Nym sat silently at the table starting at the doors Beranhond had exited through. "I'm dead and this is hell," she thought, a grimace crossing her face.
It was rare she found herself without words, but Nym wasn't sure what to say as she turned back to Darvin. After staring at him awkwardly for what seemed like an unacceptably awkward amount of time, she said in Elvish, raising her glass, <"To Baldur's Keep, my least favorite place on all the planes..."> She thought for a moment, and corrected herself, <"Make that second least favorite,"> and she downed her third shot.
Feeling a buzz from her drinks, Nym stood up and started walking toward the door, beckoning Darvin to follow. She had no idea where she was going other than 'not here' and 'away'. "You know, I have no idea if you speak Elvish or not. I hope that wasn't too rude," Nym said pushing open the main door. She snorted and giggled, adding, "After you, Lord Pirate of Daughters." She bowed deeply before skipping out the door onto the street. Pipper hopped out after her, and Nym whistled for Nesme to follow.
As Darvin caught up to her, Nym began, "Speaking of daughters, my grandmother's sister's daughter's daughter just had a daughter last Midsummer. They live in Silverymoon, and Eva is precious. I don't think I've ever seen a cuter half elf child in my life! She has a sister who just turned six a few weeks back, and she's going to be going to the Lady's College in Silverymoon in just a year. Her parents are both on the city council in Silverymoon, which I've always found friendlier than Baldur's Gate. Of course, maybe that's since they're my cousins. Well, second cousins. Third cousins? I'm not really sure, but I've always just called them my cousins. You see my grandmother and her sister are twins, so they're very close, and..."
Having no real direction, Nym wandered back toward the ship with Darvin in tow as she talked.
Tuesday, February 9, 2016
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(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧
ReplyDeleteAfter walking for a bit, Nym stopped walking and said to Darvin, "You know, I'd almost forgotten, but I came here to see about buying medicinal herbs from Odin. I'm going to head to his shop to take care of that before everything gets crazy, which it will with all of us together."
ReplyDeleteNym chuckled, and asked, "Would you like to join me or return to the ship? I don't think it'll take too long."
For the first time since the group's reunion, Nym really looked at Darvin. He'd lost the self-assured, boisterous glow she'd so loved about him when they first met. Nym hoped he could find that again.
Nym began walking again toward Odin's shop, her mind replaying Beranhond's last words to her before he met alone with the City Council. "What exactly does he know?" Nym wondered, feeling a bit more vulnerable than she would like.
Darvin looked at Nym. She was lovelier than ever and deep down there was still a pang for what they once had. He knew that could never happen again and he wouldn't pursue it. They had been two naive kids. He had done some remarkably stupid things when they had been together. Chasing her all the way to Silverymoon to confess his love being foremost among them. But after everything he still could read her.
ReplyDelete"Nym," he said as she was walking away from him, "why won't you tell me what happened at orc camp? I know you well enough to tell you are hiding something. I know you think you're trying to protect me but I deserve to know. And then I will go with you to Odin's."
Darvin looked at Nym. She was lovelier than ever and deep down there was still a pang for what they once had. He knew that could never happen again and he wouldn't pursue it. They had been two naive kids. He had done some remarkably stupid things when they had been together. Chasing her all the way to Silverymoon to confess his love being foremost among them. But after everything he still could read her.
ReplyDelete"Nym," he said as she was walking away from him, "why won't you tell me what happened at orc camp? I know you well enough to tell you are hiding something. I know you think you're trying to protect me but I deserve to know. And then I will go with you to Odin's."
Nym bit her lip and closed her eyes as she slowed to a stop. This would be the third time she’d told someone what happened in the Shaar and probably the three thousandth time she’d relived it all. Nym turned to face Darvin, and said quietly, almost in a whisper, “I think… I’m trying to protect myself.” She walked a little ways back down to the street to sit on a bench in front of a closed pub.
ReplyDeleteAs Darvin joined her, Nym looked down at her hands. “I’m so, so sorry, Darvin. But I don’t expect your forgiveness because I can’t forgive myself.”
