Tough choices

[Tamen_V]

The young dwarf sat alone at a small campfire. around him the darkness was full of the sounds of night creatures, and above the vast sky glittered with a wealth of gemlike stars. but the beautie and peace of the night did not move Marik. He sat starring into the flickering flame before him, seeing nothing but shattered dreams, and a life destroyed by a foolish choice.
Slowly Marik's hand slid down to the dagger sheathed at his belt, he drew the weapon forth, the firelight glinted bright along its well crafted edge. