Authors note: I'd like to thank Lord Valentai for beta reading for me. Thanks a lot!
A dark brown hawk perched on Caldor's shoulder and snapped at the loose strands of hair that hung from his face. The Paladin skimmed the sheet of parchment he had in his hands before he looked at the hawk.
"The letter is ready my friend...are you prepared?"
The hawk nipped at his cheek affectionately in response.
Caldor rolled up the paper and tied it to one of the hawk's legs. He removed the bird from his shoulder and balanced it on his forearm.
"Fly swiftly; I would like them to arrive sometime this evening."
The hawk launched off his arm and soared high into the sky before disappearing over the rooftops.
Caldor watched the bird until it was out of sight then turned and stared up at the building known as the Board Laid Bare. His eyes lazily drifted over the front of the wood and brick structure. The swollen wooden boards near the bottom...the chipping brownish-red paint on the door... the fading sign that hung over the door and the dirty windows.
Hmm...
His attention shifted to the cobblestone under his feet. The minute cracks in the stone were laced with green moss. Tiny yellow and purple flowers were dotted haphazardly through the moss. Small droplets of water splashed against the stone as it began to rain. Caldor sighed and looked back at the building.
His hand rose to the hilt of his blade and he squeezed it gently. His fingers grazed over the supple black leather and rested on the green pommel stone. It was dirty and scratched but it glowed with a dull green light.
His milky green eyes centered on it, watching it quietly as the light flickered and pulsed gently. He wrapped his hand around and squeezed it then let his fingers roll over it lazily as he lifted his hand off the hilt. The light had gone out.
Caldor lifted his hand to his face and watched the small green flame dance on his fingertip. He smiled and sucked it in, breathing deep as it flowed throughout his body. The draconic magic comforted him slightly.
Caldor sighed wistfully and began to unbuckle his breastplate. Once it was off he slung it over his shoulder and walked toward the tavern entrance. He opened the door slowly and scanned the inside of the tavern. It was surprisingly busy...well not really.
He closed the door quietly and began to undo the neckties holding together his leather undershirt as he walked toward the bar.
Kellisai watched him as he approached and sat down at the bar. "Give me a bottle of Elven Wine," He said. He dropped 10 gold pieces on the bar.
"Sir, you don't have to..."
"Yes I know but the wine doesn't pay for itself."
Kellisai took the gold as she handed him an unopened bottle.
"Rough day for you m'lord. I heard about what happened. It has been the talk of the tavern today."
He quirked an eyebrow, "Really? Huh, I half thought this place would be deserted after my fit at the 'execution'." He looked around the room as he stood up.
"Nah, it has been the reverse actually. People have been in and out all day. We've made quite a profit."
Caldor nodded slowly, "I see...well I'm going upstairs. If Sharwyn or one of the kids asks for me, tell 'em that I am in my room."
"Right-o boss." Kellisai said.
Caldor ran up the stairs and into the suite, tossing his breastplate on top of his bag near the wall. He slipped out of his undershirt and boots and tossed them on top of the pile along with his bracer. He removed his shin guards and dropped them atop the rest of his armor.
He stared at the bottle of Elven Wine then popped the cork and took a swig as he walked toward the balcony. He opened it wide and stared outside. The rain had fully started though it wasn't raining too hard. He walked outside and looked up at the dark sky. Caldor welcomed the raindrops as they hit his face. He turned around and climbed up the side of the building and sat down on the roof. He took another swig of the wine and watched the district silently. His thoughts instantly switched back to his friend Tomas and the others that were lost at the Hold.
He bowed his head and whispered a short prayer for the lost souls. Something he hadn't had time for at the Hold itself. The rain increased in strength a little and he shook the excess water off his head.
"A smoke would be nice right about now..." He said to himself though he didn't really mean it. He rarely smoked and tobacco didn't taste all that great anyway.
He lay back onto the roof and drank some more of the wine.
'Heh, Sharwyn is going to kill me if she catches me like this.' He thought with a smile. Caldor turned the cork over in his hand and eyed it before putting it into his pocket.
'I am tired of the city now.'
"So... you'll be okay?" Sharwyn asked as she reached out towards the doorknob.
Aribeth pushed back her hair and looked up at her friend. "Yes I'll be fine. Just get going okay. You still need to talk to Caldor."
Sharwyn watched the elf as she stared out the window. She knew her friend was hurting but honored her request to be alone. "If you need anything...you can find us at the Board Laid Bare. The bartender will let you up. I will...see you later Aribeth."
Aribeth simply nodded but continued to look outside. 'Raining again...'
