Out Of The Shadows
Chapter Four:
The Lady, The Witch & The Bard
The Flaming Fist headquarters in Baldur's Gate was a large, stone, keep-like structure that was home to the largest mercenary organisation on Faerun, and the buildings powerful presence in the city served to remind everyone of that. Led by Duke Eltan, one of the rulers of that city, they were contracted to enforce the city's law and preserve the peace and so were the closest thing to any sort of policing institution throughout most of the Sword Coast. Still hiring mercenaries to do that sort of thing, rather than people who were in it for their own principles and actual desire to protect the innocent, tended to mean that a large number of Flaming Fist officers were not as vigilant as they should be. And it was their lack of vigilance that had really annoyed the young priestess-in-training. She stomped up to the door of the large ominous building, striking her staff (which was a good foot taller than her) on the ground with each step, and opened it. It was only when she had that one of two guards stood outside turned to her.
"Hey!" He shouted. "You can't just go in there..." Tenya scowled and flashed her dark eyes at him from under the hood of her blue and green cloak. "Oh, er... didn't realise it was you, Miss Thermidor," the other guard sniggered, then yelped in surprise as Tenya Thermidor suddenly spun round and had her staff held just below his chin.
"What? What is funny? Tell me!" She demanded.
"Um, no... I-I was just remembering a joke I heard last night," the guard back tracked desperately. Tenya's eyes narrowed threateningly.
"Tell me the joke," she glared.
"Oh... it was, er... oh! There were these two Giants and an Orc, and one of the Giants says to other one, 'can't we have beef for dinner tonight?' And the other Giant says, 'Just shut up and eat yer greens.' Y'see? Huh? Eat... e-eat your greens, he said... y'know, green like vegetables? Because... because the Orc has green skin," the girl kept glaring, not even blinking. "Well... I thought it was funny, anyway."
"Er, why don't you just go on in, Miss The... Tenya," the first guard said, in a desperate bid to save his friend from some extremely violent heckling. "Just try not to wreck the place, okay?"
Tenya huffed with a little stamp of her foot, and proceeded to march inside much to the relief of the guards. She saw no point in wasting time on those idiots and their witless prattle. She hadn't just come here on a whim; she had very important business to discuss with their leader. Inside, a number of the Flaming Fist mercenaries were milling around carrying polishing their swords and shields... not one of them doing the job they got paid for, the priestess noted bitterly.
"You there!" She yelled at a woman crossing her path. "Harlot!"
"Excuse me?" The woman turned, frowning with displeasure. "Do you even know what that word means, little girl? I am Officer Vai..."
"I care not," Tenya raised her snout away from the woman, "you are a smelly, viscous, corn filled sack of excrement until I declare otherwise. Now, take me to your leader... your so called 'Duke' Eltan."
"How dare you give me orders, you little harpy..."
"Vai!" An authoritive male voice called out. Their heads turned toward the end of the hall, and a regal looking middle aged man in a purple cloak and wearing a simple crown. Despite the regal dress, it was obvious he didn't just spend all his days feasting; beneath the get up he was clearly still very fit, active and healthy. "I will handle this... follow me into my office, young initiate."
"Yes... yes sir!" Officer Vai saluted. Tenya swept past her, following the Duke up the stairs. But as she did she turned to the female Officer and hissed under her breath:
"I'll remember you... you better hope they don't send you anywhere on a boat anytime soon." The Officer gawped at the girl's back until she had disappeared from sight.
A priestess of Umberlee, even one who was only in training, commanded respect from people, especially in a port city where many of them depended on good weather and calm conditions for their livelihoods. Of course, the truth was the priestesses could only affect weather in a very limited way; mostly it was entirely up to the whims of the Bitch Queen herself whether the seas stayed calm, which the clerics had no control over. Still, the feeble minded masses believed that by paying proper respect, making offerings and performing silly little rituals they could influence the outcome of something that was almost completely random. The real magic there was how easily people convinced themselves of nonsense.
But she was about to meet Duke Eltan; a man who had attained such a lofty rank wasn't likely to be so easily swayed by superstition. He dismissed the guard from inside his office and sat down behind his desk, while Tenya remained standing.
"You storm into the building, insult my officers... I presume your matron must have sent you here on some very important business," he said, leaning forward on the desk and joining his hand in a pyramid.
Tenya remained stone faced and composed, although she had not in fact been sent by anybody. This was a... personal matter. And as such she didn't have to explain it to him.
"Imoen," she said, simply.
