Fenia Hastalion The Path of the Seven Stars

[gjallahorn]

Prolouge

The wind was blowing steadily from the southwest and the tips of the waves was white with foam as the ship ducked and choped into the sea. A lonely seagull glided effortlessly alongside while staying a few feet above the waves.

After a few moments it rose straight up and turned midair, with a lonely hoase cry it glided back westward towards the mist in the horizon.

Fenia looked after the bird and then past it, towards the mist. A trace of green was all but fading as the last glimse of the green isle disapered in the rolling mists that so often hugged the coasts this time of year.

A glimt of white silver, from the tallest tower on the island fortress of Sumbrar and Evermeet was intirely gone from her eyes. A few tears found their way to her emerald gren eyes and she wisked them away sternly. As farewells went, she told herself, this was to be a solemn one.

She turned her back on what was now, forever behind her, and gazed over the whitetipped streches of the Trackless sea, the wind picking up and the ships pace with it.

The crewmen went about their buisness, not paying any heed to the tall halfelven woman standing at the rail. Good coin, their captain had told them, had been paid for her passage onboard the ship back to the mainland, but it had allso been made very clear that it was a one way trip.

Fenia looked to the captain, his elegant face stern and his keen eyes fixed on the ships rigging. She slowly walked up to him, trying her best to keep her footing as the ship ducked and weaved.

"How long to the Gate, Captain?" She asked, seeking his gaze with little luck.

His eyes still fixed on his sails he replied coldly. "A tenday if the wind holds... seems the Gods themselves are eager to see you off."

Fenia gave a polite smile, which she could have spared, since the captain did not even cast a glance at her as he spoke. She shifted slightly on her feet waiting to see if the captain had more to say on the matter. That not being the case she slowly glided away from him.

She made her way amidships and ducked down below to her quarters, a small cabin to one side of the hull where the pounding of the waves made a constant unnerving moaning sound as the wood flexed under the punsishment of the elements on the other side.

Slowly she sat down on her bunk and picked up the bundel her uncle had handed her on her departure from the Hastalion estate. An elegant but study looking blade, an ancient looking warbow and two books. One old and worn, the other, brand new and, she knew, with not a single word in it. She pushed aside the later, slowly running her fingers across the weathered face of the first one.

It had been her mothers, and save from a few words from the more talkative members of the Hastalion household, of which there had not been many to begin with, it was all she knew of the sun-elven maid who had given birth to her, and died in the process.

Gently she picked ud the book and opend it. Elegant writing adorned the pages, dates and placenames she had only ever seen on old maps of the mainland, dominated each section.

Frowning to herself, and again blinking away those pesky tears, she turned to the last entry.

"Suzail, Cormyr.... Olar Temden."

As the pounding of the waves on the hull next to her faded, the old book sliped from her fingers and the violent motion of the ship became a gentle gliding motion, steadly rocking her back and forth into a deep exhausted sleep.

[gjallahorn]

Chapter I

A night in the Silversword

The rain was falling heavily and the Jewel of the Vale was but a blury silhouette, slowly creeping closer as the riverbrage gently approached the first of the tree bridges crossing the upper Chionthar. The sounds of the city where washed away by the noise of the downfall.

What few caravans and travellers crossed the bridges did so in a hurry in the search for someplace dry, and preferably warm. The guards at the gates stood in the archways, tugging their cloaks around them leaning on their helbards.

It was early Leaffall and the vast grass plains to the southwest of the city had a brown-golden tone to them.
Fenia stod at the rail of the barge, her cloak, armor and clothes soaked. Her slender body shivering and every bone in her body sceaming for a hot long bath and a place by a fireplace.

As the barge glided under the first bridge and hugged the riverbank to turn left into the docks she picked up her backpack and the bundle contaning the blades and bow.
It had been a long journy up the river from Baldurs Gate. But, she told herself, it had been relativly safe and it had saved her many miles walking the roads. If she had learnt anything form her first months in these lands, it was that to travel alone was a feat not done lightly.

As the barge eased into the harbor and glided alongside a bridge streching out in the murky water, she steped of the vessel an unto the slippery rough planks. She found the eyes of the captain and gave a nod of understanding in his direction. He returned the nod. "Safe travles Lass" he said before making sure the barge was properly tied to the posts.

Fenia looked around, her shoulder long hair dripping with water and sticking to her face.

Normally, she thought to herself, the docks and the surrounding arears would be full of mechants, traders and the like, but now only a few went along their way and allmost all of them with some place warm and dry in mind.

