XXI: Eye-Witnessed (part one)
Adele nearly missed their arrival at Port Llast. One moment she was gliding through the heavy air, so damp and dense that the woman almost felt like she was back in the Mere - and the next instant they had already fell right into one of the narrow drowsy streets, as if wet stone houses simply popped out from the ground like mushrooms after the rain. But those were mushrooms that lacked the lulling grassy smell of forest or swamp, instead painted with the hint of fish, musty seaweeds and tar from the boats.
Clouded in the mist that had risen after the rain at night, the tiny port town was barely visible. Squeezed between Duskwood and the sea, nearly washed down by the night's pour, it appeared to be merely a medley of houses, merchant's tents and awnings protecting the cargo unloaded from the ships - all of the named architectural wonders looking like someone simply dropped them along the road without much thinking or planning.
The townsfolk were rare in the early hour, only a few of indiscernible figures wrapped in the mist. Muffled voices and snatches of conversations reached them, but it was impossible to make out the words. A lonely wagon dragged by just as lonely horse passed by, its wheels and the animal's hoofs shattering the surface of huge puddles, splashing the water and raining it on the cloaks of adventurers. Neeshka, still not fully awake, nearly got under the cart, if Adele hadn't caught her by the arm, jerking aside. The tiefling staggered away from the road, blinking around in sleepy confusion from under her hood, and shook herself from fading slumber. Adele followed the leaving cart with her eyes, the gloomy-looking driver glaring at her suspiciously in return, not slowing down to check if he hadn't trampled anyone else.
"Yeah, good morning to you,too, sir!" the woman yelled after him. "Be well today!"
The driver stirred the reins, hurrying his horse, but his glare didn't leave them until he completely passed by.
"Ah, Port Llast, illustrious and welcoming, as always", Sand observed.
"Charmed already," Adele muttered and sighed, almost helplessly. "You really think something or someone here can help us?"
"Haeromus is said to be vigilant of his people and surrounding lands," the elf shrugged, "so we have a chance of checking if it is true."
"Hells, I've stepped into something," Adele heard Neeshka's grouch. "…Ah, shit."
"What is it?" the woman glanced back over her shoulder.
Neeshka threw her a grim look: "Shit, like I said."
Khelgar chocked a laugh, while Sand just nodded, a bit more amused than before: "Yes, I suggest you watch where you step, my dear... you might get some more of local culture on your boots."
It was Adele's turn to swallow a chuckle, avoiding looking at Shandra, who gave her head an irritated shake: "Gods, Sand, you hold your nose so high it's a wonder you don't wear a hat on it."
"…I don't even know what that means, my dear," the elf answered in innocent serenity, "but I'm sure as far as your local expressions go, it's quite quaint -- and charmingly ignorant."
"Well, at least you can't catch shit on your hat," Neeshka sighed.
"Birds?" the dwarf mentioned.
"…Point."
"All points aside," Sand rounded in his usual soft but irrevocable manner, "the sooner we finish our business here, the better."
"Then let's not waste time arguing," Adele suggested with a sweet smile.
"Agreed," Qara grumbled, looking around with obvious distaste.
"Now that I think about it," Grobnar chimed in, also looking around and rocking on his heels with his common utterly misplaced enthusiasm, "the town indeed seems so much gloomier this early in the morning. Has something to do with the light, I guess. In daytime, the sunrays flicker so merrily over the sea surface…"
"You've been here?" Qara clarified in disbelieving tone.
"Oh, only a time or four, on my way from Luskan."
"You've been to Luskan?" the girl's whole world seemed to be cracking to pieces.
"Yes," Grobnar's eyes grew wide. "I've never mentioned it? Oh, impossible! I've even managed to play for one of the High Captains – well, back when there were High Captains. My step-uncle was hanged there. Not like he was the only one, in Luskan they like hanging people. And not only hanging, mind you. Sometimes they-"
"Grobnar," Elanee interrupted him softly, glancing shortly at Adele.
"No-no, let him go on," the woman grinned. "Knowing is… motivating."
The gnome blinked at them, puzzled: "But what there is to be worried about? Surely miss Adele has nothing to be afraid of, her innocence is as undeniable as Wendersnaven all-powerfulness."
"…And the irony of that statement is too obvious to be pointed out," Sand commented dryly, then gestured somewhere up the street. "So why won't we follow the planned line and start looking for proofs of the undeniable? Haeromus' office is there."