"Yes?" He said, raising an eyebrow. "What about her?"
"She has been missing for a tenday and you still have not found her! What have you been doing?"
"What interest are her whereabouts to you?"
"I want to see her!" Tenya snapped, and then bit her lip.
"You?" He leant back. "So this is not official business, then?"
"It's," she gritted her teeth. He would find out soon enough anyway, so there was little point deceiving him now. Besides, there was no way he was making her leave. "It's not that care if she's alive or dead, of course. She just... she saw something she shouldn't have and I need to make sure she doesn't go blabbering about it to anyone. If my superiors or anyone else found out..."
"You were the one involved in the incident at the warehouse, yes?" He sighed. "The Temple of Umberlee commands a lot of fear and respect amongst the citizenry here, but even the High Priestess is aware of a need to walk a fine line in politics. Umberlee may be untouchable, but her servants are not. I imagine your superiors punished you quite severely for that ruckus?" Tenya winced slightly. "Imagine how much more displeased they will be about this."
Very, she knew. They would probably beat her and then put her inside a crate on a ship bound for other side of the world. But she didn't care anymore. She didn't want or need any of them. All she needed was Umberlee... although, admittedly, Umberlee wasn't all that she wanted.
"'Everything will be fine...' That's what she said," Tenya repeated under her breath. "Where is she?"
"We don't know where Imoen is," Eltan explained, "we haven't found her, because, we haven't been looking."
"Not looking?" Tenya said with an astonished gasp, "the heroes who saved this worthless city vanish, and you do not even look for them?"
"We searched the rooms they had been staying in at the palace, but we found no evidence of any foul play. Mercenaries and adventurers, they're used to leading very active lives. It's possible they just became restless and left of their own accord."
"But you don't know!"
"They are grownups, and well able to look after themselves. There are still bandits out there, and other criminals, so unless there is a compelling enough reason to believe something is amiss our resources are better spent pursuing those. Even if I wanted to begin a search, we have no hint of where to begin looking. I'm sorry. Now, will you leave quietly or am I going to have to send for one of your superiors?"
"Fine," Tenya stiffened her jaw, barely able to stop herself from attacking. "I... I will find her myself!"
Unfortunately Tenya was now learning that it really was often far easier to say you were going to do something than it was to actually do it. She had no idea where to begin looking for Imoen either. For several hours she wandered forlornly along various rat infested streets... she didn't know why. She supposed she thought that maybe some thought or inspiration would come to her, or maybe she would spot a clue by chance. She didn't, and after a while her legs started to ache. And it was starting to get dark.
There was one of those taverns or inns nearby that 'adults' seemed to enjoy so much. She didn't see why; they were smelly, noisy places and all she ever got when she'd been inside them was a headache. Still, she needed a place to sit down for a few minutes, and being a member of The Water Queen's House should allow her entry, despite how young she was.
As she approached the entrance she noticed a woman, not more than ten years her elder, stood by the corner of the building wearing just a bra and one of those long slit skirts... didn't she know it would get cold at night? People were so stupid.
"Ahh... a young Umberlant here," the fat barkeep managed to turn his initial surprise into a smile as the young teenager approached him. "What... what can I get you?"
Tenya looked around the Inn; the usual assortment of brainless, grinning idiots talking and talking but saying nothing of any value that she imagined was always the norm for such places.
"What is he drinking?" She said, pointing to a half-elven man that she judged from his clothes to be a slightly better class of individual to everyone else here who was sipping something from a goblet. "I want that."
"Well that's... that's wine," the bar man chuckled nervously, "I can't serve you wine."
She glared at him.
"C'mon... the fist'll close me down if they hear I'm serving drinks like that to little girls..."
She glared.
"Look... maybe I can mix just a little bit with some apple or grape juice, huh? Please?"
"Fine," Tenya sighed, "if it will stop you from dripping sweat all over me, I suppose I can acquiesce to some of your social norms. I want grape juice."
"Right," he grinned, obviously not having understood what she'd said. "I'll be right back then." He returned just a moment later, putting a cup down in front of the girl filled with some red liquid. "That'll be..."
She glared.
"... i-it's on the house. You have a lovely evening, miss."
Tenya made her way through the crowds of people who had gathered around the bar, until she found an empty table. Some of the people had been watching her when she came in, but they seemed to have all lost interest now. While they all resumed their inane chatter with each other, she was sat staring at three empty seats and her mug, which she didn't touch for quite a while. When she did, at least the drink was not completely unpleasant. She thought she would have preferred just apple juice on its own, though... she had tried wine and beer and other alcoholic beverages before. She didn't see why people liked them; they tasted terrible.
