Fire and Water

by MorwennaTheWicked

NWN2 & MotB. You know the story. Dee is a ranger sent by her foster father on a quick errand to Neverwinter. She learns the difference between a bad man and a good man then meets someone who isn't a man at all as she tries to save her life and her soul.

17. Finding the Perfect Mount

Chapter 17 Finding the Perfect Mount

(No, not that kind of mount, at least for now.)

Usual disclaimer: Most of Malin's lines are paraphrased from the OC script and are therefore Obsidian's, as are most of the characters except Dee and Cillian, and Ma Birney.

According to the hostler at the stable down the street from the Flagon, the best place to buy horses in the area, and in his opinion, on the whole Sword Coast apart from Amphail, was at Birney's farm outside of Port Llast. Sir Grayson also confirmed that he had bought all of his horses there, so Dee resolved to sell another of her dwindling supply of swords and catch a ship bound for Port Llast that same afternoon. Besides, she told herself, how many swords did she need when it came down to it? She had two favorites that she used most of the time, the short sword enchanted by Elanee and Sand to add fire and acid damage, and the long sword which harnessed the power of lightning and ice. Elanee had also called upon Silvanus to bless it with his godly power. Deee told Shandra, "I can always make more once I'm back at the Keep and mayhap somehow reforge the shards into some kind of sword." Wishful thinking she knew in her heart, but when she held the remnants of the sword in her hands the hope refused to die.

Only Shandra, Casavir, and Elanee were accompanying her, as well as Zhjaeve because Dee didn't want the poor woman stuck in her room after she had already been locked up at the Watch headquarters. As much as she didn't quite trust her yet, (and was annoyed by her insistence on calling her "Kalach-cha" rather than by her name), she also pitied the woman being alone in a strange world. She shared this concern with Elanee who understood being still ill at ease living in the city even after months, thus creating an instant bond between the two. She felt guilty about subjecting the four of them to another half a tenday of travel while the others got to rest, but she needed their help in selecting the horses and getting them back to the city.

In addition, Dee asked Wolf to come along because she wanted to show the lad life outside the city and test her instincts about him. She had allayed his fears about his pack of urchins by asking Neeshka to take charge of them to make sure they had gathered their meager belongings and keep them out of trouble until they returned. She found it sweet that a boy of his age watched over the rest of them as if they were his own children. She also thought it would be good for the tiefling to have some responsibility. Neeshka forestalled any objections from the rest by taking them aside and whispering, "Now, now my sneaky little monkeys, while they're gone it's time to show me what you know and learn a thing or two if you're up to the challenge!" She had promised Dee she would retire after the Collector job, but old habits die hard, and there would be little to keep her skills sharp at the Keep.

Sand and Sal were already preparing to leave, traveling together for safety as well as convenience. Sand couldn't wait to get his hands on the many rare texts in the library, and he had a wagon half filled with crates, barrels, and chests of his equipment and belongings, though Dee suspected that much of it was a decoy and he was making use of at least one bag of holding for the most valuable equipment.

After speaking with Neeshka about the state of the stock of the Phoenix Tail then conferring with Duncan, Sal had bought a few barrels of inexpensive ale and wine and a few cases of spirits, as well as brewing supplies and enough basic foodstuffs to get him started. He also hired a cook, a widow who had helped out occasionally at the Flagon to run his kitchen, and Dee jumped at the chance to hire her sister and daughter to cook for her Greycloaks. Like most poor residents of this part of the city, none of the women had much in the way of possessions worth bringing apart from a few thin feather beds, so they were able to fit everything else into one old, battered trunk held closed with a belt.

Dee thought it prudent to join with a merchant caravan, but none were leaving for almost another tenday, and Sal and Sand were anxious to get to the Keep. Dee pulled Sand aside and voiced her concerns. "I'm really nervous about you going alone without an armed escort. There's been no authority on that road for far too long, and bandits think they run the land. And I've had reports of orcs, bugbears, and trolls."

But Sand simply smiled inscrutably as he traced a delicate finger down her forehead and massaged her between her eyebrows and said, "Dear girl, you're giving yourself a frown line right here much too soon. You should know me well enough by now to know that I have a multitude of spells to hide our passage altogether, or give the illusion that we are not worth bothering with. I can even cast Haste on the horses to get us there faster, though the passengers might object. Perhaps I'll put them into a deep slumber. Do not fret too much about us, dear girl. My biggest problem is going to be getting the dust and horse hair out of my robes again." In truth, as much as he complained constantly about the travel and the peril to his life, Sand was feeling more energized than he had in years, and he relished the thought of casting spells he had not had any use for in decades. There was a purposeful glint in his eye that Dee hadn't seen before. He was as giddy as he had been in the aftermath of the trial as he made his preparations.

