young Azoun the Fifth was able to read, he'd scant time to waste on self-pity.
No shortage of heroes plagues your land, he wrote, but it is said that a king must know the ways of many lands if he is to rule his own wisely and well. Waterdeep cannot match Cormyr's thousand-year dynasty and proud and noble traditions, yet our history is not without tales worth telling.
He dipped the quill again and pondered. Where to start? Ancient times when dragons ruled all, or when elves founded the haven of Evermeet? Or perhaps with the first barbarian settlements? Something heroic, certainly, from the days before true heroism in the shadow of Mount Waterdeep was drowned in the endless clinking of coins.
A battle, perhaps. By the gods, Waterdeep had survived enough of those!
Recalling his childhood fascination for glorious sword-swinging tales brought to mind less pleasant memories: the frowns of nursemaids when they found him bent over forbidden books.
No, too stirring a tale would prompt the young king's minders to snatch this book from small royal hands and put it on a high shelf and thence, perhaps, into a waiting hearthfire.
Perhaps a humorous tale? Surely the Obarskyrs shared a strong sense of humor; how else could they have endured the counsel of the wizard Vangerdahast all these years?
No, that wasn't quite the thing, either. The wit of Taeros Hawkwinter was too often a kettle that seethed and scalded. Heated words from afar were even more likely to be swiftly introduced to devouring flames.
Better to start with a nursery tale, one Taeros had favored as a child. Yes, safe enough to pass the judgments of nursemaids. Something they might enjoy reading aloud to a boy king.
Eagerly he began to write, the familiar story flowing swiftly onto the page. This had always been one of his favorite tales. For once, the hero wasn't the strong young chieftain or the beautiful golden maiden. From such sprang worthy heroes, of course, but why not the occasional quick-witted lass?
Or for that matter, an ink-stained nobleman?
Swiftly ascending boots thundered on the stairs: Two pairs, at least, of expensive heels.
Hastily Taeros powdered his page, blotted his quill, capped the ink, and shuffled pages out in a concealing fan over all, leaving a satirical poem-something suitably frivolous he'd dashed off over morning ale, to explain away ink-stained fingers-atop the pile.
Familiar grumbling echoed on the stair, too low-pitched to make out words, but from an unmistakable source: Starragar.
Taeros grinned. Ho, then, Faerun, salute you Starragar Jardeth, tireless voice of dissent! Every circle of friends seemed to have a Starragar. His constant nay-saying annoyed as often as it amused, but that didn't mean the man wasn't occasionally correct. Even a water clock run dry told the right time twice a day.
On cue, Starragar poked his head into the room, surveying it with distaste already riding his pale face. His hard gaze fell upon the portrait over the hearth, and he sighed loudly.
A Hawkwinter grin widened. Last winter, they'd all sat together for a portrait. As a joke, they'd had the painter render Starragar entirely in black and white. In this, art fell not far short of life.
With his lank black hair, customary somber garb, and skin no blaze of sun could brown, Starragar seemed strangely colorless.
The young man just behind Jardeth was his opposite: Korvaun Helmfast was tall and fair-haired, with serious blue eyes and a quiet, thoughtful manner.
'Dock Ward,' Starragar said flatly and dismissively, as if that alone was sufficient condemnation.
Korvaun slipped past Starragar. Catching the grin Taeros wore, he greeted his friend with an easy nod.
'Nicely done,' Taeros offered, sweeping his hand to indicate the entire room. Starragar's predictable response was a disdainful sniff.
A belly-shaking burst of laughter rolled up the stairwell from below. The friends exchanged delighted smiles, and even Starragar's face lit up. As one the three nobles rushed to the door.
Malark Kothont was mounting the stairs two at a time, despite the large wooden crate in his massive arms. Keeping pace with him was Beldar Roaringhorn, their unofficial leader, darkly handsome face smiling but arms empty.
As usual, an inner annoyance rose in Taeros. Unlike the rest of them-young blades of Waterdeep born to wealth, whose proud merchant families had claimed nobility generations ago-Malark had royal blood. His mother was from the Moonshaes, distant kin to High Queen Alicia. Malark was, quite simply, better than the rest of them. His blindness to this grated on Taeros.
