Deep Water in Waterdeep

Ara and the Augury, Part II

Ara stopped in the doorway of the room.

The elderly gnome looked up from a box of gears and levers. "Are you the priest? The healer?"

"Priest?" Ara said. "I'm a cleric. I am Ara Nightbreeze."

The tiny gnome chuckled. "There's no such person."

Ara held his breath. "It's who I am."

"But not who you were...Aramail Nailo."

Ara let out his breath. "That elf is dead."

"His brother is dead; Aramail lives. The one who once cut throats in Semberholme stands before me right now, a priest."

Ara became indignant. "A cleric, and I was nothing but a burglar, a common criminal. Never anything more than that--at least not intentionally. Besides, you speak of things which occurred two and a half centuries ago. Redemption belongs to all races, all genders."

The gnome smiled slyly. "Be glad no honest person in Waterdeep knows who you are, Burglar of the Dalelands, for your belief in redemption is not shared by all." He set his tinker's tools on the workbench and adjusted his monocle. "Very well, 'Ara Nightbreeze,' have it your way this evening. Do you have the coin?"

Ara, thankful the conversation had finally turned to business, pulled a pouch full of gold coins from his pocket.

"Bring it here. Pour it onto my bench." The gnome tapped the top of his workbench with his dexterous finger.

Ara stepped forward and emptied 20 gold coins onto the gnome's workbench. The tinkerer counted them out then shuffled them into an open drawer and slammed it shut. He took from another drawer a canvas pouch and poured out four authentic dragon's teeth onto his workbench. Set into each tooth was a colored gem each cut and polished to resemble a serpent's pupil. Also carved within each of the teeth were several Elvish runes resembling dice pips. Each rune pattern was unique to each tooth.

"It's what you wanted, yes?" the gnome asked.

Ara examined the teeth. "It is. Runes and all."

"May they help you with your redemption, 'Ara Nightbreeze,'" hissed the old gnome with a grin. "Take them and go."

Ara scooped up the teeth and placed them back into the canvas pouch, which he immediately put into his pocket, replacing the pouch of gold coins that had been there mere moments before. Wasting no time, Ara turned and left the gnome. He hurried, nearly ran back down the corridor to the open doorway. As he carelessly passed through the doorway, a hood was thrown over his head and he was jerked backwards into the arms of a killer. The cold steel blade of a dagger touched his throat.

"Did you get what you came for?" Scatch whispered into Ara's ear from behind.

Ara nodded.

"Then give me what I came for."

Ara spoke into the hood, his voice muffled by the cloth. "I was going to pay you when we got back to the surface."

"No, Ara. You pay me to get back to the surface."

Ara reached into his pocket once again and found 5 gold dragons with his fingertips. He passed them over his shoulder to Scratch, who took the coins and removed the dagger from Ara's jugular.

"Leave the hood on until we get back to the carriage," Scratch ordered Ara. "I'll take it off when we get back to Ghats Moray Park."

Ara felt the noose fall down over his head and draw tight around his neck. He held out his wrists to be bound.

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Photo: https://www.deviantart.com/art/Tunnel-rat-505336099