Dee chuckled and said, "Good reason to buy sensible traveling robes, my dear Sand. I suppose I should really worry about us traveling without your assistance. I can see it now: Qara being mauled by Elanee in the form of a dire bear after she sets the forest on fire with a fireball thrown in a fit of pique or boredom. We'll see you there, and I'll remember your warning not to get too much of the local culture on my boots in Port Llast."

Sand looked thoughtful for a moment and replied, "Well, you could always drug and gag Qara, or I could give you a wand of sleep to use any time she stirs. If it were me, I'd leave the little girl here, but I suppose she needs minding. Has she said she intends to go with you?"

Dee replied, "No, she's feigning indifference, but I expect she'll declare she's decided we'll be helpless without her powerful spellcasting ability and hop aboard just as we're pulling out. She doesn't have much to keep her here. She's estranged from her father and has no other family to speak of, so I suppose she'll see she's stuck with us." Dee kissed him on the cheek, handed him a letter for Kana introducing Sal and the cooks, and watched as they made the four women as comfortable as they could on top of the rolled up feather beds and blankets in the wagons and settled Sand's cat in its wicker basket under the seat. "Four women?" Dee muttered as she shook her head and counted again. Sal shrugged and said, "She had another daughter, so I decided I could use a maid too." She watched as they set out onto the road leading out of the city until they got out of sight then hurried to meet her companions at the dock.

They set sail at high tide, and as was her habit Dee was leaning over the rail breathing in the fresh sea breeze and watching the city recede with a wide, child-like grin on her face. She beamed and exclaimed, "Isn't this grand?" to Zhjaeve, whose only response was to retch over the side. Thanks to a strong wind from the southwest that blew all that night and the next day with a fierce bite that hinted at the winter to come, they arrived in Port Llast half a day ahead of schedule.

It was a cool evening, and as they walked into town from the dock they decided to stay the night at the Alliance Arms Inn and leave at first light, though Dee grumbled that they should save the coin and camp outside the town. The farm was about a couple of hours' walk south, and with any luck they would conclude their business there and be back in Neverwinter in a few days. "Alright, we'll need three rooms then. Wolf, you can stay with Cas, Shandra with me, and Zhjaeve with El."

Wolf swallowed nervously and pulling her aside, whispered to Dee, "If 'tis all the same, captain, I'll sleep down here in front of the fire or on the floor in your room."

Dee smiled and ruffled his hair as she whispered back, "Don't worry, he won't force you to pray half the night."

Wolf scowled and replied "'Tis not that."

Dee glanced over her shoulder to make sure they were out of earshot and asked, "What is it, lad? You can tell me."

He shrugged and mumbled as he looked down, "Well, I never see him with any women. And there's no way I could fight off someone his size …"

The reason for his reluctance to stay alone with Casavir finally sunk in. "Oh gods, Wolf! He's not like that. He doesn't take anyone to bed, woman, man, or boy."

Wolf flushed with embarrassment. "Sorry, Captain, I just didn't want to be buggered all night..."

She hugged him to her as she was afforded another grim picture of life on the street and whispered, "No one's gonna bugger you unless you want it, alright? You have my word."

He grinned sheepishly and said, "Sorry, miss. I should've known better, especially considerin' the way he looks at you. He's as bad as Bishop, mayhap worse."

As they sat down to a dinner of baked cod with braised turnips and fresh vinegared wild greens, Dee spotted that half-elven ranger who had been Bishop's lover enter the inn and walk to the bar. As Dee struggled to remember her name, the ranger looked around the room, noticing her as well, and nodded. She peered over Dee's table as if searching for someone. "No, he's not here," Dee thought with a smirk as she nodded back. "Malin. That was her name," she suddenly recalled as she buttered a rosemary-flecked biscuit. Dee watched her as she ordered a mug of ale and strode over to sit by the fire.

