Light Wrapped in Darkness
Smokegirl: Hello! Once again, it's your ever-loveable and psychotically violent Smokegirl, here to brighten your miserable lives with drama!
Folken: We are going to die. Aren't we, guys? Guys?
(Folken turns around to see that the other PCs have run like the Devil himself is chasing them.)
Folken: Oh sh-
Smokegirl: Shut up nature boy! We've got a fic to write!
***
The party rested for a day after the incident with the Planar Sphere. Jaheira and Taurus took this time to sell much of the treasure they had pilfered from the magical machine. They didn't make much headway toward the twenty thousand fee, however, because they also had to repair armour and weapons, purchase ammunition for slings and bows, and purchase new equipment. Particularly, when Taurus spent some three thousand gold coins on a new long sword.
Taurus loved to collect weaponry and the heavily enchanted Blade of roses, with its famous history, proved to be too great a temptation for the Crintri. Jaheira made a few sarcastic remarks about Taurus, but otherwise left him alone. Powerful weapons might end up being the only thing to stand between the party and death.
And so, after a day of rest and relaxation, the gang was back on the road, having picked up a tip about a boy looking for help in the government district.
***
"Um, excuse me sir?" the young boy quivered as he spoke to Minsc. "Are you a warrior?"
"Minsc and Boo are the greatest of warriors small one!" the great ranger reassured the young one. "Point the way to your foes and I will smash them into small, foe-shaped chunky bits!"
The boy was confused. "But I don't have any foes, sir."
"No foes? Then I am glad. I do not trust those who pick on children as far as I can throw them, even if I do manage to throw them pretty far, and throw them I shall!" Minsc's ranting seemed to be interrupted. He leaned down to his hamster and appeared to listen. "Er, Boo wonders what need you have of warriors if you have no foes" he said sheepishly.
The little boy sniffled. "Because I've traveled all this way to get help for my village and no one will, and all my goods have been stolen along the way!"
Minsc was ticked. "What?! I am outraged! And so is Boo! See his fury! It is small, so look close. Trust me, its there. What is wrong with your village, small one? What can we heroes of goodness do?"
"Well people have been disappearing at night. And in the morning, they turn up all mad and inside out!"
Minsc nodded wisely. "Minsc has been inside out and angry before. It even scares Boo sometimes."
The boy blinked. "No sir. I don't mean mad as in angry. I mean mad as in crazy."
"Oh. Minsc has never been crazy before. Being inside out was bad enough. But do go on."
"There's even talk of Umar, the great witch of the hills returning! It's terrible!" The young boy burst into tears, weeping at the hardships his home had to suffer.
"Then truly heroes are needed! Heroes like Minsc and Boo and Taurus. Right Taurus?" Minsc looked at his leader with enthusiasm.
"Righto Minsc! This evil won't stand a chance against us good guys!"
Jaheira sighed as the boy pointed out the location on Taurus' map. He was so bent on goodness that it drove her nuts. It was hard to believe that he didn't like paladins. It was probably the rules and regulations.
Seeing that the business at hand was completed, Jaheira switched her attention to Taurus. "I hope that you plan on going to this village soon Taurus. A trek through the forest would be welcome after this crowded city."
"I feel that I must agree with our druid, abbil", Viconia put in. "I haven't tolerated this much staring since I was a youth in the Underdark."
"Who stared at you?" Yoshimo asked curiously.
Viconia smirked and tossed back her hair. "Need you even ask? The males of Menzoberanzen would follow me with their eyes wherever I would go! My brother was forced to hex quite a few before they would leave me alone."
Aerie grumbled something under her breath. Viconia heard it and smiled. "Always remember, Butterfly. Our gender has power over men...if you wish it!"
"Forgive me if I sound sarcastic, Viconia, but I don't think I need any advice about my love life from you" Aerie said, her voice slathered with sarcasm.
"Hmm" Viconia mused. "Could that be a backbone speaking to me? Perhaps it is."
Unsure of whether or not she'd just been insulted, Aerie scowled but kept silent.
Heaving an invisible sigh of relief that another crisis had been averted; Taurus spoke, striking a pose for dramatic effect. "Then let us hence to the Umar Hills, my dear comrades in arms!" He marched out toward the city gate, ignoring the snickering behind him.
