"The Elf and the Rat"
„You shouldn't get up, you still haven't recovered yet." The angry druidess was trying to block her, standing in her way.
"I'm fine." Daria didn't stop for a second to look at Jaheira, passing her on the way to nowhere particular.
"Lady Jaheira is right, my lady. Please, return to your bed." Anomen was right behind her.
"I'll be all right." The sun elf didn't pay any heed to him either.
"You won't help Imoen, strolling through this Sphere of yours all day!" finally Jaheira snapped.
Daria stopped. Moisture gathering in her eyes was beyond her control already, but now her voice chords joined the rebel and instead of a sharp sarcastic retort they produced a trembling sob, soon turning into an uncontrollable burst of crying. She tried to muffle her own treacherous voice and broke into run, calling forth her control over the Sphere's mechanisms to cover her from the chase.
"Child…" Jaheira could only whisper when the secret door closed shut behind her ward.
***
He was sitting by what could pass as a fireplace, on what was once a comfortable armchair. A group of golems Daria inherited after Lavoc, those which survived the battle at least, were directed by the diviner to make the no longer plane-traveling device as much home as they could. Seeing neat lines of mechanical creatures kneeling before their new owner and hurrying to fulfill her every wish was an impressive display. Watching the golems losing their limbs as they worked impressive was not, but nonetheless after a day and a night, as the mechanisms needed no time to rest, all the bodies of various creatures from necromancer's menagerie were burned in giant strove and ancient furniture was placed all around the construction, though without any care for its function. Somehow the golems couldn't grasp the idea that chairs should be placed by the table, or that the tables shouldn't be put with their surfaces on the ground, but at least they were semi-intelligent enough not to place anything wooden near the fire.
All the equipment was stored on the lower levels, as forgotten as the golems, but Daria didn't hesitate to use her spells to discover all the secrets Lavoc's construction had in minutes, concentrating even despite Jaheira practically tying her to her bed and yelling at her all the time. The furnishings from the times when Lavoc was still at least a bit sane were the first improvement she made inside. Broadening the corridors and the ceilings was a bit more than a simple problem and was placed further on a long list of things left to do to make the Sphere a welcoming shelter instead of a dark grave.
From what he knew they had all the time for improvements they would need. The whole round construction was so far an unyielding stronghold against any magical or physical attacks, and now it wasn't disintegrating everything that touched it, instead serving it a mild electrical burn, more in worry for the pigeons than for people, who were placed lower on the list of main concerns for some bizarre reason. Some more Cowled Wizards came to examine the Sphere after its unexpected return, but they lost interest after all attempts of breaching its defenses failed once more. No one noticed the party members going in and out after the dusk, to restock their supplies, and buy some things to their new headquarter.
He turned the page of the book, realizing he couldn't recall what he was reading just a moment ago, making his way through the piles of spellbooks, another one of Daria's legacies.
"Don't" he said to a golem trying to help him turn the page.
It was another of 'conveniences' of the Sphere. Every party member, with small exception of Valygar who refused to take part in this deviltry, was assigned a golem to carry out every task it was given. He was gifted with not an exceptionally bright specimen, but a one with most developed motivation to be helpful. It already resulted in one of the priceless tomes from the ancient mage's collection being practically torn to pieces when the creature began to try turning the pages of the book for his new master.
He sighed and turned another page. This one didn't leave any lasting trace on his memory either.
"You there! Get up! It's not time for lazing around!" Jaheira in her best condition, shouting and ordering around the place, came down the hallway, picking him as her new target. He could see she was holding something in her hand, waving it around as she spoke.
"As a matter of fact it is. I doubt we can do anything more without a reasonable plan and for that we have to wait until Daria is fully rested. You do realize how she hates scheming behind her back" he explained as composedly as he could, unwilling to add more fuel to the one flaming with irritation druidess. Even though loud and bossy he preferred Jaheira to be like that rather than a person who could considerately worm all secrets out of him.
"She ran off. And you are going to find her and make sure she's all right. And then you will drag her to bed. Her bed I mean. To rest" Jaheira added seeing the elf's flush.