After dinner Elanee took Zhjaeve with her to visit Nya while Shandra went to see Alaine, who was still living in the town, having nothing to go back to in Ember. Dee stayed behind because even though Alaine knew now that Lorne had been the one who led the attack on Ember, seeing Dee still brought back the horror of that day. Dee walked to the bar with Cillian and ordered a mug of cider, casting a sidelong glance at Malin, who was reclining in an overstuffed chair by the fire with her feet up and appeared to be dozing. The half-elf, who wasn't dozing, glanced up as if sensing her scrutiny and after a moment gestured at the empty seat next to her. Dee shrugged and joined her.

They traded small talk about the weather, the perils of animal companions in towns and cities, and Dee's courage in cutting off her hair (though Dee wasn't about to share the real reason for the haircut with her) as they watched at the fire and sipped their drinks. As they talked they quietly sized each other up with furtive glances, each wondering jealously what Bishop saw in the other, and both of them feeling silly for competing for a male that neither of them wanted. Yet the competition was there, at least on some level.

Finally Malin stated flatly, "Bishop isn't with you…this time." Dee thought she could sense her pleased smugness as she sipped her cider. She was also keenly aware of what Malin meant by "with you."

Dee decided not to take the bait. "Bishop...still travels with us, but I didn't need him to come with us here. Besides, he's his own person. You know how he is," Dee replied diplomatically, giving Malin another sidelong glance and watching as she nodded her understanding of what Dee's statement implied.

"Yes, I know exactly how he is. I was concerned about you when I saw him with you before, whether you believe that or not," Malin replied, turning to face Dee and taking a drink of her ale. "You must have ended it with him. If he had, he would be long gone."

Dee replied with forced civility, "You needn't worry about me. I'm a big girl, and I have good friends who watch over me better than my own kin. I simply realized Bish and I weren't meant to be together. We're too different, for all we have in common. We're like fire and water; there was a lot of heat and steam at first, but..." she sighed then took another sip of her cider. "Honestly, I can't see him settling down with any woman for the long haul, at least not now. He likes variety too much. He values his freedom too much to ever burden himself with a woman or a house full of brats. He runs from the idea of responsibilities as if running from a plague." She punctuated that with an eye roll, feeling somewhat humiliated having to admit to her erstwhile rival that she hadn't been the woman to tame Bishop either.

Malin chuckled darkly and replied, "I'm aware of how steamy things could be with Bishop, at least at first. He's very...skilled, I'll give him that, though with time it becomes more about meeting his needs and less about yours, am I right?" Dee shrugged, not being able to argue with that. Malin took another drink of her ale and looked around as if fearing being overheard then leaned closer and spoke in a low whisper. "Could I ask you though, why is he still with you?"

"You mean, why didn't I send him packing?" Dee asked, meeting her eyes and folding her arms across her chest. "You think me naive to believe we can maintain some sort of friendship?"

Malin nodded and looked at the fire. "Loyalty isn't high on Bishop's list - and he doesn't help anyone unless there's some benefit to him."

Dee frowned and turned away again feeling angry at the need to defend him, and thanking the gods that their relationship didn't end with the rancor that clearly followed his split from Malin. Dee decided that Bishop must have been the one to do the leaving in Malin's case. She spoke carefully and deliberately. "Bish? I don't agree. He does his share. He is a better tracker than I am, a better archer, and a better scout. I admit that, and he admits I'm better fighter when it comes to fightin' up close, and I keep the bad things with swords or claws from gettin' to him." She continued, reciting everything she could think of as if she read from a list titled 'Bishop's Qualities.' "He's a good hunter and helpful in setting up camp quickly too. He also flushed quite a few Luskans out of hiding when we took over Crossroads Keep."

Malin shuddered slightly as she leaned in close again. "Ah, Luskans, I see. That explains everything. Bishop hates them with a passion. It's the only genuine emotion I've ever seen from him. I don't know what they did to him, but it must have been bad. " Malin whispered so they wouldn't be overheard. "The things he's done to them at the border...That's why I couldn't travel with him anymore... but he's good, I'll give him that. Just... just don't turn your back on him, all right? Don't give him a reason to put a knife in it."

Cillian chuffed and nuzzled Dee, sensing her growing agitation, and his small brown eyes narrowed at Malin dangerously. Dee flushed with irritation as she felt compelled to defend Bishop yet again. What was it with this wench, anyway? Yet in the back of her mind she remembered that some of the Luskan corpses bore definite signs of torture, and she also remembered that last night when they came dangerously close to one killing the other. No doubt Malin had a similar experience with him, and that should have bonded the two of them, but it didn't. They should be like old battle comrades comparing scars instead of adversaries.

