Chapter 6: Hypocrites, False Wisdom and Truths
When Anomen burst into Gaelan Bayle's kitchen the next day, as unexpected as his entrance was, Elatharia had been a little too distracted to pay him much heed. She had gone back to her bed above Aerie's upon her return to the house, hoping that some company would take her mind off all that she had endured that night. But it had not worked and the morning had found her in a particularly bad mood. She had been watching the doorway, expecting Gaelan Bayle himself and planning a fierce interrogation, when the young cleric came barging through. Anomen nearly fell afoul of a particularly angry paralysis spell, but she held back just in time – perhaps to her greater dismay.
"I demand justice!"
The words were full of such rage that Aerie had spun around from her bowl of fruit and nuts with a yelp, bringing up various magical protections upon herself in her surprise. Although she was seated directly in line with the doorway, the setup of the table required that she had her back to it; her chair almost toppled as she scrambled aside, hands fluttering. Haer'Dalis burst into merry laughter from where he was sitting at the far end of the table with his crossed heels kicked up onto the surface and a cup of Amnish tea cradled in his hands.
Viconia only looked up when the cleric slammed his hands down on the table and repeated his wrathful assertion.
"I demand justice! Who is with me?"
To his credit his eyes only lingered briefly upon the drow opposite him – for he had never before seen her in her undisguised form. She sipped on her tea calmly, one eyebrow raised, tucking a fall of long white hair over her pointed ear before turning to look at Elatharia. The Transmuter was blinking up at Anomen with a frown, her spellbook limp in her fingers. She could not decide whether to be curious about this change in temperament or annoyed that his attack upon the table had almost made her spread butter across her spellbook rather than her breakfast.
"Justice for what? Who has wronged you, Anomen?" Aerie exclaimed, rushing to take hold of his arm. Haer'Dalis was now attempting to hide his chuckles behind his tea but he was failing. Viconia's blue eyes flashed over him in something which came dangerously close to amusement.
"An evil man has…has…" only then did Elatharia realise that Anomen's cheeks were streaked with tears, his eyes red and raw from crying. He was still shaking when he turned to face the avariel, towering over her in such a manner that he had to crane his head down and she hers up in order for them to meet each other's eyes, "He has slain my beautiful, good-hearted sister!"
His voice broke on the last word and Elatharia sat up a little straighter at that information.
"Oh my…by Baervan and all the Seldarine…Anomen," Aerie had grown pale, her large eyes filling immediately with sympathetic tears as she rubbed uselessly at his arms. He seemed to slump a little at the physical contact, closing his eyes miserably.
"Well now, who did such a thing?" Haer'Dalis may or may not have still been laughing, though he managed to keep a straight face to ask this question.
Anomen was about to respond when heavy footsteps resounded over the open back door's threshold. Elatharia did not need to look around to know that this was Minsc returning from practicing with his greatsword in the back yard.
"What is this talk of evil and goodness?" the Rashemi demanded, and Anomen looked across at him with distinct intimidated awe. Evidently Minsc had not put his tunic back on yet. Haer'Dalis stopped laughing.
"Anomen's sister has been murdered!" Aerie cried brokenly, beginning to guide Anomen by the arm to a chair, "Have you informed the authorities, Anomen?"
"No," the young man resisted her guidance now, his hands balling into fists as he glared a little wildly around the room, "I am familiar with her killer and I shall have his heart."
"By Shar, perhaps I misjudged the male," Viconia muttered under her breath, loud enough for only Elatharia to hear. The Transmuter elbowed her.
"Remember your own advice about Helmites," the young wizard reminded.
The drow grunted in agreement, her gaze drifting slowly over Haer'Dalis instead.
"Anomen," Aerie gasped, a deep frown marring her face as she gave the cleric a little shake, "You will regret that! Do you know for certain it was him?"
"I know it in my heart," the young man insisted, trying to look scandalised by her response.
"No! That is not enough!" the avariel had never sounded so angry. As ever Minsc chose to side with her, looming behind her now as he moved around the table – though he looked slightly confused, even as Aerie continued: "You have to tell the authorities! What were you planning on doing?"
"I will destroy him! His home, his…his…." Anomen stopped abruptly, staring down at her with wide eyes. In a quieter voice he added, "He must pay for his evil deeds."
As if sensing that she had achieved a minor victory, the avariel patted his arm lightly and began to steer him in the opposite direction, back to the door through which he had made his entrance. It looked like she was guiding him to the sitting room to persuade him from his murderous plan. Minsc watched them go for a moment with almost as much intensity as Haer'Dalis before suddenly wheeling on Elatharia and pointing at her across the table. Had she not known him so well, and been paying more attention to the hamster perched on his shoulder, the sight of the enormously tall and muscular Rashemi berserker aiming such a gesture her way may have made the Transmuter feel more than a little threatened.
"Jaheira has told me that you have been with the Red Wizard again, Elatharia," he exclaimed, struggling through the long sentence valiantly, his face twisting into something that actually looked like it bordered on a berserk rage, "Tell me it is not true! I will twist his head off myself for what he did to my Dynaheir!"
