The Life and Times of one Gedragon of Candlekeep, a Man of Wealth and Taste

Volume 1: The Son of Two Fathers

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'Surely no mere mortal who has at all gone down into himself will ever pretend that his slightest thought or act solely originates in his own defined identity.'

-Herman Melville

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'Where love rules, there is no will to power, and where power predominates, love is lacking. The one is the shadow of the other.'

-Carl Jung

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'For I am a weed, Flung from the rock, on Ocean's foam, to sail, Where'er the surge may sweep, the tempest's breath prevail.'

-Lord Byron (Childe Harold)

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'(Roxanne): "There are two of you. One that kills and one that loves." '

-Apocalypse, Now

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'Children begin by loving their parents. After a time they judge them. Rarely, if ever, do they forgive them.'

-Oscar Wilde

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Prologue

"So. We are all here Gorion, now will you tell us what's the occasion?"

The middle aged man in white robes glanced towards the anxious looking young woman who had asked the question and smiled. He gave her no other immediate reply. Gorion was a tall and well built man of about forty. He had black hair and icy, light blue eyes which gave him an aura of cool and detached intellect. When he was angered, he could often stop a would be attacker on his tracks with a scornful, piercing look. Presently however, his eyes twinkled with affection and warmth as he regarded the striking brunette who was nervously fidgeting with one of her braids.

The small group of friends had gathered in a quiet tavern, in the town of Daggerford which was located in the wild and dangerous part of the Realms known as the Savage Frontier. It was the last day of the Year of the Morningstar, 1350 by Dale reckoning and snow was gently falling outside. Gorion and his companions had chosen a table in a dark and shadowed corner, preferring to meet discreetly. The tavern was otherwise nearly empty and the sky was darkening outside. Momentarily lost in thought, Gorion listened to the happy sounds of children playing outside in the snow.

"Gorion...?"

This time it was another of his companions, a handsome man wearing expensive silk clothing under his worn traveling cloak and absentmindedly strumming a lute of elven design. The melody was familiar, one the man had often played with more feeling during their travels. Gorion started to answer, but closed his mouth abruptly and turned around when he heard a noise behind him. It was the barmaid.

"I'm sorry sirs and ma'ams, but I took the liberty of warming some milk for the..." she began in an earnest, friendly manner before seeing the grim faces surrounding Gorion.

"Thank you kindly, my dear girl." he smiled at the barmaid and gave her a silver piece.

"Thank ye kindly, master. The Lady's blessing over ye!" the girl beamed back and retreated with a curtsey.

Gorion turned back towards the gathering.

"Hand him to me, Dermin" he asked the young man who had stopped strumming his instrument.

Dermin handed him a bundle of clothing from beside him, which the wizard (for that's what Gorion was) took delicately.

"Hello Ged." he said to the baby, which had just woken up.

"I didn't realize the young one had a name already." the young woman remarked, drawing a smirk from Dermin and a gentle smile from another, red headed man who was seated next to her.

"It's a f-f-fine enough name, m-my dear." the second man said with a slight stutter, drawing amused glances from all others except the woman. He blushed beet red at showing his nervousness.

"Hmph. Ged?" the woman scowled, but her eyes twinkled with obvious affection as she shot a quick glance towards the second man, whose face was now as red as his hair. Gently, she took his hand and gave it a slight squeeze.

"Short for Gedragon, my... brother." Gorion replied her, now feeding the infant with the milk the girl had brought.

"Your broth-? Gorion, I didn't know you had a brother." a third person joined the conversation, his voice gruff with age. He wore a brown cloak and kept to the shadows.

"He is no longer among us, but I shall always remember him. As will many who honor his memory with harp song."

The latter part drew knowing glances from the red haired man and the young woman. Dermin showed no visible reaction. The others stayed in the shadows.

"Gorion, I... WE must know what you intend to do! I heard what happened with... how you..." the woman demanded, simultaneously highly agitated and at a loss for words.

"Yes, my friend. Tell us what thou intendest." spoke yet another voice, this one old as well but tinged with hidden humor.

Gorion smiled and looked at the deepest shadows from where two glittering eyes stared back like pieces of flint.

"You already know what I'm planning, old friend. You've always read me like a book." He grinned, seeing an answering wink from the shadows.

"Mayhaps so, but our younger friends here, who were NOT part of thine recent ordeal wish to know why thou hast decided to give up the adventuring life. I suppose thou ought to tell them." This drew a gasp from the red haired man and the young woman.

"Gorion, you can't. You CAN'T!" the woman hissed, her beautiful features darkening and her eyes wide with anxiety.

"I'm sorry my dear, but this is something I must do. I've seen too much death. Too many useless sacrifices, too much..." he remarked, at first to her and then almost to himself. Now he had everyone's attention, except the owner of the twinkling eyes and the sarcastic voice who already knew everything and was concentrating on smoking his foul smelling pipe.

