Chapter 15

The fault line

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"Oh, put it any old where, just mind the beakers," said Jan.

Kivan ducked as he tried to find space in Jan's crowded workshop to deposit the knickknacks they'd come to trade. It paid to be cautious of the protruding shelves almost designed to clobber the unwary. He still couldn't think of the right description for Jan Jansen, their purveyor of potions and barely legal goods. Frenzied? Chaotic? Like bottled quicksilver which exploded when released, except it was impossible to tell what kind of effect the explosion would have.

He set the crate of goods on the sole empty workbench. A loud squelch then drew his gaze downwards. His right foot had somehow ended up in a suspicious puddle of dark green fluid. Taking a deep, steadying breath, he wiped the bottom of his foot on the side of a nearby bench. Hopefully the thing wasn't corrosive. Or sentient.

Elene's lips twitched as he looked up. The first spark of mirth he'd seen from her since their stumble into the tanner's lair yesterday. They'd all walked out of that hellish 'shop' in varying states of shock and disgust. But Elene…she was silent and pale as sheet after. Jaheira had whispered to him earlier in the morning, about finding the other woman's bed empty in the dead of night. Likely Elene had forgone sleep altogether after a while, and it showed in the dark circles under her eyes, the long silences at breakfast. Try as he might, he couldn't prod her into sharing what she saw in the depths of her nightmares.

"I have creams for that, you know," Jan piped up suddenly.

"Pardon?" Elene glanced at him in surprise.

Jan gestured to his face. "Beauty creams. Made from snail essence, my own recipe. It was all the rage last year at the Mirtul Ball that these noble types like to go to. Makes your skin glow, takes years off the lines on your face, that kind of thing. It'll do you good, especially for your eyes, dear. My Aunt Petunia swears by it, says it's got her suitors lining up to the City Gate."

Kivan avoided considering the risks of applying Jansen-made substances to one's face. From the alarmed slant of Elene's expression, she must be thinking the same thing.

"That's…quite alright, Jan. Much as I appreciate the thought." Elene shifted, a sure sign that she was about to change the topic. "While on the topic of alchemy, I have to say, the last batch of healing potions could do with more potency."

"Hmm, hmm. You don't say?" Jan reached across the worktable and pulled a potion-laden box closer with a clink of glass. "Good news then, this batch is a mite better than the last. Now I know what you're gonna ask, and I'm telling you that you don't need to know where the thickener came from. Let's just say I figured out a way to make the solution work better with some tree sap and prayers. It's happened before. Once, over Harvestide, we had a great gathering in Trademeet, the whole family was in attendance. Even Uncle Earhardt! I had a priest of Liira turn water into firewine and set the whole tavern on fire." He sighed wistfully. "Best party I've ever been to."

Elene scrutinised his manic grin, then opted for diplomacy. "As long as it works."

"Pish posh, have I ever let you down? I'll have you know I'm the originator of the gaizen model. The one where everything works just so the first time and gets better and better with every little tweak. I swear on Granny Rita's gravestone that this version is the best thing you'll find in the black market!"

Elene's smile frayed at the edges, and she didn't deign to answer. That they were dependent on a madcap gnome for critical supplies said more about their desperate situation than anything else. She picked up the potions, clipping two on her belt before handing a few more to Kivan.

"Stronger healing potions," was her reply to his questioning look.

His brow crinkled with scepticism, but he accepted the bottles without comment. Beggars can't be choosers. They would have benefitted more from having another healer on board, like Aerie. Elene was dead set on leaving the girl in the 'safe' embrace of the circus for some reason. A bit of hypocrisy on her part, given how she'd been taken in by Khalid and Jaheira after she'd lost her own father. Adventuring was a hard life perhaps, but nothing prepared you better to face the real world and all the ugliness that came with it.

"Oh, have you tried the trinket I gave you the other day?" Jan asked with undisguised eagerness.

