Tumora's luck lg-3 Page 5

  "Lady, she is not just any other member. If you keep this woman among us, you will regret it one day. You know that I have done my best to get along with persons whose greed or jealousy or hatred or lust for power has poisoned their souls. But Walinda's evil is different. Walinda takes pleasure in the pain of others. Walinda takes pleasure in inflicting that pain."

  "That was obvious from the recordings she made for us," Montgomery replied. "You should consider experiencing one of them. Perhaps you would understand her better."

  "I would prefer to understand sickness from a distance, lady. The sensation of putrefying my soul does not intrigue me in the least," Bors said coolly. Montgomery's eyes flashed angrily. Da'nanin set his hand down gently on the factol's and said, "Bors is entitled to his repulsion. Walinda's feelings could not, after all, coexist with Bors's specific specialization."

  The paladin gave the half-elf a grateful look. Montgomery calmed down somewhat. Like many of the more powerful Sensates, Bors specialized in a particularly esoteric range of sensations. The paladin was exploring all the aspects of purity of the heart. Da'nanin knew well that the factol was more than pleased with the paladin's work in the field. She enjoyed the recordings he made and collected from others.

  The factol sighed. "You may be right. What was the second matter you wished to discuss?" she asked the paladin "I thought you might be interested to know the identities of the two persons Ayryn scried when she was misdirected," Bors said.

  "Yes," Montgomery agreed. "They are friends of Holly Harrowslough, the ones that were seeking the Hand of Bane. The winged woman's name is Jasmine, a spelljammer sailor, and the red-haired man is a bard named Joel. Joel is also a priest of a god named Finder."

  "Finder? I don't recall any god called Finder. Is he a god of Toril?" Montgomery asked.

  "A very minor new power," Da'nanin interjected. There's a book about him making the rounds, as I recall."

  Bors nodded. "It's a tale Joel told to a bookseller named Dits. To get to the heart of the matter, Tymora, the goddess of luck, is an ally of this god Finder. Apparently Lady Luck had a hand in seeing that Finder obtained godhood when he destroyed another evil god. When I asked Ayryn, she said she was indeed trying to scry for Tymora when she was misdirected to the two mortals."

  "That's interesting," Da'nanin said. "Tymora's spell misdirected us to her ally's priest. Could there be meaning in that, do you think?"

  Bors shrugged.

  "Can you find these people, Joel and Jas, so we can speak with them?" Montgomery asked. "Perhaps Holly knows their location."

  "Holly left for Elysium this morning," Da'nanin reminded her.

  "Oh, yes. Called hence by her god. Now, there's an experience!"

  Bors nodded in agreement. "Joel is still in Sigil. He's been staying with the bookseller I mentioned before, a bariaur named Dits."

  The door to the private reception hall opened suddenly. Annali Webspinner poked her head in and whispered excitedly, "They're here! The man and the winged woman that Ayryn scried tonight. They've come to speak to Bors."

  "Very efficient, Bors," Da'nanin teased. "How did you do that? Mirrors? Time travel?"

  "Please show them in, Annali," Montgomery requested.

  A few moments later, Joel, Jas, and Emilo found themselves ushered into a private reception hall. Joel looked slightly surprised. He had expected to speak with Bors alone. The presence of the half-elf and the lovely Montgomery left him momentarily speechless. He was agonizingly aware of how dirty and disheveled he must look after his combat with the priest of Xvim.

  Fortunately the paladin seemed to recognize the bard's discomfort. Bors stepped forward. "Lady, allow me to introduce Joel of Finder. Joel, this is our factol, Erin Dark-flame Montgomery, and her adviser, Cuatha Da'nanin."

  "I'm pleased to meet you. Welcome to the Civic Festhall," Montgomery said to the bard. She did not seem to be taken aback by Joel's appearance, but smiled warmly at him.

  Joel bowed. "Allow me to present my companions, Jasmine, and Emilo Haversack. Please excuse our interruption, but Holly led me to understand that you might allow me access to your portal to Arborea. We were hoping to travel there as soon as possible."

  "Ordinarily we charge a fee for that, don't we?" Montgomery asked Annali. The bariaur adviser remained by the door, too curious to leave.

