-"Jaheira!" the young swordswinger called, stumbling slightly as he pushed
through the door, momentarily spotting her running towards the northern
town border, in all probability intending to getting into the forest beyond
as quickly as her legs could carry her.
As he rounded the house she had disappeared behind, he stopped: in front of him where a wall that, if it were the wall of a flat-topped house, could have sheltered Minsc without a problem.
Atop that, where spikes he had no interest in challenging the effect of. He idly wondered if she had cared what she risked in her need to reach green growing things…
Making an effort, he closed his eyes, gathering his mind about himself like a cloak…a cloak inside of which nothing mattered.
Opening his eyes, he looked at the imposing wall,…and saw naught but a path he could walk.
Grabbing hold of the top of the stone wall, he swung himself up to stand hip to point with the spikes that had just recently been the most intimidating sight around…now, it wasn't even that:
Grabbing hold of two of them, just below the jagged point, where the "handle" still were smooth, he vaulted over, releasing them as he flew across the border of local civilization, and landed in a crouch, a weapon aimed at the fleeing Harper.
In his state of not caring what he saw, her tracks could just as well have been signs the size of Minsc's blade.
But in the back of his mind, he still cared, and used the information gained through his relaxed, Kai-enhanced senses, to propel the lethal weapon his body where, even without his blades, in a quick-footed pursuit.
Soon, he had gained sight of her, and not really wanting to make a tackle his first action towards her, kept a steady pace, following at a safe distance ("safe" being relative, considering he was chasing a Druid through a forest)
Seeing her slow down, evidently entering an area of the animal-plagued woodlands she felt particularly comfortable in, he decided to switch tactics slightly, and began taking an active interest in the outcome of the makeshift chase;
Slowly moving closer, he danced from tree to tree, hiding behind a bush or two if no tree were near enough to be convenient, and eventually found himself eye to eye with a misty-eyed Druid, staring blankly at him from where she sat, leaning against one of the more massive trees he had seen, it would probably require at least four of Minsc to form a circle around it…
Returning his now Kai-free attention to his companion, he concluded that he probably wouldn't help matters by staying hidden when she obviously had seen him. He could only guess at her reason for keeping quiet…and his guess would have made no sense if it hadn't been for her numerous little "talks" with him…most of them made before Viconia had joined, he suddenly remembered.
Finding no words, he simply sat down beside her, looking at her from the corner of his eyes…she had made no sign of being aware of his presence.
-"Jaheira,…"he began, shutting his mouth like a rat trap when she turned to look at him.
-"Tell me." She demanded hoarsely, "tell me that you do not prefer the thought of her over the thought of me. Tell Me."
-"I…what thought would that be?" he queried dumbly, attempting to buy precious moments…he didn't deal well with women in such conditions…not at all.
-"Don't play the fool, when you already got me in that role! Tell Me!"
-"I…I prefer neither."
-"Aerie, then?" her tone had lessened somewhat in intensity as that possibility presented itself…
-"No, I do not consider her at all."
-"Then at least do her the favor of telling her so! Or are you perhaps afraid that she'll leave with all the precious mage-spells you've gotten her?"
-"…no…"
-"Then why!?!"
The thing that had prevented her from speaking before, had evidently taken a quick vacation, he mused, wondering what to say, and relieved that the business with Viconia seemed to have left her mind entirely…
Seemed to.
-"Spells are the bread and butter for a spellcaster. What do you think you are doing, tossing them spells they normally would have had to look for in a hundred libraries to piece together?
And to give Viconia the spell of Ultimate Heal you found on that Gnoll? Are you aware how much more Aerie could have done with that?"
-"I honestly thought you were sharing the spells more than one of you could use?"
-"…Are you aware what a spellbook -means- to a spellcaster? Burn it, and you'll burn them with it!
Every spell in that book is a quality she has above all others. Whatever spells she is the only one to have, she keeps close enough to engrave into her heart with the very parchment it's written on! And you expect them to SHARE?!?"
-"…"
-"How Khalid could accept that I walk with you, I'll never know…IRENICUS!!!" she suddenly yelled into the branches above them, making Negrath throw startled eyes upwards to see if the hated mage was really there, studying them with that blank gaze of his.
Jaheira wasn't done with that;
-"I'll hunt you to the ends of whatever realm you may escape to, and when I get my hands on your filthy hide, I'll make you wish you had been given to a mob of angry Drow!!!"
-"And I believe Minsc will want a hand in that, as well…" she added, after a moments consideration.
Turning to the human male beside her, he became aware of the reason her speech were no longer impeded, the block had elevated to her eyes, and now materialized itself as precious few, yet eternally heavy tears…though her eyes scorched his face with their fire:
-"Male." She began, voice hoarse from the previous strain, combined with a measure of intent, rather than sadness;
-"I will travel with you to find Irenicus and pay him back…once that is accomplished, you would be wise to watch your back…*Bhaalspawn. *"
-"….I…I don't know what to say…"
-"…get Aerie." Was her only reply, the stability of her tone belying the salty tears reforming in her eyes.
-"I could…"
He was interrupted as she slapped him soundly across the face, the force seemingly comparable to that of her magically enhanced quarterstaff.