"It's about her. Isn't it? It's about that-" the woman began, but quieted down when Dermin shot a warning glance at her and shook his head slightly.

"This boy... I have taken him as my own to raise." Gorion's words had a note of finality and impending doom in them and his audience was enraptured, waiting for him to continue.

"His mother is... dead. His father is... For all practical purposes, I am his father now. Those of you who know what is behind my decision know the gravity of what I'm about to do. Those of you who don't..." here he glanced at the young woman and the red headed man.

"Please don't take it as a slight. I love you all dearly, but I think I might just love this child ever so slightly more. What he has gone through... More than anything, he deserves a good home and a decent, loving parent to take care of him."

Dermin smirked and opened his mouth to make a comment but thought better of it and took a sip from his mug instead.

"I am tired and old, unhealed wounds cause me much pain. Perhaps this gentler undertaking will do me some good. Perhaps not. But I WILL retire."

Gorion glanced at each of his companions. He saw understanding and acceptance on the faces of his older friends, indifference on Dermin's and puzzlement and hurt on the faces of the young woman and the (equally young) red headed man.

"Don't worry, you two." he said to them, with a smile. "For you, the adventure is only beginning."

"You have proven yourselves, but you are young yet. Someday you will understand my decision."

The red headed man smiled at him but his female companion still looked unhappy. Gorion knew what ate at her.

"I didn't leave you out of the last mission and all of this secrecy for no good reason or because I didn't trust you or value you." he said, looking at her in the eyes. She held his gaze for a moment, before blushing and lowering her head.

"I did it because it would have killed you." Gorion continued, his voice even but tinged with deep emotion.

"I love both of you so very much, you are two of my dearest friends." he continued, oblivious to seeing Dermin roll his eyes and scowl in contempt. The pipe smoker didn't miss this, however, and his sharp eyes narrowed at the sight.

"You are young, however. Those who harp don't use their fledglings like the Black Network or the church of Bane, throwing them away in useless attempts at assassinating Elminster the Sage or the King of Cormyr." this comment drew amused titters from the crowd and a grunt from the pipe smoking gentleman.

"No. We need you, and it would have been worse than murder to take you with us on that horrid task. As you know Delshera, Cirriq and dear, sweet Bulda perished there. I have taught you all I can and I believe you will be of great assistance to Dermin here," he pointed to the now genially grinning man in question, "wherever he may take you. As you know he is quite the hellraiser and will provide you both with plenty of adventure. I know he values you both. After all, I have him to thank for the pleasure of knowing you in the first place."

The mention of their fallen comrades seemed to have saddened the red haired man and the woman both, but while the man had already accepted Gorion's decision, the woman still looked rebellious.

"I don't like this. But..." she drew a deep breath, "It seems I have no choice." she remarked, her eyes downcast. "If you ever need us, ever, just send a word and I promise you we will spare no expense to get to you. I owe you my life and that's not a debt I will forget. EVER!" she finished, her voice thick with emotion.

Gorion nodded at her, sighed and focused his attention towards the baby once again. The infant had finished feeding and was making pleased, gurgling sounds. The child had deep blue, almost violet eyes. "Her eyes!" he realized with a jolt and blinked twice in rapid succession. He felt a tear trickle down his cheek.

One by one, his companions excused themselves from the table and left to their lodgings until only the old man smoking his pipe was left.

"What is thine intended destination, my friend? Thou will have to be careful. In fact, thou will have to look over thine shoulder for the rest of thy life, or at least as long as this here young man remains in thy care. 'Gedragon' indeed!" he harrumphed.

"I had to honor her memory somehow." Gorion answered evenly, not looking at his companion.

"Verily, but doth her memory need honoring, I wonder?" his companion remarked, almost to himself as her drew back to the shadows, drawing a long puff from his pipe.

"As to where I intend to go, I don't know yet. South, perhaps. Waterdeep is too busy with intrigue. Perhaps somewhere in the vicinity of Baldur's Gate?" Gorion replied.

"Thou dost understand that those who harp will stay out of this affair?" The older man replied, his eyes narrowing.

Gorion met his gaze without wavering and nodded.

"I understand. It IS a foolish endeavour I grant you, but I believe everyone should have a chance for a decent retirement. Or upbringing." he said to the older man, who had put out his pipe and shakily risen to leave.

"I wish thee well then, Gorion my friend. And thou also, young Gedragon. If thou amountest up to half the good thine adopted father did so far in 'is life, thy wilt have proven 'im right."

The old man walked out into to night and vanished into the swirling snow. Gorion sat there for a long time by himself, gently rocking the sleeping baby Ged and thinking of the dark past and the uncertain future.