  "An exchange of a sensation recording," Annali said. "An important one."

  Joel hesitated. He was not shy about sharing his experiences with others; indeed, that was a large part of his training as a bard. He had already related his most important experience to Bits the bookseller, who had recorded it in a more traditional medium with paper and ink. Bits had then made a tidy profit selling the story as an adventure serial in three parts, and a small fortune selling the collected serials. Joel had been glad to see the tale get an audience, since it helped spread the word about Finder. Making a Sensate recording would guarantee an even larger audience, but there were things about the Sensates' recordings that disturbed the bard. They could be made by anyone, since there was no particular skill required of the person making a sensation recording. They were also said to be so real that those who played them back sometimes came to prefer them to the reality of their own lives.

  "Is it true you were a companion of your god Finder for quite some time before he revealed to you that he was a god?" Da'nanin asked. "Yes," Joel admitted with a sheepish grin.

  "That moment must have been quite wonderful for you," Da'nanin guessed. "It would be just the sort of thing we would love to have on a recording. But… you did say you were anxious to travel to Arborea as soon as possible. We'd be willing to send you through our portal now, and you can record for us when you return to Sigil."

  The half-elf must have read Dits's book, Joel realized, and understood how he felt about Finder. Somehow that made the bard feel as if Da'nanin might be trusted. "Your offer is most gracious," Joel said. "I accept."

  "Perhaps your companions would consider making a recording for us sometime as well," Montgomery suggested. She turned a winning smile on Jas and Emilo.

  "Be glad to help out any way I can," the kender said with a low bow that sent his topknot sweeping the marble floor. "I've had lots of interesting experiences."

  "And you, Jasmine? I'm sure you must have something to share with our audiences," Montgomery said.

  "Not unless your audiences enjoy the feeling of being cursed by the gods and having their lives completely disrupted," Jas replied in a honey-sweet tone that mocked the factol's own, yet did nothing to cover her own bitterness.

  Joel looked down at his feet, embarrassed by Jas's behavior, but Montgomery was completely unruffled by the winged woman's rudeness. "Some of them just might," she replied.

  "Oh," Da'nanin said, "just one thing. In cases such as these, where someone owes us a recording, Annali usually insists we get a lock of hair or some such trifle as a token of good faith."

  Joel nodded in agreement.

  "Well, then," Annali said, "if you'll follow me, I'll take you to the portal."

  "Thank you," Joel said, bowing low to the Sensates. Annali led the three visitors through a doorway in the back of the private reception hall.

  When they had gone, Montgomery asked, "Cuatha, my love, what do we need with a lock of that young man's hair?"

  "Give it to Ayryn," Da'nanin replied. "It will make it easier for her to scry for him."

  "You clever, devious man," Montgomery said, tugging playfully on the half-elf s earlobe.

  "Joel is a man of his word," Bors insisted. "He will honor the bargain. Why do you need to scry for him?"

  "Bors, Bors," Montgomery laughed. "Think. Joel is going to Arborea. What is he going to do in Arborea?"

  "Visit his god, perhaps. I believe Finder makes his home in that plane somewhere near Bright-" Bors paused, realizing what the factol had in mind. "You're hoping to scry and record their meeting," Bors said, realizing what the factol and her consort had in mind.

  Montgomery
nodded. "And who knows? Perhaps they'll visit Brightwater."

  "Where Tymora makes her realm," Bors noted.

  "Then we might get a glimpse of the elusive Realms goddess of good luck," Montgomery said.

  ACT ONE SCENE 4

  Jas slid her dagger blade across several strands of Joel's hair near the nape of his neck. "I can't believe you're doing this," she muttered to the bard. Joel gave her a weary smile as he retied his hair back up with a strip of leather.

  They stood before a doorway in some dark, secret chamber. Annali had brought them here via two magic portals, but Joel felt sure they were still somewhere beneath the Civic Festhall. He could hear music playing somewhere above. He took the strands of his hair from Jas and handed them to Annali.

  "It's a lovely color," the bariaur Sensate said as she wrapped the strands around her fingers.