Elene hesitated, her hand unconsciously reaching for one of her belt pouches. "Haven't had a reason to pull off large-scale demolition yet."

"Shame. Remember to update me when you do get round to using it. You know what, if you're free tomorrow, you can come over to help me with a little something else I'm working on." He clapped his hands together with glee. "Ooh, it'll be like the time when Cousin Bodan mixed some griffin feathers into a firebreath potion. The explosion after, I tell you! Sometimes when I close my eyes, I can still see the colours behind my eyelids."

"I'd love to, but we're going to be busy the next few days. Work's been piling up," she demurred.

"That's too bad. You can settle the balance when you drop by next. I'm sure you'll find more nifty surprises to trade in by then." Jan pumped her hand up and down a few times to conclude their trade for the day.

She departed with a wave, Kivan following close behind. He threw a glance behind him as they walked away from the haphazard multi-storeyed house that was Jan's family home. Creeping vines trailed from ground to roof, with cracks in the windows covered with odd-coloured paste. Strange-smelling smoke rose from the chimney. It looked like a home for either the garish or the deranged. Thinking the multi-coloured bottles and beakers and tubes arrayed about Jan's underground workshop, he decided that the place's outward impression didn't stray too far from the truth.

"I'll see you later tonight. Or in the morning," Elene waved in farewell.

Their paths diverged at the main thoroughfare leading to the Promenade, Elene joining the lunchtime throng heading to the Promenade. More errands to run for her, more supplies to purchase for him. They'd been steadily stocking up on travel rations, in case they'd need to hazard a sojourn out of the city. Elene suspected they would have to, sooner or later. Kivan glared at the surrounding reddish-brown buildings. An escape into the greenery of Amn would be welcome. Just two tendays of this muggy, crime-infested environ and he'd already had enough of the place to last him a lifetime.

Night had almost fallen by the time he'd concluded his shopping, a bundle of camping supplies tucked in his arms. He'd had to shop around extensively, then haggle and threaten his way into a good deal, the city's merchants naturally built to con the unwary. The entire exercise took far longer than he would have liked. The Copper Coronet was sputtering to life when he shouldered his way in, the usual suspects already there in their preferred spots. A quick jaunt upstairs to deposit his prize for the day in his room, then back to the taproom he went. The aroma of roast beef made his mouth water as he headed for a familiar corner table.

Anomen was already seated there sans armour, nursing a glass of dark red liquid. Significant food portions were waiting for Kivan, leftovers from dinner. Seems he'd missed Elene and Yoshimo. He propped his bow behind him and picked the seat next to Anomen, with his back to the wall. A tankard of ale appeared at his elbow within moments, the serving girl as attentive as always to Hendak's favoured guests.

"How did it go?" he grunted by way of greeting.

"Fair enough. I spent most of the day at the Garrison clearing matters up with the Lieutenant." Anomen fiddled with his glass, then realised he was doing it, and stopped. "We've collected half the bounty on the skinner murders. Combined with the work we did putting down Kalah, I'd say we have a respectable reputation with the City Watch now."

"We'd have a better reputation if that murderer hadn't gotten away," Kivan muttered over his tankard.

Anomen's eyes flashed as he turned his heated gaze toward him. "As I've said before, there was no surety of his capture even if I'd waited. The fiend had his escape route planned out."

Kivan reached for a cut of roast. Touchy topic. While he could see Anomen's value in a fight, his judgment in other matters left something to be desired. Far too eager to plunge headlong into trouble for the sake of 'honour'. He wasn't alone in this view, if Jaheira's stormy reaction after the tanner debacle was any indicator. Speaking of the bull-headed druid…

"Where's Jaheira?" Kivan asked, changing the subject.

The sullen look Anomen shot him indicated that he still wasn't happy with the earlier dig. But he answered nonetheless, "She's joining Elene and Yoshimo for the night. Something about a shipment in the Docks. She said not to wait."