"Oh my, this is a very interesting day," Viconia noted silkily from Elatharia's side.
The Transmuter sat back slowly, folding her arms and staring levelly at the bald ranger. She still had that paralysis spell prepared and would be more than happy to use it. His turn of topic was making her think of her dream that night, if nothing else, and that made her angry.
"Minsc, do you want to help me find Imoen?" she asked quietly.
"Yes, for goodness!"
"And do you want to save her?"
"Yes!"
"Good, that means I don't particularly have the urge to kill you right now," the Transmuter continued conversationally. He seemed pleased by this, and Viconia snorted, "But if you are going to help find and save Imoen without Viconia bringing you back as a wraith, then you are going to have listen to me now and listen to me very carefully."
The ranger looked attentive, so she continued.
"Although Edwin Odesseiron was under contract to kill Dynaheir – and this is the part you should really pay attention to here, berserker – he did not do it. Not even when he left our group, although I am fairly certain he could have had us burning nicely all together in fireball after fireball back then had he really intended to. What you saw killing Dynaheir in the dungeons was Irenicus."
Minsc's eyes glazed over and he swayed slightly as if struggling to take in the information. After a moment his brows furrowed more and his lips twitched. Eventually he nodded.
"Good," Elatharia agreed slowly, leaning forward and splaying her hands across her spellbook, "So when I tell you that Edwin will probably be with us for quite a few of our coming ventures, you are not going to kill him, or harm him. Not even once, when Viconia has a healing spell or two at the ready. Alright? For goodness."
"I will not travel with a man of such evil!"
"Then you will not travel with me – and I suppose more importantly you won't be helping save Imoen, Minsc," Elatharia told him pointedly, "And unless he proves himself to be entirely useless and maybe even detrimental to the cause of finding Imoen I will never condone the violence you intend."
"I will not speak with him, then!" the ranger suggested rather than insisted, and the Transmuter shrugged, her mind already moving back to her buttered bread and sliced melon.
A moment or two passed in silence before Minsc noticed anything else new about this situation. When he spoke again, his voice was far calmer. Sometimes he was so easy to bargain with that Elatharia almost found him as endearing as she suspected Imoen or Aerie did.
"Aha! You are a new member of our band of goodness!" the ranger cried, noticing Haer'Dalis. The tiefling rose gracefully from his seat to shake the Rashemi's offered hand, although his raised eyebrows and crooked smile suggested a level of incredulity. To Elatharia's surprise he did not seem particularly overbalanced by the inevitable ferocity of Minsc's handshake.
"Coo! New arrivals?" Gaelan Bayle's voice sounded from behind the Rashemi; Minsc and Haer'Dalis parted to look at their host and Elatharia levelled a dead stare upon the all-too-innocent man in the doorway. He looked just as youthful and shifty as always, dressed in his typical black and silver Shadow Thief attire, "Has Yoshimo abandoned the cause, or taken up residence in Mae'Var's old home?"
"The latter, as I am sure you knew. And the druid has been out in the practice yard since dawn. But I think you knew that, too," Elatharia noted softly, and Gaelan's face smoothed out a little at her tone, "Just like you always know everything about this city; where people are, how to reach them. Probably even before the Cowled Wizards do. So…I was wondering – and don't doubt that your life depends on this answer – why did you not tell me that Spellhold has been taken over and Irenicus has taken my sister captive?"
Her growled words caught them all by surprise. Gaelan blanched in shock, Minsc span back to face her with a cry, Haer'Dalis bothered to stop smiling and Viconia twisted about sharply to look the Transmuter in the eye.
"We…it only occurred late last night. Coo! It was only possible for word to travel to us by this morning," Gaelan spluttered, "I had come to offer you a change of terms related to this very topic." He was tugging at the tattered hem of his shirt above his dagger particularly fiercely now, "How is it that you came by this information?"
"How about you tell me your change in terms?" Elatharia suggested instead, standing slowly and knowing how ambiguous her angry expression could appear when veiled by her mask.
Gaelan slumped visibly.
"We propose to offer you our services at fifteen thousand gold instead of twenty thousand," he told her, "With the wealth that Jaheira brought back for you last night that puts you not far short of your total. You have ten thousand one hundred and twenty five raised."
To raise four thousand eight hundred and seventy five gold or take on the life of an assassin…to a more moral person this would hardly have been a difficult quandary. But Elatharia found that she was torn; perhaps it would not hurt to gather some more money and consider Bodhi's offer at the same time. She would probably have the appropriate sum before she ever needed to make a decision, anyway.
Gaelan was quick to leave the room when the Transmuter just raised her eyebrows at him, hardly impressed.
"You know nothing of these people – and you have seen for yourself that they are led by a woman who openly harbours and aids the feeding of vampires. (If she is not one herself.)"
Edwin's voice was more than a little scathing once Elatharia had told him of her encounter with Bodhi in the hour before dawn. Sighing disdainfully, he leaned back in his chair across the table from her, running his hands irritably through his hair and watching her with palpable exasperation.
