We seem to be straying back into long chapters again, if you like that, good, if you find it a bit too much work, I promise I'll be trying to keep things to a minimum, but this chapter had to go on as long as it did.
Some pretty significant things happen in this chapter, hope you like it! And thanks, once again, to voltagelisa who gave me plenty of help with Sand and Duncan.
With Elanee's advice, Phaedra realised she had been naïve to think this journey would be simple. Whatever those monsters which had attacked West Harbour were, and whatever they wanted, she had to stop them from finding it. Even once she found Duncan, and recovered his shard, it would be folly to think she could simply…well…dispose of the silver pieces. And until she had found what those monsters wanted and stopped them, the path to West Harbour remained closed. She felt the weight of the road she knew she now must travel on her shoulders, how far would it take her, and to what? She spent her remaining time as the ship sailed onwards over the seas in the cabin, poring over Tarmas' spell book. For whatever lay ahead of her she knew she would need every spell she could find, though learning the theory of these spells and actually being able to unleash them was quite a different matter. As evening fell on that second day of sailing , Phaedra lay back in her hammock, the book open at her knees, and felt the ebb and flow of her magic within her…
"Hey Phaedra, the captain says we're almost there" Suddenly Neeshka poked her head into the cabin from where she had spent much of her time on the deck, chatting animatedly to the sailors. Her enthusiasm and openness had almost overcome their natural suspicion of tieflings, but it was most likely they would find themselves a few gold pieces short once Neeshka was out of sight…though Neeshka would deny any such thing if Phaedra ever tried to speak to her about it. "I thought being a swamp-farming country girl and all, you might want to have a look at the city as we sail in" Neeshka grinned.
"Yes, I'll be right there" Phaedra jumped out of her hammock, slipping Tarmas' tome back into her pack, which she slung onto her back along with her bow and quiver on her way up to the door. Neverwinter…the guardian of the north…city of skilled hands, what would it be like? Tarmas had spoken to her often of Neverwinter's wealth and power, even after suffering the dreaded plague called the Wailing Death, a ferocious war with its neighbour Luskan, and the more recent war that had ended in West Harbour, it was supposed to be magnificent, with thousands of inhabitants, all funded by a powerful trade network and the artifices of its skilled inhabitants. Most interesting to Phaedra perhaps, the city was also was the home of the famed Cloaktower Mages, a guild of arcane spellcasters, and the Academy, the prestigious centre of magical education. She hoped she might be able to also learn something of her craft while she was in the city.
Upon stepping up onto the deck, she made her way straight to where Neeshka, Khelgar and Elanee stood by one of the railings, looking out into the evening air. A balmy mist had settled just above the sea, but through it the land was just visible as a grey smudge on the horizon.
"We're cruising along the coast right now lass" Khelgar looked up to explain, as Phaedra joined them. Oddly enough he'd found time to get to know Captain Flinn and something of the captain's craft as well, probably more to do with a mutual interest in ale than anything else. "But we'll be in sight of the city soon, well if the Captain knows what he's talking about"
"I'm glad…" Phaedra peered out into the mist, anxious to catch her first glimpse of the fabled Jewel of the North. "It's hard to believe we're finally almost there"
"No more ambushes, or creepy grey dwarves" Neeshka observed happily "It'll be nice to get a good night's sleep for once"
"What…?" Khelgar gasped, alarmed "No more…?"
"Don't wet yourself Stumpy" Neeshka laughed brightly "They'll still be plenty of fights to go around. Neverwinter's Docks are a tough place, I guarantee they'll be enough drunken thugs to break a thousand bones and then some"
"How reassuring" Elanee answered dryly, without looking up from her survey of the clouded coast.
"Look, there!" Phaedra cried suddenly, gesturing out into the mists, at their first sight of Neverwinter. As the Double Eagle clove its path toward the coast, the rolling mists began to clear and hints of the city of Neverwinter at last became visible. First, a great stone structure, raised above the coastline and ringed by formidable walls…even glimpsed through the mist it was magnificent, a vast edifice, titanic in scale, virtually impregnable, the fabled Castle Never, with its walls and great keep. Phaedra gasped with awe, would she never fail to be amazed on this journey? Fort Locke had seemed magnificent by her first glimpse…but this, this dwarfed Fort Locke, and built all entirely of stone! Of course Tarmas had told her much of Castle Never, but the words, even her wildest dreams, never could have contained the reality.
