Nym awoke with a start, sweating. She groaned and sat up slowly feeling clammy and achy. In the predawn darkness, Nym fumbled around in her bag of holding for her waterskin and her hangover remedy, another best seller. Of course, she’d still feel like hot garbage, but the remedy would at least lessen the experience from a full on trash fire. After finding the herbs and water, she took a long drink and stuffed the unappetizing herbs in her mouth and started chewing. She laid back on the bed and stared at the dark ceiling, hating every moment the herbs were in her mouth. Finally finished, she drank the rest of her water before sneaking quietly out of her room to refill the container and bring a fresh pitcher of water back to her room from the bar. She snorted in surprise and amusement at seeing Ort and Fin passed out in the tavern. ”Well, at least I made it back to bed,” she thought, feeling an odd mixture of pride and shame.
Nym returned to her room and continued drinking water slowly as the gray of the morning was slowly overtaken by the sunrise. Her mind wandered to Illuvaen, and a knot formed in her stomach. "He’s probably just waking up now,” she thought. She pulled out her two speaking stones, rolling them in her palm for a minute before holding Illuvaen’s stone to her lips. She wasn’t really sure what to say, but finally she began softly, “I don’t want you to go.”
“Nym?” Illuvaen’s sleepy, surprised voice answered.
“I’m sorry. Did I wake you up?”
“Just a little,” he teased, chuckling. Illuvaen yawned, and asked, concern tingeing his voice, “Can’t stay asleep?”
“No…” Nym answered, her eyes unfocusing. “I-I don’t want you to go.” Her voice cracked, and she cleared her throat in frustration with herself.
“Go… to the Wasteland?” he asked, uncertain.
“Yeah… I think we should stick to the first plan. Meet in Daggerford. Then we can go find the missing child together.” Nym tried to sound confident, but she knew she just sounded worried and whiney.
Illuvaen was quiet, and Nym could hear him shifting to sit up. “I suppose the child’s not in any immediate danger…” he replied sounding uncertain. “Why the change of heart?”
A strangled, worried noise escaped Nym’s lips before she blurted out, “I can’t bear the thought of losing you! And if we go together and die that seems better.” Nym winced, realizing how strange that sounded.
There was a pause before Illuvaen answered, “Ok. I’ll go to Daggerford.” His voice concerned, he asked, “What’s wrong, Nym?”
“EVERYTHING!” Nym squeaked. She let out a long breath, calming herself, before continuing, “It’s harder to see them than I could have imagined. They remind me so clearly of so many things I just want to forget… I… I wish I’d never come here. They mean so much to me, but just being near them is so painful.” Nym closed her eyes and sighed.
“I should have come with you,” Illuvaen answered apologetically.
“I told you not to,” Nym reminded him.
“Who died and made you queen?!” he teased gently.
Nym rolled her eyes and repeated, “I told you not to.”
“I know…” he answered, “But we both knew you weren’t ready if you saw your Sword Coast companions again… I should have come.”
“You’re too kind to me,” Nym said, wiping a tear from her cheek impatiently. “I’ve behaved quite badly since… running into them again. Drinking, more drinking… mostly drinking,” she admitted flatly, shrugging.
Illuvaen was quiet. Nym knew he wanted to tell her it wasn’t healthy to numb her emotions with alcohol and that he was worried for her health and safety. “I’m sorry,” she said quietly.
“Can you make me a promise?” he asked softly.
“Depends what it is,” she replied sassily, smiling.
“Well, since I’m not dashing valiantly into the Wastelands alone, I would like you to not use alcohol to deal with your feelings brought on by your companions.”
Panic in her voice, Nym replied, “You mean you’ll go to the Wastelands alone if I drink?!”
“Gods, no! NO! Nym, I’m sorry, that wasn’t what I meant. I just…” Illuvaen sighed, frustrated.
“Deal,” Nym replied quietly. “I’m sorry I’m… a disaster.” Nym groaned, embarrassed.
“I don’t think you’re a disaster,” Illuvaen said gently. “You’re my little songbird, and you have a broken wing.” He paused before adding, “I just want to see you happy and whole, but I love every part of you just as you are.”
“Thank you,” Nym whispered. “I don’t deserve that…” A long, slow breath escaped her lips. “I love you just as you are too, but I think I have the easier end of it.” She smiled sadly.
“There’s more to love about you than you realize, Nym. I’ll see you in Daggerford in a few days.”