She walked up the street keeping to the middel of the coppled surface, avoiding the rivers of rainwater rushing down towards the docks at either sides, along with other unpleasent things one might find in a gutter
.
A sign caught her attention, a silver blade hanging tip down over a sturdy wooden door.

"Sign of the Silver Sword" she mumbled to herself.

The captain of the riverbarge had told her to stay here while in Berdusk.

"Decent place with good food and friendly folk" He had told her.

She pushed the door open and steped in. Standing near the door, allowing her soaked clothes to drip of the worst, she looked around the dark lit room. Merchants and locals by the looks of it. Few dwarves but other than that mostly humans. A few turned to look at her, but quickly turned back to their mugs.
Fenia spotted a seat near a fireplace, of which there where several, and moved up to the centercounter where a man was seemingly busy with doing nothing.

"A room, a tankard of ale, hot soup and a plate of two craps" she said placing small pouch on the counter. "And let me know when this runs out, I might be staying a while"

The man behind the counter looked at her, looked at the pouch then gave a slight nod towards the spot near the fireplace. Fenia shifted slightly on her feet, not sure if the man had understod her, but he made a "shoo" motion with his hand and she picked up her bundel and moved over to the fireplace.


Her belly full and now allmost completly dry Fenia pushed the plate aside. The captain har been right, those craps had been a treat and the soup had brought her warmth she never thought she'd regain after the bonechilling walk from the harbor.

She swirled the ale in the tankard and looked around the room. There was not much noise but merely a constant hum of voices, seemed the weather and aproaching winter put a damper on even the moods in Inns. She streched and drank from the tankard. A man, broad and tall with full grown beard came over to her table. He motioned towards a chair and Fenia gave a nod. His blue eyes regarded the slim woman before him.

"So... I'm guessing ye be the lass Captain Glan mentioned." He said as he sat down.

Fenia looked at him, puzzled. "I supose so... allthough I am unsure as to why Captain Glan would have done so?"

The man grined, frindly smile on his lips. "Aye. Said ye where looking for passage to Suzail... and that ye where quite good with that bow of ye's"

Fenia nodded, returning the smile. "I manage to hit most of the time, if that's what he meant"

The man laughed. "Aye, tha' about sums it up. I have an open spot on a caravan, bound for Cormyr. Me and a few mates of mine work as sellswords fer merchants. So ye interested lass?"

Fenia shifted in her seat. "I supose so. When do said caravan plan to leave?"

The man regarded her. "Well, that's the catch aint it... with the weather being as is, not sure we'll be leaving 'fore winter is over... that way, ye might be able to practice ye aim even more ehh?"

Fenia looked at him. "Not intirely unreasonable I supose... and what do you suggest I do untill

the Melting then?" She knew the weather and the comming winter might hold her up, but she had planed on getting at least as far as The Bridge of Fallen Men before the conditions became to dangerus for long travel.

The large man smiled again. "Well, as I said we have an open spot, and if ye as good at tracking as ye, presumably, are with ye bow..we might make a decent tracker of ye come Melting."

Fenia smirked to herself. It seemd as good a way to spend the winter as any and if it meant a steady diet of the Silver Sword's craps. She would not mind the least.

"Very well.. I think we could work something out...for mutual benefit right?" She said raising her tankard.

The man smiled and raised his tankard aswell. "Right you are lass... the name's Keldor Ironheart"

Fenia smiled and looked him in the eye. "Fenia... Fenia Temden"

[gjallahorn]

Chapter II

Shadows of the Stormhorns

It was a tenday past Claw of Sunsets and the snow was beginning to melt in earnest.

A group of travellers, 6 hooded figures and 3 carts being pulled by mules, was slowly making their way along the trail. To their right, the Dragonmere was showing its teeth, waves pounding the shore beneath the road and a bitterly cold wind howling from the east.

To their left, the towering walls of the Stormhorns blocked out what little warmth the sun might have offered.

They where about 20 miles out of Valkurs Roar and the warmth of the Red Roosters fireplace was but a distant thought in their minds.

Fenia tugged her cloak around her, leaning into the wind while she looked out over the sea beneath her. Her lips tasted of salt and small clusters of frozen water glinged to the fur of her neck collar. Winter was fading, but it had not lost its bite yet.

The large man leading the caravan stopped up ahead, frost and salt hanging from his beard like oddly placed adornments. "FENIA!" he called, still looking ahead.

Fenia straighten herself and hurried up to the man, following his eyes along the road.

Keldor pointed towards a cave entrance near the roadside.

"Go and see if that cave up ahead will fit us, time we got out of this blasted weather and get a fire going."

