The next chapter might be a bit delayed, so here's a long update!
...
But finding Anna was still painfully far off. Finn had lost the bandits' trail once, and he was determined not to do it again. If he lost them again, he might as well strike off for Athkatla for all the good it would do. No one else was coming to his rescue. He needed to get this right.
Like a hound he made his way through the trees, staying almost bent over as he looked for any signs. Nalia drifted some ways behind him, thankfully keeping a watch for danger while his eyes were bent to the ground.
He wondered if he'd ever been tempted to take up the life of a ranger. If he ever had though, by now he had certainly changed his mind. It was miserable hard going, and slow.
Nalia stayed remarkably quiet through that afternoon. He wondered what she was thinking. Did she regret her bold choice? If she had any regrets though, she left them to herself.
But the sun was not their friend. Too soon it seemed to be creeping to the west. The light between the trees was growing less. At last Nalia spoke.
"We've marched past lunch, and dinner… Perhaps it is time to make camp?"
Finn paused and turned to her. There was a kind of uncertainty in her voice. Her pale skin was flushed, and she looked tired.
He groaned and looked back to the forest. Anna could be just over the next rise for all he knew.
"Maybe a little further," he said. "Still have some time before dark."
"But if you lose the trail…"
Finn did not need any reminding. Where could Anna be? Did those bandits ever rest? It was driving him mad, this.
"I won't lose it. I'll stop before it gets dark, I promise. Now, come on!" he said.
He ploughed up over the nearest hill. It was a steep bank, and the ferns hid numerous stones. Finn's foot caught an unstable one and it slid out from underneath, sending him clinging by hand and knee to the ground. Nalia let out a little shout as the rock bounded away past her.
"Sorry," Finn called back.
"We could go around, it would be an easier path," she remarked, following him rather breathlessly.
There were twigs sticking out of her hair, and her trousers were stained with grass and dirt. Finn doubted he looked much better.
"But the bandits went this way. So that's the way we're going," he replied.
"How can you even tell?" Nalia said sharply.
He paused at the top of the rise, scanning the forest as far as he could see. But there were only ever more trees.
"It's just…a feeling, all right?" he puffed.
"Please don't take offence, but I don't want to be following a feeling through the Morningsun Hills. We should camp here and look for the trail again tomorrow."
Finn thought of a curt reply to her ladyship's tone, but he kept it to himself.
"The Morningsun Hills? Is that where we are?" he asked instead.
"Yes, don't you know? They run in a line from outside Crimmor, down past Athkatla. They were dedicated to the Morninglord, Lathander, a long time ago."
"I don't know much about Amn," Finn replied.
"And yet you want to travel the hills in the dark?" Nalia rebuked him.
"I just can't…leave her out there," he said. "She's somewhere… Those men could do gods know what to her… I just found her again. I can't lose her now!"
He groaned, running a hand through his tangled hair. Nalia looked at him somewhat strangely, but she nodded her head.
"I have heard horrible tales of what these slavers do to their captives. Priamus has a remarkable list in his book on the Calimshan slave trade. I don't suppose you've read it? Well…it's probably for the best," she said quickly.
It was Finn's own turn to give her a look.
"Can't say that I have. But I don't need a book, I've got imagination. Just…a little further."
This time Nalia didn't argue. They went on for perhaps an hour more, till the darkness was gathering like a fog around them. Finn knew now that they didn't have much choice. Reluctantly he called a halt in the next hollow.
...
"This will be all right, I reckon…" he said. "Should keep the fire hidden from any prying eyes. Though I think we should take turns sleeping, just the same."
"If you say so," Nalia yawned.
Finn went down on his knees and began pulling away the undergrowth to make a circle for the fire. He took up a stone and dug away at the forest floor till all the dead leaves and old wood were gone.
"Must be plenty of wood around here," he said. "See if we can round up a few sticks."
There was indeed plenty of dried wood, though it would likely burn fast as kindling. But that didn't matter too much. Finn was only really building a fire for his companion's benefit, anyway. Somehow he didn't reckon that Lady Nalia would like being in the dark.
He pulled aside a pair of straight old sticks and began rubbing them swiftly together. Starting a fire without a flint was a tedious business. But surprisingly Nalia offered her services.
"Here…allow me," she said.
Finn sat back on his heels, more than happy to let her arms get tired if she chose. But he was more surprised still when Nalia spoke an incantation, and the dried wood suddenly burst into life.
"You're a mage?" he exclaimed.
"I hope I haven't offended you," Nalia remarked. "It is no sign of deviancy on my part, I can assure you! But you didn't seem like the sort to be fazed by the…unusual."
"Why would I be offended?" he replied. "My own wife is a mage. I wish you'd said something earlier."
"Is she really?" Nalia said, interested. "But truthfully, I haven't made a great study of the arcane arts. Not formal schooling, at any rate. It is difficult to find teachers in Amn, for obvious reasons. And Aunt Delcia would never allow it, regardless. Not an appropriate study for a young lady! All my books on the occult are kept very securely locked away."
She laughed, but it was somewhat grim.
"They do have a wizard problem here," Finn replied, bitterly.
"Your wife is licensed, I take it?" Nalia asked.
"I don't think so," he said. "She never said. We're not from Amn anyway."
Nalia didn't say anything, but instead began rooting through her rucksack.
"I am positively famished," she said, changing the subject. "Let me see…bread, roast beef, apples and cheese, candied almonds, an orange, a few oat cakes…oh, and a cinnamon cake. Rather squashed though, I'm afraid. And wine, of course. I really only brought enough for my lunch, but you are of course welcome to share."
Finn blinked at the feast she laid out on a cloth before the fire. If that was her idea of a light lunch, she'd need a mule to carry her supper.
"Cheers," he said.
"I only wish I'd brought more," Nalia said graciously. She took out a knife and began slicing the bread and roast beef. "Of course, I did not truly intend on camping out. I only have one blanket."
"You can keep it," Finn said.
He tucked into the sandwich she offered him and stared at the fire, thinking. Nalia ate well enough herself, gracefully filling her face with the delectables in turn. Finn though quite happily gobbled his like a dog.
Besides the sandwich he had an apple and a few almonds, but otherwise he forced himself to leave the food alone.
"We should save the rest for tomorrow," Finn said, after taking a drink of wine from the horn tumbler she offered him.
"Yes, I suppose so."
Nalia rather reluctantly packed the rest of the food into her rucksack. Now that the business of eating was done, a silence settled around the little campfire.
"I'll take first watch, if you want to get some kip," Finn said eventually.
"Yes, I…you'll wake me, then?" Nalia replied.
"Aye. I only need a few hours, myself."
Nalia nodded. She took up the blanket she'd been sitting on and tried in an awkward manner to find a comfortable spot on the forest floor. She tossed and turned, though, and eventually rose up with a very unladylike curse.
"Oh, damnation!" she exclaimed. "Is there nothing but rocks here?"
Finn chuckled a little.
"Not used to camping out?"
Nalia levelled a glare at him.
"I have camped before, thank you. A number of times. But usually I have more blankets than this. And a tent. And…"
"And you're not usually sat in some rocky hollow with a strange man, with bandits lurking in the forest outside?"
"That, too," she admitted.
"Don't feel bad. I'm not exactly comfortable myself," Finn told her.
He tossed another twig on the little fire, watching it start to crackle and burn. In spite of the fire the night air felt downright cold. He thought to have a little more wine to warm himself up, but they needed to save it.
"Father is going to murder me!" Nalia exclaimed. "He will just…murder me."
She rested her head on her knees, running her hands through her dishevelled red hair. It had been artfully plaited back on her head, but the braids were coming loose and hung down like ragged rat-tails.
"He doesn't seem a violent man to me," Finn said, trying to be reassuring.
"Oh, no. I didn't mean that literally, of course. I have never seen Father raise his hands in anger, to me or anyone else. But I admit I have been testing his patience of late. He…is most keen for me to behave in a manner fitting my station. This shall embarrass him terribly."
"Embarrass him, why?" Finn asked.
"That is somewhat complicated," she replied. "Let us just say the family of my betrothed will think little of it."
She spoke rather bitterly, though Finn managed a smile.
"You're engaged, then?"
"I suppose I am, yes," Nalia said.
"Ah. So you're worried he's going to break it off if you raise a scandal? Don't worry. Nothing like a little excitement to keep the fellows interested!"
He laughed, but Nalia just glared at him.
"Oh, I could only wish he would break it off! Nothing would make me happier. But the contract has been signed, and the only way to dissolve it would be to go before a magistrate."
"Contract? That's…romantic," Finn said.
Nalia snorted. "Romance? Oh, dear, no. Not from the Roenalls. And not that I would ever let that vilesome near me… But never mind. Such gossip is not appropriate."
She shook her head, as if shaking off her own thoughts. She lay back down on the forest floor, and although she was mostly still Finn could tell she didn't fall asleep for a long while.
...
Finn had difficulty keeping his own eyes open, but he forced himself to stay awake. He'd let Nalia sleep. Wake her up a few hours before dawn, so he could get a little kip himself. He'd find the energy from somewhere.
Slowly the moon slid over the treetops. It was near to full, a fair sight in silver. But Finn didn't think much of that. The fire had burned down, and he kept listening to the little sounds in the forest. Somewhere in the distance he could hear the cry of wolves. Hunting deer, most likely. But they were far away, and wouldn't trouble them.
He shut his eyes, thinking of Anna. He tried to see her, tried to imagine where she might be. Of all the strange powers he possessed, maybe he'd get lucky and find a talent for divination. But all Finn could really see was her smile. A vague image, and nothing more.
He felt someone touching his shoulder, and his eyes flashed open. Nalia was standing over him, a worried look on her face. Startled, Finn realised the forest around them was now light.
"Shite!" he cried out, jumping to his feet.
"Don't worry, it's all right," Nalia said quickly. "But you must have fallen asleep. I only woke up myself a moment ago."
"Damn," Finn muttered again, biting his hand hard. Of all the stupid… They were lucky they weren't slaves themselves by now. Or dead.
"Nothing happened," Nalia said, trying to reassure him. "It doesn't matter. Here…let's have some breakfast."
Finn didn't have much to say to that. He consented to a little food, cursing himself the entire time.
Nalia ate her breakfast too, but as the sun was rising she excused herself and went up out of the hollow. Finn assumed she was gone on a private matter, but when she didn't return he began to get a little worried. He stepped out over the ridge and called her name.
He saw her standing a short distance away. A beam of the rising sun penetrated the trees and she stood in its light, hands raised in petition. She turned around at his call, startled.
"Sorry. Didn't mean to disturb you," Finn said.
"You didn't. But it's not often I get to greet the sun properly. It's light now, are you ready to go?"
She had some kind of amulet or talisman around her neck, but she tucked it quickly back into her tunic. Finn only nodded.
"Right you are. Let's get moving!"
They had little gear to gather, and Finn saw to it the fire was buried before they left on their way.
...
But following a trail that was two days old proved to be no easy task. Although he would admit nothing, Finn saw very little he could rely on.
Still he soldiered onwards. Nalia didn't question his tracking skills, not openly, at least. But when he looked back at her the woman's face said it all. They were lost, and they both knew it.
"This branch looks a bit bent, don't you think?" Finn said.
He examined the foliage on a small oak tree thoughtfully. Hopefully. But Nalia wasn't paying any attention, her own eyes absorbed on the ground.
"No…over here!" she said.
She brushed aside some ferns. There, quite fresh, was the print of a large boot in the dirt below.
"I knew it! I knew it!" Finn exclaimed. "We're getting closer. We must be."
"Shouldn't we…be quiet, then?" Nalia said.
"Fair enough," he said, checking himself. "Let's go."
Before they started off though Nalia took the short bow from her back and fitted the string. Finn hoped she was as good with that bow as she said. If they were going to take out a band of orcs, she'd need it.
Quickly as they could they followed the trail. It was new, this one. Had the bandits moved, or were there more coming? That thought wasn't an easy one. But they could only wait and see.
Finn kept his eyes and ears open for any signs, but it was his nose that tipped him off in the end. A keen scent was tickling his nostrils. It was smoke. A campfire.
He couldn't see anything, but he signalled to Nalia to get down. They crouched in the undergrowth, trying to get a view.
"You think…they're there?" she asked in a whisper.
"I can smell a campfire," Finn replied. "Here. I'll go and see what I can see. You stay here."
"But I should go. I have the ring…"
"Just let me do this, all right?"
Maybe she was right, but he was near to bursting. Anna was there, she had to be there… Finn crept forward on his belly as he tried to follow the scent of smoke. Eventually he found himself overlooking a small cliff.
He'd found it. That was it; the bandit camp. It had to be. Down below him he could see a tent, and various refuse spread around on the ground. Only bandits could be that untidy. But there was a problem.
There were no bandits, and no prisoners, either.
Finn swore to himself. Had they marched on? They couldn't have been gone long, the fire was still smouldering away. But Finn could see no trace of anyone in the camp. He circled around, just to be sure, then carefully slid down into the little gully.
No mistake, this was a bandit camp. Finn could see iron manacles strewn on the ground, and a large pair of hairy breeches hung like a tattered flag from a small tree. But the camp was empty, totally empty.
Or at least, so he thought. Finn heard a sharp click and turned around, only to be greeted by the sight of a man levelling a crossbow at his heart.
"You have picked a bad place to go exploring," the man hissed.
He looked rough and peaked as a fellow could, and the crossbow shook in his hands.
"Looks like a pretty good spot to me," Finn growled, still staring at that crossbow. "Just the place I've been looking for."
"Oh? But…wait. You… You are that bastard from the caravan!" the man exclaimed. "You live? And you tracked me? Lehtinan would have made good use of you. But he shall just have to be disappointed."
Finn's eyes were on the bolt, but his mind had stopped working. Did he just say… But Finn was spared an immediate death by the sudden appearance of Nalia.
"Do not move!" she said, aiming that bow straight at the bandit. "Drop your weapon, now."
The man was startled, but not startled enough. He dove forward, shifting his aim from Finn to Nalia. Finn heard that mechanical snap as the bolt shot like lightning, heading straight for the woman.
A cry left his lips, but he needn't have worried. The bandit's aim was true, but as it reached the woman it bounced away harmlessly as if it had struck a wall.
