General disclaimer: I own nothing, even Maiyn generally decides her own path.
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Slavery
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"There must be something," sighed Maiyn as her group gathered around. The party had spent the best part of two days trying to find work but had only succeeded in finding several messenger jobs that paid poorly. Maiyn folded her hands on the table, and let her head fall to them, trying to combat the grief that was still trying to surface in her spirit. Since her talk with Jaheira, the companions had avoided talking about the deaths of their old friends, but occasionally Xan would shoot a concerned look to both Maiyn and Jaheira, worried about their pent-up sorrow.
"We will keep looking," said Jaheira firmly. "Situations arise in the most unexpected circumstances."
Maiyn nodded weakly as she looked up. She noticed some noblemen entering the dingy tavern, looking out of place in their surroundings. They strode past the party without a second glance to the squalor around them, chatting animatedly amongst themselves.
"I wonder if it'll be Hendak today! I do so love it when he is featured!"
"Mayhaps there are new creatures for him to fight? That would be exciting indeed!"
Maiyn sat up as she watched the men talk briefly to one of the guards standing by a door at the back of the common room. He nodded courteously to them, stepping aside to allow them past. Maiyn frowned slightly.
"What is it?" Jaheira had noticed Maiyn's sudden alertness, and the ranger quickly explained what she'd seen and heard.
"Hmm, pit-fighting is not something that would be out of place in such an establishment," noted Jaheira, pointing to the pit that served as the focal point for the inn's entertainment on the occasion two drunken brawlers could be found.
"Why would it be hidden away at the back though?" wondered Maiyn thoughtfully. "Why so secretive?"
"Slaves?" ventured Kivan.
"It would not be surprising in here," remarked Anomen. He had voiced his displeasure at having to stay at the inn for any longer than necessary whenever the chance had arisen.
"I think we should go and see," said Maiyn abruptly. She strode over to the guard and smiled cheerfully at him. "Can we get past please?"
The guard looked at her suspiciously. "The backrooms are off limits except those invited by the owner, Lehtinan," he muttered, turning away from her. Maiyn frowned slightly and returned to her companions. She stared at Yoshimo, watching the thief squirm under her unrelenting gaze.
"You... wish something of me?" Maiyn was pretty sure it was the first time he'd spoken directly to her since they escaped together. He'd conversed merrily with Minsc, and even managed to hold a civil exchange with Jaheira, but the ranger realised that she herself had yet to talk to him to any degree.
"I do," she smiled, sitting down next to him. He smiled back to her, suddenly seeming far more relaxed than he had to that point. "I want you to go over to Lehtinan - I think he's probably that rakish man, over at the bar - do you see him? Yes, approach him and be pleasant. Say you are looking to dispose of some coin or some such - the guard at the door won't let us past without his say so, and I want to know what is going on back there."
Yoshimo nodded, and sauntered over to the inn's owner as the others tried to sit around looking relaxed and uninterested in the exchange. Maiyn felt Xan's gaze upon her, and she turned to look at him.
"You are coping well," he said simply.
Maiyn shrugged helplessly. It's not like I have much choice.
"A lesser person may have walked away from this situation, while they were still alive."
"I'm not a lesser person," she reminded the enchanter. "And Imoen is my sister."
"Your devotion to her is admirable," he sighed. "It will be a hard blow if we arrive at Spellhold and find her dead."
"Xan!" Jaheira's voice was both shocked and stern.
"Well, it is a possibility," shrugged Xan, ignoring Maiyn's cold glare. "It may happen, and you must be ready for such."
Maiyn's gaze softened, and she nodded softly. "You're right, of course. It would not be the first death-"
"No more." Jaheira's voice was sharp enough to end Maiyn's sentence, and the ranger apologised.
"I will... we will all do what we can to stay safe, and to get Imoen back to our safety," said Maiyn after a few moments.
"You are a talented leader," acknowledged Xan as he watched Yoshimo return to them. "For what it's worth, I believe in you."
