Blaise Pascal sat on the terrace of a building in Bral, a house owned by the Pragmatic Order of Thought. On the table beside him was the remains of a game, an elaborate combination of cards, dice, and monetary notes. A few minutes later, Tareo Mosantas, the head of the Bral chapter of the POTs, emerged carrying two drinks.
"As agreed," the human grumbled, "A Camarian Starburst, made to order." At that the human tapped the narrow glass, and for a few seconds the drink simmered like a group of small stars. Blaise waited until the drink settled, then slowly took a sip.
"So," Tareo asked, "it's been a while. Have you seen Fealthos recently?"
"We've corresponded," Blaise answered, "but we have both been very busy for quite some time."
"Same here," Tareo answered, as he sipped his drink. "I haven't been off Bral in close to three years. I could use a vacation. Anyway, what brings you to the POTs today?"
"Basically," the arcane answered, "I'm just touching base. As you know I've worked with the POTs before, so I decided to drop in and catch up on things."
"I'll have the recent records made available to you," Tareo answered. "You can look them over at your leisure."
"Fine. But in the mean time, would you care for a re-match?" Blaise asked, pointing at the game board.
"So long as we don't play for money.," Tareo answered, as he started to shuffle the cards.
Hall-ee-mor Dargess stood alone on a large, moss-covered rock. The Wanderer's shuttle sat on a small patch of grass several yards behind him. The asteroid on which he had landed was half the size of Bral, but it was so covered with vegetation that it was impossible for anyone to settle there. The only liveable place was a small cave, and it was occupied. Hall looked at the mouth of the cave and saw the remains of a fire. Several utensils were spread about in an orderly manner. A small pool of water lay just beyond the moss covered rock.
"Cohmot!" Hall called. No response.
"Cohmot!" he called again. "Cohmot, I came alone! We need to talk!"
Still no response. After a few minutes, Hall heard a rustling in some nearby bushes.
"Cohmot?" he asked.
"Come to find me have they?" a dry, scratchy voice responded. "Come to kill me at last? Betrayed me have you? Led them to me?!?"
"Cohmot," Hall said softly, "no one followed me. People have discovered you here, but they have respected your privacy, just as you wanted."
"Why come to me did you? Want only this peace do I." Hall still couldn't see Cohmot, but he knew he was there.
"Cohmot," Hall said in as soothing a voice he could manage, "Solaris is slowly destroying itself. Peoples are destroying one another everywhere, and it will only get worse. The tower of the Nimar has become a war prize."
"...Found it has become?"
"Yes," Hall answered. "And if the forces of darkness capture it, then Solaris is doomed. And they won't stop with Solaris."
"The Black?"
"Yes, and others." Hall paused and breathed heavily. "You have knowledge that may change that."
"Return I won't do! Want only to escape forever. One voice am I, powerless against the Alliance."
"That isn't true, Cohmot. Sometimes one voice can be heard over an entire crowd if what that voice says is strong and true."
Hall paused to let his hidden audience take in what he said.
"You can't escape forever, Cohmot. If you don't help me, then all of the fighting and killing that you sought to get away from will just become worse and worse.
Cohmot sighed in despair.
"Help you I will... What must I do?"
Belieth stood straight as a board, while a dwarven woman went up and down her body with a measuring tape.
"You say you want a formal dress?" the dwarf asked.
"Yes," Belieth answered. "I lost my last formal dress some time ago, in a shipwreck."
"Adventurers," the dwarf chuckled. "Always messing up their things and replacing them, only to mess them up and replace them again. That's what keeps me in business!" Belieth chuckled while the dwarf broke into a boisterous laugh.
"You can relax now, dearie," she said. Belieth watched as the dwarf brought up some fabric samples.
"How about velvet?" she asked. "I have some special velvet, just in this morning. Very popular with elves, and I can see you have some elf in 'ya." The dwarf brought up three bolts of cloth. They had a fine, almost glowing sheen to them. Belieth touched the fabric - it felt like silk.
"Lovely," Belieth said, "but why are they all dark colors?"
"That's the beauty of the stuff," the dwarf answered. "The elves who make the stuff use dark colors to create light contrasts that naturally accent elven skin. As the light changes, you take on a somewhat different appearance, but you always look great!"