"You do not come from Thay, and thus your knowledge is far less refined," he just raised an eyebrow when she sneered at him, gesturing at the numerous books strewn between them which they had taken from Haer'Dalis's dead captor, "(Who was it that had the sense to suggest we take these books? She must be even more foolish than I had thought.) I take it you have told no one else of this encounter? And I pray that you did not accept." He growled his last words, as if daring her to disagree.
"Of course I didn't accept," Elatharia denied, folding her arms uncomfortably, able to frown more effectively back when she was not hampered by her mask – though the cloth item lay within arm's reach now in the event that someone else barged in, "I mean…I didn't decline either."
"Ah," the Red Wizard sighed.
"What? I had no spells prepared and I was unarmed! She didn't look the sort to be taken down easily by my one remaining Shocking Grasp spell, Edwin! And she had a vampire right behind her." And her promise of murder…is tempting.
"I did not say you should decline her offer. But be…cautious in agreeing. Anyone who seeks to meet you by recklessly killing a man to whom you are aligned is almost as unwise as yourself and should probably not be trusted."
"Since when did you grow so wise?"
"Logic and wisdom are almost the same thing, fool. Use your mind," he tapped his own temple, "(Though sometimes I wonder if I imagined that she has one.)"
"To answer your other question, I haven't told anyone else. Can you imagine: 'Oh, Jaheira, by the way – I was considering betraying the Thieves' Guild for a woman who I came across in the streets at night consorting with vampires. She killed a man right in front of me and I just asked "how soon can you get Imoen to me?"'"
Edwin's dead-eyed stare was weakened a little by the curve of his lips, which looked like they were threatening to rise into a smile.
"You are so lucky that I have warded this Shadow Thief place against Divination, Transmuter," he growled, standing suddenly and moving around the table to approach her. He wore his Archmagi jacket over his shirt and trousers today, buttons gleaming to his waist, tails falling to the back of his knees; the sight made Elatharia smile…though his advancing form made something in her flutter tremulously. Gods, that dream.
"Nice to see that you have dressed in readiness for any and all ventures that I want to drag you along for," she pointed out, her voice a little weaker than she intended.
"Perhaps I am just prepared for any and all disasters that you might bring with you to this, my safe haven atop the Guild House," he sneered back, continuing his advance though she pulled back a little in her chair.
Without another word he caught both of her wrists in his hands, turning them over and inspecting the veins there closely. Though his touch was brief and tight she still looked up at his face with wide eyes, her mind spiralling back to the memories of her dream. She was only half-prepared for it when his fingers caught her chin, forcing her to tilt her head to one side and then the next, brushing her hair out of the way as he checked her skin. His touch was so light it was almost taunting.
"Edwin," she whispered, putting her hand over his and pulling it from her neck, "I wasn't bitten. We'd both know it by now if I had been."
He raised his eyes slowly to meet hers and grimaced, retreating with an angry hiss and a few muttered words in Mulhorandi.
"And where will you be dragging me next, 'master'."
"First to the Copper Coronet to see how drunk Aerie has persuaded Anomen to get and then I think we might actually have to speak to Jaheira for once. And then maybe we'll test how badly Minsc wants to rip your head off – his words – before we venture forth."
The Thayvian made a strangling gesture in her direction, snarling something incoherent, before his curiosity won.
"The would-be paladin…induced to drink by the idiotic avariel. That does not sound…"
"Quite correct? It is though; he wanted to murder a merchant lord in his own home today, and Aerie's valorous morality stayed his hand," she paused, then shrugged, "I checked with Gaelan Bayle first though; it turns out the merchant does not actually store any of his wealth in his house. Otherwise I might have suggested to Anomen that he ignore Aerie and I would have helped him storm the place."
As it turned out Anomen was very drunk.
"I almost…almost killed a man today!" the priest was all but wailing, swaying on his seat as Elatharia and Edwin approached through the fairly empty tavern hall.
It was just past midday and only the most committed of drinkers were about. A few of the prostitutes standing on the stairs by the door had leaned towards Edwin but the Red Wizard had sneered and threatened them with various spells before muttering something about venereal diseases.
"You did, Anomen, but you stayed your hand!" Aerie was assuring him, patting his arm and offering him a flagon of water. It clearly had not occurred to her that she could just cast something like a Neutralise Poison spell upon him to solve the inebriation problem. Maybe she feared he would just start drinking again, or deep down felt that he would deserve any hangover he got.
"The thought though, Aerie," the priest gasped, blindly accepting the water and grimacing when he tasted it as if it were whisky, "I had the blasphemous thought. I was set to act against true judgment or consideration of honesty. I believed my scoundrel of a father and now he has turned me from my own home for defying his cruel influence! And all of it in the shadow…the shadow of my sister…"
Aerie looked proud of him, though she had been forced to endure his weeping and rambling for quite some time, looking up a little hopefully when she saw Elatharia approaching. Her expression tightened when she saw Edwin by the Transmuter's side, but she said nothing about him.
"Ha! We had not thought to see you so soon, my Raven. And my greetings to you, my Sparrowhawk," Haer'Dalis's unexpected voice made Elatharia jump just before he slipped between her and Edwin, the bard's hand briefly settling upon her lower back. He was carrying another cup of water, which he set in front of Anomen before sitting in the chair opposite Aerie and picking his lute up from the table, strumming on it thoughtfully while he watched her.
