Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 21

The weak who survive

Aldeth turned out to be the scion of the Sashenstar family, inheritor of a tremendous trove of wealth and the current head of the Merchant League in Baldur's Gate. Dark haired with patrician features, it was obvious that he was born into nobility. Yet his title and riches would do him little good as he sat there holed up in a large cabin in the Cloakwoods. He looked hunted and bedraggled as he sat in a plush chair, shooting plaintive looks towards his guests.

Jaheira was not impressed. She looked around at the others in the room, her group, Coran and three men from Aldeth's cadre.

"I'm not sure what sort of welcome you were expecting, tromping into the woods the way you did," she harrumphed.

"Well how was I supposed to know these woods are now occupied by savages?" he bemoaned. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Coran make hand gestures as if trying to forestall his employer. Aldeth glanced at him in confusion, but didn't seem to get the message, for he went on, "All we wanted was to rid this land of a terrible beast. From how they've been acting, I wouldn't be surprised if they were the ones inciting the creature to attack the farmlands!"

"We don't know that for sure," Coran interjected, "But I think it is safe to say that we won't be getting out of here without some help, Aldeth. Jaheira here is a druid herself, she and her group could be that help perhaps."

Coran ducked his head, sending him a meaningful look.

And then it clicked for the noble. "Ah, a druid. I…hadn't realised."

"Obviously," Jaheira commented, deadpan.

"Why didn't you get out of the woods as soon as you could?" Xan asked.

"We tried," Aldeth groaned. "But then our horses spooked and the route we came in from was blocked by vines. So we had to retreat here. The druids said they wanted us gone but now it's like they want us to be trapped here. It doesn't make any sense."

Jaheira glanced at Khalid in concern. "How many of you are here?"

"About a dozen. The rest got torn apart by wild animals on our flight here. Poor chaps."

"Not sure what made them think they could face wyverns with this bunch," Imoen whispered to Elene in the back.

What was the old saying? A fool and his head are quickly parted.

Gritting her teeth, Jaheira took stock of the situation. Twelve armed men plus her group should be enough to deal with any Shadow Druids sent to deal with them. And in her mind, their foe could only be Shadow Druids. It was a classic tactic of theirs, boxing in prey in their strongholds, then they will proceed to either strike in force or poison their food stores and drink for a slow death. She had no doubt that they did not intend to let Aldeth and his men walk away.

"Where are your food and water stores?" she asked.

"Food is all in here, we keep some meat and herbs in reserve. Water we draw from the well just around the corner," Coran gestured vaguely behind him.

"Store water inside for the time being," she told him. "I will check what you have for poison."

"Poison?" Aldeth stammered, his voice going up a few octaves.

Coran's face turned serious for the first time since they'd met him. "I didn't realise they would stoop to that. Heron," he called to one man standing by the fireplace, "Bring the gourd, let us show the good lady here the well. The rest of you stay with Aldeth."

"Xan, you may want to stay here with them," Jaheira told the enchanter as she moved past.

"If I must," muttered the elf.

"I'll stay here, too," Imoen volunteered, eyeing the decoration in the place.

"Behave, Im," Elene nudged her.

They stepped out of the cabin, Jaheira, Khalid, Elene, Kivan, Coran and Heron with a large gourd. Highsun had come and gone by then, the sun already heading east. Ideally, Aldeth's group should make their way out of the woods before nightfall, but they needed to clear the path first. Otherwise, the journey back to the Lion's Way would be spent in fear of creatures in pursuit every step of the way.

The well was indeed around the corner, a wooden platform with a winch and hand crank attached, a bucket lowered halfway to the water at the bottom. It wasn't a deep well, the water still and clear. In fact, Jaheira wagered there would be enough supply for a hunting party much larger than the one present.

"This cabin is frequently in use, I take it?" Khalid asked before she could.

Heron nodded as he put down the gourd with a grunt. "Master Aldeth would come here every year to hunt with his fellows. They would have a banquet with meat from the hunt and talk business as they eat."

Jaheira's lips curled into a sneer. "Must be the highlight of the party calendar at the Gate."

"Er, well." Heron rubbed the back of his neck. "Not going to be so this year, methinks."

"Draw the water," she told the man. "Kivan, Elene, check the perimeter. Watch above and below."

Wordlessly, the two elves waded into the surrounding trees and disappeared into the shadows. The druid frowned as she watched Coran's eyes linger on her charge longer than they should. They have only known the elf for a brief period but Jaheira felt she had a good idea what sort of person they were dealing with.

A lothario from the city. Just what they don't need in a party with two young, impressionable women.

Clean water sloshed onto the ground as Herron deposited a filled bucket in front of her. She crouched in front of it, taking a sample to smell and taste. Finally, she whispered a brief incantation to ensure the purity of the water. Everything looked clear. It seemed their foes hadn't yet thought to tamper with their resources yet.