***
Mayor Lloyd looked on the heavily armed and ill-favoured men and women nervously. "Um, hello." His voice shook as he approached the adventurers. "you must be new to Imnesvale. Is there something I can help you with?"
Before Taurus could speak, Minsc pushed to the front. "We are here because the little boy asked us for help, and help we shall give!"
Relief washed over Mayor Lloyd's face. "Then Delon got through? Wonderful! Thank you my lord! Is there anything I can help you with?"
Taurus tapped on Minsc's back to let him know that he wanted through. When he made it to the front of the party, he asked for the details of what was going on in the village.
"We've had a run of killings and disappearance here as of late! People are murdered in their beds or dragged off into the night! And the corpses aren't always found!" The mayor waved his arms hopelessly. "And everyone has their own ideas about what is causing all of this!"
"It's the ogres, my husband."
Taurus turned to see a woman in the shadows by an oven, cooking food.
Mayor Lloyd hemmed and hawed a bit. "Er, my wife." He introduced shortly. "And yes, some people think that this is being caused by a batch of ogres and other renegade soldiers from the Sythsillian army. You'll find them north of the river. Other people think that the trouble is being caused by a large pack of wolves from the neighbouring hills. And still other people seem to think it's all because of Umar, the great witch of the hills."
Lloyd's wife snorted derisively. "Bah! She's been gone for far too long! She won't be coming back!"
"I don't think ogres would do this" Aerie pondered. "If it were wolves, they'd have to be terribly evil. Dire wolves maybe? It all sounds terribly ominous."
"Ogres? Wolves? Witches? Which is the evil? My sword shall find the truth!" Despite the intellectual challenge, Minsc was ready to fight the good fight.
Taurus smiled at his comrades then looked back to Mayor Lloyd. "We'll look into the matter, okay?"
Lloyd looked relieved once again. "Oh thank you! If you need anything, I'm sure that the town merchants will be more than happy to sell it to you. You might want to check on Merella's cabin to the west."
"Merella?"
Lloyd nodded. "Yes. She is our ranger-protector. Or was, rather. She disappeared like the others. The last group of adventurers who came by went to her cabin but I never heard from them again. It was quite tragic. Well" he finished up, "Good luck!"
"Good luck my ass" Viconia muttered as soon as they were outside. "He thinks we're going on a suicide mission! And he stood there smiling!"
"Oh come on! We've faced death before and lived through it!" Taurus claimed.
"Yeah. By the skin of our teeth!"
Jaheira rolled her eyes.
"Okay" Taurus said, changing the topic before anyone got too depressed. "Here's how it'll work. Yoshimo, you go and check out that tavern."
The thief smiled. "Of course." Then he strolled off.
"Jaheira, Viconia, you two go and check out that ranger cabin. It might have a clue."
Jaheira nodded. "Where will you be, abbil?" Viconia asked, shouldering her mace.
"The rest of us will go check on these ogres. We'll all meet Yoshimo in the tavern by nightfall. Okay? Okay. Now lets get down to business."
***
'Business' varied for the party. For Yoshimo, it meant hanging out in the barroom, chatting with Vincenzo, the innkeeper. For Jaheira and Viconia, it meant wandering about in the wilderness and rooting through Merella's old cabin. For Minsc, Taurus, and Aerie it meant a few things.
After spending an hour or so trolling for ogres in the forest, Taurus elected that they all take a brake (Smokegirl: Is that correct grammar?). Not very capable of walking for long distances, Aerie welcomed the rest. Minsc, who was feeling as energetic as a demon with ten thousand helpless peasants at its disposal, went onward to explore the area, leaving fearless leader and his Elvin sweetheart to relax.
And that was just what Taurus was doing. He lay back under a tree and looked up at the birds, smiling idly. It was a beautiful day. And it wasn't only the day that was beautiful.
The Crintri lolled his head to the side to watch Aerie, seated on a nearby log, weave a few flowers together into a circle. Her shining hair spilled won her back and her luminous blue eyes shone with an innocent delight at the creation of such a simple toy. He smiled at her happiness. "It would look better in your hair, you know."