A little off balance from the bard's familiar touch, Elatharia looked around the large, all-but empty hall and turned back to her companions. Anomen was staring up at her now much like a guilty puppy, his eyes wide and tear-filled to boot. His hair was sticking up at odd angles, his doublet askew over his shirt. Aerie was watching him with a little scrunched up look of pity.
"Where is Viconia?" Elatharia asked after a moment of trying to work out what was really going on. Haer'Dalis did not really seem like the sympathetic sort; he looked to be a lot more interested in Aerie than in helping Anomen through his guilt and grief.
"I believe she was tired after yesterday," the tiefling answered after a moment, glancing towards the Transmuter with a look that was by no means guilty but bore even less innocence. Behind her Edwin made a strangled choking noise at the implication, "Also, I believe the druid wanted to speak with you. Something about the Windspear Hills, or the Umar Hills. I cannot remember; all of your place names sound the same to me."
"Does she ever not want to?" Elatharia sighed, rolling her eyes before turning towards Aerie and jerking her chin towards the swaying Anomen, "Is he going to be able to travel with us tomorrow?"
"Y-yes," the avariel nodded after a moment, "Not any sooner than that, mind you. I would hate to leave him like this though, Elatharia."
"So caring," Haer'Dalis noted thoughtfully; Aerie blushed and glanced at him with a little smile. To Elatharia the words had seemed less like a compliment and more like an observation.
"Oh gods, my sister. My poor sister!" Anomen cried suddenly, reeling forwards for a moment before standing abruptly and staggering for a side door. Alarmed, Aerie scrambled to follow with a cup of water in one hand.
"He wails over his sister, considers her murderer, blames his father, thinks on his honour…and never considers what it is that he, failed-paladin Anomen, did wrong to allow this to happen," Edwin sneered, coming up to Elatharia's side and earning an amused glance from Haer'Dalis.
"The curse of paladins or those who would be like them, my Sparrowhawk," the tiefling agreed heartily.
"Could you not have found a more…majestic name for me, tiefling? (That is if he must insist upon these ridiculous names at all!)"
"I have been considering you, Red Wizard," Haer'Dalis added the title rather pointedly, mischief in his eyes, "And it occurred to me that maybe I had better term you 'Pseudodragon' instead?"
"Ugh, no! What is wrong with you, fool?"
"And now you sound like Viconia," the tiefling added with a laugh, eyes sparkling, "Before I persuaded her otherwise. Care to join me?" He gestured at the chair beside him.
"No! No, no, no," the wizard's response seemed inappropriately venomous, but Haer'Dalis's lingering smile had Elatharia laughing; she only laughed harder when the Red Wizard grasped her forearms from behind and dragged her to stand between himself and the seated bard, "Must you make me endure such people?" he hissed in her ear.
Still laughing, she turned to answer…only to realise how close he was.
"Forgive me for interrupting; are you a band of adventurers perchance?" a well-spoken voice, deep and powerful, sounded from just out of Elatharia's sight. She and Edwin sprang apart as if burned and she wheeled around to see who had addressed them.
"We are," she agreed automatically upon seeing the expensively attired man watching her curiously, his reddish hair speckled with silver and his regular face a little lined. He looked to be in his early forties, tall but muscular, dressed in black and red velvet, "But if you want us to do something for you then you'll have to pay well."
"Oh, I believe you will like my offer then, young woman," the man smiled immediately, displaying a row of straight white teeth.
"Speak then," the Transmuter suggested, not entirely rudely. She glanced to her side in mild surprise when she felt Haer'Dalis's shoulder brush hers. He was watching the man closely, wrists resting upon the pommels of his sheathed shortswords.
"Of course," the man agreed smoothly, "My name is Lord Jierdan Firkraag. I have a very lucrative offer for you regarding some problems I have been having with bandits and vermin on my land in the Windspear Hills."
"Ugh, how do you live in this stink?" Edwin was complaining as they passed the Jansen residence on their way to Gaelan Bayle's house.
The Conjurer had a conspicuously red handkerchief over his nose and mouth, placing his feet carefully upon the driest looking cobbles wherever they walked in the Slums. It occurred to Elatharia that the Red Wizard had never been anywhere so poor in his life. Tall, with his immaculately shined boots and that Archmagi jacket (even with the worn trousers) he stood out in this place of scurrying children, scattered beggars and few possessions.
"It's just as well that you have a mage's licence," Elatharia noted as they stepped through into the narrow passage alongside the Jansen house, "I think I've noticed every other person eyeing that necklace of yours."
"This is a treasured artefact of the Odesseiron household," Edwin answered almost off-hand, tugging at the golden torc absently, something dark in his eyes, "They would not be able to remove it from me if they tried. It will not respond to feeble attempts at robbery."
"Say that a little louder, my Sparrowhawk," Haer'Dalis suggested pointedly from behind them where he and Aerie were staggering under the load of a slumped Anomen.