Sharwyn rushed through the city quickly. She was getting wetter by the minute and she wished that she could reach the inn quicker. "Damn this city for being so large." She jumped over the puddles and used back alleys to reach the Blacklake gate quicker.
Once inside she ran a straight path through the servant's quarters aided by the numerous alleyways. Soon she was inside the noble district and leaned on her knees to catch her breath. She looked up and pushed her wet hair out of her face, then continued on her course to the inn.
At the door, she shook off the excess water and wrung out her hair a bit before going into the building.
Kellisai smiled and waved at her, "He's upstairs...sulking I think... with a bottle of wine for company. He'll be glad to see you."
Sharwyn nodded at her and leisurely walked toward the stairs. She went up slowly as she caught her breath and walked quickly to the suite once she reached the second floor.
"Caldor." She said quietly as she walked into the room.
Sharwyn searched the room for him and noticed his armor in a pile near the wall. She dropped her own things and went over to the fireplace. She quickly lit a fire and looked around the room again.
"Caldor..." She saw the balcony doors open and walked outside. He wasn't on the balcony.
"Hmm." She looked around then turned to look up at the roof.
"Caldor are you up there?" She waited for a few minutes then smiled when he finally poked his head out.
"You're back." He jumped down from the roof with the nearly empty bottle in hand.
"Why are you drinking?" Sharwyn took the bottle from him and swirled it around in her hand before drinking what was left. "And sitting in the rain."
"I like the rain." He responded quietly. Caldor looked her up and down, smirking a little.
"Mmm...you're soaked."
Sharwyn raised an eyebrow at him and walked back into the suite. "Obviously, now get in here before you get sick."
He followed her and closed the doors and the curtains.
"How is Aribeth?"
"She's fine. She just wants to be alone for a while." Sharwyn tossed the bottle aside and removed the rest of her leather armor. Caldor watched her appreciatively and walked up behind her.
"I wonder...are you as tense as me?" He asked quietly as he wrapped his arms around her waist. His fingers slid along the bottom hem of her shirt and he nudged her cheek.
Sharwyn leaned back into his arms and stared calmly into the flames, "Not entirely...Caldor...?"
"Mm?" he mumbled as he rested his chin on her shoulder.
"I want to talk to you." She turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck, "You were just so upset earlier...I want to help if I can."
Caldor watched her silently and smiled. He leaned down and kissed her on the nose.
"All right, if you would like to talk then so be it."
Sharwyn let go of his neck and sat down on the rug. Caldor sat down next to her and stretched his feet toward the fireplace. "What exactly do you want me to talk about?"
"Tell me anything you want to."
Caldor looked at her curiously, "But...I thought you had something particular you wanted to talk about."
"No... after Fenthick's death...something in you just seemed to die. Like...something more than Fenthick's death was bothering you. You also said that you felt as if you had failed him but it was not your fault."
Caldor's eyes focused on the flames as he sat silently. "I did fail. I let an innocent be killed."
He looked down at the carpet and followed the intricate pattern with his gaze.
"There is something more to it. Please Caldor. Tell me...you might feel better afterward." Sharwyn watched him expectantly.
Caldor looked back at her and stared into her eyes. The azure orbs stared back at him hopefully. '...Like the ocean.' He had always liked the sea in its tumultuous serenity. Looking into her eyes calmed him and he sighed.
"Do you remember when you asked me how I became a paladin?" He asked calmly.
"Yes...you said that you just met a Watcher in the woods."
"Well that is untrue. There is more to it. I am...sorry for being untruthful but it brings up painful memories."
Sharwyn hugged his arm and smiled at him, "Then it is important that you talk about it."
He stared back into the flames and brought his left leg back towards him, resting his arm on top of it.
"When I was 50 years old, still a child, my father was captured and accused of numerous crimes in a small village not far from the forest below our home. Murder, robbery, rape...they were only a few of the things those...people charged him with. Of course he did nothing of the sort. It was because he was half-dragon that they accused him of these crimes. It was mostly the jealousy of one man, Marcos Nelimen, which put him in that situation. He owned the local brothel in the town. He was jealous of my father because he was married to my mother, Tess, whom Marcos was in love with." Caldor paused and shuddered.
"I hated that brothel. Every time I walked near there those...whores would leer at me and try to coax me towards them. But that was when I was a bit older and had to go through the town to get to another place. I would have gone around completely if it was not so time consuming and dangerous."
He paused a moment and stared into the flames hard. He gritted his teeth a little before speaking, "They made it a game to capture me when I was nearing my adolescent age. I had grown quite tall and appeared to be a man though they knew otherwise. Whenever they got their hands on me they would...try to...force themselves onto me."
