III: Stirring the Flames

Long after midnight her shift was finally over – luckily, without further incidents. The one with the sorceress girl, Qara, and her two classmates, who decided it was a good idea to shower each other with spells in the middle of the street, was the last, and she was able to settle it without bloodshed, shooing the two young mages to do their homework or whatever under the threat of their deaths. A nasty move, but after dealing with Luskans the newly-fledged watchman really had no wish to be drawn in some children's war that went as far as nearly torching the tavern she was staying at. She would have packed up and sent away all the three of them, but wasn't sure they wouldn't start the fight all over again just behind the corner. And when Adele had no personal interest in the winner, she always tended to stand on the side with fewer fighters - or, especially, one. Like against thugs threatening Khelgar outside the Weeping Willow Inn (actually, trying to threaten and failing miserably). Like against soldiers of Fort Lock surrounding Neeshka…

Adele could never stand the sight of a crowd, even a small crowd, pecking a single victim. It reminded her of vultures.

She was glad not to be the only one – as Elanee joined them in yet another fight against the githyanki, unable to watch them being ambushed.

Not to mention that it was obviously easier to scare off two apprentices than their redhead rival. Adele couldn't help but respect, really, how Qara managed to remain self-confident in front of wizard-girls. More than that, Adele really believed that the sorceress would have come out of that fight victorious. The girl even made her best to save face as she was made to work off the damage she caused to the 'Sunken Flagon'. Went too far in that, maybe, but then again, she was a child, fourteen or fifteen years old, as far as Adele could tell. What else could be expected?

To some extend, it wasn't, perhaps, the smartest decision on Duncan's part to keep a kindle like that around, but it seemed way more palatable than letting Qara wander the Docks. She would have probably ended destroying something or somebody - or getting herself destroyed. Not pretty in both cases.

Excusing ourselves, are we?

And who can blame me?

Smirking to herself, Adele hooded her eyes, sitting deep in the chair, allowing her body to relax – and, maybe, to ease a little the slight dull pain in her ribs, just beneath an old ugly scar under her left breast she had had since her early childhood. The pain appeared every time Adele exerted herself too much.

Despite the late hour, all of her companions were still awake. Neeshka and Khelgar had already occupied the counter, drinking and arguing as usual. They were both rather short-tempered, but, it seemed, were lucky to finally find a decent opponent in each other. Even Elanee, pale and somewhat exhausted, had left her room and made herself comfortable on a sofa, almost curled up there, watching the fire thoughtfully.

Adele rubbed her scar through the clothes absentmindedly, wincing a bit, until she caught a glimpse of Duncan's alarmed stare. Smiling, she shook her head to let him know she was fine.

After all, she got used to that chronic ache long time ago.

Qara was cleaning the tables – or rather was doing something she herself thought to be "cleaning tables". Mostly it included dragging a rag from one corner of the table to the other with such disgust, as if she was holding not a rag but a dead rat. Her staff rested against the chair, and the sorceress was constantly flinging her eyes at it, probably savouring the thought of drying the tables with magic fire.

"I'll need a year's long bath after that," she muttered, studying her delicate white fingers. "What were you doing on these tables? Roasting pigs or something?"

"Don't shirk, dearie," Duncan raised his voice.

Qara wrinkled her nose, but clutched the corner of the rag, pulling it closer loathingly. Duncan watched her for some time, then shook his head in tired disapproval, turned away… and suddenly stooped down, pulled off his boot and threw it to the far corner: "Ah, not rats again!"

"That's not a rat, you dolt!" Qara shouted, dashing towards the corner. "Come here, Tamin."

To the sound of her voice a weasel peeped out of the corner, rushed to the girl, climbed up her breech-leg, lurked under the hem of her long silk shirt – and in a moment the black beads of his eyes were glittering from under her collar.

"Oh, a thousand apologies," Duncan retorted sarcastically. "Made a zoo out of the tavern."

"Shut up," Qara grimaced, returning to the table, and stopped, glaring at the rug.

Hating, but still doing what needs to be done… Honestly, that's quite a change from usual brats.