When Elatharia twisted around to look at him it was with little surprise that she saw he was bearing the load with the cleric's arm slung across his shoulders. Aerie's smaller height and far lesser strength meant that, though she stood also with one of Anomen's arms across her shoulders, she could not actually add much beyond moral support. It did surprise the Transmuter however to see the grim look in the bard's eyes. He had seemed so carefree and irrepressible – even at the most inopportune of times. Now he looked…concerned. Maybe even angry.
"Something the matter?" Elatharia enquired, letting Edwin stand in uncomfortable annoyance by the Jansen wall while she approached her slower-moving companions. Haer'Dalis looked back at her with a small nod.
"That man you spoke with earlier, Firkraag. He is an untrustworthy Parrot if ever this Sparrow saw one. I am an actor…and I know that one was acting poorly. Tread carefully in this venture, my Raven."
Aerie gave a little gasp of wide-eyed surprise, looking between the bard and the Transmuter. Between tiefling and avariel, Anomen swayed dangerously and nearly sent Haer'Dalis staggering into the wall of the building beside Jan's home.
"If he pays us does it matter overmuch?" Elatharia asked sceptically; she had seen the self-satisfied look on Firkraag's face too – but he had offered much gold and they had no better offers.
"You don't mean that!" Aerie cried, frowning now, "Th-though your sister must be helped we can't just do what this man says if he is lying!" She gave Elatharia a reproachful look that bordered on the patronising even while Haer'Dalis glanced at the avariel with a wistful smile.
Her thoughts flashing back to Bodhi early that morning, Elatharia turned about quickly before Aerie could see her anger. There was something about the elf's blue eyes and her innocence that reminded her too much of Imoen. Even if the avariel's manner and temperament were not exactly like her sister's, Elatharia still found it difficult to display her anger towards Aerie.
"Come on, we need to get to the others and round up the troops," the Transmuter said instead, hurrying up to Edwin and grasping his unwilling arm to pull him with her, forcing him to skid on the cobblestones for a moment before regaining his proper footing. He tugged with the arm she held, possibly hoping to cause her the same indignity…and failed.
"Can we not just throw the cleric in the gutter and get out of this stinking place with a little more alacrity?" he complained.
"You're in an awful hurry to meet Minsc, Edwin," Elatharia noted as they stopped at the end of the alley to let a cart go past in the street ahead. She was fishing for amusement but it sounded distracted to her own ears. The Red Wizard looked down at her, something maybe like mischief dancing in his dark eyes.
"I have so many contingencies prepared that I could burn the house down with a flick of my wrist, incompetent Transmuter," he told her with a sly grin, "If you would survive such then I would recommend holding onto my arm with half the perseverance you are currently maintaining."
Realising that she had indeed kept her grip on him, Elatharia let go abruptly with an annoyed hiss – and maybe the hint of a blush too. Haer'Dalis made an amused noise from behind them.
"Well, Minsc has claimed that he will do nothing more dangerous than refuse to speak with you," the Transmuter muttered at last once they were crossing the street.
"I should have trusted you to dupe him into doing me a favour," the Red Wizard chuckled. Maybe he really meant it.
Upon entering Gaelan's house it was with surprise that Elatharia beheld Jaheira, Minsc and Yoshimo waiting for her within the sitting room. The berserker was already hopping from foot to foot across the room, looming in that far corner by the fire. Jaheira looked on her guard too, frowning darkly. Yoshimo was just turning around from the window, that placid smile on his face. He must have already been there and noted the approaching figures through the glass.
"Ah, Elatharia," the bounty hunter greeted calmly, even while Haer'Dalis staggered in with Anomen. Aerie followed fluttering her hands.
"Minsc, how about you take the drunkard upstairs to one of the spare rooms?" Elatharia suggested instead of responding.
For a moment the ranger failed to move, staring steadfastly at Edwin who had not acknowledged anyone else in the room but for a slight sneer, moving around to one of the bookcases as if no one were there at all. Eventually Minsc blinked and nodded with a startled grunt, moving to effortlessly take control of Anomen's lolling weight, guiding the groaning cleric through the side door and heading loudly up the stairs with Aerie in tow.
"What brings you here? Did you already grow tired of the Guild House?" Elatharia asked of Yoshimo rather than endure Jaheira's glare. The Transmuter saw a flicker of movement in the dark doorway to the kitchen as Viconia came to join them silently.
"I heard of your sister's worsened plight," Yoshimo admitted, "And I came to offer my services to any new quest you take. I understand how important speed will be now."
"Very well," the Transmuter accepted, watching him for a moment more and remembering what Edwin had said of him the night before.
"I had hoped you would reconsider," Jaheira growled from the centre of the room, a deceptively small – if fairly stocky – figure glowering from the Transmuter to the studiously distracted Conjurer, "And you have once more succeeded in disappointing me. As if I needed any more reasons to believe that you cared nothing for the suffering of Imoen, Minsc and myself."
"You speak as if our Raven has not suffered awfully also, Ptarmigan," Haer'Dalis noted softly and Elatharia stiffened at his observation. Jaheira's expression just darkened and she looked the tiefling up and down disdainfully.
