Yay! I've got reviewers! Yayyayayayayayayayayayayayayayayayayayay!
Gwen6: Thanks a lot! I really liked Destiny and Duty, and I can't wait to see how Magic and Murder turns out. Excellent stuff, that.
Xerro: Thanks. Yeah, Anomen can get a bit annoying. You're right about that typo. I'll fix it eventually, when I get around to it, which will be never, knowing my work ethic..... You're a really good writer too, btw.
I've been trying to get out at least one chapter every other day, but this one is a bit late. Unfortunately, I had a rehearsal and then a concert at school, so I didn't have time to get much writing in. But they mysteriously canceled school today due to "inclement weather" (what, sunshine?) so I probably get in about one a day during my now three-day weekend.
Disclaimer: Don't own BG, blah blah blah, you get the idea........
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Raziel was closed her yes and enjoyed the peaceful morning. The sun filtered through the treetops as the walked down a small, rarely used path. It was rared that the fugitive got to enjoy the beauty of a fine day such as this, so she savored the experience.
She had reached the Umar Hills the day before. With her hood drawn up and the rest of her body covered in black clothing, not a single person had recognized her. Not that it was likely that they would have, but it was good to be safe, anyway.
Buying what supplies she needed, Raziel had set off that night. Today was the seventh day since her escape, and all she could do was thank her lucky stars she was free, and not rotting in a jail somewhere. The wind whistled through her hair, calming the nerves that had been on alert for too long.
She decided quickly that she needed a rest. She had been walking for nearly three dasy straight, and she was so out of the way that it was unlikely that anyone would stumble upon her. Leaning against a rock overshadowed by trees in the middle of a small clearing, hidden from the road, she closed her eyes and drifted off into sleep.
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Imoen was exhausted. After having ridden in ever which direction for days, trying to find a trace of the missing Liaedra, she was starting to remember why she had always been complaining during her traveling days with Quinn. Even on horses, it was tiring to travel.
She sighed, slumping on her beautiful bay mare as Jaheira stopped to ask the merchants at the Umar Hills. This was their last stop in Amn; it was unlikely Raziel had gone any further. They had searched all of Athkatla, Trademeet, and many of the woods and ruins surrounding them. If they found no leads here, they would be searching in the dark for someone who was a master at avoiding unwanted attention.
After all, thought Imoen, what's more fun than searching for a former ranger in a forest?
"...... was all cloaked in black, she was, a terrifien' figure if there ever was one. Asked for a weeks worth o' rations. Mentioned she was headin' north, probably for them old ruins you and your party cleared out a while back, lady druid."
Imoen perked up immediately. A figure in black? Heading for the old temple of the sungod? Few enough people knew where that was, as it had been abandoned for a long time. Combine that with a figure traveling in black with her face covered and you got......
"Liaedra passed through here. I am certain of it," said Jaheira, returning to the group.
"Heading for the temple of Amanuator? Why would she go there?" asked Kelsey.
"A good hiding spot," Sarevok said, as if the answer was obvious. "Not many people know about it, and those that do are afraid of it due to the whole Shade Lord incident. It has old traps and is in the middle of nowhere."
She seems to be showing a little sign of sense, he thought. Good. Quinn didn't completely ruin her after all.
Jaheira nodded at Sarevok's explanation. "This is our only lead so far, so I suggest we follow it." She quickly mounted her sleek chestnut mare and headed north. The others begrudgingly followed.
"You'd think we could get a bit of rest," grumbled Kelsey, as he rode up next to Imoen.
Imoen smiled. "You know Jaheira, love. No rest till we find our target."
Kelsey nodded. "She seems really worried about Liaedra."
"We all are."
"Some more than others," Kelsey mumbled, his eyes traveling in Sarevok's direction.
"What was that?" said Imoen, puzzled.
Kelsey contemplated telling Imoen his suspicions, but then thought of Imoen's rather obnoxious trait of not being able to keep secrets long, and then thought of what Sarevok might do to him should he find out Kelsey's suspicions. After long debate, he muttered "Nothing," and rode slightly ahead of his lover, leaving Imoen completely confused.
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Raziel was woken from a dreamless sleep by the loud plodding of hoof beats. Springing up instantly, she realized the noise was from the road, which was concealed from her post by a thin line of trees. Taking no chances, Raziel picked up all her gear and got ready to run, if necessary. Then she slowly moved towards the road and looked out from behind a thick-based elm.
