The coach travelled slowly along the Coast Way, flanking the gloomy trees of the Cloak Wood. A young official watched disconsolate as the well dressed coachman covered the dangerous land as if he were leading the coach along the paved roads of Athkatla. Terick Mirner had become a soldier when his father went away with a calishite adventuress, taking with him a great part of the family riches. He didn't love the job but he tried to carry it out in the most decent way he could. He would never have thought that such a travel would change his way of seeing the world, deeply shaking his principles. Nevertheless, since he agreed to escort Lady Victoria Dedralen and her governess from Athkatla to her uncles' estate in Baldur's Gate, Terick Mirner was radically changed.
He enthusiastically accepted the mission: months before he had laid eyes on the very beautiful, capricious and rich dame that never considered him very highly. So the assignment to escort her seemed the ideal occasion to play his cards well.
At first, he tried to scare her with stories of heinous crimes committed at the expense of defenseless travellers and painted himself like a merciless brigands hunter, in order to look into the eyes of the girl as if he was the man most suited to protect her safety; then he personally chose the four men he deemed most trustworthy (and far uglier than he) in order to man the escort. He even convinced his old friend Grunvald and his band of petty thieves to make a false attack against the coach, only two days after they had left Athkatla. The effect had been spectacular at the least: the bandits emerged from behind a hill with beastly screaming and after some exchange of arrows he guided his platoon in a wild charge, turning away the false bandits. He pretended then to chase them for approximately a mile and, finally, he came back as victor. From then on, Lady Victoria had deigned him every consideration, often allowing him the honor to sit beside her in the coach, in order to hear his stories of military feats and he did indeed tell her without much persuading, adorning a little his own enterprises. In brief, the travel had taken a decidedly pleasant turn, at least until Beregost.
Even before entering the city, he was irritated by the arrogant way in which a patrol of the Flaming Fist (the mercenaries that maintained the order in the province of Baldur's Gate) had obliged him to stop at the post office for a standard control. The standard control lasted two hours under a heavy autumn shower that made him wet like a drowned rat. When he returned to Lady Victoria, at the town inn, he found her chatting intensely with a hateful, rich dressed dandy. His moustache was drenched with water, obstinately head down he approached. The low laugh with which the girl greeted him made him feel deeply humiliated. But the worst thing was that the dandy formally approached, greeting him with scoffing deference.
- Good evening, commander, I'm glad that your obligation with the guards is finally finished. Let me introduce myself: I am Lord Bailey Windström, from Waterdeep, currently resident in Baldur's Gate. Because I am also headed to Baldur's Gate, Lady Victoria has been so kind to ask me that we continue to travel together, so as of today I am under your protection too. I deeply hope to not give you too much trouble.
While saying this, he removed the broad brimmed hat and performed a deep bow. There was something in his tone of voice and in the attitude of Lord Bailey that deeply hurt Terick and his voice sounded metallic when answering.
- Beware to keep yourself far away from danger, gentleman. It is said lately that there are many brigands on this route. I must inform you that my duty is to escort Lady Victoria and that every other engagement comes after this. Well I don't mean to put milady in danger because of any of Your Lordship's thoughtlessness. -
- Keep quiet, commander: I have no intention to be far away from Lady Victoria's coach.
The gallant tone of the Lord Bailey's words drove the young official into a rage and resulted in ruining his day. He had to use all of his self-control in order to keep the hand afar from the sword.
- Beware not to tempt fate too much, Lord Baley! -
- Bailey, Lord Bailey Windström. I thank you for the advice but I adore tempting fate, it is the thing that makes me feel most alive. Now excuse me: it seems to me discourteous to leave Lady Victoria alone. -
He bowed respectfully in front of the beautiful noblewoman that answered with a smile. Then the gentleman came near the girl starting again a deep conversation with her, ignoring with ostentation the young and rain soaked official. Terick watched him with hatred for a while, and then managed to rent a room to change his clothes. Finally dry, an hour later he came back, to the common room of the inn.
Lady Victoria had withdrawn to her room, the dandy had disappeared and Terick tried to calm down the nervousness with a beer. He remained to chat with some mercenaries of the Amn until late. They told rumors that there had been new raids of brigands and that the brigand chief was nobody but the mysterious Blackwind, a bandit who had committed some clamorous thefts in Baldur's Gate but those had never seemed stained with homicides or robberies, until then.
The next morning they left early but the travel had become terribly annoying for the ambitious official. That unbearable gentleman rode close to the coach chatting with Lady Victoria and he could do absolutely nothing to prevent it.
