The Soothsayer
Part One
Late in the evening and the party was in full swing. It had been a bad year for the farmers, so Nalia had arranged this event to take place in her castle, inviting everyone from every home on her lands to come and just to forget their worries for a short time. It seemed to be working. After feasting they had cleared the tables from the hall, the bards played something upbeat and everyone was up dancing and smiling, a long way from the hard ships they endured every other day. It brought a genuine smile to the young noblewoman's face.
Of course, there was the 'Tarant' factor… at her invitation he had arrived at her keep four days ago with his party. As protector of these lands it was appropriate that he be there for this. On the other hand, she more than a little worried about what kind of image he would project to the people or whether he would make any effort to be friendly at all. The answer was no. When Nalia asked him if he planned to attend, his answer was an emphatic no. When asked why, he said:
"Let's see… because everything your cook does tastes like manure and because you're one of the most boring people I've ever met."
"Okay, fair enough," she answered, before replaying his words in her head and actually hearing them this time. "What do you mean 'boring'? How am I boring?"
"I knew you'd ask that," the half elf shook his head and ran a hand wearily through his thick brown hair.
"I'm not boring! Would a boring person be having a party?! Boring people would want to stay in their rooms… like you. So what do you say to that?"
"Hm? Sorry… I didn't hear what you asked. The second you started talking I started falling asleep."
"Jaheira? Do you think I'm boring?"
"Well… I…" One got the impression that the druid had really wanted to stay out of it.
"What? That question stumps you? You? You always have something to say… I don't believe this. So if you all think I'm so boring then why'd you come?"
"We really liked the coach you sent for us?" The red haired girl, Imoen, suggested sheepishly.
"Right… so I'm less interesting than a coach…"
"And horses…"
"Thanks. But, I've got to be more interesting than Valygar, right? He never even says anything," Nalia indicated to the dark skinned ranger, who stared ahead impassively. Maybe he'd fallen asleep as well.
"That's what makes him interesting. You look at him and wonder 'Is he thinking what everyone else would say?'"
"I-I don't think you're boring ma'am," said the bashful Aerie. With all the adventurers and Nalia and her retinue, there had to be twelve people in the room so it was quite a surprise to hear the Avariel speak.
"Thank you, Aerie. You're very kind," the noblewoman said encouragingly.
"Aerie thinks everything is interesting," Tarant said, unfortunately. "She thinks the manufacture of paper is interesting. She was asking all kinds of questions about it the other day."
"B-but… y-you're more interesting to me than paper, ma'am…" it was also surprising to learn that Aerie actually had a very dry sense of humour.
Anyway, that had been this morning. Right now, the party had gone ahead without Tarant and Nalia hoped it would be enough for the people to know that he was at least in the vicinity. The others all turned up and were on the whole very nice. The noblewoman didn't understand why people like Aerie or Imoen or Jaheira still travelled with that man. Well, Imoen did because she was his sister, but the others? To Nalia, Tarant just seemed like one of those bullies that were inexplicably popular.
But Jaheira and Valygar had shown up at the event, even though the druid and the ranger clearly weren't very comfortable in such an environment. Val managed to find a secluded spot on the outskirts of all the fun, but Jaheira did an admirable job of mingling with the crowd. She was aloof and haughty, as always, but still related far better to the common folk than most nobles would. In the meantime, Edwin was there just to eat. Some peasants made an effort to talk to him but they soon realised what folly that was.
No one however was more uncomfortable than Aerie. Nalia had first met the elf when she was just starting out, and the blonde hadn't really changed that much although she looked a lot healthier now. Her skinny frame had filled out a little and she was becoming a very attractive young woman, which unfortunately for Aerie meant it was becoming much harder not to draw attention to herself. The blonde stayed very close to her friend, Imoen, and tried very hard to avoid meeting the eyes of any of the young men. Nalia hated making the analogy, but it did seem rather like an ostrich burying its head in the sand. Aerie seemed to think that if she couldn't see anyone then no one could see her.
"You're going?" Tarant said when the Avariel had earlier let it slip that she planned to attend the function tonight. "But you hate parties Aerie. You're even less outgoing than Edwin's libido."
"It's f-funny you should say that sir," the blonde elf giggled nervously, "be-because Imoen said that was precisely the reason that I needed to go."
Indeed, where it left up to her then Aerie would likely have stayed in her room as well reading a very long book about how books are made. She was only here because she wanted to please Imoen. Not that she hadn't needed some convincing…
"I just… I worry about you Aerie," Imoen had said, uncharacteristically serious.
