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Chapter 19
The balm for the soul
The statue of Garl Glittergold glimmered in the candlelight, eye-catching in the gloom of the temple. Contrary to rumours, though, it was a bust made of copper with two sheens of gold plating. The last time Gellana Mirrorshade commissioned a small statuette of pure gold, it had cost her no end of grief when it had been stolen in the night within a month. At least it would be cheaper for her to replace this one if an enterprising thief ever decided to test the truth of the rumours.
Of course, Khalid had warned Imoen not to try her luck. It wasn't worth upsetting the Mirrorshades for.
He had seated himself on one of the benches in the temple foyer, rotating his shoulder to test muscle reaction. His rib injury from an errant mace and the various cuts and bruises from the bandit camp fight were almost fully healed. Jaheira really was a miracle worker. He'd been quite worried his recovery would slow them down, but it looked like they'd be ready to set out to the Cloakwood forest the next morning after all.
After a few more minutes of silent contemplation, a door opened with a creak. A middle-aged gnomish woman strode out from the back room grasping a large cloth bundle in each hand. The bundles clinked as she moved.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, dear. Here's what you asked for," Gellana Mirrorshade approached him with a matronly smile.
He had known the Mirrorshades for more than a decade and while Bentley had lost hair and grew somewhat podgier, she hadn't changed one bit over the years. The cleric ran the Temple of Garl Glittergold as a both a place of supplication and a reputable restocking depot for adventurers in need of potions and antidotes. She was the most reliable potion maker for miles and a sight friendlier than Thalantyr in High Hedge.
Khalid returned her smile, taking the bundles from her. "It is no trouble, Gellana. Thank you for getting these ready at such short notice. How much do I owe you?"
"For you, 80 gold per bottle. But don't spread that around," she winked.
"You're too kind."
As he handed her the gold, she gazed at him with shrewd eyes. "'Tis a lot of antivenom for a simple adventuring run. If I didn't know any better, I'd venture you're either going to face a den of assassins or going to the Cloakwoods."
Keeping his features carefully neutral, he rebalanced the bundles in his hands, taking care not to jostle the glass vials within too much. "Just taking precautions, you know. Never know what we could be facing out there."
A corner of her lips quirked, as if to say, 'have it your way'.
"Of course." She rested her hand briefly on arm. "Do be careful, dear. You and Jaheira both."
"We will. Thank you again, Gellana."
Khalid ducked his head in farewell. The last rays of the sun greeted him as he exited the temple. It was almost time for dinner, he thought. A small smile escaped him as he thought of Imoen bounding down the steps of the Inn aiming for Bentley's famous roast beef. Like him, she had also recovered from her injuries and had been making the best of their layover at the Friendly Arm Inn.
Walking back the main inn building, he wished the rest of his companions had taken the same opportunity. Kivan had made himself scarce the moment they arrived, continuing his oddly recalcitrant behaviour since they'd regrouped after the battle with the bandits. His kinsman, Xan, was his usual reclusive self except at mealtimes while Elene…well, she worried him the most of late.
He'd been on watch the second night after they'd left the butchered camp. She had bolted upright in her bedroll in the twilight hours, clutching at herself as though she'd just taken an arrow to the chest. It took her long minutes to ease her ragged breathing, fear tangible in her tremoring shoulders. He'd called to her, looking to give comfort.
When she looked up, he swore her eyes flashed yellow in the darkness. And just as quickly, it was gone.
He never told Elene what he saw for fear of further alarming her, though he did confide in Jaheira. Beyond that, her night terrors were becoming an increasing cause of concern. She'd kept her word about telling Jaheira and himself about what she saw in those dreams. Worryingly, she also said she'd felt stronger after one of the dreams. Privately, he began to suspect there was something malevolent fuelling those dreams and the voice but he was both at a loss on how to deal with her problem without knowing its source.
Potion bottles clinking, he gingerly took the steps to the inn. Inside, the dinner crowd had begun to trickle in, tables slowly filling with people as delicious aroma wafted out from the kitchens. Most there were messengers or those who travelled looking for odd jobs. It would be a while before people would dare to chance the roads again, even after the Fists had spread the good news about clearing the bandit cancer. People were still wary, and for good reason.