She spat, "Look, I trust him, alright? That's all that matters. He's done his part and saved my ass more than once. I admit, it's grudgingly most the time, but he does it. I think with time and patience..." She sighed and said, "I will trust him until he gives me reason not to trust him, just like anyone else. I think he's like a dog that's been kicked so many times it's turned mean. I'm under no illusion that he'll be sharing my bedroll again, not without him gettin' a handle on whatever demons from his past that haunt him. But I believe there's a caring person under all that sarcasm; I've seen the other side of him when 'twas just the two of us, and I hope that if we show him friendship and kindness he'll respond in kind. I think he's still around because he wants, nay needs to be part of our pack, though he'd never admit it. He's not the solitary critter he pretends to be."

Malin leaned forward and used her ranger ability to send calming energy towards the bear, not wanting to be mauled this evening by either of them. "Calm down, big boy. I'm a friend trying to help her," she thought. Cillian relaxed a bit but continued to nuzzle Dee. Malin waited to give Dee time to calm down before she continued, adding "I know you must still be feeling raw, and I'm sorry. Believe me, I understand what you're going through. Just be careful. A wild dog will act tamed but might tear your throat out when you let your guard down and go to give him a pat."

Dee stood and Malin sat back, not wanting to get within reach of a mauling by her balled fists. "Why would he stick around then? There's nothing in it for him but constant danger and a chance of a share of whatever loot we find. Maybe you just can't accept that the dog isn't so mean anymore."

Malin replied sadly, "I know him well enough to know he's probably only still around because there's something in it for him, and no offense, but I doubt it's the chance to get back into your bed. You've noticed that he likes variety in bedmates anyway. There's something he wants, or something he needs, and I doubt it's companionship. A man like Bishop, when he makes his move, it's because he's already figured out all the angles to win. By then, it'll be too late to stop him. Don't deceive yourself into thinking he cares about you. He doesn't love anyone or anything but that wolf. Be more careful than I was."

Dee set her mug on the table as she willed her face into a mask of calmness and said curtly, "Thank you, Malin. I'll keep that in mind." She resolved to leave before she lost control of her temper and got them all kicked out. "I have to get to bed. Come on, Cill." She turned and strode rapidly towards the stairs, hoping Malin didn't hear the catch in her voice as she took the steps two at a time.

Malin watched her go, frowning with concern, and muttered, "And I didn't tell you the half of it, but at least I warned you. I just hope you think about it once you calm down."

When Shandra entered their room a short while later, she thought Dee had turned in early. Shaking her head with a chuckle at seeing her cuddled up with Cillian under her bedroll on the floor, she quietly undressed and slipped into the bed. But sleep hadn't found Dee, and wouldn't until long after Shandra had fallen into a deep slumber. When it finally came, she was haunted by disturbing dreams.

In the first, Bishop was running through a dark stone hallway from some faceless terror, and he grabbed her hand as he passed her and tried to pull her along with him. But when she had refused to run and stopped and pulled away and drew her swords, turning to face whatever it was, he shoved her at it and ran on. She awoke gasping for breath and hugged Cillian to her until she calmed down and willed herself back to sleep.

This was followed by a dream about the Keep. There was so much to do, and Kana was demanding she make decisions concerning matters she knew nothing about. The desk was overflowing with documents she had to sign. The stack reached towards the ceiling and was in danger of falling over onto the floor. She couldn't take any more and escaped outside to get her breath. She stepped into a scene of horror—all of her troops lying dead in the field. She staggered back towards the wall as they rose as one and shuffled towards her moaning and reaching for her. She slashed at them with her swords, but they were too many, and they dragged her down, tearing and clawing at her. She awoke stifling a scream and looked over to see if she woke up Shandra, but she appeared to be asleep.

She lay back down and looked at the sky out the window. "Think good thoughts, isn't that what El always says when the bad dreams come?" So she did. She thought about happy times with her friends, shopping in the Merchant Quarter, playing around in the bath, going out for drinks at the Mask, blazing a trail through the forest, even laughing and joking as they washed a stack of dishes at the Flagon. That worked, and she relaxed and gave in to sleep.