"Asking some of the locals couldn't hurt, either," Shandra mentioned emphatically, still glaring in Sand's direction. "For all their 'local culture', I'm sure, they still have eyes and ears to have seen or heard anything."
"Maybe we should split up," Neeshka shrugged. "I mean, someone does this, someone does that, run around, ask people – it'll be quicker that way."
Adele nodded: "Yeah, I guess."
"Morning or not, the market should be opening already, so I can take the merchants on me, and--"
"Ya wish!" Khelgar gruffed, and Neeshka narrowed her eyes at him, their crimson colour seeming to flash more brightly in anger. "Wanna stealin' added to murder charges, huh? 've got my eyes on ya, fiendlin', warning ya!"
"Fine," she snapped. "I'm gonna sit right here, then, and won't do a crap, since stealing is the only thing that can obviously be on my mind. Would you tie my hands behind my back, Stumpy?"
The dwarf opened his mouth to answer, but wasn't able to, as Bishop's rusty voice cut its way impatiently through the conversation, his face just as annoyed:
"You lot can die and rot here if you want to, and I'll have a look around the town, check the border of the wood. If by chance the Luskans were here to cover their tracks, it'll be something there."
Adele took a second to breathe in to hold back something nasty to say in return to his tone. It seemed everyone was a bit on edge. Instead the woman simply nodded again: "Okay, reasonable enough."
"Well, at least someone in your exalted bunch should be reasonable, eh?" he patted Karnwyr's neck, and the two of them took off towards the wood, followed by Casavir's grave stare.
"…He always needs to say the last word, doesn't he," Shandra shook her head and turned back towards Sand. "So?"
"Haeromus is our first stop," the elf said, eyeing the rest of them. Apparently, mutual irritation of the band didn't pass unnoticed by him, too. "As for the locals… they need a careful approach. It is highly possible that they are wary of every stranger - after all, Ember was not that far away. And, sadly, the most part of our group doesn't inspire trust from the first sight."
"How sweet of you to notice," Neeshka bristled, but Sand merely sighed:
"It is not an insult, my dear, but a harsh reality we, in our position, have to abide and take into consideration," he turned to Casavir, who tore his glare away from the direction where Bishop disappeared, and looked back at the elf questioningly. The wizard rubbed the tip of his long sharp nose in habitual gesture of consideration. "No issues on your account. Also… Elanee is the name, if I am not mistaken," the druidess only nodded assent. As far as Adele noticed, Elanee showed little to no interest in her city-dwelling race-kin, barely even trading words with him. "…And, I suppose, Grobnar looks sufficiently touching and harmless."
"Why, thank you," the gnome answered with a head-broad grin, unintentionally taking an absolutely touching and harmless look.
"We'll try to find out what we can," Elanee assured and, looking quickly at Adele, gave her a small encouraging smile.
Qara jerked her chin up depreciatingly towards Sand: "And since when he is in charge here?"
"Since the moment I have got into all this mess," Adele shrugged. "I admit I don't understand a thing about the stuff."
The elf bowed his head. "I'm glad at least someone admits," he mentioned lightly, making Qara snort dismissively. "I occasionally have good ideas, you know."
"You just look at that," the sorceress sneered, "it wasn't even sarcasm, it was blunt truth."
"My, she stung me," the wizard smiled. "Good for you, dear girl, you can buy yourself a cookie. But after we'll visit the most respected commandant," with that Sand turned his back to Qara, presuming he was finished with her, and ushered others up the damp street.
Adele followed, watching Casavir and Elanee turn towards the town centre, Grobnar between them, skipping to match their longer strides and still taking his time to gaze around. There was a considerable amount of sense in Sand's choice of the gnome for the task - his memory appeared to be as limitless and greedy for anything new as a magic bag of holding. But with the same problem: how to find and get out the single specific thing one needed.
…Reaching the only municipal building of Port Llast, one-storey and dull, which seemed to unite the administration, the prison, the watch post and what-not under one roof, they went up the worn-down stairs, only mildly slippery from the moisture. Two guards flanking the front door watched their arrival, both soldiers' faces poorly lit up by the half-dead torch. Adele slowed her pace, suddenly having a feeling that the guards were watching them too intently, but had no time to ponder over her concern, for one of the soldiers took a step forward, and his gloved hand landed flatly on Sand's chest, stopping the elf in his place:
"You are not allowed in."
"We are," Sand answered, not arguing – simply stating.
The guard jerked his head to the others behind the wizard. "She is not to come in."
"Hey, I'm-" Neeshka snarled, but he cut her off with a wince:
"Not you. The murderer."