Malark tossed the crate onto a chair and threw his powerful arms wide. 'I'm back, lads, and thirsty as a Ruathymaar sailor! I see ale in plenty, but where are the wenches?'
'There're no women in the Moonshaes?' Starragar asked dryly.
Malark winked. 'Aye, but I've been there a year and more, haven't I?'
Long enough to acquire considerable bulk, it was evident, not to mention considerable facial hair. Though Malark was only two-and-twenty, he was muscled like a dock worker, and the curly red beard spilling down his tunic would be the envy of many a dwarf.
Beldar clapped him on the shoulder. 'Run through all the women, did you? No wonder you've come home. We've business to attend to, but tonight we'll drink the taverns dry.'
'Speaking of which-' Taeros untied a small bag from his belt and tossed it to Korvaun. 'That's for covering me the night I was coin-short for ale and breakage.'
Beldar's face darkened. 'Time was-not long gone, either-when a noble's word was coin enough until his steward came to settle up.'
'You said something about gifts?' Malark asked with smooth eagerness, eyes wide and bearded face innocent. The others grinned. Beldar lifted an eyebrow to show he'd recognized the ruse, but let his temper drop. Prying up the lid of the crate with his silver-mounted belt knife, the Roaringhorn folded back linen wrappings within and lifted a length of shimmering cloth into view, its rich amber hue as bright as a copper-backed candle. Not bothering to shake it out, he tossed it carelessly to Taeros.
'A cloak. I'm told flame-kindle is a good color for a man with black hair and gray eyes.'
Taeros momentarily struck the taunting pose of a coquettish high lady, making a show of smoothing his hair, then shook out the garment. He abandoned playacting to hold it up and raised his eyebrows, impressed. It was very fine, woven with threads that sparkled brightly. He moved it, watching them wink and catch the light.
'What's this?'
'Amber and topaz. I found a weaver who can work gemstone into cloth,' Beldar replied. 'For a suitably lofty stack of coin, she agreed not to sell her wares to anyone but us for the rest of the season. By then, we'll have set the fashion, and anyone who takes up wearing gemweave will be seen as a come-lately.'
Turning, the Roaringhorn tossed a black cloak to Starragar. It started to unfold in the air, tumbling into a shimmering cloud of darkness.
'Hematite,' Beldar said with a grin. 'A stone said to absorb negative energies.'
'Let us hope its capacity rivals Malark's thirst, or it'll shatter in a tenday,' Taeros said dryly, drawing a ripple of laughter-even from Starragar.
'For Korvaun, what else but true blue?' Beldar continued, handing the fair-haired blade a cloak that displayed a spectrum of jewel shades from pale blue to darkest sapphire. Korvaun nodded and smiled silent thanks.
Malark snatched the next cloak from his friend's hands the moment its emerald hue gleamed forth. 'You needn't be saying it. With this hair and beard, I'll look like an overfed leprechaun, but you haven't the imagination to be picking any other color. Jade, is it?'
'Emerald, you ingrate,' Beldar told him, scowling with feigned wrath, 'and worth far more than you are. As for me, it's rubies and garnet.' He swept a glimmering red cloak about his own shoulders and struck a pose.
Taeros did not share Beldar's preoccupation with fashion, but had to admit his friend looked dashing. A fine horseman and keen hunter, Beldar had the sun-browned skin of an outdoors-man and the lean physique of a swordmaster. His dark chestnut hair swept his shoulders, and his small, elegant mustache gave him a raffish air.
Taeros crooked a critical eyebrow. 'All you need is an oversized pirate's hat to complete your garb.'
'Why d'you think we were late?' Malark whispered, loudly enough to be heard clear down the stairs. 'We had to stop in every hattery 'tween here and the Northgate to try on great wagon-wheel things, but no one had a hat quite big enough to suit him.'
Beldar shrugged off the resulting laughter. 'Well, we have our club,' he began, nodding approvingly to Korvaun,