Adele shifted a little, sinking deeper into the chair, and nearly closed her eyes completely, again enjoying the calm feeling of 'home' that overwhelmed her, feeling that consisted from the distant noises of the tavern, warm smells and air, voices of her companions…

Yes, it was mostly because of voices…

Elanee had asked her once, whether it was hard for her to leave West Harbour, her home. She remembered answering, that 'home' for her was people, not a place.

And again she felt, how true it was.

These people, her companions, became her family - for now or for much longer, she couldn't tell. But she had already got so much used to their arguing, to the mere sound of them - Khelgar's loud grumbling voice, his infectious laughter, Neeshka's twitter-like speech twining it's way into it, Elanee's rare remarks and advices, soft and measured, but always there for hearing when one needed them... Adele looked at the druidess, silent and abstracted, as usual, deep within her own thoughts and worries. Adele knew perfectly well how bad the elf felt herself in the city – but Elanee clearly was ready to tolerate anything, as long as it helped her to get some answers to the questions and problems, threatening her land.

Feeling her gaze, Elanee looked back at her, raising her eyebrows a bit in a silent question.

"How are you?" Adele asked softly.

The elf gave her a calm faint smile: "Better already. At least, don't feel like I've been struck in the head anymore."

"Have you eaten anything?"

"A little," she closed her eyes, as if to concentrate on her feelings, then smiled weakly again. "Don't worry, I'll be fine… eventually."

The druidess' weakness would have seemed rather strange, probably - to someone else. But Adele remembered all to well how she herself had nearly fainted at the edge of the Mere, stepping out into the world outside for the first time in her life. She had choked over the air, simple air, too rarefied and thin for her after the heavy moist atmosphere of the swamp. Not the most pleasant sensation, especially for the one who sometimes had problems breathing at all.

At that moment Khelgar gave out a loud laughter: "Ya call that 'n insult, goat-girl? Even the tree-worshipper could scrape up somethin' better than that!"

"'Goat-girl'?" Neeshka snorted. "Yeah, I've definitely never heard that one before, stumpy."

"Heh! Ya ain't even tryin'! We Ironfists call ar own children 'stumpy'! Ya skinny… bull," the dwarf grimaced, disgusted himself by his own apparent failure.

Adele chuckled quietly: "They always know how to entertain themselves."

Elanee sighed in agreement.

Neeshka grinned: "'Skinny bull'? That doesn't even make any sense! Go back to your drinking, moss-breath."

Yeah, they definitely need some fresh blood to their wrangles. They've been insulting each other for so long that must have run out of words.

Qara, who was standing with her back to the counter and probably listening to the contest for some kind of distraction from the tables, rolled her eyes expressively and muttered, almost to herself: "Amateurs."

Neeshka's red eyes widened indignantly, and Adele did her best to hold back a laugh.

And here it comes…

"Amateurs?" the tiefling nudged the dwarf. "Why, the spoilt princess thinks she's better than us, Khelgar!"

" 's that so?" Khelgar turned around on his bar-stool, watching Qara with challenge. "A bold claim for 'n Academy drop-out, seems ta me."

Qara smirked, continuing to scrape the table: "You two wouldn't know an insult if it walked up and bit you."

"Well then," Neeshka folded her arms. "Why don't you show us how it's done, firehair."

Ah, and here our eternal enemies rise and make a stand together against new threat.

Adele listened to their now-trio bicker, biting her lip hard not to giggle. Exchanging quick glances with Elanee, she noticed the druidess to hide a smile as well while still watching the fire.

Gods, I love you, guys.

At last, defeated, Khelgar waved Qara off, turning back to his ale and trying to ignore Neeshka's snickering: "Wow. Fat-belly little knee-high! That's good!"

"Shut up, tail-for-brains," the dwarf grunted and shook his head in disbelief. "An' here I thought mages have nothing to offer the world. Duncan, another round!"

"Get your drink yourself, dwarf!" the half-elf snapped back. "Seeing as how you haven't even tried to pay for a single drop yet!"

"A-ha!" Khelgar's face broke into a wide smile. " 've been wonderin' when ya'd give in already an' grant me free reign over yer kegs! Anyone else want anything?"

"Little free-loader," Duncan shot a glance at Qara. "And why don't you try to clean those tables with your tongue, since you are so good with it?"

"Don't try me," the sorceress replied, measuring the rag with another hating glare.

