CHAPTER II
DISGUISE AND CONFUSION
All the while, the others were busy planning a rescue attempt. They
decided the first logical thing to do would be to go to Hurshtown, and
see if anything could be discovered there. The problem then, was how to
sneak a dwarf, an elf, and an archmage into a city occupied by the Thenic
Republic. After mulling the problem over, Merri came up with an idea,
though she knew that it would be pleasing to none.
"If we have the proper documents, I think I know how to get into
the city." She informed the others as they gathered.
"That's great!" Felin cried, "How do we get these documents?"
"That's the easy part. We forge them. If our documents look like
they're valid, the border guards won't bother to check." Merri replied,
'Especially if I add a little psionic influence to things', she added to
herself.
"So if we just hand them our papers, they'll overlook the fact that
they're talking to an elf, a dwarf, and a mage? That doesn't sound like
the guardsmen I remember." Palas commented doubtfully.
"Well, that's the hard part." Merri admitted, "We have to make it look
like we're a merchant family just returning from a trading trip into Cosan."
"And how are we going to manage that?" Palas asked.
"Well, you shall play my younger sister. We'll dye your hair black
and arrange it to hide your ears. A little makeup will cover your elven
fairness, and nobody will ever guess that you're an elf. Jolan will be
our elderly father... I have a few ideas how to prevent them from
suspecting that he's a mage."
"What about Felin?" Palas asked.
"Yeah, what about Felin?" The dwarf echoed.
"Jolan, how long will it be before her hair is back to its normal
color?" Merri asked, ignoring the dwarf.
"Well, her hair should only have a few stray gray hairs in about a
week. Those can be plucked."
"Hello! I'm standing right here!"
"Good. Now... Ouch!" Merri hopped up and down on one foot for a few
minutes, rubbing the spot on her shin where Felin had kicked her.
"I don't like being talked over." Felin said bluntly. "I get the
feeling that I'm not going to like what you have in mind. What role do
I get to play? Cousin? I don't think anyone would believe that I'm
closely related to either of you. Well... maybe Jolan." Merri looked
uncomfortable. "I'm really not going to like this, am I?"
"No, probably not."
"Well, what is it then? No sense dragging it out."
"I was thinking we could probably pass you off as a child." Felin's
eyebrows seemed to disappear into her hair, so far did they rise.
"Me? You have to be kidding. Nobody would believe that I'm your
daughter!"
"I wasn't really thinking daughter... more like... nephew."
"It doesn't matter, either way, nobody would ever believe I'm a
human child... ever seen a human kid with a beard?" Merri just looked
at her, and Felin's eyes grew wide as she finally understood. "No, oh
no, nononono, you can just forget it. That's not going to happen."
"Look, Felin... it's okay, really." Palas said, "I swear, I won't
even make any jokes about it. Honest to gods, I won't."
"NO, and that's final!" Felin said, her hands reaching up to cover
her beard protectively.
"Felin..." Palas began again, but Felin ran out of the room as fast
as her legs would carry her. "I'll go talk to her." She offered.
"Perhaps it would be better if I went." Merri suggested. Palas gave
her a dirty look.
"You don't think I can be tactfull about it, do you?"
"I just don't think you understand how much her beard means to her."
"I'm familiar with dwarven society, Merri." Palas said, rolling her
eyes, "She's not the first dwarf I've known."
"Then why do you tease her about it so much, if you realize how
much it means to her?" Merri asked, then favored her with a meaningful
look, "Or perhaps that's why you do it?" Palas couldn't
find an answer for that.
"I can't say that I can really blame her." Jolan said, "I'm not a
dwarf, but I wouldn't want to shave either. One does get used to having
it." Merri nodded.
"Yes, but I don't think either of you understands. It isn't just
hair to her, it's a symbol of her adulthood. Dwarves aren't treated
with any sort of adult respect until they have a beard. To be smooth-faced
is the ultimate embarrassment for a dwarf. Can you see why she doesn't
want to shave?" Merri got the feeling that Palas already understood this.
Her reaction to Felin's situation seemed strange, as though she were
somehow angry or resentful toward the hapless dwarf. Merri was hesitant
to invade the privacy of Palas's mind, the more so because the elf was a
magess, and much more likely to sense the intrusion, but Merri needed to
understand what was going on. With Palas, one could never be sure of her
motivations. She decided to risk it.
Merri brushed lightly across the surface of Palas's thoughts, catching
a vauge and confusing tangle of emotions that was characteristic of the
adolescent elf. 'Sweet Shani!' Merri thought, 'The girl is jealous!' That
Palas might envy Felin's situation had never occured to Merri, but in hind-
sight it seemed obvious. Palas was forced to keep her childish side
constantly repressed, and here was Felin, being forced to take on the role
of a child. Merri decided that she and Palas would have a talk later. In
the meantime...
"Palas, I just don't think that you should be the one to talk to her.
I know that the two of you are friends, but most of the time you act more
like adversaries. I understand that's just your way of getting along, but
right now, it makes you the last person who should talk to her. Do you
see what I'm getting at?" Palas sighed, and nodded.
"I suppose so." Merri smiled.