Fenia nodded and glided foreward, her bow in hand, arrow at the ready.

It had been an uneventfull journy from Berdusk, but this, Keldor had told her, was the outskirts of Cormyr and those that chose to go south around the Stormhorns risked running into the Draeven Marauders. Rebles from the southcoast of the Dragonmere who did not care much for the knights of the purple dragon and their king.

Supose one could not blame them, Fenia thought to herself as she closed in on the cave entrance, being told what to do, on that scale, was never to her likeing either. But taking it out on merchants and travellers of the roads, seemd wrong and misguided to her.

"Hit at what you can actually kill, and tell yourself that it's for a greater cause... many a freedomfighter and rebel end ud going down that dark road" Keldor had said, grimfaced, as the subject had come up one night around the campfire.

She quickly and nimble covered the 30 or so feet of rough rock and grass up to the cave and stopped a spell to listen. Hearing nothing but wind, she went inside, her eyes quickly adjusting to the dim light. Her elven blod served her well in these situations but the darkest parts of the cave remained dark, even to her keen eyes.

"Send the dwarf in next time" she mumbled to herself as she quickly scanned the place, looking for movement.

"Ye bloody well know we can't lass...he's the one paying fer this trip remember?" A booming voice said from behind.

Fenia jumped slightly, then did her best not to let Keldor know, that he'd manage once again to sneak up on her. "Gods Keldor! What is the point of sending me ahead to scout, if you sneak behind me the whole way anyway?"

The large Ranger chuckled as he entered the cave, looking at Fenias angry expression.

"Trust is good.... control is better, lass. Should have figured that out by now ehh?"

He grinned, throwing a torch her way, which she snaped out of the air with ease.

"Go on, those dark spots can hide more than rubbel and rocks, so even a pretty lass with elven eyes such as ye self would do wise to check carefully."

The fire crackled slowly and the golden glow flikkered on the walls of the caven. The mules stod at the back of the cave eating their crain slowly, the grinding sound blending with the soft whisper as they shifted their weight every now and then.

Fenia sat with her back up against the wheel of one of the carts, her eyes following sparks as they rose up from the campfire.

Olden, the towering fighter lay on his bedroll, his longsword and shield next to him. Fast asleep.

Across from him on the other side of the fire, Kelm the Tymorian cleric was sitting, absentmindedly flipping a coin in his hands.

Following the coin with his eyes, Rafzen, the halfling Rogue was sprawled across the seat of one of the other carts. His eyes found Fenias and his little face cracked in a wolfish grin.

Fenia smiled and shook her head, silently forming her lips in a "No" as if she had read the halflings mind regarding the clerics coin, which incedently happned to be his holy symbol of the Lady Luck. Rafzen pulled up an all too inocent look on his face, then lay back down on the seat with a chuckle.

Under the last cart, a plump dwarf lay on a bedroll. His snoaring rising and falling but never a moment leaving anyone in doubt where he was, and that he was in deep sleep.

Bremdar, he was called and as greedy merchants went, he was not all that bad Fenia thought to herself. No good in a fight, he was none the less a sharpminded tradesman. But allso, as Keldor had pointed out, both honorable and honest. Two traits not often found in that profession.

She smiled to herself. Good men, and they had taken her under their wings, each teaching her about the life on the roads.

"You'll be taking first watch lass" Keldor said as he sat down next to her, handing her a mug of tea.

Fenia nodded in understandment and reached out for the mug.

"Thanks" she said, sipping from the hot brew.

Keldor looked at the fire, then around at the others resting.

"Been talkin'. The lads and me. Once we get to Suzail and you'r off to what'ever it is you have in mind...once that is done... come to Berdusk and you'll have a place with us, if ye want." He smiled and handed her a pendant, hanging from a sliverchain.

"Take this... Gods willing it might aid ye and 'haps bring ye back to us in one piece ehh?"

Fenia took the pendant.. a symbol of with seven stars on it, Mystra or perhaps Selûne, by the looks of it. She nodded a thanks.

"I will, and thank you...truely"

Keldor shifted in his position, then his face went stern.

"Good..now. I thought I told ye to go take first watch... go on..get!"

Fenia smiled and jumped to her feet, picking up her bow and made her way to the entrance.

[gjallahorn]

Chapter III

Catch me if you can

As the Summertide passed into Highsun the sprawling city of Suzail overlooked a becalmed Dragonmere. The air seemed to stand still under the burning sun and the habor was littered with ships, all waiting for that gentle breeze that could carry them out to sea again.