In the ensuing lull, Kivan wondered what the other half of the group was up to. It was normal for Elene and Yoshimo to disappear at dusk and re-emerge in the common room near Highsun the following day. Only this was the first time Jaheira was joining them. Did they need muscle for the night's task? Why not Anomen or himself? His temper smouldered as he considered what nonsense that wicked drow was getting them into. This reminded him all too much of the shady dealings with Husam at the Gate.

"Odd," Anomen remarked out of the blue.

Kivan looked up from his plate. The common room was packed with patrons enjoying their dinner. Among them, a woman with hair the colour of sunset weaved from table to table, sticking out like a sore thumb due to the finery she was dressed in. And yet, she seemed to be speaking plaintively to the any who would listen, as if seeking urgent assistance.

"Do you know her?" Kivan asked.

Anomen frowned. "If I'm not mistaken, that's the daughter of Lord de'Arnise. Her family made a fortune off the silver trade many years ago – they own a Keep just outside the city. But what is she doing here of all places?"

Almost as if sensing their scrutiny, the woman glanced their way and caught them appraising her. She gathered herself for a moment before making a quick beeline towards them. Kivan took a slow sip of his ale, his eyes never leaving the woman. Once she drew closer, Kivan noticed that her hair was wind-swept, her clothes travel-worn. As though she'd been traveling on horseback for a long stretch without rest in between. Her eyes, though, were aflame with emotion.

"Please," she breathed as she planted her hands on their table. "My home is under threat. I need mercenaries to help me bolster the defences. By the de'Arnise name, I promise you I can pay well for your effort."

Anomen got to his feet, pulling a chair for her to sit in. "Slow down, my lady. Tell us what happened."

"Thank you. Thank you for listening to me. I…I've been reaching out for help for hours but no one seems to care. Even after all I'd done for the people here." The woman took a deep breath, collecting herself. "Forgive me, I'm rambling. I am Nalia de'Arnise. My home, it's about to be under attack. My father is still there, defending the keep. I need strong fighters to follow me and help fight off the invaders."

"Who are these invaders?" Kivan wanted to know.

Nalia shook her head with some vehemence. "It's not important. They're not a sizeable force, at least. My father said we only need a small group to drive them off. And I will be fighting with you, there's nothing untoward here. I know the terrain and hidden entrances like the back of my hand. We just need to act fast!"

Kivan glared, unconvinced. He sensed no falseness in her words, but there were too many details being left out. Unfortunately, a glance at the determined cast to Anomen's features confirmed that he didn't share the same sentiment.

"Tell us where your home is. We will strive to help if we can," said the Helmite.

"Oh, thank you. You're Lord Cor Delryn's son, are you not? I'd not expected…" Nalia trailed off, seeming to think better of what she was about to say. A good thing, too, if the crease in Anomen's brow was any indicator. "Never mind. I am grateful that you are a credit to your family, at least. I won't forget this. Thank you, Anomen."

Nalia didn't linger once her directions were clear, her fine robes swishing as she departed the Coronet. Kivan scrutinised the map in his hands before stowing it away. Based on her directions, her keep was just under a day's trek beyond Athkatla's walls, a straightforward journey mostly on paved roads. Still. Kivan pushed his plate away, pondering Nalia's evasive responses to his probing. The way her gaze skittered to the side when she answered. Was there something troubling about the nature of the invaders? Or did it have to do with the reason why they were invading in the first place?

"I don't like the look of this," Kivan said.

Anomen's expression soured when he glanced over at his frowning visage. "You may have your doubts, but I feel this is a worthy mission. Who knows what ill intent those invaders could have against Nalia's family? Besides, the favour of the de'Arnise family is not something to be taken lightly."

"The five of us can't expect to fight off an army."

"If we strike at just the right time, we won't have to. This is a far better endeavour than enriching a bunch of scoundrels under Shadow Thief payroll," Anomen shot back. "If we leave tomorrow or the day after, we can make a difference. The keep is barely a day's journey from the city gate."