The man swore, some curse about mages on his lips as Nalia returned fire. Her aim was less deadly, but no further from the mark. Her arrow wedged solidly into the man's leg and he cried out in pain.
Finn wasted no more time. He drew his sword and tackled the man, only saving the killing blow for the question he screamed into the bandit's ear.
"Where is she? My wife! Where is she?"
"Damned…if I know!" the man gasped as Finn's arm tightened around his neck. "Damn the bitch! Damn those bastard elves!"
Finn slammed the man into the ground, knocking the crossbow out of his hands. He managed to catch the shaft of the arrow, twisting it in his leg, and the man screamed out in more agony. Finn held out his sword to his neck, his hands shaking harder with every heartbeat.
"Answers, now. Where is she? What did you do to her?"
"Not what I should have done," the man coughed. "Never got a chance. She's gone. They're all gone."
"The other bandits took her away?"
"No, you idiot. They turned on us…stupid, folly…then some band of adventurers staged an assault on the camp. They marched out this morning. I am the only one left."
Finn stared at the man, still trying to process his words.
"You, then… Anna is safe?"
"I would assume so," the man replied, glaring up at him.
"But who attacked the camp?"
"How should I know? They were not polite enough to leave a calling card. Some group of humans and elves. Slaughtered my men easily enough, they did."
"And they took Anna away?"
"You are rather thick, aren't you?" the man spat. "Yes. Yes they did!"
He gritted his teeth and pulled the arrow from his leg, wincing at the line of red that was running down his stained trousers.
Finn didn't know what to make of that. But Anna was alive, and she was free. That was all he could really think of at that moment.
"Here. Drink this," Nalia said, interrupting his thoughts.
She pulled a small potion bottle from a bag on her belt, tossing it to the bandit. He caught it deftly in his hands and swallowed the contents quickly.
"That could be poison for all you know," Finn remarked.
"And in my current position, it would matter very little," the man replied. "Still. You have my thanks, good lady."
"That was no act of charity," Nalia said frostily. "You will need your strength if we are going to march on. I am certain the patrol will take a great interest in you!"
The man only sneered at her. Finn sheathed his sword and snatched a pair of manacles off the ground.
"She's right. Let's get moving. Maybe we can catch up with her."
The man struggled a little, but with Nalia's bow trained on him he could do little but submit to being shackled.
"Dear, not again…" he sighed, rather loudly.
"Shut up," Finn said, giving his head a smack. "Which way did they go?"
"By the signs I would say they were heading south. I tracked them for a ways before I returned to the camp."
"South it is, then," Finn replied.
He forced the freshly-healed bandit to his feet, making him walk in front of them. Finn's mind was spinning like a top, feeling like it might whirl off in any direction. Who was this band that rescued Anna? He thought of his own friends, but that was surely impossible. No one even knew they were leaving. Some random group of adventurers, then? But it was the name the bandit mentioned that truly caught his attention.
Lehtinan.
...
They marched doggedly to the south. Finn found signs of a trail, proving the truth of the man's words. But Anna was still beyond his grasp. It was all he could do to keep from breaking into a run, but he forced himself to keep a steady pace. Eventually Nalia asked him to halt.
"We can take a little rest, can't we?" she asked.
Finn looked up at the sky. It was late in the afternoon, by the sun.
"All right," he agreed. "But just a short rest."
They sat in a triangle shape, with the bandit safely at a distance. Nalia shared what little food she had left with Finn.
"I say… Any for me, perchance?" the bandit said. "Such excellent fare I have not seen in a long while."
"How about a knuckle sandwich?" Finn remarked, raising a fist.
The man laughed. "Ah, crude and clever at the same time. What a charming fellow you are!"
"I don't have any food to share with slavers," Nalia said airily.
"Not such a good hostess, are we?" the man sneered. "But tell me, good lady…did you pack your bag, or did a servant do it for you?"
"A servant in willing employment to my father's house is hardly the same as…" she blurted.
"All right," Finn said, interrupting. "No arguing at the dinner table."
The man chortled a little.
"I must apologise for my manners. I was merely trying to point out that things are not so cut and dried as they might appear. But correcting a lady is not very gentlemanly behaviour."
Finn gave the man an odd look. Was Nalia wearing a sign that marked her as a noble? Maybe that attitude was unmistakeable, no matter how dirty the clothes. But she only rose to the bait.
"And you would claim to be a gentleman?" she snapped.
"I am. Lord Ranvel Ulvax, at your service."
He bowed slightly in a mocking gesture. But Nalia's steely face turned to surprise.
"You are truly Ranvel Ulvax? You are…notorious! One of the most wanted men in Amn!"
"Yes, quite. I'm surprised you didn't recognise me from my wanted posters," the man remarked. "Tell me…do you find that exciting?"
"Hardly," she said, recoiling from the look he gave her. "But I shall certainly be able to raise my head high, when I tell my father that I helped bring you to justice!"
"Quite, yes," the man said, still wearing that knowing little sneer. "And tell me…how is Nalion de'Arnise these days? I heard he was in a bad way after his timber interests fell through. The Council denied his claim to the Morningsun Hills, deferring to Lord Balbrush's ancestral rights instead. And the hills of Umar are just too dangerous for any commercial ventures."
The look on Nalia's face was something to behold. Her cheeks went pure white, then flushed deepest crimson.
"You…you claim to know my father?" she cried. "He has never had any illegal dealings! How could you possibly know of his business?"
"The better question is how he knew of you," Finn remarked, giving the man a hard look.
"Amn is only large on a map, my good man," Ulvax replied. "And wanted or not…you may be surprised at the contacts I keep."
But Nalia was on her feet now.
"And you would dare to…sully my father's good name with yours? Try to implicate him in some way?"
"Well, we have been using his lands to pass through…perhaps he was complicit?" the man said idly. "Receiving a bit of coin under the table? Only a magistrate could say for certain."
"No, you will not! You will not! It is a lie, and you know it!"
Finn rose to his feet as well, thinking that Nalia was on the verge of battering the smirking bandit.
"Settle down! He's only playing you," Finn told her. "If your father hasn't done ought wrong, he's got nothing to worry about. Who'd believe this smiling bastard, anyway?"
"And I don't think you understand," Ulvax replied. "Rumour counts for so much in these lands. Even if Lord de'Arnise clears his name, the rumour will persist. No smoke without fire, and all that. He will find himself shunned. After all, what upstanding Amnian would wish to form an alliance with one associated with the slave trade? I believe Lady Nalia understands this quite well."
"You won't, you won't…" Nalia continued.
"All right, enough of this. Let's get moving," Finn said.
"Think about it, my dear," Ulvax said to Nalia, as Finn dragged him to his feet. Nalia looked absolutely ill, but she said nothing as they continued their trek.
...
But the trail now was easy to find. The trees were thinner there, and the marks of numerous feet easy to see in the dirt. Finn let Nalia take over scouting duties, and she seemed happy enough to take the lead. But Finn slipped in back to speak with their prisoner.
"So tell me, then… Is her dad really up to ought?" he asked.
"Say that again? I can scarce understand that northern drawl," Ulvax remarked.
His eyes were forwards on the trees, but they had a bright look about them.
"You'll understand it well enough, mate, if I pull me dagger out," Finn replied, laying it on thick as he could.