Adele sucked in a sharp breath, cautious enough for this motion not to be too obvious, and, as the guard glared at her, fought to keep her face calm and easy, glancing at Qara by her side with a 'whom-does-he-mean' look. It was stupid, she figured, but it was all she could come up with. They couldn't have known her. Just couldn't. The name of the supposed murderer – surely, but to attach a name to a face one must know the face. Which was impossible.
Wasn't it?
"By whose order?" Sand wondered, his eyes fixed firmly on the soldier, his composed nasal voice neither faltering nor pitching up for a tiniest bit, despite the restrictive palm still keeping him in place.
The guard scowled down on him: "Someone needs an order for common sense? No murderers will cross the threshold. Period."
"This is ridiculous," Shandra snapped. "She hadn't done anything!"
"Too funny, wench."
Adele felt Khelgar brush past her, his whole sturdy figure drawing forward in a threatening battle-ready stance:
"Ya lettin' us in, lads, or we ar lettin' us in arselves."
"Really?" the soldier growled in response. His smaller comrade moved closer to him, his hand already gripping the hilt of the sheathed longsword.
Gods, guys, don't do anything…- Adele groaned inwardly, realizing that if she said a thing, the mere sound of her voice could light the fuse of the soldier.
"Dramatic as it is," the wizard interfered, "this showdown will have to wait, I'm afraid, until we finish our urgent matters with your superior."
The palm on his chest curled into a fist, grabbing and crumpling the front of his robes.
"Are you deaf, elf? Ears too pointy or what?"
"…Firstly," Sand filtered, keeping his gaze firmly on the guard's enraged face, his voice like liquid ice, "I am very fond of this robe and there surely is no reason for depriving me of it." Hesitantly, but the soldier let go of him, earning a thin smile that snaked across the elf's lips. "Secondly, whatever charges are preferred against this totally innocent girl, no one will call her a murderer unless the court states so – which won't happen, believe me," as no objections came, Sand nodded and went on: "Thirdly, your commander is the one to decide who is to cross any thresholds and who is not. And since we are intending to go straight into his hands – nothing stops him from throwing us out if he intends to, hmm?"
The guard stared at him, his jaw working in anger as he thought over anything he could say in return.
"He's right, Berth," his fellow said quietly, not really thrilled with the fact, but apparently having no desire to mingle with rules.
"Very well," Berth ground out, following them with his glare as their band made its way between him and his comrade. Adele saw his eyes rest on her for a second, but he averted them, as if the simple sight of her was sickening to him, and glowered instead at Neeshka who happened to pass him at the moment. "But you just try anything…"
The tiefling rolled her eyes, "Gee, I'm sure your being out here and not inside has nothing to do with your winning personality."
Adele grinned despite herself, hearing Qara's laughter behind her back. As Neeshka's deft fingers closed around her elbow in silent encouragement, the woman squeezed them in return gratefully, stepping into the Haeromus' office…
…the killer looks like you, but isn't…
The boy's words echoed in her ears as she stalked out of the building, peering into space, only by some miracle not stumbling over the stairs. The boy himself wasn't here, no matter how much they expected him to be.
Alaine was.
Adele had seen many scary and to some extent even terrifying things in her relatively short life. But most of them paled in comparison to those swollen red-rimmed eyes, primal fear and raw hatred in them merging with tears that simply didn't wish to stop, flowing and flowing and flowing down the girl's cheeks…
She fled. Just turned around and strode back into the street, leaving Sand questioning the witness, Shandra – to calm her, to do anything she simply could not… Her every step hit through the whole leg, stiff, as if her knees turned to stone, unable to bend anymore.
…looks like you…
The woman sank on the masonry of the staircase, covering her face with her hands, pressing the heels of her palms into her closed eyes, nearly digging them into eye-sockets, like it could rub away Alaine's gaze from her memory. The gaze that was sure it gaped at the killer.
They stole her face. Not only her name to cover what they have done, to frame her, no… they took her face, her whole appearance, and some godsdamned assassin stretched it on him or herself as if a suit. In that light how pathetic her words sounded, when she was trying to tell it wasn't her. Because it was. It was her hand that clutched the weapon, her arm swishing it to chop off the head of the quartermaster begging on his knees, it was her eyes that looked down on him, and her blasted face was the last thing he saw… And who could expect Alaine to believe a single word that came out of her mouth…?