"Why did she run off?" He closed the book and put it back on a pile. He couldn't concentrate on reading anyway and though it was doubtful that Daria got lost in the Sphere, he'd rather not risk finding out with time what she could get herself into.
"I don't know!" The half-elf practically yelled in his face.
"Jaheira…"
"I mentioned Imoen and she… she started crying…" Jaheira wasn't irritated. She was worried sick. Hardly ever she had a chance to see her ward crying.
It was because Daria had a habit of running off to the woods when she felt miserable, Xan thought, but didn't dare to say it out loud.
"If you can't find her, then I won't be able either, I'm afraid" he said instead.
"It will help you." The 'thing' Jaheira held in her hand turned out to be a live rat, completely furless. The druidess threw it on his lap.
"Gooseberry" Xan recognized the poor thing. It seemed his mistress overdid with the soap again, cleaning her familiar not only from the dirt, but from his fur as well, though at least the enchanter could hold it now without sneezing constantly. The rat peeped sullenly.
"She left it in her room. It didn't want to show me where its 'mistress' is, but said it trusts you, because you're the 'food-giver'." Xan raised an eyebrow. It wasn't strange that Jaheira talked with a rat. It was strange that he didn't obey her. "And you're the only person Daria listens to. Sometimes."
Xan glanced at Gooseberry. Gooseberry glanced back.
"Off with you!" Jaheira hurled them to work. "I'll send Minsc to patrol the corridors just in case, but you should find her first. I'll be waiting in her bedroom".
***
He found her. Of course it wasn't as easy as following a rat, but after breaching several secret doors Gooseberry was kind enough to point with his peeping, and locating ways around the holes only a rat could fit in, the pair had reached a high circular chamber on the highest story of the construction. Gooseberry immediately made his way to his mistress, sitting motionless on the floor in the middle of the room, with her back turned to the entrance.
"Daria?" the enchanter asked quietly not to startle her. His voice was perfectly audible in an empty room on the top of the construction, but if she heard him, she didn't react, neither to his question, nor to Gooseberry trying to get inside her pocket. Xan came up to her slowly, feeling the chill crawling up his spine.
"Daria?" he asked again, only few steps from her. And again he received no response. He made the last step and looked at her face.
She was staring at the wall with a blank expression and tears smeared on her face. She looked old as if some specter has just drained all life energy from her, leaving but an empty shell of a once living being. All colors faded from her cheeks, but what scared him the most was an ashen color of her unseeing pupils, fixed on some point in the air.
"Daria! Daria, wake up!" He shook her a bit too harshly, fear adding to his strength. She was limp like a ragdoll in his hands, putting no resistance, but eventually blinked, dark violet returning to her eyes.
"By all gods, Daria, you scared me to death... again." Xan took her in his arms, cradling her gently. He sighed with relief feeling that she's still warm, though exhausted. For one terrible moment… For another terrible moment, he should think. There were too many of these moments lately.
"I can't find her... can't find…" she began to murmur, fresh tears gathering in her eyes once more. For a moment she didn't seem to know where she was, but then her blurry vision centered on him. She huddled on to herself and tried to hide her face from his sight.
"Show me your eyes." Xan lifted her chin to examine her irises. The grayness was no longer visible as if it was just a trick of light. "How do you feel? I have to take you to Jaheira immediately. Couldn't you use the runes?" There was a note of reproach in his voice he couldn't stop. He tried to lift her from the ground, but she stopped him, releasing her knees and clutching to his arm instead, as if trying to ask for a bit more time to compose herself.
"I tried... many times. Where is Imoen, where's the Cowled Wizard's prison, even what would they take in exchange for their freedom... It's... It's... It's hopeless." The struggle to withhold tears was visible on her face.
He said nothing, just held her close, giving her the comfort without trying to look at her. She needed it, but in her foolish stubbornness she would never admit she did.
"How can you take it?" she asked.
Xan didn't need to ask to know what she meant.