Caldor stopped a moment and swallowed hard as he stared at the fireplace.
Sharwyn watched him silently, barely able to contain her shock and anger at such abuse.
After a few more minutes he continued. "They never got far as I would always escape. They even tried enlisting the help of some of the male prostitutes and also some of Marcos's goons. Once they had me pinned down onto a table. There were no customers so they decided to have some fun with me I guess.
One of the whores that had been around the longest was particularly fond of teasing and trying to have her way with me. The others were watching and laughing hard at me as I struggled to free myself. Nelimen was there as well grinning like the bastard that he was. As she was taunting me and groping her way up my legs, I managed to kick myself free and brought myself upright on my hands and flipped over the heads of the men holding me down. I ran out the door, never looking back. After that they were never able to get me into or near that brothel again."
Caldor glared at the flames and curled his lip. Sharwyn rubbed his arm comfortingly, "Caldor...I'm so sorry. I never thought-"
"Never thought I had a shitty childhood? Well it would be hard for anyone to guess wouldn't it?" He said spitefully. "Just because I'm not a mean son of a bitch or a very bitter person doesn't mean that I didn't suffer. Don't think my family didn't do their best to console me. They did. I have a loving family and after a few stern warnings from the dragons in my clan they never attempted to attack me in any form again."
Sharwyn stared at him, barely holding back the tears. Caldor noticed this and his expression of rage was quickly replaced with calm and reassurance. "I'm sorry love; I didn't mean to ramble so. You did not need to know that."
"No, Caldor, I did. If I am to know and understand you, this is the best way." She wiped the tears from her face.
He watched silently as she calmed herself down, gently rubbing her hand. "I'm sorry nonetheless. My past has upset you."
"It's alright Cal, I am fine. Please...just continue if you would still like too." She told him.
"The brothel was the main source of revenue in that town so Marcos had the ear of the council. Not like they were any better. They were scum. The good people that lived in the village kept their heads down to avoid being blackmailed or worse. My father, Jinjec, was beaten within an inch of his life before they finally decided to hang him. I was there...I cried and screamed for them to stop. They didn't listen to me. Who would listen to the bastard mongrel son of a half-dragon? I was kicked aside. The council's bratty children jeered at me, dancing around singing 'Poor little mongrel, your bastard daddy is going die!'"
Caldor stopped and looked at Sharwyn curiously. "Do you think I'm a mongrel?"
Sharwyn smiled at him and shook her head, "Now why would you ask a silly question like that?"
He shrugged, "Just wondering. But answer honestly, do you look at me and think 'mongrel'?"
"At first, yes, but that matters not now does it?"
"No."
"In any case I think you are rather exotic and it is most appealing if you have not noticed."
He smirked and nodded, "Fair enough. Now where I was...ah yes...my father was strung up and the council was ready to hang him. Out of the blue a Helmite paladin shows up with a group of vandals tied up and following behind. Now you're probably thinking 'a Helmite...wouldn't a Tyrran paladin been more appropriate'. Yes, if it had been the case but the paladin happened to be passing through, thankfully. Well he presented the real culprits and ordered them to release my father. The council and Marcos tried to argue but when he threatened swift justice to those who harmed innocents they let him go. This human paladin enthralled me. Sir Antony Shipp was his name."
Sharwyn's eyes opened wide, "He was related to Tomas then?"
Caldor nodded sadly, "Yes. Tomas was his grandson."
He swallowed hard and looked down at his hands. "Sir Antony became my hero. He had saved my father and helped my mother and I nurse him back to health. During that time he had told me about his faith and Helm."
He stared at the floor sadly, "I feel like I have failed him... I wasn't there for Tomas or the other Helmites. I could not help Fenthick. They died because of my ineptness. I failed Aribeth too..."
"Caldor...it was not your fault. You were helping us here in Neverwinter. The guards were holding you down. You can't blame yourself for these things."
"The Hold was attacked before I had arrived. If I hadn't decided to go to the Neverwinter Woods before heading here I would have been able to stop Desther and prevent them from helping to spread the cure. I could have freed myself from the guards! I could have prevented all of this but I didn't!"
"Stop beating yourself up! There was nothing you could have done! You had no idea that Desther would come! You just can't save everyone all the time. You're only one person." She glared at him, and then tried to calm herself a little.
He did not look at her. Instead he sighed and continued where he had left off.
"I did not seek Helm immediately once I had come of age. No...that came...later."
