Theodur – Reliable intel? What's that? I think that Elminster was actually being straightforward (for once) when he told Jess that he didn't know the details.
Idal – Consider yourself promoted to technical advisor, geek division ;-) Travant is the only Bhaalspawn among Graal'thun's descendants, and he does not show any external signs of his demonic heritage. The rest of Rastagir's breeding projects are simply half bloods.
Thanks for reviewing!
Time to check back in with the others for a chapter or two.
OOO
"You are certain that you should be doing this, Lady Jaheira?" Archprelate Wesselan asked the druid as she secured her pack behind her saddle. "It seems clear that Jessime and Imoen are meant to complete their task without interference or assistance from others; your own task –"
"Remains unseen," Jaheira replied briskly. "Jess and Imoen have almost a week's lead on us; even if we intended to catch up with them, the chances are small that we would succeed."
She swung easily into her saddle, checking to see that the others were ready to go, as well. "We can scout ahead, however, since our present intelligence on the situation is so thin, and perhaps have some semblance of a report ready when you arrive. We might also be able to locate Zarent Rhindaun and inform him of your approach."
They had been with the armies for three days, and had covered less than twenty miles. They made good enough time once they got moving, but the twice daily ritual of either setting up or breaking down camp was almost unbelievably time consuming, and left Jaheira seething with frustrated impatience. Aerie and Solaufein had acclimated sufficiently to horseback to allow them to keep up, and the rest of them were as restless as she; even Anomen was eager to increase their pace, having grown accustomed to the rhythms of traveling with a more compact group, and Wesselan had been persuaded to allow the young knight to travel with them as an envoy for the orders, bearing written missives from the heads of each for Duke Rhindaun.
Wesselan nodded at her words. "A more thorough report on the situation would be welcome," he agreed. "We can send a contingent of knights with you, if you like."
Jaheira shook her head, managing to maintain a neutral expression. "I think that for the purposes of reconnaissance, a smaller, less conspicuous – for the most part," she amended as she caught sight of Linvail's gaudy ensemble, "group would be advisable."
Wesselan followed her gaze and chuckled. "Not exactly inconspicuous, but I don't believe that any would suspect him of being a spy." The Shadowmaster had settled comfortably into his chosen persona, moving between the campfires each evening with his lute, singing, telling stories and flirting outrageously with any female he encountered. So far as Jaheira could tell, however, the only tent he shared was with Viconia. "The blessings of the gods go with you."
OOO
"Why Shar?" Aran asked curiously as he rode beside Viconia. The pair had allowed their mounts to drop to the rear of the small column. "I can certainly understand why you would reject the teachings of Lolth, but is Shar really so different?"
"Do not speak that name, jaluk!" Viconia hissed, glancing around them uneasily before turning her glare back on the human. "And you presume much, to speak of things that you plainly have no understanding of; Shar is nothing like the spider goddess!"
"I ask to learn," Linvail replied, brushing the feather from his hat away from his face, unperturbed by her ire. "What you say of Shar can be said of many other deities, including Eilistraee." He nodded toward Solaufein, who rode beside Anomen. "Why not Her?"
The drow made a noise of disgust. "Because she beguiles the desperate with the false promise of hope," she sneered. "Shar taught me to draw strength from my losses, and to trust no one but myself and the power that She has given me."
"No one?" Aran arched one pale eyebrow. "What of those that we travel with now? Are they not your companions?"
"Expedience," she sniffed. "The only reason that they tolerate my presence is for Jessime's sake; they would abandon me quickly enough, if not for that." Her dark eyes slanted toward him. "And do not pretend that your interest in me is anything more than the desire for my continued presence in your bed; my use for you certainly does not extend beyond that," she added with a sniff.
"Of course," he agreed amiably, seemingly unaffected by her scornful dismissal of their relationship, "but what of Jessime? Or Imoen? What ulterior motives lie behind their treatment of you? Do you hold them in the same contempt?"
"That is none of your concern, jaluk!" she snapped at him, her face darkening with anger. "I travel thusly because it is safer than moving about alone, at least for one of my kind, and because I owe Jessime a lifedebt twice over."
