Chapter 69: Solonor Appears
Nimbrethil rejoined her companions in camp after a few hours of heavy thinking. She had reluctantly accepted the responsibility for leading her companions against the enemy, whoever they might be, and while she didn't like it, she was determined to do the best she could. Qara had been a thorn in everyone's side since Nim had saved her ass in front of her Uncle's inn. She didn't listen to anyone, couldn't follow directions, and was constantly at swords point with the rest of the group. Still, Nim was of the opinion that people deserved at least one chance to prove themselves. Qara had been given more than one and now enough was enough.
She saw everyone gathered around the fire and saw that Bishop already had several rabbits roasting over it. They all fell silent as she came walking up to stand near them. "We came here for one specifice reason: to find the statues for this ritual that Zhjaeve claims is so important. It will take too long to return to the keep with Qara and come back. Therefore, I have decided to leave Qara here under guard until our business in Arvahn is concluded. I have thought long and hard about who should stay behind as guard and who should accompany me and Zhjaeve."
"I will remain behind with Qara," Elanee said softly. "You have to have Zhjaeve and Sand's skill will probably be more helpful to you." What she didn't say aloud was that she felt the others would not hesitate to torment the girl if left alone with her.
"Very well," Nim nodded and then looked at the rest of them. Bishop, Casavir and Khelgar all had expressions on their face that said clearly not to ask them. Neeshka and Shandra met her eyes and both looked like they hoped she wouldn't ask them. With a silent sigh, Nim turned to the little gnome. "Grobnar, I would like for you to remain with Elanee to help guard Qara. You can help them pass the time by entertaining them with some of your new songs that you've written."
"Why I'd be delighted, absolutely delighted to do so," Grobnar stated enthusiastically. "Indeed, I have just the songs for the occasion too."
Nimbrethil hid her smile at the look of horror on Qara's face. She knew that, despite Grobnar's good intentions, the little bard was better at writing songs than singing them, often hitting a wrong note or two in the process. "Now that we have everything settled, let's eat dinner and get a good night's rest. The group we battled today was the biggest yes, but I suspect that there will be many more in the ruins as well as other unknown threats."
After supper, the companions discussed how to proceed through the ruins, how to deal with any other large groups of goblins and such, and in what direction or order they should search for the statues. Zhjaeve had said there were five, and indeed the first one was right in the area of the day's earlier battle. That would be their first stop in the morning. After setting the watches, the group settled down for a long night's rest, knowing that they were going to need all their strength for what was ahead.
Nim stood before the statue trying to see what about it made it so special. It looked like just an ordinary piece of marble, but she could almost feel an energy of some kind emanating from it. She lightly touched her chest where the scar was, the scar she had had for as long as she could remember. For years she had been told it had been caused by flying debris. It was only recently that she had learned the truth, not only about how she got the scar, but also about how her mother had died. Turning to the zith cleric she saw Zhjaeve staring intently at her, obviously waiting for the elf to do something.
"What exactly am I supposed to do or accomplish here?" Nim asked cooly.
"Know that a ritual was created to unmake the King of Shadows should it be necessary," Zhjaeve answered, her voice calm as always. "The five parts of the ritual must be completed by one person, the person who has the ability to remake the silver sword of Gith. Know that these weapons are the only ones that have any chance of succeeding in destroying our mutual enemy."
Nim said nothing in reply, simply turned to face the statue once more. Up until now she had been able to convince herself that this was just a journey to discover another weapon that could be used. However, if the cleric was correct about everything, then no one else would be able to use the weapons. Nim would be the one and only person simply because she had a piece of Gith's sword in her chest. Or at least that was what Zhjaeve wanted her to believe. Nim approached the statue reluctantly and then stopped about two feet away. She could feel the pull of the statue's power, almost as if it was being channeled along an invisible thread between it and her chest. If she went through with this, then she was in essence sealing her fate and tying her future to a war and a realm she had never wanted any part of. Abruptly turning, Nim stalked away from the area, not yet ready or willing to commit to this course of action.
Bishop watched the elf go and knew that her problem was that she was once again being given no other choice but to do what others wished of her. Nim, like himself, liked to be free to live as they chose, not bound by duty or obligations. This ritual was just one more chain in a long series of chains tying her to this time and place.
"You are the only one that she might listen to Bishop," Casavir said quietly as he came to stand next to the ranger.
"Your point being paladin?" Bishop asked sarcastically, even though he had a pretty good idea where the man was going with the question.
"If Nim does not do this, then it will put everyone at a great disadvantage later when we finally come face to face with the King of Shadows," Casavir answered, managing to keep his tone neutral despite the provocation. "She has not yet accepted this, because she still holds out the hope that she can leave it all behind at a moment of her choosing. That is not going to happen and you know that as well as I do. You can help her through this if you wanted to, if you stopped thinking of just your own wants and needs long enough."