This was stupid, she thought to herself. She hated Imoen. Why should she feel sad that the redhead was gone? She should be grateful that the only person who had ever seen a weakness in her was gone, hopefully for good. Imoen was gormless, idle, cheerful, nice... friendly. Nowhere in Umberlee's teaching did it say you could never hug someone, did it?
But Imoen was gone. Tenya would have no choice but to return to the temple soon and face the other initiates who perceived she might be losing favour... she would not lose to any of them, obviously. But if she somehow did, she supposed it wouldn't matter. She had nothing here now anyway. Just to finish her drink, and then leave.
"A bottle of your most expensive wine, my good man," That voice... Tenya knew that voice. She'd heard it the last time she'd seen Imoen. "And please, keep the change."
Tenya craned her neck around to look at the bar, and there was Eldoth Kron looking rather a lot better than he had been that night, evidently having traded his hemp for much finer fabric. He had placed a large gold coin on the counter, and was pushing it across with his finger.
"Is this real?" The barman squinted as he picked up the coin between his thumb and finger.
"The last one proved to be genuine, did it not?" Eldoth said with his trademark slimy smile, "and the one before that as well. You know I would never cheat my friends."
"Aye, they all did all right... but where are you getting it from? Just a tenday ago I was wondering what excuse you'd be coming up with next for not paying your rent."
"Would you believe... catalogues? No? I'm afraid a good tradesman can't reveal his secrets," Eldoth winked. One of the female employees arrived then with a very tall bottle of wine, like she'd just been waiting for him to come in and order it.
"Hey," the barman's face lit up as realisation dawned, "did... did you actually manage to sell one of your plays?"
"I am contractually obliged to say nothing," Eldoth leaned across the counter and whispered conspiratorially. "You never know if there are any copycats present, but... keep your eye out for new productions in the coming year and for a certain charmers name in the credits."
"Ahh... so now I got a real thespian staying here," the barman beamed, but Eldoth shushed him. "Sorry. Hey... maybe, when the time comes of course, you could give little readings and performances in the tavern here. I... might even let the rent thing slide for a bit, eh?"
"It always warms my heart to see someone with such entrepreneurial spirit. Perhaps we can talk, later. I must rush out to attend to a little other business first."
"Well of course... I'll be here when you get back."
"Good man. Here," Eldoth put another gold coin on the counter, "buy yourself some mints."
With that the bard took the bottle, bowed and then left, cooling everyone with the breeze he created with his cloak as he spun about. The barman was about to pick up the other coin, when a small hand clamped itself under his wrist, the divine strength temporarily granted by Umberlee allowing Tenya to hold his arm still while she picked up the gold piece with her other hand.
"This is an Amnian coin," she stated.
"Solid gold is what it is," the barman winced, "I mean... it's not wrong to take them. I-is it?"
"How long has he been staying here?"
"Few months. Him and his bird, that Skie Silvershield, have got a room upstairs. She's probably in it now... doesn't seem to go out much, poor dear."
"And he had only been paying with these the last tenday?" Tenya confirmed. He nodded. "Show me their room," she glared, and he had to obey.
Skie was indeed alone in her and Eldoth's room, lying on her back in the dark. As she lay on the pillows she felt the necklace he had given her recently with a little dove at the end made of solid gold. Not stolen either; it was brand new. She'd seen the receipt. But... how? Where had he suddenly got all this money from? She didn't believe any of his stories about selling a play; none of his plays were that good. Or that he was teaching the heirs of the city's elite how to give speeches and dress to impress... no, the idea of Eldoth as a trend setter just didn't wash, as he rarely did either. He was convinced that his body odour was like a pheromone for attracting women.
She hadn't had the courage to make him tell her... maybe she was afraid of finding out what kind of bad people he was involved with. If he was of course; it was just as likely that there was a perfectly sensible, normal explanation, even though she couldn't think of any. Maybe he was just waiting for the right time...
There was a knocking at the door. No-one had ever knocked before. Skie sat up in her bed and looked at it curiously... it couldn't be Eldoth. He never knocked and she wasn't expecting him back so soon. It knocked again; her heart quickened as all sorts of scenarios started running through her mind. Was it the Flaming Fist? Had they come to tell her that her boyfriend was a wanted murderer who was going to be hanged along with any of his accomplices. Or was it someone from her father, come to drag her back to his estate and make her prostrate herself as she asked for his forgiveness? It knocked a third time.