"Ah, idle threats," Ulvax sighed. "But I don't want to give the game away. Ask Lady Nalia, if you are so curious."
"You seem to know all sorts," Finn continued. "Know half of Amn, do you?"
"I am a popular fellow."
"Ever heard of a man called Hendak?"
Finn spoke the name casually as he could. But Ulvax suddenly burst into loud laughter.
"Hendak! Oh, I say! There's a name I've not heard in a while."
"You know him?" Finn asked, feeling quite shocked that his hook had snared a bite.
"I did. Although I would be more curious to hear how you know of him."
Finn looked at Nalia walking ahead. She turned around at Ulvax's sharp laughter, and regarded them with a look of suspicion before turning back to the trail.
"He's got quite the reputation," Finn said cautiously.
"I should say that he does."
"You ever seen him…perform?" Finn asked.
Ulvax turned to him with a sneer.
"Seen him? My good man, he taught me all I know."
The bandit just laughed. Finn scowled; whatever else he was, Ulvax didn't strike him as a pit fighter.
"And you know Lehtinan as well," Finn said. "You mentioned his name."
"Ah, yes… I suppose I did. But how do you… Oh, oh ho! Oh, I see. Oh I see it all quite plainly now."
Ulvax laughed again, and Finn suddenly felt tempted to wrap his hands around the laughing man's neck.
"What do you see?"
"Of course. You were running away, and I caught you!" Ulvax laughed. "Lady Luck is so delicious at times."
"But now you're caught," Finn told him. "And you can tell me about Lehtinan. And Hendak. I want the whole story."
"You mean you don't know? I could tell you a tale…" the man began. "But it would cost you."
"Cost what, exactly?" Finn growled.
"Oh, very little. Less than nothing. All I'd ask, is that you do nothing at all."
"That's a bit vague."
"Not really. If you had any imagination, you could guess at the one thing I want. But shall I parse it out for your northern brain? It seems doubtful we will reach anything approaching civilisation tonight. We shall have to camp…and good soldier that you are, you shall keep watch. And all I ask, is for you to do nothing," he repeated.
Finn glared long and hard at the man. What was it worth? But he let out a breath.
"Right then, lad," Finn said. "My eyes will be closed. Now start talking."
Ulvax gave him that wicked smile, but he quietly began to weave a tale that left Finn spellbound.
...
Anna bounced along on Minsc's back for a time, and even though her feet got a rest she felt little better for it. The ranger began singing some Rashemi song, bellowing heartily until Jaheira rather tersely requested that he stop.
"Ah, but why should we not sing?" Minsc exclaimed. "We are victorious, are we not?"
"It is a hollow victory for those who lost their lives," Jaheira reminded him. "And we are still on a strange road. Let us save the celebrations for later."
Minsc submitted rather glumly to her command. However Jaheira disguised it, Anna knew she was just trying to keep the big man quiet. She never did fare well with his peculiar enthusiasm.
Anna thought about the last time they were all together. It was over a year ago now, surely. She thought of her own adventures; taken from the Nashkel fair to be an unwitting companion to a mad Red Wizard as he stormed a ruined keep filled with gnolls. What was his name? Edwin? A serious business, though her innocence back then made the whole affair seem absurd. What mad things happen in the springtime.
And here they were again, together on a different road, so far away from where they were. Not all together, though. Finn was missing, and Khalid was gone forever. And Imoen was simply gone.
But Anna broke away from her thoughts at the sound of a mounted patrol. Two guards on horseback were clattering swiftly up the western road. And something in their urgency made Anna think they were not entirely friendly.
"Hold, and keep your hands from your weapons!" one of the guards shouted, levelling his polearm at the group.
Anna slid down Minsc's back as the two men rode up to a halt.
"Announce yourselves! What business do you have here?" the guard demanded.
"Business?" Jaheira said. Her voice was calm but it had a tone like iron. "These people were kidnapped by slavers some days ago. We came to their rescue, and we have only just emerged from the hills. We seek only aid, my good man."
"You may say so," the guard replied. "Or you may well be bandits yourselves. You will accompany us to the keep!"
"You seek to arrest us?" Jaheira proclaimed. "We have committed no crime. Do these people look like bandits to you?"
She gestured to the tattered and weak drivers. Taneela spoke up.
"She's telling the truth! We work for Thousandheads Merchant Company. Half our crew is lying dead somewhere, and if it weren't for these folks, we'd be good as dead ourselves. They aren't bandits!"
"Captain Arat will make that judgement for himself," the guard said. "And regardless, you are trespassing on land owned by Lord de'Arnise. We are within rights to detain you as we see fit. Now march, and know that any man or woman who tries to flee will be shot down!"
It was hardly the welcome they could have hoped. But Jaheira did not resist, and neither did the others.
"Very well. We will go with you, and your captain may see that we speak the truth," she said.
"Or else we shall find ourselves in prison," Xan muttered. "Which is more likely?"
"Peace," Jaheira said to him. "We have little choice, unless you wish to flee back into the woods."
"There is more food in prison than we have in our packs," Yoshimo remarked. Xan frowned at him but offered no further interruptions.
...
For her part, Anna felt relief. Surely they could convince this captain they were innocent. There would be food, and rest. But she did wonder why the guards were so aggressive, and those farmers so wary. Perhaps they'd been having bandit troubles of their own.
But the party marched along under the watchful gaze of the guards, still heading towards the east. Through sheer will Anna forced herself to stay upright. They passed a number of farms, their green and golden fields pleasant in the light of the late afternoon. Here and there a farmer paused in the fields, surprised to see the little contingent marching past in the road. Before evening fell they could see a tower rising up out of the trees.
One of their guards hailed another patrol, and they rushed back off towards the keep with news of their guests. Again Anna wondered what all the excitement was for. Were trespassers so harshly dealt with here? But she had little time left to wonder, as the guard ushered them toward the fortress.
It looked old, that place. Solid walls of grey stone rose up in a massive height above the dry moat that surrounded the keep. Trails of ivy clambered up the sides in a vain attempt to mount nature's siege. A few cottages were outside the walls, clustered together in the shade of that mighty place.
Anna braced herself as they stepped onto the creaking drawbridge. Inside the walls were a number of other low, thatched buildings, and there were various people milling about. But her eyes were drawn up to the main tower. Its square shape rose up above them five stories in height, its blue and gold pennants scraping against the darkening sky. There were no windows apart from narrow slits like knife-marks cut into the thick stone walls. Faced with that Anna could suddenly understand Xan's hesitation.
Once inside they were surrounded by a number of grave-looking guards. Anna hardly dared to breathe. But from the tower came a tall man in heavy armour, followed by a man in rich clothing.
"Declare yourselves, and tell us from whence you came," the armoured man spoke.
"We come by way of Athkatla," Jaheira began, once again the mouthpiece for the group. "And as I told your guardsmen, we have freed these prisoners from the clutches of a group of bandits."
"It's the truth, all right," one of the drivers spoke.
"And my daughter," the nobleman suddenly said. "Have you seen her?"
His face was drawn and tense, and his eyes had a look that only a worried parent could manage. The captain looked as if he might say something, but thought the better of it.
"I beg your lordship's pardon," Jaheira said. "But I do not know of your daughter. Has she been taken by bandits as well?"