Kivan's lips thinned. "We still need to discuss this with the others."

Nothing more was said after. As they both retreated into their own musings, Kivan wondered what Jaheira and Elene would make of this quest. He didn't know if they could afford to abscond the city with tasks unfinished. What would happen to Nalia's family if they didn't render aid, though? It was an uncomfortable thought, to abandon them to a potentially gruesome fate. But still…Nalia could find other adventurers to help her. Surely they weren't the only competent group in the city, especially if she was willing to throw coin about.

Anomen left their table with a stiff nod once the silence stretched for too long. Kivan watched him go. Humans. Never content to just sit in contemplation in another's company, always need to be talking about something. Solitude was fine for Kivan, though. He called for another tankard of ale and settled deeper into his shadowy corner of the tavern.

Over the years, he learned that gleaning local insights worked the same way as hunting difficult prey in the wild. Either you lay the right bait and wait for something to come in…or you blend into the background and listen for the right opportunity. Around him, the chatter revolved around mundane issues of city folk. Overdue rent, unreasonable neighbours, a tight-fisted employer. Nothing of interest caught his ear as the night progressed, and the pointlessness of it all made him wonder why people lived here in the first place. Back in his village in Shilmista, nature's bounty was enough to support a large community. The only thing he'd been taught in his youth was how much hare or deer meat can be traded for a bushel of herbs. There was never any need to count and hoard one's coin. Only his travels with Jaheira and the group had taught him to be calculative with his gold. Here in Athkatla, where one needed coin to eat and have a roof over one's head, it made the difference between life and death.

What a terrible way to live.

He stewed quietly in the corner until close to midnight, when the door swung inward with a bang. Inquisitive heads swivelled toward the entrance to peer at the commotion. Three figures staggered into the tavern, with two hooded individuals hauling forward an armoured woman in the middle. Kivan jumped to his feet when he recognised the limping form of Jaheira.

"Oh, thank Oghma," Elene breathed when he headed them off at the stairs.

A cursory scan marked the deep slash marks across her front and Yoshimo's shaken features. Jaheira was bleeding from her neck, though the wound didn't look life-threatening. Wherever they were from, they had been in battle. "Let me."

Elene relinquished her grip on Jaheira. A curt nod to Yoshimo made him do the same. Even with pounds of metal armour on her, Kivan found the weight manageable. As he adjusted his hold around the druid to move her forward, he caught her pained expression. It was not like her to show such weakness, there must be some internal injury done to her that he could not see. Setting his jaw, he set about supporting her weakened form up the stairs, one awkward step at a time, as Elene and Yoshimo bounded up ahead of them.

"Get Anomen," Elene instructed Yoshimo once they reached their floor.

Yoshimo peeled off down the hallway while Elene fumbled the keys before shimmying her room door open with a curse. She was already hurrying about the room to light candles by the time Kivan stepped inside. Jaheira looked grateful to be settled into the aged bed, her eyes closing briefly as she did. He dropped to one knee by her bedside and reached for her shoulder pauldron to take it off, but she batted his hand away. Glaring, he opened his mouth to berate her stubbornness, except Elene pulled at his shoulder before he could say a word.

"I'll do it," she said, pressing a candle into his hand.

Huffing in annoyance, he turned around to continue her task. The lighting may be sufficient for him and Elene, but their resident healer would need more than that. Especially with such a difficult patient on hand.

Behind him, he heard Elene quickly pull off Jaheira's armour in bits and pieces, tossing them into a haphazard pile on the floor. The wooden groan of the bed indicated that Jaheira was now lying down. Despite the myriad of questions bubbling in his mind, he focused on his own two hands, arraying candles about the small space. The room was probably better illuminated than the tavern downstairs by the time he was done. Just in time, as the door was pushed open not a second later, Anomen bustling in with tousled hair and a rumpled shirt.

