Nym rode slowly through the city to a quiet inn where she’d stayed years before: The Blushing Mermaid. She paid for a small room and stabling for Nesme, brushed and stabled the horse, and then, exhausted, made her way to her room with Pipper. For some time, she stood at the window staring out to sea, watching the stars appear as the sky darkened. Finally, Nym made her way to the bath the inn maid had drawn for her. The water was lukewarm, but she didn’t mind. After washing, Nym sat in the bath staring into space until the water grew too cold to stand. She pulled on her nightgown and made her way to the bed where Pipper had curled up and fallen asleep already.
Nym pulled the two speaking stones out of her pants pocket, turning them over in her hand. She gently placed the stone matching her father’s stone back into the pocket. Nym held the other stone up to her lips, and whispered, “Illuvaen?”
After a few moments, she heard him reply, “Good evening, Nym! Have you made it to Baldur’s Gate yet?”
“Yes, but… they’re here.” she answered, her voice cracking slightly.
“Kilink? Your friends? I thought you had hoped to see them again. Has something happened?”
“They… they want to go treasure hunting.”
Illuvaen was silent on his end of the speaking stones, waiting for her to continue.
“And… and fight the rising Darkness,” Nym continued after several moments.
“Nym, you shouldn’t do anything that will be damaging to you, but I think this is a good opportunity,” Illuvaen replied, sounding supportive but concerned.
“I can’t…” she replied, choking up. She tried to hold back her tears, but they began flowing freely down her face. “I-I… no, I can’t… I’m not a hero! Every time I’ve tried to make the world a better place, I’ve just made it worse.” Nym sobbed openly, whispering between sobs, “The druids… I’m a monster… Their children too… and the Influence… and I killed Thjodolf and… I’m a murderer… and Darvin… it’s my fault… I can’t! Nonononono…” Nyms sobs shook her small body, and she gasped, unable to say more.
“Nym, you’re not a monster! You’ve made mistakes like we all have. Please, listen to me.”
Nym’s sobbing slowed, and she whimpered, wishing she had allowed Illuvaen to come with her to Baldur’s Gate. She felt so very alone.
“Nym, this is your chance to make things right… and you can’t stand by while your world is destroyed.” Illuvaen’s voice sounded pained at his last statement. Nym quieted herself, still shaking, her face streaked with tears. “I can’t stand by while your world is destroyed,” Illuvaen added quietly.
They were both silent for a moment before Illuvaen added with resolve, “Where can I meet you? I won’t leave you to take on this burden alone.”
Nym let out a long, slow breath, and replied, defeated, “Daggerford.”
“I will leave immediately,” Illuvaen said. Nym could hear him shuffling about before he added, “Don’t lose heart, my love. You cannot change the past, but you can shape this world’s future. And I will be there by your side.”
Nym was quiet, her thoughts still troubled. After a brief silence, she replied, “I love you,” closing her eyes and holding the stone up to her lips.
“I love you too, like the forest loves the rain,” Illuvaen replied, “I will see you in Daggerford, my little bird.”
Nym sat still for a long while, exhausted. Finally, she slipped the speaking stone back into her pocket, and whispered to herself, “I’ve hurt so many people… but maybe… maybe I can yet make things right.”
Illuvaen’s words ran through her head as she laid down in her bed. She didn’t understand how he could love her after all she’d done, but yet he did. And she loved him. “Perhaps I dreamed him to life,” she thought, smiling wistfully as she laid down to sleep, “He is from a dream plane after all.” Pipper curled up against Nym’s back, and she wondered if perhaps she and Illuvaen had always been destined to meet one another or if she could just be this lucky.
Nym fell into a fitful sleep and dreamt of the druids and the orc camp in the Shaar has she had every night for the past three years.
Nym pulled the two speaking stones out of her pants pocket, turning them over in her hand. She gently placed the stone matching her father’s stone back into the pocket. Nym held the other stone up to her lips, and whispered, “Illuvaen?”
After a few moments, she heard him reply, “Good evening, Nym! Have you made it to Baldur’s Gate yet?”
“Yes, but… they’re here.” she answered, her voice cracking slightly.
“Kilink? Your friends? I thought you had hoped to see them again. Has something happened?”
“They… they want to go treasure hunting.”
Illuvaen was silent on his end of the speaking stones, waiting for her to continue.
“And… and fight the rising Darkness,” Nym continued after several moments.
“Nym, you shouldn’t do anything that will be damaging to you, but I think this is a good opportunity,” Illuvaen replied, sounding supportive but concerned.
“I can’t…” she replied, choking up. She tried to hold back her tears, but they began flowing freely down her face. “I-I… no, I can’t… I’m not a hero! Every time I’ve tried to make the world a better place, I’ve just made it worse.” Nym sobbed openly, whispering between sobs, “The druids… I’m a monster… Their children too… and the Influence… and I killed Thjodolf and… I’m a murderer… and Darvin… it’s my fault… I can’t! Nonononono…” Nyms sobs shook her small body, and she gasped, unable to say more.
“Nym, you’re not a monster! You’ve made mistakes like we all have. Please, listen to me.”
Nym’s sobbing slowed, and she whimpered, wishing she had allowed Illuvaen to come with her to Baldur’s Gate. She felt so very alone.
“Nym, this is your chance to make things right… and you can’t stand by while your world is destroyed.” Illuvaen’s voice sounded pained at his last statement. Nym quieted herself, still shaking, her face streaked with tears. “I can’t stand by while your world is destroyed,” Illuvaen added quietly.
They were both silent for a moment before Illuvaen added with resolve, “Where can I meet you? I won’t leave you to take on this burden alone.”
Nym let out a long, slow breath, and replied, defeated, “Daggerford.”
“I will leave immediately,” Illuvaen said. Nym could hear him shuffling about before he added, “Don’t lose heart, my love. You cannot change the past, but you can shape this world’s future. And I will be there by your side.”
Nym was quiet, her thoughts still troubled. After a brief silence, she replied, “I love you,” closing her eyes and holding the stone up to her lips.
“I love you too, like the forest loves the rain,” Illuvaen replied, “I will see you in Daggerford, my little bird.”
Nym sat still for a long while, exhausted. Finally, she slipped the speaking stone back into her pocket, and whispered to herself, “I’ve hurt so many people… but maybe… maybe I can yet make things right.”
Illuvaen’s words ran through her head as she laid down in her bed. She didn’t understand how he could love her after all she’d done, but yet he did. And she loved him. “Perhaps I dreamed him to life,” she thought, smiling wistfully as she laid down to sleep, “He is from a dream plane after all.” Pipper curled up against Nym’s back, and she wondered if perhaps she and Illuvaen had always been destined to meet one another or if she could just be this lucky.
Nym fell into a fitful sleep and dreamt of the druids and the orc camp in the Shaar has she had every night for the past three years.
Nym awoke in the gray predawn, her jaw aching from clenching it as she slept. She stretched and got together her things before quietly slipping into the stables with Nesme. The horse nickered in greeting to Nym as she opened the stall and led her animals into the empty streets. Nym walked slowly down the street followed by Pipper and Nesme wondering if the group would meet at the ship or Odin's shop. "Probably the ship," she thought, picking her way toward the port.
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