Elminster's Daughter - Ed Greenwood [95]
The Mage Royal turned back to Narnra, relaxing her spell to let the thief down off the wall onto her feet again. "Let's end this all the sooner, if you're willing. Narnra, I think I know enough about who you are now. Now, I'd like very much to learn all you know, suspect, or have overheard as rumors in Waterdeep of any campaign to overthrow the Obarskyrs."
"The who? Oh… the ruling family here, hey?" Narnra looked at Laspeera then pointed to her own forehead. "Vouch for me in this, yes?" She turned and met Caladnei's eyes, and the moment she was staring into them said slowly and firmly, "Not… a… thing. I've heard nothing at all about anything political in Cormyr. Nothing until I got here, and all that Rightful Conspiracy gabble in the cellars-and I'm still not sure exactly what it was about. Discontent with the Crown, yes, but-" She shrugged.
"Keep to Waterdeep, Narnra. Purchases of swords, or the hire of warriors? Backed by merchants or nobles of Waterdeep? War-horses? Hedge-wizards being hired for trips overland? The places might not be in Cormyr; they could be Westgate, or Saerloon and Selgaunt in Sembia, or Athkatla… or Iriaebor."
Narnra shook her head. "No, Mage Royal, I swear to you, nothing like that. A few horses and wagons between one merchant and another, yes, but nothing that could mean war-and no huge chests full of coins setting off anywhere, either. Not that anyone in Waterdeep would be fool enough to let word get around about something like that, anyway."
"Truth, Gala," Laspeera said softly. "Utter truth."
The Mage Royal smiled and nodded. "Well enough. We had to be sure." She took another step closer and asked quietly, "Do you know any magic, Narnra? How to cast spells?"
"No. If I did, would I be…" Narnra let her voice trail off instead of asking something bitter.
"I'm sorry, Narnra. Is the body we can see now your true shape?"
"Yes," Narnra replied, taken aback. "How could it not be?"
"How indeed." Caladnei did not take her eyes off Narnra as she asked over her shoulder, "Speera, has every answer given me by Narnra been completely true?"
"No, Mage Royal. There's one thing she wanted to be true, but stood in some doubt over."
"And that was?"
"Living kin. Until recently she was sure she had none… but now knows better. The knowledge does not please her."
In the silence that followed, Caladnei eyed Narnra thoughtfully, and then asked, "Are you going to tell me, Narnra, without greeting the wall again?"
The Waterdhavian clenched her teeth, looked at the floor, and burst out, "You've no right to do this. I don't want to spend the rest of my days being hunted by every gods-cursed wizard in Faerun! Can't I keep this one secret? It's nothing to do with Cormyr!"
"I must be the judge of that," the Mage Royal replied softly. "Come, Narnra, what harm can saying a name or two do you? If 'tis nothing to do with Cormyr, as you say, then it can't be a lineage exiled from here, and so…"
Glarasteer Rhauligan cleared his throat loudly, and Caladnei looked over at him, stepping smoothly back from Narnra to do so.
"You thought your parents were dead, right?" the Harper asked Narnra.
She looked into his eyes and said, "Yes."
"You've never had siblings, aye?"
"Yes."
"So you've just learned your mother-or your father-was alive, hey?"
"Yes," Narnra said, shrinking back from him as if he was going to hurl something at her.
"You followed a wizard here, didn't you?"
Narnra glared at him and kept silence. Four people stared at each other in the vast and otherwise empty room before Laspeera asked, "You're the daughter of Elminster of Shadowdale, aren't you?"
Narnra shot her a look that had daggers in it and-reluctantly- nodded. Her voice, when it came, was barely a whisper: "I… fear so."
She looked up swiftly. Rhauligan was eyeing her with bright interest, while Laspeera's eyes had a strange expression that held several things, pity foremost among them. Caladnei was frowning.
"In the cellars of Marsember, Elminster certainly didn't seem to be treating you as his daughter,"