Chapter 49: Unpleasant Revelations
Shandra sat at a table in the Flagon eating lunch with Casavir and Sand. They had returned to Neverwinter three days ago and immediately upon arriving, Nimbrethil had gone off with Bishop and their companions, presumably to hunt. She knew they just wanted to be alone with each other for a while, but there were things that needed to be discussed. Shandra and Elanee had both tried talking with Nim on the return trip but the girl had been uncommunicative. Of course, that was probably because of the news Sand had shared with her that last night in camp. She hadn't been happy with what he had said and had withdrawn inside herself once again. It was impossible to tell what she was feeling or thinking because she was so good at masking her emotions. It was scary how much like the old Nim she was now, and here everyone had thought that she was becoming more open. Hah!
"You are scowling again Shandra," Sand pointed out. "Still thinking about our wayward elf and her behavior on the trip home are you?"
"Well it's not as if I can ignore how much ground has been lost with her," Shandra snapped at him. "I don't know why you felt the need to dump all that crap on her about this mysterious King of Shadows so soon."
"Waiting to tell her would not have made any difference in her reaction and we would be at this point anyway," Sand retorted.
"At least she has had time to think about what she has learned," Casavir interjected in a calm voice. "I believe that when she does finally return you will see that she has accepted what she cannot change and be ready to move ahead. I also don't think that any ground has been lost and you are worrying for no reason."
"Nim takes her sweet time coming to decisions, and she tends to withdraw from others when she is thinking hard about something," Sand murmured. "I believe it is a good sign when she does not talk to us, it means she is taking the situation seriously."
"What about Bishop and his reaction?" Shandra asked. "Remember that I overheard a conversation between them about taking off, finding some place where no one knows them. He's with her and I'll bet he's doing his damndest to get her to run off with him."
"You are worrying over nothing," Casavir told her soothingly. "He wasn't able to convince her to leave before, and he won't be able to do so now."
"Well, at least not at this point in time certainly," Sand agreed. "The girl is no fool, and she knows now that she cannot go it alone. Bishop's skills are the same as hers and therefore he would not be able to give her an edge over these potential enemies. She needs us as much, if not more, than we need her, plain and simple. She will not run off until her task, whatever it is, is finished. Then she will go back to her woods and that is the last anyone in Neverwinter will hear of her."
"I wish I could be as certain of that as you are," Shandra couldn't keep the worry out of her voice.
"I am not absolutely certain, mind you, but really what other choice does she have?" Sand persisted. "She has none and in my opinion that is what bothers her the most. She will keep walking the path she is on becuase there is nothing else she can do. In the future circumstances may change and that would be the time to worry."
"Is something wrong Shandra?" Duncan had come over to the table. "You've barely touched your lunch," he said, not quite able to hide the fact he was a little miffed about it since he had made it especially for her.
"She is worrying about Nim," Sand answered. "She believes that the girl will run off with Bishop and not come back." Sand saw the anger cloud Duncan's face and could have kicked himself for mentioning the man at all.
"I honestly wish I never enlisted his help in the first place," Duncan growled as he sat down with them. "I should have realized that Nim would be just as capable of tracking the gith as he was."
"While you are wishing, wish that Neverwinter had never fought the King of Shadows at West Harbor," Sand muttered. "That is really what started this whole mess in the first place."
"What I don't understand is how she can be with a piece of scum like him when she could have had someone like you Casavir," Duncan looked at the paladin and saw his face flush a little, whether in anger or embarassement it wasn't clear.
Nimbrethil stopped in the shadows behind the fireplace. They had returned just a few minutes ago, and while Bishop started cleaning the buck they had killed, she had gone looking for her uncle to let him know they had been successful in their hunt. Hearing Bishop's name mentioned caused her to pause so she could hear what they were saying about him.
"She obviously sees something in him that the rest of us don't," Shandra shook her head, bemusement and a little disgust in her voice.
"I don't know what that could be," Duncan also shook his head. "You can trust him only as long as your gold lasts. She's a meal ticket for him, and nothing she does or says will change that fact. He never stays with any woman for very long, either because he gets board or they just can't stand having him around for that long. Deaghun is going to have my hide when he finds out about it."
"Well I can understand the attraction, they do have a great deal in common, seeing as how they are both rangers," Sand pointed out.