A viscous lump of nausea rolled up her throat, and, without taking her hands from her eyes, Adele breathed in greedily, swallowing the air to push the retch back down, then let the breath out in a slow quiet wheeze. She repeated the process several times, until the beating of pulse in her ears and temples faded from the deafening drum-like cadence to fairly normal. Waiting a couple of moments just to make sure, the woman finally unglued her palms, feeling the tingle of red pressure-marks that were left encircling her eyes, and stared at her hands, almost expecting to find tears on them. But her calloused skin was dry.
Had they taken it, too? Her every sore, every scratch, every line…? Or settled only to 'look like'… Sand told Alaine there were many magics that allowed one to cloud their appearance or change shape. How? Was some part of her needed for that? Her hair, drop of blood, piece of skin? Or was it enough to know what she was like? Had they watched her? Followed her? Or used some scrying spell? Or was it simply someone who already knew…? Knew her, looked at her, shadowed her…?
…I do not like the way he looks at you…
Don't be stupid, Delly, before you decided that you were framed by your long-dead mother.
…But how…?
Does that matter? It already happened. You've made the mistake of underestimating them. Don't do it again. Simply don't. Leave 'how' to Sand. Deal with what you've got.
Taking another breath, she lowered her hands, settling them on her knees, and closed her eyes again, lifting her face towards the sky. Cynically enough, the day had brightened, and the sun shone through her shut lids, making them glow with red against the eyes.
Now that's better.
Screwing her eyes even tighter, the woman rolled her head from one shoulder to the other, as slowly as possible, trying to ease the tension, and felt her spine loose a bit of its stiffness. Already good. Even her mind didn't feel like a caged bird anymore. Or, at least, this caged bird stopped flaying around in panic and started pecking methodically at her cage in search of weak spots.
"Tell me something," she heard the already familiar voice of the guard from behind her and winced at being distracted. She could care less for what he wanted, but she had a face to keep and innocence to be proved, so like a good polite little squire Adele turned her head, enough to see him out of the corner of her eye:
"Yes?"
He stared at her, firmly, with contempt and disgust that was nearly as revolting as Alaine's gaze. Nearly. "Why?"
'I didn't do it,' was probably the correct respond, but it was pointless, wasn't it? Instead she looked back at her hands, expecting to find them shaking. No, her fingers lay dead-still on her knees.
"You know," the soldier continued in the same dismayed voice, not waiting for her to answer, "we've got a chap here, in patrol. Dan is the name. He is from Ember… had his family there… mother, father, little sister…"
Adele folded her cold fingers, not tearing her eyes off them. "I'm sorry for his loss," she said, some part of her startled by how calm her voice sounded.
"Sure you are," he inhaled sharply through his nose, before finally spitting: "I just hope you'll get what you deserve."
So do I…
His glare was burning through her back, but Adele didn't look at him anymore. Summoning all those drops of elven blood she had, the woman smoothed her face and hooded her eyes, allowing numbing coolness of reverie – or that shadow of it she was capable of – wash over her, until, much to her relief, she felt how even the slightest echo of her short convulsion of panic faded away.
The only feeling left was fury. Slow freezing fury that turned over in her mind, crawled through her every blood-vessel, clawed at her every nerve…
And I will…
The doors to the building opened, and Adele heard heavy bulky footsteps that could only belong to Khelgar, accompanied by barely audible whisper of Neeshka's soft soles.
"Watcha glarin' at?!" the dwarf growled, probably at Berth, and Adele felt the corners of her lips quirk up in a faint unintentional smile. "Ya mind yers boots an' leave ar lassie alone!"
"H-hey," the tiefling squatted at the woman's side as they both rounded her. "You okay?" Adele looked at her, and the rogue grinned apologetically, "I know it's stupid to ask, but still…"
"…I'm fine," Adele shrugged, squinting at the sun, then decided it would be better to make the statement more truthful: "At least, I will be. Just… kinda got used to at least being kissed before I got fucked." Neeshka let out a surprised chuckle at her humourless joke, while Khelgar simply blinked, for the first time hearing her swear aloud. Adele smiled at him, "Pardon my orcish."
The door banged opened again, this time followed by the resolute rhythmic clatter of Qara's threaded-down heels.
"You've missed the most intriguing part," she informed Adele, stopping near her, and the woman couldn't help but grin at how nicely Qara's always-irritated and constantly-displeased voice blazed against the chill inside of her. "Where she said how, after being close enough to identify you, she managed to run away, while a whole dozen of killers was, probably, just standing there with their thumbs shoved up their asses."