Aerie looked over at Taurus and the look in her eyes made him glad that he was lying down. "Really?"
"Yes. The flowers will highlight your eyes, though they are but a pale comparison."
Aerie giggled. "Oh Taurus, you sound like a bard!"
Taurus shrugged, never losing his grin. "What can I say? You're bringing out the poet in me." He lay back with a hand over his face and assumed a tone of mourning. "Now is the winter of our discontent."
Aerie clapped her hands together, careful not to crush the flower circle. Then she lifted it up and placed it upon her head. It rested gently, the petals rustling in the slight breeze. Taurus sat up and moved over to where the elf maid sat and gently caressed her cheek with a calloused digit. "It's beautiful," he intoned softly. "The only problem is that the flowers will die."
Aerie's smile faltered and it seemed that a tremor shook her. She pulled back slightly, an expression on her face that Taurus couldn't place, though it sure didn't look happy. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."
Aerie shook her head; her blonde locks falling in her face. She brushed them aside with a barely stable hand. "It's not you Taurus. Your talk of dying..." She looked up at him directly in the face. "I don't know why I'm telling you this, but I think you should know."
"For years back, after Uncle Quayle bought the circus, I was still miserable and unhappy that I had lost my wings, my home, my family and everything thing else that mattered to me. I didn't know how to live without it all. I used to lie awake at night for hours, holding a dagger to my throat", she stroked her neck, "Wondering if it would just be easier to give up and die." Aerie looked once more at Taurus. "Do you know how many times I've wanted to die while I've travelled with you?"
Taurus could only shake his head no.
"Never. Not for one single measly second. Not even when the witch is so nasty to me that I just want to scream. Ever since I've been with you it feels as though...as though I can fly again. I can see the world again and it doesn't matter if it's from the ground."
Now her voice shook as she gazed into Taurus' ice-blue eyes. Her hand found his and gripped it tightly, as if afraid of letting go. "I guess what I mean is...thank you."
Taurus smiled at Aerie and didn't speak. He just held her hand and reached up to cup her cheek. She seemed to lean into it.
"Taurus?"
Was it his imagination, or was the distance between their two faces slowly disappearing? "Hmm?"
Their eyes were locked together. "There's something else that I think I should tell you."
He could her warm breath on his face. "What's that?"
"I think I'm falling in lo...mmmm." Aerie closed her eyes as their lips met in a tender, loving kiss.
Taurus was dizzy with emotions and sensations as he kissed the elf- girl. Her soft, warm lips moved against his eagerly. Their hands wrapped around the other's body, never breaking contact once. It was long moments before they parted. Aerie kept her eyes closed for a few more seconds, savouring Taurus' taste. When she opened them she was startled to see Taurus shut his tightly, strong emotion rushing through his face.
"Taurus? What's wrong?" Aerie couldn't bear to see him in pain.
She leaned forward slightly to hear his reply. "No matter what I do" he whispered, "Despite my best efforts, someone I love is going to be hurt."
Aerie didn't know what to say to that. She could only guess that he had strong feelings for her and someone else, probably the witch. She remembered what Jaheira had told her about how Taurus trusted no one but himself to look after his friends and loved ones, and now, though he had tried not to, he was about to hurt one.
Aerie couldn't tell Taurus to drop Viconia for her, and she couldn't walk away herself. What she could do was her very best to comfort and encourage him the way he had her. She wrapped her arms around Taurus' waist and held him. "It will all work out Taurus." She murmured. "Just you wait and see. These things always work out."
Taurus didn't answer back, but he did take the comfort offered. Maybe, just maybe, everything would turn out alright.
***
It turned out that the ogre was on the level. As a matter of fact, Taurus managed to work a deal between the village and the big guy. Mayor Lloyd was a little surprised that the ogre leader, Madulf by name, even wanted to talk to him, but was actually quite interested in an agreement favourable for all parties. That done, it was nearly nightfall, so they went to meet up with the rest of the party in the inn.
"Hey Vicky! We've got a present for you!" Taurus passed the Drow a shield that glimmered with magic. "That ogre guy, Madulf gave it to us. He's quite a nice character, don't you know."