"Yeah well don't expect...," Bishop's voice trailed off as Karnwyr started to growl softly. That was when he noticed how still everything had become around them. Looking over to where Nim stood, he saw the elf was standing stiffly, her ears perked up as if trying to sense some unseen danger. All of a sudden, as if out of thin air, a tall and well muscled elven man dressed in green forest garb appeared on the open grass in front of them. From a branch overhead, he heard Thorondor suddenly start shrieking, and looking up, saw the bird flapping his wings and hopping excitedly. He heard Karnwyr whine and looked down to see the dire wolf almost seeming to cower on the ground, its eyes fixed on the stranger. His companion's reaction was not as surprising as what he saw Nim do next.
Nimbrethil stared at the elven man before her and knew without a doubt that it was Solonor. He had never appeared to her in his elven form, but she knew it was him. Going to one knee, she bowed her head and waited to hear what he wished of her. There was a long silence before she heard him speak.
"You have served me well for decades child of the woods," Solonor began. "What you will face from this point on is far more difficult than anything you can imagine. What I will ask you to do will be the most difficult task I have ever set before you. I know you feel that what threatens the realm of Neverwinter should be their problem and not yours. However, the danger is greater than that. The woods and Mere that you have sworn to protect are also at risk, as is all of nature everywhere. If the King of Shadows is not stopped, then he will cover everything in darkness and all will die under his reign. Already his influence has corrupted the Mere and the creatures within it. It will soon stretch over all of your woods and beyond. "
Nimbrethil looked up into his eyes, her spirit rebelling at his words. She didn't want this responsibility, it wasn't fair to expect it of her. "Why is it that only I can stop him? Why must it all fall on my shoulders? I never wanted nor asked for this!" she snapped angrily.
"Oh my, I believe that is the wrong tone to take against a god," Sand muttered and heard Bishop snort. Turning to glare at the ranger he continued, "Open your eyes Bishop and see, really see, for the first time in your life, what is going on around you. That is Solonor, the god of the hunt, and he is real! Everyone here knows this, including your companion. If Nim annoys him, then he just might remove his favor from her and you have no idea what that will do to her. If she bows to his wishes then she will need your support, not your ridicule."
Bishop glared in return and then looked back towards Nim and the man she was facing. He saw she was now on her feet facing the strange elf and he could tell by the way she stood that she was very upset. Despite everything Sand just said and Nim had told him before, he found it difficult to just accept it as truth.
"I am not asking you to do this for Neverwinter, or even for those who follow you so faithfully," Solonor was saying. "You swore an oath to protect the woods and I am holding you to that oath. Not only will following through on the ritual and everything else stop the threat to them, it will also benefit those places and creatures that are watched over by others such as Mielikki, Rillifane, and Lurue. Because of our ties to each other, my favor that I have bestowed on you will also be honored by them. Even if all of your companions were to leave your side you would not be alone."
"If I decide not to go through with this, to not do as you ask?" Nimbrethil shot back although her voice had lost a great deal of its heat.
"Then you choose to defy me and I will remove my favor," Solonor replied harshly. "You have never before questioned or failed of a task I set for you, even though it has made for some unpleasant dreams. You of course have free will and I cannot and will not force you to do this. However, if you proceed to do other than what is required then you will do so alone."
Nimbrethil felt anger sweep through her and then just as quickly fade away. She had been fighting this from the beginning and it had not done her any good. Solonor's favor had helped her so much over the years and she knew that life would be easier for her with it. His good will was more important to her than anything else and she supposed that she could put up with the rest of her obligations in order to keep it. "Since the alternative is not something I wish to contemplate, then I have no choice but to concede to your wishes my lord," she finally said and bowed before him.
Solonor smiled slightly, glad to have been proven right and chuckling at the thought of the bet he had made with Rillifane that he just won. He had chosen well all those years ago and was now seeing the fruits of his labor. His chosen had a great deal of pride and it was this that was her biggest problem, although having been sheltered from the world around her during her formative years had contributed greatly to her attitude as well. With a final look at the rest of her companions, he stepped back and faded into the trees and was gone.
Turning around, Nim walked back towards the group, her eyes falling on Bishop as she did. She could see by the look on his face that he was trying hard to disbelieve what had just happened and that he was losing the battle. She knew that in time he would accept the truth of the gods existence for he wasn't a stupid man, just a stubborn one, almost as stubborn as she was. "Let's finish what we came here to do," she said firmly and headed back towards the first statue. She took comfort in the presence of the ranger at her back, for she knew that meant she had his full support, something she felt she would not be able to do without from this point on.