Journey to the North


Chapter II

Sir Ryan Trawl handed his gloves and helmet to the servant without so much as a glance. Instead, his eyes were roaming the enormous front hall of the Delryn Estate, taking in with a note of appreciation the general feeling of wealth that surrounded him without crossing that delicate line that borders on the garish. It was comfortable, well-kept, and elegant.

That certainly was not Lord Cor's contribution to the decor. The man had loved money and prestige at the exclusion of all else, and had found every chance he could to show the extent of his success. Perhaps that was why he had been so angry when young Anomen had wanted to join the Order. A life of service and sacrifice was something that the old man could not have understood, much less supported. He wanted an heir, someone who would appreciate what he had created, and who would strive to make his small empire greater still.

Sir Ryan smiled to himself. Instead, Lord Cor had been given Anomen and Moira. A lovely daughter, full of kindness and laughter, and a son that held within himself the potential for a greatness that Lord Cor could never have realized. It was on more than one occasion that Sir Ryan had wished that Anomen had been his own son, instead of his squire.

The thought of the young knight brought the paladin suddenly back to his purpose, and he looked around for the servant that had taken his things. He sighed in frustration as he realized that he had been left quite alone, with only the gentle song of the sparkling fountain to keep him company.

He was about to call out when he noticed a figure descending the staircase to his left. He turned and smiled as Kaelis stepped down the last few stairs, then watched in silence as she easily crossed the distance between them, her boots making only the faintest whisper on the polished stone floor.

"Good evening, Sir Ryan."

Sir Ryan bowed slightly. "Lady Kaelis."

She returned his bow with a faint nod, but did not speak for several moments. Instead, she watched him with an unreadable expression, and Sir Ryan realized again just how lovely Anomen's young companion was. Her long cinnamon-colored hair had been pulled back into a loose braid, but several stubborn locks had escaped their confinement, and fell around her smooth ivory face in shining curls. She was tall, nearly as tall as himself, and she met his gaze easily. Her eyes were a brilliant shade of green.

There were some within the Order that claimed that Anomen had been… bewitched by the lady, hypnotized by some dark spell that lurked deep within the emerald pools of her eyes. Sir Ryan had laughed at that. It was foolishness. But as Kaelis continued to scrutinize him in silence, Sir Ryan had to admit that even he felt a bit uneasy under the gaze of those haunting eyes.

At last she spoke, a slight smile touching the corners of her mouth. Instantly, Sir Ryan's uneasiness vanished.

"I was just coming to see you, Sir Ryan."

He nodded, letting out a deep breath and returning her smile. "I thought you might be."

Kaelis' smile widened faintly, and she arched a delicate eyebrow, waiting for him to continue. For a moment, he was unsure quite how to begin. There was much to say. With a quiet sigh, Sir Ryan looked at his hands. "The truth of the matter is, My Lady, is that…"

"Kaelis."

His eyes lifted quickly at the interruption. In hers, he saw a mixture of amusement and embarrassment, and a faint blush touched her cheeks. Sir Ryan chuckled under his breath. The Lady Kaelis and her companions had become legends along the Sword Coast. She was the daughter of a god, the savior of the city of Baldur's Gate, and still she shifted uncomfortably under any kind of praise.

Sir Ryan bowed deeply, his smile wide. "You will forgive me, my Lady, but I must insist."

She groaned softly and closed her eyes, putting a slender hand to her forehead. "Do you know, Sir Ryan, that even to this day Anomen frequently calls me "my lady?" After everything we've been through. I can't think of how many times I've asked him to stop, but I think he does it just to torment me…." It seemed that her hand began to tremble slightly, only slightly, and her voice trailed into silence.

Sir Ryan waited a polite moment, then cleared his throat. He began gently, "It is of Sir Anomen that I wished to speak to you, my Lady."

She lowered her hand and opened her eyes, and he continued before she could voice the question in them.

"You know that a number of months ago, Sir Anomen left with a regiment of soldiers for the Silver Mountains to the north. He was to look into the disappearance of several Order soldiers in the area, and also to investigate rumors of trouble near the village of Kanfael and the nearby fortress of Duruth'Usk." Kaelis nodded, so he went on. "At first the reports were regular and said nothing out of the ordinary. After a few months, it was a fortnight between reports, then three tendays. Then they stopped altogether. We have not heard from him in nearly three months, nor from any in the regiment he commands. The Order fears what this might mean, and concern now overshadows any reservations we may have had in…."

"Only now?" Kaelis' voice was decidedly cool.

Sir Ryan continued quickly. "Concern now overshadows any reservations we may have had in asking the help of those outside the Order in locating and aiding our armies in the North."

There was a long pause, and Sir Ryan felt his earlier uneasiness return. He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it again quickly, unsure quite how to continue.

Kaelis saved him the trouble. "You're asking for my help, Sir Ryan."