But other wonders swiftly drew her gaze from the spires of Castle Never; the city's walls snaked round to the sea front, almost as impressive, with their formidable guard towers and gatehouses watching over the city's streets. And they were only the first, another massive wall, almost as large and twice as ornately decorated, encircled the city's central region, and of course Castle Never itself was defended just as well. There was a lake glimmering on the far side of the city, the Blacklake, as it was called, and water had been channelled to form a moat that ran through the city just before the second wall. And of course there were smaller buildings, houses, manors, shops, temples…so many even Phaedra's keen sight struggled to take it all in. But at last her gaze focused on the docks to which they were headed, the place where she would be staying whilst in Neverwinter. The docks themselves were headed for consisted of six piers, many of which were already occupied with other vessels at least as large as the Double Eagle, and the dockside was covered in paving stone, even down to the lapping water. Lining the docks were statues of warlike figures, carved with such supreme skill in sparkling white marble that Phaedra almost expected them to step down from their plinths and do battle with the city's enemies. In contrast to this grandeur, though, the actual district was a maze of squashed homes, all faded plaster, brick and tiles, with squalid, tiled alleyways running through them, and set amidst the vast warhouses by the sea.
The Double Eagle's pace began to slow as it moved toward an unoccupied space by one of the piers, slipping over the waters with a lithe grace, as Captain Flinn barked orders from his place on the raised deck at the back of his ship. They were finally her, this was Neverwinter! Phaedra felt her spirits lift, here she would be safe, here she could work out what to do next…and hopefully see a few of the mysteries of this journey resolved.
"Well we made it here in one piece" Neeshka said with some relief, as the ship glided to its safe halt in place by its pier "I'd have wagered against those odds to tell you the truth"
"Phaedra?" Phaedra turned to see Captain Flinn standing just behind them. He looked exhausted, but quite relieved to have reached his destination finally "Well I've done as Daeghun asked, whatever you have to do; it's up to you…"
"Thank you Captain" Phaedra nodded, smiling radiantly
"And thank you Phaedra Blake" Flinn nodded "For getting those lizardlings off my back. You have your supplies ready I see. And the crew will have the gangplank down in a few minutes…so if there's nothing else…" He raised a hand to his hat, tipped it politely to her "Goodbye, Phaedra Blake, and good luck" And, with that, he walked away back onto the deck to see to the unloading of his cargo.
"Ready?" Phaedra turned to her companions, giving each a warm smile. So it was finally time, what would she find here? Answers to the questions she had sought, or perhaps just more mysteries?
From within, the Docks of Neverwinter were as, if not more, dizzying in sheer size and complexity than they had appeared from the decks of the approaching Double Eagle. From the actual waterfront, filled with the scent of the sea and fish, and the chorus of yells from ships and marketplaces alike, Phaedra's steps quickly led her and the others into a maze of alleyways, loosely tiled streets, somewhat dank and dirty, on either side were the squat hovels she had noticed from the deck of the Double Eagle, small, cramped buildings of faded plaster and wood, tiles had fallen their roofs and facades giving them a somewhat pocked appearance, these were hastily constructed, cheap houses, probably built at minimum expense after the war with Luskan. Sometimes a stall attached to a home brought a flash of colour to the scene, passing one would be confronted with a feast of smell, sight and sound, whether the wares were food, weapons or something other dazzling item. And more remarkable still, the sheer amount of people hurrying through these narrow streets, the bustle packed everywhere they went. Phaedra found herself shoved this way and that, had to force herself onwards through the surging crowds, who seemed to be heading in every possible direction through the street that should have scarcely been able to contain them all. Yet they all seemed to know exactly where they were going, what business they wished to attend to. By far the greatest majority were human, but there were a few elves, other races were rarer, but still the sheer variety of people here was staggering. And behind every door they passed was a story, behind every hurried glance that met Phaedra's eye was a life. Just how many stories, how many lives, could there possibly be?
"Yes, this is home alright" Neeshka nodded with approval at the crowds, her horns were once again hidden by her heavy cloak, but the happiness in her gleaming eyes was clear even through it.
