The Adventures of a Paladin (NSFW)

[Sync]

Chapter 25 – The Conversation

It didn't take long at all for the silence, happy as it might have been for Helene, to be broken. After a few minutes of relative quiet, Erevan gently cleared his throat, causing the young woman to raise her head just enough so she could look into his face.

"Helene, I…" he began, then stopped. "I don't know…"

"Nether do I," she admitted softly. "I didn' plan it, bu'…"

"I didn't lead you on, did I?" The priest was clearly a little confused about the circumstances that had led to their current entanglement. "I realised we were getting closer, but I thought that…"

Helene shook her head slowly. "No, ye didn' lead me on, Erevan," she replied honestly. "Truth be tol', I…I dun know wha' made me…well, kiss ye. An' when our lips met I…I jus' wan'ed more."

"Hmmm." Erevan wasn't sure how to respond to that. "I…you're a lovely woman, Helene-"

"Don' do tha', Erevan," she told him quickly, almost cutting him off. Then she sighed softly. "I'm not lookin' fer anythin' serious or long-term, if tha's wha' ye be wonderin'.

"Well…that's something," he agreed quietly. "But that's not exactly what I was wondering about. I was…I was more wondering about how this happened, exactly." He snorted softly. "I know, you've said you don't know yourself. But that doesn't stop me wondering."

Helene chuckled softly. "No, I…I s'pose it don't." For a moment she was content to lie on top him, but the cold was starting to win her over. "I'm not too 'eavy fer ye, am I?"

"No, not really," the elven male replied quickly. "But I…I can feel you starting to shiver a little, so…maybe…"

"Get up an' dressed," she finished for him. "Befer we get too col' t' do anythin'."

"That's about right," he agreed readily.

Helene sighed softly then, almost reluctantly, pushed herself off the elven priest and rolled herself into a sitting position. She grimaced faintly as she felt his seed move about inside her, and she knew it wouldn't be long before…well, before it was no longer content to remain inside her. For the next few minutes the pair dressed in silence, picking up clothing and either putting it on or passing to the other, tidying themselves a little as they dressed. Eventually they were both dressed again, cleaned up as best they could, and they were sitting a few inches apart from each other. Finally Helene broke the silence between them.

"I don' s'pose Lord Torm 'as somethin' in 'is teachin's about this?"

Erevan chuckled quietly and shook his head. "No…not really. As one of his priests, I'm not forbidden the pleasures of the flesh, or anything like that. If I were engaged or married or otherwise in a firm relationship, then there'd likely be consequences for me, but right now…no." He paused to look into the young woman's face, noted she was still slightly flushed from her earlier ecstasy. "I'm not sure what path Lord Torm has for you, but I dare say you'll be held to a similar standard that I am when you offer your prayers and seek his guidance."

"Ye'll continue to teach me, then?"

The priest nodded. "Of course. Unless he tells me otherwise, I will continue to teach his ways to you, and will continue to go over what I've already taught you."

Helene nodded thoughtfully and looked like she was about to speak, but she hesitated slightly before finally doing so. "May I…may I join ye in yer prayers tonigh', then?"

Erevan smiled warmly at your younger pupil. "Of course you may. I can start teaching you some of the formal prayers we offer, how we might ask for guidance or strength, how we ask for spells to be granted…things like that."

"Spells…?" Helene clearly hadn't considered that. "Ye mean…magic an' th' like? I might get t' cast spells like ye do?"

"Eventually, yes," Erevan agreed calmly. "It will all depend on what path Lord Torm has decided to place you on."

"When will we know tha'?"

"In time…when Lord Torm chooses to reveal that to us." Erevan paused, then smiled faintly. "I'll need to give you a formal blessing to welcome you into Lord Torm's faith first…then, maybe, your path will be revealed."

"I admit, I…I'm a little nervous abou' tha'," Helene admitted. "Bu'…also lookin' forward t' it."

"I'll make sure you're as prepared as you can be," Erevan told the young woman with a warm smile on his lips. "In body and mind and spirit."

"Tha' sounds…good," Helene agreed a little hesitantly. What she was heading into was a very, very big step, and she knew it. Then she grinned faintly. "Bu' no' until af'er lunch."