Viconia inspected the shield carefully. It was of medium size and was made of flame-hardened animal leather stretched over a frame. It had also been heavily enchanted, enhancing its already formidable physical capabilities. She smiled at Taurus. "Why thank you abbil. You are quite thoughtful."
Taurus coughed slightly, embarrassed. Jaheira came to his rescue. "So, what did you guys discover?"
Aerie shrugged. "It's not the ogres. Madulf's men have been going missing just like the villagers."
"Can you be sure he was telling the truth?"
Aerie nodded, sure of herself. "It may be immodest of me to say so, but people can't pass off fake fear around me. I've seen too much of it, heck I've been terrified more than most people, and there's something about it that you can't pass off.
Jaheira nodded. "Fair enough."
Yoshimo shook his head slightly. "It may not be the ogres, but there just might be a little something to this story about witches." He held up a book. "There was an expedition looking for this witch a few years back. The mages went off into the hills, but the innkeeper never saw them again. He did however find this journal. It seems that they had a run in with some strange predator." The thief passed the journal to Viconia, who studied it for a moment.
"This is a copy, isn't it?" Yoshimo nodded and Viconia snorted. "Then there's no telling if this is authentic. But" she pulled another book from her pack, "This happens to be Merella's journal. It seems that she also sensed some dark magical doings out in the hills."
"Also these adventurers, led by one Mazzy might I add, seemed to go up into the hills too." Jaheira finished her mug of ale and set it back down. "It seems to me that these hills are the place to start."
Taurus nodded. "I agree. We'll rest here tonight and go out in the morning."
Aerie sighed in relief. "Good. You might think it's a little silly, but at least in the daytime you can see what's coming."
"If this magic is as evil as I suspect then it may not matter whether we go in the light or the dark" Jaheira said slowly. "I've been feeling a...dark presence nearby. I don't know what it is, but it's coming from the hills."
Taurus nodded. "Then that's where this will all come to a head."
***
Smokegirl: Ah yes. A masterpiece of fluff and drama, if I do say so myself.
Folken: You just did.
Smokegirl: Do you have a death wish? If you do, then keep talking! As for the rest of you *glares at audience* get to reviewing, and make it quick! *Goes all cute-eyed* PLEASE???
Smokegirl: Hello! Once again, it's your ever-loveable and psychotically violent Smokegirl, here to brighten your miserable lives with drama!
Folken: We are going to die. Aren't we, guys? Guys?
(Folken turns around to see that the other PCs have run like the Devil himself is chasing them.)
Folken: Oh sh-
Smokegirl: Shut up nature boy! We've got a fic to write!
***
The party rested for a day after the incident with the Planar Sphere. Jaheira and Taurus took this time to sell much of the treasure they had pilfered from the magical machine. They didn't make much headway toward the twenty thousand fee, however, because they also had to repair armour and weapons, purchase ammunition for slings and bows, and purchase new equipment. Particularly, when Taurus spent some three thousand gold coins on a new long sword.
Taurus loved to collect weaponry and the heavily enchanted Blade of roses, with its famous history, proved to be too great a temptation for the Crintri. Jaheira made a few sarcastic remarks about Taurus, but otherwise left him alone. Powerful weapons might end up being the only thing to stand between the party and death.
And so, after a day of rest and relaxation, the gang was back on the road, having picked up a tip about a boy looking for help in the government district.
***
"Um, excuse me sir?" the young boy quivered as he spoke to Minsc. "Are you a warrior?"
"Minsc and Boo are the greatest of warriors small one!" the great ranger reassured the young one. "Point the way to your foes and I will smash them into small, foe-shaped chunky bits!"
The boy was confused. "But I don't have any foes, sir."
"No foes? Then I am glad. I do not trust those who pick on children as far as I can throw them, even if I do manage to throw them pretty far, and throw them I shall!" Minsc's ranting seemed to be interrupted. He leaned down to his hamster and appeared to listen. "Er, Boo wonders what need you have of warriors if you have no foes" he said sheepishly.
The little boy sniffled. "Because I've traveled all this way to get help for my village and no one will, and all my goods have been stolen along the way!"
Minsc was ticked. "What?! I am outraged! And so is Boo! See his fury! It is small, so look close. Trust me, its there. What is wrong with your village, small one? What can we heroes of goodness do?"