This led to a dream in which she was in a room at the Keep playing chess with Casavir, gazing into his blue eyes so much like her own, and he smiled as his knight took her queen then stood and took her hand. He said, "You are in check, my lady." Then the next moment they were making love passionately, exploring each other's bodies with hands and mouths, kissing and caressing as if in a competition to see who could give the other the most pleasure until he took her and was thrusting into her impossibly deep, and she cried out and bit his shoulder as the waves of pleasure came crashing over her. She woke up, covered with sweat to find Shandra and Cillian both sitting up and looking at her with concern.

"Bad dream?" Shandra asked as she sat up holding the dagger she kept under her pillow. "Was it the Githyanki dream again? I still get that one too." She thought, "Especially since Zhjaeve came to stay with us."

Dee flushed scarlet, still shivering and tingling from residual spasms of pleasure, and her heart was pounding so loudly she was sure the whole inn could hear it. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out as she gasped for breath. She pulled the bedroll around herself and lay back against Cillian. Finally she said, "Wasn't that kind of dream, Shan. Oh gods!" She buried her face in her hands, her cheeks feeling like they were on fire.

Shandra laughed. "Oooh! One of those dreams? Must've been a good one, you're glowing." Dee nodded. "That good, huh?" Dee simply nodded again. "Seeing that old lover of Bishop's probably stirred up memories is all. Don't be embarrassed, we all have them."

Dee pulled the blanket over her head and muttered, "Wasn't Bish, and it wasn't a memory either. Gods, Shan! It was so real!"

"Who then," Shandra asked sleepily as she fluffed her pillow and lay back down. Suddenly she sat up and gasped. "Dee! It wasn't!"

Dee replied with a groan, "Aye, it was. I could feel his weight pressing me and the hairs on his chest tickling me. His hips were digging into my inner thighs…he was doing things I didn't think any paladin would do. Oh Shan, I don't even know how to begin to atone for that kind of impure thought."

The next morning as they walked down the road leading to Birney's farm, Casavir wondered why Dee seemed reluctant to make eye contact, and why she blushed and looked away when she did. "She blushes so prettily though," he thought, and he found he couldn't resist deliberately asking whatever came to mind to draw her attention to him, which was focused on Wolf for the most part. As they traveled she pointed out animal tracks and taught him to recognize the calls of the local birds then showed him how to mimic them. Elanee also pointed out common plants to him as they passed that were useful as food or as medicine but considered weeds by most, and Zhjaeve listened raptly to them both. Dee grinned as Wolf pointed out the tracks of a skunk and ruffled his hair. His mind was like a dry sponge tossed into a basin soaking up everything they gave him, and she knew that she had been right about him.

Casavir suddenly stopped and stared up what remained of a road which had been nearly reclaimed by nature, long overgrown with weeds and brush from disuse. The only sign that it had been a road at all was the remnants of wagon wheel ruts that scarred the land. She asked, "What's wrong, Cas?," as they sprang into action. Dee strode over to line up beside him with Cillian and Shandra, drawing her swords and motioning Wolf to the back with Elanee and Zhjaeve, who both began chanting protection spells. Wolf gasped as Elanee touched him and his skin turned gray and became hard as stone. He nocked an arrow to the short bow Grobnar had lent him, frightened but ready to use it if he had to and hoping he didn't hit one of the others. Cillian raised up next to Dee on his hind legs with his forelegs extended in the attack posture, sniffing the air in confusion.

Casavir flushed and replied as she neared him, "It is nothing, my lady...Dee. Forgive me. I think I recognize that tree, the huge old oak with the branch that curves down. The village where I was born must be over that hill." He had a raw, scalded look as if he was reliving painful memories.

Shandra raised an eyebrow. "I didn't know there was any kind of village around here, and I came through here every year on my merchant runs. It's not any map I've seen."

Dee could feel the pain that rolled off him in waves, and her suspicion about his shyness being caused by some terrible trauma during his childhood was confirmed by his stony silence as he stared at the ruined road. She put her hand on his arm and said softly, "I didn't know, Cas....you've never said anything about your family....I always assumed from the way you speak you were from the city, from one of the noble manors in Blacklake. We'll stop by if you would like to...do you have kin there still?" But she could tell by his stance that he had no desire to go down that road.

He replied without looking at her, and a cascade of words trickled out of him like when a spring choked with mud and debris suddenly bursts forth. "It was too small a village to appear on most maps, Shandra. It was called Duskhollow, but there's nothing left of it now. None…of my immediate family lives. There was a virulent pestilence that struck the village when I was but seven; my parents, grandparents, my three brothers and indeed most of the village succumbed. It had already struck in Mirabar and Luskan and in some other villages, though none as bad as in Duskhollow. My father was the village headman, and he sent four men out in every direction for aid. Two of them died of it before they got five miles away. The other two were more successful. When word got out, people...strangers for the most part, came from other villages and set light to everything."