The enchanted lights illuminating the room had just begun their gleam when Khalid made his way to the back, close to where the taps were. Their friendship with Bentley had secured them the most secluded table in the room, where Imoen, Elene and Xan were already seated and waiting for their evening meal. Khalid smiled at each of them as he set his bundles down on floor under the table, away from prying eyes.
"Heya, Khalid," Imoen grinned at him as he settled down next to her. "Got the good stuff?"
"Should be enough for our trip, I hope. Jaheira has some spells on hand as well," he replied.
"We'll be fine," the red-headed thief drawled before leaning towards Elene sitting opposite. "So, anyways Lene, I didn't have a chance to even ask him if he'd wanna join us. He immediately sorta went ohh this may not be the life for me after all. Death is fascinating, but I would look on it from afar, ensconced in a well-lit tavern or some nonsense." She huffed. "So much for that!"
Khalid looked at Xan opposite in mild confusion, but the elf just shook his head wearily as if to say, 'don't get involved'. Heeding the unspoken advice, the warrior flagged a nearby barmaid to ask for his dinner. After a bit of hesitation, he also requested for Bentley's best Evermead. It was a bit of a luxury, but given that they'd be returning to the wilderness for an interminable period, he figured he should enjoy it while he could.
As he was putting in his order, Elene smiled over the rim of her mug. "I'm not terribly surprised, to be honest. Garrick didn't seem very suited to adventuring life."
"Says the librarian!"
"Scribe-in-training, if you please." Elene tapped the table to emphasise her point, yet her eyes were twinkling in amusement. "But honestly, don't get too broken up about it, Im. When a door closes, a window opens somewhere, so Parda used to say."
"Yeah. Yeah. I guess it just wasn't meant to be," Imoen pouted. "So, he'll be in Beregost for a while before trying to hitch a ride with Ajantis. He said he was going back to Athkatla once everything's been sorted out with the Fists."
Khalid barely remembered the journey back to Beregost with the remaining Fists. He'd spent the whole journey trying to ignore the burden of his injuries as the wagon they had could just about fit Ender Sai and a few badly wounded Fists. Once in Beregost, though, Khalid and Imoen had spent most of the time at the Jovial Juggler with Jaheira to recover. Meanwhile, the elves had gone off to run the necessary errands and pick up supplies. They'd only regrouped in time to travel to the Friendly Arm Inn.
With hefty purses, of course. Sorrel had more than delivered on his promise on a sizeable reward.
"That will be soon then. With the Fists vouching for him, Ajantis probably can't wait to go back and get knighted," her friend replied with a half-shrug. "He said we should look him up at the Order of the Most Radiant of Heart if we're ever in Athkatla. I have no idea where that is, but it does sound quite grand."
"Are you planning to? He seemed to take a shine to you," smirked Imoen.
Elene let out a nervous chuckle. "I don't know what you mean."
"Sure, you don't," Imoen replied, rolling her eyes but letting the matter go. "What happened to Kagain, anyway? Still can't believe he walked outta that final wave in one piece."
"We saw him yesterday when we passed by his shop," Elene gestured at herself and Xan. "He looked none the worse for wear. I suppose he'd found what he was looking for. We didn't really feel like saying hello and asking him ourselves."
"It is unlikely he would be able to show his face in Baldur's Gate anytime soon. Whatever he found, it won't bring the Duke's son back from the dead," remarked Xan.
"How do you know he's dead, though? What if he's in the Cloakwood to be ransomed?" Imoen wanted to know.
Xan's face was grim. "Not from what Ender Sai told us."
"You spent quite some time with him on the way back. Did he offer anything else of use?" Khalid asked.
"Not much. Only that the Iron Throne had wronged him in one of their past trades."
"I still find it odd that he doesn't work for anyone," mused the half-elf.
"He should not concern us. We have bigger things to worry about."
Xan seemed like he was about to continue, but stopped as a red-faced woman approached the table, arms laden with trays of food. Imoen's eyes lit up as the spread was set on the table, consisting of various cuts of meat, bread, soup and roasted vegetables. Khalid smiled, noting that he was not the only one feeling indulgent that evening.
