Pools of Darkness - James M Brown [97]
"Be ye friend or foe?" asked the cleric in the lead. The even tone of his voice and the scourge he hadn't drawn told everyone he didn't expect a fight. The other horsemen crowded into the clearing, arranging themselves so as not to alarm the strangers.
"Friends to those who would be our friends, foes to any who would slow our quest," Ren said, nodding to both groups.
"Well spoken, for a warrior," the cleric commented. The priest with the red skullcap gestured to the others, and his followers stopped their chanting and dismounted. The clerics of Torm held to their saddles but lowered their voices to a faint hum. The leaders of both groups stepped forward.
The cleric in blue plate mail shouted to his followers to cease their chanting. The smoke from the burning incense concentrated in the clearing, tainting the air with the smell of singed hair and stale, bitter herbs. The entire group grimaced as the odor washed over them. Gamaliel bared his teeth in a silent hiss.
"I am Bishop Painel," announced the man wearing the red skullcap. The gray teardrop tattooed under his eye was now visible to Ren and the others. "My priests are on a quest of our own, along with the priests of Torm." Painel deferred to his colleague.
"And I am Starnak, High Bishop of Torm. What is a ragged band such as yourselves doing here? Do you realize how dangerous this land has become?"
Without asking for consent, Painel moved to bless Evaine and the others. Gamaliel leaped between the cleric and his mistress, hissing at the intrusion.
"Good clerics," Ren boomed in his most authoritative voice, "our quest is to find some friends who were stolen along with the entire city of Phlan. We plan to look for answers at a red tower."
The clerics extinguished their pungent incense. The leaders looked upon Ren's group in surprise.
"Isn't this a coincidence?" Painel said calmly as he backed away from Gamaliel. "Our mighty gods have given us the quest of finding a red tower and expunging the evil there. Warrior, won't you introduce us to the rest of your party?"
Ren quickly surveyed the others. "I am called Blade. Yonder is a warrior dedicated to Tyr, known as Ordean." The ranger silently hoped that the clerics couldn't see through the paladin's illusion or sense that he was actually undead. "The lady is a wizard calling herself Anastasia-" Ren smiled, thinking Evaine wasn't the only one who could think fast on her feet "-her familiar, the giant cat, is Fellinor. The druid-"
"This druid can introduce himself. I am called Acer, good clerics. Perhaps we can join forces to approach the red tower. What do you know of this magical structure?"
Evaine observed slight hand gestures among the clerics at the rear of the group. She knew they were probably casting spells of detection.
The sorceress cleared her throat loudly. She hoped she could stop the clerics before they discovered their real names and the truth about Miltiades. "Excuse me, but your spells of detection won't work on us in the cloud of evil in which we find ourselves," she called over the heads of the two leaders. "Magics of searching won't work around the tower, either. You'll just have to trust us."
"Ah, trust-a charming concept, rarely given freely, is it not?" Painel asked. "Shall we compare knowledge of the tower before we decide whether to join forces?"
Four of his clerics began setting up strange poles, each with an iron gauntlet affixed to the top. The two lesser clerics of Ilmater walked between the poles, spreading the ashes from the incense burner.
Clerics are so odd, Ren thought to himself. He could never imagine such a life for himself.
"So, dear lady, please illuminate us on what your group knows," Painel said. A small stool was placed between the poles and the bishop settled onto it with a grunt.
Evaine was not about to spill the whole truth until she knew more about these clerics. She could tell a little of the story, however. "My home was destroyed and a message was left behind