"Don't sound so down. You can stay here and talk Jolan into his part
of things." Jolan looked quite alarmed at this. Palas cheered up
immediately. "No, Jolan, you don't have to shave." Merri didn't need
her powers to guess the mage's thoughts. "But you've used magic so
often and for so long that you practically glow with it. We can't take
the risk of running into a sensitive guardsmen."
"How do you expect to... oh, no!" Jolan turned green at the thought.
"I'm afraid so. I know the recipie for the Witch's Brew, and Palas
here can lovingly administer it. Don't worry, it won't be quite as
bad as you're imagining it. We don't want to incapacitate you, just
dim down your aura a bit. But it does mean that if we get caught, you
won't be able to use your magic to save us." Jolan looked like he was
going to argue with Merri for a moment, but then Palas stepped in
between them.
"Go ahead Merri, talk to Felin. If you can convince her to shave,
then I'm sure I can convince Jolan to drink anything I set in front of
him." The look she gave Jolan made Merri sure of it, too.
Merri caught up with the distraught dwarf in the room she shared
with Palas.
"Go away, Palas, I don't want to talk to you!" Felin yelled when
Merri knocked on the door. Merri cracked the door and poked her head
inside.
"It's me, Felin."
"Oh," Felin said, surprised, "What do YOU want?"
"Just to talk."
"I'm not gonna shave." Felin stated flatly.
"Well, honestly, I can't make you. I just would like to talk." The
dwarf sighed.
"No harm in that, I guess. Come in." Felin motioned for Merri to
take a place next to her on the bed.
"Thanks." Merri settled herself on the soft matress, "I know how
much your beard means to you. I'm not surprised that you don't want
to shave it."
"Do you?" Felin asked, sounding angry. Merri was hit with a
staggering force of associative emotions from the dwarf. Shaking
out of it, she answered.
"Yes, I do. You aren't the only dwarf I've known, Felin. It's
like asking a man to dress like a woman, except that you don't have
the option of changing your mind later. Once you shave it, you'll
have to wait months for it to grow back to a respectable length.
You'll likely be the object of ridicule by any dwarves you meet. And
if anyone who knows you sees you without a beard, you'll never hear
the end of it." Felin sat there, stunned.
"I hadn't thought of that." She finally said, looking confused,
"Why are you telling me this? I thought you wanted me to shave it?"
"Well, I would like you to, yes, but it's your choice. I thought
you should understand how big a choice it is." They sat there, neither
saying anything, Felin thinking and Merri waiting for the right time.
After a few minutes, when Felin was becoming uncomfortable with the
silence, she saw her chance. "Do you remember what happened when I
came back?"
"Uh... Which part?"
"The part where you pretty much told me that I could take a long
walk off a short pier." Felin smiled nervously.
"Oh, yeah, that."
"You were willing to slice me and Ailuros open if we got in your
way. You'd do the same thing now in a heartbeat, wouldn't you?"
"Probably." Felin admitted.
"So, you're willing to kill to save your friends, but not shave?"
Merri stood and walked to the door. As she left, she looked back in.
"Just think about it, Felin. That's all I'm asking."
Palas, Jolan, and Merri were gathered for dinner when Felin
reappeared. There was a clatter as Palas dropped her spoon.
"Alright, so when do we leave?" Felin asked, pulling up her stool
and trying to pretend that nothing had happened.
"As soon as I can forge the documents we need."
"Felin..." Palas began, before being interupted.
"Don't start. Just... don't."
"I wasn't going to. I just wanted to say that I'm proud of you. I
don't know that I would have done the same, in your position."
"Oh." Felin said, utterly flummoxed, "Well... thanks."
Felin loaded her plate, and the meal continued in silence. Felin
actually started enjoying herself when she saw how often Palas had to
bite her tounge to avoid making a joke and breaking her promise. Felin
reached up and stroked her smooth, bare chin, and had the pleasure of
seeing Palas bite her cheeks. Palas hurried through her meal, with
Felin doing everything in her power to subtly torment her, and finally
rose to leave. Just before she made it through the door to safety,
Felin shivered, loudly.
"Is it cold in here, or what?" She asked. Palas shut the door
behind her, but her laughter could still be heard. When the laughter
didn't get any more distant, Merri projected her vision outside the
door, and caught a sight of Palas rolling on the floor, in tears from
her laughing.
"That was a little mean, don't you think?" She asked Felin a moment
later, the projection taking only scant seconds. In truth, Merri could
barely keep from grinning herself.
"No, that was fun!" Felin exclaimed, laughing, "This might not be as
bad as I'd imagined."
"All the same, I think that's enough of that, don't you?"
"Yeah, you're probably right," Felin agreed reluctantly, then looked
up, brightly, "Oh, well, it was sure fun while it lasted!"
Later that night, when everyone had retired to their rooms, Ailuros
brushed across Merri's thoughts, voicing his own concerns about the
upcoming journey.
'Golden One?' He sent, 'What of me?' Merri sat on the edge of her bed,
not liking either of her options.
'I suppose you must either stay here or take your man-shape.'
'May I not come as I am?'
'I am afraid not, my love. You are not a cargo we could explain,
and a panther traveling with a group of merchants would raise too many
questions.' Merri could feel Ailuros's indecision.
'I don't wish to be separated from you, but I don't know how to behave
as a man. If I am a panther, I will give you away, and if I am a man, the
same. It seems I have no choice but to remain here.'