"It is a fair assumption, Planewalker, but hardly accurate. I find it more likely that the demons of Irenicus's conjuring found a staunch ally in our leader. And perhaps I have little reason to trust you. Through your jokes and tunes you are the offspring of a demon, are you not? And an Outsider. Your part in the Balance is unknown to me, and perhaps not possible here."
"Perhaps I sit astride the fence and find my own 'balance', Ptarmigan. Perhaps I throw my lot on either side as I please and add to the Planes' ever increasing entropy instead," Haer'Dalis suggested, still smiling as he stepped out from behind Elatharia and into her view. He spared a sidelong glance at her, curiosity evident in his expression, "And perhaps you are so overcome by your own torments and sadness that you have missed the truth rather badly indeed."
Jaheira stiffened at this, frowning at the tiefling distrustfully before looking over Elatharia. After that confrontation a certain stillness had descended upon the group. Viconia had fully entered the room, her mouth open as if she might speak. The drow was dressed in just her mithral tunic and dark leggings, a small book in her hands. Yoshimo was leaning against the window sill with his arms folded and watching the proceedings with a small frown. Edwin was glaring down unseeingly at a book with his back to Jaheira. His knuckles were white where they gripped the cover.
And to her own eternal surprise, Elatharia cut in, stepping between the druid and the bard – trying her best to do anything but keep the subject on herself. Especially after what Edwin – and perhaps also Haer'Dalis – had deduced of her captivity.
"This argument will not solve our problems," she pointed out mildly to Jaheira, "But we have just spoken to a lord of the Windspear Hills who says he will pay us handsomely for solving the problem of bandits on his land. He has been driven from all of his lands but his castle by groups of armed men leading ogres, hobgoblins and the like. I have agreed – and anyone who will travel with me will be leaving tomorrow."
Still a little white from her poorly veiled anger, Jaheira looked to Elatharia with slightly dazed eyes. It took her a moment to understand what the Transmuter had just said. After a moment she stood a little straighter, as if recovering from great embarrassment, and nodded her head sharply, expression blank.
"Yes. I will have word sent to Mazzy, Korgan and Jan."
"We will prepare tonight. And suggest to them that we can stay together to allow us to leave earlier tomorrow. Yoshimo, you room with Minsc as usual. Anomen, Jan and maybe Korgan can have the other double bunk room - if the dwarf's conscious after last night. Mazzy can stay with Viconia, Aerie and me," she nodded towards Viconia, "Which means you get to keep the double room, Jaheira."
"And what of me, Transmuter?" Edwin inquired but she looked to Haer'Dalis now, unable to look the Red Wizard in the eye after what Jaheira and the tiefling had said.
"Haer'Dalis, that means you're going to have to share the last twin room with Edwin. We'll make our plans tonight and set out at dawn."
No one questioned her; perhaps the awkwardness after Jaheira's outburst played no small part. It turned out that the Guild House, under proper orders, could look after itself and pay its tithe without perpetual supervision for a while, so Yoshimo had no problems travelling with them. And as it turned out, the whole group agreed readily to go on this expedition to the Windspear Hills. By sundown even Anomen had crept down the stairs, red-eyed and dishevelled to find the entire group clustered around the kitchen table finishing a meal Korgan of all people had made for them.
Aerie had insisted on making and pouring tea for all of them; the cleric accepted his cup gratefully as he found a chair and placed himself between the avariel and Minsc. The berserker was eyeing Edwin dangerously; the Red Wizard sat at the far end of the table beside Elatharia, the Transmuter perusing a page in his book of maps. Haer'Dalis, on Aerie's other side from Anomen, was muttering about something with Viconia. Their discussion featured too many unfamiliar words to be followed and eventually descended into a hushed conversation in the drow tongue. Korgan was leering at Mazzy from the drow's side; the paladin had placed herself between Jaheira and Yoshimo to avoid sitting by the dwarf. She in turn was disdainfully eyeing his choice of beer over tea. Elatharia, much like Jaheira with Minsc, had opted to keep a free chair between herself and Jan, who sat beside Korgan. The gnome, much like the dwarf beside him, had an…unappealing way with his food – which he had insisted upon 'augmenting' with turnip juice. It felt like one of those spare chairs could be Imoen's. Maybe she would make Jaheira, Mazzy and Yoshimo move up and let her sister sit between the Kara-Turan and the Red Wizard rather than deal with Jan's food habits.
"To Korgan, my War Dog and his inexplicably edible kitchen skills!" Haer'Dalis cried.
The tiefling raised his cup once he had finished eating and most of the group were starting to sit back contentedly in their chairs. After a moment most of those around the table agreed with a small cheer, raising their cups and drinking also, though Mazzy did so with narrowed eyes. The exception was Edwin, who had been glaring at anyone who looked towards him since Jaheira's outburst earlier. Korgan looked a little embarrassed about the toast but in the end just drank along with the rest of them after Jan's nudges.