"It's clean," she declared. "Store what you can indoors until tomorrow."

"Aye, maam."

"What about the way back to the city?" Coran asked as Herron got to work. "Can you show us the safest route out?"

"What happened to your wyvern hunt?" Jaheira raised an eyebrow.

"I think we can agree that Aldeth has lost his appetite for the hunt," he replied with a wry smile. "Let us focus on getting him back to the Gate in one piece perhaps."

"Let me guess. If he dies, you don't get paid anything," remarked Khalid.

Coran's smile widened. "Technically I've received my advance, but there is something of a clawback provision if he doesn't make it back in one piece."

Jaheira resisted rolling her eyes. "We wait for the others to return. If your enemies are already gearing up for an attack here, we may as well face them head on. Unless you'd rather have them at your back the entire journey out."

"Ah, point taken."

They did not have to wait long. Kivan and Elene returned soon enough, grim-faced.

"We saw large spiders in the trees," Elene announced. "Not hostile yet, but they seem to be waiting. There's no humanoid tracks, though there are traces of wolves around."

"Druids can shapeshift into animals," Khalid cautioned her.

"Right. In that case, we could be facing a large group," she replied, glancing up at the trees nervously.

"We can force their hand if we're in position," suggested Kivan.

Jaheira nodded. "Then we'd best get ready."

The next hour was spent preparing everyone present for a tough fight. They were at a serious disadvantage, with the terrain and wildlife in favour of the local druids. Fortunately, they had a few tricks up their sleeves as Jaheira and Kivan could turn animals against them while Xan and Elene wielded magic, which they would not have expected. Yet deep down, Jaheira hoped that it would not come down to that. If the Iron Throne had a base of operations in these woods, the druids would know about it. She would much prefer to appeal to them as allies than face off against them.

Where that leaves Aldeth and his crew…well, they would have to see.

"So, we have the bowmen set up, traps are almost ready, now what?" Coran asked as he counted the arrows in his quiver.

"We wait," Jaheira replied.

"What makes you so sure they will come?"

"Your continued presence is an affront to them," she scoffed. "The more boldness you show, the more they will come."

Coran smirked. "Reminds me of a lovely lady I knew once."

This time Jaheira did roll her eyes. Silvanus save them all from lecherous mercenaries.

"Do spare us the tale," Xan sighed in agreement.

Their combined disdain seemed to amuse Coran even more. He turned to Elene with a light chuckle. "Ah, flower, what dour companions you travel with. Have you ever considered adventuring with someone a touch more debonair?"

Elene glanced at Jaheira, surprised at the sudden attention. "Not really."

"Then you don't know what you're missing out on," he winked.

Xan shot him a contemptuous look, putting the full weight of his disgust in a single stare. "If you're referring to yourself, I doubt she's missing out on anything at all."

"I'll go see if Imoen needs help with the traps," Elene excused herself, looking spooked.

Jaheira levelled a withering gaze at Coran to forestall any ideas of him joining her. Still smiling, he just shrugged as he repaired the fletching on a few of his arrows. She hoped he was as good with his bow as he was at running his mouth.

Despite their concern, several more hours passed by without incident. The spiders Kivan spotted kept their distance and no more wolves showed up. Hiding indoors put them all at risk of perishing from a well-placed fire spell. As such, everyone was lounged outside the cabin in the sweltering heat, even Aldeth, as they awaited confrontation.

It was close to sunset when the shadows in the trees began to shift.

"Be ready," Kivan grunted as he moved into position for a fight.

The rest of them stood with their weapons drawn. Sure enough, the eerie chittering of spiders began to trickle in from the trees as large bulbous forms descended from the boughs. Spiders the size of lambs advanced with grotesquely long limbs and mandibles dripping venom. There were about ten of them, likely meant to swarm and wear them down before the real attack.

"Ugh, I hate spiders," Imoen groaned. "Why can't it be puppies? Toothless puppies?"

Jaheira had just enough time to hear Elene chuckle before the first spider launched itself at her. If it was up to her, she would have preferred to cast entangling vines to settle the fight with ease, but she didn't want to show her hand too soon. Instead, her staff came up smartly and batted the creature towards Khalid. They worked as a team, preventing the creatures from advancing closer to the cabin where Aldeth was.

"Watch out for their fangs," Khalid called out to Elene.

"Got it," she replied, sinking her blade into the spine of a spider.

The first wave was put down at speed, with minimal injuries. One of Aldeth's men was bleeding from a poisoned wound. Before anything could be done to help him, howls erupted from the trees, heralding the next set of opponents.

