"So" Ed said as they had finally come a distance down the Trade Way to Waterdeep, the lands around them nothing but farmland "Want to tell me what the hell all that was about in the dragon's den?"
"What do you mean?" Olly asked popping a bead of Nourishment into her mouth, her energy getting low from the traveling.
"Well for one" Ed started trying to figure things out in his own mind "What was the deal with the dragon? How did you know it wasn't going to attack us?"
"Copper dragons are harmless if you just talk to them the right way" Olly said shrugging her shoulder "They like a good laugh, a riddle, or just a interesting story. Didn't you notice us laughing a lot before we found the dragon?"
"I did" Ed said remembering them having a good moment or two.
"That's how they affect the environment. Most metallic dragons are good, a little chaotic, but good none the less. It's the monochromatic ones you have to look out for" Olly said wagging her finger "Those guys don't play around and are the ones you hear about the most."
"Clerics are taught to kill a dragon, regardless of what color it is" Ed said, his brow furrowing as he thought about it "They never taught us the distinction."
"Well for most Rangers, you need to know the difference if you want to survive. Metallic dragons are friendly, but if you try and treat them like they aren't a intelligent creature, you are worm food" Olly laughed.
"Well good to know that one" Ed sighed "What about the joke? I got it must mean something to you and Nole."
"That's Nole's favorite joke" Olly said getting serious "He's told that joke to every new creature he's ever met. Get's a good giggle and let's him know if the creature can be reasoned with or not. I told it to him when he was a baby and he never forgot it. As soon as the dragon said he had heard it before, I knew it was Nole."
"What would your brother be doing with a bunch of Rouges?" Ed asked needing to know just what kind of trouble he was needing to get into.
"I have no clue" Olly sighed, the sadness returning to her "It's worrisome. I hope he hasn't fallen."
"Can Aasimar fall like Deva's and Solar's?" Ed turned to her curious.
"They can if they abandon their light" Olly nodded "But it's a choice. At least, that's how my older brother explained it to me."
"What happened to him if you don't mind me asking?" Ed asked feeling a bit brave, and wanting to know more about his friend. He had heard stories of the blessed three Duer's, but it was different hearing it from one of them.
"I don't remember too much" Olly said walking, her eyes downcast thinking of the past "It was mine and Nole's season off from training, and we were home. Atticus and my father though had gotten into an argument. He wanted to go off on a mission that the High Mage of Silverymoon was asking of them, but Father wanted to wait until springtime to go."
"Your father wouldn't let him go alone?" Ed asked.
"Atti wanted to go alone, but Father still wasn't ready to let him go. He said another summer or two and he would be ready. My brother is a lot like me though, once he gets an idea in his head you really can't tell him otherwise" Olly faintly smiled.
"So he left?" Ed finished the story..
Olly nodded "He took off in the middle of the night. The next morning when we all woke up and he was gone with a horse, my father was furious. He went to the High Mage and demanded to know where Atticus had been sent off to."
"Did he go after him?" Ed said waving to some passerby's on the roadway that were herding sheep.
"Not at first" Olly grew tense "It's my fault really..."
"How is it your fault?" Ed's face twisted.
"I told Father not to go after Atticus, at least not right away. I convinced him that Atticus could do it, he only need prove to Father. But when we didn't hear back from Atti for a month, my parents began searching for him" Olly said feeling her throat close up a bit from holding back some tears.
"That's when Weylyn retired?" Ed said piecing the story together.
"He lost his leg when he came back from looking for Atticus" Olly said plainly "He won't talk about what happened to him, or to Atticus."
"Do you think he's gone?" Ed felt bad for asking, but he needed to know.
"I couldn't feel him like I feel Nole" Olly said shaking his head "One night, while father was gone, I had a terrible nightmare, but I've never been able to ask my father if it might be the truth..."
"What was the nightmare?" Ed said but Olly was quiet.
"I don't know if I should talk about it" Olly said stopping for a break, the sun high in the sky as the afternoon was filled with the smells of the surrounding forest, the birds singing their songs above the couple.
"You don't have to" Ed said shrugging "I'm sorry for asking.."
"It's okay" Olly said being truthful "I can clam up sometimes when I feel something too strongly. Bad things happen when I feel things too much."
"Well if you aren't ready to talk about it" Ed softly said standing next to her "You don't have to. I just know I'm here when you are ready, and I won't judge you. It's not like I have anyone to go off and tell it to anyways."
Olly nodded, grateful to be able to have something for herself. She was hesitant to let people in, let people know too much about herself...
"It was Atticus" she blurted out, unready for the confession that came spilling out of her "He was...he was in a dark place. I couldn't tell if it was a cave or a dungeon, I couldn't even tell if it was underground. He was just surrounded by darkness, except for this light..."
Ed listened as Olly's eyes began traveling somewhere he couldn't, her memory eager to let out what had obviously been trapped in there for too long.
