They arrived in Nashkel the following afternoon without further incident. This was a much smaller town than Beregost, mostly made up of farms with only a few buildings along the main street. Jaheira had, of course, made Silandra put up her hood the moment the first farmhouse came into view. As they neared the inn they were approached by a group of Amnian soldiers, easily identifiable by their uniforms. Silandra had not considered it before but they were technically in Amn now, though Nashkel tended to retain some amount of independence. The advancing soldiers did not look particularly friendly.
"Let me talk to them," she whispered to the others.
"You there, identify yourselves!" The soldier who spoke glared down at her, his hand on the hilt of his sword. He was of middle years and had a stern look about him, especially now.
"I am Silandra and these are my traveling companions," Silandra said. She was not sure why this man appeared so hostile, but this was one area where she knew she excelled. She smiled, though was careful not to actually charm him. She would do that only if it proved necessary.
"And what is your purpose here in Nashkel?" the soldier asked, though he was no longer frowning quite so deeply. Behind him, his men were beginning to relax too.
"We are here to meet the mayor about the problems with the mine," said Silandra. "I believe he is expecting my companions, Khalid and Jaheira."
"I see," the man said, all traces of aggression finally leaving him."We welcome you if you are seeking to resolve our troubles. Things have not gone well for us here as of late and we are wary of outsiders. Please, allow me to escort you to the mayor myself." He actually smiled slightly, though the expression did not seem to suit him. It must not be something he did often.
Silandra thought she heard Imoen giggle, but ignored it. "Of course," she said. "That would be lovely. Thank you."
"I am Captain Bardolan by the way," the man said as he led Silandra and her companions along the road, his troops flanking them.
"Nice to meet you," said Silandra. "Perhaps you could tell us what has been happening around here."
"Our iron is rotten and there is talk of demons in the mines. And then there is what happened with Commander Brage… they stripped him of that title after what he did but I use it yet. He killed his wife and children in a rage one night and all who saw him. He ran off into the hills. We… mourn for him, almost as much as for those he killed. But I'm sorry, my lady, I should not speak of such things. Our little town has much more to offer than misery."
"I'm sorry to hear about your commander. We may not be able to do anything about him but I hope we will at least be able to take care of the mines. This is your temple? It's beautiful."
"Oh yes," said Bardolan. "We revere Helm here."
Silandra turned to Ajantis. "Hear that? Maybe you'd like to visit."
"Of course, my lady," said Ajantis. For some reason he looked a little strained. "I cannot miss the opportunity when it arises."
"Here we are, Mayor Berrun Ghastkill," Bardolan said, coming to a stop.
The mayor was probably somewhere in his fifties, but he was lightly armored and still looked strong. He held a bow at the ready, and Silandra wondered whether that was normal or a precaution considering the current dangers in the area.
"Mayor, this is Silandra and her companions, here to solve our problems I hope," Bardolan said.
"Thank you, Bardolan. You may resume your patrol," the mayor said, and turned to greet Silandra. "I see Khalid and Jaheira in your group. I have been expecting you. I am Berrun Ghastkill, mayor of Nashkel, and I am happy to welcome you. I am sorry we had to meet under these circumstances."
"What exactly is the problem here?" Jaheira asked. "The captain mentioned demons in the mines."
"I don't know that there are really demons down there, but there's something," Berrun said. "We'll have to shut the mines completely if things don't improve. Our workers keep going missing and what ore we manage to get is tainted somehow. I would send in the town guards but we need them to protect our citizens from the bandits. If you could find out what's going on down in the mines we'd be indebted to you."
"We will do what we can," said Jaheira.
"I don't suppose anyone else has come to meet you?" Silandra asked. "We were traveling with two others who were also coming to see you about the mines but they disappeared."
"Ah, yes, Xzar and Montaron?" the mayor said. "They were here yesterday with a dwarf, said they'd help but took off to the west with a Red Wizard. Should have known they were untrustworthy, but we've been getting desperate, as you can imagine."
"I see," said Silandra. She was unsure what to make of that, though she knew a Red Wizard in the area could only mean trouble. "Thank you."
"I'm sure you are tired from your travels," said the mayor. "Get some rest and if you need anything at all, please do not hesitate to ask. We may be a small town but there are good folk here."
