Chapter 23: One Step Forwards…
They were thrown a considerable number of suspicious glances as they entered the Order's headquarters. Anomen was looked at as if he were mad, and Yoshimo… well, the bounty hunter had never been in such an openly hostile environment. Had Delryn not been there, the thief was quite sure he would have made one step inside.
It took all of the cleric's control to ignore the looks as he desperately wished Yoshimo had waited outside as he had suggested. But the bounty hunter had been intent on coming along, most likely simply to irk him. It was working.
They started towards Sir Ryan Trawl, who was deep in discussion with Keldorn just off the main hall, and Anomen felt his heart begin to sink. This was bad. This was very bad. Most likely Keldorn was reporting to Ryan, and thus he would know all of Anomen's affiliation with his iniquitous group.
Sir Ryan's face lit up as he saw his squire, however, and he gave Yoshimo no second look. "Anomen! You have spent far too long away from the Order, young squire. But from what Sir Keldorn here is telling me, you have been doing quite well for yourself in your absence."
Yoshimo resisted the urge to roll his eyes as Anomen veritably beamed with pride. "I thank thee, Sir Ryan," the squire responded happily. "However, much as it pains me, this is not quite a social call. There is a grave matter that my party has had to deal with for which I could use your assistance."
"Of course," his mentor responded brightly. "If there is any assistance you require, we shall attempt to give it to the best of our abilities." He ignored the dubious look the Kara-Turan threw him.
Delryn grew a little more nervous as he considered how to proceed. Duchinov, despite lacking in morals, was a nobleman of the city, and implicating him in a theft, however definite they were, could have vicious consequences. "It is in regard to the Count Duchinov… the merchant?"
Keldorn's face lit up, and Anomen became increasingly confused as to the Inquisitor's intentions with the surveillance job he was performing as he spoke. "Ah yes, Duchinov… he is having a ball the day after tomorrow, is he not?"
Yoshimo raised an eyebrow, mildly amused by the paladin's actions as his intents became even more cloudy. "That is one of the matters we wished to find out about, yes," he responded levelly, smiling a little tightly.
Trawl grinned, and shook his head. "Squire Anomen, the rumours told me that you were on a quest of great proportions, and you are concerning yourself with the social occasion which is the most talked about in Athkatla?"
Firecam smiled about as tightly as Yoshimo had, and shrugged. "I believe our young friend has his reasons," he answered sharply, then turned to Trawl. "Permit me to have a word with your squire, Ryan… I think I can be of some help to his cause."
Anomen's superior raised an eyebrow, but nodded and headed back towards the main hall as Keldorn turned to the other two. "It… ah, it may not have been such a good idea for you to bring your friend along," the Inquisitor told Delryn, gesturing at Yoshimo.
"I said as much," Anomen replied dryly. "He never listens to me." At this, the bounty hunter grinned broadly, and gave a small half-bow, having decided now to keep a bit quieter in this horde of the forces of righteousness. "But why are you willing to help us?"
The Inquisitor met his gaze evenly. "I am not your enemy, Anomen. I am not even the enemy of that Bhaalspawn whose company you remain in, for as long as he walks a righteous path. And, as he is walking a righteous path, I feel it is my duty to lend you assistance.
"I know of your expedition into the Cowled Wizards headquarters," Keldorn continued, and the colour drained from Anomen's face. "Do not worry yourself, Squire Delryn, I am of the opinion that those mages interfere far too much in the affairs of others and a small set-back to their conniving plans is so much the better."
"Ah… good," the squire sighed, recovering a little. "Then you know of what has befallen our party concerning the Count Duchinov?" he continued, hoping that Keldorn could solve their problem, because the remaining option was to go to the Delryn Estate and see what Lord Cor had to help them.
"I do. That man has always been trouble in this city, and if evidence of his illegal activities are found I shall do my best to bring him before the courts," Keldorn muttered, a little bitterly. "If you wish to retrieve your property, you would do well to use his ball as a starting point. Alas, as you know, it is invitation only…" Firecam's voice grew more considerate. "If you are truly desperate to pursue this course of action, your father received an invitation. I doubt he would have an intention of going, so you could make use of it."