"I have my duty to Evereska." It was his reason to keep going. No thing was eternal and Evereska was doomed to fall as any other kingdom or land, but though meager in face of all enemies threatening his homeland he gladly devoted all his strength to protect it. It was a futile endeavor at least, but enough to be a goal in his life. It would keep him going no matter how desperate or vain his effort was.
"And I'm interrupting you in accomplishing your quest. I didn't even try to locate the vampire's nest yet. I can try now..."
He stopped her trembling hand trying to gather the runes and put it back on her lap.
"You're tired. And my task can wait a little longer. It's not like if I could locate the vampire coven that fast without your help anyway."
She said nothing, but turned her head away from his sight again.
"I'm not here only because of the mission. I'm here because I... want you to be safe." He tried to be as moderate as he could. He said such things many times before, they were good friends after all, and she used to be his student, which made him feel somewhat responsible for her. But now he wanted to say more than just that. He didn't know what exactly, but... more.
"And even after I complete my task, you know I will not leave your side until I make sure you are safe. That is, if I will be alive at that future moment, which is a rather big assumption".
She moved a bit closer, putting her head on his shoulder. He could feel her breathing on his neck. The chamber suddenly became much warmer.
"I'm tired. I feel as if I hadn't rested for ages, though I probably slept through most of the previous week. And I don't know if there even is a chance of success. It might be all in vain... Imoen can be already..." She couldn't say it out loud. She couldn't! Something was constricting her throat making it impossible to say a thing. How she hated being weak…
She felt his arms surround her again, moving her back and forth in a cradling movement. 'Like a child... Will I always be like a child for you?' It was not what Daria wanted to be, but her body relaxed in spite of her feelings. Sleepiness began to envelop her in a thick shroud, slowly leading her away from this world.
"I almost can't believe you saying such things... Almost…" Xan whispered softly in her hair.
"And I don't believe you of all people would blame me for it."
"I don't. I understand. But to think you could laugh before... in Angelo's prison, surrounded by his men. And those horrible jests of yours. Remember the first thing you said after you found out about your heritage?"
She didn't remember. After all the mind-infecting spells she endured in the dungeon recalling every detail from the past before the capturing was like a new torture. But laughing in a prison? She doubted they were there as visitors, guessing from tone of Xan's voice. Only her most treasured memories survived the trial of torture and being locked up obviously wasn't one of them.
"I feel... something." It wasn't because of the memories. Her heart began to beat differently and her hands were suddenly warmer, itching, ready to…
She gathered the runes and placed them on one hand. Mild shiver was going up her spine every time she touched a mark on the stone.
"I don't know the correct question. But I need the answer..." Daria began to shift the stones from one hand to another.
"Maybe you have to simply ask what you are meant to do to rescue Imoen."
She looked at him. And gave him a quick fierce hug. Xan telling her to have faith in destiny… The world has gone mad or it was mad from the very beginning. Either way she had nothing to lose.
"Tell me what I need to do to find my sister Imoen". Then she whispered the incantation and threw the runes up. The pattern's glow was dull, she could barely distinguish the marks on the runes, but the quickly fading green light was enough for her to read her divination.
"A place of changing treasures... exchanging treasures. Someone or something we met in the darkness, but made of light. Guided by a god. Definitely. And a... a..."
Xan looked at a pattern, but the meaning behind the setting of the stones was completely alien to him. He wished he could help, but somehow it made him a bit proud that his student got that far in her Art.
"Something between an ally and a friend. More than an ally but not yet a friend. Maybe an ally that becomes a friend? Mazzy... I think we should visit Mazzy. She's from Trademeet isn't she?"
She looked at him as if for a moment she completely forgot about his presence. She took his hand in hers carefully and raised her eyes again.
"I'm sorry... I'm making you worry all the time and..."
He wished he could hug her as easily as she could him. Inside he longed to do it with all his heart, but outside he couldn't move his finger for an inch. He wanted to, but… How to do it? How could he casually circle arms around her?