'I am sorry, Ailuros. You know that it pains me as much as it pains
you. You are my life, my love, my soul.' Ailuros reached out to offer
reassurance.
'Do not worry so, Golden One. There is nowhere you can go that I cannot
reach you. My thoughts are yours, and yours are mine. There can be no true
separation for us.' Merri smiled.
'True, but I must admit I like having you close by. But, very well. I
will talk to Jolan about arrangements for you to stay here alone.'
'There is no need, Mistress. Merely let me out of the tower when you
leave. I can fend for myself well enough. There is another thing, though.'
'The girl.' Merri knew that she'd been avoiding the subject.
'Yes. You keep promising yourself that you will talk to her, but you
still keep avoiding it.'
'I just can't think of any way to explain my knowledge of her secret
without revealing my own.'
'Well... since you are keeping hers, perhaps she can do the same for
you. You must trust these people eventually, or the dwarf is right, we
will have no hope of success.' Merri nodded, and they prepared for bed.
Thus, a few nights later, when the final preparations for their journey
had been made, Merri finally steeled herself to talk to Palas. She caught
the elf leaving the library, and invited her to have a chat, in her room.
"You mean, just the two of us?" Palas asked, nervously, "Is something
wrong?"
"No, nothing's wrong. And that's three, actually." She gestured at
Ailuros, who was walking beside her as usual.
"Oh." There was a pause, and Merri felt how uncomfortable Palas was
thinking about her relationship with the panther. "Well..."
"Ailuros can wait outside if you like." Merri offered. Palas shook
her head, telling herself that she was being silly.
"No, that's all right. Sure, I'm willing to talk with you. What about?"
"Perhaps we should wait to mention that until we are alone." When they
were safely ensconced in Merri's room, Ailuros curled up at their feet, Merri
began, bluntly. "Palas, I know everything. I know about your relapses, I
know about your brother, I know about how you feel for Jolan. I'm sorry,
I didn't mean to pry, or invade your privacy, I couldn't help it." Palas sat
there a moment, as stunned as if Merri had told her she was a minotaur.
"Y... You know.. How did you find out?"
"I'm a telepath."
"A mind-reader?" Merri caught a mental snort of dirision from the elf.
"Not the kind you're thinking of, but yes. I can hear your thoughts."
"What other carnival tricks do you do? Can you swallow fire or bite
the heads off of chickens?"
"I know the secret of the mind-touch, and a few other things you've
never heard of before. And I don't appreciate your rudeness."
"Why didn't you use all of these powers before?"
"I didn't have them before." Merri could sense Palas's original shock
and disbelief beginning to weaking, and an undercurrent of fear was rising
within the elf. "The Elder taught me, after he found me wandering witless
in the jungle."
"It's a trick, right? Some kind of sorcery?" Merri shook her head.
"I'm afraid not. I hesitated to tell anyone, because you're all so
uncomfortable with me already, both because of my betraying you before, and
because of Ailuros." Palas looked down at the panther.
"Look, whatever you and... Ailuros do together is your business. I
mean, you know about my relapses, so you know that I'm the last person to
jump to..."
"Palas, Ailuros is a shapeshifter." Merri could feel Palas's mind
trying to take in this extra bit of shock. Perhaps it wasn't surprising
that she couldn't.
"He's what?"
"He shifts from panther to human, and back again. But my mating with
Ailuros isn't what I wanted to talk to you about. I wanted to let you know
that your secret is safe with me, however I came by it. I didn't mean to
eavesdrop on your thoughts. When I arrived, the fact that you and Jolan
had fallen in love was right on the surface of your minds. And when you
found out that I could tell that... you practically screamed your secret to
me, you were so afraid I'd guess it."
"Which you did."
"Yes. Palas, it really isn't that big a deal. I honestly think you
should tell Jolan about it. I've seen and felt how strongly you two have
grown to love each other." Palas gave that not even a moment of con-
sideration.
"Is that all you wanted to say? Because by the same token, I think you
should tell the others about your new powers, and about Ailuros. I'm sure
they'll be uncomfortable with the truth, but they deserve that chance."
"Well, let me say this. I'll keep your secret... will you do the same
for mine?" Palas gave her a thin smile.
"When you put it that way, I don't seem to have much choice, do I?"
"Well, you could always tell Jolan your secret yourself. Then you
wouldn't have anything to fear from me. Except perhaps a little good-
natured teasing about it from Felin. Speaking of Felin..."
"Hey, I was good. I didn't say a thing about her beard... and she
went out of her way to tempt me, too."
"I know. Palas, I know how you feel about... all this."
"All what?"
"Your relapses, and Felin's disguise. It isn't surprising that you're
jealous." Palas's jaw dropped in surprise. Then she burst out laughing.
"Jealous? Of what?" She saw the look on Merri's face, and her
laughter died.
"The fact that Felin is going to be playing the role of a child,
however limited, and deep down you really wish that you could do the same.
You wish that you could be completely open and honest about what you want,
even if only for a little while. You want to stop carrying this secret
around inside of you, because it gets heavier and harder to keep every
day, because..."
"Get the Hells out of my head!" Palas screamed. The fury that
suddenly washed out of the elf smashed into Merri like a physical thing,
throwing her back.