The days passed but Lord Bailey did not seem to feel the travel at all: always affable and in a good mood, he talked amicably with everybody, without class distinctions, while courting shamelessly the gentlewoman. In the evening he cheered up the bivouac with his beautiful voice and his romantic songs (- mawkish -, according to the taste of the young escort commander). The situation was made unbearable soon. Terick had to do something in order to put an end to that situation and in some way to get rid of that hateful dandy. If only he had a way to put himself in contact with the old Grunvald...
The idea slowly pushed its way into Terick's mind, vaguely brought forth from the cloudy memory of antiquated and boring rules on honor and honesty. To the crossroad of Candlekeep the residual scruples vanished definitively into thin air. That worm was on the coach, praising the wonders of the library of Candlekeep, and Lady Victoria listened to him, ravished. All is fair in love and war: the old principle convinced the exasperated official to act.
He announced that the next morning he would explore near the Cloak Wood, where it was said that the brigands that infested those zones had their lair, in order to prevent potential attacks. Lady Victoria did not seem convinced about the opportunity and Lord Bailey shook his head with a worried expression but fate decided to help Terick.
In the evening they found the remains of an attacked and recently plundered caravan. They had to be merchants of the Wandering Company of Seven Suns (a small commercial company of Baldur's Gate) and nobody was survivor of the onslaught. Lady Victoria emerged from the coach just as it was passing near a small group of corpses. Obviously, she did not find a more original thing to do than to faint, giving her governess good reason to look away from that horrendous show. In the middle of the field, where a group of merchants were evidently surprised out of sleep, a brindle of black stuff had been tied to a spear, driven into the ground. The wind blew it, rendering a spectral flag similar to the wing of a crow. Lord Bailey lingered looking at it: his face appeared ashen; the lips always smiling were locked, the eyes flaming.
- Fear, Lord Bailey? Perhaps you think that the rag is the signature of the famous bandit Blackwind?
The young official sniggered, thinking that the gentleman was still frightened. Moreover, having found the rest of the poor people seemed to him a sign of destiny: his exploration of the next day would have seemed opportune to everybody.
- I'd rather say disgust, commander. Nevertheless I've never heard that Blackwind attacked the caravans, or that he left any signature of his crimes.
- Probably he found a new way to become rich. A criminal is always a criminal.
- Everything is possible, commander... Everything.
The next morning, even before dawn, Terick mounted a horse and headed toward the dark spot he caught a glimpse of on the horizon, the Cloak Wood. He arrived nearby the forest when the first rays of sun brightened the sky. He began to plunge into the forest. After approximately an hour, a guttural voice jolted him.
- Hold high the hands, soldier.
He turned slowly. The massive figure of a Hobgoblin emerged behind a bush holding him under the threat of one crossbow. He smiled and began to speak.
It was nearly noon when the official caught up with the Lady Victoria's coach. Lord Bailey was dozing under a tree, a little distance away.
- The road is clear! They must be satisfied with the booty of the other caravan and they are hiding in the forest. We'll do better if we hurry up!
Terick urged many times the coachman during that day. He was impatient to cover that route and the coach seemed maddeningly slow to him.
It was evening, when they camped, a little behind where Terick Mirner had hoped, but not so far to make him fear things would not have gone according to plan. That night, Lord Bailey did not approach the fire but he remained alone, intent on preparing a bed under the leafy branches of a willow.
After dinner, Lady Victoria was approached by the young gentleman.
- Don't you have an appetite, Lord Bailey?
- Truly not a lot milady, but if you insist, I will come with you, close to the fire.
- I'd be grateful: I still have in my eyes that horrible slaughter and I would like a lot to hear one of your sweet songs.
- I doubt whether I would succeed to sing a song less than sad, this evening. I have not been able to remove that horror from my mind either. But, in order to cheer your eyes up, I will strain myself.
- Your gallantry...
The girl was interrupted by a burst of screams. The guards sprang to their feet, with bows drawn.
- The bandits! Lady Victoria, run to the coach!
The old governess hastened panting. The two women rushed into the coach, while the guards hurled their arrows against the attackers. The young commander jumped on his horse and ordered them to hurl another volley of arrows, while the assaulters seemed to withdraw.
- Very well, commander! Another time you have turned them away in fear! - Screamed the girl, taken from the enthusiasm.
- Remain in the shelter, milady, while I drive those brigands back to their forest!
Even if he tried to control himself, Terick looked quite pleased. Lady Victoria thought that it was the legitimate pride of a winning warrior. She turned to search Lord Bailey but there was no sign of him. Perhaps the dandy was fascinating but the soldier was a true man. She scarcely noticed that the net that supported the luggage had disappeared and the trunks had fallen to the ground.