  "Thank you," Joel replied.

  "You need to take these," Annali said, handing Joel three acorns. "They act as a key to the portal. Simply step through. Your friends should follow right behind you before the portal closes. When you arrive, you'll be facing the Gilded Hall of the Sensates. It's a place of great beauty… some would call it a paradise. I do not think you will be visiting there, though, will you?"

  Joel shook his head. "I have another destination in mind. Thank you again," the bard said, bowing briefly before the bariaur. He turned and stepped through the magic portal. Jas and Emilo followed close on his heels.

  They emerged on a wooded hillside beneath a moonlit night sky. A mild breeze cooled, but did not chill, the summer air surrounding them.

  "I can't believe you gave them a lock of your hair," Jas said, stepping in front of Joel. "They could use that in all sorts of magic spells," the winged woman lectured. "You know that, don't you? What were you thinking?"

  The bard was temporarily distracted by the sight of Jas's wings. Whenever she traveled to a different plane, her wings took on a new form. Her face was still covered in the black feathers that had come with the curse of Iyachtu Xvim, but since she'd stepped through the magic portal, her wings were no longer hard and metallic, but feathered, as they'd been in the Realms where she'd been born. In the Realms however, her feathers had been white, tinged with pink. Here in Arborea, they were deep blue, brilliant green, and sparkling gold, in the pattern of peacock feathers.

  "Joel, stop looking at my stupid wings," Jas snapped with exasperation. "How could you let them have some of your hair?"

  Joel sighed. "Jas, Holly said I could trust Bors. I trust Holly's judgment," he said.

  "It's the loveliest thing I've ever seen," Emilo said softly.

  "What?" Jas growled, prepared to berate the kender for admiring her wings.

  The kender pointed outward.

  Jas looked up, then breathed in sharply in astonishment.

  "The Gilded Hall," Joel said. "Annali didn't exaggerate. It is a place of great beauty."

  In the distance, across a valley, on the opposite bank of a shimmering river, stood a castle that seemed to glow in the moonlight. It was crowned with several domed towers of varying sizes, from graceful spires that soared into the sky to massive halls that hugged the hillside. The reflections of the moon and stars sparkled on the domes and on a tremendous fountain outside the castle, which splashed as high as some of its towers. Waterfalls spilled from the fountain into a cascading stream, which glittered all the way down to the river. Fertile fields and lush woodlands covered the outlying lands like plush velvet surrounding a rare and stunning piece of jewelry. Although they were some distance from the castle, Joel could have sworn he smelled roses and petunias from the gardens. He even imagined he heard laughter and music wafting across the river valley.

  Emilo tilted his head back and looked straight up. "It's good to see the stars again," the kender said, "even if I don't recognize any of them."

  "Yes," Jas agreed. Suddenly she laughed and launched herself into the air.

  Joel looked up at the sparkling lights in the black sky. Their pattern was completely unfamiliar, but they were lovely to look at. As he watched, a few of them shot across the sky and vanished. The moon was only a sliver, but bright and silvery as an elven blade.

  Jas soared out over the river and arched back. In the peaceful stillness, the bard and the kender watched the winged woman in companionable silence. Jas landed beside them.

  "Sorry about that. I just suddenly had to fly. I don't know what came over me."

  "Perhaps it was simply the beauty of the place," Emilo suggested.

  Jas looked around and shrugged. "Maybe," she said. She changed the subject, as she often did, to avoid discussing her feelings. "So. Where's Finder?" she asked Joel.

  "His realm is between here and the town of Brightwater."

  "I thought you said the portal led to his realm," Jas said.

  "Well, near his realm," Joel said. "It's a nice evening for walking. We should be there before the moon sets."

  "We'd better be," Jas said. "We don't have Holly with us anymore to help us live off the land."

  "I'm good at that," Emilo said. "I can bring down a bird with a stone. Once I brought down two birds with one stone. And I can fish. I love to fish. And I can trap rabbits. That's almost too easy. If you want to know what berries are good to eat, you can't always rely on the birds because birds can eat poisonous berries, but people can usually eat what the bears eat. Bears also know how to dig for roots. If you're not sure about eating something, you should find a bear. But be sure the bear doesn't find you."