Maiyn smiled warmly to him, and listened to Yoshimo's recounting of the conversation. The thief had managed to gain the privilege for them to venture to the back rooms to partake in the entertainments, and so Maiyn set back off towards the guard, smiling to him once again as Yoshimo introduced himself. Lehtinan nodded over as the guard looked for confirmation, and the large oak door was swung open, the guard ushering them through quickly.
"Have a look around," he said with a grin before he closed the door again. "There's all sorts back there. I personally would recommend Madame Nin..."
The chamber was plainly decorated, homing several boxes and chests. A stairway led up to their left, a short passage was to their right, and a door was set against the opposite wall. Maiyn decided to head up the stairs first, passing through another door at the top, and finding herself in a dimly lit corridor. A plump woman bustled over to her, eyeing the companions with a smirk.
"Well, hello," she said softly. "Are you all here to find companionship, or will I just be finding someone for your fine, young leader?" She smiled at Maiyn, her gaze seeming to take in every single detail. Maiyn recoiled visibly, causing Madam Nin to laugh softly. "Oh come now, there's no need to be shy. I have a fine young man, fresh off the boat from Calimshan he is... you'd be the one to break him into his new role..."
"I, er..." said Maiyn, backing away. Her outrage and anger over the potential slaves being used in the service of Madam Nin was completely enveloped by her sudden desire to get as far away as possible.
"Our friend would perhaps prefer the gambling," said Yoshimo hastily, bundling Maiyn back down the stairs. He regarded her curiously, and she just shrugged, scowling at Jaheira's amused look.
"Maiyn gets somewhat skittish in houses of ill repute," said the druid mischievously, remembering the ranger's reaction at their brief visit to the whorehouse in Baldur's Gate. Maiyn mumbled something unintelligible and wandered off in the opposite direction, towards the faint sound of voices. She turned the corner in the passage to find a large wooden platform; several Amnish noblemen were standing on it, leaning on the banister as they peered down into the area beyond. Maiyn moved forward slowly, trying to hide her look of distaste as she saw the pits, recent blood spilt across one of the three.
A further glance around showed a door on the far wall. It was slightly ajar, and she narrowed her eyes as she tried to make out what lay beyond. She was quite sure she could see bars, but the door was slammed shut quickly to her annoyance. All else she could see was an entrance to a corridor leading off to the other side, but it bent away from her prying eyes, leaving her clueless as to what lay down it.
"Back," she whispered to the others as she pushed past them, returning to the back room. "I think I saw cells, and this door might lead to them."
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"Please, release us!"
Maiyn peered through the bars on the door and gasped at the sight; several people, women, men and children, were sitting on the dirty floor of their cell, many looking weak from hunger and fatigue. The man addressing her was muscled and tall, a proud expression on his pale face. He introduced himself as Hendak, and Jaheira quickly checked with him that no one in the cell was in need of healing. When he shook his head, the druid went off to check the two other cells, hoping the victim of the fresh blood they'd seen in the arena was still alive.
Maiyn signalled for Yoshimo to work at the lock, reassuring the man that they'd do all they could to free them. The companions had followed a bare corridor that led far back into the building, and when they'd gone through the door at the end they'd been accosted by three guards. They hadn't lasted long, being even less prepared for a fight than Maiyn's party. Kivan had skirted over to the only other door leading out of the cell block, and he nodded grimly to Maiyn.
"This is the way to the pits." He noticed Maiyn smile slightly; her eyes seemed to take on a faraway gaze, and Kivan felt unsettled by it. But as soon as it had appeared, it was gone.
Yoshimo sighed as he gave up on the lock; it was intricately designed, and his tools and tricks were no use on it. Maiyn frowned slightly.
"The beast master - he has the key to take us to fight," offered Hendak. "He stays with the animals at the other side of the pit."
"Then we go to him," said Maiyn simply. She raised an eyebrow at Jaheira as the druid returned to the group. The half-elf shook her head wearily; whoever had bled in the arena had died fighting.
Maiyn strode over to the door, swinging it open and marching through with a confidence that surprised her companions. Jaheira and Minsc ran after her, Anomen and Yoshimo following. Kivan glanced at Xan, who returned the look with his own concerned expression, and the elves hurried to join their companions, watching their leader march across the ground between the three pits without a second thought to the heckles from the noblemen watching from above.