"It hurt, the light. It hurt looking at it and it felt like my skin was on fire. But Atticus was just staring at it, his back to me as I called out for him. He turned to me, the light was burning more and widening, like a opening to something" she shuddered remembering "When he looked at me, his eyes weren't normal. They were black, just like the darkness around us. He didn't even say anything to me, but he just looked so...sad."
"What happened next?" Ed said nearly breathless.
"I called out to him again, but before I could reach him, I felt like I was being pulled, like from under water or something" Olly shook her head "I couldn't get to him, and the next thing I knew I had woken up in my bed."
"That sounds awful" Ed said sorry he had to bring up such bad memories "Did your mother comfort you?"
"I didn't want to worry her" Olly said smiling a little bit now "I'm always trying to protect them it seems."
"Well, it's obvious you love your family" Ed said putting another hand on her "I'm sorry about your brother. I promise we will find Nole, you won't lose another loved one."
"Thank you" Olly said taking a deep breath, trying to bury emotions that seemed to bubble up so easily around the Cleric.
"I think the closest thing I have to a brother is my friend Puck" Ed said smiling, remembering his tiny friend "He was a orphan as well, that's how I learned Goblin."
"I was wondering how you knew the language so well" Olly smiled, but felt a little guilty not asking him earlier. She should try to get to know her companion like he had been with her. It was only the right thing to do, and they were friends weren't they?
"Yes" Ed joked "He taught me first how to curse, then everything picked up from there. I got good at languages that weren't very common through him. Puck had been a lot of places with his tribe before he was taken to the church. Me and him grew up together and were like this "he said twisting his two fingers together.
"I have a friend like that" Olly smiled "Where is Puck now? Are you close to him still?"
"The Cleric life wasn't really Puck's bag, so he went off to train under a Guild Artisan in Neverwinter. That's the last I heard of him, but he was doing well last time I passed through. He was the one who crafted my belt" he said showing off the utility belt that was under his chest vestment. Vials and little bags lined the belt, full of supplies for healing and crafting alchemy on the go.
"Impressive!" Olly said wondering if the Cleric could commission the Goblin to do one for herself. Her bag of Holding was nice, but it was hard to find the right thing when you could accidentally pull out anything she had tucked away in it. It did her no good to pull out dwarf trinkets when she was looking for rope trying to escape an angry beastie.
"My point is, is that if Puck was in trouble, I would be doing the same thing you are" Ed said "I may not have a family, but he's about as close as I could get to one. I think that it's brave what you are doing."
Olly grew a bit quiet at that, thinking about how it must have been for Ed growing up. She had always had her family around her until she was old enough to go off on her own, but Ed, he had been alone a lot of his life...
"You know, I haven't been to Waterdeep in a few years" Ed said "Where should we even start looking?"
"Well there are all the different Wards we have to filter through" Olly thought out loud as they continued to walk, the afternoon growing long with their conversation as the deep hues of sunset began crossing the sky.
"I can't imagine him wandering into the Castle Ward" Ed said thinking with her "Or the North Ward. Those are all just villas of nobles. If he's in trouble shouldn't we look in the rougher parts?"
"Not necessarily" Olly said "Although those are where the wealthy and influential live, it doesn't mean they aren't without fault. I've known a lot of noble houses that have dirty secrets behind closed doors, we shouldn't rule out anywhere. We check where Castle Waterdeep is, through North ward and Sea Ward where all the wealthy people live as well as the slums."
"So there's the wealthy wards of the city" Ed said pointing them off on his fingers "Then there is Dock Ward, where the harbor is, I know some shady things are sold down that way. There is also Southern Ward where the stables are, and Field Ward were those slums reside."
"We should start at Trades Ward" Olly said "It's the busiest and we will be arriving on market day. Should be plenty happening to ask around if they have seen Nole or his group. Undercliff is of no concern to us, and the City of the Dead is just a graveyard."
"Why do I feel like we are searching for a needle in a haystack" Ed sighed a little bit.
"Because we are" Olly said feeling the defeat start to creep up her spine "But we have a few things in our corner. One, Nole is just like me, his eyes are pretty unmistakable, and his hair is a bright electric blue. Those two things jut out to anyone that cares to look. Second, he's with a group of Rouges, which would catch the attention of the City Guard, so we could ask them."
"Those are both very good things" Ed nodded "And the third?"
"My little brother can't keep his mouth shut about his last name" Olly shook her head "He's a big mouth and someone eventually will hear of him in Waterdeep. That's why we have to prepare for any kind of trouble."
"Right, Waterdeep is rampant with gangs" Ed nodded.
"And temples, with cultist ties" Olly shivered a bit "That was one of my mother's greatest fears for us as children, being sacrificed to some heathen god."
"Why in all the Nine Hells would they want to sacrifice you?" Ed was flabbergasted at how casually Olly said it.
"Because" Olly said staring at him with those celestial eyes "Of what we are. Anyone who kills an Aasimar can gain their power with the right words."