The nobleman began to speak, but the armoured captain boldly interrupted him.
"My lord… If I may conduct the interrogations? Tell us all you can about these bandits."
"They were a group of men and orcs," Jaheira continued. "They struck a caravan on the east tradeway several days ago. Some of their number were friends of ours, and we attempted a rescue. The bandits we killed, though unfortunately many of the drivers lost their lives as well. We emerged from the trees to find ourselves on your estate."
"And these are all that live, with you?" the captain remarked.
"It is."
"And have you met anyone else, before our guard discovered you?"
"Only a pair of farmers, whom I suspect alerted your patrol to our presence," she said.
"And a girl…was there are girl?" the nobleman spoke again. "A young woman, with red hair. Was she…amongst the group?"
"My lord…" the captain began.
"I can speak for myself, Arat!" the nobleman said harshly. "Answer that, and quickly."
"My lord, we have not met any such girl, nor seen anyone who matches that description," Jaheira said, rather diplomatically.
"You are certain?" the lord said.
Anna cleared her parched throat.
"My lord… I was part of the caravan that was attacked. There were no young women apart from ourselves, and none held prisoner by the bandits. Not that we ever saw."
The lord seemed to deflate, his tired eyes cast down to the ground. He looked up again as if to speak, but his gaze focused on Jaheira.
"You… You are…" he began, then suddenly turned to his captain. "Arat, I believe what these people say. They must be the ones that young man led you in search of. It is only unfortunate they could not have come sooner."
"Young man?" Anna said quickly. "What was his name? Did you know his name?"
She forgot her manners, but the lord smiled rather grimly on her.
"I think perhaps he was also seeking you, my good woman. But what has become of him, and my daughter, only the gods do know."
"Finn…" Jaheira said, sighing rather loudly.
"That was his name, I believe," the lord told her. "But even in our distress, let us not forget out hospitality. Constin, see to it that accommodation is made for these people. It is obvious they are injured, and weary. But I would appreciate it if you would speak with me privately, good woman."
In a single stroke the lord gestured to a servant, and to Jaheira. The druid nodded, and consented to go with the lord into the keep. Anna's head was spinning too much to wonder what he had to say. She and the others went with the servant, finding at last a refuge in one of the thatched cottages of the keep.
...
It looked like a place set aside for the servants of visiting nobility. Downstairs was a small kitchen and sitting room, and a row of narrow beds filled the garret. Anna managed half a bowlful of pottage before climbing the ladder-like steps to crash into sleep.
She was stirred from her rest by the sound of Jaheira's voice. She could not sit up properly for fear of striking her head on the low roof of the garret, but she listened.
After a moment the druid's head poked through the hole in the floor. She saw Anna awake and looking at her, and climbed carefully up the ladder.
"How are you?" she asked.
"Better," Anna yawned.
A priestess of Tyr had seen to their injuries in her absence. She was an elderly woman with hair of iron grey, though her back was still straight as any soldier's. But she had left her charges to their sleep.
"What did the lord say to you?" Anna asked.
"He noticed my Harper pin," Jaheira said quietly, so not to wake the other sleepers. "He thinks well of my organisation, unlike some in these lands, and sought aid in finding his daughter. Oh, but Finn does have so much to answer for!"
She groaned as she crouched down next to Anna's bed.
"Why? What has he done with her?" she asked quickly.
"Nothing, as far as anyone can say," Jaheira remarked. "But the lord's daughter, Nalia, disappeared at the same time as Finn took his leave. He rode out with a patrol in search of you…then decided to go his own way."
By that statement Anna reckoned his decision had not been an amicable one.
"But that hardly implicates him…"
"I did not claim he had done her harm," Jaheira said. "And the lord himself admits his daughter is an adventurous sort. She was the one who directed Finn here in the first instance. But fate has been playing her games here, and I cannot think their disappearances are not linked."
Anna groaned and rubbed her tired forehead.
"But I should not have burdened you with this," the druid said. "Tonight, let us all just rest. We shall find that boy and pillory him in the morning."
Anna could see her wry smile in the light from the sitting room downstairs. She laughed a little herself. Jaheira squeezed her hand and climbed back down the ladder.
...
Anna awoke to find breakfast waiting for her. What a marvellous thing, to find breakfast waiting. The lord's servants had provided well for the travellers. There was bread, both savoury and sweet, a great pot of creamy oat porridge, and a platter filled with sliced cold meats. A pottery bowl towered with fruit; apples, oranges, and even grapes. There was even a tray covered in sliced hard boiled eggs that had been sprinkled with a piquant seasoning. They made the merry breakfast table seem almost like a picnic.
All their spirits seemed lifted that day. Anna could see sadness in the drivers' eyes, though they could now perhaps find some solace in their own survival. Taneela looked at Anna and gave her a tight-lipped smile. Anna tried to smile back, and helped herself to another slice of egg.
But still she wondered where Finn was. It seemed impossible that he himself was there not a couple days past. Jaheira was right; fate had been toying with them. Was he really off somewhere with the lord's daughter? Or was it a coincidence that she went off at the same time? Anna could only wonder.
After breakfast the group split up a little. They could hardly wander far, but they had been given lease of the cottage. The drivers went outside to find some air while Aerie went back upstairs, to commune with her god and give thanks. Minsc and Yoshimo chanced to have a wander around the grounds, chatting with the guards.
Xan sat in an old cane-bottomed chair by the fireplace, hunched over like an old woman. The chair's legs were uneven and he rocked back and forth just slightly as he meditated over his book. Watching him only could remind Anna that her own spell book was hopelessly lost amongst the caravan's ruins. Having nothing else to do, she sighed and went out into the morning.
She came across Taneela sitting on a barrel by the door. She let out a long sigh too as Anna appeared.
"Fair morning today, missus," she said. "Be a good day for driving."
"It is," Anna replied.
The sky above was bright and blue, yet another day of sun. Anna felt she had never seen such a sunny country as Amn.
She stood and watched as the people of the keep went about their business. A pair of children chased each other in a rowdy game, battling each other with sticks like knights. They followed along behind their mother as she lugged a heavy basket of linen up to the tower. She paused long enough to turn around and scold them. From somewhere outside the walls came the ringing sound of a blacksmith's hammer. Everywhere were quiet voices and talk, and light laughter. Up on the ramparts a blue-liveried guard paced slowly, taking it all in.
"They said they'll give us a ride back into town, soon as they're able," Taneela remarked.
"What will you do then?" Anna asked.
"Report to headquarters, I reckon," Taneela said. "They must know about it all by now, though. I imagine they'll get a surprise when we turn up. Not often survivors come back from such a thing as this."
Anna sighed.
"It is a dangerous life, I suppose."
"That it is," she said solemnly. "These aren't the first companions I've lost. But nothing like this. I thought for sure we were all good as dead. Company ought to give your friends a reward, though of course they wouldn't."
"Will you still drive?" Anna asked.
"Not much else for me to do," the woman replied. "Been with the caravans for over twenty years now. Don't think I could settle. But I think I will go see my sister. She lives in Murann now. Not seen her in years."
"You never went that way?" Anna said.
"No, I drove the northern routes. But I could have made time, I reckon. You know how it is. One season just flows into another."
"I know quite well," she sighed.