Belieth nodded.
"I'd recommend this one," the dwarf said as she lifted a bolt of the velvet. The fabric had a deep royal purple color. "This will match those two violet eyes of yours."
Indeed the fabric was stunning.
"It's a deal! Where does this stuff come from?" Belieth asked.
"A place called Cartania, ever heard of it?"
"Hear of it?" Belieth asked excitedly, "I was born there!"
"How about that! You might even know my supplier, a textile merchant from... what is it... Olvenholt?"
"Yes," Belieth answered. Suddenly she felt very strange. A textile merchant from Olvenholt... "What's his name?" she asked.
"Corowin Willowleaf, do you know him?"
Belieth almost fell over.
"Is something wrong?" the dwarf asked.
"You say this fabric arrived this morning, is Willowleaf still on Bral?" Belieth asked almost desperately.
"He should be," the dwarf answered, somewhat confused. "His ship is called the Golden Loom. It should still be in dock."
"Thank you!" Belieth said. Quickly she pulled her cloak over her leather shirt and pants and picked up her hat and money bag. "I'll be back for the dress tomorrow!" At that she rushed out the door.
"It will be ready... miss..." the dwarf called back. The dwarf scratched her head for a moment in confusion, then resumed her work.
Belieth ran through the streets of Bral until her lungs hurt. People gave her strange looks as she darted in and out of the crowds. Finally she reached the docks. Dozens of ships were tied up at the various piers. A dock hand was passing by. Belieth ran up and asked him the location of the Golden Loom. The dock hand pointed to one of the other piers, and Belieth ran off.
The Golden Loom was an Angelfish ship, a Cartanian design for transporting large amounts of cargo over very long distances. Timidly, the half-elf approached the ship.
"Can I help you miss?" an elf asked.
"I'm looking for..." Belieth paused and swallowed hard. "Corowin Willowleaf."
"Come on aboard," the elf said as he opened the gate to the gangplank. "He's in his office, can I ask what your business is?"
Belieth didn't answer.
The elf just shrugged and closed the gate. He then led Belieth to the captain's office, and knocked on the door.
"Enter," a voice responded.
The elf opened the door and walked in. Belieth followed behind him, almost afraid to walk. There was another elf in the room. He was a very handsome elf, with crisp features and gentle eyes.
"This lady wants to see you," the crewman said. "She wouldn't say what it was about."
"Fine," the other elf said as he waved a hand. The crewman walked out, closing the door behind him. Belieth was frozen. She just stared at Corowin Willowleaf. Willowleaf looked at Belieth for a moment, confused.
"I don't mind the gaze of a lovely woman," the elf said, "but if you stand like that much longer you will lose circulation to your head." He then laughed for a moment. "Have a seat."
Belieth snapped out of her trance and timidly sat down.
"So," Willowleaf asked, "what can I do for you?"
"... there are so many things I want to say, and... I find I can't say anything," Belieth whispered.
Willowleaf became more puzzled.
"Do I know you?" he asked, as he examined her face.
"No..." Belieth answered. "But, you knew... my mother."
Willowleaf sat down in another chair and continued to look at Belieth. She suddenly looked familiar to him, and he was trying to figure out who she was.
"Who is your mother?" he asked.
"Dariman. Alicia Dariman," Belieth answered. "She's dead now."
Willowleaf suddenly looked very sad. He remembered Alicia Dariman, perhaps better than he wanted to admit.
"It has been a long time since I knew her. Apparently she re-married?" he asked. "She had two sons when I knew her, but no daughters."
"She never re-married," Belieth whispered. She looked at the floor for a moment and mustered all of the strength she could.
"My name is Belieth," she said. "I am Alicia Dariman's daughter." At that she removed her hat and pushed away some of her hair, to reveal her pointed, elven ears. "I am also your daughter."
Corowin Willowleaf reeled back in shock. He had never known. Alicia never said anything. Now he was facing the daughter he never knew he had. The resemblance to her mother was evident, but not well pronounced.
"I don't know what to say," Willowleaf said softly, his voice shaking. "I..."
"I'll come back later," Belieth said. "I'm not ready for this."