A loud snarl drew the group's attention to a large winter wolf, braced in the pit closest to Maiyn. The ranger paused, her eyes meeting the eyes of the creature. Its muscles were tense, ready to leap for her, but she kept her eye contact, remembering the lessons Kivan had once offered her as they journeyed.
"It is past saving," came Kivan's voice. "It had a thirst for blood, the corruption of this place putting it beyond our reach."
Maiyn shook her head slightly, her eyes still fixed to the beasts. Its teeth were bared, but it hadn't moved; hadn't made any sign to attack her. The stand off was tense, only broken when the creature became spooked; jumping at Xan's cry when he tripped over the hem of his robe. It was enough to make it switch its attention to the enchanter, its willingness to fight fully returning. Kivan's arrow brought it down swiftly, and he moved to Maiyn's side.
"It is enough that you tried," he said quietly. "But not all creatures can be saved, and sometimes it is better to fully release them from the bonds they've developed." Maiyn nodded, but her gaze was forlorn as she started at the corpse of the wolf. So much death...
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"We are free! Thank you! We all thank you!" Hendak clasped Maiyn's hands in his own, the gratitude for the companion's actions shining in his face. The beast master had proved little challenge for the three irate rangers; Kivan had harsh words about a fellow ranger becoming so corrupted, and Minsc had been aghast to discover the variety of creatures being held. All had been held so long in captivity that they had no mind for anything but fighting, and it was with heavy hearts that they put each one out of its misery.
"Not quite yet," said Maiyn quietly, instantly causing the slaves to pull away from her in suspicion. "No, don't worry - I have no intention of seeing you all stay here. I refer to Lehtinan, the owner of this establishment. He will not allow you all to leave, you know."
"He is a dog!" spat Hendak. "I will kill him to avenge every comrade I have seen fall over the years!"
Maiyn stared at the northerner for several long moments, deliberating the place her companions would take in the matter. Finally she spoke. "We stand with you, and will aid you to end the reign of slavery within these walls."
The slaves cheered, the strongest following Hendak as he charged down the corridor towards the main room of the inn, the shouts of both the guards and the fleeing nobles drifting up to Maiyn's companions as they waited for her to follow. With a nod she followed the former prisoners, and the group easily took down the surviving guards left in the slavers wake as they made their way to the common room. The patrons had stopped their drinking, shying away into the corners of the inn at the spectacle; too used to tavern brawls to completely flee in terror. Maiyn and her friends emerged to see Hendak walking to Lehtinan, the expression of the inn's owner one of confusion and outrage.
"What! Hendak? You ignorant, barbaric slave! How did you..." His voice faded as he looked over to see the group following the northerner, and understanding crossed his face.
"Enough fiend!" roared Hendak. "You no longer own me, and I'll ensure you never claim ownership over any other as well! I have survived your hellish fighting pit for years - you are no match for me."
"We shall see," snarled Lehtinan, whipping out a knife from under his tunic, and lunging quickly at the slave. His blow drove through the northerner's weak armour, causing Minsc to shout in fury. Within seconds, Lehtinan lay dead to the berserker's cleave, and Anomen's prayers were healing Hendak's wound.
"No," said Jaheira firmly as the former slave expressed his shame at requiring assistance. "You were kept imprisoned, kept weakened, for months. Now you are free - this is not a matter of pride, but a matter of your future."
"You are right," admitted Hendak wearily. "Now many of my companions can return home to our towns; I will take this place as my payment, to prevent it from ever being used as such again. But there are others that need taken care of."
"Others?" asked Maiyn.
Hendak nodded. "There are more slavers - their main compound is in a dry-docked ship near here. They have many children there."
"Children?" Maiyn's adrenaline was rising again, and Jaheira reached out to place a calming hand on the ranger's shoulder. She didn't even seem to notice it.
"Child slaves for Calimshan," explained Hendak. "They were no longer wanted by the time the slavers had gathered enough, and so they lost their worth. Now they are used only as playthings for the men."