He eyed her shrewdly. "That makes sense, I suppose. Shar does frown on associating with the followers of benevolent deities except as needed for business purposes, but the reasons that you give would certainly qualify as such." He glanced ahead at the rest of the company. "Helm, Baervan, Silvanus, Eilistraee: hardly desirable company for any respectable Sharran."
The drow gave him a flat, unfriendly stare. "If you know so much of my faith, why do you mock me with your questions? Perhaps it is you who should instruct me." Without waiting for a response, she tapped her heels sharply to her mount's sides, cantering away from him.
Jaheira glanced at her as she rode by, then back at Linvail, who gave her an innocent shrug and a wink, looking completely unconcerned. As well he might, the druid reflected with a snort. These little spats occurred at least daily, and sometimes more than that; the drow taking offense at the Shadowmaster's irreverent humor and stalking away, only to return later…by bedtime, at the latest. Jaheira was unsure what subtle tie had been forged between the unlikely pair, but as it had kept Viconia from prowling the ranks of the Orders while they had traveled with them, she had decided that she really didn't care.
"Jaheira?" The druid turned to find that Minsc had dropped back from his position on point with Yoshimo to ride beside her, his expression uncharacteristically troubled. "Boo says that Minsc should talk to you."
She schooled her expression into one of patience; while it was true that the big ranger and his insistence that his 'miniature giant space hamster' could talk no longer irritated her as it once had, it was still something that she could not take seriously. With Jess gone, however, it fell to her to deal with the situation, whatever it was. "What is it, Minsc?"
The Rasheman looked around worriedly, his gaze lingering longest on Aerie, who was in conversation with Anomen and Solaufein. "Could you speak with Minsc further away?" he asked hesitantly. "Please?"
She nodded, pulling back slightly on the reins to slow her mount, letting the others draw away from them until perhaps twenty yards separated them from Linvail, who had been the hindmost in line. "All right, Minsc, what's wrong?"
He turned his eyes downward, and for a long moment, it seemed that he would say nothing; then Boo, who was perched in his usual traveling spot on one broad shoulder, uttered a squeak (coincidence, her mind insisted), and the ranger lifted his head, his face resolute. "Aerie can no longer be Minsc's witch," he declared, his normally twinkling blue eyes clouded with misery.
"What?" Jaheira stared at him in astonishment. He had been utterly devoted to the avariel since accepting her in place of Dynaheir as the witch that he was to protect during his dajemma, and Aerie had seemed quite content with the arrangement. "Did Aerie tell you this?" She dismissed that thought as soon as she uttered it. The elfmaid simply didn't possess enough guile to be chatting so easily with the two other men after having done so; Jaheira was sure of that. "Or did Boo suggest it?" She was mildly pleased with herself for not allowing any of her skepticism enter her voice.
Minsc shook his head vigorously. "No! Boo thinks that Minsc is being foolish, but Minsc knows that he is right. Little Aerie has become a mighty witch, and she deserves a protector who is just as great."
"Perhaps you should listen to Boo." I cannot believe that I just said that. "You are a great warrior, Minsc, and you have done a commendable job as Aerie's protector."
"There are many others who would serve her better," the ranger persisted. "Minsc and Boo are unmatched at kicking evil butts, but…that is not enough."
"Keeping her safe is not enough?" Jaheira cocked her head, watching him closely. "What else would be required…and who would you think better suited than yourself?"
Minsc ducked his head, evading her gaze. "Many knights and paladins have admired her since we returned from Athkatla," he mumbled at last. "While they do not have such wise and steadfast companions as Boo to advise them, they are still mighty warriors, and – and Aerie deserves a protector who can also be a husband to her," he added haltingly, his face suffused with shame.
"A husband?" Jaheira regarded him quizzically, the pieces beginning to come together. "Minsc, I know enough of your homeland to know that a witch's protector and her husband do not have to be one and the same, and frequently are not, unless," she reached out her hand, tipping the big man's face toward her. "Minsc, do you love her?"
The ranger evaded her touch, his face reddening to the point that his tattoos were all but invisible. "Minsc loved Dynaheir as a sister," he whispered, "and if a man had married her, Minsc would have loved him as a brother." His massive fists clenched around the reins. "What Minsc feels for Aerie, he has never felt before, and to see her marry another man…" He shook his head slowly. "Just to see them courting her made Minsc angry," he admitted with obvious shame. "Minsc should return to Rasheman; he is not fit to protect his witch." Boo squeaked at him loudly and turned his tiny black eyes to Jaheira (another coincidence, surely).