He breathed raggedly and continued in a hoarse whisper. "Those of us who survived were rounded up and kept in isolation in tents under armed guard until we were deemed no longer a threat, yet they feared to come near even to see to our basic needs. There was little food…It was very cold, and some survived the pestilence only to die of the cold."

Dee took his hand, feeling overwhelmed by the horror. "That must have been when you were sent to the temple? How many years has it been since you've been back here? Come, we could at least go pay our respects to your family, Cas."

He stood as if rooted to the ground as she moved to lead him to the road and replied grimly, "No! There might still be remnants of the pestilence there, despite the fire, and I would not put you...any of you at risk. My family...is no longer there."

Dee sensed that there was so much more he wasn't telling them and said quietly, "Nevertheless, let us honor them with a silent prayer." They paused, praying to their respective gods as a sudden autumn shower rolled in, and all but Zhjaeve stepped under the shelter of the trees until it passed.

Dee, standing beside him and still holding his hand (or was it that he was still holding hers?), leaned closer to his ear and said in a barely audible whisper, "If you would like to talk about it at any time, Cas..."

He whispered back, "I appreciate that, but it is...too difficult to speak of these things. Please understand. Perhaps another time." The sudden squall blew over as fast as it had started, and he dropped her hand and stepped out of the trees and back on to the road.

Dee sighed and motioned the others on. "Come on, let's move out." She suddenly felt profoundly ashamed that she complained so much about Daeghun and her childhood. In retrospect, other than Daeghun occasionally leaving her with the Starlings while he disappeared into the swamp to hunt, other than the reserve he always maintained between them, she was beginning to realize that she really hadn't had as unhappy of a childhood as she had always imagined.

They reach the Birney farm near midday. There were dozens of horses of every color in a large pasture that bordered the road, more horses and more varieties of horse than any of them had ever seen, or even knew existed, and they paused to watch them in wonder. Dee hailed a young man sitting on a fence was watching mounted horses being trained to respond to guidance by the rider's knees as the riders charged with lance and sword at practice dummies, and he directed them to a tall, raw-boned middle aged woman dressed in rough hempen work clothes and a leather apron who was coming out of a barn. The woman had hair of such a ludicrously vivid scarlet that it was surely dyed, and it was piled up on her head and falling in coquettish curls about her ears. She was barking orders to several of her stable hands, who scrambled to obey.

Dee strode over and produced a letter of introduction from Sir Grayson and introduced herself. "You are Lady Birney?" she asked. She gave an awkward curtsy and handed her the letter.

The woman eyed her as she broke the seal and read it over. She snorted and said, "One of his squires, eh? Well, if Duckie vouches for you, that's good enough for me. And call me 'Ma'. I hate that lady crap. I take it you're looking for horses that won't shy away from battle. The saddles and tack are included in the price. Just try to keep my little loves alive, that's all I ask."

Dee chuckled, liking her already. "Aye, and I'd appreciate it greatly if I could hire away one of at least one of your stable hands as well to take care of 'em. Duckie? No doubt there's an interesting story behind that name, and I can't wait to hear what it is."

The woman grinned and said, "Well mayhap I'll tell it to you over a pint tonight after supper. My third boy, Harm, would serve you well enough as a stable master." She nodded over at the youth sitting on the fence.

"Harm?" Dee asked, raising an eyebrow and glancing at the youth.

Ma Birney shrugged. "Short for 'Harmony.' No worse than havin' a bear called 'Kill.'"

Ma ordered a series of sturdy riding horses to be brought out for their perusal. Dee thought they could get by with half a dozen horses since she rarely traveled with all of her companions at the same time. Her first consideration was a sturdy, shaggy-haired painted mountain pony that would do for Grobnar or Khelgar to ride. Then Dee rejected several horses out of hand simply because they were too skittish around Cillian and Naloth.