Caldor leaned back and stared up at the ceiling, "Can we...stop now. I don't want to talk anymore."
"Caldo-"
"NO!" He winced and shook his head, "I mean...no I don't want to talk about it." He squeezed her hand affectionately. "Maybe another time."
Sharwyn wasn't convinced but gave in, "All right, if you don't want to talk about it that's fine. It must have been something really tragic."
"Mm." Caldor stood up and walked toward the bed. He turned to look at Sharwyn and held out a hand to her.
"Come here princess."
Sharwyn smiled at him and stood up. She strolled over to him and placed her hand in his.
Caldor pulled her into a passionate kiss, lightly stroking the small of her back. She arched forward and pressed against him as her arms wound around his neck. His hands moved down to her waist and crept under her shirt, lifting it as his hands slid over her skin.
She moaned softly and pulled away from him, licking her lips.
"You wouldn't happen to be planning anything?"
He smirked, "Now why would you ask that?"
"That mischievous glint in your eyes... I assume it requires...strenuous activity, correct?"
"Perhaps...if you are... up to it." He gave her a wolfish grin.
Sharwyn laughed and kissed him again.
"I suppose but..." She pulled herself from his arms and backed toward the bed, stretching out over the silken sheets then propping herself up on her elbows, "Do you think you are up to it. You were quite tired earlier...do you have the strength for it?"
Caldor leaned down on the bed and beamed at her, "Darling, when it comes to pleasing you I can have the stamina of a wolf." He snapped his neck back and howled loudly. He looked back at her with his head cocked to the side.
"The proper question should be, are you up to it?"
"Come here and you shall find out." Sharwyn whispered to him.
Caldor smirked as he climbed onto the bed.
"I think you will be quite pleased m'lady."
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Caldor's eyes snapped open as he surveyed his surroundings.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
He sat up, careful to remove Sharwyn's arm from his chest without waking her and slid off the bed. He snatched his trousers off the ground and pulled them on as he crept towards the balcony. He inspected the pair outside quietly before grabbing his coat and opening the doors.
"Good to see you two got my message in time." He whispered as he stepped outside and closed the doors.
"Aye. We flew here as fast as we could cousin." A tall, strongly built man with short dark hair said then turned to the smaller female. The woman was also tall, only a few inches shorter then her brother. She sported dark red hair, which was pulled back into a loose ponytail. Her golden eyes glinted in the moonlight. "Glasparazha here has been most anxious to meet your new lady friend ever since we found out from grandfather."
"What? How does he know?" Caldor asked in shock.
"Oh oops, I dare say that I was not supposed to tell you that. Well what is done is done. I am also quite curious though. You are supposed to be quite taken with this young lady. I would like to meet her."
"Not now Laz. She's asleep." Caldor told him.
"I am sure I know why too. You really tired her out, didn't you?" Glasparazha smirked at him.
Caldor blushed a little and frowned, "Now I don't think that is any of your business. Besides, we have a matter that we should attend to immediately. We are running out of time."
"Right, shall we go then?" Lazslaow offered Caldor his hand as he jumped onto the balcony railing. Caldor gripped his cousin's arm tightly as he was pulled up into the air.
Glasparazha leapt into the air smoothly and soared up next to her brother.
All three disappeared into the night sky, flying swiftly towards their destination.
Sharwyn curled up in the bed and turned over. Her eyes opened a little then closed again as she yawned. "Cal..."
She felt around on the bed awhile then sat up when she noticed he wasn't there. "Caldor?"
"Right here princess." He whispered as he slid into the bed next to her.
"Where did you go?" She asked sleepily as she wrapped herself around him.
"Just to the loo."
She nodded and fell back to sleep quickly. Caldor smiled at her then turned to look out the balcony windows. He winked at his two cousins before they turned and flew off into the night."
The children had made it a habit to appear in the suite at the most inopportune times. This one such occasion would be without a doubt one of the worst.
Much to Sharwyn's chagrin the children decided to greet their caretakers early in the morning, bouncing onto the bed in the most cheerful manner. "Wake up sleepyheads!"
The bard tried desperately to cover herself up as the smaller children meticulously yanked the comforter off the bed.
"You little imps! How did you get in here?" She nearly shrieked at them.
"Missus Kellisai let us in." They chirped happily in reply.
Caldor laughed as Sharwyn seethed. Kellisai would definitely have to lay low for a while.
He stood up and scared the children away from the bed playfully, then stooped to pick Sharwyn's clothing off the floor and hand them to her.
Lise smiled roguishly at the bard and winked, which in turn caused Caldor to laugh harder.