"Thanks again," said Silandra, and turned to her companions. "To the inn then?"
"If you do not mind, my lady, I would like to visit the temple first," said Ajantis. "I will not be long. You could… join me, if you would like."
"You know I do not revere Helm, Ajantis," Silandra said. "I mean, not like that."
"But have you ever entered one of his temples before?"
Of course, she had not. She looked towards the temple, which had a small cemetery out the front. Many of the graves looked fresh. The temple itself was ornate compared to the surrounding buildings; she had meant it when she called it beautiful before and would ordinarily have been excited to enter such a place, if only to see if the interior matched. But she found herself hesitating. There was a plaque over the doorway with the All Seeing Eye of Helm etched into it. Something about that eye made her feel uneasy, as if it was looking at her, judging her.
"There was only a shrine to Oghma in Candlekeep. I think… I will let you go by yourself, this time. I am sure you would prefer to pray in peace."
"Very well," said Ajantis. She thought he was blushing a little. "I will see you at the inn shortly."
He left quickly, and Silandra felt a little bad. But she did not want to go inside that building.
"Aww, I think you hurt his feelings," said Imoen.
"He'll be fine," Silandra said. "I don't need him trying to convert me to Helm."
"Yeah, I mean, you know I think you should just pick a god already, but Helm seems a little too strict for you," Imoen said.
"Definitely," Silandra said, not wanting to tell her what she was feeling. After all, she could not think of how to explain it.
Ajantis had been looking forward to arriving in Nashkel for a few reasons. Not only was he eager to help get to the bottom of the iron crisis, a noble venture which was sure to aid him in his quest of becoming a fully-fledged knight, but he wanted to pay his respects to Helm properly at one of his temples. He had intended to visit the temple in Baldur's Gate, but the city had been closed to him and this was his next opportunity.
Initially, he had planned on asking for Helm's judgement on his path so far. But since joining Silandra and her companions he had developed a few…uncertainties that required addressing. He worried that he was not upholding his duty as well as he should. He was supposed to be an ever-vigilant protector to those in need, and the lady Silandra certainly fell into that category. Yet he had been failing miserably in that regard since joining her group. He had only saved her the first time because she had charmed him, for she was right—without her help, he probably would have just stood there staring at her instead of taking action. After all, he had never seen someone as… striking… as her before. It had not helped that at the time, she was only wearing a skimpy nightdress.
That brought him to his other concern. He worried he may be developing inappropriate feelings for her. She was very beautiful of course, but he was soon to become a knight and he must be strong enough to look past such things. He definitely could not afford to be distracted when she was in such danger, and it was unbecoming of a soon-to-be knight to be upset when other men looked at her as the captain had been. Of course they would look at her. How could they not?
There was another thing that concerned him about Silandra. He sensed a good heart and her actions thus far were in line with his own values, but there was something he could not place, something that bothered him. She was half-nymph, and nymphs were creatures of light. She had been raised by a good man in a place of learning. He was unsure how she could be anything but a force of goodness so he found it strange that he had this feeling about her. The fact she revered no god was troubling, but could be amended, though he knew such things could not be forced. If only she would have accompanied him this evening… but maybe it was for the best she did not. He may have found it hard to concentrate and he had many questions.
The old priest greeted him warmly when he entered but did not try to engage in conversation. Likely he sensed his need to commune with his god.
Ajantis took one of the small chambers made for private contemplation and cleared his mind of anything that was not pertinent at this time. It was not long before he felt Helm's presence—he did not actually speak to him directly, but he knew he was listening and could sense his approval of his current path. That was a relief, but it was what he had been expecting.
Ajantis let his thoughts shift to the lady Silandra—what did Helm think of her?
The response startled him. Helm did not disapprove exactly but it almost sounded as if he were unsure what to think. How could a god be uncertain of anything? Ajantis frowned. Maybe he misunderstood.
Ajantis eventually got up. He would have liked to linger longer, but he knew he should get back to Silandra and the others. He was still concerned for her safety what with all the assassination attempts. That was something he wished he could get to the bottom of. She was not the kind of woman who should be out on the road in fear for her life. She should be in a noble house in a city with her every desire tended to. He felt his cheeks warm at the thought, because of course he imagined himself being the one looking after her. He composed himself and headed to the main part of the temple, where the priest was speaking with a woman. He almost left with only a wave of acknowledgment, but Helm had not left him yet and was warning him.
