Authors Note: Ugh, haven't updated in aaaages... sorry!
Third chapter! If you've gotten this far, you have my thanks – you are a dedicated reader! Kudos to you, and thank you to Alice and for reviewing and, most importantly, welcome =)
I realise that I tend to get a tad carried away here and there, but please bare with me!
First Meetings, First Impressions
It had been exactly two weeks since they left the Friendly Arm Inn, and Asharia was starting to get used to the idea of travelling somewhat. The two half-elven Harpers, Khalid and Jaheira, had, thus far, proved themselves as worthy allies. The elder of the two, Khalid, had taken Asharia's weaponry instruction to task as soon as they left the Inn, teaching her the finer points of swordsmanship, of which the elf was deeply grateful for. Jaheira had, at first, established a cold demeanour towards her, offering criticism wherever she could, of which Asharia had, on more than one occasion, taken it the wrong way. However, after two weeks of travel together with the help of Imoen, she had managed to tease a few smiles out of the druid.
Asharia sighed as they crossed the bridge into the next town. Nashkel was a pleasant sort of place, she decided. Large enough to be considered a city, though not so large that it was buzzing with excitement. In a way, it beared some resemblance to Candlekeep. She sighed again, this time more whimsically than the first.
Imoen sensed her friend's melancholy and placed one hand on her shoulder, regarding her with a look of concern, "Asha, what's the matter?"
Asharia attempted to direct a small smile to her friend, but the look in her deep emerald eyes betrayed her façade, and the younger girl raised an eyebrow her. Asha "I just miss Candlekeep, Immy. I mean, it's not going to be the same ever again, is it? Without Gorion..."
"Hey!" Imoen held her at arms length, noting that Asharia was beginning to sob, "No crying allowed here, missy! Sure, it's not gonna be the same, but still, I'm sure we'll be fine! After all," Imoen lifted the back of her hand to the side of her mouth as if telling her friend something she did not want anyone else to hear, "we've got two spiffy half-elven harpers helpin' us!"
Asharia regarded her friend with a strange look, but when Imoen assumed a sardonic regal expression, she could not help herself and erupted into a fit of giggles, earning a disapproving look from Jaheira. After a moment or two, Asharia calmed herself down, wiping the tears of mirth from her face.
"Oh Immy, I knew I brought you along for something!"
An expression of mock hurt crossed Imoen's face, "Is that all I'm good for, huh?" Asharia poked her tongue out at the thief in good humour.
"You're such a bufflehead!" Came Imoen's reply as she tackled her friend to the ground and, much to Asharia's dismay, began to dig her fingers into her ribs.
Jaheira rolled her eyes and approached the two, "Girls! This is not the time for a tickle session! We've a task to do."
The laughter continued, and Jaheira shook her head sadly. After a few moments, a booming voice rang out, and all traces of hilarity were promptly brought to a halt.
"Stand and deliver! So my hamster might have a better look at you!"
"E-Excuse me, sir, but are you t-talking to a rodent?"
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Yuck. Yuck! YUCK! Asharia froze as a loud crunching sound echoed through the Nashkel Mine, causing her group to turn and regard her. Her foot had found yet another skeleton whilst crossing the bridge to the cave entrance. Her party turned around sharply to ensure that she had not triggered yet another trap; it had taken them hours to cut her out of the spider's web snare that she had managed to get herself into near the beginning of the mine.
"Keep your eyes out, child!" Jaheira snapped, "You must pay attention to your surroundings!"
Their newly recruited companion, Minsc, clapped a strong hand to her shoulder, sending the druid forward a few steps "Do not fear, cautious Jaheira. If some form of undead evil befalls young Asharia, Minsc will stick his fist of justice into its skull!"
"Ugh." She shrugged his hand off her shoulder, tenderly massaging the area, "Just... Keep your hands for such."I would not like to be on the receiving end of this "justice", she mused; certainly, Minsc's strength was an asset to the team.
"Asharia!" Khalid shouted from where he was supervising Imoen disarm a trap. The group advanced to where the pair were standing, and Asharia threw a questioning glance at Imoen.
"We're in." Imoen whispered slyly, and the party entered the cave.
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Asharia stood over the body of Mulahey, staring at the dead orc in horror at what she had just done. He lay with her sword imbedded in his chest, his eyes wide and unseeing. She had been more brutal than she had ever anticipated, and she was shocked by how ruthess she was when the creature begged her to let him go. A hand on her shoulder shook her from her contemplation, and she turned to face Imoen, "Hey, you okay? Jaheira and Minsc are checking around for any items or letters, and Khalid found another cavern and gone to take a peek, I found this over on one of the tables." She held up a key, her face forming a puzzled expression.
"Not sure what it's for, we've looted all the chests, but this key seems... I dunno, a bit different from the others. It looks like the ones the guards back in Candlekeep used on the prisoners." Her face coloured, "I mean, heh, not that I would know... Well, yer clever, you can figure this one out!" The theif pressed the key into Asharia's palm, worry crossing her features as she felt her friend tremble, "Heya, whoa, Asha, you alright there?"
Asharia blinked at her friend and nodded, removing her hand from Imoen's, looking over the heavy iron key, "Yeah, I'm okay, Im. Still trying to process what just happened."
Imoen nodded, her face uncharacteristically sombre, "Yeah, you were kinda deadly there. But I guess, so long as yer on my side, I shouldn't be worried, right?" She winked, back to her kindred self again, and Asharia found her friend's mirth contagious as she started to smile.
Suddenly, a rather loud and woeful moan interrupted them in the moment, and Asharia heaved her sword from Mulahey's body as Imoen swiftly drew her bow. Jaheira, and Minsc approached the two, the druid brandishing her staff in preparation for battle, "What's going on? Where is Khalid?"