"Well people have been disappearing at night. And in the morning, they turn up all mad and inside out!"
Minsc nodded wisely. "Minsc has been inside out and angry before. It even scares Boo sometimes."
The boy blinked. "No sir. I don't mean mad as in angry. I mean mad as in crazy."
"Oh. Minsc has never been crazy before. Being inside out was bad enough. But do go on."
"There's even talk of Umar, the great witch of the hills returning! It's terrible!" The young boy burst into tears, weeping at the hardships his home had to suffer.
"Then truly heroes are needed! Heroes like Minsc and Boo and Taurus. Right Taurus?" Minsc looked at his leader with enthusiasm.
"Righto Minsc! This evil won't stand a chance against us good guys!"
Jaheira sighed as the boy pointed out the location on Taurus' map. He was so bent on goodness that it drove her nuts. It was hard to believe that he didn't like paladins. It was probably the rules and regulations.
Seeing that the business at hand was completed, Jaheira switched her attention to Taurus. "I hope that you plan on going to this village soon Taurus. A trek through the forest would be welcome after this crowded city."
"I feel that I must agree with our druid, abbil", Viconia put in. "I haven't tolerated this much staring since I was a youth in the Underdark."
"Who stared at you?" Yoshimo asked curiously.
Viconia smirked and tossed back her hair. "Need you even ask? The males of Menzoberanzen would follow me with their eyes wherever I would go! My brother was forced to hex quite a few before they would leave me alone."
Aerie grumbled something under her breath. Viconia heard it and smiled. "Always remember, Butterfly. Our gender has power over men...if you wish it!"
"Forgive me if I sound sarcastic, Viconia, but I don't think I need any advice about my love life from you" Aerie said, her voice slathered with sarcasm.
"Hmm" Viconia mused. "Could that be a backbone speaking to me? Perhaps it is."
Unsure of whether or not she'd just been insulted, Aerie scowled but kept silent.
Heaving an invisible sigh of relief that another crisis had been averted; Taurus spoke, striking a pose for dramatic effect. "Then let us hence to the Umar Hills, my dear comrades in arms!" He marched out toward the city gate, ignoring the snickering behind him.
***
Mayor Lloyd looked on the heavily armed and ill-favoured men and women nervously. "Um, hello." His voice shook as he approached the adventurers. "you must be new to Imnesvale. Is there something I can help you with?"
Before Taurus could speak, Minsc pushed to the front. "We are here because the little boy asked us for help, and help we shall give!"
Relief washed over Mayor Lloyd's face. "Then Delon got through? Wonderful! Thank you my lord! Is there anything I can help you with?"
Taurus tapped on Minsc's back to let him know that he wanted through. When he made it to the front of the party, he asked for the details of what was going on in the village.
"We've had a run of killings and disappearance here as of late! People are murdered in their beds or dragged off into the night! And the corpses aren't always found!" The mayor waved his arms hopelessly. "And everyone has their own ideas about what is causing all of this!"
"It's the ogres, my husband."
Taurus turned to see a woman in the shadows by an oven, cooking food.
Mayor Lloyd hemmed and hawed a bit. "Er, my wife." He introduced shortly. "And yes, some people think that this is being caused by a batch of ogres and other renegade soldiers from the Sythsillian army. You'll find them north of the river. Other people think that the trouble is being caused by a large pack of wolves from the neighbouring hills. And still other people seem to think it's all because of Umar, the great witch of the hills."
Lloyd's wife snorted derisively. "Bah! She's been gone for far too long! She won't be coming back!"
"I don't think ogres would do this" Aerie pondered. "If it were wolves, they'd have to be terribly evil. Dire wolves maybe? It all sounds terribly ominous."
"Ogres? Wolves? Witches? Which is the evil? My sword shall find the truth!" Despite the intellectual challenge, Minsc was ready to fight the good fight.
Taurus smiled at his comrades then looked back to Mayor Lloyd. "We'll look into the matter, okay?"
Lloyd looked relieved once again. "Oh thank you! If you need anything, I'm sure that the town merchants will be more than happy to sell it to you. You might want to check on Merella's cabin to the west."
"Merella?"
Lloyd nodded. "Yes. She is our ranger-protector. Or was, rather. She disappeared like the others. The last group of adventurers who came by went to her cabin but I never heard from them again. It was quite tragic. Well" he finished up, "Good luck!"
"Good luck my ass" Viconia muttered as soon as they were outside. "He thinks we're going on a suicide mission! And he stood there smiling!"
"Oh come on! We've faced death before and lived through it!" Taurus claimed.
"Yeah. By the skin of our teeth!"
Jaheira rolled her eyes.
"Okay" Taurus said, changing the topic before anyone got too depressed. "Here's how it'll work. Yoshimo, you go and check out that tavern."
The thief smiled. "Of course." Then he strolled off.
"Jaheira, Viconia, you two go and check out that ranger cabin. It might have a clue."
Jaheira nodded. "Where will you be, abbil?" Viconia asked, shouldering her mace.
"The rest of us will go check on these ogres. We'll all meet Yoshimo in the tavern by nightfall. Okay? Okay. Now lets get down to business."
***
'Business' varied for the party. For Yoshimo, it meant hanging out in the barroom, chatting with Vincenzo, the innkeeper. For Jaheira and Viconia, it meant wandering about in the wilderness and rooting through Merella's old cabin. For Minsc, Taurus, and Aerie it meant a few things.
After spending an hour or so trolling for ogres in the forest, Taurus elected that they all take a brake (Smokegirl: Is that correct grammar?). Not very capable of walking for long distances, Aerie welcomed the rest. Minsc, who was feeling as energetic as a demon with ten thousand helpless peasants at its disposal, went onward to explore the area, leaving fearless leader and his Elvin sweetheart to relax.
And that was just what Taurus was doing. He lay back under a tree and looked up at the birds, smiling idly. It was a beautiful day. And it wasn't only the day that was beautiful.
The Crintri lolled his head to the side to watch Aerie, seated on a nearby log, weave a few flowers together into a circle. Her shining hair spilled won her back and her luminous blue eyes shone with an innocent delight at the creation of such a simple toy. He smiled at her happiness. "It would look better in your hair, you know."
Aerie looked over at Taurus and the look in her eyes made him glad that he was lying down. "Really?"
"Yes. The flowers will highlight your eyes, though they are but a pale comparison."
Aerie giggled. "Oh Taurus, you sound like a bard!"
Taurus shrugged, never losing his grin. "What can I say? You're bringing out the poet in me." He lay back with a hand over his face and assumed a tone of mourning. "Now is the winter of our discontent."
Aerie clapped her hands together, careful not to crush the flower circle. Then she lifted it up and placed it upon her head. It rested gently, the petals rustling in the slight breeze. Taurus sat up and moved over to where the elf maid sat and gently caressed her cheek with a calloused digit. "It's beautiful," he intoned softly. "The only problem is that the flowers will die."
Aerie's smile faltered and it seemed that a tremor shook her. She pulled back slightly, an expression on her face that Taurus couldn't place, though it sure didn't look happy. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."
Aerie shook her head; her blonde locks falling in her face. She brushed them aside with a barely stable hand. "It's not you Taurus. Your talk of dying..." She looked up at him directly in the face. "I don't know why I'm telling you this, but I think you should know."
"For years back, after Uncle Quayle bought the circus, I was still miserable and unhappy that I had lost my wings, my home, my family and everything thing else that mattered to me. I didn't know how to live without it all. I used to lie awake at night for hours, holding a dagger to my throat", she stroked her neck, "Wondering if it would just be easier to give up and die." Aerie looked once more at Taurus. "Do you know how many times I've wanted to die while I've travelled with you?"
Taurus could only shake his head no.
"Never. Not for one single measly second. Not even when the witch is so nasty to me that I just want to scream. Ever since I've been with you it feels as though...as though I can fly again. I can see the world again and it doesn't matter if it's from the ground."
Now her voice shook as she gazed into Taurus' ice-blue eyes. Her hand found his and gripped it tightly, as if afraid of letting go. "I guess what I mean is...thank you."
Taurus smiled at Aerie and didn't speak. He just held her hand and reached up to cup her cheek. She seemed to lean into it.
"Taurus?"
Was it his imagination, or was the distance between their two faces slowly disappearing? "Hmm?"