"You little devils are terrible. Go on now. Go bother Kellisai and big Ben for a while until we get down there. That's an order soldiers!" He told them as he pulled on one of the silk shirts.
"Sir yes sir!" The children saluted him and marched out the door and down the hall.
He snickered and sat down on the bed, staring fondly at Sharwyn. She was flustered and pulled her clothes on while grumbling various obscenities under her breath.
"Such language my lady." She scowled at his smiling face and threw a pillow at him.
He caught the pillow and grinned at her.
"Eh, boss. This summons came for you this morning from Castle Never. Seems Lord Nasher wants to speak to you about summat." Kellisai leaned against the door calmly as she stared at the letter.
"You!" Sharwyn roared as she stood up on the bed.
Kellisai screamed in terror as the summons flew out of her hand and she darted into the hallway.
Sharwyn jumped off the bed and chased after her, almost sliding into the wall as she flew out the door.
"I'll kill you!"
Caldor stared at the door in confusion then cracked a smile as he stood up and gathered the summons off the floor. He skimmed the paper and sighed.
"I didn't think he would want to see me again. Bah, he will most likely have his Neverwinter Nine there at the meeting just to make sure." He tossed the paper aside and walked out the suite, closing the door behind him.
He could still hear Sharwyn yelling and chuckled as he walked down the stairs.
The sight that appeared as he stepped into the tavern had him doubled over in laughter. The whole room had been upturned and Kellisai was desperately trying to calm Sharwyn down as she dodged the angry red head.
"I'm sorry miss! If I had known I would not have let the children in!"
"Yes you would have you little sneak!" Sharwyn said angrily as she made a grab for the cleric as she jumped past.
"Bah, don't try to lie Kellisai. You heard 'em just like the rest of us. You knew all right." Ben said with a smirk.
Sharwyn stopped momentarily and glared at the bartender, her face cheery red.
"What? 'Tis nothing you should be embarrassed about m'lady. Only natural after all." Ben said as he held his hands up defensively.
"He's right. So calm down now and come here. You've torn my tavern to bits." Caldor said calmly.
"Right-o there boss. Live and let live and all that rot." Kellisai said as she hid behind Caldor.
The children watched the spectacle with barely contained glee. Obviously the idea of grown women chasing each other was quite amusing to them.
Sharwyn sulked and walked over to Caldor, allowing him to pull her into a tight embrace.
"There you go, big bear hug for you princess." He said cheerfully.
Kellisai exhaled in relief, but quickly skittered away in fright as Sharwyn made a mad grab for her.
"Enough of that. Kellisai has had her fun but she will get hers eventually." Caldor said as he held Sharwyn back by her collar.
"Now to the business at hand. I have a wonderful little meeting to attend this afternoon at Castle Never. That should be fun. So I want you to rest here or perhaps go shopping, all right?" Sharwyn nodded mechanically and he smiled, "Good. Is the cook up?"
"Yes sir. Preparing breakfast as we speak." Ben told him happily.
"Good, make sure these kids are fed and I want a list of our expenses and profits. I at least have to attempt to run this establishment. As for you." He turned Sharwyn so that she was facing him. "Go on upstairs and relax all right. I'll send some bathwater up for you soon."
Sharwyn nodded reluctantly and headed up stairs. "I'll bring breakfast up as well."
He watched her go up the stairs and smiled. Caldor then turned to look at Kellisai and shook his head, trying his hardest not to laugh.
Kellisai shrugged as she hid behind the bar.
"Making her angry in the morning is not the best idea. I suggest you stay out of her way for the next couple of days all right. Now...who's ready for breakfast?" The orphans cheered and danced around their table.
Ben shook his head at the children then turned to look at Kellisai. He opened his mouth to say something but decided against it and shook his finger at her in a disapproving manner. The cleric merely grinned.
Sharwyn hovered slightly under the waterline of the marble tub. Her eyes searched around the room lazily, her vision slightly impaired by her hair. The crimson mass fanned out away from her head, its movements lethargic.
She sighed and watched the bubbles float upwards then burst at the surface.
'I wonder what Lord Nasher wants him for. I hope it is nothing awful.'
She sat up and brushed her hair away from her face then picked up a nearby bar of soap. She stared at it quietly as she lathered it up. It was an odd soap that she hadn't seen before. It was clear though slightly milky and had actual rose petals in it. It smelled strongly of the flower and she smiled.
When the bath water had been brought up, Ben mentioned that Caldor had found the soap in the storage area. He insisted that it be brought up to her even though it was for noble customers only and had paid the buying price for it.