Anomen's face sank. "I suspected as much," he spat, grimacing. "The Gods seem to revel in torturing me with this damnable quest I have embarked on," he continued in a mutter, glaring at Yoshimo.
The bounty hunter met his gaze steadily. "It does not seem too much torture," he commented. "Your estate is in the Government District; 'tis but a short walk. All we need is some simple assistance from your family."
"I would rather tight-rope walk across the abyss than go to my father for help!" Delryn snapped back irately.
* *
"Your virulence knows no bounds, brigand," Anomen muttered to Yoshimo as the two of them approached the Delryn Estate. The Kara-Turan had made short work of the squire's excuses, throwing in a generous number of reminders of Jaheira's lack of patience, but he truly did not understand the dilemma he had placed the cleric in.
"This shall be a simple matter," the bounty hunter responded. "And I grow weary of your whining, priest. Show a little backbone; all you are doing is going to visit your family. Not even you could perform a sin to distance yourself from your own blood."
Anomen didn't answer, simply shrugged sulkily. "He shall not let us in; of that I guarantee you," he muttered angrily, shaking his head at how ridiculous this situation was, trying to hide the full extent of how unwilling he was to get involved in the upcoming, inevitable confrontation.
"Would you wish to go back to Jaheira and inform her that there was a chance we could gain access to the ball, but we did not investigate it because you did not want to?" Yoshimo demanded irately. "I shall ensure she knows the full truth if we do."
"I would rather face a thousand angry Jaheiras than confront my father at any time. He is sure to be drunk at this hour," Delryn responded gloomily, the significance of such an observation flying over Yoshimo's head.
"Then that will make everything so much easier," the bounty hunter attempted to reassure him, not wondering to any great extent why the squire was so worried about this encounter with his father. Western family culture was not one he was fully aware of, but he doubted it was anything that warranted such a display of nerves.
The guard at the doors was wearing a battered suit of armour, looking as if it had been pieced together with a sheet of metal, a fist, and nothing else. He was leaning heavily upon his dull halberd, and only gave them a cursory glance as the two of them approached the doors.
"Lord Anomen," he greeted Delryn quietly, yet respectfully, although there was a slight slurring to his words. Yoshimo believed it was fatigue. Anomen feared it was alcohol. "You are, as always, welcome, though I do not believe Lord Cor is in much of a state to see you at this hour."
"As it always was," the cleric responded bitterly, frowning deeply. "Is he awake?" The guard shook his head, and Anomen nodded thoughtfully, his face lighting up as if a great weight had been removed from his shoulders. "Is my sister in?"
The guard nodded this time. "Aye, the Lady Moira is indeed. I believe she would be very happy to see you, Lord Anomen. Her father seems to have kept her in most of the past month." The servant shifted a little uncomfortably, then his voice dropped. "He has been more than a little tyrannical in his regime, if you'll forgive me for saying so, sir."
"You know that there is not a word against my father you can utter which shall offend me," Delryn responded firmly, pushing the doors to his estate open and stepping inside. Yoshimo noted how tense he was, a sort of fight-or-flight stance, and his pace was tentative, preparing to flee if necessary.
As the thief had expected, his comrade's home was large and stately, and out of habit he found himself cataloguing the various valuables, pricing them and mentally noting which fence would make the best use of them. Realising that Anomen's eye was on him, clearly aware of what he was doing, he pasted an impassive look on his face and started to try and work out what had the squire so fearful.
He noticed it almost immediately as they passed the sitting area and he spotted the man sprawled, unconscious, on the couch. The jaw line and shape of the face made the family resemblance between him and Anomen quite clear, and the stench of alcohol – accompanied by the empty bottles that lay underneath the chaise longue – made it quite clear what Anomen had to fear from his father.
Their movement out of Lord Cor's immediate vicinity was swift and silent, for, upon realising what this situation was, Yoshimo was as unwilling as Anomen to bring the hells of an alcoholic father upon them.