"It's passable I suppose" Khelgar appraised the buildings they passed with a critical eye "But if you really want a proper city, you build down, not up"
"The wood and stone here…" Elanee murmured, sticking close to the others. Her usual clear self-possession had faded in this environment she knew so little, this was an experience she and Phaedra were sharing, this first sight of the city, but she seemed to be finding it harder than Phaedra did. "They've been silenced. It is…uneasy"
"Why don't the both of you just be silent?" Neeshka retorted, affronted by the less-than complimentary assessments of her home, it seemed. "And let's get on with finding the Sunken Flagon" Phaedra sighed, that was proving quite a bit harder than she'd originally anticipated. The sheer amount of twisting alleyways, houses, shops, was severely disorientating. How did anyone ever find anything in this place?
"Aren't you supposed to know this area?" Khelgar glanced at her "Haven't we heard so much about how you played the Docks better than anyone else here?"
"Yeah, but things have changed since then" Neeshka shrugged, unperturbed by the hostility in Khelgar's voice "And it wasn't like I ever had occasion to stay in reputable inns like this one, they're hardly on my map of the place"
"There!" Phaedra cried suddenly. The alleyway they had stepped into led straight down toward the silvery sea and, there, just down by the waterfront, she spied a medium-sized building, larger than any of the slums further up here, and more permanently and solidly constructed, of stone…and from just above the door hung a wooden sign in which was carved its name…the Sunken Flagon…
"Thank Silvanus" Elanee sighed, drawing her robes closer around herself with discomfort "I do not think it wise to stay out after dark here" Phaedra nodded, perhaps that was true, not all of the glances they received from passers-by were friendly, and perhaps that was more to do with their obviously loaded packs than the rather eclectic nature of their group. Thus she made their way down toward the sea, and the inn, with slightly greater haste.
The Sunken Flagon, the inn owned by her uncle Duncan, was built almost entirely of stone, simple, but still much grander than anything she had ever seen in West Harbour. Someone had obviously put quite some effort into making it look welcoming amongst the somewhat inhospitable, concrete facades of the warehouses, imposing and barren, of the dockfront. Thus, the stone walls were softened by the addition of wooden carvings, including the symbol above the doorway, a ship and a mug hanging over the bronze-buckled-door, its emblem no doubt. In addition there was a vine of some hanging plant cultivated over a grid on the wall, and the windows were lit by a cheery glow, the door standing slightly open so it spilled into the stone streets.
"Looks lively" Khelgar said with approval.
"Well, we better go in, I suppose" Phaedra slowly walked over, and pushed the door further open. She found her thoughts strangely confused so close to this place that had been her goal on this journey. What kind of man would she find in here, what secrets?
Pushing through into the inn at last, after that moment's hesitation, she emerged into some sort of large common room and bar; a wooden hall lit by a roaring fire to the left and filled with carefully hand-crafted tables and chairs in various stages of repair, stained by ale and long wear. She was struck by the warmth, the hum of activity, the noise…it was a strongly welcoming, friendly sort of atmosphere, filled with raucous activity, laughter, and the smell of ale. The walls were hung with obvious trophies: some variety of weapons, though they were rusted with age and obviously had not been removed from their places for some time, various mismatched pieces of armour in similar condition and even some kind of skull above the fireplace, though even this grisly token was given some joviality by the addition of a lop-sided helmet hanging on one its horns. Nonetheless she didn't want to imagine what kind of beast it came from. The room was full, heaving with activity, every kind of man from outside in the city spread over almost every one of the tables, though Phaedra noticed a distinct lack of female customers. Some things held true across city and village it seemed, that women had more sense…
"Hey, what can I get you?" Phaedra turned suddenly at the good-humoured greeting, given by a man she now saw walking over to them, obviously not one of the customers, nor quite so unsteady on his feet. He was half-elven, perhaps approaching middle-age, with light brown hair that slipped untidily over his forehead and tapered ears, his keen chestnut, almost amber, eyes gleamed with good cheer. He wore a spotted, greasy cream tunic, high leather boots, and a dirty apron. His sylvan ears, and something about the set of his face definitely recalled Daeghun, but thankfully for his patrons his features, his every movement, was animated by an easy-going, welcoming liveliness, as though he had not a care in the world, completely unlike Daeghun's distant, heavy hardness. "Something to take the edge off the day…or maybe just a room for the…" He began, with a light smile…but suddenly, as his gaze focused properly on Phaedra for the first time, he stopped mid-stride, froze entirely, as though stunned by a physical blow, his jaw dropped, his eyes widened, clouding with a distant wonder. He was staring straight at Phaedra "Esmerelle…?" the whispered name escaped his lips, little more than a hoarse breath…
"Sir, Duncan, is it?" Phaedra stepped back a little, feeling her cheeks flush at the intensity of that stare "I…I am Phaedra. Esmerelle was my mother"
"Gods…!" Duncan clapped a hand to his head, mortified "Gods strike me for a fool. I thought, Sorry…I…you just look so like her, it was as if I saw a ghost for a moment"
"That's alright" Phaedra smiled faintly. No one had ever told her she looked like her mother before, no one had really spoken of Esmerelle much at all in West Harbour.