Glancing once at her face, he got to his feet and delegated every reserve of strength his Kensai physique could muster into his legs, being back over the wall and storming up the stairs of the inn within moments, praying to every divinity he could recall the name of that the cleric of that gnome- god would be in her room. He had no interest in failing this as well…who knew, Khalid might start haunting him instead…
As he rounded the house she had disappeared behind, he stopped: in front of him where a wall that, if it were the wall of a flat-topped house, could have sheltered Minsc without a problem.
Atop that, where spikes he had no interest in challenging the effect of. He idly wondered if she had cared what she risked in her need to reach green growing things…
Making an effort, he closed his eyes, gathering his mind about himself like a cloak…a cloak inside of which nothing mattered.
Opening his eyes, he looked at the imposing wall,…and saw naught but a path he could walk.
Grabbing hold of the top of the stone wall, he swung himself up to stand hip to point with the spikes that had just recently been the most intimidating sight around…now, it wasn't even that:
Grabbing hold of two of them, just below the jagged point, where the "handle" still were smooth, he vaulted over, releasing them as he flew across the border of local civilization, and landed in a crouch, a weapon aimed at the fleeing Harper.
In his state of not caring what he saw, her tracks could just as well have been signs the size of Minsc's blade.
But in the back of his mind, he still cared, and used the information gained through his relaxed, Kai-enhanced senses, to propel the lethal weapon his body where, even without his blades, in a quick-footed pursuit.
Soon, he had gained sight of her, and not really wanting to make a tackle his first action towards her, kept a steady pace, following at a safe distance ("safe" being relative, considering he was chasing a Druid through a forest)
Seeing her slow down, evidently entering an area of the animal-plagued woodlands she felt particularly comfortable in, he decided to switch tactics slightly, and began taking an active interest in the outcome of the makeshift chase;
Slowly moving closer, he danced from tree to tree, hiding behind a bush or two if no tree were near enough to be convenient, and eventually found himself eye to eye with a misty-eyed Druid, staring blankly at him from where she sat, leaning against one of the more massive trees he had seen, it would probably require at least four of Minsc to form a circle around it…
Returning his now Kai-free attention to his companion, he concluded that he probably wouldn't help matters by staying hidden when she obviously had seen him. He could only guess at her reason for keeping quiet…and his guess would have made no sense if it hadn't been for her numerous little "talks" with him…most of them made before Viconia had joined, he suddenly remembered.
Finding no words, he simply sat down beside her, looking at her from the corner of his eyes…she had made no sign of being aware of his presence.
-"Jaheira,…"he began, shutting his mouth like a rat trap when she turned to look at him.
-"Tell me." She demanded hoarsely, "tell me that you do not prefer the thought of her over the thought of me. Tell Me."
-"I…what thought would that be?" he queried dumbly, attempting to buy precious moments…he didn't deal well with women in such conditions…not at all.
-"Don't play the fool, when you already got me in that role! Tell Me!"
-"I…I prefer neither."
-"Aerie, then?" her tone had lessened somewhat in intensity as that possibility presented itself…
-"No, I do not consider her at all."
-"Then at least do her the favor of telling her so! Or are you perhaps afraid that she'll leave with all the precious mage-spells you've gotten her?"
-"…no…"
-"Then why!?!"
The thing that had prevented her from speaking before, had evidently taken a quick vacation, he mused, wondering what to say, and relieved that the business with Viconia seemed to have left her mind entirely…
Seemed to.
-"Spells are the bread and butter for a spellcaster. What do you think you are doing, tossing them spells they normally would have had to look for in a hundred libraries to piece together?
And to give Viconia the spell of Ultimate Heal you found on that Gnoll? Are you aware how much more Aerie could have done with that?"
-"I honestly thought you were sharing the spells more than one of you could use?"
-"…Are you aware what a spellbook -means- to a spellcaster? Burn it, and you'll burn them with it!
Every spell in that book is a quality she has above all others. Whatever spells she is the only one to have, she keeps close enough to engrave into her heart with the very parchment it's written on! And you expect them to SHARE?!?"
-"…"
-"How Khalid could accept that I walk with you, I'll never know…IRENICUS!!!" she suddenly yelled into the branches above them, making Negrath throw startled eyes upwards to see if the hated mage was really there, studying them with that blank gaze of his.
Jaheira wasn't done with that;
-"I'll hunt you to the ends of whatever realm you may escape to, and when I get my hands on your filthy hide, I'll make you wish you had been given to a mob of angry Drow!!!"
-"And I believe Minsc will want a hand in that, as well…" she added, after a moments consideration.
Turning to the human male beside her, he became aware of the reason her speech were no longer impeded, the block had elevated to her eyes, and now materialized itself as precious few, yet eternally heavy tears…though her eyes scorched his face with their fire:
-"Male." She began, voice hoarse from the previous strain, combined with a measure of intent, rather than sadness;
-"I will travel with you to find Irenicus and pay him back…once that is accomplished, you would be wise to watch your back…*Bhaalspawn. *"
-"….I…I don't know what to say…"
-"…get Aerie." Was her only reply, the stability of her tone belying the salty tears reforming in her eyes.
-"I could…"
He was interrupted as she slapped him soundly across the face, the force seemingly comparable to that of her magically enhanced quarterstaff.
Glancing once at her face, he got to his feet and delegated every reserve of strength his Kensai physique could muster into his legs, being back over the wall and storming up the stairs of the inn within moments, praying to every divinity he could recall the name of that the cleric of that gnome- god would be in her room. He had no interest in failing this as well…who knew, Khalid might start haunting him instead…
