell him so the first chance she had.
"…and at all times to embody and uphold the laws of your lord and land."
Raewyn knew she was treading on dangerous territory, but she had to ask. "But what if 'the laws of my lord and land' require me to act unrighteously? Should I not be guided by the best interests of the people, even over the commands of a lord?"
"To serve your land IS to act righteously. If your cause is noble, so, too, are the actions you take in its name. What wouldn't you do to see your home protected, to know that your loved ones are sleeping soundly each night?"
"I would do much, but I would not do evil. I have to live with my actions. My conscience dictates my path."
Grayson raised his chin so he looked down his nose at her. "Remember that in becoming a squire, you take an oath to serve Neverwinter. See that your conscience doesn't guide you down the path to treason."
Yes, Raewyn could see Casavir's problem perfectly. To serve was noble only as long as the cause or leader one served was noble. There was no honor in serving a corrupt master, no matter how faithfully. She didn't think Nasher himself, his knights, or even Neverwinter as a whole were corrupt, but she had seen enough to know that its leaders too easily forgot that their decisions had real consequences for the lives of the people they ruled. However, she knew that to debate the point further would accomplish nothing except to jeopardize her chances to prove her innocence. 'I come already to my first compromise,' she thought, 'no doubt of many.'
Grayson had continued, "…you will be expected to perform certain duties for the crown. Given your unique circumstance, these duties will be waiting for you after the trial. However, there is one observance that cannot be postponed; the vigil."
He paused significantly, and even though Casavir had told her of the squire's vigil, she inquired dutifully, "Vigil? What is that, Sir Grayson?"
Grayson puffed with pleasure at her inquiry; clearly she had read him correctly. "Your vigil is a time for reflection and contemplation. It is a sacred tradition. All who would become squires spend a night in the Solace Glade. You must spend the night alone, of course. Most choose to reflect on their vows, or to ask the blessing of their gods. On the next morning, I will welcome you into our brotherhood."
"Very well, then, Sir Grayson. I am ready."
SIr Grayson led her to a lushly wooded area behind Castle Never.
"This is the Solace Glade. Every knight and squire of Neverwinter has touched this sacred ground. To Helm, to Tempus, to Torm, and to Tyr have prayers been given. Think on that, think on the fellowship you wish to join, perhaps clear your mind and think of nothing. I will return in the morning, and you will greet the new day as my squire."
Raewyn settled in beside a small fire. She was tired, but she had little fear of falling asleep for she had much to mull over. She smiled, imagining the young Casavir himself in this same spot, grappling with the weight of the responsibility he was undertaking. The thought comforted her, but she was still troubled. She knew that she could do good things in the service of Neverwinter, as she had so far. But she had other concerns. One was, of course, the failure of those in power to be aware of or respond to the needs of their people. But there was more that bothered her.
The shards were still a largely unknown entity. And if Zeeaire's raving had any basis in fact, then a far bigger threat than the githyanki was still out there, likely in the form of Garius and his shadows priests. The King of Shadows of which Aldanon had spoken kept coming up and she didn't know where he fit in, if at all. There was still the Construct, whose master remained unknown, and the mysterious mage who seemed to command the demons they had fought. And now Luskan had shown itself to be bent on her destruction. What had begun as a quest to safeguard her village had become far bigger, possibly bigger even than Neverwinter itself.
What would she do if her service to Neverwinter prevented her from dealing with that threat? The thought also occurred to her that she herself, if she became a target, could pose a danger to Neverwinter itself. She chased her thoughts in circles until her head ached. Her thoughts were interrupted by a whisper from the trees.
"Are you here? I can barely see anything out here."
She peered into the shadows, finally able to make out a form coming towards her.
"Shandra? What are you doing here?"
Shandra chuckled at her. "Look, the way trouble follows you, there's no way I'd let you come out here alone."
"Thank you for coming, but I'm meant to stand this vigil alone. It's tradition."
"You really believe this stuff, don't you, Raewyn? Maybe I was wrong about knights."
Now it was Raewyn's turn to laugh. "That's part of what I've been thinking about, in fact. I'm glad you're here. Have a seat."
They chatted a while, and Raewyn was glad of the company. Suddenly Shandra sat up straighter. "Hey, did you hear something?"
Raewyn rose, and made out three more shapes coming toward her, and she was certain these were not friends. The leader was human, and bore markings on his face and arms that Raewyn didn't recognize. The other two looked to be half orc. "Who are you, and why are you bothering me?"
"I didn't expect the girl to be here. We'll spare her the grief of crying over your corpse and kill her as well."
"Why don't you try?" sneered Raewyn, her hand on her sword. She wondered for a moment if this was part of some test, but if so, it was nothing Casavir had told her about. Then again, she supposed it wouldn't be effective if she was warned. They certainly looked serious enough….
"We're the ones who've been sent to kill you, 'squire.' Try not to die too quietly."
The assassins flew at them, and Raewyn was even happier for Shandra's presence. She hadn't been training long, but she proved an able fighter. It was over in a matter of minutes.
"Solace Glade, huh? Talk about a poor name choice." Shandra panted. "Those men came out of nowhere...don't you ever spend one night in peace?"
"It's rare, trust me." Raewyn crouched near the leader of the three, looking for some kind of identifying marks.
"I believe that. Any idea who they are?"
"No idea. They don't look like thieves. And they were definitely hunting for us, or well, me."
Shandra helped her examine the assassins. "Hey, the leader here...he's got a ring on his finger. It's a circle, with teeth...or spikes, maybe."
"Or daggers?"
Shandra shrugged. "Could be, I suppose. It's hard to tell with all the blood. Here, you take the ring, I don't want to hold on to it." She dropped it into Raewyn's palm before wiping her hands on her leggings. "Look, maybe I better slip away before your knight returns... I don't want you getting into any trouble."
"That's probably for the best. Thanks for your help, Shandra."
"Sure...actually, in some ways, it was kind of fun. Good luck, and hopefully when we see each other again, you'll be Neverwinter's newest squire."
Raewyn sighed. "That's what they keep telling me."
As she sat down again for the last hours of her vigil, Raewyn found she felt calmer, though she had no better answers than before. Sooner than she though possible, Sir Grayson appeared over the rise. He looked over the bodies of the assassins with a raised eyebrow.
"What happened here?"
"I was attacked in the night." Raewyn answered, though she was tempted to offer a sarcastic answer.
"No doubt they caught wind of our plan, and saw this as their last chance to judge you as they wished." He stood up from his inspection of the assassins. "Either way, their efforts have failed and that is all that matters. Raewyn Thorne Farlong, I take you as my squire, and bind you to the service of the throne of Neverwinter. Come, Nasher should be informed of your change in station."
Grayson presented her to Lord Nasher, and her calm declaration of loyalty to Neverwinter managed to set Torio, the Luskan ambassador who had leveled the charges against her fuming and sputtering. She turned and left in a huff, leaving Nasher with a grin.
"Seeing that gloating smile stripped from her face pleases me more than you will know." Raewyn was stunned to see an expression of near glee on Lord Nasher's face, and she found she liked him a bit better for it. "But this has bought only a little more time, time we cannot afford to waste. We must find the truth of what happened at Ember, and quickly. But you cannot do so here. Squire, you have my leave to depart Neverwinter, provided you give your word to return for the trial."
"I will, My Lord. Thank you." Almost to her surprise, she really meant it.