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Yes, my Lady."

She paused for a long moment.

"And your superiors? Do they know you're here?""

He hesitated only briefly. "The Order is sending reinforcements to the North in the hope that they will be able to locate and support their brethren."

Kaelis paused again, then shook her head. "But you don't think that will be enough."

Sir Ryan took a deep breath and folded his arms over his chest, looking at the ground briefly before he answered. "Lady Kaelis… The first party of scouts that traveled to Duruth'Usk equaled forty men. A few fighters, clerics, mages. There had been news of trouble, but we could be sure of nothing. When the first reports came in, and we realized for the first time the extent of the problem, we sent another group of men, solders with experience fighting the sorts of creatures that had been described to us in the preliminary reports…."

Kaelis nodded and waited silently for him to go on. He chose his next words carefully. "It was only after their reports stopped coming that we approached Sir Anomen with the offer of one hundred men under his command, if he would travel to Duruth'Usk and… investigate."

Sir Ryan smiled. "He refused. Most vehemently, in fact. I must tell you that it made for an interesting meeting."

Kaelis smiled faintly. "I don't doubt it."

Sir Ryan chuckled. "There aren't many men who will take on the entire Council, but Anomen Delryn is not the man he was a few years ago." He looked at Kaelis earnestly. "He wanted to take you with him, my Lady. Please believe that. And there were those who agreed with him, myself and Lord Firecam among them, but…." He shook his head and held out his hands helplessly.

"It was only after much… discussion that he accepted the charge, and he left soon for the Northern Lands. As I said, and as I am sure you are already aware, there has been absolutely no contact with Anomen or his men for some months."

Kaelis' voice was scarcely more than a whisper. "I am very aware of that fact, Sir Ryan."

He paused again for a moment. When he spoke again, his voice was low and earnest. "Sir Anomen is a valiant knight, my Lady, and has proved himself a great leader. If any Knight of the Order could succeed in Duruth'Usk, Anomen could." He shook his head. "Something has happened. I want to find out what, exactly, that something is."

It was some time before Kaelis spoke. "And what, exactly, is it that you want from me, Sir Ryan?" Her voice was calm, but in her eyes Sir Ryan could see a fleeting glimpse of the pain she was trying desperately to hide.

He spoke in a low voice. "I ride in two days' time to Duruth'Usk with reinforcements. One hundred fifty men." Kaelis opened her mouth to speak, but Sir Ryan continued quickly. "If we ride hard, we can reach the village of Kenfael in a tenday. It is a few days northeast of the city of Baldur's Gate. That is where the trouble began, and near the camp where we last heard from Anomen's patrols."

Sir Ryan paused, then said more quietly, "I would ask that you ride with us, Lady Kaelis. Yourself, and any others that you feel could be of help."

Kaelis said nothing. She closed her eyes for a long moment, then opened them and fixed Sir Ryan with an intense stare.

After what seemd an eternity, he took a step toward her, anxious at her stillness. "Help me find Anomen, Kaelis. Please."

She watched him for several seconds in continued silence, then nodded softly. "We have already made preparations for the journey, Sir Ryan. Imoen and myself. I have also written to Jaheira and Minsc, and have been assured by both of them that they will be in Athkatla before sundown tomorrow."

Sir Ryan let out a sigh of relief. "I cannot express my gratitude, my Lady."

Kaelis shook her head. "You don't need to, Sir Ryan. I am as anxious to find Anomen as you are." The faintest hint of a smile touched her lips. "In fact, I fear that had you not asked us to accompany you on this… excursion, you would have found yourself with several shadows very difficult to shake."

Sir Ryan chuckled. "I've no doubt of that, my Lady. Your assistance and your company will be most welcome." He extended his hand, and Kaelis took it. He bowed over it, then stood and looked once again into her eyes.

"We will find him, Kaelis."

"I know."

Sir Ryan smiled and released Kaelis' hand. "Then we ride in two day's time. My men and I will be at the north gates of the city in the hour before dawn.

Kaelis nodded slightly. "And we shall be at the north gates of the city an hour before that, waiting."

"Thank you, my Lady."

Kaelis nodded again and looked over Sir Ryan's shoulder. He turned to follow her gaze and saw that the well-trained servant had reappeared at the door, waiting with his gloves and helm. In a moment, he had retrieved them and stood before the open doors of the Delryn Estate. He paused only briefly to look back at Kaelis, who stood in the hall where he had left her, watching thoughtfully. He smiled and bowed softly, then turned and put a foot on the threshold.

"Sir Ryan…?"

He turned, startled at her voice, and the faint tremor he thought he heard within it.

"Yes, my Lady?"

Kaelis paused for a moment, then said softly, "May… Helm guide on our path."

Sir Ryan's smile widened, and he nodded. "Indeed, my Lady. Helm guide us all on our path."

With that, he turned again and stepped into the night.