She was quiet for a long while as she stared into the street in front of her. “It’s… hard for me to tell you this. Harder than when I told my father….” Nym cleared her throat and squirmed slightly, unable to get comfortable on the bench.
Avoiding eye contact with Darvin, Nym continued, “It started with the Influence, as I’ve come to call it,” she began, sounding tired.
“After the druids destroyed Waterdeep, I was angry. I saw the druids as monsters and murderers, which wasn’t false but wasn’t the whole story, of course. They seemed to me to be our true enemies. That they were corrupted by darkness themselves.”
Nym knitted her brow as she continued, “The Influence visited me on the Lady Narath shortly after Waterdeep. It... encouraged me to take vengeance against the druids.” She pushed the dirt at her feet into a little pile as she continued, “I was already on that precipice, though. All it did was push.”
“To restore the good, I purge the evil,” she murmured, her eyes unfocusing at the memory of the Influence. Nym grimaced and looked back to her feet.
“It visited me again at the orc camp in the Shaar, speaking of retribution and Thay… I didn’t… I… I didn’t know the Red Wizards were at the camp until the day after… it… happened. The Influence embraced me, and…” Nym let out a little strangled noise. “I felt myself… change… and then I remember nothing until I awoke the following morning in the destroyed orc camp.”
Nym was quiet for a long while, holding back tears, before she continued quietly, “I knew I was responsible somehow for what happened, but it took time to really understand that terrible day…”
Nym looked away from Darvin, unable to face him. “Now I know, though. I slowly pieced it together over the years. I became the creature that attacked the camp. It was me.”
“I’m a monster.”
A sob escaped her body as she looked at Darvin. “I’m so, so sorry. I didn’t… mean to.” Nym grimaced and looked away from Darvin, knowing how worthless her apology was. It changed nothing. Fixed nothing.
“I won’t ask for forgiveness because I don’t deserve it.”
Nym stood, feeling hollow. “I understand if you don’t want to see me again. To be fair, I don’t want to see me again, but I’m kind of stuck with myself.” She attempted a smile, but ended up just beginning to sob openly as tears ran down her face. Nym turned and began walking back up the street, trying to keep her emotions under control and failing quite thoroughly.
Darvin sat and watched Nym walk away from him. He didn't know what to say. He did know he shouldn't let her go sobbing down the street by herself. He got up and caught up with her. They walked in silence for awhile.
ReplyDeleteSo many thoughts ran through his head.
"She killed Thjdolf!"
"How could she!? He was her friend too!"
"For the love of Narath, we had sex right after that!"
"Do I hate her? I feel like I'm supposed to hate her. But...I don't hate her. She was very lost. Just like I am now."
Finally, Darvin had processed enough to speak.
"Thank you for telling me. Knowing provides me some painful closure. I do miss Thjdolf. He was a loyal friend. And as such he wouldn't his death to consume me or destroy me."
He paused for a moment thinking about what to say next.
"Nym, I do not hate you. You were very lost. If anything I should have done more to help you."
With that he stopped walking and embraced her in the middle of a busy street.
Nym sobbed into Darvin's shoulder from a mixture of guilt and relief. When she finally was able to stop crying, she looked up at Darvin and whispered, "Thank you."
ReplyDeleteNym stood back, and wiped her eyes, "I hope someday to not hate myself for what I have done." She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and released it slowly.
She picked up Pipper, gave Darvin a half hearted smile, and said, "I'm headed to Odin's shop, and you're welcome to join me, but I understand if you'd prefer not to." Nym began heading toward the shop.
At what point can/should I/we show up in the shop post?
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ReplyDeleteShow up whenever you'd like. It's not like you were at the City Council for very long. Johan had a late start to his morning, anyway. ;)
ReplyDelete"I told you I would go to Odin's with you. So, I shall. Darvin Amblecrown is a man of his word. Debts notwithstanding."
ReplyDelete