They sailed at noon on the same sloop that they had taken into Highcliff Harbor. As luck would have it, Shandra rivaled Khelgar for her stomach's intolerance of the waves and the two of them bonded while doubled over the side of the ship. Adahni, trying to avoid that sailor, stuck fast to the paladin's side until they arrived back at the Sunken Flagon by the time the sun was setting. Two whole days lost, and all they had to show for it was a burly blond farmer girl who probably didn't know which end of the sword to hold.
Back at the Flagon, Duncan rushed up to her, demanding angrily where she had been for the past two days and why she hadn't told him where she was going. She waved him off, stating that he was not her father and she was a woman grown, and brushed past him to go to her room.
"Wait!" Duncan called, "I see you've brought someone new to my establishment. You ought to introduce us before you go along your way."
"Shandra, Duncan, Duncan, Shandra," Adahni called half-heartedly, but was beckoned back into the conversation by a pleading look from the farmer.
"Please, lass," Duncan said, stepping up the girl, "Come in, come in. Make yourself at home. This here is the Sunken Flagon, I own it - you'll be safe here. Grobnar! Play a tune or something, make the lady feel welcome."
"Wait, I thought we weren'tasking Grobnar to play any more tunes," Neeshka called from her seat at the bar, "Remember that fight he started?"
"Hold your tongue, girl. Come on, Gnomehands, strike up a tune already!"
"Well the innkeeper certainly runs hot and cold," Shandra said, drawing close to Adahni and speaking lowly. Adahni noticed, to her chagrin that the farmer was more than a head taller than her.
"I'd keep out of arm's reach if I were you," Adahni said, "Come on, have a seat, we've things to discuss."
"Agreed," Shandra said, pulling up a chair to a nearby table. Adahni seated herself across from her, "What happened at my farm? Who were those creatures? And why were they after me?"
"Contrary to popular belief, I don't know everything," Adahni sight, rolling her eyes, "Can I ask you a few questions? Then I might have a fighting chance of answering yours."
The paladin, who had been standing by the fire, took the opportunity to seat himself beside the farmer. He put a gloved hand on her shoulder, "Shandra," he murmured, "We realize this is difficult, but your life may be in danger - and I swear to you, we are trying to protect you, not make more trouble for you."
"Oh, all right," Shandra sighed, "Guess the whole things hard to take all at once."
Neeshka, seeing that she was being left out, sat herself next to Adahni and whispered in her ear, "A little paladin charm sure calmed her quick."
Adahni smiled a little and nodded.
"But what could I know that's so important?" Shandra was whining.
"Are you familiar with an Ammon Jerro?" Adahni asked.
"Yeah, he was my grandfather. I heard he was an eccentric but humble wizard... and he's been in his grave for years. What's he got to do with this whole mess?"
"He had a Haven," Adahni said, "Know anything about that?"
"My mother told me about the Haven when I was a child. I thought it was just a tale she used to tell me to make me do my chores sometimes. She always threatened to lock me in there if I wasn't a good girl," Shandra said, smiling a little. Casavir's hand was still on her shoulder, Adahni observed, but at least it wasn't moving anywhere.
"Well, it's real," Adahni said. She suddenly wondered if all the things Daeghun had told her as a child were real, if there really was a four-headed dog who breathed flame that guarded the foot of the stairs and would fry her if she came down after her bed time, "And I need to find it."
"I have no idea where it is. Knowing its location wouldn't help you much anyway," Shandra said, "My mother said something about a... path you have to walk to get to it. Like a series of challenges, but I don't remember what they are. She also said getting into the Haven requires a pint of fresh blood. And not just any blood... Jerro blood."
Adahni coughed quietly into her shoulder.
"Wait... is that why you rescued me? So you could bleed me?""
"That was not our intention, Shandra," the paladin intoned, "Please... hear us out."
"Well if you think I'm going to some dark dungeon that used to give me nightmares, well... think again!"
"Fine, fine," Adahni said, "Can you at least give us a little more information? What else did your mother tell you about the Haven?"
"My mother said his Haven was like a hundred twisting corridors jumbled together into an inescapable labyrinth filled with beasts he'd summoned from the abyss. Or... something like that. I think she was exaggerating."
Adahni looked at Casavir. She tried to imitate the tone of voice he was using, obviously helped by whatever aura or glamour he had, "I can see why you have nightmares of this place."
"Perhaps it is just childhood stories, but even if I knew where the Haven was, it's the last place I'd want to go."
"What about the man himself?" Adahni asked. She calculated on her fingers. Shandra looked to be in her early thirties, if her mother had had her young, and her own father had been young, it was entirely possible that Ammon Jerro was still alive, though he'd be well into his seventies.
"I have no memory of meeting him. But my mother told me that he saw me a few times as a babe, but I was too young to remember. Mother said he would cradle me and sing to me, and I would pull out his beard hairs."