Nym laid back down on her bed holding Illuvaen’s sending stone. The sunshine slowly peeked over the horizon into the room, and Pipper began to stir. Nym got up, pulled together her things, and went out to the stables to feed Nesme before heading out.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Nym strolled slowly down the pier, which was largely empty. A few fishing boats were preparing to head out for the day, but otherwise the streets were quiet. Fog had come in from the sea over the night, and as Nym walked past ships, they seemed to loom out of some mystical realm. As the sun began peeking between buildings, the fog began to burn off slowly, leaving swirling pockets of mist along the pier. Ahead, Nym could see the once grand Lady Narath. It looked particularly neglected floating beside the two well-kept merchant vessels flanking it. No lights yet flickered in the ship, and Nym felt strangely relieved to not have to worry about seeing her companions quite yet.
Nym continued past the dark shops and ships, avoiding looking at the Narath as though it were a rude schoolmate she didn’t want to talk to. A bit past the ship, Nym found a tea house that was blessedly open this early. She pushed open the door and was greeted cheerfully by a middle aged human with unreasonably large glasses. The woman’s silver hair was pulled back in a loose braid, and she was standing on a ladder pulling down a tea pouch from one of what looked like hundreds of different jars. A sleepy looking half elf man with a gold front tooth nodded in approval at the tea as he yawned. He then made his way to a table and stared vacantly in front of him, clearly unhappy to be awake so early. “Have a seat wherever you’d like, miss! I’ll be with you in just a jiffy,” the woman sing-songed to Nym. Nym looked around the cafe, selecting a small table in the window where she could watch the merchant vessel out front of the shop as the crew loaded it with wares.
The human woman came over to Nym after starting a fresh pot of water on her wood stove. She handed Nym a menu. “I’m glad I’m not the only morning person around here!” she said, smiling at Nym. “What would you like to drink?”
Noting the impressive collection of teas, Nym asked, “Do you happen to have Ulgarthian coffee? I know it’s a long shot…” She smiled at the human, shrugging.
“Why, yes! Of course I do! I have the best selection of any tea house or cafe on the Sword Coast.” The human was beaming with pride. “Would you like it with the traditional spices?”
“That would be wonderful,” Nym replied, and the human nodded and hurried off to start Nym’s coffee and finish the half elf’s tea. Nym stared out the window at the busy merchant ship for a bit before her attention turned to her growling stomach and then the menu. Pipper trilled expectantly from beneath the table. “Don’t worry, I’ll get you an egg too,” Nym replied to the fox as she rubbed his neck with her foot. He huffed, pleased, and leaned into Nym’s foot.
The menu was small but hearty, featuring a variety of pastries, boiled grains, meats, fruits, and egg dishes. Nym noted that the cafe’s name was ‘Madame Dundragon’s Tea House & More’, and Nym wondered if the woman was Madame Dundragon. Nym settled on a simple plate of egg and fruit and ordered an extra egg for Pipper as well. “Are you the namesake of this tea house?” Nym asked the human woman.
“Oh, yes, but I don’t generally go by Madame Dundragon. You can call me Ena.” The human smiled and hurried off to start Nym’s order.
Nym sighed, wishing she could sit in the tea house and do nothing for the rest of her life. She smiled and continued watching the merchant crew load the ship out her window while she sipped her coffee. When Ena stopped back with Nym’s breakfast, Nym said, “The coffee is excellent. Just as I remembered it.” Ena smiled and thanked Nym, pleased, and Nym returned to staring out the window, a soft smile on her face.
Nym was startled out of her thoughts when she heard a low, sensual voice voice ask, “Are you always so interested in ships, or am I lucky you’re interested in mine?” Nym jumped and looked to the source of the voice: the half elf man. His face changed from flirtatious to apologetic, stammering, “Oh, I’m sorry miss, I didn’t mean to startle you.” He looked a bit embarrassed as the tips of his ears flushed pink.
“Oh! No, please don’t be sorry! I… startle easily. Next time, I recommend throwing bread at me to get my attention first,” Nym joked, smiling.
“I’ve never tried that before,” the half elf replied, chuckling. He looked relaxed once again. “I could give you a tour of my ship if you like,” he added, nodding toward the merchant vessel outside, a lopsided smile on his face.