Behind Adele's back the door suddenly creaked, followed by a faint smell of woods and clacking of wolf's claws…

…and the woman sighed.

By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes…

Again without even pausing, Bishop brushed past the tables and chairs towards the rooms, on his way swiftly scanning the room with his piercing glance, which rested on Qara for a second, before fixing at the barkeeper as usually – as if Duncan was the only person worthy of the ranger's attention: "Well now, Duncan, seems we've got a new waitress at the place. It's about time."

Qara jerked at the slight innuendo that exuded in Bishop's words, and slowly drew herself up, almost torching the ranger to ashes with her glare.

"You wish," she hissed.

The ranger stopped for a moment, appraised her lean frame with a strange look on his face – as if he was going to smile, but changed his mind at the last moment – and shook his head: "Sorry, tot. Took you for a girl."

The sorceress' jaw dropped. Khelgar burst out laughing, almost falling off his chair: "That was good! Duncan, fill one tankard for the lanky too!"

"Ah, I don't drink…" Bishop drawled, resuming his way to the rooms. The wolf was already waiting for his master to catch up, "…with dwarves."

"Yer loss!" Khelgar exclaimed, lifting a mug and bottoming it.

"Cool down!" Duncan, almost scared, shouted to Qara, seeing an infuriated flush covering the girl's face. "You'll never work off if you burn down anything else!"

"Next time I'll burn down you, you smelly drunk!" she snapped back.

"Well, guess it's better to go to sleep now," Adele concluded, rising from the chair.

"Yes, it is better," Elanee agreed with a slight patient smile…


She didn't get much sleep though - the pain in her chest didn't wear off. Adele just tossed and turned in her bed till early morning, until she got tired of it and got up.

The Flagon was almost silent. Duncan closed the tavern for a couple of hours in the morning to clean up all the mess left after the night. Adele found her uncle still in the room, where he and Sal were sorting out numerous empty glasses. Some more assistants were tidying the place up. Qara arrogantly watched the process, standing aside. Her weasel made himself comfortable on her shoulder, casting around furtive glances.

As Adele approached her, the girl threw her a short glare, then squared her shoulders and looked away, pointedly ignoring her. The woman smirked. She couldn't help it, but the little redhead was… a curious one.

…Or were those simply the memories of another sorceress, that still caused a lump to form somewhere deep in her throat.

"I have a break," Qara stated frigidly, taking Adele's inquiring gaze as an accusing one.

"Yeah, notice the difference," Duncan added. "Honestly, dearie, you are as helpful as a corpse."

"Oh, go to Hells," Qara snorted.

"Did you take any rest?" Adele wondered.

"I don't need to. I don't get tired."

"Because it's hardly like you do something," the half-elf grumbled.

"I've warned you!"

Adele smirked: "Something really terrible must have happened to you to bring you to the Docks."

Qara arched her brow: "Like you care? If I didn't almost burn down your uncle's damned clinch-house I wouldn't even be here."

"Hey!" Duncan exclaimed crossly, but the girl just winced:

"Oh, stow it, you drunk."

"You need to improve your manners, dearie, that's for sure."

"Don't patronize me! I say what I want. You don't like it – shove off."

Adele couldn't fight back another smirk: "Now I can see why you had problems at the Academy."

Qara snorted in disdain: "Problems? I didn't have any problems with them – they said to have problems with me. My only problem was that I didn't want to learn what I already knew. And if I had to page through one more dusty tome…" she rolled her eyes. "Forget it."

"Well, if it was that easy for you, could have played along a little."

"Why? To waste my youth and talent, trapped in there with some hopeless blockheads, who can't even levitate a fork at first try?" she shrugged dismissively, giving a scratch to Tamin's belly, when the weasel nuzzled into her neck. "I don't need that. I know more about magic that they ever will! I mean, I know what power feels like rushing through me – they've barely learnt how to get close to it!" her pale-green eyes widened, exited flush blossomed on high chiseled cheekbones, delicate fingers run anxiously through her short red hair – and Adele suddenly felt that it was somehow getting much warmer near the girl. "It's like this… shiver that starts spreading through you… A warmth… like it's coming from your heart and your head – all at once! And you feel that warmth getting hot… so much so you think you can burn anything in your path… yet you'll be only be brushed by it! I… I can't even explain it! But trust me, I know."

