by Novak, Kate
Wishing he had the courage to ask Jedidiah these questions, the bard finally fell into a restless sleep.
Late the next morning, after a large brunch, Jas took again to air to soar with the flyers. Holly set out with Handful to visit a shrine to Lathander in the mountains to the east of the vale. When both women had gone, Jedidiah led Joel back up to the Singing Cave. There the god taught his follower how to call on him for several other magical spells. First they worked on the spells Joel had witnessed in the past few days: a spell to heat metal and a command spell like the ones Walinda had used on Jas, faerie fire like the one cast on the stone marking the entrance to Giant’s Craw Valley, and a spell to create food and water the way Jedidiah had done during their journey through the mountains. Jedidiah threw in a spell to locate objects, in case, the god joked, Joel mislaid his birdpipes again.
“Why are the forms so rigid?” Joel asked while he was struggling with the wording of the prayer to locate objects.
“If it comes in the right form,” Jedidiah explained, “the power siphons from me without my having to think about it. That way I can keep concentrating on whatever I’m doing when you call for the spell. If you called for something with the wrong wording, I’d have to stop and think about it for a moment. For a god with hundreds of priests, that could get pretty complicated, and he may well end up ignoring them.”
“If you were watching me and concentrating, could you grant me something I hadn’t learned?” Joel asked.
“It sounds possible,” Jedidiah said. “But I’m not sure what the consequences might be. I think that’s an experiment we should table for a while.”
There was a commotion outside the temple, and Joel heard the sound of saurials twittering. Copperbloom came in and said something to Jedidiah that Joel couldn’t hear.
“Let’s go see,” Jedidiah murmured.
Joel followed his god out of the Singing Cave. In the garden, saurials were watching the sky intently. Joel and Jedidiah looked up.
A few saurial flyers circled the vale lazily. At the party the previous night, Jas had told Joel that most of the flyers hunted for small creatures and birds, but some were scouts on watch for approaching outsiders. Jedidiah pointed to the east. High over the mountain peaks at the eastern edge of the vale flew the spelljammer temple to Bane. The ship flew southward, beyond the southern peaks of the vale, then turned back to the east.
“A square spiral search pattern,” Jedidiah said. “Very methodical, your Walinda. I guess she took me literally when I told her she could try to search for the vale.”
“But she hasn’t seen past the illusion,” Joel noted. “Did you cast the spell?” he asked.
Jedidiah shook his head. “That magic was here before I was even born.”
“What does it look like from up there?” Joel asked.
“As if the vale is rocky and barren,” Jedidiah replied.
“Suppose they fly lower?” he asked.
“They can try,” Jedidiah muttered with a sly gin. “Now, what’s that?” he asked suddenly, pointing to a speck flying behind the spelljammer.
Joel shrugged. “I can hardly see it.”
Jas landed beside the two men. “Did you see?” she asked angrily, whatever calm she achieved disturbed by the sight of her stolen craft.
Jedidiah nodded. “Jas, if you please, would you fly up and ask one of the flyers to see if she can tell what that speck is that’s following the ship?”
The winged woman nodded.
Jedidiah held her back for a moment. “Don’t try to follow it yourself,” he warned. “If they spot a flying saurial, they might mistake it for a bird, but you, on the other hand …”
“Yeah, I know. I stand out like a festhall girl at a funeral,” Jas said. She took to the sky, heading to intercept one of the saurial flyers to the east.
“Why are they looking for us?” Joel asked. “We said we’d meet them.”
“Because a valeful of hostage saurials would be even more leverage for the banelich to use to ensure I brought him the Hand of Bane,” Jedidiah said. “In case the finder’s stone isn’t enough, or in case he wants to keep the finder’s stone for himself.”
Jedidiah motioned for Joel to follow him back into the temple. When they’d once more settled in the Singing Cave, the god began to teach Joel a new song. It was an unusual piece of music. The lyrics were about a tulip’s cycle of life, and the tune switched from a major chord to a minor halfway through.
Joel couldn’t really think of any occasion when he would want to sing the song, and he had trouble committing it to memory. His mind kept straying to thoughts of Bane and Jedidiah’s agreement to help the banelich.
After Joel’s third failed attempt to master the fourth verse of the song, Jedidiah called a halt to the work. “Let’s get some air,” he suggested.
They strolled through the gardens side by side for several minutes without speaking. Finally Jedidiah asked, “Why don’t you tell me what’s on your mind?”
Joel took a deep breath. All in a rush, he spoke of all the worries that had dogged his sleep the night before. When he finished, he looked down at the flowers, unable to meet Jedidiah’s unwavering gaze.
Jedidiah sighed. “Yes,” he said. “I could forget the finder’s stone. I know several acquaintances who would tell me that was the proper course. Of course, it would also be the fool’s course,” he said.
Joel flushed with anger, and he found the courage to look back up at his god.
“Joel, think of the consequences of that action. Do you think Walinda and the banelich will abandon their quest because I choose not to help them?”
A new blush rose to Joel’s face, this one of embarrassment. “No,” he admitted softly, feeling like a complete idiot.
“Naturally my help will make the quest easier for Walinda,” Jedidiah said, “saving her a great deal of time and keeping her from a good deal of danger. If she were lost, the banelich would have to find another worshiper of Bane capable of succeeding her, which wouldn’t be easy.”
Joel looked startled. “You weren’t thinking of”
“Killing Walinda?” Jedidiah finished Joel’s question, “Not really. I’m trying to avoid making the banelich angry. Remember, I don’t want to risk him crushing the finder’s stone under his armored foot just to get even with me. Besides it would only delay the inevitable. He’s going to get someone to retrieve the Hand of Bane regardless. I want it to be us. It gives us time to learn more about him and Walinda, their weaknesses and strengths. It gives us leverage. It gives us options. I’m not sure which option I’ll choose, but I want to have them.”
Joel nodded in agreement. “I’m sorry,” he said.
“For what?” Jedidiah asked. “Being a good person with the courage to question a god? That’s one of the reasons I chose you for a priest. Of course,” Jedidiah added, his eyes twinkling with mischief, “this is the point where my good friend Olive Ruskettle would point out that I always have some justification for my actions, whether I’m right or wrong.”
Jas landed beside them in the garden. “You’ll never guess,” she said excitedly.
“What?” Joel asked.
“The figure following the spelljammer,” the winged woman said. “The flyers said it’s a human, all deformed by magic so that it’s arms have become wings. Guess what it’s wearing?”
Joel shook his head, completely clueless.
“An eye patch,” Jas announced.
Joel gasped. “Bear?” he asked incredulously.
“That would be my guess,” the winged woman replied.
“Now he’s chasing the banelich’s power,” Jedidiah said with a grin.
“Go get ‘em, Bear,” Jas said. She flew off toward the village.
Joel looked at Jedidiah. “What do you think? Can Bear hurt them?”
“He can certainly annoy them,” Jedidiah replied, then changed the subject. “Do you think you’re ready to try that song again now?” he asked.
Joel n
odded. “Does the song have a purpose?” he asked.
“It might,” Jedidiah answered, “but I’d rather explain that later, after you’ve learned it.”
It still took a lot of work, but by dinner Joel had mastered Jedidiah’s song. The god put off explaining the purpose of the song for another day. Joel accepted the delay.
Dinner that night was a simple affair, a buffet in Grypht’s stone tower with only the wizard and the humans attending.
When they’d all finished eating, they began discussing their plans for the next day. Grypht didn’t cast any magic to enable him to speak with the guests. Instead, he listened quietly and attentively as they talked. On the table before Joel, Jedidiah spread out a map of the Desertsmouth Mountains and the Anauroch Desert. A collection of X’s, drawn like bones, dotted the map.
Holly and Jas leaned over the table to get a better look.