  Jas laughed. "Well, we're lucky to have your wisdom because Joel and I are both city folk and haven't a clue about trapping or what berries are safe to eat. And I certainly don't want to find any bears."

  "I can create food with a spell," Joel reminded her.

  "Bread. You can create bread with a spell," Jas corrected.

  "It's good bread," Joel countered.

  "When you can create stew and custard and berry pie, then you'll be creating food," Jas retorted.

  Joel harrumphed.

  "I like bread," Emilo said. "Especially herb bread. Though I'm also very fond of sweet rolls with raisins. Herb bread is good with little bits of cheese baked into it. Though not necessarily with stew. With stew, you want a plain bread you can use to sop up the gravy. One with a lot of bite to the crust, but soft inside. Of course, berry pie is always good. I know some people who won't eat raspberries because of the little seeds, but that's as silly as not eating fish because of the bones. The really good foods always have little annoying things like seeds and bones. Like life, I guess. Of course, bread doesn't have seeds or bones. But I do like bread."

  "Well, it won't really matter if we reach Finder's for breakfast," Jas said. "Which way?"

  "There should be a road leading from the Gilded Hall to the town of Brightwater. There's a path that heads away from the road that leads to Fermata."

  "Fermata?" Jas asked.

  "That's the name of Finder's realm," Joel said. "It's a musical term for a hold over a note or a rest."

  "So which is it?" Jas asked. "A hold over a note or a rest?"

  "Well, either one… both, really," Joel explained. "Finder's life and his music are sustained in his realm, and it's also a place where he can rest."

  "There's a road leading off in that direction," Jas said, pointing along the ridge above the river valley. "I saw it from the air."

  They made their way along the ridge until they reached a hard-packed dirt road. In one direction, it wound down into the valley to a bridge supported by seven graceful stone arches, then wound back up the valley toward the Gilded Hall. In the opposite direction, it led along the ridgeline into a dark forest.

  "How about a light?" Emilo asked.

  "I don't have the power to cast another one tonight," Joel said.

  "Not to worry," the kender said. He pulled a small torch from his backpack and flint and steel from one of the pockets of his vest. With expert ease, he lit the torch from sparks in a matter of moments. Jas
applauded his skill. Emilo bowed and handed the torch to the winged woman.

  They plunged into the forest, moving at a quick pace down the road. The ground was dry, but not dusty. The canopy of leaves overhead blocked their view of the stars and moon, but the forest itself twinkled with fireflies.

  They'd traveled for some time when Emilo reported he heard someone coming toward them from up ahead. A few minutes later, they saw lights and heard shouts and laughter. Despite Joel's protests that there could be no harm in greeting the natives, Jas was loath to encounter strangers. She insisted they put out their torch in the dirt and take cover. Once Emilo smothered the torch in the dirt, Jas flew the kender and the bard to a branch high overhead, then settled beside them.

  The strangers, dozens of them, moved as one, not like a troop of soldiers but more like a mob of revelers. Occasionally one stumbled but was kept from falling by a companion. There were both men and women in the group, all shabbily dressed and dirty. They passed about wineskins from which they drank as if they were dying of thirst. Arguments broke out whenever one failed to pass a wineskin quickly enough to suit his or her companions. One of the women carried an enormous rat in her arms, which she stroked as if it were a pet cat. As the mob passed below the trees where Joel, Jas, and Emilo hid, the stench of wine and unwashed human bodies assaulted the adventurers' noses.

  When the last of the strangers' torches had disappeared behind a bend in the road, Jas turned to Joel. "Not the sort of natives we really needed to greet, were they?" she asked with an air of the worldly wise.

  "I take my hat off to your superior distrust," Joel replied.

  Jas harrumphed. When they'd relit their torch and were once again safely on the ground, they continued through the forest more warily. Emilo traveled in the front since he had the best hearing of the three.

  By the time they finally came out of the forest, the moon had set. Some distance ahead of them, the sky was noticeably lighter, as if from a well-lit city. The road now passed through meadows and fields planted with grain and grapes.