"Why?" The blonde asked.
"Because… you don't really talk to anyone. Apart from me and a few other people. You spend all your free time reading books."
"What's wrong with that? I-I like reading…"
"There's nothing 'wrong' with it. I'm sure you're learning a lot. It's just you're not learning how to make friends. You can't learn that from a book, because it's more than just knowing the right words. It's… about having the right attitude. You know, like looking at people when you're talking to them. If I can't see you I can't relate to you…"
"You…" Aerie suddenly made a conscious effort to look away from her own feet, "You make it sound like casting a spell…"
"Kind of… see, I'm with you every day so I get to see what a kind and intelligent person you really are. But it's not the first impression you give anyone… they don't get to see the real you."
"I don't understand… t-they should see the real me? But… you've basically been saying that I should act in front of everyone and pretend to be someone I'm not so that they'll like me."
"That's not what I'm saying… I'm saying you should stop being afraid of people. You seem to think that everyone else is better than you. But, really, they're not. Look at Jaheira… she's not really as smart as you but she's so proud and confident that people will listen to whatever she has to say."
"Sh-she can also knock people's heads off…"
"This is true. But you can still be confident even though you're not scary. Look, what worries me is that someday everyone you know will have grown old or will have passed on and you'll still be the same as you are now and… you'll just be so lonely. And you're the last person who deserves to be lonely."
On that, a sombre silence fell over the two for several minutes, until it was finally broken by Aerie.
"I-if I go," said the Avariel, "W-will you promise to never again be this depressing? Because it doesn't suit you."
And so, Aerie was at the party even though she hated it and clearly wanted to get out for some air. She endured the agony to try and put Imoen at ease. Nalia envied the deep friendship they clearly had. She just didn't have friends like that. There was Clara, the Lady's Maid, whom Nalia often confided in and shared things with. On the other hand, Nalia was paying her to do just that.
But Nalia had a mission to change Amn and had placed it above every other concern. She was now devoted to it, even if on a human level she sometimes felt… well often felt… unfulfilled.
As more hours passed, a girl from the village managed to entice Valygar out of his corner, and even Aerie looked as if she was starting to enjoy the attention she was getting and that it actually didn't make her feel like a sideshow. Alas, all good things had to come to an end and eventually it became time for everyone to leave. Nalia rose from her chair at the end of the hall to propose a final toast.
"I'll try not to bore everyone," she began, but could see she was boring people already. They just wanted to get into their drinks. "I'll keep it short then. Look, we've all had a rough time of late, but I know the worst is behind us. I want you to know that whatever happens, I will do everything within my power to make sure that no one on these lands ever goes hungry…"
"She does go on a bit doesn't she?" A farmer said.
"Yes… get on with it!" Called another.
"Right," the young noblewoman was slightly flustered, "My toast then… to our future!"
It was the moment she raised her glass that things really 'kicked off' as it were. There hadn't been any storm outside as far as anyone, but now they were interrupted by the boom of thunder. A chilly gust blew the great doors wide open and leaves danced in. Sensing this may be something supernatural, everyone in the hall screamed and ran to the far end. Only the adventurers – Aerie, Imoen, Jaheira, Minsc and Valygar – held their ground. Edwin was already under the table. Mist rolled in and crawled across the entire floor. And then a figure emerged from it.
Actually, it was more like a walking pile of rags. One could only assume that buried under it was a person of slight build, but indeterminate gender. It walked hunched like an old beggar, using a crooked staff to support itself. It seemed to take a long time for the figure to reach the centre of the hall, whereupon the staff cracked the ground sharply and the great doors swung themselves shut.
Then silence. As Lady of the lands, it seemed it fell onto Nalia to break the ice.
"Um," the noblewoman straightened her frock, "Can… can we help you?"
"No, no," the pile of rags answered. It had a high yet somehow gravelly voice, which didn't help at all to determine whether the speaker was male or female. "I'm just passing through."
"Right… and, you are?"
"Oh, I could never reveal my true name to you. Such things are a closely guarded secret amongst my kind, you understand?"
"Not really…"
"No? Oh, but… Aerie does..."
All eyes suddenly turned to the Avariel for an explanation. She slowly rose her head, as if she felt the pressure of everyone's gaze upon her.