"Er... who... who is it?" She asked meekly.
"Um, Miss?" It was the innkeeper. "There's, uh, someone who wants to see you. Are you decent? Can they come in?"
Oh Gods... that did not sound good. Skie was dressed in just her nightie. Maybe there was just enough time to quickly grab something and jump out the window...
But there wasn't. Her hesitation in replying evidently caused whoever it was to get tired of waiting... the wood cracked, splintered and burst suddenly as the door was forcefully opened. And there was a girl, about thirteen years of age, with a black bob hairstyle holding a staff and dressed like a priestess of Umberlee. That, Skie had to admit, hadn't been any of the things she she'd been expecting.
"Here, you'll have to pay for that!" The Innkeeper poked his head around the remains of the doorframe. The girl turned her head, giving him a fearsome stare. Despite her diminutive stature something in the girl's dark eyes just suggested power. "It is... just a bit of wood I suppose. I gotta get back to the bar. See you!" He scurried away.
"You are Skie?" The girl asked. The young brown haired woman nodded. The waveservant pointed her staff at her, using the end of it to lift up the chain around Skie's neck. "That is a very nice necklace. By any chance, was it given to you by the walking flypaper they call Eldoth Kron?"
Skie nodded again, more slowly.
"And I don't suppose you know how he got it?"
"He... he said he got a job with some rich merchant..."
"And do merchants around here usually pay in Amnish coin?"
"I..." Skie closed her eyes. When she opened them again she had managed to compose and gotten over her initial shock. "What's it got to do with you? Get out of my room, you little brat!" Skie batted away the stick and threw a pillow, which the priestess just managed to block before it hit her face.
"I-I saw him!" The girl snarled. "He was with them!"
"With who?" Skie asked, while throwing another pillow. "What in the name of Ao are you talking about?"
"Imoen and the others! On the night they disappeared, he was there! He had wine, and he took them somewhere outside of the city. And now they are gone, but he is not. And suddenly he is a lot richer too... I think these things cannot be coincidence."
Skie paused, with a third pillow in hand. She would only have one more after that.
"No," the young woman said, shaking her head vigorously. "No... t-that's impossible. He never said anything to me... he... he wouldn't have sold... no..."
"I do not lie," the girl snarled again.
"Just... just get out!" Skie shouted, throwing the pillow; the force of it this time actually did knock the girl back a bit. "How dare you!" The young woman snapped and flailed desperately for words that would silence this brat. "Do you know who I am? Who my father is? I could have you executed!"
"I know you were Skie Silvershield," the girl looked up and smiled wickedly, "but your family disowned you because you ran away with that man, and you had dreams of becoming an adventurer. But now look at you... shut away in this room like an old rocking horse, just to be played with when it suits your owner. Still, maybe it's not too late... maybe if you run back to daddy and beg him enough, tell him what a stupid girl you've been, he'll take you back. Maybe... or maybe you could try not being a spineless wimp."
"I..." Skie paused again, her brown eyes focusing inward. This wasn't how she'd expected her life would be, no. She wasn't sure how it had become this way... she'd always known Eldoth was no knight, but she'd trusted him. She went on trusting him. Was she just stupid to believe that people could become better? And then there was that drawer over there... it contained lockpicks, a dagger, a small crossbow, a suit made of dark leather. She hadn't opened that drawer in months... maybe now it was time.
"You... you are mistaken," Skie said, still unwilling to believe that even Eldoth could be so heinous. "You have to be. There has to be some other explanation. I don't know how he got the money... but, I think I know where to find out. He has a safe in a building next to the docks. I followed him to it, once."
"Hmph... won't we need a key?" The priestess asked.
"He keeps the key with him," Skie said, opening the drawer. "But I should be able to pick it, no problem. Just give me a few minutes to get dressed."
The building was deserted when they got there and locked down for the night, but Skie got them in through the back door without much difficulty. There was a man guarding the inside of the building, but with Umberlee's blessing Tenya knocked him out with equal ease using her staff. There were rows of safes inside, but Skie already knew which one they wanted. Although her skills were slightly rusty, she managed to get through all the tumblers and have it open within just a few minutes.
The light from the little lamp Tenya held glinted off the several bags filled with gold. But what they were interested in right now were the papers, letters and other correspondence.
"Well?" Tenya asked impatiently after Skie had pored over them for a few more minutes. The woman's face had turned more and more sour with each new page she read.
