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From: aaron@amisk.cs.ualberta.ca (Aaron V. Humphrey)
Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn
Subject: [Faith] Waiting, Contemplating
Date: 24 Jul 1994 06:09:11 GMT
Organization: The Anna Amabiaca Fan Club
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Originator: aaron@cab015.cs.ualberta.ca


ADMIN: Devious is property of Ceredwyn Bensley; Laroo is property of Laroo;
Demara, Aitreni, Jad, Aditi, and Alfvaen are mine.  This post is Copyright
1994 by all three of us.


"You've got me hanging on a string now...
 You never told me you were waiting, contemplating..."
   --Loose Ends, "Hanging On A String"

=========

Devious stretched, her tale told.  She looked at Laroo.  "You ask for
concise answers, I can give you few.  But I ask for them too.  Tell me
what your price is."

Was it just her imagination, or was there something between these two?
Delmara was pondering the intensity of the ... inspection this man,
Laroo, had given both her and Devious, but that was now mostly
centered on the Paladin.. yes "inspection" was the proper word she
decided.

Without hesitation, Laroo said, "It will take me a little...time to set my
price, Paladin, I want to see if I can find out more.  I will meet with you
tomorrow at the Inn for breakfast, early."

With that Laroo spun on his heel and left the room.  It was not until she
heard the front door shut that Devious realized that the man did not
make much, if any, sound when he moved.

She looked at Delmara.  "You, too, priestess.  I do not believe in making
others wander into danger without compensation.  Ask what either of
you will, though I doubt you have...material wants."  She looked around
Delmara's study. 

Delmara was caught off-guard by Devious's offer, and was momentarily
speechless.  "I...I can't think of anything offhand."  Her face twisted
wryly.  "Ask again at the other end of this undertaking."

The Paladin half-lidded her eyes and smiled.  "I *am* tired, priestess,
and would fain rest a little in your temple.  It seems peaceful to me. 
Shall we spend the night here and journey forth on the morrow to find
Alfvaen?" 

Delmara nodded.  "If we go out early enough, he may not have bestirred
himself yet," she said with a grin.  "We usually have a few pallets
around...it shouldn't be a problem."

A little later Devious found Delmara again within the temple, and this
time the Paladin seemed curious.

"Your decorations and devices are unknown to me," the Paladin said,
falling in step beside her.  "May I ask what aspect of the Light - no,
sorry," she shook her head, "may I ask what are the beliefs and goals of
She whom you serve?  I think She is a little different to my gentle Lord
of Light." 

The Paladin rubbed at her arm fretfully "And I do not serve my Lord as
well as I should."  She looked up at the priestess.  "My faith is failing, I
fear.  I have been too long away from my home.  Tell me, what is She
like, the one you follow?"

This was a conversational topic Delmara felt a bit more comfortable
with than many that had arisen that day.  She could call up such
tellings at will.  "My Lady is named Aditi, the Goddess of Hurtful Love,
of the Silken Whip.  She teaches that love is often hurtful, for one side
or both, and that if one side voluntarily chooses to take hurt onto itself,
then the other side's hurt may thusly be lessened."

Devious raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"Most of those who enter her priesthood and take her oath--never to
refuse one who wishes love, in whatever form--are those who have
already been hurt by love many times.  The hurt, like any, may pain no
less, but one can become accustomed to pain.  And the knowledge that
one is freely suffering the pain often allows one to be shielded.  In effect,
we offer up our pain to the Lady."

Then she stopped, having caught sight of Aitreni standing in the
doorway of her room, clad in the nightgown Delmara had put her to bed
in.  "Jad wants to know if we're going to Founder's Day tomorrow. 
There'll be jugglers an' things all over the place."

Delmara smiled.  "I'd forgotten Founder's Day was so close.  Of course
you may go.  You shouldn't carry much money, but I can let you have a
silver or two to spend."

Aitreni smiled and disappeared back into the room she shared with her
brother.

Devious looked at Delmara.  "Offering pain..."  She shrugged slightly
and gave a somewhat wry smile.  "We of the Lord of Light are supposed
to offer love itself--any kind of love.  I think that is why I am having
difficulty at the moment.  The...man...you saw in my visions of my home
is my..." she struggled to find the word, "mate, I suppose you might say. 
We of the Pack and the Flight always interbreed-- only females are ever
of the Flight, and only males form the Pack." She kicked at the ground
slightly.

"Marriage is not quite as convenient for us."  She managed a grin. "My
peoples are not usually sexually aware save at certain times in the year. 
And then the feeling is very, very strong.  It is impossible to wait if one's
mate is not about, and so many mate with others. But when we pair that
is stronger in some ways than marriage.  It is a friendship and love so
deep that physical urges do not even touch it.  I miss my mate very
much.  That is the only way love has ever hurt me."

Delmara raised an eyebrow.  She hadn't guessed that Devious was that
different from her...for a moment she wondered whether the Pack and
Flight's way was better...

The Paladin looked to where the acolyte had disappeared.  "No one has
ever used my love against me, or deliberately tried to wound me,
Delmara.  In that I am lucky."  She suddenly shook her head.  "But
other things.  Your apprentice seemed excited. What is this Founder's
Day?" 