Dread wolves bounded into the clearing. Their eyes glowed in the deepening gloom, teeth bared as they closed in. Some of the men cried out at the sight of creatures that killed their friends. The wolves were more dangerous than the spiders by far, moving with unnatural speed and fierceness as if possessed. Jaheira searched the trees even as she kept an eye on the wolf circling her. Whoever was directing these creatures, they were close.

Without warning, vines sprouted from beneath Khalid's feet, tangling around them and threatening to bring him to the ground. He yelled in surprise, somehow managing to stay on his feet but held in place. Not far away, Elene was also caught in the radius of entanglement as she was fending off a beast. She evaded a few of the vines, but one caught her in the ankle, causing her to trip. Fortunately, an arrow sailed in, piercing the wolf menacing her in the eye, swiftly ending its unnatural life.

Jaheira had had enough. Here, in the wilds, she was in her element. She raised her hands high, calling upon her patron Silvanus and the raw power of storms as she chanted a string of command words. A few wolves switched targets and began to target her but Kivan's arrow and a fist of earth from Xan came to her aid. That bought her enough time to complete her spell and harness bolts of lightning from the sky to eviscerate the remaining wolves. The clearing smelled of ozone and burnt fur once she was done.

Breathing hard, she took quick stock of the battlefield. The wolves had made quick work of a few of Aldeth's men. They lay on the ground with their throats torn out by the vicious beasts. But her own group was unscathed, except for Elene who was being cut out of the entangling vines by Coran.

"Enough!"

The vines stopped writhing and trying to grab at them, curling up to lay dormant at their feet. Jaheira turned to face the edge of the trees. Five men approached, dressed in fur and hide, armed with staves and sickles. To her shock, she recognised the man in the lead.

"Seniyad?" she asked in disbelief.

Her former mentor canted his head, his thick hair now white with age. But his eyes haven't lost any of their edge. "Jaheira. I see Khalid is here as well. Not the faces I was expecting, defending these trespassers."

Khalid acknowledged him with a wary nod but looked to his wife.

"Why are you attacking those who seek to leave the woods in peace after your warning?" she demanded. "That has never been our way. Or has that changed since we last spoke?"

"Many things have changed since we last spoke," he replied, his tone icy.

Jaheira paused, observing his rigid shoulders. "What has happened here, Seniyad?"

"It began with a single caravan, headed northeast. Harmless enough at first." Then his face twisted with anger. "Before we knew it, more came. Unearthed things which should have remained buried. They killed those of us who tried to warn them. Now they have taken root as deep as any oak, poisoning the very earth here with their filth." He pointed to Aldeth. "And still more come. I am archdruid here and I say enough is enough!"

"What is he talking about?" Aldeth shouted. "I have nothing to do with caravans going into the woods!"

"Keep quiet!" Jaheira hissed at him. "I can assure you, these men here are only here on a foolish hunt. Now they want nothing more than to leave these woods and never return. Am I right in my understanding, Aldeth?"

"Ah, er. Yes, quite right, my lady."

"Good man," muttered Xan under his breath.

"Let these men go, sir, they will bring no further harm to your woods," appealed Elene.

Seniyad seemed to evaluate them for a long moment before he spoke. "And what of the beasts they slew for sport?"

"I think you've extracted your blood price from their number already," Jaheira gestured to the fallen.

"An eye for an eye," he replied. "If they will not pay the full price in blood, I bid they pay in service."

"What do you have in mind?" Coran asked.

"You are well-versed in the ways of the folk who have taken residence in the northeast." Seniyad pointed at him. "To pay for your transgressions, you will clear them out of our woods. By whatever means necessary."

Coran frowned. "Who are these men?"

"It matters not to me. I want them gone," Seniyad struck his staff on the ground for emphasis.

Jaheira stepped in. "We agree to your terms. I pledge my word that we will see it done. Now, will you clear the way for Aldeth and his men to take their leave? And you must give your word that they will go on their journey unmolested."

Seniyad's eyes seemed far away for a moment before he refocused on Jaheira and nodded. "It is done. They will leave now or not at all."

"I'd hop to it if I were you," Imoen nudged Aldeth.

"Yes, yes. Come along, men," the noble drew himself up. "Take only what you can carry with you. We leave immediately."

"If I may, Aldeth," Coran piped up. "I'd like to stay with these good fellows. Help them pay in service if you will."

"You wish to stay in this godsforsaken wilderness?" Aldeth gaped at him.

"Only until the deed is done, then I will see you in the city with tales to surpass Gorpel Hind and his merry band," Coran flashed what seemed to be his winning smile. "After all, life is adventure or nothing."

"Well, on your head be it then," he replied. "You'll only get the other half of your pay if you're alive."

"Fair enough," shrugged the elf.

Jaheira glared at him as Aldeth and his men prepared to set out. "What makes you think we want you with us?"

"Now, now. Many hands make light work. Also, I think you're going to run into that wyvern one way or another. You'll definitely appreciate a second archer then," he winked.