"But if you love her, Minsc, why could you not be both protector and husband?" she asked him gently. She had seen the young knights and paladins flocking around Aerie over the previous few days, but she had mistaken Minsc's glower for his usual protectiveness.
Minsc raised his head to meet her gaze, the sorrowful clarity in his eyes something that she had never seen before. "Minsc knows that he is…not right," he admitted sadly. "He is a mighty warrior, but without Boo and his friends to guide him, he would be lost." He lowered his head again, his shoulders sagging in defeat. "Minsc's witch deserves better," he said softly.
Jaheira felt her eyes mist over as she looked at him, remembering Khalid's fumbling, terrified proposal. The dolt had been so certain that marrying a stuttering Calimshite bastard would be beneath her, while she had been waiting with steadily growing impatience for weeks (and had been on the verge of simply popping the question herself). "She will never find a better heart than yours, Minsc," she told the ranger, her voice firm and earnest. "Have you told her of your feelings…and asked her about hers?"
She had never before seen Minsc look frightened. "No!" He shook his head vigorously. "Minsc would not –"
"Why not?" she persisted relentlessly. "Does your witch not deserve a say in this, or were you simply planning to abandon her without a word?" She was bullying him now, and a part of her winced at the harshness of her accusation, but after three years in his company, she knew what it was likely to take to get through to him. "Is that really the kind of protector that you are?"
"No!" Minsc protested, his face such a mask of misery that she nearly relented. "Minsc would never leave his witch without a protector!"
"And should the choice of protector not be hers to make?" she pressed him.
"Yes, but…but what if she wants Minsc to be her protector while she marries another?" His expression became thunderous. "If he does not treat her as she deserves –"
"You knew that was possible when you agreed to become her protector," Jaheira replied, cutting off that train of thought before his anger could take root. "What does Boo think you should do?" she asked, glad beyond measure that there was no one else there to hear it.
"Boo says that Minsc should go to Aerie and tell her his heart," the ranger said, his doubt plain. "He says that Aerie loves Minsc, and would not want him to go."
"And has Boo ever lied to you, or been wrong in his advice?" She was beginning to see a ray of hope.
"Never!" Minsc declared stoutly, patting the rodent affectionately. "But…he is inexperienced in matters of romance. Perhaps he is mistaken –" The hamster squeaked again, actually sounding indignant this time. "Minsc is sorry, Boo," he said contritely, lifting his companion from his shoulder and holding him at eye level in the palm of his hand. "He should trust your judgment."
"Indeed you should," Jaheira agreed, wondering if any Harper had ever conducted a mediation such as this one…and if they would have admitted it if they had; it was damned certain that it would never appear in any of her official reports. Nonetheless, Minsc's feelings and his dilemma were undeniably real; she had grown fond of the big man in their years of traveling together, and her earlier words had been honestly spoken. His mind might not be the greatest in the Realms, but he had surprised her more than once with his simple wisdom, and she doubted that any paladin could best him in courage, honor and heart. From Aerie's behavior in recent weeks, she suspected that the avariel knew this, as well. "Speak with her, Minsc. My feeling is that Boo is right in this, as he is in all things." Except for the use of exploding arrows in confined spaces, she amended silently, feeling for the first time a twinge of amusement at the memory of their experience in the sewers of Baldur's Gate. Now was not the time to remind the ranger of that night, however, though she was fairly certain that her assertion of Boo's infallibility would return to haunt her at an inopportune moment.
Minsc regarded her anxiously, hope and fear warring in his open face. "You – you are sure?" he blurted, his massive hand nervously stroking Boo's fur.
"Nothing is sure, Minsc," she told him, "but nothing worthwhile is won without risk, is it?"
"This is true," he admitted, his brow furrowing thoughtfully before a relieved smile finally appeared. "You are as wise as Boo, sometimes!"
She smiled, accepting it as the compliment that he intended and hearing Khalid's gentle laughter in her mind. "Thank you, Minsc. You will speak with her, then?"
He nodded decisively, then immediately looked worried. "Must it be…right now? Minsc feels as though some of Boo's relatives are running little hamster circles in his stomach." He looked sheepish. "Minsc remembers being afraid, but it was long ago, before he met Boo."
