Song of the Saurials - Kate Novak [13]
Akabar sighed inwardly as he glanced from Alias to Zhara. He hadn't expected Alias to get along with Zhara. Although the sell-sword was too proud to admit it, he believed she was jealous of tug wives. He hadn't expected Zhara to show jealousy, though, but then Alias was special to him, and Zhara knew that. At least the women's coolness toward one another would give him time to explain about Zhara to Alias.
Akabar glanced at Dragonbait, who was watching Zhara curiously The saurial paladin gave Akabar an inquiring look. He can smell what Zhara is, the Turmishman thought. Will he have the wisdom to keep it to himself? he wondered, Dragonbait shrugged and looked down at his teacup. Akabar, he realized, thought Alias loved him and would become enraged with jealousy if she knew all that Zhara was. The paladin knew Alias far better than the merchant-mage, and he knew that Alias did indeed love Akabar, but not the way Akabar thought she did.
Despite Alias's adult body and brilliant mind, Dragonbait had come to understand that her emotions were no more mature than a child's. The paladin suspected that the Nameless Bard, who denied his own emotions as a matter of pride, had been unable to give Alias skill controlling her feelings when something upset her.
Like a child, Alias grew jealous easily, and it wasn't easy for her to accept that she couldn't always be the center of attention. Akabar was right to worry about her reaction when she learned of Zhara's true nature. What the merchant-mage did not realize, however, was that Alias wouldn't react as a woman but as a child.
Still, it would be bad to put off explaining about Zhara, the paladin thought.
He would give Akabar a day to work up to it, but no more.
From the unpleasant, but fortunately weak, stench of brimstone that wafted from Dragonbait, Alias could tell there was something about Akabar's wife that interested the saurial. Nevertheless, Alias ignored Zhara and focused all her attention on Akabar. "So what brings you this far north so late in the year?" she asked the Turmishman.
Instead of answering Alias's question, Akabar asked one of his own. "Have you been well since I saw you in Westgate last year?"
Alias's brow knit in puzzlement. "Of course. Why shouldn't I be? Akabar, what's wrong? Why are you here?"
Akabar drew a deep breath. "I came to Shadowdale to seek Elminster's advice. I also hoped to find you here, in order to warn you."
"Warn me?" Alias asked, more confused than alarmed. "What about?"
"The return of the Darkbringer," Akabar said.
"The Darkbringer! You mean Moander?" Alias asked.
Akabar nodded.
"Akabar," Alias reminded the mage, "after you destroyed Moander's body, most of its worshipers killed themselves. Cassana had the Fire Knives assassinate those who didn't, so she wouldn't have to share me with them. Dragonbait and I spent the past two summers checking out all the Darkbringer's temples. They've all been abandoned. Without worshipers in the Realms, it could be centuries before Moander can regain enough energy to make a new body and return here from the Abyss"
"I have been troubled by nightmares of late," Akabar explained. "Zhara tells me they are warnings from the gods of light."
Alias sighed in exasperation. "Akabar, after all Moander put you through, of course you're going to have nightmares about it for a while. It's only natural.
The gods don't have anything to do with it."
"The dreams did not begin until this past spring, nearly a year after Meander's death," Akabar countered.
Alias shrugged. "Spring is when you destroyed Moander. Maybe the weather just reminded you of him," she suggested.
"Spring weather in Turmish is nothing like spring weather in the north or even in Westgate, where Moander died," Akabar persisted.
Dragonbait rapped on the table for attention. Alias watched the saurial's paws flutter about the tabletop, then move to his lips. Finally he pointed at her and Akabar.
Alias shook her head. "They're