"She's at her wit's end by her letters," Taneela continued. "Her oldest wants to join the army, see the world. But we've always been ramblers, it's in our blood. Our own father was of Calim stock. You can't fight what's in the blood."
Taneela laughed a little, but her comment brought a shadow to Anna's face.
"I suppose not," the mage replied.
...
She stared out at the courtyard, not really seeing what was in front of her. But she became distracted at the sound of a commotion near the drawbridge. Two people came under the great portcullis, flanked on either side by a guard. One was a tall young woman, wearing loose trousers and a short cape. Her smart clothes were wrinkled and dirty though, and her bright red hair was a mess.
But Anna only truly saw the man who came in with her. He was ragged and dirty as the woman was, though his clothes were also stained in blood. But when she saw him Anna didn't hesitate. Without a word or a cry she ran straight into his arms. Finn seized her and held her tight, himself stunned into silence. Anna heard nothing of the excited talk around them as she buried her face into his chest.
The keep whirled around them both, stirred as a nest of hornets at the news that the lord's daughter had returned, safe and sound. Some servants whisked her away into the tower, and Anna didn't envy the woman any. She could imagine the lord's relief would turn into fury rather quickly.
But she only wanted to speak with Finn. For her part Lady Nalia had quickly excused him of any guilt in her disappearance, sparing him an interrogation from the stony Captain Arat. But there were still so many questions running through her head that Anna didn't know where to begin.
"You need to walk slower," Finn laughed, as he drew away from yet another round of kisses.
"Or you need to walk faster," Anna replied. "A tortoise could have caught up with us."
She squeezed him tight again, and he kissed her hair. Anna looked up long enough to notice Jaheira's rather sharp eyes on them. There would be words later, no doubt. But for now the druid seemed willing to give them their moment of happiness.
Finn came into the cottage and gladly helped himself to what was left of their meal. Anna sat on the bench next to him.
"Slower, faster…but I'm just in time for breakfast!" he announced.
"As if you'd ever miss that," Anna joked.
Finn looked at her as he busied himself in filling up his plate.
"Are you all right, love?" he asked.
There was seriousness in his eyes. Anna smiled at him.
"I'm fine. I'm just tired, that's all."
He paused to give her hand a tight squeeze. Anna let him eat, which he did very quickly. She didn't feel slighted at being ignored; she'd been half-starved herself not so very long ago.
"So you have returned," Xan said, rising up from his chair.
The elf wasn't invisible in his seat by the fire, though he might as well have been. Neither of them seemed to notice him until he spoke.
"You couldn't keep me from this lady," Finn said, smiling at Anna.
"Then perhaps she should have remained in Athkatla, and saved us all a great deal of difficulty."
Finn looked rather like a scolded schoolboy. Now that the reunions were over, the recriminations would begin.
"Don't blame her for that," Finn said quickly. "It was my idea. Or just as much, anyway."
"Blame is rather irrelevant at this point," Xan sighed. "But I am only glad this business is over, and I can return to the city."
"How did you know where to find us, anyway?" Finn asked him. "When that bandit said Anna had been rescued, I thought…"
"What bandit?" Anna said sharply.
Finn paused, his eyes firmly on his plate.
"Some fellow named Ulvax. We found him in the bandit camp. We took him prisoner, but he escaped last night."
Anna shivered and her hand went to her throat, too surprised to say anything. But Xan spoke.
"Then that man is as slippery a demon as could be found," he exclaimed. "Twice now, he has escaped? A true thief. I hope we are done with him forever, but somehow I doubt it."
"Excuse me," Anna said quietly. "I…need to find Jaheira."
...
Both men looked at her as she suddenly rose up and exited the cottage. Finn looked at Xan somewhat nervously, and not just from his lie.
"Is she really all right?" he asked. "She looks…"
"The bandits were not exactly gentle in their treatment," the elf sighed. "But you must speak with her. We are not confidantes."
Finn looked back at his half-eaten breakfast. He had feigned sleep again on his watch last night, as promised. That bandit pulled out his hidden key and managed to slip his own manacles, then vanished like a ghost into the trees. Finn thought about breaking his promise, but in truth he was as nervous as Nalia that he might talk. They knew quite a few of the same people, it seemed.
Nalia looked like she might explode when she found that the man was gone, but Finn didn't really care about that. He only hoped the tale that Ulvax told him was worth letting that bastard get away.
"I need to get back to the city myself," Finn said under his breath.
"I could not truly leave my work," Xan sighed again. "But Jaheira hammered on my door and conscripted me into this mad chase. I could hardly refuse."
"Oh," Finn suddenly said. Hearing the elf speak gave him a welcome distraction from his own guilty thoughts. "I've got something for you. Forgot all about it."
Indeed he had forgotten about it. The paper that Xan dropped in the Graveyard District was still folded into his pocket, rather crumpled after its long adventure but not too much worse the wear. He pulled it out and handed it to the elf, who stared at it for a moment, uncomprehending.
"What is…this?" Xan exclaimed. "You…you had this all along?"
"Sorry," Finn said, surprised by the elf's obvious shock. "I picked it up that day by the crypts… I meant to give it back, but I just forgot."
"You… I… Corellon… I have been in knots over this…" Xan stammered, looking at the crumpled paper as if it were a gift from the gods themselves.
"Is it important?" Finn asked.
"Important…That night I realised what I had lost, though I obviously could not go looking for it until the morning. And it was gone. I thought… You had it. Diola Corellon. It is safe."
Xan looked like he might start kissing the paper at any moment. His eyes were positively shining, and he held it with trembling hands. Finn didn't know what to make of it.
"Well…glad you got it back," he shrugged.
"And here I have been thinking it was all in ruins," Xan continued. "Luck! Such a strange thing. I should have guessed you had it."
"So what is it, then?" Finn asked.
He could read nothing that was on that paper. He didn't really expect a response though, and Xan didn't disappoint.
"Not something that I can share," he said. "But still… I thank you. For this I can almost forgive you this mad adventure!"
Coming from Xan that was almost a worshipful comment. The elf went and unlatched his spell book again, trying to find a secure home for the invaluable paper. Finn was ever more curious about what it contained, but he left Xan to his business and went to find Anna.
...
There weren't too many places she could go. Finn found her just behind the cottage, standing in the shade. Her arms were crossed and she clutched at her shoulders tightly, her face cast downward. Her eyes looked worried. She glanced up as Finn approached though, and she smiled.
"Hey. You all right?" he asked her.
"Yes, I'm fine," Anna sighed. "I just… Hearing that Ulvax escaped…again…it set me on edge, that's all. He is a horrible man."
"He didn't…hurt you, did he?" Finn asked nervously.
Not for anything would Finn have let him go if he'd touched her. He'd never even get a chance to hang. By his words he didn't think the man had done her harm, though he would hardly tell him the truth with a sword at his neck. But Anna tried to give him a reassuring look.
"No…no. Nothing like that. But he's…wicked. I don't think I've ever met anyone who seemed so cold. Well, not since…"
"Well, he's gone. Far away from here, if he's smart. Don't worry about him," Finn said, rather quickly.
Anna sighed and wrapped her arms around him. Finn held her tight and kissed her hair. How good it felt, to hold her… He had a thought though, and whispered quietly to her.