Not wasting time, Anomen went straight for Jaheira, who lay on her bed looking as pale as sheet. His brows furrowed as he pressed a hand to the woman's still-bleeding throat. Rooting about the room, Kivan found a piece of clean cloth and handed it to Anomen. Manoeuvring about the cramped space, he bumped into Elene, who spilled some water in the basin she was carrying.

He glanced down. Her hands were shaking.

"Sorry," she murmured.

Despite the mishap, Anomen had what he needed to work with, making quick use of the cloth and water to clean the wound. Kivan stepped aside to let Elene brush past him and sit on her own bed, still bedecked in leathers. In the tense silence that ensued, she guzzled a healing potion. Yoshimo hovered at the door like a shadow. Their eyes were glued to Anomen with varying degrees of concern as he healed their companion. Seeing how unsettled they both were, Kivan began collecting Jaheira's discarded armour pieces and deposited them onto the table between the beds.

"What happened?" Anomen asked in a strained voice.

Yoshimo's features turned stormy. "Vampires."

Kivan blinked. Vampires? He'd heard the stories about undead creatures that feasted on the blood of the living. There were even reportedly sightings in the city of late, of such creatures fighting with hoodlums in the darkness. Despite these rumours, he'd never thought they'd ever actually face these monsters.

"So the rumours are true then." Anomen cursed. "She's been drained…the vile energy from the creature that did this is weakening her. Healing spells can stop the worst of it, but it won't help her recover her strength. I've not been granted the power yet to fully restore her." As Anomen finished, he flicked a worried glance toward Elene.

"Then who does?" Elene demanded.

"I can bring a brother from the Temple here." He grimaced. "But it will cost us."

Elene's gaze skittered over Jaheira's still form, fear flashing in those eyes. Then she focused a heated glare on Anomen. "Do it. I don't care if we have to spend every copper we have. Just get whoever you think can heal her."

Kivan stole a look at her. The harshness of her tone grated against his ears, completely out of character. With a stiff nod, Anomen left the room. For a moment, no one moved until Kivan eased himself onto the edge of Jaheira's bed. Her skin was cool to the touch, with dark veins emerging like malignant webbing near a wound at her neck. Two deep pinpricks – like a bite mark. Kivan exhaled slowly. He murmured a simple healing spell he'd picked up in the peaceful days after Tazok's death. The spell receded some of the dark veins, but he knew more work would be needed.

Yoshimo crossed the room, planting himself in the rickety chair by Elene's bed. "Was this the hit Viconia warned about?"

Elene sighed. All her earlier aggression seeped out of her in that one breath. "Seems that way. You saw how quickly they went for Mook. There was no saving her. Hells, if you hadn't been quick with that alchemist's fire, I don't know…" Then she shook her head, as though to clear her thoughts of worst-case scenarios. Once she regained her composure, she levelled a tired look at Yoshimo. "I couldn't save the shipment."

"None of us could have," Yoshimo scoffed. "We were lucky to get out of there alive."

"But this complicates things. They needed that new batch of equipment because they were designed to fight vampires. Now that we've lost it, this rival guild is going to be bolder than ever." Elene ran nervous fingers through her hair, mussing up tawny locks as she considered the branching outcomes from their current situation. "Jariel mentioned there's a backup, another incoming shipment. But it's stuck, nothing's come out from the nearest town in a week. Likely someone has to go and get it before these creatures catch wind of it."

"Do you think they'll send us to do it?" Yoshimo asked, surprised.

She tugged off her gauntlets, her movements distracted and jerky. "I don't know. Maybe. Either way, I have to report this tonight or Jassa's not going to be happy."

Kivan thought of Nalia de'Arnise and her home invaders. "Are we leaving the city soon?"

Her gaze flickered to him. "Not too soon, I hope. Is something the matter?"