The small party was launched in pursuit of the attackers, with wild screams. Then a painful cry was heard. A soldier fell from his horse.
The attackers stopped: they were no longer escaping but they took up their bows and were waiting steadily the dazed soldiers. The brigands shot a volley of arrows and pulled down two more soldiers. The commander seemed petrified. They tried to escape but realized they were surrounded. Terick unsheathed his sword and tried to attack the one who seemed to be the chief of the bandits: a tall and sturdy man, completely dressed in black, armed with a heavy axe.
He never caught up to him: the brigands attacked the commander with enough force to overwhelm him.
At the end of the scuffle, three brigands had fallen. From the escort, only the commander and a soldier, both wounded, remained alive.
- Fine booty, Terick. There are interesting things in this coach! - The brigand chief laughed malignantly while two hobgoblins dragged Lady Victoria close to the young commander, tied and pale like a dead man. - So is this the girl that you wanted, eh? You have good taste, for the tail of Mask! Be not afraid: I'll let her go to you... after we have finished, of course... Surely, you'd be rather ignorant to think that we would give up such an easy booty for a little gold... -
Lady Victoria was wan, watching by turn the brigand chief and the commander of her escort. Then she understood.
- Cursed traitor! You came to an agreement with these... And I believed... that you were a true man!
- Shut up slut! It suits you to stop being so haughty! - The bandit chief made an attempt to embrace the girl but he bent forward to protect himself from a violent blow with the knee... below his belt.
- Boss... here is a little statue but no hints of gold or jewels... - a hobgoblin came out from within the coach, holding some delicate porcelain statues.
- Ugly bitch... What? – At once the eager brigand forgot about the girl and rushed to ransack the baggage.
- Where is the gold? - Roared the brigand. – It's no use to me these little calishite statues! You'll tell me where it is or I'll skin you with my bare hands! - The hobgoblins approached the women threateningly, while their chief went to the campfire, where he made his dagger red-hot.
- Hold them. Now we'll see if they don't tell us where they have hidden the jewels! - With his free hand he seized the wineskin that was close to the camp fire and drank eagerly.
- Good! Just what we need to accompany delightful torture! Now you'll see what it means to defy Blackwind! – He threw the wineskin to the closer brigand, and then approached the terrified girl.
A laugh echoed in the air. The brigand stopped himself.
- You Blackwind? Come on! You are only a poor, worthless cut-throat! - The voice came from behind the willow. - Do you want the gold? Come take it! –
Lady Victoria noticed the branches of the willow had more curves than before, so as to protect the figure that appeared calmly seated with his back supported against the log.
- Who are you? - Asked the brigand that now seemed unsteady on his legs. - Catch him!
- Lord Bailey! Escape! Go away! - Screamed Lady Victoria but the young gentleman didn't move, remaining comfortably seated under the shelter of the willow.
The two hobgoblins who were holding the women and the others that were near their chief sprang towards the willow but the one who drank the wine staggered after little steps and fell to the ground. The brigand chief felt himself attacked by vertigo but before falling asleep, heard the crack of a whip and saw the willow suddenly straightening itself up and his men caught in a net.
Lady Victoria found that to faint in that moment it was the most obvious and decorous thing to do.
When she woke up it was morning, the brigands were all tightly tied up, even as the chief and one of the hobgoblin were still loudly snoring. The old coachman was half dead from fear but it seemed that nothing bad had happened to him; Terick Mirner and the sole survivor of the escort were in front of Lord Bailey, looking down.
- I'm sorry, commander, your behavior has been unspeakable. However, as far as I'm concerned, you can go away with your accomplice. Surely, I will not look for you. But avoid meeting me again. It could be very... unpleasant. Tymora keep you. - The voice of the dandy was firm and cutting, the voice of someone accustomed to giving orders. Terick and the soldier, without raising his eyes to look, took the reins of their horses and headed south.
- Do you think that it is prudent, Lord Bailey? We have dangerous prisoners... - The governess, still shaken from what happened, had been approached the young gentleman.
- We will be fine, madam. Frankly speaking, I do not trust them more than I can trust these robbers and I hope that, by this evening, we will meet a patrol of the Flaming Fist. I think that they will be very happy to escort us. - Lord Bailey's usual good mood had returned and he was amiably smiling at the old woman.
- Lord Bailey... - The girl shook while she approached the smiling nobleman.
-... I want to tell you... that you have been... wonderful... Perhaps I will seem stupid but...