"Palas... please... stop..." Merri struggled to shield herself from
the surging rage radiating from Palas, but every attempt she made was
battered down. She finally managed to block out Palas's emotions, but
only because Palas had begun to get them back under her control, having
seen the pain Merri was in.
"Merri... what happened? You look like I just beat you up."
"There are drawbacks to being a telepath." Merri explained, as soon
as she was able, "I wasn't shielding, and the force of your emotions was
too strong for me to deal with."
"You mean you picked up on how I felt, even though it hurt, and you
didn't want to? You couldn't help it?" Merri could feel that the
sympathy and concern in the elf's voice was real.
"That's right. My control is pretty good, but it's like sound. If
it's loud enough, it doesn't matter if you put your hands over your ears?"
"Yes, I think I see. I will keep your secret, Merri, if you keep mine.
But you must promise me that you will never try to read my mind again. Or
Jolan's, or Felin's, or.."
"I get the idea. I can't make that promise, Palas. I have the power,
and I am the only one who can decide when and how I use it. Think on this.
You're afraid of me, because I have a power that you don't possess, and
don't understand. Does that sound familiar to you?"
"You're right, I'm not being fair. It's like someone asking me to give
up my magic. I just don't like having my mind invaded."
"I understand." Palas looked at her strangely for a moment.
"I know you do. That's what bothers me." With that, Palas got up and
left, leaving Merri and Ailuros dumbstruck behind her.
The next day Ailuros watched as Merri and the others slowly receded
into the distance. With a muffled growl of discontent, he bounded into
the grove, to find a suitable place to wait for his mistress to return.
The group traveled on foot initially, until they came across a merchant
going in the opposite direction. After a brief but intense bout of
haggling, the merchant proceeded on foot, having traded his wagon and
cargo for a few of Jolan's magical trinkets. Thus provided with a
plausible disguise, they continued slowly on their way.
They were still less than halfway to their goal when they saw a lone
figure, standing in the middle of the road. As they neared, they saw that
the figure was a short man, with a wide hat, the brim of which obscured his
face. He made no move to get out of the way, and the road was hedged in by
a shallow cliff on one side, and trees on the other, forcing them to choose
between running him down and stopping. Merri made a strange face, and voted
in favor of running him down. Jolan wouldn't hear of it, and he looked
shocked that Merri suggested it. He reigned the horses in well short of the
diminutive road-block.
"Greetings, travelers. Are we well met this fine day?" The figure said
in a dusky voice, keeping his head down, and his face out of sight.
"Jolan, this is a trap." Merri whispered from beside the mage.
"Don't be rediculous. What is the matter with you?" Jolan whispered
back, "It's a suspicious situation, but there's no need to jump to hasty
conclusions." Louder, he answered the man, "Well met, indeed."
"It is a dangerous road you are travelling, friend merchant. These are
lawless days, and desparate men have been banding together to harry
unlucky wayfarers." Jolan shot Merri a look, as much as to say "I told you
so."
"Thank you for the warning, friend. We shall be most careful."
"You carry supplies to the needful citizens of Hurshtown, I suppose? I
can think of no other mission important enough to drive such an honest
merchant as yourself into the heart of that war-torn city."
"Yes, actually, we..."
"Jolan, watch out, it's an ambush!" Merri yelled from beside him. A
sudden gust of wind blew the hat off the man's face, revealing a greenish-
yellow face, and leering yellow eyes, slitted like a cat's. "He's a goblin!"
"Goblins?" Felin exclaimed from inside the wagon, her voice full of
hatred for her twisted cousins. She burst out of the wagon, just as the
goblin brigands swarmed out from the surrounding woods. She wasted no time
laying into the attackers, and she whistled a merry tune as she set about
butchering them with a cruelty and violence that would have made even my
dark half stare in amazement. Her axe-blade seemed to grow hot as it
sliced into goblin-flesh, the dwarven-wrought metal finding the purpose for
which it had been created. Meanwhile, Merri had brought her sword out even
as she called her warning to Jolan, and the first thing she did was use the
flat of her blade to whack the sentinel goblin senseless before joining
Felin in the melee. Between her psionically aided skill and Felin's fuedal
hatred, the goblins were quickly routed. Palas had to physically restrain
the dwarf to keep her from chasing the retreating goblins into the forest.
"Il's Bloody Tears, Felin. What in Seven Hells got into you?" Palas
asked, amazed by the savageness of her friend's slaughter.
"They're goblins." Felin said, as if that explained everything.
Meanwhile, Merri was waking the stunned sentinel, in the hopes that he
might provide her with information. After several minutes, his large,
unsettling eyes opened, and the slits of his eyes narrowed as the world
around him took focus for him again. His eyes took in his situation, and,
instead of grovelling and begging for his life, as Merri expected of him,
he spit defiantly in her face.
"Republican bastards! You'll get nothing out of me. Vi eli dos
Vilestora!" The goblin's body spasmed, and blood spurted from his mouth.
Merri felt the goblin die, and the darkness into which he descended
threatened to pull her down with him. Overridding even the horror and fear
of his own death, however, was his sense of victory, of triumph. She tried
to probe into his thoughts for answer, but even as she made the attempt, he
slipped away.
Feeling weak and hollowed out by the feeling of the goblin's death, she
dragged his body out of the way, and allowed Felin to ride beside Jolan,
choosing to take the opportunity to rest in the wagon with Palas.
"Merri? What's wrong?" Palas asked, seeing the uncertainty and weakness
in the usually tough and vibrant Paladin. "What did the goblin tell you?"
"I'm not sure. I can't figure it out. He thought we were working for
the Republic, and he wasn't afraid of me."
"You let him go?"
"No. He killed himself. He made his body break inside. I've heard of
people who could do that, but that kind of training is usually for political
assassins, or people bearing deadly secrets. How would a goblin acquire
such training? And the last thing he said, it bothers me, more than anything
else."
"What was it?"
"Vi eli dos Vilestora: 'Eternal live the Patriots'"
"But... that's in elven? Why would a goblin thief speak elven? It
it doesn't make any sense!"
"None of it makes any sense, Palas. I was in his mind when he killed
himself. He passed into the Darkness before I could learn anything, but he
was proud to be dying as he was. He felt... like a hero."
"A goblin hero? Isn't that like being King of a dung-pile?"
"I don't know, I can't make any sense of it. If you don't mind, I think
I'll rest for a while. Being in someone's mind as they die is a most
unpleasant feeling."
"I'm sure. By the way, did you see what Felin did? I was going to try
and cast a spell to take out some of the goblins, but she had them on the
run before I could cast even the simplest attack. I've seen her fight
plenty of times, but I've never seen anyone, not even Firemane, that eager
and outright joyous to be killing someone!" Merri shook her head.
"Her people have hated goblins practically since time began. Goblins
were dwarves once, far in the past, but they were twisted by the dark gods
into evil mockeries of dwarves. It is said, in myth and legend, that when
Tur saw what had been done to his creations, he placed a tiny portion of his
anger and hatred into the heart of every dwarf. Dwarves are raised from
birth to hate all goblins with a murderous passion."
"But it seems so horrible! It was like she was someone else entirely!"
"For the moment, she was, in a way. I don't think it's something you or
I could truly ever understand, how fiercely and unthinkingly she hates them."
Palas nodded, and they lapsed into silence. When Palas looked over a short
while later, the Paladin had fallen into an uneasy sleep.
A few days later, they were nearing the border. Merri took Palas aside
and dyed her hair black, and arranged it to fall over her ears, hiding the
points. Palas had never worn makeup before, and Merri was at great pains
to try and teach her, the more so as Merri herself used it so infrequently.
Finally, however, she was satisfied with the results.
"Well, I'm afraid that's the best we'll be able to do." She declared,
as Palas stepped down from the wagon. "It's a bit obvious, I'm afraid,
and you'll look a little, well... disreputable, but that's not completely
a bad thing. The last thing they'll mistake you for is an elf." Merri
didn't mention what the first thing they'd mistake her for was, but she
could tell that Jolan was having the same thought, and just as obvious
that he didn't like it. He didn't have time to complain, however, as
his turn was next. Palas approached him and pulled out a stoppered flask.
She thrust it into his hands.
"Drink it." She ordered. Jolan pulled the stopper, and was nauseated
by the smell that escaped. "I had to spend an hour this morning smelling
that while I mixed this stuff up." Jolan smiled, despite the odor.
"If you can endure that, I suppose I can manage long enough to swallow
this." Jolan took one long gulp, as Merri had directed. He shuddered and
gagged, but the taste wasn't as bad as the smell had led him to believe.
It was sour, but smooth, and it had a soft warmth that made him feel rather
mellow. They resumed their course, Merri driving and Felin riding beside
her, while Jolan and Palas were hidden away in the wagon.
They sat on opposite ends of the wagon to begin with, but Palas gradually
slid closer to him, until before they realized it, she was right beside him.
The intervening days had done much to strengthen their feelings for each
other, but they both still walked on eggshells, afraid that the slightest
mistake would shatter their newly admitted affection. Hesitantly, Palas put
her arm around Jolan, and leaned against him. Jolan stiffened, but quickly
relaxed. Palas sighed deeply, the heat of his body warming her.
"Jolan, I..." Palas stopped, and smiled, "I suppose I should call you
Father, now shouldn't I?" Jolan shrugged.
"Well, that is part of our disguise, I suppose." Palas looked at him
in a way he couldn't quite fathom.
"Would you mind if I called you that?" Jolan laughed.
"No, I wouldn't mind. It's silly, but whatever makes you happy is fine
with me." Palas could tell from his voice that he meant exactly that. She
smiled again.
"Then, Father dear, would you mind if..." Palas broke off, becoming
uncertain of herself. "Never mind." Jolan looked puzzled.
"No, go ahead." Now it was the mage's turn to be hesitant, "Ask of me
anything, Palas, and I will do it, gladly." Even in the face of such
encouragement, the elf's courage failed her.
"It was nothing, honestly. Just foolishness. But thank you anyway."
Palas suddenly wished to be somewhere, anywhere else. She felt her eyes
grow moist, and knew that her tears were about to betray her feelings. She
gently moved away from Jolan, and tried her best to hide her face, while
she cursed herself for a coward.
It was her turn to stiffen in surprise when Jolan put his arms around
her, and gave her a gentle hug.