"After lunch, then," Erevan agreed with a gentle chuckle.

Somehow…Helene knew it would all go well for her.

 

[Sync]

Chapter 26 – The Country

It took the pair another three days of travelling before they reached the edge of the Hullack Forest. It wasn't due to the size of the forest, although it was large; nor was it due to the condition of the East Way road, although parts of it could stand to be maintained a little better. No, the main reason for the extra time it took the two travellers was mainly due to the weather. Inside the forest they were largely protected from it, but when the rain fell on the forest, the canopy mostly protected from the "regular" fall and transformed it into large and heavy drops that pounded the two as they walked. The heavier drops in turn made the ground harder to traverse easily, and the canopy generally made the forest darker and cooler than an open landscape might have been. Overall…travelling through the forest – on foot, during winter – was, by and large, a miserable experience. Campfires were difficult to maintain, which made hot meals difficult to organise. In some ways it was easier to travel through the Thunder Gap.

Perhaps fortunately, they didn't encounter any more undead as they walked through the forest. Wild animals they heard, though, and Helene found herself fighting off a pair of wild boars one night when the two beasts happened on the small camp and decided, as beasts sometimes do, to defend what they instinctively claimed as their own territory against the humanoid invaders. The fighting was short, but hard – Helene's blade made short work of the beasts, but animals defending their territory didn't use organised tactics as such and just went at her hard. Fortunately she managed to avoid being badly injured by their tusks, although she was very sore and bruised and a little bloodied by the time the fighting was done…and Erevan's healing magic was able to help her recover.

They did encounter a small patrol of Purple Dragon Knights in the forest, too – towards night on the day after the fight with the wild boars. The knights were on a routine patrol through the forest, checking the road, looking for anything that might need to be cleared to keep travellers – especially merchants – safer as they moved through the forest…that sort of thing. The patrol was only four in number, but Helene had no doubt that, if pressed, the patrol would fight hard and effectively. Not that the woman had any desire or intention to cause trouble. The knights were well-organised and well-equipped, things that Erevan and Helene were not. The knights were understandably curious and a little suspicious of Helene, given the woman's Sembian accent, but they accepted the vouching of the Tormite priest who accompanied her.

The knights were also courteous enough towards the pair, if not professional. The knights performed a brief check of the pair's packs to make sure there was nothing illegal being carried by either, made sure the pair were aware of the rules and laws of Cormyr, checked whether either of the pair was registered with an adventuring company in Cormyr and, on learning that neither was, ensured that weapons were peace-bonded in accordance with Cormyrian Law. Helen had heard of the Cormyrian tradition of peace-bonding, but had never practiced it before now: it was a simple thing of tying a piece of string around a weapon's handle to keep it secured and not easily drawn, although the knot itself was easily undone. As it was very close to night-time once the formalities were completed, the knights were content to set up camp with the pair and share a meal, swap stories and news, and generally engage in friendly banter and activity. The evening was quiet otherwise, and Helene even found herself graciously offering to share watch duties with the knights during the night. Erevan and Helene both were glad for the additional companionship.

It didn't snow a lot in Cormyr, at least. The next morning was still cold and wet and overcast, though. Being in a more temperate part of the lands that were colloquially known as The Forgotten Realms, Cormyr only really saw snow when it was exceedingly cold – which didn't happen very often, if at all – or in the mountains of the Thunder Peaks. Helene and Erevan packed up their camp equipment, helped the knights pack up their own gear, then, after polite farewells and wishes of good fortune, the two continued their journey into Cormyr and towards Arabel, as Erevan needed. The pair reached the edge of the forest mid-afternoon, and both of them heaved a sigh to be back in open country. A couple of miles away they could make out the large bridge – the Masoner's Bridge – that allowed the East Way to cross the Immerflow River. All they had to do was get there.

Unfortunately, getting to the bridge wasn't as easy as it sounded. It was easy enough to accomplish on a map, yes – but maps had this annoying tendency to not be aware of things like bandits on the road. As the two approached the bridge, a small band of would-be robbers set upon them from out of the forest behind them. Had the bandits been stalking the pair through the forest? Helene didn't really care to know. All she knew – all she cared to know, at this point – was that there were five bandits against only herself and Erevan. In moments her shield was ready, her peace-bond was untied, and her sword was drawn with flames flicking along the blade. After several moments of each side assessing the other, the bandits smartly moving to try and flank and separate the pair, Helene decided to push the attack.