Their eyes were locked together. "There's something else that I think I should tell you."
He could her warm breath on his face. "What's that?"
"I think I'm falling in lo...mmmm." Aerie closed her eyes as their lips met in a tender, loving kiss.
Taurus was dizzy with emotions and sensations as he kissed the elf- girl. Her soft, warm lips moved against his eagerly. Their hands wrapped around the other's body, never breaking contact once. It was long moments before they parted. Aerie kept her eyes closed for a few more seconds, savouring Taurus' taste. When she opened them she was startled to see Taurus shut his tightly, strong emotion rushing through his face.
"Taurus? What's wrong?" Aerie couldn't bear to see him in pain.
She leaned forward slightly to hear his reply. "No matter what I do" he whispered, "Despite my best efforts, someone I love is going to be hurt."
Aerie didn't know what to say to that. She could only guess that he had strong feelings for her and someone else, probably the witch. She remembered what Jaheira had told her about how Taurus trusted no one but himself to look after his friends and loved ones, and now, though he had tried not to, he was about to hurt one.
Aerie couldn't tell Taurus to drop Viconia for her, and she couldn't walk away herself. What she could do was her very best to comfort and encourage him the way he had her. She wrapped her arms around Taurus' waist and held him. "It will all work out Taurus." She murmured. "Just you wait and see. These things always work out."
Taurus didn't answer back, but he did take the comfort offered. Maybe, just maybe, everything would turn out alright.
***
It turned out that the ogre was on the level. As a matter of fact, Taurus managed to work a deal between the village and the big guy. Mayor Lloyd was a little surprised that the ogre leader, Madulf by name, even wanted to talk to him, but was actually quite interested in an agreement favourable for all parties. That done, it was nearly nightfall, so they went to meet up with the rest of the party in the inn.
"Hey Vicky! We've got a present for you!" Taurus passed the Drow a shield that glimmered with magic. "That ogre guy, Madulf gave it to us. He's quite a nice character, don't you know."
Viconia inspected the shield carefully. It was of medium size and was made of flame-hardened animal leather stretched over a frame. It had also been heavily enchanted, enhancing its already formidable physical capabilities. She smiled at Taurus. "Why thank you abbil. You are quite thoughtful."
Taurus coughed slightly, embarrassed. Jaheira came to his rescue. "So, what did you guys discover?"
Aerie shrugged. "It's not the ogres. Madulf's men have been going missing just like the villagers."
"Can you be sure he was telling the truth?"
Aerie nodded, sure of herself. "It may be immodest of me to say so, but people can't pass off fake fear around me. I've seen too much of it, heck I've been terrified more than most people, and there's something about it that you can't pass off.
Jaheira nodded. "Fair enough."
Yoshimo shook his head slightly. "It may not be the ogres, but there just might be a little something to this story about witches." He held up a book. "There was an expedition looking for this witch a few years back. The mages went off into the hills, but the innkeeper never saw them again. He did however find this journal. It seems that they had a run in with some strange predator." The thief passed the journal to Viconia, who studied it for a moment.
"This is a copy, isn't it?" Yoshimo nodded and Viconia snorted. "Then there's no telling if this is authentic. But" she pulled another book from her pack, "This happens to be Merella's journal. It seems that she also sensed some dark magical doings out in the hills."
"Also these adventurers, led by one Mazzy might I add, seemed to go up into the hills too." Jaheira finished her mug of ale and set it back down. "It seems to me that these hills are the place to start."
Taurus nodded. "I agree. We'll rest here tonight and go out in the morning."
Aerie sighed in relief. "Good. You might think it's a little silly, but at least in the daytime you can see what's coming."
"If this magic is as evil as I suspect then it may not matter whether we go in the light or the dark" Jaheira said slowly. "I've been feeling a...dark presence nearby. I don't know what it is, but it's coming from the hills."
Taurus nodded. "Then that's where this will all come to a head."
***
Smokegirl: Ah yes. A masterpiece of fluff and drama, if I do say so myself.
Folken: You just did.
Smokegirl: Do you have a death wish? If you do, then keep talking! As for the rest of you *glares at audience* get to reviewing, and make it quick! *Goes all cute-eyed* PLEASE???