"Palas, I don't know what I said or did wrong, but please, believe me
when I say that I meant every word of what I said. I've frightened you
once before with my eagerness to win your favor, and I'm afraid I may
have done so again, but I cannot help the way I feel. Anything your
heart desires, I shall strive to give you. You have but to name it.
If it would please you, I would tame the fires of the sun, and give them
to you as a gift." Palas's tears could now not be hidden, and she
couldn't think of any way to explain that she cried not for sorrow, but
for wonder. Jolan began to pull away, still afraid that he was disturbing
her, but she pulled him back, and he held her while she wept. The next
day, neither of them spoke of it, but Palas smiled every time she caught
Jolan looking.
The rest of their journey to the border passed uneventfully. Their
documents were checked and found, after a little influence from Merri, to
be valid. Their cargo was inspected, and found to be completely innocuous.
They passed into the city with no problems.
The usually bustling streets were all but deserted. Guardsmen were
posted at virtually every corner. It was with nervous apprehension that
they slowly wandered through the city and found their way to Bradhaven
Temple. Merri was shocked to see the disrepair into which the temple had
fallen, in the short time since she had seen it. When they attempted to
enter, however, they found the door barred, and defended by two of the
omnipresent guardsmen. The guardsmen questioned them extensively, but
Merri eventually convinced them to allow them to enter, much to Jolan
and Felin's amazement.
Inside, the difference was even more noticable. Merri knew that
part of what she was sensing was the complete lack of the devine
presence that lends a temple much of its air of awesomeness and
holiness, but there were more tangible changes as well. Everything
looked faded and mundane, but behind the appearance was the reality
that the temple was falling apart, as though hundreds of years of
decay were catching up with it in the space of a few short weeks.
The beautiful drapings and tapestries were torn, and in some places
burned. The pillars of the temple were lined with cracks, and sun-
light filtered dimly through gaps in the cieling. Merri looked up,
and saw the great mosaic images of the gods were broken, and she
felt a sense of despair. If the Republic could break even the gods
power, what hope was there? Merri was distracted from her hope-
lessness by the appearance of a grey-clad priest.
"You may unload your delivery where you are." He told them,
"I presume the guard has informed you that you are not permitted to
speak to me..." He paused, and seem to look for someone. "Where
is your escort?"
"We are unescorted. And we will speak to you, no matter what
the Republic may say." Jolan answered.
"You're Patriots?" The man asked, "How did you... never mind,
leave your wagon there and follow me. There is much to discuss."
They followed the priest into the depths of the temple, emerging
in what was once a well-tended grove. Now, however, the trees seemed
withered and blighted, like everything else in the temple. "What
news do you bring from the Patriots?" Merri gently probed into the
man's thoughts, but found his psycic defenses to be extraordinarily
strong for one who was not trained to be a psion. 'Oh, well,' She
thought, 'I guess we'll have to do this the old-fashioned way.'
"I'm afraid that we are not who you think we are. We know
nothing of these Patriots you speak of. We came here seeking our
friends. They teleported here..."
"Ah, you must be the companions Marse was speaking about. He's
been expecting you, though I must admit none of us believed him when
he told us you were coming."
"Faith isn't as easy to come by these days." Merri noted.
"Faith?" The man laughed, "Faith in what? How can we have faith
in the gods who have deserted us? In our hour of need, they have
completely abandoned us!" The young priest realized that he was
ranting, and was suddenly silent. "I'm sorry. If you will follow
me, I will take you to Marse. I warn you, though, don't mention
'faith' again. Some of my breathren have become a bit irritable on
that subject." Merri nodded her understanding, and followed the
priest out of the grove and down a narrow corridor.
When Marse saw them enter, his face lit up.
"Merri! Welcome back! I'm glad you decided to rejoin us."
"So am I," Merri admitted. "But we have more important issues
to deal with now, I think?" Marse nodded. After excusing their
young guide to return to his duties, Marse explained what he knew
of the situation.
"When the Republican army attacked, all powers ceased to work.
The Mages suddenly had no magic, and the priests could not reach the
gods. The city had been depending on its magical defenses to protect
it, and its clerics to heal the wounded. When the city's garrison
realized that all of their support had vanished, they surrendered.
Under the circumstances, I cannot blame them. They were so vastly
outnumbered that any resistance they could have mustered would have
been useless. The Republicans have locked all of the temples, allowing
food to come in, but no communication. We are forbidden to speak with
those who visit us, and we cannot leave unless we renounce our fealty to
the gods and swear loyalty to the Republic." Merri snorted.
"I don't see that happening any time soon." Marse looked downcast.
"Half our numbers have left already. And half of those who remain
do so only out of habit. They believe that the gods have deserted us,
and their faith has failed them."
"Hasn't it?" asked Felin, innocently. Marse started to answer,
but could only stare when he recognized the dwarf.
"Felin? What happened to you?"
"Long story. I don't want to talk about it."
"Now that's a first," Palas muttered to herself.
"And you Palas, I hardly recognized you with all that dye and
makeup." Palas shrugged.
"That was the idea. We're travelling in disguise."
"Oh, I see. So that's how you got across the border."
"Really? You weren't expecting this with your knowledge of the
future?"
"I was certain that you would come, but I could not imagine how.
Just as I cannot imagine how we are to rescue our friends, as I'm sure
you're intending."
