Chapter 17

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Tifre had always imagined a life of adventure. She thought it might involve battling dragons, sailing with noble pirates, maybe rescuing damsals in distress. But Malark taught her that a good part of keeping the Gorgostone safe was just about constant moving. Never staying in one place very long, never getting too close to anyone. A part of Tifre wished it did involve constant fighting, it would give her less time to think about all she had left behind. Malark remembered well the pain of leaving his own parents behind, all those years ago. He tried to help Tifre through this. She had given up everything to help complete his mission, he owed it to her to be her friend. Tifre and Malark wandered through the known world for three years. They saw much of Mystera, the Republic of Darokin, and even returned to her original homeland of Faerun. Tifre had grown up in a simple fishing village, she was amazed by the glamour of Darokin. The marketplace, the theatres, even stadiums for sporting events. Malark warned her to stay away from the halls of drink and chance, but she couldn't resist. The alcohol did not agree with her, and she vomited. Malark payed for their meals with cons. He was better at dice and cards than he let on, and eventually taught Tifre these skills. She also learned how to snatch from the dummy with bells, just as her father had once done for his family. Sometimes they worked as laborers, other times they had to steal to survive. They were always one step ahead of the law. Malark also taught his apprentice how to fight, how to wield weapons, one day she might need this skill. There were occasionally conflicts between the various principalities, Liam apparently hadn't succeeded in completely uniting them. Always Tifre and Malark tried to blend in, not call attention to themselves, stayed neutral in local conflicts. During this time they heard of a conflict in Glantri, it seemed that the Trogolodites had once again taken the island from the Orks. Doc would be okay, either side needed doctors after all. But others whom Tifre had considered friends, they could have died defending the island. Tifre hoped her parents would be okay, they always tried to stay neutral in those conflicts. But Tifre couldn't be certain. And she feared if she ever went back to Glantri, her parents might talk her into abandoning her noble quest. One day, as they were in the forrests of Faerun, Tifre and Malark saw a young man running very fast. He barely noticed them, he just had to get away from whatever might be chasing him. Although they seldom got involved in such things, Tifre couldn't help but see something. An old man, wearing the uniform of a Harper, and he was wounded. Tifre couldn't help but give him some of her water. Malark had taught her first aid, which she used on this man. He was grateful, and there was something familiar about this man. Tifre wondered, was this the same Harper who had chased her parents, all those years ago? He was older than she imagined, but then it had been nearly 20 years since that flight.

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Harper: Thank you for your help.

Tifre: I don't like to get involved, but why did that man stab you?

Harper: He is a desserter, and a spy. We believe he was also giving information to spies from Darokin.

Tifre: A Harper betraying their oath, I don't think I've ever heard of that.

Harper: It is rare, but yes it does happen.

Malark: Perhaps he was upset about how you forced this life upon him.

Harper: Perhaps. It is not an easy life, but a neccessary one. I too was seperated from my family and trained in the ways of the warrior, all to protect the world from Gorgos.

Tifre: I was once destined to be a Harper, but my parents fled out of love for me.

Harper: Unfortunately, you're now too old to be trained to be one of us.

Tifre; What's it like, living as a Harper?

Harper: From the moment we are brought in as infants, we are indoctrinated into the Order's beliefs, and its methods. From the age of three we are trained as warriors. At 9 we are deliberately given less food than we need, we are expected to steal from local farms. If we are caught we are disciplined, not for stealing but for being clumsy enough to get caught. At 18 we typically apply for membership in one of the military fraternities, failure to get less than unanimous approval is a dishonor.

Tifre: Wow, I didn't realize there were any divisions among the Harpers. I also thought you guys were too honorable to steal.

Harper: Yes, our reality doesn't always live up to our reputation.

Tifre: Are you really prohibited from ever taking a wife or lover.

Harper: Somewhat. We do sometimes take unnoficial lovers. We sneak out at night, make love to them, and then return before sunrise. This helps us develop stealth.

Malark: So, when you say you "take" a lover, how consensual is it on the woman's part?

Harper: I have never raped a woman, but yes others do. Our leaders encourage us to make love to others of the same sex within the Order.

Malark: And if your women do get pregnant?

Harper: They do not, our doctors make certain that cannot happen.

Tifre: Do you ever get to retire?

Harper: If we get to the age of 65, we are relieved from active duty. But we still train the younger generation, and we are expected to train in the reserves.

Tifre: Sounds like a hard life.

Harper: It is. Perhaps you should be grateful that your parents love for you caused them to flee.

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Tifre was indeed grateful to her parents, they had given her the freedom to choose her own destiny. She might have chosen a hard life, but it was her choice. Somehow she had thought of the Harpers as honorable warriors. Maybe they thought of themselves as such, but even this one admitted that their order had some serious flaws. Malark and Tifre left Faerun shortly after this and returned to Mystera. It wasn't long before they found themselves on an Ork ship. They had agreed to be laborers in exchange for safe passage. These Orks were refugees, the Trogolodites had taken their home and they'd resorted to piracy. The captain somehow knew, or at least suspected, that they had a piece of the Gorgostone. Perhaps it was the way Malark always kept this tiny stone on him at all times. This pirate captain was desperate enough to murder these two passengers and try and sell this stone. One night, during a terrible storm, the pirates tried to murder Tifre and Malark. These two put up a good fight, but the pirates greatly outnumbered them. Malark was mortally wounded. He threw Tifre the stone and told her to jump off the ship. He had taught her that the stone's power could save her at times, as it had saved him when they first met. It was hard to abandon her mentor, but he had taught her that their own lives were insignificant, they stayed alive only as long as they could protect the stone. He was willing to die to prevent Gorgos from ravishing the land, she had an obligation to make sure he didn't die in vain. So Tifre jumped off the ship and trusted that the stone would keep her alive. She had to survive now, for it was now her duty to find her own apprentice.