"Take your time, Minsc," she assured him. "Just don't do anything rash without talking to Boo…and me," she added quickly, trying to convince herself that that was what she had intended to say in the first place.
The ranger nodded again, his confidence visibly returning. He cast a final, lingering look toward Aerie before nudging his horse into a canter, moving forward to rejoin Yoshimo.
"Working up his nerve, is he?" Linvail asked in a low voice as she rode past. She gave the Shadowmaster a sideways glance, wondering if there was anything that the man did not notice. He chuckled. "Subtlety is not his strong point, but he's a good man; it's an odd pairing at first glance, but I think they're well matched."
"No odder than yourself and Viconia, I should think," Jaheira observed. "What did you say to offend her this time?"
"I simply commented that she did not strike me as a typical worshiper of Shar," he replied with a shrug. "I have known more than one follower of the Lady of Loss, and She is a stern mistress. Hope is forbidden, as are any ties beyond those of necessity."
Jaheira snorted. "If you actually suggested to her that she accompanies us for any reason besides necessity, then it's a wonder she didn't slap you senseless before she left."
Aran eyed her shrewdly. "Do you believe that is her only reason, lady Harper?"
The druid glanced toward Viconia; the drow rode slightly away from the rest of them, her gaze fixed resolutely ahead, the lift of her head proud and defiant. "I did once," she admitted with a rueful shake of her head. "I don't know what her reasons are any more, and I suspect that she does not, either."
Linvail nodded. "Relationships are odd things," he remarked, his expression unreadable. "They seem to take on a will of their own at times, embarking in directions that one would not have anticipated…or necessarily chosen."
"That sounds like the voice of experience talking," Jaheira told him with a faint smile. "Past, or present?"
The Shadowmaster chuckled, his blue eyes dancing with amusement, but his face still giving nothing away. "A good try, lady Harper, but secrets are one of the few things that a thief holds on to tightly, so you'll have to forgive me if I keep to at least some of my old habits." Sliding the lute from its case, he fingered the strings briefly before coaxing it into a sprightly tune, his skilled baritone rising clearly in the late morning air as he rode forward, leaving her to stare after him, shaking her head in resigned bemusement.
OOO
She awakened in the darkness and lay perfectly still, trying to identify what it was that had roused her. She was not scheduled for a watch shift tonight, and the camp was quiet save for the low crackling of the fire. There was no sense of danger or menace, but there was still an undeniable sensation that she identified after another moment: something – or someone – was watching her.
She cracked open her eyes cautiously and found herself inches from quivering whiskers, a pink nose and two tiny, bright oilspot eyes.
"Boo?" She sat up, her eyes shifting from the hamster beside her to the rest of the camp. "What is wrong? Where is Minsc?"
Why are you asking this rodent?
Boo squeaked at her, sitting back on his hind legs, his eyes fixed on her with undeniable intensity, though he didn't seem particularly distressed…
She gave up; insanity, it seemed, was catching. "All right," she said, easing herself back so that her weight rested on her elbows, bringing her a bit closer to the hamster's eye level. "If it's not trouble, then what is it?" If he spoke to her, she could at least write this whole thing off as a dream brought on by Yoshimo's attempt at cooking dinner.
Boo turned his head toward the ranger's empty bedroll; following his gaze, she realized that Aerie's place was also vacant. A moment's careful listening caught the voices in the still night air: Minsc's deeper tone, punctuated by the avariel's lighter voice, trailing into a happy laugh.
Jaheira grinned in spite of herself. "He finally worked up the nerve, did he?" she said softly. "Good for him." The hamster settled back on his haunches, his front paws grooming his whiskers with an undeniably smug air before looking at her again, his head cocked winsomely to one side.
"Three's a crowd, I take it?" she asked, still oddly unperturbed despite the tiny voice of logic that insisted that she must surely be losing her mind. "At least for the moment?" One tiny black eye closed, then opened in response. "All right." She shifted slightly in her bed, making room on the rolled blanket that served as a pillow. "Just tonight, mind you, and you had better not snore."
She settled back as Boo climbed onto the pillow beside her head and immediately curled into a tiny ball of fur. Closing her eyes, she felt herself drifting back toward sleep.
Did that hamster just wink at me?