"The first thing we must do is determine where they were taken."
"It is my belief that they remain here in the city somewhere."
"One of your foretellings, Marse?" The cleric nodded. "Very well,
that's a good start. Any ideas as to how we can find their exact
location?"
"The only way I can think of to find them is to seek help from
the Patriots."
"Yes, who are these Patriots we keep hearing about it?"
"With the Mage's guild scattered, the temple broken, and the guard
defeated, the people had no hope. But soon, evidence of an organized
resistance appeared. The Patriots make raids on Republican supply
caravans, ambush their patrols, and sabotage their efforts. They
operate in shadow and mystery, and the Guardsmen have been completely
unable to root them out. They have given the people something to
believe in, and hope for the future."
"Fantastic!" Palas declared, "How do we get in touch with them?"
Marse sighed.
"I have no idea. I can't even think of a way to get out of this
temple, much less locate a member of a society that only exists
because it dwells in total secrecy."
"Don't worry, Marse," Felin said optimistically, "We'll think of
something." A priest popped his head into the room, disrupting their
conversation.
"Marse, it's time." Marse brightened visibly.
"Time for what?" Palas asked.
"Hopefully, time for Kiaphas to regain his senses. Come on." They
followed Marse to the infirmary, where two grey-robed clerics were fussing
over a still dazed-looking Kiaphas. "Endelmar, Brun," Marse said by way
of introduction, "These are the friends I told you to expect." The pair
looked quite surprised. Then one of them snorted.
"And you said he was delusional, Endelmar. Once again, your diagnosis
is inaccurate!" Endelmar looked disappointed to have been proved wrong.
"No matter." He said, shrugging the slight off, "Let us attend to the
subject at hand." He raised his voice slightly to include them all in his
explanation. "From what we know of the circumstances this poor fellow was
exposed to, we have concluded that his condition is a result of strong,
repeated emotional shock. As a result, his mind has retreated from the
unpleasantness of reality. In order to restore him to his former self,
we must coax him back into a normal state of mind by gently applying a
stimulus that he cannot resist. Brun, if you would please demonstrate?"
Brun reached behind the bed and pulled out a cut of mutton. "The draconian
has little self-direction. He will eat, but only if food is placed very
close to his mouth. He has not been fed for some time, and I imagine he
is quite hungry." Brun dabbed the meat across Kiaphas's nose, and the
draconian's mouth opened. Brun let Kiaphas smell the meat, but made no
move to put it in his mouth. Instead, he put it within view, but just out
of reach. "Now we require him to act if he wishes to eat. Every so often,
if he doesn't respond immediately, we will put the meat in his face where
he can see it and smell it, and remind him that it is there. If he wants
it, eventually, he will move on his own to reach it."
"And you expect that to cure him?" Palas asked, increadulous.
"Well, no," Endelmar admitted, "But it's a start. Once we can get him
to react to the outside world, we'll be able to begin a more aggressive
course of treatment." Endelmar saw the look on Merri's face and
misunderstood it. "Don't fear for him, my dear. We are not cruel. We
do not plan to starve him, merely leave him hungry enough for the meat
to be tempting." Merri dearly prayed that Endelmar was right, and that
her suspicions were unfounded. In either case, she knew that she could
do nothing for her stricken companion at the moment. The gods, however,
were far from the temple, and Merri knew that her prayer was unlikely
to be heard.
"What's wrong with you, Merri?" Palas asked in a close whisper, "You
look frightened about something."
"I'll tell you later." Merri whispered back. They stood around,
waiting for Kiaphas to move. The draconian, however, remained exactly
where he was. Endelmar sighed.
"Obviously, this is not something that we can expect to show immediate
results. Please, leave us to work with him. We'll call you if anything
develops." They left the two priests to thier work, and returned to
Marse's room.
"Well, now what?" Felin asked, getting to the point in her usual way.
Merri actually smiled when the answer occured to her.
"I have an idea." She said, "Marse, where's the worst tavern in town?"
When the Guardsmen captured the city of Hurshtown, they clamped down on
any sort of commerce with an iron fist. Every citizen was locked in his
home, for all practical purposes, and questioned extensively at every step
by the Guardsmen. The Guardsmen soon discovered that this sort of rigid
order had some unfortunate drawbacks. The aristocracy (what remained of it,
several of the noblest blood had been taken hostage, for thier potential
military knowledge, as well as bargaining value) offered no resistance, but
the commoners, the merchants and dock-workers and fishermen, began pouring
fourth from their homes, as though siezed by some mass-hysteria. Riots and
looting accounted for more damage to the Republican war-efforts than the
initial fighting that had conquered the city. Puzzled by the incompre-
hensible behavior of their barbarian prisoners, the Guardsmen set their
most efficient inquisitors to studying the phenomenon.
It was discovered that the riots broke out at almost regular intervals,
and that they occurred at roughly the same time of day, right about the time
the sun went down. Concluding that the problem was somehow related to the
fading light of dusk, the candle ration was increased. This didn't led to
a decrease in riots, but rather a striking increase in arson. The
Republicans were completely stumped, until a wharf rat, under light
interogation, blurted out the true problem, quite incidentally. It seemed
that the populace really didn't mind the limited freedoms, but the fact
that the Republicans, in their ban on commerce and public assembly, had
closed every single tavern and bar in the city. As an experiment, the
Republic allowed a few taverns to reopen. The riots in those areas of
the city immediately stopped. The Guardsmen found that instead of rioting
in the streets, the citizens ended up brawling in the bars.