"Well…" Adele stepped aside a little, almost unwittingly. Arcane was never her strong point. Tarmas, the wizard back at her home village, had more than once mentioned, that he had rarely met someone so utterly dead from the neck up when it came to magic. "Seeing as that power is a part of you – guess you are the best to know how to control it."

"That's the point! I know!" a gentle warm wind coming from nowhere suddenly stirred up her hair. "And I don't need everybody telling me when and where and how I should do it!"

"You'd better get back to work," Duncan reminded her.

Qara spun around on her heels, impaling the half-elf with her glare and clutching at her staff – and Adele felt really worried for her uncle's well-being.

"I think she could use some rest," Adele stated, cautiously touching Qara's elbow. "You know, take a walk, catch a breath of fresh air…"

"I'm fine!" the girl bristled.

Adele lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper: "Don't you want to get away from those tables for a while?"

The sorceress blinked in surprise: "Oh…" she settled down a bit and shifted her shoulder in false indifference. "Yeah, I might."

"Agreed then," Adele smiled and nodded to Duncan. "We'll be back soon."

Duncan hesitated for a moment, but gave up with a smile: "Fine. Like I can refuse something to my only niece."

Smiling a bit broader, Adele took Qara by the arm and hurried her out of the tavern.

"Thanks," the sorceress said, still looking taken aback. "Really, I mean it. Several moments more with a rag in my hands – and somebody would have got hurt, I swear."

"Never mind," the woman waved it off, keeping the smile in place. Agitating the girl was no way near what she needed. Making her a bit comfortable with her duties was more in the line. After all, even if githyanki never showed their faces in Neverwinter and 'Sunken Flagon', it didn't mean that they wouldn't do that in the future. And if (or when) that happened, she would prefer someone as powerful as Qara to be around and put her spells to good use.

"So, what do we do? I hope you are not dragging me to one of your patrols or something."

"No, nothing like that. Besides, it's too early for work," Adele looked up and down the street thoughtfully, then stopped her attention on Sand's shop just across the road. "Let us pay a visit to an acquaintance, see if he had heard something new about the Blacklake."

"Ah, yes. I heard it was locked down just after… I left. Oh well, serves them right. Nothing special there, boring as Hells," she stroked Tamin, peeking out from under her collar again.

"Sweet little guy," Adele smiled at the weasel. "For how long do you keep him?"

"Two years. At the Academy they made everybody keep a pet. You know, a familiar of a spell-caster and all that."

"Yeah. My friend has… had a bat," Adele's voice dropped at the mention of Amie.

"A bat," Qara hummed approvingly. "Better then some stupid owl or something, when you can make it fly only by a good-aimed kick. So I've got Tamin. He has more brains then most of the students had. Besides, he can feed himself."

"That's definitely an advantage," Adele grinned. "Seems like the Academy was truly a place to remember."

"Oh, don't even remind me. Have you studied anywhere?"

"No, actually, nowhere."

"There you go! So what, are you feeling lack of knowledge or something? I bet not."

"No," Adele agreed, looking into space…

sweat and heat and sparkles falling as her rapier clashes against the sword…

a tang of sharp pain in her cut arm makes her grit her teeth…

a cold indifferent voice pointing out: "You are hurt. Your mistake"

"I'm tired"

"No, you are not"

"I am!"

"Not tired enough to correct your mistake"

she gasps helplessly, parrying his attacks: "Sometimes I hate you, Father"

incisive icy eyes of pure emerald: "Then prove it"

"…I was taught… by experience."

"And it is the best teacher," Qara smiled. "Gods, am I finally speaking with someone with some sense? I can't even believe it."

The two of them (actually, the three of them including Tamin) entered the shop and found themselves in a relatively small room filled with shelves, tables, benches and bookcases. Qara regarded them with a disdainful gaze, running her fingertips over her staff absentmindedly. It occurred to Adele that it would take years and years to look through all the abundance of bottles, phials, scrolls, amulets, powders and other magical stuff displayed for sale. She was so dazzled that almost mistook a spotty cat sprawled on one of the shelves for another piece of magical arsenal.