"Just keep your distance from me, lass," Khelgar called from across the room, putting a protective hand over his beard.
"Well," reasoned Adahni, "If Ammon Jerro was "eccentric but humble," it's not likely his Haven is a place to fear."
"Hmm... you know, I never thought of it that way. But look, I can barely think, let alone stand. I really need rest... we can talk about this tomorrow."
"Perhaps we should retire - we could all use the rest. Shandra, I believe Duncan has rooms upstairs," the paladin suggested.
"I do," Duncan said.
"Oh... uh, thanks for the hospitality... uh, Casavir, right? I appreciate it."
"Of course, you have been through a great deal, it is the least we can offer."
Adahni and Neeshka looked at each other.
"That I can offer, he means!" Duncan interjected, "My inn, you know, always eager to help a lass in distress, we are, here at the Sunken Flagon."
Without being asked, Qara showed Shandra up the stairs.
"Very classy, Duncan," Adahni said, rolling her eyes, "I guess Daeghun got all of the subtlety genes in the Farlong pool, eh?"
"Whatever are you talking about?" the half elf asked, "I am a perfect gentleman. Now go play something before the gnome decides to. A lady like that deserves a proper room with a proper bed, not one of those bunks, and those go for a pretty penny."
"And I deserve to pay for it?" Adahni asked, raising her eyebrows.
"Did we, or did we not, have an agreement?" Duncan asked, "I don't mind you going out of town for awhile, for whatever big adventures you might be having, but a Watchman's wage doesn't pay for the ale you drink or the bed you sleep in. And show a little more leg this time, it gets us bigger tips."
Adahni grew flushed in the face and was about to retort angrily that she saw none of those tips and thrice damned if she was going to expose herself any more just to fill her uncle's coffers. But she glanced around the room, and saw the two women there, the black roses of the Docks, and reasoned that it could be worse, it had been worse, and that she could swallow her temper for a few more nights. The whole fiasco would soon be over.
She picked up her trusty mandolin and tuned it. "Any suggestions?" she asked. Her eyes roamed the room. There were the regulars, the longshoreman, and the entire crew of the ship that had brought them to Neverwinter again. Khelgar must have invited them.To her dismay, this crowd included her former client. Resolved not to show fear or anger again, she looked him in the eye, and asked him pointedly if he had any requests.
"A sea shanty," he said, winking at her. She was beginning to think that perhaps he actually had something wrong with his left eye and that all this winking was entirely involuntary.
"Don't you hear enough of those?" she asked.
"Not sung by a woman," he said.
"All right then," she said, "But give the ale wench an extra copper when she comes around."
"Done."
She plucked out a melody. She obviously had known a few sea shanties, working her old job. She settled on one that Mackrem Cullygan, the halfling pirate, had taught her. She played the melody a few times, and suddenly remembered the last time she had played it. It was a bigger mandolin, tuned an octave lower. She was practicing in her room while Kyla got herself ready. He's asked me to call on him tonight at his house. Two months rent, he's paying me!She set her jaw. Suddenly her throat was too clogged to sing. Just think! The ambassador's house! He says she's out of town. Imagine seeing something like that and getting paid for it!She looked down at her fingers and tried to concentrate on the task at hand. Just have a potion ready for me in the morning, you know how he is, I'll probably be all banged up. I might be late... if I'm late, won't you check in on my brother? Make sure the fire's stoked?
"Sing it, wench!" the sailor cried.
Adahni looked up. The firelight reflecting off her eyes, almost orange, must have made her look fierce indeed, because he shut his mouth immediately and went back to his ale.
"Fine, if that's what you want," she called, her voice thick.
"Oh, well, who wouldn't be a sailor lad, a sailin' on the main,
To gain the goodwill of his captain's good name
A He came ashore, one evening for to be,
And that was the beginning of my own true love and me,
Well I asked her for a candle for to light me up to bed,
And likewise for a handkerchief to tie around me head,
She tended to me needs like a young maid ought to do,
So then I says to her, now won't you leap in with me too
Well she jumped into bed, making no alarm,
Thinking a young sailor lad could do to her no harm.
Well I hugged her and I kissed her the whole night long,
Till she wished the short night had been nine years long
Oh come all of you fair maidens, a warning take by me,
And never let a sailor lad an inch above your knee,
For I trusted one and he beguiled me
He left me with a pair of twins to dangle on me knee!"
With the end of the song, she stopped singing and segued into a reel. She set her jaw and stared into the fire, just letting her fingers do what they knew how to do without thinking about it.
You know how he is. I'll probably be all banged up.
She had been so excited just to be let into the fancy district. She'd had her best gown on, and tucked the black rose into her auburn hair.
Just check in on my brother for me, won't you?
At the end of the reel, Adahni put down the mandolin and, without a word, left the barroom and went back to her chamber. She gritted her teeth, and stared up at the ceiling. It was going to be a long night.
If something happens to me, would you look out for him?