"Miss, could you…er…cancel my order from just now? I'll just have the mead," he spoke up.
"Aye, if the kitchen hasn't start on it. Would you like the dessert served now, or after, maam?" the server asked Imoen.
"Later," Elene and Xan replied simultaneously, the former shooting an embarrassed look at her friend.
"But I do want that pudding!" Imoen called out to the server as she left.
"Im, this…this is a lot," Elene goggled at the food on offer.
"Isn't it great? Let's dig in!"
And so, they tucked in. Khalid watched without comment as Elene took food onto her plate and proceeded to barely touch it. Flicking his eyes toward Xan, he saw that the enchanter noticed the same thing.
Talk went on about their inventory and how best to divvy up the supplies among them. From the letters they'd secured in the camp, it was clear they would be facing someone named Davaeorn in Cloakwood. This base of his must be sizeable, judging from his demand for 'another ton of ore' and seeming capability to 'stockpile as much ore as possible'. Jaheira suspected it was a mine, hidden deep within the woods.
As the conversation went on, Khalid's much awaited mead arrived. He took his first sip with a soft sigh. Trust Bentley to have kitchen staff thoughtful enough to cool the drink before serving it. A great balm for the soul on such a warm day.
They then moved on to discuss the route they would take. The journey would be an arduous one, with no paved roads once they leave the Lion's Way. Not many travellers went that way, Cloakwood was a dangerous, isolated track of wilderness full of spiders, feral beasts and wyverns. Even with Kivan and Jaheira guiding them, it could be another month before they return to civilisation again, much to Imoen's disgruntlement.
"Kivan mentioned he picked up some arrows from the Smithy but I haven't seen him all day," Imoen remarked as they started thinking about the start of tomorrow's journey. "I hope he hasn't gone off hunting with those arrows or anything."
Elene's lowered her eyes to her plate but said nothing.
Glancing at her, Xan cleared his throat before commenting, "He will turn up in time to leave tomorrow, I'm sure."
A bard began strumming his lute on the stage. It sounded like the start of a merry ditty very in line with the atmosphere of the establishment. Imoen half-turned in her chair, a somewhat wistful expression on her face. The look vanished when she spotted a familiar figure descending the steps to come into the common room.
"Looks like Jaheira's joining us, after all," she grinned.
Khalid turned as well. He could not help the soft smile forming as he saw his wife. Thanks to the relative safety of the inn, she had foregone her armour for a simple tunic with tights. The warm lighting cast a soft glow to her hair and skin. He thought she looked lovely.
"Good evening," Jaheira greeted them as she pulled up a chair next to him. Her sharp eyes surveyed their table even as her hand casually brushed Khalid's thigh. "I didn't realise we'd be feeding an army tonight."
"Nor I," muttered Xan.
Imoen beamed at them in complete unrepentance.
"What did Bentley say?" Khalid asked.
"He doesn't know much," admitted the druid as she helped herself to some meat, "Other than a few book merchants, none come in from the west road since the bandits started moving in force. Beyond that, no one unusual stopped over in the past few weeks. Travel has been limited until the Fists can assure people the roads are safe once more."
"He did point out there was a hunting party from Baldur's Gate heading to the Cloakwood to hunt wyverns of all things. They set out from here barely a week ago." She shook her head, annoyance creasing her brow. "Why anyone would be foolish enough to attempt such undertaking is beyond him, and me for that matter."
Elene blinked. "Aren't wyverns huge, poisonous beasts the size of a house?"
"Precisely," Jaheira responded dryly, then gestured at the girl with a fork. "We will likely encounter one of them in the woods, but they generally leave people alone unless they stray too close to their lairs." She paused. "Generally."
"Worry not, Elene," Khalid assured her. "Jaheira and I have fought such creatures before. You only need to be wary of their stinger. If any of us get unlucky in that regard, Gellana has given us enough antidotes to counteract their poison."
"I suppose that's…alright then," she replied, quite unconvinced.
