Chapter Twenty-Six: Nashkel

Kathryn's Rest, 20 Hammer, 1370 DR

 Outside the inn, the snow was falling heavily, laying a white blanket across the isolated village of Nashkel, so-called the wart on Amn's backside. Nalia sat at a table in front of a large fire, sipping delicately at a glass of Tethyrian red, savouring the delicate blend of flavour. At the table alongside her, Anomen and Keldorn sat, in silence, watching the snow fall outside.

 Nalia imagined Kathryn sitting in this inn, at this very table, with Jaheira, Khalid, Dynaheir and Minsc, wet from rain, tired from travelling, and weary from all the questions that needed to be answered. Back then, Kathryn had been just a fledgling bard, just learning the trade, learning the ways of adventuring.

 And now she was a god.

 There was something sacred to Nalia, about sitting in a piece of her friends past; part of her friends past that she herself had not belonged to. This inn was thick with a resonance, of sort, thick with the power that normally stayed in a place that a god remembered well, that a god had walked within.

 The innkeeper was keen to tell stories about the goddess, and in an effort to pull in more customers, he had renamed the inn, Kathryn's Rest. Nalia smiled to herself. It would all help the people of Amn to realise that there actually was a goddess, a new goddess, in the heavens now. A new goddess who knew what it was like to be human, who knew what it was like to be defenceless and alone in the world.

 Keldorn asked, "Have you heard where the remnants of the Order are hiding?"

 Nalia whispered, "Somewhere in the hills… the locals said that every few days, a few knights will come down, talk to Berrun Ghastkill, the Mayor, and then return to the hills- apparently they are fighting a continuous battle against undead and necromancers."

 "Zhentarim?" queried Anomen.

 "I'm not sure. Probably some of them are. When necromancers gather in enough numbers to keep three hundred knights of the Order busy, then something powerful must bind them together. Of all wizards, necromancers are perhaps the most self-serving. It comes of having to spend all day with half-rotten corpses."

 A faint smile appeared on Keldorn's face. "Well, it doesn't really matter today. Tomorrow, we can travel south, up into the mountains, and see if we can locate these paladins. I doubt they will have heard the news of our Order's destruction, yet."
 Anomen growled, his eyes narrowed. "It is not destroyed yet. Just scattered. Once I have these three hundred knights under my command, I can begin to gather the rest- and then I can join Nalia in her fight against the Sythillisian Empire…" He paused. "When will you travel to Eshpurta, my lady?"

 Nalia said, "As soon as everything here is in order. I want to make sure that there are several people left to carry on the fight should I fall… though I do not intend to fall. I will defeat these upstart ogres, and then I shall return to Athkatla in triumph."

 They remained silent, the fire crackling furiously.

*

 The camp of the knights was bedraggled and worn. There were far more knights present than Nalia had expected. There were about three thousand of them, all wearing sooty armour, dented weapons, and bruised helmets. Their horses were tired, sweaty and shivering in the cold.

 Anomen was pale. "This is the full strength of the Order. Three thousand knights were dispatched to various locations throughout Amn. Three hundred here, single knights to odd manor houses, one hundred to the south… three thousand were sent away, and now they have all come here…"

 A thought wormed its way into Nalia's head. "Then they already know about the destruction of the Order in Athkatla, and they gather here under the banner of the Prelates son… Anomen, you must not let his son rule in your stead."

 The priest of Helm said, "And why not? Why am I any more suited to ruling the Order than the son of Wessallen? Nalia, just because you wish it so, does not mean it should be. You may want the Order to be nothing more than just another political tool, but I will not let that happen!"

 Nalia narrowed her eyes, and such was her anger that the de'Arnise staff started echoing her emotions, crackling with red lightning. She said with cold clarity, "I do not want the Order as slaves, Anomen. But the war has come, and a war calls for the brave, wise, and favoured of the gods to lead. Heribert is young, and noble- he will be a great leader for the future, but not now. Now, it either has to be you, or Keldorn."

 The older paladin coughed. "No. I am here to serve, not to be served."

 The wizard de'Arnise nodded. "Then it must be you, Anomen. It must be you."

 They walked in silence towards the camp, and within seconds they were spotted by sentries, who cried out in alarm. Nalia whispered, "Anomen, you must speak to them. I am your guest, nothing more…"

 Anomen nodded. He knew exactly what the Order would do if they thought Nalia controlled their group. If Nalia had the power, and Anomen- who appeared to be part of Nalia's retinue, wanted to gain control of the Order- it didn't bear thinking about. No, better to let the paladins know that Anomen was completely separate from the de'Arnise name and heart…

 What an odd choice of word… heart…

 "Hail, Lord Anomen, and Lord Firecam! It brings us great pleasure to see two such great knights present and safe. And the Lady de'Arnise? Well, we are honoured this day. Welcome."

