Chapter 5

They were currently traveling with a caravan back to Athkatla. Garren had arranged a ride for Anni considering she was hurt helping his family, so they were traveling with some merchants of Trademeet, who needed a little extra protection.

Anni was still unable to walk without assistance, so she was stuck laying on a bed inside a wagon. It was a really nice wagon, it was like a traveling room, complete with a bed and a couch, but she had wanted to walk, no matter how nice it was. Unfortunately Jaheira had threatened to tie her down if she didn't stay in the wagon.

What she didn't tell Anni was that she had to ride with Edwin. The merchants had asked him to ride in one of the wagons for two reasons, the first being they didn't want to be seen with a wizard of Thay, the other was because he was driving the merchants into murderous rages with the way he was acting. She glanced over at him, he was yet again reading one of the documents they had gotten for them when they were working for Mae'Var.

He was busy copying something into his own book and every so often she caught him tearing a page out and starting over. She was worried about him ever since she had been hurt, he seem to be more vicious with his words. He was driving everyone insane and they were more than happy to have her suffer his company for the duration of the journey since she insisted that he say with them.

But Edwin wasn't talking to her. She had expected every remark about her foolish action but nothing. She might as well not be here. This was worrying her a lot, Edwin passing up at chance at showing his superior self by pointing out how he would have handled the situation?

This was unheard of.

She remember there was one time he started with Minsc of how to handle a sword! She had never even seen him use one. When he had walked away Minsc looked at his sword and was going to use it on Edwin, but Khalid and Jaheira stopped him.

"So... What are you reading Eddie?" She smiled to herself as he stiffened, his hand almost breaking the quill he wrote with.

"For the last time, my name is Edwin Odesseiron, not Eddie or Odie or Ronny or any other shortened form of my name that your tiny brain can think up."

"Yes, I supposed it was your overly large brain that saved us from that dragon... Nooo that was me, you were too busy spoiling your robes." She smiled at him but he didn't even look up. She was sure something had to be wrong now. "Edwin, why aren't you talking to me?"

He sighed and looked at her. "I am hoping by not responding to your pathetic sense of wit, you will shut up." He dropped his gaze back to his book and continued to write. She only looked at him. A few minutes of silence went by before she spoke again.

"Oh come on. I'm bored."

"I am not here for your amusement."

"Yes, because if you were I'd fire you already. Hey you still owe me a story. Remember our little deal? I tell you why I wasn't using my magic and you'd tell where you went after I killed Sarevok or you can tell me more about you. I would have thought you would be spouting every little dribble about how a smart child you were. Or did you constantly get in trouble? Maybe screw up a test or two? Like drinking a Potion of Confusion thinking it was a potion of Increased Intelligence?"

Edwin's head shot up and he glared at her, making him look evilish. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Really? I recall a letter from a Master Dekaras to a certain student, chastising him about the misuse of potions, advising strongly against experimenting with potions when he didn't know what the possible outcome could be and reminding him of an incident when he was a child." The quill in Edwin's hand snapped.

"You were snooping in my private letters? Why you you low brow ape woman! You l-"

"Edwin calm down! If I had known you were doing to act like this I would have never said anything. Anyhow I didn't snoop, Imoen did." -I had to bribe her to let me see what she was laughing so hard about. Best ten gold I ever spent.- "Edwin everyone does stupid things when they are kids. Would it make you feel better to hear something stupid Imoen and me did?" He just continued to glare at her.

"Let's see... I think it was when we were about the age of seven, Gorion had given me the task of organizing all the magic potions in the Candlekeep storage. Imoen was hiding from Winthrop so she won't have to do any work and was in the room with me. At the time she had this horrible black cat, she was always picking up strays and such, but anyhow the cat knocked over a potion and turned it's fur pink. And Imoen loved the color and decided to dye her hair pink too. Unfortunately the potion the cat knocked over was the only one. So Imoen starts pulling out potions at random and somehow knocked every single bloody potion on to the two of us. You know what the result was? I was changed into a combination of a squirrel, mouse and rabbit and Imoen, I still have no clue how to describe it. She looked like a combination of a orc, a halfing and a kobol. A bright pink one. Then the cat starts trying to eat me! And Imoen was given the I.Q. of a gnat and was just laughing. Gorion found us right when the cat was going to eat me and fixed everything. But he made both of us write: 'If Gorion ever asks either of us to do a task that requires a brain, disregard it for he must be out of his bloody mind' about six hundred times."

Edwin was smiling, a real smile, by time she finished. "See? Between the two of us I'm surprised Gorion didn't go bald. Though I do recall one time Imoen tried to cut his hair while he was asleep."

"There may have been a few mishaps when I was a child, but there otherwise I was a prefect child.(Aside from several incidents she doesn't need to know about)."

"The tell me about your family. What's your mother like?" She saw him hesitate before answering her.

"My mother is an extremely handsome woman, very powerful and greatly admired and very strong willed. (Not to mention her habit of breaking things when angry)."