Dee selected a matched pair of lively dappled gray mares that Elanee immediately singled out as suitable for herself, Sand, or Neeshka. Ma Birney chuckled and said, "Lady Falmor will be none too pleased if I sell you those two, but they're too good of horses to spend their days waiting to pull her carriage, and she'll most likely as not want to replace 'em next season with whatever color is in style at the time anyway, so screw her. They're yours." Shandra was smitten with a chunky blue roan gelding and led him around in circles to try him out. Ma had refreshments brought out as they waited for more stock. After a few minutes, a skinny man who bore a strong resemblance to Ma (other than the flaming red hair) came running around the corner, leading a long legged palomino mare so pale golden in color she was almost white. Dee gasped. She grinned at Dee and said, "Name's Blossom. She reminded me of you, so I had Dirk fetch her. Fifteen and a half hands, and loves to be ridden by a someone in armor."

Dee was so enthralled with the horse that Shandra's chuckle and salacious comment, "Aye, sounds like Dee, at least in her dreams" barely registered, but Casavir heard it, involuntarily glanced at Dee and blushed. Ma laughed loudly as she looked Casavir over like a hungry cat eying a fish left unattended. She nodded towards Dee and winked at Shandra, who shook her head less than discreetly and mouthed the word 'paladin' with a shrug.

Dee was oblivious to that as she took the lead and ran her hand down the horse's neck and withers and appraised her carefully, "Aye, she's a beauty. Seems you've been savin' the best for last, Ma." Dee threw a blanket over her back and with a leg up from Wolf, mounted her and led her around, grinning from ear to ear. She leaned over and whispered in the horse's ear, "Well met, Blossom. We're going to get along just fine, I hope." But she had to pass the final test. Dee whistled Cillian over. The horse eyed him nervously, but held her ground as the bear stared her down. After a few minutes, Blossom tossed her head and nickered a greeting and Cillian snorted in boredom and went to lie in the shade.

Dee reluctantly dismounted Blossom and allowed her to be led to the others and eventually selected a couple of chestnut and dun mares. She talked Wolf into trying out the former and Zhjaeve into giving the latter a go, despite her protested cry of "Know that I have never ridden upon such a creature, Kalach-cha!"

She was interrupted by the sound of a horse neighing loudly in distress, and they turned to see what was wrong. Four of Ma's hands were straining at ropes and struggling to get a huge stallion, black as night, under control, but he was rearing, bucking, and fighting to get away. Ma cursed and stalked over. "That's it, there's nothing for him but to geld him! 'Thunder,' hells, he should've been called 'Demonspawn." The stallion jerked his head sharply and pulled one of the men holding the ropes to the ground then charged another and managed to break free. He ran towards them at a full gallop, and everyone scattered but Dee and Casavir, who fearlessly stood his ground with his hands held up. Elanee stopped and began chanting a Hold Animal spell.

The horse reared up and neighed, and Dee feared that Casavir was about to get trampled if Elanee didn't get her spell off in time. But it paused, neighed more quietly, and dropped back to the ground and stood there as Casavir slowly stepped forward and closed the gap between them. Elanee paused in mid spell yet watched the horse closely. Dee edged a bit closer as well and waved off the stable hands cautiously approaching from the rear lest they spook it again. Casavir continued until he was standing right before the stallion and looking directly into its eyes, then he reached up slowly and stroked its neck gently. "You're no demon, are you boy?" The horse snorted and tossed his head in response. Dee watched open-mouthed as he leaned forward and laid his head against the horse's shoulder like he was greeting an old friend. He turned to Dee, beaming as she had never seen before and asked, "Can I take him?"

Dee smiled at him and said a soft prayer of thanks to Tyr. She wondered if the god sent all his paladins their warhorses in such a dramatic way. "Doesn't look like he's givin' you a choice, Cas."

Ma came up beside her and said in disgust, "I'll give you that one for half cost, but I have to warn you he's been nothin' but trouble. Almost no one can ride him, and he's injured no less than three of my hands." She paused and stared as Casavir effortlessly vaulted onto the stallion's back then cursed under her breath and shook her head in disbelief. "Sixteen hands, and Lord Nasher's favorite charger is his sire. He's such a perfect beast I meant to keep him for breeding stock, but...I still think he's dangerous, so I suggest you have him gelded when you get to your keep to settle him down. Your druid should be able to control him until then."

Casavir growled tersely, "Thunder will not be gelded!" Thunder neighed in agreement and nuzzled Casavir.

Dee replied, "Nay, a creature that magnificent will not be gelded; I am determined about that." As she walked up slowly and held out her hand to the stallion, she realized she wasn't altogether sure of which of the two she was speaking.