The comming and goings of caravans, traders and commonfolk however, was not for the wind, or lack there of, to deside, and a steady stream of trafic flowed in and out of the gates in the massive 80 feet tall walls that lay as a protective hand around the city.

A caravan slowly made its way though the easten gate, lead by a fat man dressed in Sembian robes and consisting of 3 heavly laiden carts pulled by servants, some of which looked like they could drop dead in the soaring heat.

As the caravan slowly crawled onto the street, people pulled aside and those not allready sitting in the shades of the baldakins which had been set up at either sides of the street, welcomed the excuse to seek shelter from the sun.

The fat merchant, who carried himself with a stride that suggested he thought himself royalty at the very least, made several angry gestures at those few not moving out of the caravans way quickly enough for his liking.

A young boy darted out from the crowd and bumbed into the man, but before the boy could run along, the man grabed him by the arm.

"Oh no you wont - you little vermin. You think it's my first time in a big city"

As he spoke, his free hand went for an overly adorned sword, more a showpiece than an actual weapon, at his side.

"Give it here boy, or by the gods you'll have a taste of this" His voice was high pitched and his grib on the boy made the youngling gasp in pain.

Just as the merchants hand was about to reach the hilt of the blade, a hand cought his and diverted it away from the weapon.
A slender young woman slid up next to the merchant, still holding his hand in hers. She looked him directly in the eyes, her emerald green eyes glimting and with her face close to his she leaned even closer.

"Come now M'lord... the boy was mearly passing the street... those strong hands of yours could surely be put to better use hmm?" As she spoke she gently placed his hand on her hip and ran her hand up along his forearm while smiling. Her other hand gently re-aranged her chest-nut hair, revealing a slender pointy ear, and the merchant could not help but notice the gentle smell of lavander and roses flowing from her curly hair.

"Well... I mean.....ahmm" The merchant, who was clearly having truble adjusting to this new turn of events, released the boy from his grib, to check his beltpouch, finding it intact and still clinging with coin he looked up at the beautiful halfelven woman.
Before he could make eyecontact with her she had swirled around him in a glideing motion letting his hand glide off her hip, her hand still resting on his forearm. Standing behind him she leaned in and whispered in his ear, her nose wrinkling from the smell of his sweaty and dustfilled robes.

As she spoke the triggerword, Fenia felt the spell surge though her and her hand, still resting on the fat merchants arm felt his body jolt, then relax.
"Could I borrow your coin purse M'lord, just for a brief moment" She whispered in his ear, swirling around again to face him.

"Of course my dear girl" The man mumbled, his face in a sheepish smile, his eyes somewhat distant.
Fenia leaned forewards her lips inches from his, as he handed her the coinpurse.
"You are too kind M'lord" She said in a gentle voice then pulled back and ducked away in the crowd.

"HALT" A sharp voice suddenly rang out. Four men in armor and the colors of the cityguard came running down the street, pushing people aside as they went.
As they reached the caravan they where faced with the merchant, still with a goofy smile on his face, and tree servants, who despite their hardship, struggled to wipe a grin of their faces.

As Fenia darted down a backally, she could hear the Captain yelling.
"Two on the left, you..with me on the right.. FIND HER"

She had come to realise that the city, with all its shadows, allyways and crowds was just another form of wilderness and though it had taken her a while, she now feelt just as home here as she had done in the woods.
Keldor had directed her towards a taven called "The Laughing Lass" saying that she would find good folk there and might even learn a thing or two if she had the skills.

Picking the strings of a harp was not so different from that of a bow, she thought to herself as she rounded another bend, and she clearly had a talent for it.

"GOT YA" She was pulled out of her toughts as a strong hand grabed her upper arm and whirled her around, slaming her up against the wall.

"Fenia Temden... so...doing petty theft now, are we?" The guard said, pinning her up against the wall in a stern, but not hurtfull way.

Fenia narrowed her eyes, trying to see who was behind the visor of the helm. "Jarod?.... is that you"

The guard sighed and let go of her arm, taking half a step backwards and removed his helmet.
"Too hot to wear that damn thing anyways" He grumbled, then looked at Fenia with stern eyes, crossing his arms. "Explain now!.... please."

Fenia relaxed. leaning up against the wall she flashed him an innocent smile, seeing him frown, she quickly put on a more serious face.

"It was not what it looked like, honestly... more a kind of... means to and end"

"And what end might that be" Jarod said sternly, trying not to make eye contact.

"This" A light voice said from behind. The boy that had stumbled into the merchant stood behind them with a grin, holding a package the size of his fist in his hand.