"Bah, have a heart!" the dwarf barked at the girl.
"What?" Qara snorted. "It's a story worthy of Grobnar's making, and if she doesn't see that - well, everyone else does."
"Guess she had no time or wish to analyze what had happened to her," Adele muttered, letting her hands fall from her knees, moving them backwards on the stone parapet and dropping her weight on them, her every gesture way too slow and conscious. Calm down. She cocked her head back to look at the girl, meeting both pale green eyes of Qara and small black beads of her weasel peeking from under her collar. Adele winked at Tamin, smiling again. "And, really, no reason to be so harsh on Grobnar."
"Yeah, sure," Qara shook her head in exasperation.
Still smiling, Adele looked back at the doors, just in time to see Sand coming out. Noticing her sitting, the elf made his way towards the woman, some irritated rigidity marring his usually graceful movements.
"My dear," his voice was cold, totally devaluating the last word. "You…"
"…are a moron, yes, I know. Should have got a hold on my nerves better. Not that it matters anymore, so… what did she say?"
Sand frowned, ignoring her question, his thin lips pursing into firm disapproving line: "Unfortunately for both of us, it does matter. And I would ask you to consider your behaviour more carefully next time before darting off like that. We have enough on our hands with accusations and many commoners thinking you are guilty – so bear in mind that giving something to ground their suspicions is the last thing you need right now."
Adele shrugged: "Suppose I can go back and apologize, but somehow I don't think I'll be that good for it to work."
"…While your self-irony is adorable," one could probably cut mithral with his voice, "I fully intend to get you acquitted – and will do so, even if you don't seem to want it. Matter of professional pride, if nothing else."
"For gods' sake, leave her be, Sand," Neeshka snapped, but the wizard paid no heed to her, looking down solely on Adele.
The woman held his stare easily, just as she would have put up with anything he could say to her. Maybe she should have been grated by his pragmatism – but one doesn't live with Daeghun Farlong for twenty-four years without getting immune to such attitude. Besides, it was exactly Sand's pragmatism and razor-sharp mind she put her stakes on.
"I'm sorry, Sand," she said softly, but never lowered her gaze. "It won't happen again. But, really, I figured my leaving was better than if I started jumping and screaming how innocent I am." She allowed herself an unsure smile, "Or had I killed myself already?"
"…Not yet, luckily," the elf answered, but his anger seemed to be replaced back by his common indulgent attitude towards her, and Adele had to suppress a sigh of relief. Commoners, soldier and even witnesses could go to the Hells, but good graces of her lawyer she didn't want to lose. Blackmailed or not.
"Good, then. I'll play nice from now on, I promise," she pursed her lips, surreptitiously licking them nervously from the inside, then finally added: "But in return I want to know who did it."
Sand raised his brows, half in amusement, half in incomprehension, "And you don't?"
Adele winced: "I know 'bout Garius – but I doubt he was the one to soil himself like that, so the Hells with him… for now, at least. I want to know the one who acted me. The one whose hand did it."
"Ah, the executor, you mean," his eyes narrowed a bit in suspicion: "What for?"
Near her shoulder Khelgar snorted, the answer obviously pretty clear to him, but the woman merely shrugged: "Just to know." Glancing at Qara, she grinned, "Yeah, so we could burn him to the Hells!"
"Mwahaha," the girl mocked, lifting her chin. "You just wait until you really need me to destroy something down – then you might hear the answer you won't like."
"…Sorry," Adele tucked her forehead into the sorceress' knees contritely.
But her little bravado and light-hearted tone apparently hadn't fooled Sand, as he was still watching her closely.
"Taking out any revenge right now doesn't count as 'playing nice'," he remarked. "And bloodlust, even if it seems deserved, won't do you a favour in your position."
"Well, that's for me to decide, isn't it?"
"No. For me. That's what I am here for in the first place."
"…Damn you, Sand," she grinned, "you know, you sound almost like my father."
"Then he is undoubtedly a very wise and foreseeing man."
That was the last straw, and she laughed - the sound not really for her liking, appearing raspy and nearly metallic, but it was a laugh after all. Neeshka snickered quietly, Khelgar grinned amidst his beard, Qara simply rolled her eyes in her eternal 'why me?' to the heavens.
"Undoubtedly," Adele finally managed, biting the corners of her mouth to calm down.
Sand put his hand in the air, stopping any other words, loose silken sleeve of his robe rustling quietly as it flowed around his slender arm: "One thing at a time. Let us clean your name – then you can splash it all over again, if that is your intention. But at least I won't be risking my neck to the good lords of Neverwinter."