"In here, d-dear, quickly!" Khalid's nervous voice sounded from the dark cavern opposite the entrance, "Bring l-light, there is a man here who desperately needs a-attention! And see if you can f-find a key that opens iron shackles!"
Asharia nooded to Jaheira, who muttered a small incantation, the tip of her staff suddenly bursting into light that illuminated the small cave as the pair headed towards Khalid's voice without a word. They found him supporting the man in shackles and holding a water flask to his lips, helping him to take in fluids that he had obviously been denied during captivity. Jaheira knelt down immediately and began healing the prisoner, and Asharia had to stop herself from gasping at the sight; the man was undoubtedly elven, and although his dark hair was matted, his sallow and unnaturally pale face was smudged with dirt and grit and his robes were tattered, he seemed quite handsome.
"Good heavens, child, let the man free!" Jaheira's voice brought her back, and she immediately went into action, unlocking the shackled that binded the man to the stone.
The elf barely had enough strength to stand as Khalid helped him to his feet, his eyes still half closed and he seemed to be muttering something that sounded like 'moonblade' as they withdrew him from his dank prison. Imoen approached them, carrying a strange blue glowing sword.
"Whoa, someone looks like they've had it rough." She noted as Khalid helped the exhausted elf to sit on Mulahey's bed as Jaheira quickly gave one last check for wounds, "Geez, we'll have to get some of Jay's cooking into ya; looks like one of Mulahey's skeletons he does!"
At the mention of the half orc, the elf jumped, suddenly awake, "Mulahey! Where is he?" He rasped as he searched his surroundings nervously.
Asharia approached the man, feeling her throat constrict as she sympathised with this man. He must have been subjected to monsterous tortures... "He's dead, I promise. He can't hurt you anymore."
The elf gave a shuddering sigh, "Thank you," he whispered, then lifted his head and spotted the blade in Imoen's hands, "My Moonblade!" Relief washed over his features as he tried to stand, but it proved to be too much as he collapsed, suddenly completely void of all consciousness. Jaheira sighed, "Well, oh fearless leader, for better or worse, it seems as though we have gained another party member. And a strange one at that." she said as she and Khalid helped to lift the man, indicating that they leave the mines.
A strange man indeed... Asharia thought as she glanced once at the sleeping man's form, before heading towards the exit.
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Xan awoke slowly, unwillingly, dreading the day to come. How long had he been trapped in this wretched cave? Weeks? Months? Did it really matter?
The gentle sounds of forest wrens singing suddenly broke his melancholy thoughts. He then noticed that he was lying on a rather soft tuft of grass. Hesitantly, he opened his eyes, and was met by a violet coloured sky – the sky! - the sun dipping into the rolling green hills in the distance. He noticed the beautifully green forestry, blinking owlishly as he tried to make sense of where he was. He looked to his right, and saw that he was not alone. As a diminutive elven woman with flowing, rich chestnut hair and striking green eyes approached him, he gasped. Perhaps I am in Arvandor? No, it cannot be...
As the elven woman drew nearer, she smiled fondly, her dimples shining. "Welcome back to the world of the living." Her voice, though musical, contained nothing of an elven accent, which confused Xan further. Noticing his bafflement, her smile broadened into a mischievous grin, and she chuckled. "It's alright, you're safe now. You've really no idea what's happened, do you?"
"I... Am a little confused, yes." He said, his voice raspy, "Pray tell, how did I come to be here?"
The elven woman sat in front of the confused enchanter, her smile "We found you in the cave back there in the mines, remember?" Her tone was quieter now, almost a whisper, "You were very ill. You slept for two days. You seemed to recover quicker when we put your blade near you. We were all rather worried..." she trailed off, casting her glance to the side, ripping out a stray piece of grass and twisted it with her fingers.
"However," she turned back to face him, her demeanour suddenly changing, "you are alive and awake now!"
They regarded each other for a time in silence, then the young woman suddenly cupped a hand to her mouth, suddenly embarrassed, "Oh! I do apologise for being so rude! I haven't even introduced myself! My name is Asharia, originally from Candlekeep. Blade extraordinaire!"
Xan allowed for a small wry smile to cross his face, and sighed mournfully. "Well met, as they say. I am called Xan, an enchanter, originally from Evereska in the North." He noticed that Asharia was regarding him with a strange curiosity, and raised an eyebrow at her, "Is there something on my face that is entertaining to you?"
A slow blush crept up the younger elf's cheeks, and she turned her gaze towards the piece of grass in her hands, "Sorry, I've just never met any of my kind before... I was raised by humans."
"Truly?" That explains her anxious traits and sudden outbursts, Xan decided mentally, "Well, it seems you have saved my life, as meaningless as it is. Should I accompany you on your travels to repay this debt?"
Asharia shook her head violently, "No! Well, I mean, I don't hold you in any debt at all! But yes, you may travel with us as long as you like." She reached out and took the enchanters hand, smiling shyly, "I for one would feel more comfortable to have someone of my kin amongst us."
Feeling his face heat up, Xan nodded, not trusting himself to speak. And with that, the two made their way to the campsite.
Author's Note: Ugh, writer's block is shocking... not too happy with the way this one turned out, what do you think?
Imoen: I think you need to stop being so damn sickening!
Bonnaroo: What the? How did you get in here?
Imoen: *Shrugs* eh, I'm a thief, remember? Sneaky sneak?
Bonnaroo: Psha, just go find some cookies to steal.
Imoen: Fine!
Bonnaroo: I don't own any of the characters aside from Asharia, the story line kinda belongs to the makers of Baldur's Gate too... I am a mere scribe.
Please let me know what you thought!
Thanks for reading! xx