Sharwyn stared at the object and smiled, "So much love and thought in a little bar of soap." She said aloud. She laughed and began to wash herself up.
Now clean and feeling refreshed, she dried herself and stretched out on the bed. She pulled the bronze bed sheets around her and smiled. Bunching the silk in her hands, she brought it to her face and breathed deeply. The faint scent of the forest and roses lingered on it and memories of the previous night came to her.
She rolled over gracefully and plucked a leather bag off the nearby nightstand. Inside was a mixture of herbs and plants, their powerful scent wafted out slowly. Caldor's own little bath mix that he used when he occasionally made his own soap. At the bottom of the bag was a small bar, recently made but used twice already.
"Most likely the only reason he has stayed sane in this city." She laughed as she pulled its drawstrings and set it back on the table.
Sharwyn flopped back on the bed and scrunched the pillows up behind her head. She watched the dust motes floating around in the sunlight that came through the windows. Her attention shifted to the door as it clicked quietly then opened. Caldor peeked in and smiled at her.
"You hungry?"
She nodded and pulled the sheet over her chest and sat up as he brought the tray of food inside. He kicked the door closed and sat down on the bed next to her.
"Now, we have some bread, freshly baked. Here is some fruit; I handpicked the best strawberries for you. Lastly, we have some porridge with honey."
He smiled at her and she kissed him lightly on the cheek.
"This looks wonderful darling! I am starving."
"Well eat up then!"
She smiled then began eating the small spread.
Caldor watched her as she ate. She was indeed hungry and ate voraciously, occasionally glancing sideways at him.
"Are you not hungry dear?" She asked him after a while.
"No, I am fine." He replied softly.
Sharwyn would have none of that and held a thick apple slice up to his mouth, "Come on now. You have to eat."
He looked at the offered fruit and smiled. "Really, I am not hungry. I brought this up here for you."
She raised an eyebrow at him curiously, "You have been rather selfless this morning. What is the matter? Nervous about the meeting?"
"Not really."
"Uh huh. Well you have to eat. Open up." She tickled his lips with the fruit until he finally opened up and ate it in one bite.
"Happy now?" He asked as he chewed.
She nodded and picked up a piece of bread and offered it to him. He took the bread and ate it quickly before speaking again, "I have to get going soon. Will you be okay here alone? You won't try to kill Kellisai again will you?"
Sharwyn laughed and waved him away, "Go on you. I'll be fine and I will not go after her again. I'll be right here when you get back." She kissed him then pushed him off the bed, smiling brightly.
He smirked and picked his armor up off the floor. "If you say so."
Caldor tapped his foot impatiently as he stood in the middle of the waiting room in Castle Never. As soon as he had arrived in the vicinity, a squad of guards escorted him into the atrium and told him not to leave the area or we would be locked up.
He snorted and stared irately at the two guards standing at the entrance.
'Well this is a fine kettle of tea. What the hell did he even call me here for if he's going to treat me like some kind of criminal! The nerve of that damned decrepit human!' His mind screamed.
He pouted silently as he waited to be summoned, occasionally glancing outside to gauge the time. Within moments, a butler came in and beckoned him to follow. He trailed behind the man quietly as they walked down the hall to the corner room that Lord Nasher was waiting in.
As he had guessed, the Neverwinter Nine stood around Lord Nasher, watching him cautiously as he entered the room.
The butler bowed low before exiting the room. Other men and women were in the room as well, sitting around a small table littered with paper. They risked small glances in his direction and he frowned at them.
"Hmph, I see you have yourself a small army. Are you afraid that I would try something Nasher?" Caldor asked impudently.
Lord Nasher wrinkled his nose at him, "Only a fool fails to be wary, Sir Erion."
"Calm yourself, I am not going to cause any trouble for the sake of the Lady Aribeth. By the way, where is she?"
"She has yet to arrive. Once she is here we will begin." Lord Nasher said calmly.
Caldor sighed and leaned against a nearby wall, carefully watching the others in the room. He flicked at his cloak idly and sucked at his teeth in irritation.
"The Lady Aribeth has arrived, m'lord."
"Send her in."
Aribeth walked into the room briskly and bowed low before Lord Nasher. "I apologize for my tardiness m'lord." She said quietly.
The elf stood erect but kept her eyes on the ground.
Caldor's heart fell as he looked at her. 'The poor woman...it does not appear she got much rest last night.'
"M'lady."
Aribeth looked up at him sadly. Caldor bowed his head respectfully and offered her a small smile. She smiled back at him then turned to Nasher.