“These were the locations of the cities of the dead empire of Netheril,” Jedidiah explained to Joel. “Not all its wizards together could block the encroaching sand that eventually buried it. There’s nothing left but ruins inhabited by desert nomads and an occasional ancient dark monster. We are here,” the older priest said, pointing to an unmarked spot on the map.
Jedidiah jabbed a finger at one of the X’s. “This is Cat’s Gate. It’s large enough to march an army through. It leads to the Plane of Concordant Opposition, otherwise known as the Outlands. Grypht will teleport Joel and me there.” “I want to come with you,” Holly said matter-of-factly,
Jedidiah shook his head. “I can’t imagine either the banelich or Walinda will welcome you back aboard,” he pointed out.
“But if you insist on my coming,” Holly said sweetly, “I’m sure you can talk them into it.”
“Don’t you dare!” Jas warned, waving a finger at Jedidiah. “This is too dangerous for her, and you know it!”
Joel agreed completely with the winged woman, but he tried a different tack on the paladin. “Holly, their god is an enemy of your god. They’re going to know you plan to thwart them,” the Rebel Bard pointed out. “Jedidiah and I, though, have no choice but to help them. We can’t allow you to disrupt our plan.”
“On the other hand,” Holly argued, “you don’t really want to help them. If there’s any chance of getting Jedidiah’s stone back without helping Bane’s church, I’m going to find it and make sure you take it. Besides,” the girl added, “you can’t afford to trust Walinda and the banelich. They’ll betray you the first chance they get. Then you’ll really need my help.”
Jedidiah studied the girl with a grim smile. “Very well, paladin,” he said. “I cannot guarantee the banelich will accept you into the party, but I will do my best to convince it that we need your help to find the hand. In turn, you must promise not to try anything rash… at least not without consulting with me first.”
Holly grinned and nodded.
Jas threw her hands up. “Has everyone here taken leave of his senses?” she growled.
Joel shifted uncomfortably. He wanted to argue with Jedidiah about bringing Holly, but not in front of the others.
“I take it you haven’t changed your mind since we talked on the spelljammer. Your goal is still Waterdeep?” Jedidiah asked Jas.
“You bet,” the winged woman replied. “Other spelljammers land in Waterdeep. I’ve got plenty of experience. I won’t have any trouble getting one to take me on as crew. I’d prefer to have my own ship back, but under the circumstances, I think I’d be better off cutting my losses. Just as soon as I see you three off tomorrow, I’m going to take up Grypht’s generous offer to teleport me to Waterdeep.”
Grypht nodded to Jas.
As he rolled his map up, Jedidiah addressed the saurial wizard. “We’ll meet you in the temple tomorrow morning.”
Back in the privacy of the cottage that he shared with Jedidiah, Joel confronted the god with his concern for the paladin. “How can you let Holly come along? She’s in far greater danger from Walinda and the banelich than we are. They may despise us, but they hate her.”
“I imagine Holly feels you are in far more danger because Walinda has taken a liking to you,” Jedidiah replied.
Joel huffed. “This isn’t her problem,” he said. “How can you allow her to take such a risk on our behalf?”
“Joel, she’s used to taking risks, especially on behalf of her god. No doubt she feels she can serve Lathander if she comes with us. She’s a sensible girl, with a sensible attitude. If the banelich agrees to her presence, she can serve as a distraction, maybe even a big enough distraction to give us a chance to get the stone back.”
“You’re using her as a decoy?”
“The Hand of Bane is the decoy. Holly is the stalking horse,” Jedidiah corrected.
“What if we find no other way of getting the stone back? Holly is never going to allow us to give Walinda the Hand of Bane.”
“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” Jedidiah replied. “Or burn it once we’ve crossed it.” He sat on his bed and pulled off his boots. “Have a little faith, priest,” he teased.
Once again Joel lay awake far into the night wondering about his god. Jedidiah had proven himself foolish
I enough to lose most of his godly power. Now he was preparing to use the young paladin in a deadly game against the church of Bane. The fact that Holly was willing to be used didn’t ease Joel’s mind any.