Maiyn's disgust was apparent as she furiously whirled around to face her group. "We are going to this boat."
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The ship was impossible to miss; situated on an elevated level near to Gaelan's home, access permitted via a steep, narrow staircase. The group filed up, gaining the suspicious look of the armoured man standing by a tall door situated on the vessel's hull.
The guard had no chance of stopping the group from entering. Maiyn's sword was driven through him the second he refused to grant them entry, and the ranger instructed Yoshimo to get the door open; the thief moving to the task quickly, his surprise at the elf's lack of compassion apparent.
"This is no way to behave," warned Jaheira as they waited, her gaze fixed on Maiyn. "I know you are averse to slavery; we were shown that quite amply by your displays at Cloakwood, but this is not a remote forest. We are within city boundaries, and we need to respect the laws that govern it; even your recent stresses are no excuse for wanton action."
Maiyn stood still and quiet, not even acknowledging her hearing of the druid's words. It was so easy to forget about everything else when she had something to concentrate on, something to fix... something to kill. No! She shook her head slightly, startled by her own thought. Jaheira's gaze was still on her, but it had lessened to a look of concern. She nodded to the druid before she could speak - she had no wish to try and explain her confused feelings to anyone.
She was saved by a faint click, signalling the unlocking of the door. The group cautiously entered, Kivan and Maiyn scouting ahead around the corner of the large hull. They managed to progress to a large living area before they met any resistance; two slaver wizards angrily shouting at them for trespassing as Yoshimo disarmed the snare at the top of the few steps leading up to the room. The fighters charged, Minsc and Jaheira being caught with a hold person spell as a guard moved in on them. Anomen's prayer countered the effects, allowing them movement just in time to defend themselves, Minsc's ferocious swing bringing down the hapless guard. The wizards followed in quick succession, Anomen seeming to relish the task as he fought hard against their magical defences.
The party ploughed on into the compound, taking down the weak resistance they encountered from the limited guards fairly easily. Yoshimo and Anomen had found their own ways to fit into the already melded fighting group of old companions, but Maiyn's swordsmanship was patchy as she waved her two swords around, masterfully with her right hand, somewhat erratically as she tried to train herself to use her offhand.
Occasionally Minsc would step in to parry a blow at her that she hadn't noticed, and she'd feel a pang of loss; missing Coran's presence by her side, missing his fighting in tandem with her. She looked quickly over to Jaheira; the Harper would be experiencing the same, having stood by her husband's side for almost every fight the group had battled before Sarevok. A sting of emotion snapped her from her thoughts, driving her back into the concentration over her new fighting style.
Eventually they managed to approach the back of the ship, a separate room with a narrow entrance. A tortured cry rang out, making Xan jump; it had been a young girl, terrified by something. Maiyn darted forward, but Kivan's arm stopped her at Jaheira's signal.
"Wait - we must be prepared," stated the druid.
Maiyn nodded, but looked agitated by the slow progress towards the doorway. Yoshimo peered around, signalling the way clear for the others to follow him. He darted down some stairs, ducking behind a pile of boxes and crates, the others following him one by one. Just ahead of them were several humans and two trolls; their attention was taken by two sobbing figures lying crumpled on the floor. Past them was a huge cell, holding several children of varying ages huddled together in fear. Maiyn was trembling with rage, and it was only Kivan's hand on her arm that was preventing her making her presence known.
"The trolls will need fire or acid," whispered Anomen worriedly. "Without it, they will just regenerate from our blows."
"I have some spells," muttered Xan, hastily checking through his spell components. "I should be able to deal with them when they are incapacitated."
Jaheira nodded approvingly. "Kivan and Yoshimo - use your ranged weapons on the guards; target whichever seem the most dangerous at any point. Minsc, Anomen - you focus on the trolls while Maiyn and I take on the guards and their leader. Xan - just ready your spells to take down the trolls as soon as you can. Are we all ready?" The druid's take of command was swift and firm and everyone nodded their agreement, including Maiyn whose eyes were firmly fixed on the tallest of the humans.