"Coward," Qara concluded triumphally.
"Hold there," Adele smirked, preventing Sand from getting into another argument and regaining his attention. "You are saying you can find the executer?"
"Now you are just being plainly insulting, my dear," the wizard pretended to take offence, but his self-pleased elusive smile ruined it. "Of course it's possible. Especially if Haeromus is to be believed – which I think he is in the issues involved – as he revealed the tiny little circle we've been wondering about."
"…Which is?"
"Torio is working for Garius. In fact, she is considered one of his most loyal followers…"
"Snaky bitch," Neeshka whispered.
"…together with another individual, a muscle of Garius of sorts. Since Garius himself is out of our reach for now, we can check these two – and, perhaps, the treads will lead us to those who carried out the destruction order."
"Ta me it sounds just as sneaky as they did," Khelgar grumbled, his gauntleted palm tracing the hilt of the axe hanging on the belt.
"For now it plays no role anyway," Sand pointed out.
"Fine by me," Adele nodded, content. "And who's the second of the gruesome-twosome?"
"Lorne is the name. Some brute, I suppose – there's no shortage of those in the city."
The woman nodded again, privately pondering over another Fate's joke that gave a Luskan scum that name - the name of a man, the fine man, who had been dead for years.
But any thoughts she had were banished, as the last of her companions went out of the building onto the stairs – and Adele felt her heart sink. Shandra's eyes were empty as she stared underfoot while walking, feverish blush colouring her cheeks in stark contrast with the whole face which grew paler than sour milk.
"How's Alaine?" Adele asked, and the blonde woman gave a slight start, raising her gaze to the rest of them, as if suddenly remembering about their presence on the plane, then jerked her shoulders in a shrug.
"Like crap," she stated flatly, but her voice gave a deceitful crack at the end, while her eyes, on impulse, darted towards the doors, towards the girl left behind them. Adele didn't know for how long and how well had the two women known each other, but she couldn't recall any other time the short-tempered and sometimes even brusque farmer was so gentle with anybody. Turning back, Shandra shot an angry glance at Sand. "And next time better take him with you, if leaving."
The elf half-closed his eyes wearily, as Shandra's words were clearly the continuation of an argument that had already taken place before. "We do not have the whole year, my dear," he sighed. "And I cannot be patient when the trail of the criminals gets cold".
"What's wrong?" Adele wondered, not really sure she wanted to know.
"Have you even seen her?!" Shandra snapped at Sand. "The state she is in?! You and your questions…! She's just survived the massacre of her town, saw her friends and neighbours slaughtered! How can anyone…?" she turned to Adele for support, but her voice trailed off in confused understanding as the other woman answered with a grim smile.
"…Yeah, it's horrible, have my word on that," Adele agreed.
…Had I cried this much? Hells, I don't remember… Probably not, had too many stuff dumped on me that night…
"Still," Sand gave voice, "we managed to falter her in her testimony… If we can get her to work for us, her story of tears will sway the court in our favour."
"Yer kiddin', elf?" Khelgar wondered. "The lass got scared out of her mind jest from seein' us."
Well, to think about it, that's exactly why it shouldn't be much of a challenge, - Adele glanced shortly at the doors leading inside. - She's frightened and confused… Just one tiny push in the right direction…
"She's not some… tool, Sand!" Shandra snarled, crashing all Adele's musings. "Leave her alone!"
"Girl," the wizard drawled coldly, "if we do not use your friend, the Luskans will. And they will use her testimony to kill our friend sitting here."
The blonde woman's eyes narrowed: "Don't you dare making me choose between things like that!"
"Sometimes you have to. So please, dispense for the time with your convenient morality".
"Convenient? Convenient?!!" she threw her hands in the air. "Well, fine! Let's do it! Like there's no other way! Why would we even look for it, huh?! Why should we, when we can simply step all over the little people! It's so much quicker, isn't it?"
"I swear," Neeshka muttered under her breath, "I'll strangle that shrill harpy one day."
"Stop," Adele reached up for Shandra's arm, grabbing her elbow firmly, then looked at Sand. "There's no point arguing about it at the moment, anyway. We haven't seen Ember yet. We haven't done anything yet. Might not even need her testimony if the clues would be in our favour," seeing Sand shake his head in tired disapproval, she added, "Or, with enough evidence, we can make her see the truth of what happened. Then no forcing would be needed."