"So people have tried before?" Ed's concern growing in his voice. How long had Olly faced danger like this? Had she never known a moment of peace truly?
"Once or twice" Olly said holding herself a bit now that night time had come across the sky, the stars scattering their light above.
"I'm sorry" Ed said shaking his own head "That's awful. Pelor would never ask something so evil."
"Well, Pelor sounds like one of the good ones" Olly said stopping now and looking around their surroundings. The Trade Road had cottages and small settlements scattered along, but it had been some time since they had seen any kind of lodging. She guessed they would have to rough it along the roadside somewhere secure.
"Here" she said "Let's camp around here. We should go a little bit away from the road, but I don't think it's wise to travel any farther in the dark."
"You got it" Ed said going into the nearby brush, finding a nice cove of trees that seemed to have enough shelter for them to set up. Olly put down her weapons and opened her Bag of Holding, taking out a large cloth tarp and some rope. Ed helped her tie off the cloth around the trees, and set up a campfire that lit up the forest around them. Olly pushed a few big logs together, settling against them to let her body finally rest after a long journey on foot. She looked over at the Cleric, who was warming his hands by the fire, his Pelorian gauntlets off of his arms and next to him. Olly admired the way the metal glittered in the fire light, the two pointed suns golden against the darkness.
"Do you really believe in your god?" Olly quietly asked.
"Of course" Ed smiled "He's in everything. It's hard not to believe. Pelor smiled on me personally, if I turned a blind eye to him, I wouldn't be where I am. What god do you believe in?"
"I believe in a lot of gods" Olly fiddled with a stone in her hand, it's smoothness nice in her palm "Mielikki is the one we pray to the most. But I've met Eldath, the goddess of waterfalls, and Lady Mystra."
"Mystra?" Ed looked at the girl wide eyed "How do you even meet a god like that?"
"Another long story" Olly laughed "It wasn't an easy thing I'll tell you that."
"Tell me another" Ed said liking the sound of Olly's voice against the quiet night air.
"Sune the goddess of beauty was nice" Olly said, getting some amusement from Ed's reactions "Mother said she came to her all three times a girl had been born, although I can't remember when she saw me. But I remember when she came for Mari. My sister was playing near a creek when the goddess sprang from the water itself."
"You've lived quiet a life" Ed laughed "I wish one day to meet Pelor, but most of us won't get that chance until we're good and dead. Then we go and join him in the Celestial Plane."
"That must be nice knowing where you are going, knowing you won't be alone" Olly said now looking up at the stars "I have no clue where I'm going..."
Ed felt a pain in his heart then, watching her look up at the stars like that. The more time he spent with Olly, the more he saw through those glowing eyes. When he had first met her, they seemed ethereal, not of this world. She was this great big thing that everyone talked about, a powerful force in a tiny body. But as he talked to her, heard her voice and watched those eyes, he saw they held such emotions. He saw the sadness, the anger that hid beneath the glow. He also saw her incredible loneliness, and felt his own match it. Maybe that's why they worked so well together, just two lonely people on an adventure together...
"Hey" he said bringing her attention to him, the firelight glowing against that pretty face "no matter what, wherever you go I'll be sure to follow until you find a home. Pelor will understand the delay."
Olly felt her chest tighten at his words, overcome with some emotion she couldn't put her finger on. All she could muster was a smile, her hand going for his and giving it a quick squeeze. Ed felt his body jump a bit at the touch, but liked the warmness her bare skin gave his own. And then, like the breeze her hand was gone, back to her lap. It was enough for Ed though, his smile settling into himself as he adjusted to get comfortable for the long night. Olly did the same, her bow and quiver at her side, both short swords getting tucked behind her for easy access should trouble come in the night. Ed could heard her breathing start to grow heavy as she tucked herself in, the glow of the fire growing dim as Ed spread his legs out to stretch his bones. It was a bit harder for him to fall asleep in the middle of the wilderness, but his companion was fast asleep as after a few moments of laying still.
"Lucky duck" he thought to himself as he shifted again, his back now to Olly as his head propped itself in the crook of his arm. He felt sleep start to creep into his body, his muscles relaxing as the night was nice and quiet. He nearly jumped though when he felt something next to him suddenly, his head whipping around to see Olly had rolled over to him and was cuddling his backside. Ed wanted to laugh, but feared waking her up as he tried to roll away to give her room, but the more he wiggled, the more Olly seemed to dig into him. Her light snores confirmed she was fast asleep, but refused to sleep next to nothing, Ed eventually giving up as Olly put her head against his chest, her arm flinging itself across his torso effectively trapping him.
"Well" he thought looking down at the pretty girl draped over him "this could be worse..."
Sleep may not be a thing with the Duer girl next to him, but he did not move her. It had been so long since he had felt someone sleep beside him, and he guessed it was the same for her as well by how soundly her snores were. She was at peace next to him, and shamefully, he felt the same way. He guessed it was going to be a lot longer of a night than he thought...