"Could be worse. Could be dragons," Imoen commented with a shrug.
Xan groaned. "Yes, why don't we tempt fate, shall we?"
Khalid hid a smile in his mug. It was always amusing to observe the dynamics between the rogue and the enchanter. The two could not be any more different in temperament, but somehow, they managed to work together well.
Dessert arrived when they were done with the main course, consisting of pudding and freshly made local sweets. The aroma was fresh, making Khalid think of the kitchens of his once-home, except Calimshite sweets smelled strongly of cinnamon and burnt sugar. Xan took a distasteful glance at the fare on offer and opted for another sip of his wine instead. On the other hand, Imoen delighted in trying a bit of everything.
Elene took a small slice of pudding onto her plate, then nudged at it for a bit.
Jaheira observed her peculiar behaviour but said nothing. "We've all gotten what we needed from Beregost and here. Nothing for it but to set out at first light." She then sent a pointed look at Imoen. "Presuming we can all wake up tomorrow after this feast."
"Sure, no problem," Imoen said mid-chew. "We'll be ready for it, whether it's gibberlings or wyverns. First thing in the morning!"
"Famous last words," Elene muttered under her breath. Khalid sensed motion under the table as the elf suddenly jerked upright in her seat. She then glared at her friend. "What was that for?"
"What was what for?" was the innocent reply.
The druid set her fork down, glowering at both girls to forestall the bickering. "We will be taking the main route through the Lion's Way, then north and west. I believe it will take us four or five days to reach the heart of the forest. I bid you get enough rest before we head out. We don't have a force of Flaming Fists supporting us this time."
"Whatever they're hiding in those woods, it is bound to be big. We'd best be prepared," agreed Xan. He placed some coins on the table and stood. "With that, I think I will take my own advice. See you all in the morning."
Khalid and Jaheira exchanged a look before he said, "We shall retire as well."
"Remember," said Jaheira as she stood. "First light tomorrow."
"We're having breakfast first, right?" Imoen tried her luck.
Chuckling, Khalid picked up the bundles under the table and followed his wife as she headed back to their room on the second floor. The lodgings Bentley offered them were more secluded at the end of the floor to give them privacy. It was a thoughtful gesture. With the bounty notices still floating about and their increasing notoriety after clearing out Nashkel Mines and the bandit camp, there was no telling how many enemies they'd made.
The room swam in soft colours and plush furnishings. A nice luxury after months in the wild, but one they would have to relinquish soon, Khalid thought. He lit the candelabra in the room while Jaheira assessed the antidotes he'd acquired from the temple.
"These will do nicely," she concluded. "Gellana still has her touch."
"She guessed where we were headed," he told her.
His wife huffed. "Of course she did. Bentley was under no illusions on our next path as well. Sometimes I wonder why we bother to keep secrets from those two."
"Then why don't we just tell them?"
"No." She shook her head. "If our enemies try to get at them, they can safely say they don't know anything. I don't want to put them at risk simply by saying too much."
He watched her for some time as she walked to the dresser and began unbinding her hair from their tightly woven braids. It was in quiet moments like these he felt that the real Jaheira would come out. The woman with fears underneath the impenetrable veneer she kept on during the day. From experience, this was the best time to dig out her true thoughts.
"Is it wise to press on without Flaming Fist support, dear?" he asked quietly.
Her hands stilled in their meticulous work while she observed his reflection in the mirror. After a moment, she took a deep breath before answering, "You remember our last trip to the Cloakwoods, with Seniyad. It is a vast place with many hidden dangers. Having a large force at our back may hinder us more than it will help. Even if Sorrel managed to get his unit in order tomorrow, I still think it best if we go it alone at this stage, at least until we know what we're up against."
"And if we encounter another set-up like the bandit camp, we call for reinforcements?"
"It depends," she shrugged, continuing with her task. "If it is an operation we can cripple without use of force, we can make the attempt. Our group is more suited to subterfuge than frontal assault – a dagger can work just as well as a hammer."
"It is a heavy burden on us to carry. And I worry for Elene," he admitted. "You saw her just now. She barely eats. Imoen tells me she doesn't get enough rest, nightmares keep waking her even when she tries to disappear into reverie."