Among all the diversity it was not an easy task to find the owner – but finally they managed to discover Sand in the far corner of his shop. The elf was sitting behind the table, inscribing one of the potion-bottles phlegmatically. Interrupted by the soft sound of footsteps, he lifted his eyes and raised his thin brows in slight surprise:

"Welcome, Adele. How may I…?" his gaze swept towards Qara, slid down her staff, and a barely visible smile seemed to appear in the corners of the elf's lips. "Oh, why, you've brought a visitor from the Academy, I see."

"I'm not with the Academy," Qara objected immediately. "I left."

"Studies too strenuous, hmm?" he asked almost sympathetically – but somehow his elusive smile made it hard to believe his sympathy.

The girl sniffed: "I didn't need to study. I already knew how to do magic."

"Ah… A sorceress, aren't you? A natural one," he clicked his tongue. "Well then, it's good it was your free choice to leave. Usually the students are not so fortunate as being offered one."

Qara's eyes narrowed:

"Who is this elf?" she asked Adele, not even bothering to lower her voice. "He's got a smart mouth for a simple merchant. Better watch it – or I'll burn this shop of his down."

"If you make up your mind to try to do so," Sand replied calmly, "you'll find the place will draw your energy out from you, until you lie quivering on the floor. It is Vanteen's Syphon – of course, if you are familiar with the historical codex bearing his name."

"I'm not. And neither care, for that matter."

"Figured that much… Then I strongly recommend you to hold your threats until you do," he looked back at Adele. "Now, what can I do for you today?"

"Is there a problem?" Adele wondered, gesturing towards Qara, who began to examine the range of goods with almost palatable disregard.

"No, no problem at all," Sand smiled thinly. "I'm certainly not the one to speak ill of anyone present."

"Oh, please, don't stop on my account," Qara sneered at him. "I'd hate to think you couldn't say whatever you need to say to my face."

"No, really, it's not worth a copper coin to go into," Sand stated serenely, following Qara with his eyes. "Let us just say we have… academic differences. So how can I help you, finally?"

Adele shrugged: "Actually, I was wondering if you've heard anything new about the murders. Not that I learned much in the Watch…"

"I'm afraid I cannot be of any notable help either," the wizard sighed. "Well, I know that the District is still closed – so it is obvious that the investigation is either in full blossom or reached a deadlock. Please, girl, be careful there!" he hail Qara. "Especially with the red beaker."

Qara rewarded him with another haughty snort, stepping away from the shelf.

"So, as I said," the elf smiled at Adele, as if nothing happened, "no clues still of what is going on in the District. Considering there are rumors of demon involvement, I wouldn't be even slightly surprised by the feebleness of the Nine or Many-Starred Cloak mages. A murderer who can muster infernal powers is way ahead of their potential."

"Encouraging," Adele chuckled. "Why do I have a feeling that I'll get mixed up in it somehow?"

"Why, indeed?" Sand drawled, watching her closely. That didn't unsettle her, for from the first time she had met the wizard, she got an impression that under the veil of his detached dismissive indifference he was actually interested in the whole story she got into.

"Don't know," she shrugged as casually as she could. "Seeing how I was said to give a good account of myself to earn a pass to the District, suppose they'll just get that pass for me by making me join the investigation or something."

"Well, no pain no gain, as they say," he stopped suddenly at the sound of the shop door being opened and looked somewhere over Adele's shoulder. His smile suddenly became colder, as he said: "Now, if you'll excuse me, ladies, I've got a customer."

"Oh, sure. Thanks for your time," Adele waved to Qara, and they went right by a tall blond man, who entered the room and was standing aside, clearly waiting for them to leave.

"What's the point of closing down an entire District because of some lousy murder?" Qara wondered as they were walking back to the Flagon. "I mean, people get killed every day – nobody's usually running around closing streets because of it."

"You said it," Adele shook her head. "But those people who get killed every day are no nobles. And plus, there's a thing of how those nobles were murdered."

"Ah, the Hells with them," the sorceress grinned darkly. "And for the note – I wasn't even there. But still the Academy instructors liked to blame me for everything happening around."

Adele chuckled: "Get easy on them. People just need to blame somebody."