It took all her self control to keep from gasping. Riding down the road were the four people she wanted least to meet. Jaheira, Sarevok, Kelsey, and Imoen, riding towards her own destination, presumably looking for her. Raziel almost felt like congratulating them on finding out where she was going, but she did not want to betray her position to them. All four had good senses, and it would take all her skills to keep them from noticing her.
Suddenly she heard Kelsey speak. "Can we rest yet, Jaheira?" he said, whining slightly in a way Raziel could tell was being overly faked.
"If I say yes, will you sop annoying me?" Jaheira asked, giving the sorcerer her infamous glare.
"Of course, my dear druid!" Kelsey said, as Imoen giggled slightly.
"Hmph. Don't 'dear druid' me." She sighed. "Fine, we shall rest. It is almost sundown, anyway, and I dislike the idea of traveling at night."
"Oh, is a certain almighty leader afraid of the dark?" asked Sarevok, clearly amused.
"For that, you get first watch," replied Jaheira coolly.
Silently berating herself for sleeping so long, Raziel moved deeper to into the forest as the four made their way to the clearing she had been sleeping in. She cautiously climbed up a tree, giving her the perfect vantage point of her friends' camp while still cloaking her in shadows.
As he unpacked and tied up his horse, Sarevok got the feeling that he was being watched. It did not feel like a threatening kind of watching, but it still unnerved him. When he spotted what looked like a figure high up in the trees amongst the shadows, though, he decided not to voice his suspicions to the group.
Raziel's breath caught in her throat. He had seen her, she was sure of it. Yet all he did was grin slightly and go back to setting up camp. She smiled. He was still on her side. That was good, considering Raziel had no idea whose side the others were on anymore, nor why they were tracking her.
It was as if Sarevok had read her mind, for in a moment, he began to converse with the others. "Tell me," he asked, "what are we going to do with Raziel once we find her?"
Jaheira looked up at him from where she was starting a campfire, a thoughtful expression on her face. "You know, I had not given much thought to that. Turn her over to Anomen, I suppose."
"We can't do that!" cried Imoen. "You heard him! 'Dead or alive' he said. I don't trust him."
"Or Athkatla's government, for that matter," said Kelsey.
"I don't trust him not to keep his hands off her. You heard him back there. 'Beautiful' this and 'lovely' that," growled Sarevok.
"Oh, come on, he isn't that bad," replied Imoen.
Sarevok merely grunted.
"Yes, I heard him back there," said Kelsey with a bit of a grin on his face. "And I also heard Liaedra's almighty defender standing up for her. Got quite a thing for her don't ya, Sare?"
Sarevok grumbled something under his breath.
Up in the tree, Raziel tried her hardest not to laugh. Though her extreme self-control kept her from making any noise, an amused smile did grace her features. She sat down on the large tree branch she had chosen as her hiding place and prepared herself for a long night of watching.
So, Anomen was the one after her. She had suspected that much. And he had expressed......... interest in her? Yet he had ordered her taken dead or alive? The knight had always been a rather confusing person, and it seemed that quality had not left him. And it seemed her friends were still on her side. That was very good news. They were still looking for her, but as long as they didn't turn her in to those pompous fools at the order, she would be fine.
And that last bit. Sarevok had....... defended her. Why? Did he truly support her crusade against his brother? Or was it something more, as Kelsey seemed to be implying?
Leaning her head against the smooth bark of the tree, Raziel decided it was best not to read to deeply into these things.
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Sarevok sighed and cursed the druid that slept on the opposite side of the camp. He hated first watch, and now he to do it because of Jaheira and her stupid stubborn temper. Oh, well, at least now he could make sure no one found out that their target was sleeping in a tree directly above them.
"Never insult a stubborn old druid, especially Jaheira. It won't get you anywhere."
Sarevok jumped as a soft voice echoed from above him. Looking up, he saw Raziel sitting on the branch several feet above his head, twelve or so feet above the ground. Her back was against the trunk and her legs hung to the sides of the branch. She appeared somewhat amused, her smile half-hidden by the flickering shadows of the firelight.
"Rather bold of you, coming into our camp this way," he said, the amusement in his voice hiding the slight feeling of panic within him.
"Why?" she asked, motioning to his companions. "They are all sound asleep."
"I'm the sentry, you know. I could wake them. I should. You are the one we are looking for."
"I would be long gone by that time."
"We could easily follow you."
"Not at the pace I'd set. Being on the run makes you get used to traveling very, very fast."
He sighed, realizing that this was an argument he couldn't win. "So what are you doing here? I would have thought you could have been safe in the ruins by now."
"So you do figure out where I was going. Good for you. I couldn't ask for better people trying to follow me. Makes me actually have to work to be unseen, unlike those Order fools, who walk right into the middle of the forest, practically shouting their intents."