"Yes, but where Nim has a good heart, Bishop's is cold, dark, and hard," Duncan. "Don't forget, he used to work for Luskan, and I've heard the stories about him and how he was part of an assassination squad. You are the better choice by far Casavir and Shandra has told me that you care for my niece, that you probably have since you came back to Neverwinter with her."
"Is that what you have over Bishop's head, or is it something else?" Shandra asked.
"I saved his life is what I did, but if I had known then what I know now, I would have left him in the woods to die," Duncan growled out.
Nimbrethil was suddenly glad that she had learned at a young age to control her emotions for she managed to hold back a gasp upon hearing those words. How dare they talk about Bishop and her like this? And just how had Duncan saved his life? Did it have something to do with the scars on his body? Maybe after this she would be able to get Bishop to tell her his side of the story. There must be more to it than Duncan was saying. As for Casavir caring for her, what nonsense was that? He felt he owed her, that's all, wasn't it?
"Yes, I care what happens to her," Casavir responded. "But she has made her choice, whether we like it or not, agree with it or not. Bishop is not to be trusted, but she'll find that out one day. Hopefully, it won't destroy her."
"Perhaps if she knew how you felt about her it would get her to realize that there are better choices than the walking slime she's with," Duncan persisted.
"Duncan, the last thing our little group needs is more tension," Sand said sternly. "Bishop is already suspicious and jealous of Casavir, it is why he is always baiting him. Do not add fuel to the burning coals or you will start a fire that will burn us all."
"Casavir is the better man but my niece doesn't see that," Duncan grumbled.
"Says who?" Nimbrethil snarled, unable to keep quiet any longer.
"Nim, you're back," Shandra jumped up from the table and then paused as she saw the emerald eyes were filled with anger, an anger directed at her uncle.
"Uh, how long you been there Nim?" Duncan shifted uncomfortably under his niece's gaze.
"Long enough," she growled and then turned her angry glare upon the rest of them. "How dare you?" she hissed furiously. "How can I believe you care about me when you criticize and talk about me and Bishop behind our backs?"
"We were not criticizing you Nimbrethil," Sand said in a calm voice, trying vainly to blunt some of the anger radiating from the girl.
"By belittling Bishop and putting him down, you are criticizing me and my choices," Nim spat. "You have all hated him since the day you met him and have never even tried to be nice to him, not even for my sake. That is the kind of prejudice that I have learned to expect from humans, but not from another elf, or those who I thought were my friends."
Shandra was trying to think of something to say when she looked over Nim's shoulder and met the amber eyes of Bishop. They were filled with a strange emotion as he listened to Nimbrethil defending him, and there was a slight smile on his lips.
"Ah, your so called friends have shown their true colors have they?" he drawled as he stepped up to her side and put his arm about her waist.
Before anyone could say anything more the front door opened and Khelgar, Neeshka, and Elanee entered, followed closely by Nevalle. They had been out spending some of their share of the loot and met him coming back. Spotting Nim, Khelgar dropped his packages on a table and hurried forward. "Hey you're back finally," he boomed out.
"Do you feel the same way as the others do Khelgar?" Nimbrethil growled at him.
"Heh? What's eating you?" Khelgar stopped, puzzled at the anger he could see in her face. That was when he saw how tense everyone else was.
"Do you feel that Bishop is scum and that I should be with anyone but him?" Nimbrethil snarled and then turned her glare upon the others. "How about you Neeshka, or you Elanee?" They didn't answer, just simply stared at her in confusion, not sure what they had walked in on.
"Nimbrethil that's not fair, attacking them like that," Shandra protested.
"Not fair? NOT FAIR?" Nimbrethil yelled, her anger breaking over them in waves. "Is it fair of you to talk behind our backs? Is it fair to be nice to my face and then stab me when my back is turned? And you say Bishop is untrustworthy," she sneered. "At least he tells me what he thinks and feels to my face. In my book that makes him the most honest one of the group."
"Hey, you know I don't care about such things Nim," Neeshka piped up, her voice squeaking a little with nervousness. "I mean, with my past and my heritage I kinda know how it feels to be looked at with dislike and hatred. You've never treated me that way, but I know how it feels, trust me," she said, with a sideways glance at Khelgar and Nevalle. To everyone's surprise, the tiefling's words seemed to mollify Nimbrethil somewhat, for she seemed to untense slightly.