Ajantis examined the woman more closely. She had the look of a war priest though he could not see her holy symbol. She wore well-tended chain armor and carried no weapon—no doubt she was able to summon one when necessary. She glanced towards him, and he thought he saw a glimmer of uncertainty cross her features briefly before she replaced it with a charming smile. Her face was fair, but she was evil.
"Greetings, Sir Knight," she said lightly. "Perhaps you could help me. I am looking for a woman who I understand is to be passing through here very soon. You'd know her if you met her. She's got fey blood. Very beautiful, I hear."
"What do you want with this woman?" Ajantis asked, doing his best to keep himself calm.
"She is in danger, I believe," the priestess said. "It is my duty to help women like her. You understand, I'm sure."
"You are after the bounty, aren't you?" Ajantis asked. "Admit it, fiend!"
The woman's smile only faltered for a moment. "Of course not. I seek only to offer her my services as—"
"You cannot lie to me in Helm's presence!" Ajantis cried. He would not attack another within the temple, and he thought the woman knew this. But he felt Helm was with him still, almost overcoming him.
Fear flashed across the woman's features and she turned to run, but an ethereal fist swung towards her from Ajantis and knocked her out cold. Ajantis blinked a few times. He was alone once more, Helm having retreated so that he was only a faint warmth in the back of his mind as he had been ever since he called Ajantis to serve him.
"Helm sees all," the priest said, looking upon the prone woman with approval. He did not seem surprised, but perhaps he had seen such things before in his long life. "Should I call for the guards?"
"Yes, this woman should be locked up," said Ajantis. He was in awe at what had just happened and found it difficult to speak. "I'm quite sure she wanted to murder one of my traveling companions. We would like to question her."
"I'm sure that can be arranged," the priest said. He rang a small bell beside the altar, which made no sound that Ajantis could hear but must have sounded the alert outside, for moments later a few Amnian soldiers entered.
"What's the problem?" It was Captain Bardolan.
"This woman meant to harm Silandra," Ajantis said, trying to ignore the irrational twinge of dislike. The captain seemed to be a good man and even if he did like Silandra, he had at least treated her with nothing but respect. "If you search her I am certain you will find a bounty notice which should suffice as evidence. I am sure you will want to put her in prison, but my companions and I have some questions to ask of her."
"Why would anyone put a bounty on a lady like Silandra?" Bardolan asked, frowning.
"Would that I knew myself," Ajantis said. "We are hoping we will be able to get the answers we need by interrogating this woman."
"Of course," said Bardolan. "I don't know whether we can hold her long on such a charge, if she didn't actually get to the point of violence, but we can at least keep her until you're long gone. Come by the garrison any time before you leave if you want to see her."
"I expect we will be heading into the mines tomorrow, so we will likely visit this evening," said Ajantis. "Thank you, Captain."
Soon Ajantis was on his way to the inn. He was glad that for once, he had been able to protect Silandra from one of her attackers. His failures so far had been weighing upon him heavily. He was grateful for Helm's assistance, but he only hoped he himself would be more adept at fulfilling his role as protector from now on.
Silandra was thinking that perhaps they should just order their food without waiting for Ajantis when he showed up. Almost immediately, Imoen signaled the innkeeper to bring them a meal. He was the only one staffing the place; he was all that was necessary with how empty it was. There were only two other tables occupied, by men who looked to be farmers. Silandra was worried about their chances of renting three rooms for the night when she saw the size of the place but it had not been a problem. The innkeeper just seemed happy to be getting the business.
"How's Helm?" Imoen asked as Ajantis drew near.
The paladin looked taken aback and it took him a moment to form words, but when he spoke he did not answer her question. "There was another assassin in the temple. She is being held in a cell in the garrison and Captain Bardolan has agreed to let us question her."
"We should go immediately," Jaheira said, beginning to stand.
"Can't we eat first?" Imoen asked.
"I'm starving," said Silandra. "Let's eat so I have enough energy."
"What would you be needing energy for?" Jaheira asked.
"Well, if she does not cooperate then I will charm her," Silandra said.
"I see," said Jaheira, settling back down. "Normally I do not like such abilities being used on people, but in this case I suppose it is appropriate."