Nym looked the man over. He was quite handsome, with long, dark, messy hair; gold earrings; a deep blue long coat; his simple white shirt slightly open; and a bit of scruff on his chin. Surprisingly, the gold tooth added to his charm. Nym wondered absently if all half elf men didn’t shave or if it was only the half elf men she’d met. She decided it must be all half elf men since most of her extended family were half elves, and all the men sported facial hair of some sort or another. “Your ship? Lovely! I sort of co-owned a ship once… but not anymore.” Nym replied, remembering the Narath’s glory days.
The man looked particularly pleased that Nym seemed impressed by his owning of a ship. She suspected he hadn’t owned the ship long or he’d have probably used this line on quite a few more young women. The man bowed dramatically, introducing himself with a flourish. “Name’s Errol Evenwood, and it’s lovely to meet you miss-?”
“Nym.”
“Nym who?” He smiled the standard-issue lopsided scoundrel-with-a-heart-of-gold smile Nym had seen a thousand times before.
Blushing, she replied, “Just Nym.” She shrugged. Nym really did like the scoundrel-with-a-heart-of-gold smile. She almost wished she was single. Almost.
“Aaaah, Silver Marches tribal elf bloodline then? Which side?” Errol asked, swinging the empty chair at Nym’s table around and sitting on it backwards with his crossed arms resting on the back.
Nym blinked, surprised. “Well, both sides, actually, but further back on my father’s side… I’m guessing you’re of i' Dolen Gwaith then too?”
“My mother is, so technically, yes,” he replied, smiling. “So, you’re actually called Nym en' i' Dolen Gwaith, right? I mean, at least that’s the short form.”
“Yes, that’s right. For the short form,” Nym answered, smiling. “The whole thing is a mouthful.”
“They always are,” Errol replied, laughing. “What is it?”
Nym sighed dramatically and rolled her eyes playfully. “Nym en' i' Taurn Taure ere' hin en' Ollin en' i' Taurn Taure yeste' hin en' Nymora en' i' Ithiltaure atta hin en' Nymphina en' i' Ithiltaure yeste' hin en' Nym en' i' Hith Taure en' i' Dolen Gwaith.”
“It’s always interesting to see which line and how far i’ Dolen Gwaith trace their line, isn’t it?” Errol replied, looking thoughtful.
Nym nodded, adding, “Well, ending with my great great grandmother gives it a nice symmetry, I think.”
“It does,” Errol replied. “So, how about that tour?”
Nym smiled apologetically, “I’m afraid I’m currently involved, and so I don’t think it would be wise to join you this fine morning. If we’d met only last Marpenoth, I’d be much more interested.”
“Ah,” replied Errol with a sad sigh. “Well, if you’re ever not currently involved, Nym en' i' Taurn Taure en’ i’ Dolen Gwaith, I’d be happy to give you that tour.” The half elf smiled, adding, “Just ask for Captain Evenwood and his ship, the Tempest.” Errol bowed with a flourish before giving Nym’s hand a kiss. “And if I can’t take you with me, at least let me have the pleasure of paying for your meal,” he added, winking, as he placed a small pile of coins on Nym’s table. Sporting his scoundrel smile, Errol then rushed out the door to his ship, turning at the gangplank to give Nym the traditional Silver Marches Elven goodbye gesture.
“Wouldn’t mind a tour myself!” Ena replied from behind Nym. Nym spun on her seat, suprised, and the two women giggled gleefully. “He’s a nice boy, although I suspect those goods he’s loading are… uh… borrowed, if you take my meaning.”
“Oh!” Nym replied, blushing. “So… he’s a real pirate then?” She asked, flustered and surprised.
Ena nodded, and peered out the window, adjusting her glasses as she looked at the now fully loaded cargo. “And judging from the brands on those boxes, Mr. Greycastle is not going to be pleased when he wakes up this morning.” Noting Nym’s expression, Ena patted Nym’s shoulder, adding with a chuckle, “There are worse things to be than a gentleman pirate, child.”