He laughed. "You've run into a couple of them already, I'm guessing."
"Yep. Not very hard to mislead. And as to your first question, why shouldn't I be here? What better do I have to do than stalk you all as you're stalking me?"
"I would think that you'd be trying to lose us."
"Nah. Imoen and Kelsey couldn't track me to save their lives, Jaheira's good but not that good, and you seem not to care whether they find me or not, so I figure I'm safe, for now."
"And why am I not a threat?" he grumbled.
Her soft laughter had a distinct musical quality. "Oh, come now. First, you free me from prison and give me my gear back. Then you don't tell the group when you spot me. And now you're sitting here having a conversation with me! I don't think you're really working against me, unless you count the fact that you were the one that got me caught in the first place. "
"That," he said, "was unintentional."
"Then you're completely on my side." She laughed again. "How does it feel to be aiding a known criminal?"
"Rather annoying, actually."
"Oh, and here I thought you cared." she teased.
"I'm afraid you're not my type, elf."
"Nor you, human."
"Sarevok, what's going on?"
Sarevok turned to see Jaheira standing by the fire, staring straight at him. Then, to his horror, she looked up at Raziel. She had seen both of them. There was no turning back.
Raziel sighed. Jaheira had seen her. So much for remaining hidden. Quickly, she looked down and caught Sarevok's eye. His face seemed to be signaling her to run as he created some diversion, but the more Raziel thought about it, the more she hated it. She was sick and tired of running. She may as well face her problems here and now, for who knew if she would be around to face them tomorrow?
And the way her life was going, it was becoming less and less likely she would see tomorrow by each passing day.
So, ignoring Sarevok and the taunting voice in her head, she did the only thing she could do. She leapt from the tree, landing gracefully on her feet in front of Sarevok. Giving him a wink, she turned to Jaheira.
And smiled.
"Long time no see, old friend."
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Sarevok....... Flirting......... Scary. I don't know how I pulled it off, but as I read back over this chapter, it seems like Sarevok is almost flirting with Raziel. Well, as flirty as Sarevok could ever be without making him totally OOC. So, next up, confrontations and the reason I rated this fic PG-13! No, not that kind of PG-13! Get your head out of the gutters! I mean torture, violence, and suicidal fun!
Gwen6: Thanks a lot! I really liked Destiny and Duty, and I can't wait to see how Magic and Murder turns out. Excellent stuff, that.
Xerro: Thanks. Yeah, Anomen can get a bit annoying. You're right about that typo. I'll fix it eventually, when I get around to it, which will be never, knowing my work ethic..... You're a really good writer too, btw.
I've been trying to get out at least one chapter every other day, but this one is a bit late. Unfortunately, I had a rehearsal and then a concert at school, so I didn't have time to get much writing in. But they mysteriously canceled school today due to "inclement weather" (what, sunshine?) so I probably get in about one a day during my now three-day weekend.
Disclaimer: Don't own BG, blah blah blah, you get the idea........
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Raziel was closed her yes and enjoyed the peaceful morning. The sun filtered through the treetops as the walked down a small, rarely used path. It was rared that the fugitive got to enjoy the beauty of a fine day such as this, so she savored the experience.
She had reached the Umar Hills the day before. With her hood drawn up and the rest of her body covered in black clothing, not a single person had recognized her. Not that it was likely that they would have, but it was good to be safe, anyway.
Buying what supplies she needed, Raziel had set off that night. Today was the seventh day since her escape, and all she could do was thank her lucky stars she was free, and not rotting in a jail somewhere. The wind whistled through her hair, calming the nerves that had been on alert for too long.
She decided quickly that she needed a rest. She had been walking for nearly three dasy straight, and she was so out of the way that it was unlikely that anyone would stumble upon her. Leaning against a rock overshadowed by trees in the middle of a small clearing, hidden from the road, she closed her eyes and drifted off into sleep.
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Imoen was exhausted. After having ridden in ever which direction for days, trying to find a trace of the missing Liaedra, she was starting to remember why she had always been complaining during her traveling days with Quinn. Even on horses, it was tiring to travel.
She sighed, slumping on her beautiful bay mare as Jaheira stopped to ask the merchants at the Umar Hills. This was their last stop in Amn; it was unlikely Raziel had gone any further. They had searched all of Athkatla, Trademeet, and many of the woods and ruins surrounding them. If they found no leads here, they would be searching in the dark for someone who was a master at avoiding unwanted attention.