- That's enough, milady. I could die believing you! - Lady Victoria suddenly embraced him and burst into tears.
- Come on, it is over milady... but I fear that I have to give you bad news...
-... what bad news? Worse than this? - But Lord Bailey was gladly smiling.
- I'm afraid that you will have to give up your seat in the coach to those two sleeping bullies. Their horses ran away and just I don't see any other way we could carry them away... and leaving them free is not an option. Obviously, I will be honored if you will want to ride on my horse, while your governess will sit beside the coachman. - The noblewoman showed a splendid smile and mounted the horse without much persuading.
Half hour after, the coach left, with the two sleeping brigands aboard and with the other prisoners following it on foot, bound at the wrists to one rope tied to the back of the coach. Lord Bailey and Lady Victoria were at the end of the line.
– How did you know that we would be attacked? How did you know that the commander betrayed us? How... - The girl started a whirl of questions, to which Lord Bailey answered with the usual affability.
- I had some doubt about the reliability of our escort when you, milady, told to me about the previous attack of brigands, in the Amn. It seemed unlikely to me that a robber's band had escaped after some exchange of arrows and without enduring any loss. Mostly they are determined and dangerous people that are not easily intimidated. Therefore I have imagined that the attackers acted in accordance with the escort and that everything was just a show. However, I thought that the commander deserved a little more attention.
- That delinquent!
- Do not judge him too harshly, milady: he did what he did only for your beautiful eyes. Sometimes passion leads us to do things that we would never imagine. - The girl was not able to take her eyes off the young gentleman.
- Another alarming sign was the commander's proposal to explore the Cloak Wood, in my opinion dangerous and useless. Then when, before the slaughter of the caravan, that young reckless person was so happy, as if it were a useful crime, I decided to keep an eye on him. I followed him into the forest and I heard him deal with the brigands. I'm rather smart in tracking and moving in the forests, didn't you know?
- Why didn't you let us know? We could have been prepared for the attack!
- Oh no, milady: someone would have ruined it by betraying himself, exposing us to unforeseeable reactions. Therefore, instead all the events have according to plan. When we camped, I explored the place and I have prepared everything. I used the net from the luggage for the trap. During dinner I put your jewel case in a safe place and I drugged the wine after dinner. I put the wineskin on display close to the fire, counting on the fact that the brigands would hardly withstand to the temptation of drinking.
- So, you foresaw also that the bandits would betray the commander?
- It was too easy: ferocious bandits like these, who committed such a slaughter, would never be pleased by a few coins, while the chance for a rich booty was possible. But the commander was blinded by his romantic dreams and he was trusted. -
It was not even noon when they saw a patrol of mercenaries marching in their direction. The commander of the patrol, an old non-commissioned officer was very glad to take delivery of the brigands and to escort the coach to Baldur's Gate that by then was only a day of travel away. The chief of the brigands was soon identified as Fred the Black, an old acquaintance of the mercenaries of the Flaming Fist, wanted practically along the whole Sword Coast.
They reached Baldur's Gate at sunset of the following day. In front of the gate of her uncles' estate, Lady Victoria come down from the coach saying that she would gladly walk the last stretch and prayed the governess to continue in order to announce her and to supervise the unloading of the luggage. Then she asked Lord Bailey to take her along the splendid tree-lined avenue that crossed the garden leading to the beautiful Dedralen palace.
- Therefore, Lord Bailey, a last curiosity remains. Would you be so kind to satisfy it?
- Surely, milady, you can ask me everything you wish. – The young gentleman answered, offering gallantly his arm to the girl.
– How did you figure that the chief of these bloodthirsty rascals was not the mysterious Blackwind? - Lady Victoria asked, setting out along the beautiful tree-lined road. Lord Bailey answered after one short hesitation.
- Blackwind, milady, does not confuse the art of Amn with the one of the Calisham. He dislikes violence and brings weapons only to defend his own life or the lives of innocent people in danger. He doesn't torture or kill. He is a thief, obviously, but his victims are loan sharks, slave drivers, and corrupt traitors. For no reason would he steal something from honest people. After all, he doesn't steal: he makes justice. He takes the ill-gotten gains away from the dishonest ones in our society. -
The girl looked at him steadily.
- Why does a gentleman of your noble lineage speak in such way about a common criminal? – Lord Bailey stopped and looked into her eyes.
- Why did I say this to you? Why am I defending him? Because I'm fond of him. Because I don't want anyone to speak of him in vain. Because Blackwind allows no one to sully or usurp his name... my name. –
And he kissed her.