"Well…you seem to know who I am" Duncan leant heavily on the table next to him. Having recovered himself, he gave Phaedra and the others another considering look. Behind the welcoming manner was a shrewdness that only could have come with long experience. "Duncan Farlong…" He said "That is, owner of this here inn. Yes, I knew you once, and your mother. But what in the blazes are you doing here, in the city. Daeghun swore…" He paused, frowning slightly…
"Daeghun sent me" Phaedra replied quickly.
"Ah, so it's that" Duncan glanced away, his eyes alighting on the roaring fire, as though he were reliving a distant memory. He was serious now, but even so his graveness was of a very different quality to Daeghun's. "Sent you off with half of what you need to know with the very Hells behind you, I know it well…"
"It's about this" Phaedra tugged at her belt, her hand running to the pouch, and drawing from it the silver shard. She held it close at her side for a single instant, the warm, steady pulse from within it oddly, eerily comforting as always, then she raised her hand, and opened it under Duncan's expectant gaze "This shard, Daeghun said you knew it" She said, showing him the silver piece.
"Aye, I do" Duncan stared for a long moment at the silver piece, which glimmered in the firelight with a shifting, shimmering, yet strangely elusive glow, wholly unlike natural silver. "He dug that up did he?" Duncan murmured, more to himself perhaps than Phaedra "Best to leave a dark past like that buried, I say"
"Duncan, West Harbour was attacked nearly a week ago" Phaedra lowered her head, speaking the words was enough to summon, even for an instant, the memory of that night as though she caught the echo of West Harbour burning in the tame fire by which she now stood. "Creatures, looking for this"
"What…?" Duncan gave a start, shock and horror flashing across his features, that was it…unlike Daeghun his features were open, easily readable, everything he felt was clearly on the surface. "It's been sixteen years." He breathed hoarsely "How…why?"
"I don't know…" Phaedra replied "But I had to take it from the village, and Daeghun said you had another shard, he said that we should have the shards scried to find out what they are and why these creatures wanted them"
"We already tried that, lass, sixteen years ago" Duncan shook his head, running his hand through his hair distractedly "Trace of an enchantment, and demon's fire, that's what that eel Sand, the hedge wizard, said, but there was nothing more."
"Something has happened uncle…" Phaedra answered, her slender fingers closing again around the shard, cradelling it protectively "Since the attack, since we recovered this shard, I have felt it…it is filled with magic"
"Well, I can't explain that…" Duncan sighed "It's been so long. I thought what had happened then was all over now" His gaze drifted away from hers, catching on an empty table nearby "You'd better come on in" He said "Tell me the whole story"
"Of course" Phaedra nodded, on top of Daeghun's insistence that Duncan was dependable, this short amount of time had allowed her to appraise Duncan herself, and she had firmly decided she could trust him. "And these are my friends…Khelgar, Elanee and Neeshka…"
"Well any friend of kin is welcome" Duncan glanced over the three of them distractedly. If he was shocked to see a tiefling, a dwarf and a druid travelling alongside his niece, he was evidently too preoccupied to show it. "Ask Sal over there at the bar if you need anything…" He waved vaguely in the direction of the bar, where a middle-aged balding man was cleaning mugs with a dirty rag. Khelgar and Neeshka, glancing at one another for a moment, then quickly made their way in unison to take him up on his offer. Elanee, though, stayed at Phaedra's shoulder, even as Duncan led her over to that empty table, and pulled out an empty chair for her. Elanee took the place beside her, as Duncan went opposite, leaning his elbows on the table, his gaze fixed on her as she took a moment to order her thoughts, then slowly began to tell the tale.