The fight was as short as it was bloody. The bandits had numbers in their favour, but they weren't really a match for Helene's skill and ferocity. Still, neither Helene nor Erevan came out of the fight cleanly. When it was done, both the warrior and priest were sore, bloody, bruised, and Helene was carrying a gash along her left arm where a dagger had found a spot her armour didn't fully protect. Erevan had been forced to use many of his spells in the fight and had little left for healing magic after the fighting. Helene wasn't in a bad way, nor was Erevan – but they both needed to rest, and they both knew that they couldn't rest where they were. They quickly took coins from the bandits, took a couple of daggers and other things that might be useful, then secured their weapons. They took a little time to bind their wounds as best they could, then moved on towards the bridge.

Once they crossed the bridge the pair headed south, at Erevan's suggestion. There was a small village along the river, a place called Sunset Hill, they could stop at and top up their supplies while resting. It was a little out of their way, and the detour would add a couple of days to their arrival in Arabel, but Erevan wasn't in a desperate hurry to get to the city; he just needed to be there, preferably sooner rather than later. As long as they were at Arabel by week's end – still six days away, where the journey would take three days, four at most – Erevan would be able to fulfil his objective.

They walked along the lesser road for a time, following the Immerflow River as they went. As the sun went down they moved off the road, towards the river, and made camp near the riverbank. They managed to make a reasonable fire to cook by, and ate well enough. They rested, talked politely, and Helene listened further to Erevan's instruction. As they prepared to retire to their tents for the night Helene again joined the priest in nightly prayer to Torm, and she felt fulfilment in doing so. However…this time was different, she knew. She heard that deep, rich, commanding voice speak in her mind-

Soon, my child.

-and the voice sent a warm thrill through her. When they finished their prayers Helene looked curiously at her companion, and saw something different in his face. She knew that Erevan had seen or heard something as well, although she didn't know what, and Erevan didn't elaborate. Instead, after some more small talk, she went to her tent and closed the flap, leaving the priest outside to watch and meditate. She heard Erevan moving outside for a while, and although she was wanting to know just what the priest was doing, she didn't wish to disturb him. Eventually she lay on her bedroll, closed her eyes, and let sleep claim her.

She didn't know what "soon" meant, but she knew she'd find out in the morning.

 

[Sync]

Chapter 27 – The Oath

The next morning felt…different, when she woke. It was cool, slightly damp, still; Helen couldn't hear anything more than the gentle rustling of the breeze through the trees near their camp and the soft washing of the water against the riverbank that was maybe fifty feet from their tents. The young warrior yawned and stretched in her bedroll, waking her muscles as much as her mind. She sat up in her tent, and felt a serenity about her like she hadn't felt in a long while. There was an inner peace that was not her own, although she could in no way explain how; all she knew as that although she was at peace within herself, there was more to it than simply herself being calm.

She dressed herself and stepped out of her tent, stretching again to her full height, arms above her head, to get the sort of muscular relief she couldn't achieve inside a small tent. She yawned again and rubber her eyes…then paused as she realised Erevan seemed to be in basically the same position he'd been in when she went to sleep last night – sitting by the fire, his back to the river, facing towards the road. No, not quite: he was kneeling instead of sitting, and he'd changed – he was looking more priestly than he had been last night. She was about to greet her travelling companion for the morning when his head turned and tilted so he could look at her, and she could see the serene purpose in his face straight away.

Instinctively Helene knew that whatever was going to happen between herself and Lord Torm, it was going to happen this morning….now. She approached the priest and moved to kneel before him, but he spoke before she could.

"Helene Jarraton of Saerloon," he began, his voice quiet and filled with purpose. "It's time. Follow me to the river's edge, please." He didn't wait for her to respond; instead he simply pushed himself to his feet, turned deliberately, and, with a small satchel clutched firmly in his left hand, started walking towards the river. Helene didn't get the chance to ask; she found herself simply following as requested, caught up with the priest and fell into step beside him. Very soon they were by the river, standing on the rocky shore, and Erevan turned to Helene, a small and warm smile on his lips.