"There is no arguing, my dear," Sand responded. "Just want to make sure we are aware of every possible turn."
"Well, now we surely are," she nodded with a smile and looked back at Shandra, who closed her eyes and dropped her head, rolling her hands into desperate fists. Adele eased her hold on the farmer to rub her arm soothingly. "See? It's gonna be alright."
"…It's just…" Shandra's voice fell to barely audible whisper. "It's just so… I had hard time believing it happened at all, and now…" she wiped the back of her hand mercilessly against her eyes.
…Hells, I'm the one wandering under gallows – and still I'm the one to calm and comfort everybody?
"Oh, look," Qara snorted with her habitual sarcastic joy, "more good news is coming."
Three figures approached from the thinning mist. Indeed, the faces of companions sent to ask the locals indicated that the knowledge they received was far from being pleasant. At least, faces of Casavir and Elanee.
"Well, miss Adele," Grobnar spread his hands in mock wonderment, "you seem to be more famous than most of the bards I know."
"…Damn," the woman breathed out, looking at others. "Are my looks that well-known around already?"
"I'm afraid so," Casavir confirmed. "The crime was horrible. The townspeople are scared. Not only of the slaughter, but of the meaning behind it. They are afraid that what happened at Ember might cause another war."
…No way in the Hells will I have a war on my conscience…
Sand crossed his arms, hiding his hands in the folds of his robe, "Anything else apart from the political observations?"
"There is a witness," Elanee said with sudden bitter irony, so unlike her, "a man called Elgun. He claims he was there during the attack and even tried to stop the murderers."
Adele couldn't help but chuckle grimly: "Dammit, am I the only one who hadn't been there?"
"No," the druidess shook her head, "He hadn't either. We were warned that the man constantly lies about this or that heroic deed he happens to perform only when no one is around."
Sand shrugged: "When the lie is repeated many times, people start to believe it. And if too many times – even the liar himself believes it. My word is that we see this gentleman and make sure he doesn't rave of something potentially dangerous to us."
"Elgun is a regular patron of the local inn," Casavir said. "I suppose we can find him there."
"Sounds like a plan," Adele concluded with a smile, pushing herself off the masonry and jumping down on the ground. The parapet, though, appeared lower than she thought, so her landing ended up being clumsier and less carefree than she intended.
Grobnar, who was watching her all the time, cocked his head to the shoulder: "You look angry, miss Adele."
Damn…
"I am angry, Grobnar," she said evenly, adjusting her cloak. "But that's not important now. Where's this tavern? Can get some gossips there as well."
…and wine…
"Right," Neeshka gave her a clap on the back, just a tad more hard than it should have been were the tiefling indeed optimistic. But nonetheless, Neeshka grinned as they headed down the street. "And if the innkeeper is half as bad as Duncan, we won't have much problems with gossips, bet my last coin on that. All we'll have to do is -"
"You there!" sharp male voice stopped them in mid-step.
They all turned around, but Adele didn't need a divination to guess that the voice was addressing her.
Another soldier, much younger, almost a boy, with summer freckles still sowing his face, pushed his way between the nearby merchant tents, followed closely by a couple of his comrades. Whether they tried to catch up with him or stop him, Adele couldn't tell – but his blazing glare was indeed fixed on her.
"…Dan, I suppose," the woman sighed, suddenly feeling how bloody exhausted she was.
The man stopped for a second, stunned, but immediately pressed further, his sword at ready. Casavir and Khelgar already moved forward, the dwarf reaching for his axe, the paladin shielding Adele with himself.
"What do you want?" Adele asked, simply for the sake of saying something, not because she didn't know the answer.
"What do we want?" the soldier echoed with a bitter laugh. "We want to pay you back for Ember."
"I didn't do it."
"Oh, do forgive me that I don't believe a thing that falls out of your mouth, bitch!"
"Ya watch yer mouth!" Khelgar growled.
"That's no concern of you," Dan spat at him and stared back at Adele.
"Gentlemen, please," Sand drawled, sounding almost exasperated. "You are no judges. Whoever gave you the right to fulfill their duties? I don't think your commander would approve of arbitrariness."
"For all I care about his approval!"
"My, that smells of a tribunal, soldier."
"Does it? What if I'm going to arrest her for… disturbing the peace?" his face twisted into a grin, more of a grimace, distorted in its desperation. "She'll put up resistance, and we'll be forced to kill her."
"And if I won't?" Adele wondered.
"You will."
