The Tale of Negrath Chapter XXVIII.

Having gotten to their feet, and received Bodhi's ultimatum, the group spent precious moments welcoming their long-missed thief-mage back with them. Jaheira insisting on a lengthy stint alone with the younger woman, while the others were left to check on what they had been allowed to take with them. Surprisingly, they found that everything that had been in their packs upon entering Spellhold, were still there…

Returning with the somewhat empty-eyed girl at her side, Jaheira almost literally handed her to Keldorn;

"You take care of this child now, my friend. She could need to get a reminder how a real father would be like."

Nodding, the paladin did his best to replace what little shadow Imoen caused, never straying far from her side, gauntleted hand resting on the hilt of his sword, and eyes restlessly scanning the dark openings the stairs in the room led up to.

Having picked one, and letting Jaheira scout ahead, Imoen using her thiefly skills to scan for traps, Negrath herded the group into the one to the right of Bodhi's "podium". Soon finding that the only danger to be found where of their own making, they left the scouting to the thief. Making camp in a room off the main corridor, inside of which were lines of statues, covering every piece of wall the room had.

At the center of the relatively small room, were a chest Imoen quickly deemed harmless, before extracting from it a number of small, everyday items of little to no value in such a place. Aerie, however, soon discovered that each of the stonemen had inscriptions at their base.

Soon the two were busy guessing at the strange riddles, going over the inscriptions both a second and third time as the first emptying of their little riddle-inventory gave no result. Quickly determining which was in question and which was not, they soon enough heard a satisfying noise from the chest. So had the others, and gathered around to see Jaheira pull out a water opal that seemed to be somewhat unusual in it's reason for existing, and a strange gem-like item which seemed made for some kind of attachment.

Aerie snapping the strange item out of her hands, the avariel stared at the thing in her hands;

"An Ioun Stone! I thought they were just something to build stories on!"

Somehow managing to fasten it to her head, she sat down where she stood, closed her eyes, and where effectively gone from the world. Shaking their collective heads, the rest of the group set to studying the stone that had accompanied the head-device, trying to figure out what was so special about it.

Eventually Jaheira smiled in relief;

"Now I know why it feels so strange…there are energy flowing from it that usually is absent in such things…it must be a part of something that will only work when combined with it."

"A key." Negrath stated, eyes quizzical.

"It might be…or perhaps it -requires- a key of some sort."

Nodding, the group settled down to whatever activity they found necessary prior to a few hours of sleep, as Negrath delivered the gem to Viconia;

"Here, you hold onto it. It might just prove useful."

Looking strangely at him for a moment, she smiled wryly, tossing it in her pack;

"Trying to make me feel like I matter, eh?"

"No. You know you do. But important things belong in the pack of those that are the least likely to get killed by a swing of an opponent's blade. And while Aerie appears to be meditating on her acquisition, Jaheira's pack is already full."

"Nonsense." Were the amused retort; "The pack that can't find room for that little rock, is not to be found in this group."

Smiling, Negrath shook his head;

"Ok, ok, you're right. I'd just feel safer about it if it were with you."

"Can't imagine why." The Drow replied, patting the hammers in her weaponbelt, before digging the gem back out of her pack, and dropping it where only a strike severe enough to cut open both the leather armor and the cloth within, might cause it to be lost…

Hearing her chuckle, he blinked, lifting his eyes from where they had attempted to follow the supposed "key".

"A coin for your thoughts." She grinned, ears playfully perking.

"…I think you know." He smiled.

"In that case…here." She replied, fishing a coin from her purse and pressing it into his palm, before moving to push the doors shut.

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Last modified on September 2, 2001
Copyright © 2001-2003 by Hans-Olav Bråtun. All rights reserved.