"Then we go," said Jaheira, moving forward swiftly towards her target. The footsteps of Minsc and Anomen clamoured heavily as they followed, drawing the attention of the men.
"Who are you?" demanded the tall man. "What gives you the right to be in here?"
"We are here to cease your dealing in slaves," announced Jaheira. Maiyn could almost see her, striding in somewhere on Harper duty, using the very same tone and volume in her confident speech. The ranger was skirting along the edge of the wall, staying into the shadows as much as she could, her light footfall not drawing attention from any of their targets.
"How dare you! Why are you here? Why are you doing this?"
"Reasons don't matter to the dead," hissed Maiyn as she stepped out from her concealment, driving her sword through the throat of the nearest guard. With a cry, she leapt towards their leader, letting her instinct take over as she fought to parry his huge sword. Anomen and Minsc faced a troll each, ducking and weaving from their clumsy blows as best as they could while Jaheira kept the attention of the remaining guards. Kivan and Yoshimo's arrows flew in from the rear, helping the druid to wipe them out quickly, and she turned to help Maiyn while the archers began weakening the trolls with well placed shots.
Maiyn noticed a green streak fly into one collapsed trolls as she ducked the slaver's ferocious swing. The troll immediately crumpled into a lifeless heap, freeing Anomen up to aid Minsc. Maiyn's concentration was fully on her offhand; her swing was becoming stronger, her aim truer. A quick flick of her wrist drew her sword across the man's face, distracting him enough for Jaheira to land a heavy blow. He fell to the ground dazed and Maiyn immediately moved in, driving both of her blades into him, ensuring he would not stand again.
As she stood she noticed Jaheira's look, and it made her uncomfortable. Xan and Kivan were also regarding her curiously, but both looked away to avoid her gaze, moving forward to regroup with their companions in silence. The second troll had fallen just seconds before, Xan's flame arrow sealing its fate, and Anomen was tending to a minor wound on Minsc's arm. Maiyn turned to the two children, cowering into each other as they watched the fight, having managed to scramble away from the immediate battle.
She crouched down before them, noting the fear in their eyes as they trembled violently, and reached out to stroke the elder girl's hair. It was long and brown, dirty and unkempt, hanging around her tear-stained face messily. Her eyes were a sparkling shade of blue; a blue she was unused to seeing so brightly in humans. Maiyn smiled to them gently.
"Stand up," she said softly, helping them to their feet. "We won't harm you - we're here to set you free."
The girls began crying, and the brown-haired one sobbed as she spoke. "Oh, thank you... thank you! We've been so frightened..."
"Yoshi - can you open the door of the cell?" The thief nodded to the ranger, and set to work. It only took seconds for him to work it open, and Kivan helped Anomen herd the scared children out, rounding them up into a group before the women in the group. There were a dozen of them; bedraggled, terrified things. Maiyn could hardly bear to look at them for fear of tears welling up.
"We need to get them to safety," she said to Jaheira, and the druid nodded.
"We have nowhere to go, miss," said one of the elder children. "We're so far from Scornubel..."
"You are all from there?" asked Maiyn. The children nodded in unison. The ranger rummaged through a bag in her belt, eventually pulling out some coins. She accepted the pouch Anomen held out to her and filled it with the coin before handing it to the tallest of the boys. "Take this - it's not much, but it will help towards the cost of your journey home," she said softly.
The boy gasped, and he threw his arms around her, hugging her tightly with gratitude. Maiyn hugged him back, then gently pushed him away, checking the others for any injuries.
"There's another passage here," came Yoshimo's voice. The thief had gone on to scour the area, discovering a loose panel in the wall. Maiyn looked at her companions. "It leads to some stairs going down."
"We'll go down," said the ranger, noting Jaheira's nod of agreement. She turned back to the boy and gave him directions on the location of the Copper Coronet. "When you get there, ask for Hendak - tell him you are the children from the boat, and that Maiyn shall return as soon as she can with her companions. He will take care of you until then."
The boy nodded, his serious face proud of the responsibility he now carried. He expertly gathered the other children around him, leading them off through the compound towards the entrance. Maiyn watched them go, then turned to the stairway.
"Are we all ready?"