"There was a woman in the common room. Nalia de'Arnise, some noble-born. She's hiring adventurers to deal with invaders threatening her family's keep – it's a day's travel from here." He recalled her fine robes and the elegant ring on her finger. "She looks like she can pay well."

"Really? When did you speak with her?"

"Few hours ago. Anomen vouches for her."

For a long while, Elene said nothing. Yoshimo leaned back against his chair, watching her with a critical eye the whole time as if curious for her answer. Eventually, she shifted on her bed. "I don't know. There are too many things happening in one go. Maybe…maybe we can decide after the meeting with Jaheira's associates. Hopefully this Nalia can wait two days."

"The same meeting none of us are allowed to go to?" Yoshimo asked with an edge in his voice.

"It's nothing big, Yoshimo," Elene tried to wave it off, though her expression coloured with discomfort. "Just something that could open other doors and get us out of this bind."

A smirk. "In this city? I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you, my friend."

She hesitated, again glancing at Jaheira. "I have faith in her. She's pulled us through worse before."

Kivan's brow furrowed. True, but Jaheira's excellent judgment somehow fell apart when it came to the Harpers. That group kept more secrets than was wise, chief among them was keeping Elene in the dark about her true nature. So much more could have been done to prevent disaster if everyone had been prepared to deal with the root cause of the iron crisis. And while Jaheira could forgive the Harpers for turning their backs on them in their hour of greatest need, he was less inclined to be so charitable.

"I'm coming with you," he crossed his arms.

"I don't think it's necessary…" she began

"Ithink it's necessary."

"Kivan, it's just…"

"Come now, Elene," Yoshimo cut in smoothly. "Another pair of eyes could only be an advantage, especially when they belong to our eagle-eyed archer here. If this meeting is as innocuous as you think, what harm could it do?"

The question hung in the air for a moment. What remained unsaid was, if there was treachery afoot, she would at least have another fighter in her corner. They were hardly in a position where they could afford to trust strangers with murky motivations. For all her caution, Kivan suspected that Elene's foster father being a Harper also clouded her view.

She scrubbed at her face, too tired to argue against their combined front. "Fine. Fine."

A small victory gained. Even so, Kivan shot Yoshimo a sidelong glance, wondering what his angle was. All he received in return was an enigmatic smile. Something still didn't sit quite right with him when it came to this bounty hunter. Too clever by half, yet somehow intensely loyal to their difficult and maybe unrewarding cause. He didn't understand why Elene kept this man so close, given their experience with the duplicitous Coran at the Gate.

Eventually, Yoshimo rose from his seat. "I don't know about you, but all this excitement is making me hungry. Would you like something from the kitchens?"

"I'll be glad for whatever you can get," Elene replied, already halfway through her armour straps.

Kivan declined with a shake of his head.

With a jaunty thumbs-up, Yoshimo left. Elene rose from her bed once the door closed behind him, lumping her armour and spare bits of apparel onto the table with Jaheira's things. Kivan waited for her to finish before catching her eye as she turned towards him.

"Well?" he asked.

"Please, I…I can't do this right now. We can do a full debrief tomorrow, when Jaheira's in better shape." She swallowed, lowering her eyes to hide the raw emotion lurking within. Her voice lowered to almost a whisper. "It was…it was a near thing. I nearly lost her, Kivan."

His gaze drifted to Jaheira again. The dark patch of veins stood out like a vile cancer on her pale skin. It was an unnerving sight. She'd always been the pillar of strength for the group, he couldn't remember a time when any of their enemies managed to bring her down so low. He could understand why Elene looked so overwhelmed. The loss of Khalid and Imoen had been devastating enough…to lose Jaheira would be a blow she might not recover from. He leaned over the druid to cast another minor healing spell. The veins receded again by a small margin. That should be enough until Anomen returned, at least.

"I'll see you in the morning then," he said.

Elene's returning smile was grateful as he stood to leave. The last thing he saw as he shut the door was of her positioning the chair by Jaheira's bed to settle in for a long night.