It was not an easy thing to tell, her memories were still so fresh, but Duncan was certainly a sympathetic audience, and Elanee's presence, though the druid never spoke, was no small comfort. She had originally meant to tell it as curtly as she could, go over the essentials, perhaps leave the intervals in Fort Locke and Highcliff, but somehow, it became the complete account, beginning with her life in West Harbour, her feeling of being drawn away from the village, running over Khelgar, Neeshka and Elanee. Perhaps that she did so was to do with Duncan, for his grief-stained gaze, his confusion and shock, mirroring her own, were something of a salve. When she finally finished, the fire was dying down, the hall rapidly dimming, and the windows opening out into inky black. Most of the customers had already left but Duncan's attention was still entirely on her. At the last word, though, he sank back in his seat, rubbing his forehead thoughtfully "Well…" He said shortly "I can see why Daeghun acted as he did. We don't always see eye to eye, my half-brother and I, but he was right to send you out here" He lowered his eyes, his hand running over his belt to clasp the small pouch that hung to the left, an unconscious gesture, almost a habit…. "The shard…" He swallowed heavily, it was hard to speak of it, she could tell. "The one I carry, I was never able to let it go like Daeghun did or tried to. Seems like these small things always come back and haunt you, when you least expect it" At once, steeling himself as though to thrust his hand into fire, he opened the pouch, his fingers diving into it…Phaedra heard the rattle of gold, but it was something else entirely, he withdrew in his calloused hand, a shimmering, silver shard. It was slightly smaller than the one Phaedra bore and jagged, as though it had been violently torn from its whole, but it glimmered with that same unearthly glow.
"May I?" Phaedra reached forward to touch it and Duncan nodded slowly, watching her intently. She laid her finger on the silver shard and felt the same, warm hum prickle over her skin as she had always felt in her own shard, indeed it seemed as though a ripple of power ran through from this one shard to the other she held in her other hand, they were certainly linked, these shards. She raised her head, met Duncan's gaze "It's true…" She said "I feel it in this one as well"
"If that's so, maybe you should hold onto this one as well…" Duncan turned his hand over, laying the shard carefully in hers "I think you're meant to have this and perhaps it is finally time I let go of the past"
"Thank you…uncle" Phaedra said gently, and Duncan's smile lit up his honest face. Yes, they were going to get along well, she and Duncan. Whatever happened upon this path she walked, she sensed instinctively that she would have safety here in the Sunken Flagon and with Duncan. But, though she would have liked to talk to Duncan of lighter things, she knew she still had to turn to grave necessity "But…about this hedge wizard…"
"Sand?" Duncan's brow furrowed "He has power, runs a small shop not far from the inn. Potions and spells, the like, most folks around here couldn't do without him. He's as acrid as his name suggests, and the rates he charges…I wouldn't go there unless you're prepared to lose a…"
"Ah…" A nasal exclamation suddenly sounded behind Phaedra, just in the doorway that was little more than a few paces away, and she jumped in her seat with shock. Quickly turning round, she saw a man, an elf in fact, standing framed in the Sunken Flagon's open door, a slender figure possessed of a certain oily elegance. He was a moon elf, pale, with long dark hair to his shoulders, clean-cut and sleek, blue eyes with a piercing intensity behind them, and, amidst the prominent angles of his face, a rather large nose that sniffed the air of the inn with theatrical distaste. His purple and black robes, of a fashionable cut, but with the intricate arcane sigils that marked them as the uniform of a wizard stitched with a skilled hand into their substance, were hung loosely over his thin frame, as though to give him a greater force of presence. "It seems I arrived just in time to deflect the usual barrage of slander from the local innkeeper" The urbane sophistication in his voice would not have gone amiss in a nobleman, but in this man was possessed of a keen, piercing intelligence…
"Sand…" Duncan's eyes narrowed as he stood quickly "What are you doing here?"