"We've talked about this, love. Deferring the journey will not help her." With her hair now loose on her shoulders, she turned to face him. "You saw the second letter. This Davaeorn wants us eliminated. The longer we stay idle in one place, the greater danger we will be in. Elene, especially. She must find ways to cope with her problem."
"I know," he sighed. "I suppose I am just concerned for her. I don't want her to lose herself."
"Feeling a touch fatherly, are we?" she smiled wanly at him.
He chuckled. "You could say that."
"We will keep doing our best for her." She reached out, touching his face. "Just as we promised Gorion."
A soft knock jolted them, drawing their eyes to the door.
"Who is it?" Jaheira asked sharply, hand falling to her side.
"It's me," Elene's muffled voice came from the other side.
Khalid promptly crossed the room to pull the door open. His ward stood outside looking oddly sheepish, her hands clasped in front of her holding a small bundle.
"Is everything alright?" he asked her even as his eyes swept the hall behind her for any threat.
"Yes, everything's fine. I…well, I wanted to give Jaheira something."
Jaheira appeared at the threshold. "Oh?"
Elene unwrapped the bundle, revealing a small round tin the size of her palm. It looked like the container the druid used to keep her healing salve. "Alright, maybe it's more accurate to say 'return' something to you. Go on, open it."
Curious, Jaheira took the tin and unscrewed the lid. Her expression turned into one of interest as she took a whiff of the salve within. "It…smells of flowers."
"Lavender and chamomile to be exact," grinned Elene. "They didn't work that well to help me sleep, but I thought they'd help make the salve smell better at least."
"How did you do this?" the druid asked in surprise.
Elene launched into an enthused explanation, "Oh, I kept the old flowers soaked in a bottle since the camp. Gellana let me use some of her alchemy equipment. Managed to get a thimble of essence from running the scented water through the distiller, then combined it with some things she had in her quarters. Then I mixed in the essence into your salve." The elf held up a hand. "I don't think it will change the effect of the salve, just the smell."
"So that's where you disappeared to since yesterday," Jaheira gave her a shrewd look. "It's…clever work."
Elene smiled up expectantly at her. Khalid nudged his wife.
"I appreciate the thought, child," she added belatedly, recovering from her surprise. She then sized up her ward. "In fact, while we are in the Cloakwoods, I can teach you how to make the salve itself. You seem to have a knack for alchemy."
The elf's smile widened at that. "I'd like that very much, Jaheira."
Khalid's heart clenched at the sight of almost rabid curiosity in the girl. Gorion's influence on her was evident. If she had remained at Candlekeep, she would have likely spent many happy years making perfumed potions and salves for no reason other than it interested her. Yet somehow, Fate had other plans. Darker plans.
"Well, I'd better prepare my spells. First light tomorrow, right?" She rocked back on her heels, pleased smile still on her lips. "Have a good evening, both of you."
And off she went, retreating back to her room opposite theirs. Husband and wife watched until she'd closed the door, waving at them as she did. Only then did they close their own door. Jaheira stared at the salve tin in her hand for a long time after that. He didn't ask for her thoughts, because he was thinking the same thing. Having a resourceful alchemist on their team could be a boon in the long term. Potions were expensive, after all.
"Leave it to her to come up with something this frivolous," Jaheira sighed after a while, but he could hear a trace of affection in her tone.
"You did say she needs to find ways to cope," he remarked, amused.
"I did, didn't I?" she smirked. "Alright then. Perhaps we can build on this."
.
Author's Note:
Thank you dear readers, hope you're still enjoying this story. :)
Nikoru Sanzo – thank you for the feedback, I'm glad you can see where I'm going with his character. I feel like years doing Evereska's dirty work would have shaped him into a reasoned man who knows how to deal with people. The trauma from the Mines probably warped his view on life and death, but probably shouldn't completely cancel out the man he was before, if that makes sense?
So far, I have a structure in mind for Chapter 4, but we'll see how it goes. Introducing a familiar face next Chapter, things will hopefully get more exciting from there!