"What, did you think we were going to torture her or something?" Silandra asked, horrified at the thought.
"Of c-course not!" Khalid said quickly. "But you know Jaheira can be very um…"
"Scary?" Imoen finished.
"That's not what I was g-going to say!" Khalid protested.
"But it is what you were thinking, and you are right I suppose," Jaheira said, smiling faintly. "Very well, we shall eat first and then question this assassin. How did you come to capture her, Ajantis?"
The paladin took the only empty seat, between Garrick and Khalid. "My power is stronger in the presence of Helm. It was easy for me to detect her evil when I saw her in the temple. She was asking after Silandra, claiming to want to offer her protection. Helm saw through her lies and smote her down. I suppose he did not approve of her actions within his home."
"Wow, gods do that?" Imoen asked, leaning forward eagerly. "I thought that only happened in stories. Wonder if Tymora does the same?"
"I think she's a little less… forceful," said Garrick.
"I trust all went well for you here?" Ajantis said.
"We were discussing what Xzar and Montaron might be up to with a Red Wizard," said Silandra. "They said they were going to investigate the mines but that's not the direction they headed."
"There is nothing much west of here, only wilderness and a gnoll fortress," Jaheira said. "The innkeeper was very helpful in that regard."
"You encountered some Red Wizards in Beregost, did you not?" Ajantis asked.
"We did consider whether the incidents could be related," said Jaheira. "After all, you don't see many of them around here. Perhaps the wild mage they were after went south instead of heading towards the Friendly Arm."
"I think they are up to something, and we should follow them," said Silandra. "Maybe that mage needs help."
"We have a quest and we should stick to it," said Jaheira. "Besides, we do not know where exactly they have gone. We would have no hope of finding them in the wilderness."
Silandra knew Jaheira was right, but she was still upset about her turning away that mage in Beregost and was worried she might be in danger once again. She also wanted to give Montaron and Xzar a piece of her mind. She did not like being abandoned like that, not after she had done her best to stick up for them.
Their food arrived and it was good despite being a little light on vegetables. The innkeeper apologized, saying there were not enough people to properly work the farms so they were rationing what they currently had. They couldn't linger long over their meal anyway, now that they had an assassin to interrogate.
They left after they were done eating. Although Silandra thought her hood hid her well enough, she felt uncomfortable being outside in the dark. If anyone was going to attack her here it seemed now would be the time to do it. Hopefully the woman Ajantis had apprehended was the only assassin looking for her in Nashkel.
The garrison was only a few buildings down the street. It was comparable in size to the inn though Silandra expected most of the space was probably taken up by bunks. There seemed to be a lot of soldiers in this small town. Captain Bardolan had been expecting them and let them in himself.
"It is nice to see you again, Silandra," he said. "I can't believe anyone would want you dead! We searched the woman as Ajantis suggested and he was right; she was holding a bounty notice."
"May I see it?" Silandra asked.
"Of course," Bardolan said, lifting a piece of parchment from the nearby desk.
"I'm worth more now," Silandra said, reading the notice with a slight frown. "And this time my 'well-armed traveling companions' are mentioned. Yet this woman thought she could take us alone?"
"The Lord of Shadows has power you could never hope to understand!" came a female voice from a barred door across the room.
Silandra raised an eyebrow and began heading over, her companions following.
"You're not going to… you know… make a mess, are you?" Bardolan asked, looking uncomfortable. He hurried over to unlock the door regardless of his concerns.
"We are not going to torture her, if that's what you mean," said Silandra. "I have a much cleaner method in mind if she does not want to cooperate."
The jail cells were a few feet from the main entrance and there were only two of them. They were clean enough but tiny, and only one was occupied. The woman within was simply sitting on the ground in a position that suggested meditation, though she looked the opposite of tranquil.
"Your Lord of Shadows did not see fit to prevent you from being chained here," Silandra said, looking down at the woman who wanted to kill her. She didn't look much like an assassin. She was quite pretty, really, even now when she was glowering at her.
"I won't be here long," the woman said. "He will come through for me as he always does."
"Think that if you wish," said Silandra. "Where did you get this bounty notice from?"
"You think I would tell you my secrets?" the woman scoffed. "Never."
"Tell me or I will make you."