"I see. I take it she's a terror when angry?"

"That is one way of putting it. My father is much more... amenable. He has his hobbies and gets very occupied with them.(I can only image what he is up to this time.)"

"I take it your mother mostly raised you."

"No, both of my parent were frequently occupied when I was a child, my father with his hobbies and my mother dealing with politics, most of my raising was left to our house assassin."

"They have house assassins in Thay? I thought only Drows had that. Interesting. I take it the assassin was Master Dekaras?"

"Yes. Master Dekaras is one of a kind. How can I describe him? Imagine that there is this person, who has plenty of aggravating quirks, who makes you push your brain to the point of implosion and for whom sarcasm is a deadly weapon. He annoys you, he challenges you, he frequently makes you want to strangle him. And then one day you open your eyes and you realize that he was your friend all along, always there when you really needed him. I doubt you could understand this."

"He sounds like someone Imoen would have a crush on. Yuck, I can see it now. 'Oh Dekkie you are so cool'." Anni shuddered. "Anywho. You have a bad case of hero worship you know. I can tell you care for him very much." -And you sound just like him. Good lord, this Dekaras couldn't possibly be worse than you could he?-

Edwin ducked him head and mumbled something about getting back to his writing.

---

It was several hours later when they broke camp for the night. Anni was allowed to sit by the fire for a while. She wished she had stayed inside though. Jaheira and Minsc hovered over her the whole time. Even Boo looked worried. -Great, I think Minsc' craziness is wear off on me. I can't believe I'm thinking of a hamster as a person...-

Haer'Dalis was gifting the merchants with one of his songs, which was not as bad as always, though she didn't care to be the subject of his musings. Especially telling people she defeated a dragon all by herself... Edwin had chosen to stay inside away from the "ramblings of rabid moneys". After listening to everyone for a grand total of twenty minutes, she asked if she could please be taken back to the wagon she was ever so tired. Anomen was kind enough to volunteered to carry her back inside. Edwin was laying on the couch across from the cot, apparently asleep.

"My lady are you sure it's safe to sleep in the same room as this wizard." Anomen whispered as he placed her on the bed.

"I've slept besides Edwin many times during my travels. Trust me, there's no interest between us."

"May I bid you good night with a kiss?"

"Just a kiss and that's all." She smiled as he kissed her good night.

---

The next day Edwin seemed to be in a horrible mood. He was even more acidic than usual if that was possible. She had tried several times to get him to talk about anything but he was very, extremely unresponsive. She had even tried to goad him into a fight but nothing! Maybe he was sick?

She sifted on her cot and really wanted to sit up but realize she couldn't do it without help. "Edwin, could you help me sit up, I'm getting tired of laying here on my back."

"I would think you would be use to it by now." She could only gape. He had never said anything like that before. The only reason she could think he would say something like that is because of Anomen's kiss. -Two can play this game...-

"Actually I prefer to be on top thank you very much." That got his attention, he looked at her over his book. "Of course I've heard Thayvian males are weak when it comes to bed sport. Like a bull in a china closet. I would image you to be the same with you. With all your bravado outside the bedroom, I wouldn't be surprised if you had no clue what to do inside. As a matter of fact you're probably still a virgin."

"For your information many a concubine has been left gasping under the onslaught of my erotic pleasuring."

"Ah, so you have to pay for company, pity for you. I never had to pay for any company."

"No you were paid. Tell me how cheap you are? Maybe a gold piece or two? Anything more I could not see paying more than five gold pieces for such used goods. I have a gold piece that should be enough to secure your favors." Anni's face went red, she struggled to sit up finding that she didn't want to carry on this conversation with her laying down. Pain shot through her body, she gritted her teeth, trying to keep from making any sound.

She could feel her back start bleeding but still she pushed herself. She slowly turned to face him, she put her legs on the wooden floor boards and slowly stood. Edwin looked up at her but didn't say anything. -Must she wear something that can be practicality seen through? (Though the view isn't that bad.)- She stood looking down at him.

"I enjoy our little verbal spats but some things once said can not be taken back Edwin. Some things even said in jest or what not, can hurt more than you know. In case you can't figure it out, I'm referring to you naming me a whore." She took a breath and swallowed. -I will not pass out. I will not pass out.-

"In any case Edwin Odesseiron, I only give out my favors to men I care for, thus you don't have to worry about securing my favors since I would rather have Irenicus' touch than yours." She walked slowly to the door of the wagon wanting out of it. "And Edwin, until you can learn to curb that tongue of yours, I want you gone. You're out, we can make do without you."

Edwin closed his eyes, cursing himself. -This is not good.-Then next moment he heard a thud. Anni had fallen on the floor, the whole back of her gown was stained red. He stood, not caring about his papers or anything else at the moment. He picked Anni up and carried her to the bed. Placing her gently down he opened the door and yelled for Jaheira.