"I heard a newcomer arrived this evening on the Double Eagle, and Mystra knows why, chose to enter your establishment" Sand smiled thinly "A sorceress, if my sources are correct, and quite powerful too. I took upon myself the prerogative to warn her of the mistake she appears to be making, this…establishment is hardly fit for a person of such quality" It took Phaedra a moment to realise he had to be joking, the gilded, crisp quality of his voice flowed effortlessly to irony and sarcasm. But Duncan did not seem to react as though it had been meant truthfully, merely crossing his arms and frowning further.
"Well met" Phaedra quickly stood to introduce herself, curtseying politely "I believe you were looking for me then"
"Well…you're certainly younger than I expected" Sand appraised her thoughtfully, there it was again, there were hidden depths to this man, she could not quite grasp the extent of his power. "But the power is certainly there…Duncan please do tell me, who is this charming young woman?"
"She's kin" Duncan answered grudgingly.
"I'm not seeing the family resemblance" Sand observed dryly "But there's the scent of a Harbourman" He sniffed deeply "Faint but it is there, Duncan what secrets have you been keeping from me?" He smirked, somewhat triumphant, as though celebrating getting something up on the innkeeper, was this a game they played, then? Certainly there was more to their relationship than these biting remarks.
"Any I don't what the whole Docks to know before dusk" Duncan muttered.
"It's true, I am from West Harbour" Phaedra answered "My name is Phaedra Blake"
"Well…Miss Phaedra, what brings a Harbourmen to our humble city?" Sand asked slyly "In these dangerous times, surely you cannot simply be visiting relatives?"
"I needed Duncan's help" Phaedra explained "He had one of these shards, and I brought the other" She raised her hands, revealing the shards she held in each, the pulse of power within them, the ripple of light across their surfaces seemed almost to synchronise. "I was hoping we could have someone scry them"
"As Duncan I am sure told you, unless of course his mind was too addled by his home vintage" Sand answered, examining each shard in turn "He had his shard scried…by me actually, sixteen years ago…"
"And, let's not forget, you turned up nothing" Duncan reminded him smugly.
"Something's changed" Phaedra shook her head "They…have power now…and someone is after them, willing to kill for them. So if you could, please try again"
"Well now I see where all the good grace in the family went" Sand smiled across at Duncan, who groaned and rolled his eyes. "If you insist, I can have another try, though I doubt anything will have changed, but perhaps two shards will make a difference" He moved over, each of his steps calculated, almost as though they were the steps of a dance, and, one after the other, he took the shards from her hands, laying them each in his left hand, carefully examining each one with his piercing gaze, as though he could scour the secrets from their surfaces. At last, raising his right hand and placing it over his left, his fingers clenching above the shards, he whispered a spell under his breath. Phaedra felt the power behind every word he said and slowly a glimmer of blue light began to gather in his palm, running over the shards. This was a scrying spell…part of a discipline neither she nor Tarmas knew well…but powerful…if anything could find out about these shards…
Suddenly, a crack shattered the atmosphere of the Sunken Flagon, almost as though a bolt of lightning exploded outward from the point where Sand stood, a flash of brilliant white light scintillated across Phaedra's vision as she threw up her arms. Then, as a shockwave of extreme force slammed into her, as though a boulder hit her stomach, Duncan swore violently, and Sand gasped. Then she was flung backwards into the nearby wall and crashed to the floor, without even enough time to cry out, before she found herself, completely tangled, dizzy and winded, lying against the rough wooden pillar. For a moment everything was entirely disorientated, her vision blurred as she gingerly kneaded her leg…Gods, what in the Heavens had happened?
"Lass, are you okay?" Khelgar was suddenly next to her, concern clear in his ruddy features, Neeshka was right behind him, hovering anxiously and gazing down at Phaedra. "Talk to me"
"Khelgar" She rubbed her aching head "I'm alright…I think" She took his offered hand, and tentatively pulled herself up, quite an effort considering he stood less than the height of her chest. She glanced around as soon as her vision cleared. Duncan had been flung into one of the tables, thankfully empty, he was clambering up to his feet and fuming visibly. Sand had crashed into the wall just by the door, but he seemed to be alright, recovering himself and his dignity in less than a heartbeat. Elanee had apparently dived out of the way just in time and remained standing, the hint of an amused smile on her face as her worry faded away once she had seen Phaedra and the others were safe. The attention of all of the, thankfully few, remaining people in the inn was on the four of them. What had happened? Had that somehow been the shards?