"The… t-the power of a name," the blonde elf said just loud enough that everyone could hear, "um… S-some witches think that revealing their craft name can give people power over them…"
"A witch then," Jaheira interrupted and stepped forward, "So then, tell us your birth name."
"Alas, this I cannot tell you either," the witch, or possibly warlock, seemed to shrug. "For it was so long ago since I heard it last that I have simply forgotten. In my travels people call me soothsayer, or seer, or oracle."
"You're a fortune teller," the druid snorted. It took more than a few titles to impress her, even if one of those titles was Lord High Emperor Of The Entire Multiverse.
"No," the rag person answered succinctly, "those gypsy women tell you only what you want to hear… I tell you the truth exactly as I see it. And, I'm afraid, I see very little fortune in your future Jaheira…"
"So you know our names? This is hardly enough to convince me you can actually see the future. Even the Gods do not always know what will happen tomorrow."
"Not just the future, but the past and the present as well. I see all the threads of fate… I see… an elven woman, but one who has feathered wings?"
"W-who is she?" If it was what the newcomer wanted, she certainly in piquing Aerie's interest.
"I do not know… but I see her standing outside a room that has been empty for so long, inside a home that has not heard the sound of laughter in decades. Yet each day she steps outside and watches the horizon, waiting for her lost one to return."
"Mo-momma? Is… is she," Aerie hurried towards to seer, ready to bombard her with all kinds of questions about her home and whether her family were okay… but the Avariel caught the eyes of her friends who were with her right now. Everyone hoped for her sake that it was true, that this person really did have visions and could provide Aerie with some of the answers she desperately needed, but… "But… there are l-lots of ways you could have found out about me."
"Cynical lot, aren't you? Perhaps you'd like to give me a test then?"
"Sure," Imoen reached into her purse, "Let's flip a coin or something… heads or tails?"
"Heads," the rags answered immediately. Imoen promptly flipped and looked down at the coin resting on her arm.
"Yeah, well… you could have just been lucky that time. Go again… heads or tails?"
"Neither," the rags said, again with no hesitation.
"What?" Imoen giggled at the absurd response. "The coin only has two sides you know…"
"Flip it, and see."
"Alright," the red haired girl shrugged and flipped the coin high into air. As it was coming down, she slipped in a puddle of wine and didn't catch it. The crowd gasped in astonishment and awe as the coin landed on its side, lodged between two floorboards. "Okay… so that's impressive."
"So maybe it is true…" Aerie whispered softly.
"I do have some serious business," the Oracle said out loud. The audience were now fully focused on him or her or it. "You see… before the sun rises tomorrow, there is one among you that will be dead."
"Dead?" Everyone gasped.
"Dead."
"PleasebeEdwinPleasebeEdwinPleasebeEdwin," Imoen shut her eyes and chanted.
"It's you," Imoen opened her eyes. The witch or soothsayer or whatever you wanted to call it was pointing its staff at her.
"Me?"
"You."
"Y-you had better not be threatening my friend!" Aerie said with unusual force, taking a few steps around Imoen so that little elf was standing between the red head and the prophet.
"I never threaten anyone. Merely tell them what I see."
"It's alright, Aerie," Imoen said softly. She placed a hand on the Avariel's shoulder and gently pulled her back. "Can… can you tell me how?"
"I see a chest… a black chest with a golden lock. You open it and then… you die," the Soothsayer shrugged. "This is all I can tell you."
"I'm killed by a chest? That's kind of not how I wanted to go…"
"It is never about what you want or what you deserve… death just, is."
"But… I can stop it, right? I'll stay in my room all night… I won't go near any chests…"
"It matters not what you do… you cannot avoid your fate."
"Then… why'd you bother to tell me about it? You could have let me live a few more hours in ignorant bliss!"
"So that you will have time to prepare… to say farewell to your friends, to cleanse your soul," the Soothsayer slowly made its way back towards the great doors of the hall, causing them to open with a quick staff gesture. "Goodbye, Imoen from Candlekeep."
A shocked silence from everyone as the sayer left, and Imoen watched as the doors shut in front of her. Aerie put an arm around her friend. The red head put on a brave face for a few moments, but then suddenly the tears flowed freely and her lip started to visibly quiver. The red head turned and ran… she ran straight to the one person she believed could protect her, because despite all his faults he had always protected her from everything.
"Unless you want those arms broken you had better stop hugging me," Tarant really didn't like being woken up like this. He didn't like being woken up at all.