Nym watched the Tempest pull out of the dock, unfurl its majestic sails, and glide smoothly away from Baldur’s Gate. She watched the men and women on deck to see if she could spot Errol again, but she did not. Nym smiled to herself and watched the ship disappear out to the open sea. ”I wonder where they’re going with their ill-gotten goods,” she thought. Nym began to more heavily rethink her opinion of Johan’s plan to steal from the wealthy to pay for the lien. ”It’s better than Violet’s plan to murder people for pay any day,” she thought, wondering if she was just justifying theft because Errol had been so… pleasant. She shrugged away the thought, and continued enjoying her coffee and breakfast while watching the pier slowly wake up with the sun.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Shops all along the pier began opening their doors, and people of all races and ages busily made their ways along the pier with a variety of goods. Ena’s shop began to fill up with more customers, so Nym ordered another coffee and an egg for Pipper to make her loitering worth it for the human. Pipper ate his egg happily making weird little snuffling noises the whole time. Nym daydreamed about Illuvaen until her thoughts were interrupted by the dashing Captain Errol Evenwood, at which time Nym wondered absently how Illuvaen would feel about her marrying two men and creating herself a little man harem. Her thoughts startled her, and Nym felt her face turn beet red. ”I’ve spent too much time among philanderers and kinky magic users this week,” she thought, shaking her head. Her mind drifted to the awkward sex conversation aboard the Narath her first night in the city. If she could have turned redder, she would have, but luckily, or unluckily, Nym was already at maximum embarrassment without even talking with another person. Suddenly she remembered what Beranhond had started saying on her first night back in Baldur’s Gate about he and Evelaen looking for a third, and Nym choked on her coffee. <”Dammit,”> Nym muttered in Elvish, switching to sipping her water and trying very hard not to imagine her friends naked again. ”I’m fairly sure once was enough for the rest of my life and afterlife,” she thought grumpily.
Nym was blessedly shocked out of her thoughts when she heard angry yelling and the clang of armor down the pier. She leaned forward to try to see what what going on, and saw a group of ten city guardsmen and what she guessed were Graycastle guards by their insignia tromping down the pier. They were making quite a show of yelling at passersby for information about two dozen crates of missing silks and spices. They weren’t having any luck getting answers as no one had been awake when the goods were spirited away that morning. Well, no one other than Ena and Nym. Eventually, someone pointed to the tea house, and Nym looked down at her coffee. Three guards came barging into the shop.
“Where’s the shop owner?” A large, red-faced human man bellowed. His armor looked about two sizes two small, and Nym wondered why the city hadn’t provided him something that fit him properly.
Ena glared up at the man while cleaning plates off a table, replying, “Who’s asking?”
The man looked confused, stammering, “I - Uh - Lord Graycastle is?”
“Oh, he’s a lord now, is he?” Ena replied sarcastically. Nym shifted uncomfortably, looking from Ena to the guards and back again. She noticed that the tea house customers had gone silent, and they were all watching this interaction.
A second, shorter guard who looked to be half dwarven stepped up. She rolled her eyes at the red-faced human and sighed. Nym could clearly see the Graycastle insignia on her armor. “Ma’am, I apologize for Hogarth’s manners. He’s better suited for roughing up drunkards.” The shorter half dwarven woman glared at Hogarth, who looked down at his feet like a scolded child. The tall human behind Hogarth slapped the back of Hogarth’s head in annoyance. The woman continued, “Early this morning, the Graycastle warehouse was robbed, and we are investigating the crime. My name is Ba’ila Forgesmith, and I am employed by the Graycastle Estate.”
Ena’s face softened when Forgesmith began speaking more civilly. Ena set down the plates, and a young man on her staff took them to the backroom to wash. Ena wiped her hands in her apron. “And you’re asking local business owners if they’ve seen anything?” The half dwarf nodded. Ena looked thoughtful before replying, “I’m afraid I haven’t seen anything out of the ordinary this morning, miss.” Nym was impressed by how well the woman lied and wondered who she’d been before she was a tea house owner.
The red-faced man looked crestfallen at Ena’s reply, and Forgesmith shrugged. “If you think of anything that might be useful, please send word to the Graycastle estate.” Ena nodded, and, satisfied, the three guards left the cafe.
Almost immediately, the customers went back to their own business and the hum of conversation filled the room. Ena stopped by Nym’s table, and whispered, “You have the look of a girl who can keep a secret, so I hope you can keep mine and my nephew’s.” Nym smiled uncomfortably and nodded in agreement. “Good girl,” Ena replied, placing another coffee in front of Nym. “This one’s on the house.” Ena smiled at Nym and winked before returning to her counter to fetch tea for customers.
Nym furrowed her brows with concern as she sipped her bribe coffee. She wondered what the punishment was in Baldur’s Gate for obstructing justice. After considering it for a bit, though, she decided she didn’t much care after all. ”This IS my… third least favorite place in all the realms, after all,” she thought, finishing her coffee.