Nevalle felt that now was the best time to interrupt, so he stepped forward to address the girl. "Squire, I wish that I had the time to let you settle this right now but I have some information for you that is quite urgent. Please, follow me," he said and turned towards the door, preparing to step outside.
Nimbrethil was still seething, but right now she was so disgusted with them that all she wanted was to get away and Nevalle was giving her an escape. "Sure, let's talk," she growled and went to the door, opened it and stepped outside.
Bishop leaned back against the fireplace and watched her go, still feeling a little bemused at the way she had stood up for him. He couldn't remember anyone, ever, taking his side in anything before. It also seemed like the fiendling was on his side, sort of. It wasn't something he had expected. Actually, he didn't know what he had expected. He saw the others peeking in his direction from time to time and relished the looks of discomfort and embarassement on their faces. They just stood there in silence, not meeting his eyes. He had guessed that they talked about him behind his back, and in all honesty he didn't give a rat's ass if they did or not. But Nimbrethil did care and it would be interesting to see what happened when she returned. With a grin on his face, he headed back to the kitchen to finish cleaning the buck.
"You know, I may not be the smartest person in the world, but I know better than to call someone my friend and then talk about them when they're not around," Neeshka finally broke the silence. "I'm guessing that's what happened here. Next time you want to have a bitch session, make sure you do it somewhere Nim can't sneak up on you," she sniffed and then turned and headed towards the back rooms. She had a feeling that when Nim got back she wouldn't want to talk to the others for a while, but maybe she would talk to her.
Elanee just stared at them for a moment and then asked simply, "What happened here?"
Shandra related what they had been discussing and saw Khelgar roll his eyes while Elanee's shoulders slumped. When she finished there was a long silence.
"I would say that you just lost whatever ground you had gained with her, " Khelgar grumbled. "It's one thing to discuss Bishop and the things he does that are out of line when they are not nearby. It's another thing entirely to say that Nim should dump him because you don't like him for whatever reason, especially where you can be overheard. I would have thought such things beneath you Casavir. And Duncan, she's your niece, the only family you've got left besides your half brother. She's made her choice and you should be supportive of her, regardless of your feelings, and be there if things go wrong not trying to break them up. "
"I hope that you have not completely destroyed her trust," Elanee added. "I would recommend that all of you apologize to her, and Duncan you should apologize to Bishop as well."
"You can't be serious!" Duncan exclaimed. "What I said about Bishop wasn't nice, but truth hurts you know. Besides, I know that you have discussed Bishop and his behavior amongst yourselves.
"I am very serious," Elanee replied somberly. "Right now Nim is very angry and very hurt. Apologizing is the only way you will be able to start mending the fence again. Whether or not she will ever trust you or believe in you again, well, only time will tell us that. As for what you said being true, I have to wonder how much of it really is, and how much of it stems from jealousy or prejudice. As for the conversations we have had on the road, we have never come out and condemned Bishop in the way you have, and they have always been about things he has done and said, not rumors or supposition. We have also never said anything unless we were certain they could not hear us."
Casavir felt guilt sweep through him, for he had once again let personal feelings cloud his judgement. It was true what they said, Bishop hadn't really done anything since being with them, besides behaving like an ass, to warrant such treatment. They had taken their cue from Duncan and run with it and never tried to be nice to him. "You are correct, and I will apologize to both of them when Nim returns," he said finally.
"Casavir, come on," Duncan protested.
"No Duncan, we will all have to apologize," Shandra said softly, placing her hand on his arm. "It will probably be the hardest thing we ever have to do, but if we don't then Nim probably won't speak to us ever again. She might even tell us to hit the road and I know none of us wants that."
Watching from the bar counter, Qara felt a small smile quirk her lips. It was about time someone put those snooty, uptight, know it alls in their place. She also realized that if she played her cards right, then she would be able to gain ground with the elf and get out of this dump once and for all. They all had pretty much ignored her since she'd been here, but now she had the chance to change that, for Nim would most likely want someone new to talk to. Still smiling she began to plan exactly how she would accomplish her objectives, for this was something that could not be rushed.