IV The Harper Ball IV

Ches 21 1362 DR, Year of the Helm

For the last six years, Bowie trained under the ever-watchful eyes of Storm Silverhand. The Bard of Shadowdale was a wonderful teacher, and she had taught Bowie many things.

She had taught him ancient songs that originated from Myth Drannor, and new techniques to play the harp. However, Bowie's favorite part of his training with Storm, were the combat practices.

Bowie would start out many of his days by getting out of bed, putting on his studded leather armor, cleaning his sword Deathwaltz, or as he now called it Vithril, and then heading down to the fields to begin combat practice.

After spending the first three hours of the day sparring with Storm, Bowie would run to the kitchen to eat a late breakfast and talk with Sylune for a little bit. The Witch of Shadowdale would tell Bowie of her adventures in the eastern part of Toril.

After breakfast, Bowie would practice his harp playing and his singing with Storm, then do some chores around the farm. After chores, Bowie and Storm would practice fighting for another two hours, then have dinner. When they finished dinner, the teacher and her student would spend the rest of the evening studying about the different people, places, and "things" in Fauern.

The training was hard, grueling, and at sometimes very painful.

Bowie enjoyed every moment of it.

Not only did Bowie train with Storm, he also went on a few adventures with some of the local Harpers and a few of the Knights of Myth Drannor. During these adventures, Bowie would fight Red Wizards, Zhentarim, or other enemies of Shadowdale. He also found many treasures.

To reward her student for his excellent efforts in his training, and for saving the lives of some brave, but foolish Harpers, Storm sponsored the halfling's membership into the semi-secret organization.

The ceremony where Bowie, and many new heroes of Fauern would be inducted into the Harpers Organization would take place in Twilight Hall, located in the western city of Berdusk. Following the ceremony, there was going to be a ball filled with dancing, singing, and drinking.

Bowie Butterball, dressed in a black silk shirt and blue cloth pants and Rouric Balderk, who was dressed in a white silk shirt and blue cloth pants, were standing out in a narrow hallway that had different runes along the walls.

"Have ya found yourself a date for the ball yet Bowie?" asked Rouric, who was a beefy blond haired dwarf Bowie had met in Shadowdale.

"A date?" Bowie asked confused," We're suppose to have dates?"

Rouric nodded with a grin on his face as he brushed the dirt off of his white silk shirt. "Of course. I'm going with Morgalla the Mirthful. She is a friend of Danilo Thann's."

Bowie sighed, ignoring the last few words the dwarf had said. He realized in all of his preparation for his initiation, he had forgotten to find a date to the ball.

"Don't worry Bowie, I'm sure you'll find a date," Rouric commented with a laugh in his voice," Why don't you ask the next pretty halfling who walks up to you."

Just as Rouric had finished his sentence, a beautiful halfling female was walking towards them in the hallway.

She was short, even for a halfling. She had long locks of amber hair, and wore brown leathers. Her hazel eyes were looking straight at Bowie.

Rouric stood behind Bowie and pushed him in her direction. "That's Olive Ruskettle. Go for it," he whispered in his gruff voice.

Bowie shot a scowl over at the dwarf, then looked over at Olive, who had stopped a few feet away from him.

"You're Storm's boy aren't you?" Olive asked Bowie curiously.

It took a moment for Bowie to figure out what Olive meant by addressing him as "Storm's boy". He blushed softly, then nodded. "Yes, my name is Bowie. I am going to be inducted into the Harpers tonight."

Olive nodded and remarked," Well of course you are, that's why you're here right?" Well anyways, I just came to get a look at you. You're quite handsome." She smiled, then turned around to walk away. "I guess I will be seeing you at the ceremony tonight."

Bowie stared at her for a second, until Rouric let out a loud grunt.

"Olive wait," Bowie shouted to her. Olive Ruskettle turned around and looked at Bowie. "Do you have a date for the ball tonight?"

"No I don't, why do you ask?" Olive answered, raising an eyebrow.

Bowie took a deep breath, then calmly asked," Well...I was just wondering...if you would like to...go to the ball with me?"

Olive Ruskettle thought about it for a second, then nodded. "Sure Bowie, I would love to," she answered in a gentle voice. "Come find me after the initiation ceremony."

She quickly walked away, with a smile on her face. Rouric walked over to Bowie, and gave him a big pat on the back. "Well done lad, well done."

Inside the vast Inner Chamber of Twilight Hall, the Harper initiation ceremony was quicker than Bowie had thought.

All the new recruits, including Bowie and Rouric, were given a small silver pin that was shaped into a harp. Belhuar Thantarth, the Master of Twilight Hall, congratulated each of the new Harper agents with a strong handshake.

