Elminster's Daughter - Ed Greenwood [110]
Someone-probably several someones-with skill enough to sculpt something much, much larger than they could see all at once had carved those awesomely beautiful, real dragons. Someone who must have felt very safe and secure here in Cormyr to spend the months, nay, years it must have taken up on ladders in this room, sculpting such a masterwork. Safe, secure, and paid well enough to eat. By a king or queen of Cormyr who loved beauty enough to pay for the making and leave this chamber unused for the sculptors to work. It would take a strong realm, a stable realm, and a flourishing realm to permit that.
Narnra clung to that thought and let her eyes fall from the magnificence to the emptiness of the vast room. That took confidence and wealth, too, to leave such a large and therefore useful room empty of distraction and so leave the carved ceiling that much more striking to the eye-and the three people standing patiently facing her.
Rhauligan, the 'watchful hands- on-weapons agent of the Crown of Cormyr… what she might become. Might.
Laspeera, the kindly yet powerful wizard. Regal and yet motherly, the sort of person who's "always there," a solid part of the furniture trusted by many, who'd be shocked when death finally took her because they'd come to think of her as a pillar of Faerun. Like folk here had thought of this Vangerdahast… like someone, somewhere, had presumably once thought of Elminster-probably in a land now dust, in a time long ago.
Caladnei. Her tormentor and the one in command here. The Mage Royal of Cormyr, outranking the older two Cormyreans- and at a glance an outlander, her skin dusky. Probably resented by many at Court, who wanted no stranger seizing power that should rightfully have drifted into their hands.
Narnra's eyes narrowed. Laspeera should be one of those, yet she seemed not to be. Wherefore this Caladnei was a witch who ruled minds by magic or… someone worthy of respect, loyalty, even love.
She stared into the dark eyes of the Mage Royal, who gazed gravely back. Dark brows, stern-but not quite imperious-manner. A little frightening.
The woman who wanted to invade her mind.
Narnra found herself breathing faster, almost panting. Part of her wanted to shout in revulsion, part wanted to hit out and run… and part was sneakily eager and excited, wanting to see what would happen. That was the spark in her that had taken her to greater and greater boldnesses on the rooftops, and she loved it-though it was a lure into trouble. There was something else rising in her, too… slow and hesitant, deeply submerged for too long. She could taste it, catching at the back of her throat.
Loneliness.
She'd been friendless and alone for far too long, Narnra against all the world… a world that was to her an endless collection of dupes, unseen passing folk, the rich and powerful best avoided, a few sharks cruising as she was, and-authority. The Watch, the Guard, the Watchful Order, the Lords of Waterdeep: the folk who could slay and flog and imprison and maim with impunity.
Narnra hated, feared, and despised all authority. These three people all held it, Caladnei the most. How much of her fear and defiance was rooted in her own hatred of authority? How-
Never mind. My choices are rough, and I've taken the best one. Mystra even smiled at me. I hope. Let's get this over with.
"Well," she announced quietly, lifting her chin, "I'm waiting."
None of the Cormyreans laughed. The two women both took a step toward her-and the Mage Royal stopped, obviously surprised by Laspeera's advance.
Laspeera kept on coming.
"Narnra," she said gently, "this will go best if you lie down. Right here, on the floor."
Narnra blinked at Laspeera then doubled up and sat. The War Wizard sank down with her as if she was some sort of delicate invalid. When she was lying on her back on the floor-staring up at that splendid ceiling again-Laspeera turned and called Caladnei over. Then she stood up and calmly undid her robe, hauled it off-revealing a gown-like underrobe of red satin-and rolled it.
Silently, she pointed Caladnei to