Fenia smiled at the boy "You got it... good work" Then looked at Jarods stern face. "What?... it's for Emthrara.... you know me Jarod, I would not do something like this unless I had a good reason to."

Jarod sighed and reached out his hand, still avoiding Fenias eyes. "In that case, hand me that purse...now".

Fenia smiled and took out the merchants coinpurse, still looking at Jarod she took twenty gold coins out of it, wraping them in a piece of cloth, tossing it to the boy before Jarod could react. The boy snatched the coins out of the air and sent Fenia a grin before darting off down the ally.

"Fenia!" Jarod said sternly as he snatched the purse from her hand.

"Really Jarod... as if that fat bastard will notice, busy as he'll be whiping those poor servants as they drag his goods around the realms in this heat." She cought his gaze and tilted her head slightly, waiting for his reply.

The young guard grumbled and took a step foreward, now with a smile on his face. Fenia darted around him, her hair swirling past his face. She landed a quick kiss on his cheek before following in the same direction the boy had went. Jarod, for a brief spell cought in the sent of her still hanging on the air, turned around and said in a hopefull voice.

"Fenia!...will I see you tonight?"

She turned and winked at him with a smile. "If you can catch me" Then she laughed warmly and ran off down the ally.

The young guard stood alone in the ally, the purse in his hands.... he looked up at the sky, then rolled his eyes with a faint smile.

"Captain is gonna have my hide for this" He mumbled to himself before wakling back towards the main street.

[gjallahorn]

Chapter IV

On the road again

As Deep Winter turned over to Claw of Winter a lonely figure strode along the Way Of The Dragon, northwest of Suzail.
The mighty city, capital of the kingdom of Cormy, lay as a skulking shadow in the far distance as it glided in and out of view in the passing wintermists.
Frost had claimed the land, and the surface of the road was hard and uneven, offering a treacherous unforgiving path for anyone pasing along it.
The crystalclear air almost seemed to crack as sounds was carried longer and louder, and as if the wildlife knew this, or perhaps because they where actually hidden away in warm caves and nests, not a howl or whistle was head. Only the steadfast squeeking of boots in fresh snow was heard, as the lone halfelven woman was hiking along.

Quarterstaff in hand and clad in thick wool clothes and a fur cape and hood, she strode along with the determined steps of one who knew there was no turning back. The blade and unstrungbow on her back was tied to a larger backpack and as she halted to shifts its weight on the shoulderstraps she turned her head, chestnutred hair flying in the cold wind. Emerald green eyes with a stern look to them took one last look at the city in the distance before she continued walking.

Getting out of the city had been easier than she had feared, Fenia thought to herself. Afterall the guards and cutthroats had been on the lookout for a pretty taven wench in a dress, long curls and fancy jewelry. The seemingly human ranger clad for travel in a time of year most civilized people stayed near the fireplace, had not raised many eyebrows as she walked though the maingate in sturdy boots, carrying weapons peacebound as the law demanded.

"Never waste spells to acchive what a simple change of clothes, sharp wit and keen eyes can do all the easier" Emthrara had told her, as Fenia had considered using magic to try and conseal her apparance, on the night she had made her preperations to leave.

Her eyes started filling with tears, which she blinked away angryly.

Two years she had worked the streets of Suzail and the tavenfloor of The Laughing Lass. Two years. How quickly they had gone by.

The affairs of the shadows, for all the good they had done for the poor people in the city district, had come at a terrible cost.
"Poke a dragon long enough, and eventually it will bite ye head of" Keldor the old Ranger had once told her.

She stepped up the pace.

They had come for them, one at a time.
Jarod found killed in a backally, slain by a fellow guard on the payroll of lesser men who hid behind the law, to conduct their evil affairs with the more brutal parts of the local thivesguild.

Horan, the ever cheeky little boy, who was begining to show signs of the man he would one day become, drowned in the harbor with chains tied around his neck.

Fenia clinched her teeth, the anger boiling inside her.

That night she had desided it was time to leave, and leave she did.
What good was laws, when they where used as a shield by those suposed to uphold them?

She looked up. In the distance she could make out the uneven blur of a forrestline. The Kings Forrest.
The road would take her into its dephts and eventually to the town of Waymoot. Her intented destination, by adwise of the old ranger Keldor with whom she still exchanged letters now and then.

The amulet he'd given her, so long ago, bumped lightly against her bare chest under the thick clothes. It allways felt warm to the touch, giving her a reasuring feeling and providing a bit of warmth in the wintercold.

"I wonder why that is" Fenia said to herself out loud, her breath making trails of mist in the cold air.