After all, thought Imoen, what's more fun than searching for a former ranger in a forest?
"...... was all cloaked in black, she was, a terrifien' figure if there ever was one. Asked for a weeks worth o' rations. Mentioned she was headin' north, probably for them old ruins you and your party cleared out a while back, lady druid."
Imoen perked up immediately. A figure in black? Heading for the old temple of the sungod? Few enough people knew where that was, as it had been abandoned for a long time. Combine that with a figure traveling in black with her face covered and you got......
"Liaedra passed through here. I am certain of it," said Jaheira, returning to the group.
"Heading for the temple of Amanuator? Why would she go there?" asked Kelsey.
"A good hiding spot," Sarevok said, as if the answer was obvious. "Not many people know about it, and those that do are afraid of it due to the whole Shade Lord incident. It has old traps and is in the middle of nowhere."
She seems to be showing a little sign of sense, he thought. Good. Quinn didn't completely ruin her after all.
Jaheira nodded at Sarevok's explanation. "This is our only lead so far, so I suggest we follow it." She quickly mounted her sleek chestnut mare and headed north. The others begrudgingly followed.
"You'd think we could get a bit of rest," grumbled Kelsey, as he rode up next to Imoen.
Imoen smiled. "You know Jaheira, love. No rest till we find our target."
Kelsey nodded. "She seems really worried about Liaedra."
"We all are."
"Some more than others," Kelsey mumbled, his eyes traveling in Sarevok's direction.
"What was that?" said Imoen, puzzled.
Kelsey contemplated telling Imoen his suspicions, but then thought of Imoen's rather obnoxious trait of not being able to keep secrets long, and then thought of what Sarevok might do to him should he find out Kelsey's suspicions. After long debate, he muttered "Nothing," and rode slightly ahead of his lover, leaving Imoen completely confused.
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Raziel was woken from a dreamless sleep by the loud plodding of hoof beats. Springing up instantly, she realized the noise was from the road, which was concealed from her post by a thin line of trees. Taking no chances, Raziel picked up all her gear and got ready to run, if necessary. Then she slowly moved towards the road and looked out from behind a thick-based elm.
It took all her self control to keep from gasping. Riding down the road were the four people she wanted least to meet. Jaheira, Sarevok, Kelsey, and Imoen, riding towards her own destination, presumably looking for her. Raziel almost felt like congratulating them on finding out where she was going, but she did not want to betray her position to them. All four had good senses, and it would take all her skills to keep them from noticing her.
Suddenly she heard Kelsey speak. "Can we rest yet, Jaheira?" he said, whining slightly in a way Raziel could tell was being overly faked.
"If I say yes, will you sop annoying me?" Jaheira asked, giving the sorcerer her infamous glare.
"Of course, my dear druid!" Kelsey said, as Imoen giggled slightly.
"Hmph. Don't 'dear druid' me." She sighed. "Fine, we shall rest. It is almost sundown, anyway, and I dislike the idea of traveling at night."
"Oh, is a certain almighty leader afraid of the dark?" asked Sarevok, clearly amused.
"For that, you get first watch," replied Jaheira coolly.
Silently berating herself for sleeping so long, Raziel moved deeper to into the forest as the four made their way to the clearing she had been sleeping in. She cautiously climbed up a tree, giving her the perfect vantage point of her friends' camp while still cloaking her in shadows.
As he unpacked and tied up his horse, Sarevok got the feeling that he was being watched. It did not feel like a threatening kind of watching, but it still unnerved him. When he spotted what looked like a figure high up in the trees amongst the shadows, though, he decided not to voice his suspicions to the group.
Raziel's breath caught in her throat. He had seen her, she was sure of it. Yet all he did was grin slightly and go back to setting up camp. She smiled. He was still on her side. That was good, considering Raziel had no idea whose side the others were on anymore, nor why they were tracking her.
It was as if Sarevok had read her mind, for in a moment, he began to converse with the others. "Tell me," he asked, "what are we going to do with Raziel once we find her?"
Jaheira looked up at him from where she was starting a campfire, a thoughtful expression on her face. "You know, I had not given much thought to that. Turn her over to Anomen, I suppose."
"We can't do that!" cried Imoen. "You heard him! 'Dead or alive' he said. I don't trust him."
"Or Athkatla's government, for that matter," said Kelsey.
"I don't trust him not to keep his hands off her. You heard him back there. 'Beautiful' this and 'lovely' that," growled Sarevok.
"Oh, come on, he isn't that bad," replied Imoen.
Sarevok merely grunted.