"It... it can't be," Skie shook her head again. "He can't have..."
"What?" The priestess demanded even more impatiently.
"He... he was contacted by someone. They asked if he could lead 'the Bhaalspawn' out of the Ducal Palace to a place outside of the city, and drug her and all her companions, if they were with her."
"Who asked?"
"I... I don't know. There's just an initial, 'B'."
"You see? Your boyfriend is treacherous scum. He should have his spleen unplugged and his intestines pulled out and used to hang him with."
"And are you going to try to do it, little girl?" Both the girl and the young woman froze suddenly.
"Eldoth!" Skie gasped.
Tenya spun on her heel, swinging her staff at him... but she hadn't had time to petition her goddess for any extra power this time. He caught the staff in one hand, and punched her in the jaw with the other. The girl literally went flying, colliding with the unopened safes which knocked all the breath out of her. She then lay still and motionless on the floor.
"Eldoth!" Skie gasped again, going glassy eyed. "How... how could you!"
"I saw you leaving with the little bitch priestess here, and thought I had better follow you in case you were in danger," Eldoth explained, shaking his own head slightly. "I was not expecting you to come here. You must have followed me before, hmm? That was very dishonest of you, my dear... it pains me to think you don't trust me."
"What have you done, Eldoth?"
"What I've done all my life, my dear. I was presented with an opportunity and I took it. It's over now; you don't have to worry."
"Don't have to worry? You betrayed your own comrades!"
"'Comrades' is too strong a word... they were never any more than acquaintances."
"Where have they gone? What's going to happen to them?"
"I don't know... Athkatla, I think. As to what will happen to them there, as I've kept telling you my dear, ask no questions if you don't want to be told any lies. Look," he surged forward suddenly, taking her by the hand, kissing it. "I've booked us passage on board a ship... soon all this will be behind us, and we'll be able to begin a new life. Whatever sins we may have committed in the past will be left here."
"How... how could you," Skie repeated, openly crying now and hanging her head in shame.
"I'm sorry, my dear... there is just one little thing I need to take care of quickly and then I'll be right back with you."
Tenya was slowly pulling herself across the floor on her belly, trying to reach her staff. She almost had it, when Eldoth put his foot down on her hand and then ground and twisted it, grinning with delight as he heard the bones crack. Then he kicked her hard in the belly, so that the priestess was on her back looking up at him as she grimaced and gasped for breath.
"Stop it Eldoth!" Skie yelled, completely horrified. "She's just a girl!"
"Only just," he sneered, "she won't be able to keep using that excuse for much longer," and then turning to the priestess, he pulled his sword from its sheath. "I don't why you thought this was any of your business, but you should have stayed in The Water Queen's House. Now it's time for you to exit this drama..."
Eldoth raised his sword preparing to thrust it down through the girl's chest. At the moment he had raised his arm to its maximum height, his body jerked suddenly and his eyes went wide with shock. His arm flopped down, dropping the sword to his side. He turned around dizzily, feeling the poison dart in his back. He reached out to Skie, surprised and confused, and then fell on his face completely unconscious.
"I told you to stop," Skie said flatly, lowering the small crossbow she held.
Tenya struggled to her feet and then, screaming angrily, she stamped on and kicked Eldoth's head again and again while Skie watched on, emotionless. Eventually however, she did step forward and put an arm on the young waveservant's shoulder.
"That's enough, I think," the young woman said. Tenya stopped immediately and took some deep breaths.
"Yes," she agreed, "we cannot kill him, yet. I imagine his former comrades would like to see him first." Tenya cupped her hand over the other one that was injured, wincing slightly as her prayers caused the bones to snap back into their original place. "What are standing there for?" She then said to Skie. "Bind him, quickly! Others at the temple are bound to be wondering where I am... we must leave the city as soon as possible."
"Leave?" Skie blinked. "Where are we going?"
"Athkatla, of course. Weren't you listening? That's where he said Imoen was."
"Right... of course. Will we be taking a ship?"
"I..." Tenya closed her eyes and thought for a moment. "Umberlee has not abandoned me, but I'm not sure how much in her favour I am at the moment. It might be better to go by land."
"We'll need help to get all the way to Athkatla, especially if we've got to bring him in tow."
"We have his gold, now. We can hire mercenaries to guard him."
"Hmm... you can't just trust any mercenary."
"So what do you suggest?"
"Its been a while since I've heard anything from them, or them me," Skie thought out loud, "but, I think I might be able to locate a few people who would be willing to help us rescue Imoen."