"Yeah?" the woman reached for her belt, clasping off her scabbard and throwing it to Grobnar standing nearest to her. The gnome caught it with a completely confused look, but didn't move away, and Adele shifted her stance a bit, knowing she would be able to grab the rapier in an eyewink if needed, but hoping her bluff would be enough to end this. "Go ahead."
"Are you all idiots?" Qara sniffed, eyeing the soldiers, who obviously hesitated. "Or you can't count that high to see that you are outnumbered?"
"I don't care," Dan hissed. "I had family in Ember!"
"You think they would have wanted you to become a murderer?" Casavir asked.
"Wh-?" the young soldier glared at him, and his mouth curled downwards in disdain. "Well, I'll be damned. A paladin! What is a paladin doing by her side?"
"This woman is innocent, and I for one have not a single doubt about that."
"…Is she? Then why in the Hells does everyone claim she is the one responsible?!" his eyes darted between them, rage blending with uncertainty, enough for Adele to feel sorry for him.
But not sorry enough to lie on the ground and let him gut her on spot.
"Believe me when I say that no one is as pissed by it as I am," she filtered.
"Whoever is responsible," Casavir added, looking at the soldier, "they will answer for it. But not this woman. Not today and not by your force."
"And you promise me that, paladin?" Dan's glare drilled him to his bones. "Do you swear upon the name of your god that his justice will be served?!"
His face as calm as a stone, Casavir inclined his head curtly, and Adele cast her eyes upwards, on the sky, for a brief second overwhelmed by irrational fear that a lightning was going to strike her companion down. None came.
…Okay, Tyr, I'm going to hold you on your word, too.
"Your grief is strong," the paladin's voice was deep and strangely seizing. "But it will ebb away in time." He nodded at the soldiers flanking Dan, "You still have those who are close to you. Do not trouble the souls of your beloved ones with blood of innocent spilled in their name."
Dan swallowed, hard, and made a step back, acrid tears shadowing his gaze.
"Fine," he said - almost snarled – and turned abruptly on his heels, leaving their band in the middle of the street.
"…Idiot," Qara muttered.
Casavir closed his eyes, rubbing his lids. "It is sad to see how pain can turn one into a blind beast."
"…Yeah," Adele answered, following Dan with her eyes and realizing, that were it her and were she as certain of someone's guilt – she would have attacked anyway.
"This is getting harder than I thought," Sand admitted quietly. He hadn't lost a tiniest bit of his composure during the encounter, but it didn't escape Adele how he rubbed the tips of his fingers together, quelling several sparkles of a prepared spell.
The woman smiled, suddenly caught in the image of Torio Claven in her lavish dress thrown to these soldiers to find her way out with her snake-tongue. Indeed, with every second that passed, Bishop's suggestion of killing the ambassador seemed more and more appealing.
"Whoever did this," she whispered, fetching her blade back from Grobnar, "I swear, I'll rip his face off with my bare hands…"
"Aye, lass," Khelgar said quietly, patting her arm. "And I'll hold him fer ya."
Neeshka, who managed to sneak away towards the merchant's tents sometime during the skirmish, now came back, squeezing a broad-brim hat of soft grey leather in her hands.
"Here," she handed it to Adele.
"…What's this about?" the woman arched her brow at the present.
"Well, since your description is that world-famous…" she gestured at her head. "Sorry, but with your hair it's really hard to make a mistake."
"…Right. Hadn't thought about it. Thanks," she closed her eyes. "Gods, it's so disgusting…"
With a heavy sigh she pulled the hat on, tucking her tail and locks that broke loose under the brims, then looked back at Neeshka – noticing the rogue's hood firmly in place, covering her horns carefully.
"…Yup," the tiefling smirked sadly at her gaze. "Welcome to our club."
Without much thinking, Adele reached for her, dragging Neeshka into a tight embrace, almost squashing her and ignoring the looks of others – bewildered, sad, sympathetic, understanding… Neeshka gave a startled yelp at the strength of her hug, but didn't break loose, after a second of hesitation giving Adele an awkward stroke on the back.
"Thank you," the woman muttered, stepping away.
"Anytime," the tiefling shrugged, smiling slightly, then tilted her head appraisingly and, lifting her hand, turned the brim of the hat upwards on one side. "There. Find a feather, tuck it here – and it'll be even sort of fancy."
"Oh, I'll be sure to do that," she grinned, then glanced around the street, not paying attention to the merchants and commoners eyeing them. "Alright, where's the tavern and that 'hero' who tried to stop me in my despicable crime?"
