Tymora's Luck - Kate Novak [36]
"My lady, allow me to present Emilo Haversack of Ten-grapes," Finder said.
Emilo imitated Finder's bow. "Pleased to meet you, lady," he said when he'd risen.
"And how did you come to be in the entourage of this godling rogue, Mr. Haversack?" Tymora asked the kender.
"Well, first I stepped through a magical vortex to the city of Sigil. That's where I met Jas and Joel. Joel offered to bring me to Finder so he could help me to go home, but when Joel and Jas said they were coming here, I asked to come with them so I could see you, too," Emilo replied. "I'd never met a goddess before-that I know of, anyway. But having met you, I realize it would be hard not to know, since you just seem to shine…"
Tymora laughed softly and the babbling kender's voice trailed off.
"Does Mr. Haversack refer to Joel the Rebel Bard?" Tymora asked Finder. "Your very young and very talented protege?"
Finder motioned for Joel to step forward. The bard joined his god and bowed before the goddess. "I am Finder's very charmed protege, lady," Joel said.
Tymora laughed with delight. "Finder has told me so much about you," she said, "though he failed to mention how very handsome you are."
Joel felt his cheeks warm as they flushed with color.
"And the last member of my entourage I believe you know," Finder said, motioning toward Jas.
Jas remained frozen in place. Joel could sense the anxiety and anger in her.
"Yes," Tymora said softly, sliding off her stool. She strode forward and stopped just before the winged-woman.
Uncertainty gripped Joel. Although he'd told Jas that making this visit was her decision, he'd given her every reason in its favor without really knowing how Tymora felt about Jas.
Then Lady Luck kissed Jas on the forehead and said, "Welcome to Brightwater, Jasmine. You have grown since last we met."
Joel breathed a silent sigh of relief.
Jas bowed her head and muttered a reply that Joel couldn't hear. Tymora took the winged woman's arm. "Let's go out into the garden, shall we? Finder, you can follow behind with these gentlemen," the goddess said, nodding at Joel at Emilo. "Winnie, will you bring us refreshments?" she requested of a halfling priestess seated at a nearby table.
"My pleasure," the priestess replied. She laid down her hand of cards-four queens and a goddess-and hurried off.
Tymora led Jas from the Hall of Chance. Finder followed in Lady Luck's wake, and Joel and Emilo brought up the rear.
The garden was a hodgepodge of plantings, as if someone had just thrown seeds anywhere and left them to thrive or not on their own. In the deepening twilight, Joel could discern no real paths. Tymora just picked her way through some of the shorter growth. Tymora stopped beside a wooden bench beneath a birch tree. The tree's white bark seemed to glow in the light of the rising moon, and the stars twinkled through the slender branches. Fireflies sparked all around them. The goddess sat down on the bench, with Jas at her side. Finder settled on the ground at Tymora's feet, and Joel and Emilo did likewise.
"Your parents were great favorites of mine," the goddess told Jas. "So passionate, so daring. It really irritated me to learn that their daughter was traveling with a weasel like Chaos Carter."
"Well, the wings got rid of him fast enough," Jas noted. Her tone was completely neutral. Joel couldn't even fathom a guess at what she was feeling.
"But you still ran from your grief," Tymora noted. "Saerloon wasn't far enough from Waterdeep, so you had to leave Realmspace and travel to other spheres." "I tried going home a couple times," Jas said. "Things just kept coming up."
"And when you finally returned to Realmspace, your crew was murdered and you were abducted by a mad priestess of Bane," Tymora added, "who delivered you to the priests of Iyachtu Xvim for sacrifice. You escaped, but then you were recaptured and transformed into a dark stalker."
"I guess Finder's told you everything," Jas said, giving the god a sharp look.
"No," Finder said. "I kept your confidences, as you asked."