"You are fine now and that's all that matters to me" his tongue got from his control for a moment. He continued quickly to mask it. "We can set off to Trademeet tomorrow morning. This will leave us this afternoon to make provisions and determine the road. And you need to rest…"
"If I remember correctly it takes three days to reach the town on foot. I'll ask Jaheira to be sure. But first I'm going to take a nap. You have no idea how tired I am." He had some idea, given the retaining grayness of her skin and dark rings appearing under her eyes, but vigor returned to her voice and mattered more to him than all troubles she could get them all in tomorrow. Or ever.
Nonetheless he drew back flabbergasted, as she nestled herself on his lap.
"Don't fret, I'm not going to eat you. From what I remember you're quite a comfortable piece of a pillow." Daria seemed to be returning to her old self, grabbing the end of his cloak to cover her shoulders and immediately falling asleep. She was known for doing that before.
What could he do? Being reduced to a role of a head support wasn't exactly flattering, but he decided not to mind. He couldn't imagine minding having a sleeping beauty on his knees.
"Xan?" Daria opened one eye to look up at him.
"Yes?"
"What was the first thing I said after finding who my father is?"
"If I remember correctly it was 'What a relief. For a moment I was afraid it would be Ulraunt'. And then you fainted."
***
"Onward to futility!" Daria squealed happily, leaving the gates of Athkatla behind her. It was the old Daria - cheerful and careless. Or rather a ruse, making her appear cheerful and careless once more. Or was she that overjoyed by the fact that the scar on her face finally yielded to the supremacy of Jaheira's salves? She was unconscious most of the times when the druidess was rubbing the salve into her skin, so no wonder she was so surprised with the effects.
Xan sighed mournfully.
"Hey, cheer up! The fact that I'm pretending to be happy doesn't mean I can't find true happiness in the future" the diviner proclaimed with loud and undoubtedly false glee, commenting the sour look on his face. And the true mastery of over his moods, discerning gloomy silence from doubtful muteness, just like before. Xan couldn't help but sigh again.
"Trademeet beware!" Another one of her nonsensical squeals scared the local fauna. Though Jaheira appeared to be genuinely pleased with the change I her ward's manner. Xan received an approving nod as if it was all his doing. He doubted it was, but at least the druidess wasn't trying to murder him anymore, like when he emerged in the bedroom with a pale sleeping sun elf in his arms, wrapped tightly in his cloak. Not that she blamed him for it. She only felt a sudden urge to release all her worry in a violent outburst and he happened to be near.
"Why are we going there, if I may ask?" Valygar was strolling in the back of the team. He rarely spoke more than a word since the death of his ancestor and tended to avoid staying longer inside the Sphere, busy organizing a funeral for the five hundred years old necromancer. It wasn't an easy task with Cowled Wizards still looking for him all over the city. Certainly he didn't want to order a date of birth being placed next to the date of death on his ancestor's tombstone. He was still a wanted criminal and thus he decided to join the party in their adventures until the death warrant over his head faded from the memory of the officials. He couldn't decide whether he was content with this compulsory company or not.
"To visit Mazzy" Daria answered his question. "You met Mazzy, right? We rescued her in the forgotten temple of Amaunator. She left us an invitation, remember?"
"And why are we going to visit her?"
"Because it will ultimately lead us to freeing Imoen" Daria answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"I… understand" the ranger said, clearly not understanding. The leader of the party was either insane, or had some serious problems with mood shifting. The day he encountered the strange team the first time, she was a nearly completely drained wizardess, playing with powers far beyond her control. In the battle she was a stern leader, guarding her friends at all costs, but also treating them a bit leniently. And now she miraculously changed into an adolescent on its first 'adventure'. And all the others didn't seem to mind.
Yoshimo was the only one from this group, who Valygar could call at least faintly reasonable, having enough common sense not to point a hamster in his direction, or make him listen to a tale how he heroically killed on orc, or persuade him to give up his life instead of continuing in this hopeless task. The ranger decided to end this conversation, before it led somewhere where he didn't want to go, and wait up for the bounty hunter.
"We're going to succeed and all will be back to normal!" He heard a cheerful squeal from the front of the group as the party began the march to Trademeet.