"You would…tell me, wouldn't you? I mean, if…"
"There's nothing to tell," Anna told him. "Please don't worry about it. None of it matters anymore. We're used to this, aren't we?"
She looked up at him, as if seeking an answer herself. Used to it. How horrible must their lives have been, if being kidnapped by slavers was just another day. Finn didn't know what to say. Now that Anna was free, he had enough worries of his own.
...
They lingered together for a while, talking, though neither of them wanted much to talk about the last few days. That conversation was pretty much unavoidable, though.
"So Aerie actually conjured a naked nymph?" Finn remarked. "That must have been quite the sight."
He laughed in spite of himself. Even Anna managed a little laugh.
"She certainly caused a stir."
Finn chuckled a little, then sighed. At least there was something to laugh at.
"It's lucky that lot even managed to find you," he remarked. "I guess Jaheira must have been more cross than I thought."
He spoke without thinking, biting his tongue hard afterwards. But Anna didn't seem much surprised.
"Finn, she said you didn't even tell her we were leaving. And there was a note…"
"What note?" he asked.
"Someone sent her a note at the Copper Coronet that said you were in danger. They knew about our plans. Who was it?"
Anna looked at him rather sharply, but Finn was dumbfounded.
"I…don't know. It didn't say who it was from?"
"No. I thought you might have some idea."
Finn bit his lip, his mind whirring. Nobody knew he was leaving, no one. And if Lehtinan had sussed him out he'd have sent his own thugs after him, not a rescue party. Finn didn't know what to think.
"And why did you… You couldn't even tell Jaheira?" Anna said. "Why? What is going on?"
She levelled that stare at him, quietly demanding answers. She had every right in the world to know. Finn thought hard before he spoke.
"I don't know who sent that note. Really, I don't… I can't even think. But I didn't tell Jaheira because I didn't want her to try and stop us. She'd just lay down the guilt about Imoen, and everything… And she'd be right. But I just wanted us to get out. Away, away from everything. I can't take it anymore, Anna… I swear sometimes, it feels like my head is…"
He stopped, clutching at his temples. His words were heavy with guilt, but nothing he said was a lie. Anna must have felt the truth of it, for she touched his shoulder gently.
"I feel that way, too… To just run…it's so childish, isn't it? I felt awful for leaving Jaheira with all this. It's not her fight. But… I know. I wanted to get away too. Sometimes I think I can't take anymore of this, either. Will it ever end? I don't know what to do anymore."
She let out a ragged sigh, and Finn wrapped his arm around her. Her soft green eyes were now rather red, but looking at them Finn never doubted why he fell in love with her. But he could never even begin to tell her about the horrors he had left behind him, or the nightmare visions that lived behind his own eyes.
"We'll be together, no matter what," he said.
That at least was the truth. Twice now he had lost her, and he had no intention of letting her go again.
...
One of the lord's men came out of the tower, and came straight to the cottage. He saw Finn outside and approached with a stiff bow.
"Lord de'Arnise requests that you speak with him in his chambers, sir," the man said.
"Well…hopefully he doesn't have a rack in there," Finn said, trying to laugh. He and Anna rose up as one, and she looked at him.
"I suppose I'm not invited. I'll see you later…unless you need your own rescue party."
Anna made a valiant attempt at laughter, and Finn gave her a quick kiss. He left to follow the lord's servant back into the castle.
Once again Finn mounted those dark and smokey staircases, up, up, till they reached the lord's drawing room. The servant announced Finn, then quietly withdrew.
The room was almost devoid of natural light, making the sunlight that filtered in through the narrow windows seem painful to the eyes. Finn paused for a moment, then bowed rather awkwardly to the man. Lord de'Arnise's face was impossible to read, and he had no idea if a rebuke or a reward lay in wait for him.
"You have found your wife again," the lord began. "Tyr does indeed smile on you."
He sighed rather heavily though. Finn nodded.
"Yes, sir."
Finn was desperate to defend himself on the issue of his daughter, but he forced himself to wait for the lord to speak.
"Nalia has told me all about your misadventures," the lord said, pacing thoughtfully. "And while it is far beyond me to thank you, I suppose I should be grateful she did not come to harm."
"My lord, I wouldn't…" Finn said earnestly, worried about his tone.
"Peace. I do not accuse you of any inappropriate behaviour," he said. "And truthfully, I am not sure what more you could have done. I know my daughter is headstrong. She has ever been thus."
"But you wanted to talk to me?" Finn asked.
He was still wondering why the lord summoned him there. Lord de'Arnise nodded.
"Yes. I gather from an exclamation my daughter made that this bandit, the one who escaped, had words for her. On some…personal issue? But she would not tell me what this was. He is apparently a criminal most vile, and I would be grateful if you could enlighten me on the matter."
Finn relaxed considerably. That, at least, had nothing to do with him.
"He made some mention of trade deals of yours that had gone wrong," Finn said. "He knew who she was, somehow. It got her riled up, all right. But I think that bandit was just blowing smoke in her ear."
"He recognised Nalia?" the lord said, surprised. "And there was no other way he might have known who she was? No mention of her name, or her lands?"
He seemed worried, the lines in his brow tightening. Finn shrugged.
"I can't see how. He must have known her by sight, or guessed somehow. He was pretty keen, I have to say."
How keen, exactly, Finn would never tell. But Lord de'Arnise still looked pensive.
"I…see. I thank you, then. For whether you know it or not, you have done me a great service."
Finn had no idea what that service was, but he bowed his head at the lord just the same. At that moment the doors drew open. Finn almost expected to see Nalia there, but a different woman entered the room.
...
Entered was perhaps a light description. She was of advancing middle age, but still tall and gracefully thin. Her hair was entirely covered by a cap and veil arrangement, and she wore a gown of grey silk like a storm cloud. She seemed too refined to storm in, but the anger that was written in that woman's eyes was plain.
"Nalion," she said crisply. "I wished to speak with you privately, but I see you have company."
She spoke of Finn in a tone that plainly snapped for him to get out of her sight. Lord de'Arnise sighed.
"Delcia, this is the young man who accompanied Nalia. Lady Delcia Caan, my sister."
"Madam," Finn managed to say, trying to bow in his way. If this carried on, he'd need deportment lessons.
"I can see that," Lady Delcia said, making little effort at civility herself. "But this conversation does not concern him. If you are finished?"
Whether the lord was finished or not, he seemed to be now. Lord de'Arnise sighed and looked at Finn rather apologetically.
"Yes, Delcia, we are finished. Young man, you and your companions are welcome to stay and rest here for as long as you need. That said…I am certain you are all eager to return to Athkatla. We shall see about providing transport into the city soon."
"Thank you, my lord," Finn said, trying a bow again. "We won't stay out our welcome, I can assure you."
Lady Delcia snorted rather crisply, giving Finn the impression their welcome had already passed. He was glad enough to leave before that lady pulled out whatever bee was buzzing in her bonnet.
Finn left the drawing room and tried to make his way downstairs. He hadn't gone far though, when he found Lady Nalia at his heels.
She looked like she'd been freshly washed and pressed, though her pale skin looked tight as a shrunken tunic. She called to him to stop, and pulled him into another chamber.