"All right, we have been researching this Cult but we haven't found much on them yet. I currently have agents around the Sword Coast seeking out information that may pertain to them as well as any places they may have congregated. Once we have pinpointed them I want you, Aribeth, to lead an expedition to investigate them. Find out what they were trying to achieve by keeping this plague going for so long. Caldor, I want you to go with her. You have proved a most valuable asset in finding the cure ingredients and I have all faith that you can find out what this cult is up to."
"As you wish, m'lord." Aribeth said solemnly.
Caldor perked up and stared at Nasher curiously then looked at Aribeth. "So soon? Aribeth has barely had time to grieve for Fenthick. Is there not someone else you could send in her place?"
"No, she is my right hand and this is her duty. In any case, I want her to be there to find the ones responsible for his death."
"The ones responsible?" Caldor asked incredulously, "She wouldn't have to go far from the city to find them."
"Watch your mouth boy." Nasher growled at him.
"Boy? I was slaying dragons long before you were even a thought. Do not call me that." He responded in contempt.
"I did not call you here to argue, Erion. Will you accept or not?"
"I accept but I'm doing this for Lady Aribeth, not you or this damnable city." Caldor bowed before Aribeth. "Feel free to visit me at my tavern if you feel so inclined m'lady."
He straightened up and threw a glare in Nasher's direction before turning swiftly and heading back to the entrance.
Once Caldor was out of sight, one of the Nine slammed his fist down onto a nearby table. "Damn that disrespectful half breed! Why do you put up with him m'lord? He should be kicked out of the city and forbidden reentry."
"Silence. He is the best one for the job. Besides, I can understand him being so upset." Nasher looked down at the ground and sighed, "He's a good man to still be willing to help even after what has been done."
He looked up at Aribeth, who was watching him silently. "You are dismissed...Aribeth. Please go home and rest."
She bowed low, "Yes m'lord." Aribeth turned and walked out of the castle quickly, ignoring anyone that greeted her.
Caldor kicked at a loose floorboard nonchalantly as he walked down the hall to his suite. He stopped and pressed down on the board with his boot before continuing down the hall.
"Running around the country side chasing after fanatics is not my idea of a good time but...it must be done." He told himself as he quietly unlocked the room door.
His attention quickly shifted to the body stretched out on the bed. Sharwyn had not moved and now appeared to be sound asleep with her back facing him.
He watched her silently for a moment then began taking off his armor. He grunted as he removed the heavy metal, trying to make as little noise as possible. 'Why did I even wear this? Oh that's right...only fools fail to be wary, Heh.'
Caldor was soon down to the leather padding and he yanked it off impatiently. He changed back into the trousers and shirt he was wearing previously and crept towards the bed.
He smiled to himself as he tiptoed carefully over the occasional creaky floorboard and slid into the bed next to her. Caldor watched her shoulders rise and fall as she slept.
He leaned over her and laced his fingers between hers and kissed her shoulder.
She murmured something softly but did not move.
"Hmm." Caldor smirked and sat up on the bed. He wiggled the hand that was laced with hers for a bit until she finally turned over and glared at him in annoyance.
"Yes?" She asked irritably.
"I'm...eh home so to speak. I just wanted to say hello." He said cheerily.
"Hello." She freed her hand from his and promptly turned over and went back to sleep.
Caldor pursed his lips and stared at her curiously, "Hey, what's with the cold shoulder?"
"Sleeping." She replied.
"Damn, did I really tire you out that much?"
Sharwyn turned over and swung at him, making him lean back to avoid her fist.
"Hehe, sorry love... couldn't resist. Seriously though, you've slept already. It is time to join the world of the conscious. I have something to tell you."
She eyed him crossly then sat up, covering her self with the sheet. "What is it? What did Lord Nasher want?"
"It seems the old man has been doing a bit of research on our old friends the cult. He hasn't found much on them yet so he has men on the field trying to pin down their location. Once they have found an area that is heavily trafficked by them, Aribeth is to lead a team out to investigate. Nasher wants yours truly to help her with the investigation." He told her.
"So you'll be leaving the city." She said quietly.
"Um...yes." He looked down at the bed spread then perked up, "But you'll come with me right? I couldn't possible do this on my own. We are a team remember? No doubt Nasher will hire you to help out too. Besides...I think it would be best if the both of us are there to support Aribeth."
"You are correct. Aribeth will need our support." She stared at him thoughtfully for a moment. "But isn't it a bit soon to be trying to send her out of the city on wild goose chases?"
"That's what I said. Of course Nasher came up with the harebrained idea that she would be able to find her fiancée's killers this way." Caldor sighed and brushed his hair back away from his face.