Delryn turned to face Yoshimo as they waited in the hallway, at the foot of the staircase to the upper levels. "You see now?" he hissed, seeing comprehension in the bounty hunter's eyes. "You see now why I did not want to come here? If he were awake…" He repressed a shudder, and looked away.
Yoshimo felt a small amount of pity for the man, then suppressed it as he realised how Anomen would take such an unwanted sentiment. "Your sister… could she also help us with this invitation your family was rumoured to have received."
He nodded. "That is why I asked if she were present. No doubt the ball would interest her more than my father." Any escape from the brigand's house would be seen as most fortuitous, though it is doubtful he'd let her leave without his being there… and he would not want to set foot upon Duchinov's estate. Though not as hated by his family as Saerk Farrahd, Duchinov's competition in the market had not made him appreciated by the Delryns.
"Anomen!" His name was uttered in a delighted yet hushed whisper, and the two of them turned to see a young woman – more a girl, really, probably not yet twenty – rushing down to meet them. Yoshimo assumed it was his sister, which was confirmed at the warm embrace they then shared. It was quite clear that, in their father's tyranny, they had united to form a very special and close sibling bond.
"Moira!" her brother exclaimed in a similar tone, then the beam on his face died and his expression became regretful as they pulled apart. "I'm sorry I could not see you sooner… but I know father would not allow me to come here, and my work has hardly given me a moment's rest in the past few months."
A small excuse, the bounty hunter realised. Concealing the fact that his father was the true reason, diminishing how much the old man commanded him. Moira would clearly know of Lord Cor's effect on her brother, so the Kara-Turan presumed it was for his benefit.
She gave him a questioning glance, and Anomen turned apologetically. "Ah, forgive my rudeness, sister. This is Yoshimo, one of my comrades and a member of the party that I have joined on my current quest."
Yoshimo bowed deeply, flashing her a quick smile and a look that would make Anomen bristle. "A pleasure to meet you, fair lady," he murmured respectfully, choosing at the last second to not irk the cleric by kissing his sister's hand. He was clearly under enough stress as it was.
She met his gaze evenly and gave him a smile of her own. "The pleasure is all mine, Yoshimo-san." His delighted expression at her acknowledgement of his culture was swept under the carpet smoothly, but still acknowledged by her. Moira then turned to Anomen. "So tell me, brother, what has brought you here?"
He quickly recounted their quest and what had befallen them, leaving out a few odds and ends – Keldorn's intervention, their involvement in the Skinner Murderer, playing down Bodhi. "So you see, sister," he finished quietly, "we would be most indebted to you if you could help us."
"Ah, so you came out of business rather than a desire to seem me?" Moira asked, though Yoshimo noticed the playful expression on her face, and reasoned that the family's sense of humour must have all gone to her.
Anomen looked mortified. "Moira, if I had known that I could see you this easily, I would have been here every day!" he declared, with touching conviction. "But you know what happened the last time I passed by…"
They nodded quietly, both lost in their own memories of what had clearly been a dark day. Yoshimo decided to leave them to it for the moment, until Moira broke the silence. "I… I shall go find the invitation, brother. Father had no desire to go; he will not even know that I have given it to you." With that, she turned and hurried up the stairs.
Neither of the two men spoke – Anomen merely glowered at Yoshimo, who ignored his glares entirely as they waited – until she returned. The scroll, which had the broken seal of Duchinov's house on it and was now bounded by a red ribbon, was handed to Anomen silently.
"I thank –"
He stopped his gratitude as a grunt from the room behind them, where Lord Cor had been slumbering, was heard, and a look of barely-controlled fear crossed his face for a fraction of a second.
"You should leave," Moira hissed, and her brother clearly agreed, though the reluctance to do so was written all over his face.
"Once this quest is complete, I should have proven my worthiness for knighthood," Anomen whispered in reply. "Then I will have the power and the resources to take you away from this place, away from him."
"Moira? Who's there?" a voice from the sitting area bellowed, and Yoshimo presumed it was Lord Cor's from the expressions of both siblings.
Go, she mouthed at them both, then swept past and into the sitting area. As Yoshimo yanked a reluctant Anomen towards the back door, he could hear her assuring Lord Cor that there was nobody, and he had simply imagined it.