The Search for Lesle Mere

Disclaimer: This a fan-fiction based on the Neverwinter Nights game franchise; it is in no way, shape, or form, to be considered cannon.

Lead Us To You

Their trip took a little longer than expected on account of the odd gaggle of bandits and two wolf packs. All in all these were minor problems and took up less time than hitching a wheel from the mud and allowing their horses to rest. Their little company was now well between the Crags and Lurkwood. Tomorrow they would cross the river into Mirabar.

Tomi threw the bones of his chicken into the campfire. His usual humor gave way to a rare moment of serious thought. Across the way he saw Boddyknock looking over his collection of wands. And he could pick up Tebriah's steady breathing from the wagon where she slept.

Boddyknock had filled him in during the previous nights, on how this quest began. Now that he thought on it, Tebriah was the first person since Lesle that he actually called his leader.

But truthfully there was no comparison… not even close.

He removed a pouch from his belt, dropping a ring into the palm of his ruddy hands. Its band was a cool, pale blue, carved from the bone of a blue dragon. Its only real worth was in the tanzanite oval in its bezel setting. The faint purple gem was much too cloudy to be deemed valuable by a collector, but the halfling knew that this ring had a special sort of enchantment. The only one that brought it to fruition was the woman they were now after.

Every companion had given her an item in their travels, and as the bonds between them grew, so did their power.

One morning he awoke to find that ring on the pillow beside his head. Mere hours later, he watched Lesle escape from Castle Never. He rubbed the surface of the band between his thumb and forefinger, remembering the rage in her eyes. So much of him wanted to stop her and demand answers, but her expression at the time belonged to someone that would kill themselves if she failed to run away.

A painful sharpness stabbed at his heart. He squeezed the ring, gasped, and quickly returned it to his pouch.

The gnome was right in front of him.

"Bloody hell!" he breathed, leaning backwards. "What d'ya want?"

"I've been trying to get your attention for some time now."

"Well… you have it," he answered, flustered.

"That ring was hers, wasn't it?" It was worded as a question, but spoken as a fact.

"It was mine originally, but yeah. So what?"

The sorcerer lifted a chain from beneath his collar. Attached was a band of bold design, woven of copper, bronze, and rose-gold. Tomi recognized it, but just vaguely.

"This is Prophyro's Ring… I had also given it to her during the course of our travels. May I assume that, like me, you found your ring on your pillow the day she disappeared?"

"Yeah, so?"

He extended a hand. "May I?"

Tomi knew the sorcerer was far too focused to think of stealing or damaging anything he owned. He also knew that his analysis, though irritating in its extreme, was also invaluable. Reluctantly, he placed his ring in the gnome's twitching fingers.

Boddyknock turned the piece of jewelry over in his hand, making sounds of interest as he went. Seconds later, he offered Tomi back his ring.

"Before you put it away I would like to try something."

"…a'ight."

"Hold it still as I bring mine closer to its surface."

With a steady grip, Boddyknock slowly brought his ring to Tomi's, and in the instant they were about to meet…

…sparks flew out between them.

In shock, Tomi dropped his ring onto his lap. His mouth flapped open and closed, stammering and swearing all at once. Boddyknock smiled as though he had just won a decisive victory.

"W-what in the Nine Hells was that s'posed to be?"

"You are aware that the items we gave Lesle, either through bonds between us, or by the considerable magic we encountered, grew stronger over time."

"…yeah?"

"Like any item, if you wear it long enough and devote any sort of power or feeling around them, they will gain attributes." The gnome slid his ring back beneath his shirt. "A part of Lesle's aura still emanates from our items."

"I get the feeling that there's a point in all this, but I'm not really seeing it at the moment, mate."

"Think about it, Tomi," he said, leaning in excitedly. "She planned her escape –why else would she go out of her way to return our items the day of? And in case you forgot, she expressly asked us all to stay in Castle Never."

"Till the city was good enough to stand on its feet again."

"An excellent reason, and therefore a simply ingenious proxy." His dark eyes twinkled. "Tomi, I think that if we gather everyone, and bring these items together, we might just have our clue as to where she went."

The halfling finally caught on. His expression brightened easily. "Like a trail of breadcrumbs… by the backside of Brandobaris! That's exactly like her!" He slapped Boddyknock on his shoulder, keeling him over. "We're off to Mirabar, mate!"