Some kind of music room, by the look of it. There was a tall harp in the corner, and various flutes and guitars were on display. A number of chairs sat primly along the walls, waiting for an audience that wasn't there.
"Have you spoken to my father? What did he say to you?" Nalia demanded.
"Not much," Finn replied. "He wanted to know about that bandit, that's all."
"And what did you tell him?"
"I told him that he seemed to recognise you. It's the truth, isn't it?"
But Lady Nalia seemed gravely concerned, and she began pacing the room.
"This is terrible," she said. "I cannot believe… How is it that rogue managed to escape? Oh, at least if I'd been able to bring him to justice, maybe then Father might have taken me seriously. But now, though…it's worse now than it ever was!"
"Give you a hiding, did he?" Finn asked.
"Oh, you don't understand," Nalia said. She looked rather uncomfortable, as if weighing her mind in the balance. "There was an…incident. During our last stay in town I came across some…unpleasant individuals. I thought they were legitimately involved in helping the poor, but they turned out to be criminals themselves. Anyone could have made the same mistake. But the law was involved, and… I was exonerated entirely, you understand, but…"
"Hang on," Finn interrupted. "You're saying you were arrested?"
"No, oh no!" she exclaimed. "The guards did come to the villa to speak with me. I suppose they were respectful of Father. The authorities are usually willing to give the wealthy the benefit of the doubt. Totally unfair, of course, but…it's just possible that this Ulvax fellow might have been involved in this affair, somehow. How else could he know me? And that prospect has worried Father a great deal. And myself."
"You think this fellow's got something on you, then?" he said.
"There isn't anything to have," she said, tossing her head. "Those jewels of Mother's were mine by rights, and everything I did was entirely legal…"
"Except for your little mix-up with the criminal classes," Finn remarked.
Nalia gave him a sour look, but she turned away.
"You may laugh if you like. But I don't suppose you could understand, could you? Your fate is your own to decide."
It was an odd comment, and Finn didn't reply. The woman could have little idea just how wrong she was on that point.
"Well. We'll be heading back to Athkatla soon," he said. "Everyone here has been good to us. I appreciate it."
Nalia sighed. "Think nothing of it. I'm glad you found your wife, at least. I only wish I could go with you. I'm not sure when I will be in town again. I suppose next time Aunt Delcia will want to take me shopping for the wedding."
Most young women would find that an exciting prospect, but Nalia only scowled pensively. When her face was worried she looked remarkably like her father.
"Well, good luck with that," Finn said, trying to joke. "You can send our invitations round to the Copper Coronet!"
Something about the look on Nalia's face made him regret his little jibe, half-worried she might think of using that magic ring again sometime soon. With all his problems Finn didn't need to be held responsible for a runaway bride.
"Oh, the wedding will not be for some time, anyway," Nalia said. "The contract stipulated I should not be married before I turn twenty-one, and that shall not be until later in the year. Auntie is pushing Father to formally set a date, but still… I should go now. If she finds me talking to you we'll both be up against it."
Finn agreed, having no desire to face down that dragon again. He said goodbye to Nalia and gladly left the tower behind him.
...
But his interrogations weren't quite done for the day. As he headed back towards the cottage he could see Jaheira standing idly in the courtyard. Or not so idly, as the case might be. By the look she gave him, the druid had been waiting to spring an ambush.
"Anna told me the lord wished to speak with you," she said to him. "What did he say?"
Finn thought of telling her to stuff it, but even he wasn't that bold.
"He just wanted to know about that bandit that got away," Finn said briefly.
"I see. Even I find it hard to believe that man escaped again," Jaheira remarked. "Although I suppose one does not earn a reputation as a master criminal for being easy to apprehend."
"Too right," he said, scowling.
He tried to keep moving past her, not at all in the mood for the grilling that he knew was coming. He just wanted to get back to Anna. But Jaheira spoke again.
"I suppose by now Anna has told you how we came to be on your trail," she said. "And while an apology seems too much to ask, you could do a favour and tell me who the mysterious author of this note might be?"
She reached inside her shirt and pulled out a piece of parchment. Finn took it hesitantly.
"You couldn't find a more private place to talk?" he said, looking for something to say.
"This courtyard is rather more private than our crowded guest house," Jaheira replied. "But I shall be most curious if you could enlighten me."
Finn's eyes ran over the note quickly. He already had a pretty good idea of what it said, and there was nothing new to be seen in those few sparse lines. Typical anonymous letter. Our mutual friend. Who? Finn didn't know. He could count his friends with his thumb.
He moved to give Jaheira the note back, but suddenly paused. The sun was shining brightly on that blue ink, and somehow, something flashed into his brain. A memory. Paper, in his hands… Reading a note… Something. Something was familiar.
"What is it?" Jaheira asked.
She regarded him sharply, but Finn didn't see her, trying to seize whatever ghost had drifted through his memory. But it was gone again, chased away by the blazing sun.
"Nothing," Finn said. "I have no idea who wrote this. That's the gods' honest truth. Sorry, Jaheira, I… I just want to find Anna."
He crumpled the note in his hands and stumbled away, leaving Jaheira looking surprised behind him.
...
But that haunted feeling didn't leave him. What was it that flashed into his mind? He tried to bring it back, but it was gone now. He went back to the cottage. Finn found Xan sitting at the table, looking remarkably bored.
"Where's Anna?" Finn asked.
"She went with Aerie to the houses outside the fortress, in hopes of finding some clean garments to wear," the elf told him.
Finn groaned and sat at the table himself. He could use a change of clothes, too. He'd rather forgotten what it was like to wear clothing that wasn't spattered in blood.
In his frustration he tossed the crumpled parchment onto the table. Xan glanced at it.
"That is Jaheira's note, is it not?"
"Aye," Finn replied.
"And were you able to enlighten her as to its sender?" Xan asked.
"Afraid not," he sighed. "I don't know a damn thing about it."
"May I see it?" the elf said.
Finn nodded. "Help yourself."
Xan picked up the paper and carefully uncrumpled it, spreading the sheet flat with those long fingers of his. He looked at it rather pensively.
"Jaheira showed me this earlier," he remarked. "I believe it was written by one of my people."
"An elf?" Finn said, surprised. "How can you tell?"
Xan drew a little breath, his brow furrowed as he examined the sheet.
"Something about the shape of the letters…they rather suggest one whose native language is Quenya. It reminds me a little of my own handwriting. And the ink is blue."
"And what does that have to do with anything?"
"In itself, not much," Xan admitted. "But unlike humans, elves tend not to favour black ink for their correspondence. We prefer colour… Tel'Quessir tend to avoid anything that even hints at association with the Dark Ones. Superstition, of course… Even my people are not above such things."
He spoke thoughtfully as he continued to press out the sheet, as if he could coax out its secrets by fingertip. Finn let out a breath.
"You could be right. But that still doesn't help much. Apart from you and Aerie, I don't know any elves."
"Hm," Xan muttered, thinking.
He kept staring at that note, his frown deepening. Whatever his thoughts though, Xan kept them to himself.
"Keep that, if you want," Finn sighed. "It won't help me any. I'm going to see if I can't track down Anna."
He rose up from the table but Xan didn't reply, still tapping on that sheet as if it might start to speak at any moment. Finn left him to his musings, wandering out of the cottage and away over the drawbridge.