Haer'Dalis was continuing cheerfully, saying something that made Aerie blush and giggle. Anomen looked tired and was struggling with his food by her side, sending shy glances the avariel's way when she wasn't looking. Otherwise he kept his eyes on his plate and only looked up when spoken to; Jaheira was in a similar state and her pensiveness made the Transmuter wonder what it was that the druid had realised after her angry words. Apart from Minsc's glaring gaze fixed upon Edwin – and the Red Wizard's bad mood – the atmosphere in the room was one of surprising camaraderie. It made Elatharia wonder if she had chosen her group better than she had intended…or perhaps that she had been very fortunate. She hoped it would last; the better everyone was getting on the quicker they could get to Imoen.
Distracted by her thoughts and her perusal of the Windspear Hills map before her, Elatharia was hardly listening to the chatter around her, absently drinking with the rest of them but otherwise focused upon the map with her plates piled before her. She was looking through her spellbook and making notes on terrain simultaneously by the time conversation died down and people began to drift away to get ready for bed. Jaheira was first to leave, heading into the back yard to meditate under the tree there. Minsc went to bed shortly afterwards, as did Mazzy after completing a long conversation with Yoshimo about swordplay. Aerie and Anomen talked quietly for a while until the cleric went to bed (not yet knowing that he would be sharing the room with Jan and Korgan) and then the avariel changed her attention to Haer'Dalis. Viconia had an argument with Korgan that lasted until the dwarf belched loudly and announced he was going to bed, shortly followed by Jan.
When Viconia went outside to pray, passing Jaheira awkwardly in the doorway as the druid went upstairs to sleep, Aerie blushed and realised it was time to sleep too, offering a shy goodnight to Haer'Dalis – who kissed her hand. Once the avariel had gone, however, the tiefling picked up the book Viconia had left and followed the drow's path outside. That left Yoshimo sitting quietly sharpening his katana, along with Elatharia and Edwin – both of whom were now perusing their spellbooks. There was distinct tension in the Red Wizard's shoulders, however, and he looked up to the Kara-Turan repeatedly for several long minutes before finally speaking his mind.
"Is there a reason why you linger, bounty hunter? That blade must have been sharpened by now," the Conjurer spat, "(You think you can persuade us that it takes that long to hone an enchanted weapon?)"
"It is a technique for relaxation, good wizard," Yoshimo laughed gently, sheathing the weapon and standing smoothly, "But if it bothers you so I shall retire."
"Good. Go. (And far too late, if you ask me)."
Only once the Kara-Turan had gone with an apparently unbothered – and unhurried – goodnight to both lingering wizards did Edwin stand and relight the stove with a casual cantrip. Elatharia watched him as he poured more water into the kettle from the large jug on the side table. He looked tense as he settled the container over the fire to boil, not turning to face her and running his hands through his hair as he often did these days during times of stress.
"You've been this way since we got here, Edwin," Elatharia noted from her seat across the room, closing her spellbook slowly. He had left his open by her side; he had been memorising fireball spells and the like. Rubbing at her stinging eyes she dimmed her light cantrip to a gentle orange glow and waited for an answer.
"(It is so clever of her to notice)," the Conjurer muttered sarcastically, spinning about to face her now, his expression angry, "Is it little wonder? You let this druid believe that she is somehow a martyr for this cause? That she has suffered more than you? The bard gave you a perfect chance to refute her pig-headed assumptions – but oh, no you are too kind to her pathetic ego to let that happen. Tell her. In detail," he curled his hands in annoyance, "Make her realise how lucky she was to get away from this with only a few whip scars over her shoulder. (Perhaps he should have given her more)."
For a moment Elatharia made no answer, folding her arms on the table, her eyes following the Red Wizard's progress as he added the tea to the boiled kettle and carried it over to where she sat. It was very dark outside, the wind whispering through the open window gentle and fairly warm. It should have been a lovely summer's night.
"Her opinions mean nothing," the Transmuter denied at last, "We spoke of this yesterday."
"But now I see that she is not only selfish and close-minded; she is delusional as well. But nor Irenicus has not geased you into silence. You think it is intelligent to get no sleep at night," his eyes took in her tired face, "But that is one thing that cannot make you a better wizard. Tell the druid the truth, and see her squirm, or leave her behind however you can. (And the Rashemi while she's at it, preferably.)"
"I can't leave her," the Transmuter groaned, "Imoen will want her to be with us."
She watched Edwin pour the tea and took up her cup without pause, holding tightly for the comforting warmth. She missed her sister more dearly than ever in that moment. Edwin's eyes flickered back to her as if he read her mind, his lips pursed thoughtfully.
"And I don't have any scars," the Transmuter admitted, "Even after everything he did, he healed me – I don't know how. Some kind of necromancy, like Larloch's Minor Drain from one discrete form to another but not with a requirement of the self. And a thousand times more effective. I remember it all but I have nothing to show for it. And thus Jaheira, who has her whip scars, will not believe me. She saw the look in Imoen's eyes…what she was wearing…and understood. But Imoen is like her daughter, and she saw everything that happened to Minsc. She neither saw me nor keeps much sentiment for me, especially after Khalid's death. I am an easy excuse and to tell her would be to relive everything. I would rather she believes I am untouched and unaffected. At least somebody can believe that."