 Nalia saw a young man walking towards them, wearing simple armour and carrying a longsword ingraved in powerful Helmite runes. His helmet was a dark ebony black, and rested atop his head, the symbol of the ever-seeing eye emblazoned upon it. Immediately, she bowed: "Sir Heribert."

 The young man smiled, though it was slightly hidden by the metal of the helmet. "I have not looked upon your face for a while, my lady… not since three summers ago, when I visited your estates…"

 It was difficult to imagine that Nalia and Heribert were the same age. But they were. Whereas Heribert had remained in Athkatla, and trained his martial arts and paladin skills until he was judged ready, Nalia had been flung out into the world of adventuring, ready to be chewed up and spat out as something new.

 "You seem well, my lord."

 A shadow passed across his eyes. "As well as one can be during such times… as well as one can be… I was not exaggerating, my friends, when I said I was glad to see you. I really am. To know we have three heroes in our midst…"

 Anomen spoke then. "I take it you have heard of the events in Athkatla?"

 Heribert nodded. "Knights have been arriving in the mountains for the past few days, transported by scrolls and magic… my father made sure all paladins and knights had scrolls to take them to safety, and most knights knew I was here, so they teleported her with the magic… we are three thousand strong, and we are ready to bring vengeance upon the evils that have risen in Amn."

 Keldorn said, "A worthy sentiment…"

 There was a pause, in which nobody knew exactly what to say. Finally, Nalia decided to break the silence, by saying, "Heribert. The Council has given me control of sixty thousand warriors. They are assembling at Esmeltaran. After I have spoken with you, I will teleport myself south, to lead them against the ogre magi… in this, I will need the Order united, ready to defend Amn in the event that I fall."

 Whispering, Keldorn said, "And for the Order to be united, we need a leader. A leader ratified by Helm."

 Heribert sighed. "So that is why you are here. To take control of these knights away from me- do you know that my father served long and well these knights? He did not turn away from his duty once, and now you wish to strip this last command from me?"

 Anomen answered quickly, his voice firm and confident. "The office of Prelate has never been an inherited one, Heribert. The leader is marked by Helm- thus is the way it has always been."

 A simple nod from Keldorn made the young knight bite his lip. "Then it appears I have no choice. Come, let us gather the knights then, and elect a new Prelate from the ranks. Let us hope Helm is not so disgraced with our failures that he will turn from us in disgust and ridicule."

*

 "Warriors of justice, honour and duty. We are gathered here, to honour the tradition of our Order. In the interests of this meeting, I now step down from my temporary leadership, to be counted as equal amongst you all… now, those who consider yourselves worthy to be considered as leader of the Order, step forward."

 As he said this, Heribert stepped into the centre of the camp, and bowed before the campfire… Anomen did so also, as did perhaps twenty other knights. They removed their helmets, and knelt before the fire.

 "Helm, answer our prayer. Helm, answer our prayer. Helm, answer our prayer."

 The chanting of the knights rose to a fever pitch, and Nalia felt dizzy as she sensed the power rolling within their voices. The fire rose higher and higher, and she noticed the colour change from a dull mixture of red and yellow, to a brilliant, gleaming white. Nalia gaped at the beauty of it, as the magic of prayer rose higher and higher into the air, gleaming and iridescent.

 Gently, all but two people kneeling before the fire were lifted into the air, and then placed, still kneeling, along the edge of the rough circle that remained around the campfire. Still the prayers continued, and Nalia saw that the two people remaining were Anomen and Heribert.

 The white light grew even brighter, so much so that it rivalled the light of the stars above them- Nalia however, could not look away, so fascinated was she by this strange magic. The fire continued to rise, and then it tumbled downwards, consuming both Anomen and Heribert… Nalia gasped, thinking Anomen had been burnt by the fire, but in an instant, the fire disappeared, and so did the firewood, leaving a single rock on which was engraved the eye of Helm…

 And standing, girt with the purest white armour, with a single circlet of silver bearing the eye of Helm, in the centre of undulating applause, was Anomen- and Heribert kneeled beside him, tears tumbling unashamedly down his face, silver as the circlet and the stars above the campfire.

 Nalia smiled.

 It was time for the salvation of Amn to begin.