"Yes, I heard him back there," said Kelsey with a bit of a grin on his face. "And I also heard Liaedra's almighty defender standing up for her. Got quite a thing for her don't ya, Sare?"
Sarevok grumbled something under his breath.
Up in the tree, Raziel tried her hardest not to laugh. Though her extreme self-control kept her from making any noise, an amused smile did grace her features. She sat down on the large tree branch she had chosen as her hiding place and prepared herself for a long night of watching.
So, Anomen was the one after her. She had suspected that much. And he had expressed......... interest in her? Yet he had ordered her taken dead or alive? The knight had always been a rather confusing person, and it seemed that quality had not left him. And it seemed her friends were still on her side. That was very good news. They were still looking for her, but as long as they didn't turn her in to those pompous fools at the order, she would be fine.
And that last bit. Sarevok had....... defended her. Why? Did he truly support her crusade against his brother? Or was it something more, as Kelsey seemed to be implying?
Leaning her head against the smooth bark of the tree, Raziel decided it was best not to read to deeply into these things.
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Sarevok sighed and cursed the druid that slept on the opposite side of the camp. He hated first watch, and now he to do it because of Jaheira and her stupid stubborn temper. Oh, well, at least now he could make sure no one found out that their target was sleeping in a tree directly above them.
"Never insult a stubborn old druid, especially Jaheira. It won't get you anywhere."
Sarevok jumped as a soft voice echoed from above him. Looking up, he saw Raziel sitting on the branch several feet above his head, twelve or so feet above the ground. Her back was against the trunk and her legs hung to the sides of the branch. She appeared somewhat amused, her smile half-hidden by the flickering shadows of the firelight.
"Rather bold of you, coming into our camp this way," he said, the amusement in his voice hiding the slight feeling of panic within him.
"Why?" she asked, motioning to his companions. "They are all sound asleep."
"I'm the sentry, you know. I could wake them. I should. You are the one we are looking for."
"I would be long gone by that time."
"We could easily follow you."
"Not at the pace I'd set. Being on the run makes you get used to traveling very, very fast."
He sighed, realizing that this was an argument he couldn't win. "So what are you doing here? I would have thought you could have been safe in the ruins by now."
"So you do figure out where I was going. Good for you. I couldn't ask for better people trying to follow me. Makes me actually have to work to be unseen, unlike those Order fools, who walk right into the middle of the forest, practically shouting their intents."
He laughed. "You've run into a couple of them already, I'm guessing."
"Yep. Not very hard to mislead. And as to your first question, why shouldn't I be here? What better do I have to do than stalk you all as you're stalking me?"
"I would think that you'd be trying to lose us."
"Nah. Imoen and Kelsey couldn't track me to save their lives, Jaheira's good but not that good, and you seem not to care whether they find me or not, so I figure I'm safe, for now."
"And why am I not a threat?" he grumbled.
Her soft laughter had a distinct musical quality. "Oh, come now. First, you free me from prison and give me my gear back. Then you don't tell the group when you spot me. And now you're sitting here having a conversation with me! I don't think you're really working against me, unless you count the fact that you were the one that got me caught in the first place. "
"That," he said, "was unintentional."
"Then you're completely on my side." She laughed again. "How does it feel to be aiding a known criminal?"
"Rather annoying, actually."
"Oh, and here I thought you cared." she teased.
"I'm afraid you're not my type, elf."
"Nor you, human."
"Sarevok, what's going on?"
Sarevok turned to see Jaheira standing by the fire, staring straight at him. Then, to his horror, she looked up at Raziel. She had seen both of them. There was no turning back.
Raziel sighed. Jaheira had seen her. So much for remaining hidden. Quickly, she looked down and caught Sarevok's eye. His face seemed to be signaling her to run as he created some diversion, but the more Raziel thought about it, the more she hated it. She was sick and tired of running. She may as well face her problems here and now, for who knew if she would be around to face them tomorrow?
And the way her life was going, it was becoming less and less likely she would see tomorrow by each passing day.
So, ignoring Sarevok and the taunting voice in her head, she did the only thing she could do. She leapt from the tree, landing gracefully on her feet in front of Sarevok. Giving him a wink, she turned to Jaheira.
And smiled.
"Long time no see, old friend."
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Sarevok....... Flirting......... Scary. I don't know how I pulled it off, but as I read back over this chapter, it seems like Sarevok is almost flirting with Raziel. Well, as flirty as Sarevok could ever be without making him totally OOC. So, next up, confrontations and the reason I rated this fic PG-13! No, not that kind of PG-13! Get your head out of the gutters! I mean torture, violence, and suicidal fun!