After he shook the last hand, which happened to be Bowie's hand, Belhuar declared the beginning of the ball.

The beautiful music of harps, flutes, and violins filled the Inner Chamber, which had been magically transformed to look like a large dance hall.

Dressed in his silk black shirt and blue cloth pants, Bowie quickly found Olive, who wore a long silk jade-green dress. She was talking with some her old friends before she spotted Bowie walking towards her.

Bowie was about to walk away so that Olive could continue talking to her friends, but Olive quickly ran over and grabbed his hand, pulling him towards the dance floor.

Together, the two halflings danced gracefully to the ballad the harp was playing.

From a few feet away, Storm watched her student with smile on her face. The Bard of Shadowdale was very proud of her student, and she watched Bowie turn Olive left and spin her around into a dip.

"I taught him that," Storm said to one of the veteran Harpers who walked right past her.

After an hour of dancing, Olive told Bowie she was getting some refreshments for them. Bowie nodded and told her he to look for him at one of the tables.

"Can you believe they actually made Butterball a Harper," said a tenor voice from behind where Bowie was seated.

Bowie quickly glanced behind him, seeing a blond haired man dressed in fine silk clothes and holding a glass of wine in his hand. The halfling knew this man's name to be Danilo Thann, a Harper, and a noble from Waterdeep. Sitting with Danilo, were three blond haired women dressed in blue dresses. Bowie remembered them being initiated with them during the ceremony.

"Weren't his father and his mother both Harpers?" one of the women asked.

"Yes, but his parents were murdered by the Manshoon," Danilo replied in a dry tone.

Bowie turned his head forward, and continued to sit quietly in his seat, waiting for Olive to return with their drinks. "You know what's worse?" Bowie heard Danilo ask the women.

"No, what?" all three of them asked in unison.

"Well , I heard it from my relative Khelben, that Butterball's mother Shayna, was once a member of the Zhentarim. She fell in love with Khelben's apprentice Thomas, and decided to leave the Zhentarim. When she told Manshoon that she wanted to leave, Manshoon promised Shayna that he would never hurt her or try and come after her. He even said that she was one of the only people he ever thought of as a friend. Well I guess that bloody promise didn't last too long now did it."

It only a moment for the despair and anger began to build inside of Bowie. Salty tears began to form in his eyes as the memory of the nights his parents were murdered flashed into his mind. The killer's face was like a walking nightmare to him. It had taken Bowie years for the pain and fear to leave him, but now those feelings had returned, and they had brought along their close ally rage with them.

How could a man who considered someone his friend, and then murder that someone and her husband.

Bowie remembered the cut across Manshoon's eye he made with his mother's sword, the sword that now belonged to him.

The halfling could hear Danilo's soft laughter coming from the next table. He quickly stood up from where he was sitting, then walked over to Danilo's table, and slapped the drink right out of the noble's hand.

The glass of elven wine that was half full , was now spilled all over Danilo's lap.

"Excuse me," Bowie said in a cold voice before walking out of the Inner Chamber and into the hallway.

Halfway across the dance floor, Olive Ruskettle was getting two glasses of wine for her and Bowie. She glanced over at her date, who seemed to be calm. But then she noticed the look of sadness that flashed across his face. Maybe he's still grieving for his parents, she thought as she turned away, to fill the glasses up with Firewine.

A few seconds later, Olive turned around and watched as Bowie stand up from his chair, walk over to Danilo Thann's table, and knock the wine glass out of his hand.

Olive quickly ran across the dance floor just as Bowie had walked out into the hallway. She heard Danilo curse about the new stain in his silk shirt as she passed his table.

She walked into the hallway, seeing Bowie slumped over in a corner. "Bowie, are you all right?"

Tears had streamed down Bowie's face. He hadn't cried like this since he watched his parents die. He didn't want Olive to see him like this.

Realizing Olive wasn't going to leave him, he answered in a choked voice," My mother and father...they were murdered by the man everyone calls Manshoon,"

"Manshoon is a horrible and an evil wizard," Olive commented in a cold voice as she walked over to Bowie.

Bowie shook his head. "No, you don't understand. My mother...she was killed by her friend. By her friend dammit!"

Olive shook her head and whispered," I'm so sorry Bowie."

"It's all right Olive," Bowie responded, taking a deep breath as a new idea came into his mind. " Because, one day, he and I are going cross each other's paths. And when we do, I'm going to be ready. When we do meet each other face to face, I'm going to kill him!"

Olive Ruskettle gently put her arms around Bowie, holding him close. Maybe he'll get over this, she thought to herself.

She didn't let go of him for the rest of the night.