"Alas, there was not much I could do. He was set on sending her out and she accepted."
"He's just trying to push her away." Sharwyn mumbled.
"Mm hm, but I will help find these bastards. It was their fault all of this happened in the first place."
Sharwyn leaned on him and wrapped an arm around his waist.
"So how long before they are found?" She asked.
"I am guessing a couple of weeks. Perhaps more...I'm not really sure. We will find out eventually."
Sharwyn smirked, "Oh joy, another exciting adventure into impending danger. Such is the life of an adventurer."
"Oh aye, I can't wait." Caldor said sarcastically, "And I was looking forward to going home too. Oh well. Such is the life." He squeezed Sharwyn fondly, "At least I still have you."
"Yes, and I'm not going anywhere." She smiled at him.
A tiny knock sounded at the door and Caldor called out to them.
"We wants Unca Cal to come out an play wit us!" One of the children said.
"Yea, an' we wants Auntie Sharwyn too!"
Caldor chuckled, "Looks like our children are calling for us."
Sharwyn smiled and shook her head, "You go on. I'll join you soon."
He nodded and kissed her before going out the door and closing it behind him. A loud roar along with tiny squeals erupted from the other side and tiny feet could be heard hurrying down the hallway.
"At least we'll have something to do for those few weeks."
"We have been traveling for three days now on our journey to the town of Port Llast. Our guide tells us that we should reach our destination within another day or two. I'm glad. I have grown weary of sleeping on the hard ground. Despite uncomfortable sleeping arrangements it hasn't been too bad of an experience. Caldor often offers to act as a bed for me. I can't help but laugh every time. That roguish grin he gives me each time always makes me giggle. Now don't think I refuse his offer, he is, after all, very comfortable to sleep on. Uh oh, I have to stop now. He's scowling at me again. Time to turn in for the night; we still have a ways to go."
Sharwyn closed her journal and smiled at him as she put it back into her bag.
"Must you write in that thing all night? You need your rest." Caldor told her as he placed a blanket onto a sleeping Aribeth.
"Oh shush Cal, it's not like I'll be doing anything strenuous tomorrow. I'll just be riding a horse all day."
"Yes but it can be tiring. Besides, anything could happen tomorrow and you want to be well rested." He leaned back onto a thin bedroll and pulled her to his side. "Now it is time for some rest."
Sharwyn grinned at Caldor then crawled on top of him, draping her arms over his shoulder and around his neck. "Alright then ya worry wart. Who knows what will happen tomorrow. We might get attacked by goblins."
"Ha ha, laugh it up miss. You'll be thanking me tomorrow." He told her as he pulled a blanket onto the two of them. "Goodnight love."
"Goodnight ya big love mattress." Sharwyn whispered as she rested her head on his chest.
Caldor looked at her with a raised eyebrow but said nothing in response.
'Love mattress, eh? That's new.'
Sharwyn was startled awake by the sudden flapping of wings and searched the area around her quickly. The other mercenaries had heard it as well and were also looking around.
"Nothing to fret about mates, it was just my pet hawk." Caldor announced as he brushed his arm off.
Sharwyn stared at him curiously. "How did you get over there?"
Caldor glanced at her questioningly from where he was standing. "I walked?"
"No, you nut. How did you get over there without waking me up?"
He smiled at her then turned to rekindle the fire. "I have my ways."
Aribeth sat up and waved to Sharwyn, catching her attention. "Morning."
Sharwyn smiled at her, "Morning hon. How are you feeling?"
"I'm good, thank you." The elf said quietly.
Caldor smiled at Aribeth, "Are you up for some porridge m'lady?"
She nodded and pulled her legs up against her chest. She looked up at the sky, her face at a neutral expression.
Sharwyn pulled out her journal again and began writing, pausing to tap the quill pen against her mouth thoughtfully. She glanced at Aribeth for a few moments before returning her attention back to her journal.
Once everyone had eaten, they saddled up once again and continued on their course to Port Llast.
Aribeth trailed behind the others as they traversed a broad stretch of dirt road. She patted the side of her white horse's head idly. She stared ahead unblinkingly; barely seeing the other people ahead of her. Caldor glanced back at her curiously but said nothing. 'It'd be best just to leave her be.' He thought.
Aribeth at her hand, the engagement ring glowed brightly in the morning sunlight. She hadn't removed it and she never would. She swallowed back the tears that threatened to fall. Aribeth sighed as she got herself back under control. She looked up at the sky again, smiling faintly.
'Soon...'