The young priest also couldn’t stop worrying what would happen if they recovered the Hand of Bane and Jedidiah did hand it over to the banelich. Bane would be resurrected once more to plague the Realms. Or worse, what would happen if the banelich took the Hand of Bane and then found a way to betray them and keep the finder’s stone? As weak as Jedidiah was, not only would Joel’s and Holly’s lives be at stake, but Jedidiah himself could end up taking Bane’s place in the astral plane as a floating immortal corpse.
When sleep finally came to the Rebel Bard, his dreams were filled with barren deserts and blood-red sunsets.
Twelve
Cat’s Gate
The next morning Joel and Jedidiah climbed the stairs to the Singing Cave together, lugging heavy backpacks filled with supplies. Copperbloom had seen to their provisioning as efficiently as a quartermaster from the Cormyrean army. She’d provided them with all they needed: food, water, tarps, blankets, fresh clothing, potions, even new scabbards for their weapons. Holly was already waiting at the entrance to the temple. Her face was drawn, her eyes bloodshot. She probably stayed up late speaking with Jas, and of course she would have been up at sunrise to pray to her god before she set off on her quest.
“I need to speak with Copperbloom in private,” Jedidiah told Joel. “Call me when Grypht arrives, please.”
Joel nodded and Jedidiah disappeared into the temple.
“Where’s Jas?” he asked Holly.
“She gone off with the flyers,” the paladin said. “She said she didn’t want to see us off. She asked me to bid you farewell.”
The news left Joel feeling disheartened. He might never see the winged woman again, and he had at least hoped to wish her well.
Grypht arrived a short time later. Once again he’d taken the trouble to cast a spell so he could speak their language. He wished them good morning, then spoke to Joel. “In case you had not noticed, your Jedidiah can be very reckless and thoughtless.”
Joel flushed, unable to bring himself to gainsay the saurial wizard’s analysis of his god. Grypht knew Jedidiah far better than he, and Joel had already reached the same conclusion.
“Any time you can influence him to show moderation or consideration, I advise you to do so,” Grypht said.
Joel nodded, then went to fetch Jedidiah.
Copperbloom accompanied her god and her fellow priest out of the Singing Cave. She embraced Holly, then Joel. Her scales were warm and smooth to the touch, and the scent of honeysuckle rose from her throat. The priestess bowed very low before her god.
Jedidiah returned her bow with one of
his own, then turned to Grypht. “We’re ready,” he said.
“Are you sure you want to go this early?” the wizard asked. “They are not expecting you for another day. They may not even arrive there themselves until tomorrow.”
“I want to be there before they arrive, to check the lay of the land,” Jedidiah explained, “in case they were considering some trick before we enter the Outlands, Check on Cat’s Gate tomorrow evening, just in case we have to leave Holly behind.”
“Or in case they do not show up?” Grypht asked hopefully.
“That’s not likely,” the god replied. “In that event, we will head for Sigil without them. If the Hand of Bane is ours, they will come to us.”
Grypht nodded, then turned away from the others.
From the growls and clicks, Joel guessed that the wizard had begun an incantation in his own tongue. The smell of fresh-mown hay surrounded the huge saurial. The tip of his staff began to sparkle, and with it the wizard traced a door-sized ellipse in the air. The yellow-white sparks hung suspended by magic.
Light flared in the ellipse, and a blast of very hot, very dry air shot out from within. Inside the sparkling border, there appeared a wasteland of sand.
“You can step through now,” Grypht said.
Jedidiah picked up a knapsack and jumped through the magical portal. They could see him sliding in the sand on the other side.
Joel grabbed the other knapsack and stepped through more carefully. He stood on the top of a huge sand dune. The air was scorching and completely still. It shimmered all about him. The morning sun was blinding. To the east, the Desertsmouth Mountains were a purple haze. The dunes reached every other horizon.