"Kneel, please." Again, Erevan's voice had that tone of command that Helene didn't want to disappoint. She knelt obediently before the priest of Torm, clasped her hands together and dipped her head as if preparing to pray. She didn't know why she did that, but…it felt the right thing to do.

"Helene Jarraton," the priest intoned softly but firmly. "You have felt the calling of Lord Torm, and you have followed it to this moment. You have travelled with me and accepted his teachings. Do you understand what it is that Lord Torm represents among the Gods?"

"Yes…I un'erstan'," she heard herself reply formally.

"Understanding who Lord Torm is and what he represents, do you choose to devote yourself to his service?"

"I do choose," the young warrior replied without thinking.

"Lord Torm is the God of Duty, the God of Loyalty, the God of Obedience. He is one Leg of The Triad, the Three that stand for justice and rightness in the world. Are you willing to take your place among those who serve these ideals?"

"I am willin'."

Erevan smiled and reached into his satchel. He pulled a small stick of incense and quickly lit it with a minor spell, then closed his eyes and bowed his head in prayer for a moment. The priest was like that for several moments, after which his eyes opened and he cast the small spell of Bless upon Helene.

"Then in the name of Lord Torm I bless you and ask that he watch over you and guide you as he does all his faithful. I ask that he give you strength to act in his name."

Helene gasped softly as she felt the priestly magic fill her, but she knew that this wasn't all it was. Somehow, she knew. Erevan continued speaking, his voice still quiet but firm.

"Then swear your loyalty and your oath to Lord Torm, and let him hear the truth of your words."

Helene, still kneeling with her head bowed and hands clasped in front of her, took in a deep breath before responding. "I swear t' be loyal t' th' philosophy o' Lord Torm as I follow 'is teachin' o' Duty and Obedience. I swear t' be vigilant again' those who would seek t' undermine Loyalty an' Duty wit' laziness an' corruption. I swear t' stand in th' face o' darkness an' evil an' be a light t' expose those that would 'arm an' destroy. I swear t' help those who suffer a' th' hands o' those who cause chaos an' destruction; and those t' whom I name my sworn enemies I shall give no mercy or quarter as I seek t' end them by any an' all means possible. I shall no' abide those who would betray me or others in my care. An', finally, I swear t' uphold th' ideals o' Th' Triad – to uphold Law an' Order, to bring justice an' mercy t' those who need it, an' take revenge on behalf of those wronged."

Helene had no idea if those word were correct and proper, but they came from her heart…and as she finished speaking those words she felt a large, impossible power fill her at her core. For a moment that felt like an eternity she felt another presence with her, a fraction of what she immediately knew to be a measure of Lord Torm's self. The presence surrounded and filled her, infused her and directed her…and she also felt it change her and empower her. She knew all of those things at once, knew they were all happening to her at the same time. Exactly what was happening to her she couldn't understand, but she believed that it was good and necessary; she had faith that Lord Torm wouldn't guide her this far just to harm her now. Her inner senses were filled with a bright light, overpowering but not intolerable. Then she felt a spark fill her soul, an energy that lit up every nerve in her body and charging her with what felt like a cool fire. Soon, though, the spark was withdrawn, and that voice spoke to her in her mind.

"It is done, my child. Welcome to thee, mine knight…mine champion. Be thou at peace with thine oath. Erevan will explain to thee."

Then the presence was gone, the spark was gone, the bright energy was gone…but the feeling of fulfilment remained. Helene opened her eyes to see Erevan kneeling before her, and open and warm smile on his lips. She knew there were a thousand questions written on her face, but all he did was shake his head slowly as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Come, Helene. Let us return to camp and I will tell you what happened."

It took Helene several moments to respond, as she was still trying to work out just what had happened, but she finally nodded her had and pushed herself to her feet. Erevan hadn't moved; he only stood when he saw the human woman stand. The two walked back to their camp, side-by-side, and as she walked she realised that she also felt better – much better, in fact, as if their wounds and injuries from the previous day had gone. The campfire was still burning, and they spent a few minutes gathering extra sticks and branches to put on it before they sat down. Erevan was patient; he decided to let Helene start.