"Or bait. We might need that as well," commented Xan blandly.

"Bait would be useful," Kivan agreed, his tone just as bland.

"Yer all so mean," chuckled Imoen as Coran looked at them in faux hurt.

"You are after the wyvern, hmm?" Seniyad interjected, his expression turning shrewd. "That is another matter I wish to speak with you about, Jaheira. Those men in the mines have wronged the balance in more ways than one."

Jaheira nodded, then paused when Aldeth approached her. The man clasped her hand with both his hands, pure relief on his features. "I give you my gratitude for the aid you have given us. If you ever travel to Baldur's Gate, come to the Merchants' League estate and I will aid you in any way I can." He pressed a clinking pouch into her hand. "Take now this small token of my appreciation."

And with that, he was off, not even sparing a glance at Seniyad and his group.

Jaheira turned the pouch in her hand contemplatively before pocketing it. Gold was good, but she was more interested in his offer for aid. The Merchant League, he said. Such an alliance would certainly prove useful in the future if they ever had business at the Gate.

Khalid approached Seniyad. "Will you tell us about the men in the northeast?"

"With pleasure. Keran, clear up the bodies here, we don't want carrion eaters to congregate," the old druid instructed one of his cadre before turning on his heel. "Come, let me tell you as we walk. It is a long journey to the heart of the forest, as I'm sure you both remember."

"Of course," Jaheira sighed. "I hope you've cleared out most of the ettercaps."

"If only!" Seniyad let out a bark of laughter.

He led them on a winding route through the trees, many of which looked as old as time itself, cross a bridge that spanned a deep river. The Cloakwoods was older than the other wooded regions of the Western Heartlands and was completely uninhabited safe for a druid circle for more than a century. Creatures in the woods gave way as they passed, likely acknowledging the archdruid, something Jaheira had always envied. To gain such respect from nature's creatures was an achievement on its own, she felt.

"These men began coming in about a year ago," Seniyad explained. "At first it was harmless, supposed excavation work on behalf of the dwarven descendants of the old mine owners. To see if anything could be salvaged, or so we were told. One caravan became two, then three, then before you realise it, there was a hive of activity at the mines as they drained the river out of the abandoned tunnels. Somehow, they managed to get everything running again within a month after that."

"That's when the trouble started. They started clearing trees to widen roads, so that more caravans could come in. And they did. I spied one of them as they passed on of our watchposts, and it had people in them, all shackled up in rope and chains. These were the people set to work on the mines."

"They're using slaves?" Xan asked, outrage clear in his voice.

"That appears to be the case," Seniyad nodded. "Within a week of full operation, they were already dumping waste into the rivers. The iron ore needed to be cleaned as well, so we found traces of the filth in the waters further down river. Poisoned the fish. I sent Izefia to talk to these people, tell them to clean up their act." His expression grew stormy. "They sent back his head a few days later."

"That's terrible," Imoen covered her mouth.

"It didn't end there, I'm afraid. Since they harass us on sight, we were forced to draw back to the grove for the most part. And because we were unable to watch over the eastern portion, they did something heinous." Seniyad shook his head bitterly. "They took the hatchlings from the wyvern nest there. Drove the mother mad with grief. That is why she attacks the lands beyond the Cloakwoods, she seeks vengeance for her lost brood."

"An affront to nature," cursed Jaheira.

"Why did they take the hatchlings, though?" Coran wanted to know.

"To train them," replied the other druid. "If raised from young to follow commands, wyverns are smart enough to obey their masters over time."

"That does explain a fair bit," Coran nodded thoughtfully.

"Unnatural," Kivan muttered in disgust.

"These men…are they working for the Iron Throne? Do you know?" Elene asked after a pause.

"We have heard that name bandied about in the wind. That may be their employers, yes. Regardless, I have tolerated their ilk long enough. I have already conceded to the more militant of our circle." Seniyad sighed. A tired, weighty sound. "If you hadn't come along, we were wont to do something drastic to remove them once and for all."

Jaheira grasped his arm. "Do not give in to hasty judgment, Seniyad. If it is true they use slaves, you would bring the wrath of nature upon the head of innocents as well. Something must be done to help those people first."

"When the woods you protect are encroached upon day after day, the beauty of it ruined by these beasts who walk on two feet, it becomes difficult to put a value to life, Jaheira. The circle is hurting. Something had to be done."

She frowned at him. "Like accepting Shadow Druid doctrine? Do the ends justify the means now, Seniyad?"

The old man turned away, unable to meet her gaze.

Incensed, she reared herself to give him a piece of her mind but Khalid's hand on her shoulder gave her pause. Her husband shook his head, as if to say this was not the time to fight this battle. She gritted her teeth but relented.

He was right. If the installation was as big as Seniyad claimed, they would need all the help they could get.