The priestess stared at her in silence, a mocking smile on her face. Well, the hard way it was. Not that charming people was usually hard, but Silandra expected it to be a little more difficult when her target was hostile. She was prepared for it though. She gazed into the woman's eyes for a few seconds, not saying a word. She knew the moment the priestess felt her influence, for she fought back. But Silandra was able to hold on, at least for a short while.
"You should relax," she said, though she found each word an effort. "My friend Jaheira has a few questions to ask you." She had not realized this would be so difficult to maintain and had not planned on being unable to do the questioning herself.
"Of course," the woman said, her smile looking genuine now.
"What is your name?" Jaheira asked.
"I am Neira, devoted servant of Mask," the priestess said, not taking her eyes off Silandra. She almost sounded cheerful.
"Who gave you the bounty notice you were carrying?"
"I did not see them. I'm connected to the right channels of course so it came to me that way."
"Explain these channels."
Neira did not want to answer that. Silandra grit her teeth and held on, but it was becoming harder by the second.
"Well, when you are a bounty hunter like I am, there's a certain type you like to associate with. As long as you are wearing one of these rings you are alerted whenever there's a new bounty available in your area. Tap on a blank piece of parchment and there you have it. All the information you need."
"Wow, that's actually pretty neat!" Imoen said, examining the dark jeweled ring that the priestess was displaying proudly.
"Oh yes, I thought so too," Neira said, smiling. "It has made my life ever so much easier, and this way I don't have to get near others in the same line of work. That tends to turn out messy."
"So you have no way of knowing the source of this message?"
"Well, mages send them of course. And as I understand it, there is some kind of limit on the distance they can cover. I was enjoying myself at the carnival when the message arrived, so whoever sent it probably isn't too far away. Beregost or the Friendly Arm, if they're near civilization and not holed up in a dingy cave."
"A carnival?" Garrick perked up. "That sounds fun."
"Maybe we can go after the mines," said Imoen.
"Oh yes, it is quite entertaining," Neira said. "Even better, with so many of the townsfolk dead or missing the lines are much shorter!"
Silandra could feel sweat trickling down her face as she strained to hold the priestess. Her mind was strong and she did not appreciate being made to reveal her secrets. She knew she had to let go or she would probably pass out, and so she did, breathing heavily.
"Sil, you okay?" Imoen asked, looking at her in concern.
"Fine," Silandra said. "I just need to rest."
Neira was furious. Her hands moved to cast a spell, but the chains holding her were evidently made to contain magic and nothing happened.
"Do you have any idea what you have done?" she shrieked. "Now I will never get out of here alive!"
"You will have a chance to speak for yourself," Ajantis said, looking upon her with distaste. "You will likely get off with a warning. I suggest you heed it well."
"You have doomed me!" Neira cried. "They do not take it likely when someone divulges their secrets."
"You will be safe enough in this cage," Jaheira said imperiously. "I would kill you myself if you were not under the authority of the Nashkel guards."
"Do it!" Neira said, and for once she actually looked afraid. "It will be a kinder death than the one they'll give me."
"I'm afraid I cannot help you," Jaheira said. "Come, let us get some rest."
The woman continued to scream after them, cursing Silandra and paladins and Helm, and finally herself for entering the temple to begin with. Silandra found it hard to walk; she was suddenly exhausted.
"My lady, are you alright?" Ajantis asked. "Here, take my arm."
She did so gratefully, but was too spent to even try forming words.
"Will she recover?" Captain Bardolan asked, looking concerned.
"She will be fine after she rests," said Jaheira. "Thank you for your help, Captain."
"Of course," Bardolan said. "There may be others looking to collect the bounty. Aside from this woman, the only other strangers in town are a monk and a barbarian, the latter being in bed with a concussion. I do not think they are the type but… please allow me to put a few of my men at your disposal. They will keep guard at the inn while you rest."
"That is very generous of you," said Jaheira. "We would appreciate being able to have an uninterrupted sleep as we must leave early tomorrow."
It seemed like forever before they were back at the inn, though it couldn't have been more than a few minutes. Ajantis half carried Silandra to her room, with Imoen trailing anxiously. Silandra slumped onto her bed with a sigh.
"Thanks Ajantis," said Imoen. "I'll uh… get her ready for bed."
That of course got Ajantis out of the room quickly, and Silandra was just awake enough to giggle before passing out.