"It's a civic holiday.  I don't know if it corresponds to Generica's actual
founding, but a mayor declared it so decades ago, and so it stands.  It
seems to be celebrated by many adventurers and passers-through, as
well as the Dragon's Inn crowd."  Then her brow furrowed.  "I wonder...if
there is some kind of adventurers' gathering tomorrow, perhaps we will
find Alfvaen there, or someone who has seen him.  It may make our
search that much simpler...  I imagine that Luthor Anside will be having
some sort of affair, or perhaps 'Raelf.  No matter; Rowan Littlefair at the
Inn will doubtless know."

She sighed and looked at Devious.  "I may have told you that Alfvaen
and I did not part on the best of terms.  Despite my Lady's teaching,
sometimes a love will cause pain merely for knowing it is not unique,
and that is one thing we cannot guarantee without breaking our oaths. 
Though it has happened in the past that one has left Aditi's priesthood
to keep such a love alive.  It is one reason that She has so few
followers...her way is hard.

"But it is time the air between us was cleared.  Friends are perhaps
more precious than lovers, for love that is given without hurt is
precious.  And I wish strongly that we may become friends again."

Then Delmara fell silent.  Wordlessly, she helped Devious prepare her
pallet for the night, and after saying goodnight she went to her
chamber. There she lay awake long into the night, remembering the
gentle touch of a healer named Radan Tsran...

Devious stretched and thought.  Delmara was very right, at least by her
standards.  A true friend was more than a lover could ever be. She
smiled, thinking of her Pack mate, often silly, protective and amusing
and kind hearted.  They had been best friends years before the
summertime fever had got into her and made her dance for him. Well,
she thought, that was another reason for getting her cloak back.  Then
she could open the portal again, and speak to him.  Just to see his gentle
face...  The Paladin sighed, then curled up into a ball and fell asleep... 

/******/

Laroo's mind was whirling...
'If it reflects one's soul,  could it not possess a soul as well?'
'Then the Paladin could be acting for this being, or even be the being..'
'But then Delmara's god would not have allowed the Paladin into the
temple.'
'If this creature can assume the abilities of its victims, how will we
know what we are up against?'
'And if it can change form, it could be anyone.. or anything.'
'But we could use Delmara's god to "test" any would-be allies"
'But suppose the creature were powerful enough to fool a god?"
'Then the creature would not bother with mortals...'

Although this last thought made Laroo feel better, he found himself
taking all the precautions he would take if he were in hostile territory:
he slipped into the shadows as he left the temple; there he rendered
himself invisible and from there cast the spell that would let him fly.

He approached his room from the second story window, checked his
wards, entered and checked everything again.  Immediately he cast the
spell which created the inter-dimensional space in which he usually
slept.  He performed his usual ritual of removing his pouches from
inside his special pockets.  Each of the pouches and sacks was tied to his
jacket but he always did this before entering his sanctuary as a
precaution.

Once inside he pondered his plan of attack:
'Reflection of the soul,' he laughed to himself.
'Only those that believed in religion believed in souls.'
But reflecting a being's darkest fears--Laroo used a spell along those
lines to great effect.  His spell created the monster in the victim's mind
and it was the victim's own willpower that killed him.
'However it did not cause them to kill themselves, therefore it was a
spell of a different nature, and not one of possession either...'
'The eyes have been called the gateway to the soul.'
'Perhaps the spell was delivered by gaze, such as that of a medusa or an
umberhulk?'

Laroo prepared the spells he would study and went to sleep, which for
him was usually four hours, sometimes six when he was indulgent.

He awoke with a start.  Immediately his hand went to Ex-Paramour, the
white saphire.  He could see nothing unusual through the magic gate of
his place without space, and magic would not operate through the gate
so detection spells were useless.  But it worked both ways, and so he
watched for a few minutes.  Satisfied that nothing had intruded into his
room, he tried to recall what had woken him.

He realized he had been dreaming not of the current situation, but of
the Paladin.  His reaction had been a natural one; he had been thinking
uncharacteristic thoughts.  Usually he dreamed of his current situation. 
He went back to sleep.

He woke an hour later and studied his spells.   He then gathered his
belongings and cast his usual array of protective spells.  Then he went
down the stairs, hiding in the shadows and as quietly as possible.  The
innkeeper and his help did not notice him.

Just then the Paladin walked in.  She was clean and her torn cape was
mended.  She headed toward the innkeeper.  The alarms went off in his
mind as he recalled that the One Who Reflects could change form.  He
grasped the diamond Clearsight and activated the spell of True
Seeing.  He was more than a little surprised...

/******/

The morning light had not even edged the horizon when she awoke.  She
immediately preened and washed her face in the basin.  Devious then
checked her equipment, her armour and sword.  She cleaned the scales
of her own crusted blood and smoothed out a nick in her blade with a
whetstone.

