The Lamentation of Lolth - Chapter V

[kirinke]

Teleri sleeps, taking her watch and after positions herself in the direction of the moon, gazing at it reflectively. She is dressed simply, in clothing mimicking the dark blue of the night sky and the white of the moon. Though not in need of spells, she still enjoys the night sounds of the forest and the stars dancing with the moon itself.
I have come along way since I left home, longer than any would have believed. She thought, staring at the moon, letting it reveal the dark places in her own soul and mind. She saw them, those worn places, where evil might lay. And she vowed to see them healed so that evil would never take root.

Ayden was right. I cannot allow my own dislikes grow out of proportion. I must never allow the actions of the one stand for the many. The servants Eilistraee taught me that. Teleri thought, both to herself and to her goddess as she continued her prayers.

 

[Mimic]

Broddy offers to take the last watch, seeing as how he needs a good deal of sleep so he can memorize his spells.

He unrolls his bedroll and quickly falls asleep with his weasel curled up on his chest.

 

[Verbatim]

Dunstand sips his tea, and grins as he feels his head clearing. “Thank you Ayden. Finder must be a real benevolent god, if he grand’s healing to a fool that drank too much.”

Ayden smiled and laughed easily as he doubted that Finder would ever deny healing to an injury that the god himself had suffered many times when he was still a mortal bard.

"Let's just say that Finder was not always immune to the effects of the vine, and if anyone would understand the pain, both the god and his humble servant would."

Dunstand stays silent for a moment as Ayden asks him about his faith. After a second or two he grabs inside his shirt and pulls a hand full of necklaces with religious symbols on them from his neck and throws them to Ayden. “There that’s my faith, back there was just a reaction, something I am to used to doing. I’m not a nice man, and where I grew up you had to be strong or smart to stay alive. You yourself know just as well what people will do or give if they think you can lead them to a road of salvation.”

Taking a deep breath Dunstand goes on. “I’m not proud of what I did or do, but look at yourself and the rest of the group, everyone has their own skills that keep them alive. Me? My skill is stealing from people, I’m not a strong man or a blademaster, so I have to find other ways to get what I want or need.”

Taking another sip from his tea, Dunstad mentally prepares himself for the preaching torrent that Ayden will undoubtedly give him.

As Dunstand tossed the various holy symbols at his feet, Ayden's mind raced to keep up with the scout's confession. While he had doubted the wisdom in bringing the man into their group in Orchard Meadows, as he seemed to be driven only by his hunt for coin that night, he had proven to be invaluable to them all several times since. Looking into Dunstand's eyes, Ayden spoke quietly into the night, keeping his words for just the two of them to hear.

"I did not like you at first Master Dunstand. I feared that you would only look out for yourself while you were with us, and if the chance came between easy coin, or staying with us that you would choose the easy route and forget us without a second thought. I was wrong about you, and for that I do offer my apologies, but I will not allow you to continue to live in a web of lies any longer."

Ayden reached into his tunic and pulled out from within it the silver harp which was Finder's holy symbol.

"I am also a weak man Dunstand, as I ran from Finder's calling for so long that I am still amazed he continued working to bring me into the clergy for as long as he did. All of my life, I have only wished to play music, as in music the secrets of the universe are held. Every melody is composed of a individual notes, that if taken one at the time have their value trivilized, but when combined with others, they link to create that beautiful song which can speaks to the hearts of all that would listen and appreciate it."

Ayden paused hoping that the rogue was getting the meaning of his words, and pressed on.

"We are part of that melody Master Dunstand, and while you may feel that you bring nothing to it, you are very wrong, as without your contribution, however slight you may feel it is, we would not be here right now. I feel that Finder has brought all of us together, for what I do not know, but I know all of us play a part in his celestial melody. He has made me stronger, both spiritually and as a man, but I do not doubt that this strength is for me to complete whatever task he has for us. and should I ever lose his favor, I would be as helpless as a babe in the woods."

Feeling that he was drifting off course, Ayden paused and smiled ruefully for a moment as he took a sip from his cooling tea.

"1 ramble and for that I apologize to you once more. You have proven yourself to all gathered in this camp, and while those symbols at your feet may have been your past, they need not be your future if you do not wish them to be. I will not say that I can lead you to salvation, as only you can find that path, but I can say this with complete honesty. You must first believe in yourself before others can believe in you. You have strength Master Dunstand, you merely have to see it yourself."

 

[Dhes]

Dunstand downs the last of his tea and lets Aydens words sink in. “Thanks Ayden, I don’t know a lot about music, but I do get you meaning.”

Grabbing his necklaces Dunstand stuffs them in his coat pocked,“No need to apologize, some of my insides where wrong too. But no one can get totally be release from there heritage.” Leaving it at that, Dunstand sets up his chess board and hold out two fists so Ayden can pick his color. “Let talk about happier thing this night.”

 

[Verbatim]

Tapping Dunstand's left wrist, Ayden takes the white pawn and placed it on the board, and while he lost all of his matches to the slender rogue, Ayden enjoyed their games all the same.

As the time of their watch ended, Ayden stood and stretched, allowing his muscles time before he walked to their relief and shook them gently, so they could awake themselves.

ooc: Great scene Dhes, glad you let me share it with you amigo.. *tag* Who's next..

 

[Dhes]

“Good game Ayden, is this the first time you won from me? Ya, I think it is.” Putting the chess set back in to his backpack, Dunstand rolls out his bedroll and tries to make use of the remaining night.

Ooc: np… if there is any one that can turn Dunstand around it’s you.

 

[Majin]

As Ayden moves to wake one of his companions he notices agitated mumbling coming from Therav. At one point he distinctly hears the merchant mutter "get away." Glancing at the man Ayden notes beads of sweat running down the sleeping merchant's face, and an occasional shudder.

 

[Verbatim]

As Ayden passed back towards his sleeping blanket, he watched as a full body shudder wracked Therav, and it was a wonder to Ayden that the glass merchant did not wake up from it.

~Could the day have caught up with him in his sleep?~

Hoping the merchant would not mind him overstepping his boundries, Ayden reached down and shook the merchant gently, but with purpose.

"Master Therav...Master Therav, is everything alright sir?"

 

[Majin]

Therav does not wake nor respond in any fashion. Ayden will find that any attempt to wake the man does not succeed. The merchant only continues muttering in his sleep, as if being chased or tortured.

 

[kirinke]

As Teleri comes out of her self-induced prayer-trance, she hears Ayden try to wake Therav with no result. She comes over to the two men, wrapping a cloak around her. "Is something wrong?" she asked.