"I do not like this, Elatharia," Edwin sighed, sipping at his tea, "And I know that you should reconsider. Any fool who has spent half a day in Thay would realise the folly of what you perpetuate. But you are stubborn and contrary." The silence stretched as he stared off into the middle distance; if he cared that Elatharia was staring at him he gave no sign of it. Afraid that he was trying to work out exactly what had happened to her, Elatharia fished for a change of subject.
"Edwin," the Transmuter began slyly after a moment, "This isn't all just coming from a long few hours spent in the same building as a berserker who may or may not want to kill you, is it?"
The Red Wizard glanced at her with a long-suffering expression as she smiled at him, pulling her feet up to rest on the edge of his chair. He gave her legs a long, frowning look that was probably meant to be one of annoyance before speaking again.
"No. Though it may have contributed to my mood," he admitted with an almost-smile. A pause, and then: "You do have some scars, Elatharia."
"What?" her heart flipped.
"Your wrists. When I looked at them today. He kept you in spiked manacles, did he not? Ones that you were presumably freed from upon escaping – and thus they healed on their own," he eased one of her arms towards him, turning her hand palm up and running the pad of his thumb over the little raised pink dots mottling her wrist, his other hand warm against her knee to balance himself – or so he would have claimed.
"He did," the Transmuter recalled, her voice barely a whisper as the Conjurer's hand slid under her knee and around her calf. She did not know whether to hate or love the Robe of Vecna for letting him do that. The touch of his hand around her lower leg, his other gently tracing the skin on her wrist, was a little maddening. She found herself gripping the arm of the hand that held her leg and he looked at her sharply, letting go of her wrist at least and sitting back a little.
"You should listen to me, incompetent Transmuter," Edwin uttered eventually, his hand absently drifting down her leg and back up again to the knee. Her heart was fluttering, her stomach fluttering distractingly. His eyes were intense though his expression was hard to read as he leaned closer, sliding his fingers under her mask and easing it over her head. She closed her eyes half in fear and half in longing as that hand moved to the back of her neck, forcing her to stay that close to him. She took a sharp breath in when he spoke again, unable to look away from his lips as he spoke, "I am a little older than you, and I have lived in Thay for most of my life. Trust me when I tell you who among your group will cause problems for your rise in this life. And when I of all people tell you that a lie is poorly chosen and the truth would be better."
He released her suddenly, pushing at her legs until they dropped from the side of his chair. She found herself glaring at him; unsure what exactly she was angry with him for. She gave him a half-hearted kick in the shin for good measure but the action hurt her bare foot more than his booted leg. He just watched her steadily, closing his spellbook and plucking it from the table. They finished their drinks in silence and Elatharia's thoughts began to turn to Viconia and Haer'Dalis, who still had not returned from the dark. Thinking of the vampires who roamed out there made her want to go out looking for them, but she was afraid of what she would see if she found them otherwise engaged. There was something about what Haer'Dalis had said earlier though, something about the way he said it…
Eventually the Transmuter stood with a sigh, tapping the Red Wizard's shoulder lightly in some semblance of a goodnight gesture. He shrugged and stood as well, looping her mask into her belt as he passed. When she failed to respond, just staring at the table with an expression of dismay, he gave her a little shake.
"What?" the Red Wizard demanded.
"Edwin, they've left us with all of the dirty plates," the Transmuter explained, her voice full of horror.
The two wizards had left the mess in the kitchen as it was and a short while later Elatharia was lying awake in her bunk bed, Aerie and Mazzy sound asleep in their parallel lower bunks. The upper bunk above Mazzy was still empty and she was beginning to worry about Viconia in earnest when the door cracked open and the drow slipped through. Trying not to heave a noisy sigh of annoyed relief, she waited until the priestess had changed into her night slip and clambered up into her bed before turning to Viconia and sending her best glare into the darkness. Two red eyes glowed back at her.
'Where have you been? I was starting to think you'd been murdered,' the Transmuter signed irritably.
"Hardly likely," the drow sounded amused, whispering because Elatharia could not see the returned gestures in the darkness.
'Avoid the question then. But I know you well enough to know that you would just admit it if you were 'sleeping' with the bard,' Elatharia noted, and continued when the drow failed to respond, 'Does that mean you've actually found someone who you want to spend time talking to, Viconia?'
"Elatharia, for all your triumphant suppositions – which I will kill you for should you repeat them – there will never be a position or situation more compromising than the one I saw of you and Edwin at the kitchen table today."
'Nothing happened,' the answer was automatic, and her guilt definitely showed on her face.
"Yes," the drow sounded painfully pleased with herself, "But, as I believe you were just attempting to suggest, the lack of 'something happening' is far more intriguing than the event of you both giving in. Do you know how much restraint it takes in a man to let that pass? And in a man as selfish and impulsive as Edwin Odesseiron it is almost unheard of."
'What was that book you and Haer'Dalis were sharing today?' Elatharia shot back, 'A book of poems? Are you finding the love poems more interesting all of a sudden? Or did he point them out to you, first?'