She glanced at her cloak.  Ripped and dirty.  A gesture and a word, and
the clerical orison whisked about her and her clothes.  The small spell
carried away the dirt and mended her torn rent. Then the Paladin stood
up and walked quietly out into the dark. The day would be fine, she
judged, then frowned.

Mist, the light ground mist that comes before morning, had seeped into
the grass.  It now flowed up her legs and billowed her cloak slightly.

The Ravenloft Paladin gritted her teeth.  This reminder was irritating. 
She flicked her cloak back and decided to leave the rest of her supplies
in her room as she explored the town this morning. Let Delmara know
she would be back.

She stepped into the streets and quickly faded into the alleys.  As
always, her poor vision made her squint and cock her head at every
sound.  That, too, would improve once her cloak was back.

The Paladin was quickly lost.  The streets of Generica were intricate
and she had never been one for cities.  She wandered up and down as
rosy light tinted the sky and eventually found a shopkeeper opening
early.

"Sir," she said softly from the shadows.  The man jumped at the sight of
a small, slender woman in scale armour.  "Can you direct me to the
Dragon's Inn?" she asked in a melodious voice.

The man relaxed and laughed "You're four doors from it!"  He pointed
down the street.  "Can't you see the sign?"

Now that it had been pointed out, Devious thought she could make out a
bar of some kind.  She was unable to read the sign from this distance,
however.

"Thank you, Sir," she said briefly, then walked towards it. It was
already open, and the publican was ordering the cook about breakfast.

The Paladin stepped over.  "Master?  Might you direct me to the room of
one of the occupants of this inn?  I am looking for one Laroo." 

"Here," said a voice behind her.

The Paladin refused to jump.  He did move quietly, though. "Good
morrow, Laroo," she said.  "Sleep well?"

He gave a noncommittal shrug.  "Why are you here so early?" 

"Might we go to your room?  We have a couple of things to discuss." 

Up in Laroo's room, Devious looked around quickly before rubbing her
neck and closing the door behind them.  Either Laroo was a fastidious
housekeeper or he did not spend the night in the room.

"Well?" he said.

"Neither of you have named your price for accompanying me.  Delmara...
she I understand, and I have no doubts that I will be able to give her
what she needs.

"You, however, are different, Laroo.  Before we join forces, I *must*
know your stance.  You, after all, have visited Ravenloft," the paladin
smiled faintly, "and I find trust hard to give to those of my deadly
land.

"Last night, you looked at me strangely when I showed the wound on my
wrist.  After that, you often seemed to glance at me as though trying to
determine something.  Forgive me, Laroo, but you are not the kind to
stare at females because they are females.  You seemed to be trying to
determine something.

"Are you curious as to my race?  It must be obvious to you I am not
exactly human."  The Paladin locked eyes with Laroo.  "I have no
intention of trying to fool you, Laroo.  I am not human, or even as
law-abiding as I might be.  But, and I tell you honestly, I am of the
Light.  And I will kill to save others of the Light should they be
endangered.  That is not regarded as wrong for my kind.

"Is your curiosity satisfied?"  She turned away slightly.  "Have you any
other questions about me?  And will you name your price, for if not, then
I go with Delmara alone."

Laroo indicated to a chair as he sat down in one opposite.  Looking at
the diminutive Paladin he said, "I do not bicker about prices, Paladin;
my bargain is simple.  We either capture, banish or destroy this One
Who Reflects or we perish trying.  In return, besides the usual splitting
of any magic items and/or treasure we find, I want the next year of your
life."

Devious had pretty much expected anything but what he asked.   That
the man did not mince words was an understatement.  Over the last
century she had endured the catcalls and offers of many men, but this
man, Laroo, had more in mind.  She listened.

Laroo continued, "That I have been to your land, as you say, is obvious--
that I escaped from it was chance.  But that tale is for another time. 
Judge for yourself if I am worth the price by the information I now give
you."

Laroo recalled what he could see with the spell:  that she was not human
was obvious, but the magical auras around her armour, sword, and
other items were powerful indeed, and he mentally catalogued these.

His analytic mind attacked the last vision he saw, the cord that
extended from her and disappeared a few feet behind her.  She was not
astrally projecting, so there was only one obvious conclusion given what
information he had.

"The One Who Reflects is somehow linked to you.  That it did not kill
you when it could have easily done so, since it would also have gained
your abilities as a reward, shows that it has reason to keep you alive.

"Also, it was not accident that it followed you here.  It may well be able
to follow and find you wherever you travel, or it may even know where
you are at all times.  It was probably your travel to this plane that
allowed it to escape and follow you here.  It is also possible that it must
follow you to whatever plane you travel, but I wouldn't bet on that just
yet.

"I once encountered a strange race of beings, the Dyzantaar, that could
cast such a thread as I see attached to you.  That thread could not be
severed, but the Dyzantaar could use it to track the creature to which it
was attached.  I believe what I see is similar in nature to that.

"As you have guessed by now, I am a Wizard.  Now Paladin, we have
much to plan if we are going succeed, decide now if you can meet my
price."


-- 
--Alfvaen(Web page:"http://ugweb.cs.ualberta.ca/~aaron/")
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