"Well, they seem to have some resentment to being scryed" Sand observed wryly, brushing the dust from his luxuriant robes as he glided over to Phaedra "Here, I think you had better take these back" He held out the shards, she took them hesitantly, but they seemed no different than they had been before, they were even still cool to the touch.
"What in the Hells was that, Sand?" Duncan stormed over, giving Phaedra a solicitous glance, clearly worried "Bad enough that your wit sours every flagon I try to serve while you're here, but now you're setting off explosions in the middle of the place" He grumbled half-heartedly at the elf.
"That wasn't me, you dolt" Sand muttered, but his voice quickly grew more earnest, some measure of confusion that was obviously frustrating to him entering it "Are you sure these are the same shards? They seem different, the level of power is…"
"Oh, no…there's no way I'm paying you for two failed divinations you viper!" Duncan grimaced.
"This is not a matter of divination Duncan, or I would have the answers your relation requires" Sand said, as an aside, but his attention quickly returned to the shards, his fearsome intellectual curiosity clearly engaged. "No…" He continued, his long finger tracing the angles of his cheek thoughtfully "They have changed, something has awoken within them. My best hypothesis…bringing them together must strength them somehow but without any more information…I cannot tell you anything more"
"Well, what a surprise…" Duncan muttered darkly.
"Both of you, this isn't helping!" Phaedra snapped impatiently, to have come so far, done what Daeghun requested…it couldn't just be nothing, it couldn't! "There must be something more I can do"
"Don't you just love it when she scolds somebody else?" She vaguely heard Neeshka's faint whisper to Khelgar, scold? Well…really…
"Well…" Sand sighed finally, crossing his arms over his chest "You could seek out those with more wisdom than I, though such individuals are rare indeed, of course. There is one, the sage Aldanon, quite the expert in esoteric artefacts such as these…he may be able to help you"
"Aldanon?" Duncan frowned "And how do you suggest she does that Sand? What with the lockdown of the Blacklake District…"
"What?" Neeshka pushed forward, confused "What did you say?"
"Oh my, you haven't heard" Sand raised an eyebrow "I'd have thought it was on the lips of every gossip in Neverwinter…well, if you really wanted to know, there was a murder in Blacklake, Lord Dalren, a noble of some standing…and until the matter is sufficiently resolved, the Watch has seen fit to close Blacklake to us common folk. Most inconvenient I can tell you"
"A murder?" Phaedra shivered as though a dark shadow settled in the warmth in the Sunken Flagon. Blacklake was the luxurious district of the nobility of Neverwinter, situated in the inner city, and a place of some culture and refinement, but also one of the most secure areas in the Sword Coast, with its own special division of the City Watch, and also numerous mercenaries and soldiers hired by the nobles for their protection. For a murder to have occurred there…
"Yes, a most gruesome crime I'm told" Sand continued, nodding "But of course, the rumours coming out of Blacklake are predictably exaggerated and lurid. I can tell you one thing for sure though, the Cloaktower's involved in the investigation, which means an infernal creature was involved"
"Demons…?" Duncan's jaw dropped "Impossible"
"Not for many of my craft" Sand shrugged, it was true… "Demons make unpredictable servants and Devils are, if anything, even worse. But for some, the lure of infernal power is an irresistible one. Suffice to say, the Cloaktower Mages would only leave their ivory…tower, were such a creature's involvement suspected in this crime"
"Another strange event, and not a coincidence I think" Elanee murmured at Phaedra's side. Yes…extremely strange. How it fitted into this puzzle, she could not discern.
"Well, while Blacklake is, of course, fully locked down, there yet remain avenues of entrance for the truly determined" Sand said "Joining the Watch…for one thing"
"What?" Neeshka shook her head "No way…"
"The Watch?" Duncan lowered his head, deep in thought "Yes, they might just be able to get you a pass into Blacklake. You could talk to Marshal Cormick, I believe he just got back from Fort Locke."
"Yes" Phaedra nodded, thankful that Cormick had made his way back safely "We helped him out there"
"Really?" Sand said, interested "I heard it was quite dramatic…but anyway, if he knows you applying to the Watch should be easy enough. They have a station in the Docks. A large and dramatic structure, but ultimately quite ineffectual."