Once they were seated by the fire, Helene was lost in thought for several moments. She was aware that there was so much that had just happened, and she was equally aware she really had no idea where to being with her questions. Erevan was waiting patiently for her, she knew that, but how…? In the end, her mouth opened and asked what was probably the broadest and stupidest question she could think of.

"What…wha' jus' happened?"

The priest smiled warmly. "You were…blessed…by Lord Torm," he told her simply. "It's that simple…and also quite complicated. He accepted your oath as you accepted his blessings, and you are now on the path he's set for you. You are more than you were, and Lord Torm is with you."

"Okay, bu'…wha' does tha' mean?" She was clearly still trying to get her head around it all.

"He's made you his champion," Erevan explained honestly. "You are no longer 'just a warrior', Helene. Lord Torm has set you on the path of being his champion – one of his paladins. A holy knight in his name. I can sense the divinity in you, fuelled by your faith and the oath you swore. You will now be able to pray for spells to help you in fulfilling your oath, and as you grow stronger in your faith, the aura of divinity will grow and aid others around you. Your faith can be channelled into your attacks, and you will be able to call upon a little divine power to strike at your enemies with your faith."

"A…a paladin? Me?" Helene wasn't sure she'd heard much of what Erevan had said past that word. "But…but I'm no holy knight! I'm jus'…I'm jus' a person tryin' t' do th' righ' thing."

Erevan's smile became a little wider, and took on a knowing aspect. "Sometimes that's all it takes," he pointed out. "You 'doing the right thing' has, in this case, caught the attention of Lord Torm, such that he looked into your heart and saw things about you that pleased him. Your oath – the way you worded it, the things you swore to uphold – proves that your heart and mind follow Lord Torm's teachings. You have within you a fire for rightness and justice that Lord Torm likes."

The young warrior – paladin – shook her head slowly. "Bu'…a paladin…?"

The elven priest chuckled softly. "Yes…and is it so hard to believe, really? You're already an accomplished warrior, I've seen that for myself. There's no doubt you can handle yourself with your blade and shield. You've just given yourself as a woman of faith, dedicated yourself to the following of Lord Torm's teachings. Why not put those two elements – fighting and faith – together into one person?"

Helene remained silent for a moment. She couldn't think of how to respond to the query, but she knew it made perfect sense. In the end…all she could do was accept it, both in her head and in her heart. She nodded slowly. "All righ'…so what do I do nex', then?"

"We complete our journey to Arabel," Erevan replied simply. "I will guide you as best I can for the remainder of our time together – but once we reach Arabel, we will part ways. Lord Torm will have tasks for you, I'm sure – or tasks will find you. There is always a need for a strong hand that is guided by a strong will." He paused, then looked curiously at the young woman. "I'm curious, though, about the nature of your oath. You've set yourself on a path of Vengeance…or that's what it sounded like: if you can't prevent injustice, you'll exact vengeance on those who promote it. Is that…is that right?"

She hesitated for a moment, then nodded again. "I…yes, I guess. I mean…when I firs' found myself on this path, I…I allowed a great injustice t' occur, and my next act was t' exact vengeance on those who'd delivered it. I didn't hesitate abou' making vengeance, I jus'…did it. Maybe tha' was wha' go' Lord Torm's attention. But the oath I jus' swore…it fel' righ', like every fibre of my bein' was screamin' fer me t' make tha' oath."

"Standing for justice…or delivering vengeance on those who fail to provide justice," Erevan mused thoughtfully. "A formidable combination. You will do well in Lord Torm's service, I believe." He paused, then smiled warmly. "Come, then, Helene of Torm. Let us pack up camp and make our way to Sunset Hill. There we can rest overnight, top up any supplies…and I can guide you in your prayers for guidance and spells."

The pair spent the next hour packing up their camp – they weren't in any great hurry to pack up, and the weather wasn't threatening enough to force them to move quickly. By mid-morning the pair were traveling once more, tents packed, equipment stowed, bodies rested and refreshed, minds clear. The weather was cool and damp, yes, but it wasn't raining; the sun shone through breaks in the clouds above, and overall it was a pleasant winter's day.

Helene felt a grim determination settle over her, and she knew it would take time to work it out.