"No, I'll come to you," Willowleaf offered. "Where is your ship docked?"
"I'm with the Eternal Wanderer. It's docked at the royal docks."
"I'll come by later," he said. "After I complete the day's business."
"I'll be waiting, at the Wanderer," Belieth said quietly.
Later that day, Corowin Willowleaf descended the stairs to the royal docks, where the Eternal Wanderer rested. He was afraid to face Belieth, and yet he was determined to. Belieth half expected him to never show, but eventually Kath escorted Corowin to the library, where Belieth was waiting.
"You must understand," Corowin pleaded, "I didn't know!"
"I'm not blaming you for anything," Belieth said. "I tried to find you once before, but I couldn't."
"It wasn't long after I... left your mother that I took to space." The two just looked at one another for a moment.
"What was she like, as a mother?" Corowin asked.
Belieth's face contorted into an ugly scowl.
"To her sons she was an angel. But to me, she was hell." Belieth paused for a minute to collect herself. "She used to beat me, after getting drunk," she said, as tears started to roll. "She didn't want me! She never wanted me!"
Corowin lowered his face into his hands. He felt that somehow this had been his fault.
"When my brothers left," Belieth sobbed, "she turned on me more and more. Eventually I lived with Joseph, my uncle."
Corowin, now crying as well, nodded. He remembered Joseph Dariman. If things had been different they may have eventually become friends.
"Mother eventually drank herself to death," Belieth continued. "When Uncle Joe died, I left Terranova. I've never been there since."
Corowin had to say something.
"Why did your mother..." he started.
"She said it was to get back at you for leaving," Belieth said.
"Your mother drove me away," Corowin said in self-defence. "She used to rave about what a difficult life she had been having. She wanted more of me than I could give! She wanted me to make her world perfect, which I couldn't do. When that failed, she tried to make my world as miserable as she could, as if punishing me."
"So you left her?"
"Yes," he answered sadly.
"I can't blame you for that. Mother was... a bitch." Belieth managed a smile at saying that.
The two talked well into the afternoon. Belieth told him about her life as a sailor, as an adventurer, and as a space traveler. Apparently she had inherited her father's love for the stars.
Corowin spoke about the places he had seen, people he knew, and of the life he had been leading, and the tales he had heard. He also spoke more about Belieth's mother, and how guilty he felt about leaving Belieth with her. But, Alicia Dariman was miserable with life because hers was a life filled with frustrations and failed dreams. Corowin was just sad that she eventually took it out on Belieth.
"I can't blame you for that!" Belieth said again. "You didn't know she was pregnant. When you left she probably didn't know either!"
"I know," Corowin said. "I guess you're right." He breathed deep. "Know this, though. If I had known, I would have waited, and taken you with me! I would have tried to give you a better life than the one you had."
Belieth smiled. She held no blame on this man. Anyone would have left her mother if given the chance.
"You're a fine woman, Belieth," he stated. "I used to look back on the time I had with your mother with... deep resentment, but not any more. Something good came of it after all, and for that I'm happy."
The two just looked at each other again, and felt a bond begin to take hold. Simultaneously, they stood up and embraced.
"I have a daughter," Corowin said quietly, but with great pride.
"And I have a father," Belieth responded.
"How long will you be on Bral?" Belieth asked after a few minutes.
"I must travel to Spiral tomorrow," Corowin answered, "but I'll be returning here in two days for a week of trading."
"Good!" Belieth said excitedly. "There is going to be a celebration here on the docks in a few days. Can you attend?"
"I will certainly try," Corowin said with a big smile.
"I want you to meet my husband," Belieth said. "You two are a lot alike."
"I'm looking forward to it," Corowin said, still smiling. "I can think of one difference between us, however. He clearly has better taste in women than I do."
At that the two just laughed.
A while later, Onestar, Ville and Phantom approached the Wanderer, just in time to see Belieth bid a farewell embrace to an elf. As the elf ascended another set of stairs, Onestar walked over to Belieth. Her face was wet with tears, but they were tears of joy.
"Friend of yours?" Onestar asked.
"Family," Belieth answered. Saying the word 'family' felt so good she thought she was going to burst out laughing.
"That's my father," she said, looking at Onestar.