"Phaedra?" Neeshka glanced at her "You aren't considering this?"
"I don't see how I have a choice" Phaedra answered, spreading her hands…they were out of options, for now. This was the only one, and she didn't mind joining the Watch really, it would be nice to see Cormick again. "I need to get these shards to Aldanon any way possible"
"Well there goes my sterling reputation" Neeshka sighed wistfully "Gods I hope no one I know finds out about this"
"I don't see what you're complaining about" Khelgar glanced at her "If we're going to have a few good brawls while we're here, we may as well do some good while we're at it"
"Charming" Sand's smile thinned as he glanced at Khelgar, oozing sarcasm. "The Watch will be glad of your talents as it is. It is not often the Docks see the power of the arcane"
"Well I will see about talking to Marshal Cormick in the morning" Phaedra decided, her course was clear, and it continued. "Thank you for your help Sand…it was appreciated"
"Well…I am glad someone recognises my talent" Sand smiled, perhaps it was even genuine this time "But I should be going now, I have much business…Oh and Phaedra, my shop will be open to you whenever you should require it. I have a multitude of goods you should find useful"
"If you're willing to part with an arm and a leg to get them" Duncan grumbled
"Of course that won't be necessary" Sand chided the innkeeper "Farewell, Duncan, Phaedra…I hope to see you again soon" With that he slipped from the room and out into the night with a liquid grace.
"Well there you have it" Duncan sighed, rubbing his forehead "He's right about Aldanon, you know, if anyone in Neverwinter could give you the information you need, it might just be him. And it looks like the Watch is your surest way of getting to him"
"Right now, I think all we need is a night's rest" Phaedra shook her head, she had not found as much as she would have liked…but at least this was a plan that made sense. If she found something about the nature of the shards…it would be the first step to finding out why the astral beings wanted them, and what she would have to do to keep them from their grasp. And this Aldanon, he was the key to that…Well she would really need a night to think things over, anyhow.
"Well I won't have you sleeping out rough" Duncan answered earnestly "My rooms are yours"
"Oh…thank you" Phaedra smiled, and it had been wonderful to find family here….at last. Already she liked Duncan's easy smile and warm manner…
"Ah…they never turn up a profit anyway" Duncan admitted, waving his hand dismissively "I just kept them in case, and it looks like you need them more than anyone else"
"Great!" Neeshka leapt up from where she had been standing, instantly brightening, the possibility of Phaedra joining the Watch forgotten "I get first pick!" She raced off towards the back of the inn, while Khelgar, shrugging, made his way back to the bar for another drink.
"You travel with strange people" Duncan observed.
"They're good friends uncle" Phaedra replied "And they have helped me…" She sighed with exhaustion "I think…I think I will go to my room as well. Thank you Duncan, for everything"
"Ah…lass" Duncan laid a hand gently on her shoulder "It was the least I could do for your dear mother, poor soul" He sighed, turning away sadly, and Phaedra could almost see the weight of harsh memories pressing down on his back. He had known her mother well then, and her loss still caused him pain. But…now was not the time to approach him about Esmerelle, though she ached to know everything he did about the woman who had born her, it was time to rest.
But as she turned to walk to the Sunken Flagon's numerous spare rooms, she suddenly felt an icy pinprick run down her back as though someone were watching her, and she turned, glancing a last time around the tavern's common room. There, in the shadows by the fire, a man…he slouched in one of the chairs casually, but through this there was something tightly coiled in him, something…wary, restless, like a caged wolf. He held a flagon of ale in his one hand on the table, and his eyes fixed straight on her…unusual colour…tawny, amber, very strange. He was half in shadow, but she could see he was tall and lean, with dark brown hair which was mussed casually into…well…a mess. He bore, a longbow, just like hers, at his side. As she watched he raised the flagon to his lips, took a drink, but his gaze never left her face, and there was something truly unnerving about that gaze. Phaedra felt herself blush, without even knowing why…only…no one had ever looked at her so…brazenly before. She found herself hurrying out of the common room faster than she intended, shaken. Who could he be? And why…why watch her like that…? It was as if he, well, he knew something about her, or planned to find it out, and in this city, after what had happened, that thought was very unnerving.