This, it was decided, was an acceptable situation.
Thus it was that, after psionically commanding the sentinels outside
the Temple to allow her to pass freely through (much to everyone's vast
amazement), Merri followed Marse's directions to the loudest, wildest, most
boisterous tavern he'd heard of. To her surprise, she found herself standing
once more before the sign of the Sodden Dragon. Shrugging off her feeling
of deja-vu, she pushed her way into the bar.
If anything, the place was rowdier and seedier than the last time she'd
been here. As before, her intentions were misunderstood more than once, and
she found herself at one point confronted by a man who could easily have
been the brother of the one who'd thought her a prostitute the first time
she'd come in.
"Hey, pretty thing," he started, "Why don't we.."
"Not tonight, dear." Merri replied, not stopping on her way back to the
bar, "You have a headache." The man grunted and dropped to his knees,
clutching his head in both hands. Merri made her way back to the bar with
no further interuptions.
Once at the bar, she ordered wine, and made certain the barkeep, a
different face from the one she'd questioned before, understood that she
expected to get real wine, and not vinegar. As he returned and she began
sipping her drink, she scanned the crowd with her psi, threading her way
through the tangle and chaos of their overlapping minds, seeking, searching...
finding. She tossed the barkeep a coin in payment, and wandered over to
a booth along the east wall.
"Buy a girl a drink, stranger?" She said, as the men gathered around
the table stopped their conversation. They looked surprised, but one of
them quickly answered.
"Geez, what's a classy dame like you doin' in a joint like dis?"
"Is that a dagger in your pocket," Merri answered, "Or are you just
happy to see me?" Satisfied that she could be trusted, they made room at
the table.
"I wasn't kidding, sweetheart. You are a classy lookin dame. What
are you doin talkin the talk?" Merri smiled while he ordered her a
drink.
"This isn't my first time in the Big City."
"No?"
"Yeah, I spent a week here one night."
"Ok, so you're legit. What can a bunch of punks like us do for you?"
Merri didn't answer for a moment, making a show of looking around. "Nah,
lady, it ain't like that. The cops don't come in here. They got more
smarts than that."
"I need some information." The man smiled.
"Information is our business, sweetheart."
"I understand about business." Merri said, pulling her coinpurse out,
and tossing the whole of it to him, "I need to talk to someone... I've got
a friend who disappeared."
"Yeah, you and half the city. This some flame of yours? You don't
look like the type to get all red-eyed over a man, sweetheart." Merri was
amazed by how well these men could 'talk the talk', as it was called. They
must have had a lot of practice, recently. They used the strange phrases
as though they'd become natural to them.
"No, I'm... not attatched." She lied, "It's a friend, like I said. A
work associate." The man's eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"You in the business?" He asked.
"I've taken care of business before... but not your kind of business,
mister. I'm not that kind of girl." He laughed.
"Lady, I got the feelin you're any kind of girl you've gotta be." Merri
would have been insulted, but could sense that he actually meant it as a
kind of complement. He managed to surpise Merri, though, when he tossed
her coinpurse back to her. His mind was tight and guarded, as though he
was used to keeping one set of thoughts on the surface and a different set
below, and Merri found him to be unpredictable. "We got orders on you, I
think," The man said, surprising her again, "You're name's Merri, ain't it?"
"I.. Yes." Merri confirmed, seeing that it would do her no good to lie.
The man's eyes shifted around, despite his earlier assurances.
"Look, like I said, we got orders. They come from way up, you
understand? These days, you don't question orders like that." Merri felt
something in his mind, but couldn't penetrate deeply enough to identify it.
Her eyes closed and she slumped forward. "I know you understand. It's just
business."
Merri groggily awoke in a darkened chamber. Lights flashed on above her,
catching her in a bright circle that was blinding. Other, dimmer lights
appeared above her, showing her the outline of an alcove above her, which
held three chairs. Only the middle chair was occupied, though the occupant
could only be seen as a shadowy outline.
"Gods, I can't believe it. Somebody actually managed to slip me a
Mickey." Merri berated herself for being so trusting of her psionic sense.
"Merrideth Doomslayer." A voice boomed from above her, sounding like the
voice of an angry god, "Why have you come to us?"
"Because your Blasted man put something in my drink to knock me out, I'd
imagine." She answered.
"Do not mock us, woman. What was your purpose in seeking us?"
"I need information that only you can provide."
"About the lion-man, and the fox-woman?" Merri looked up in shock. Her
head still hurt too much for her to consider using her psi. She was
beginning to wonder if they knew about her abilities, or if they'd just been
lucky to catch her off-guard.
"Yes. I must find them to finish my quest!" She looked up, and found
that the alcove was empty. "Where..?"
"No mention of me, I notice. Am I not invited on your quest anymore,
Merri?" The voice came from directly behind her, and she swung around to
face it's source.
"Agnon!" The thief smiled.
"In the flesh, my dear. But nobody around here calls me that anymore."
"No?"
"Nope. Nowadays, the call me The Boss." His grin widened. "Welcome
to the Patriots."
(
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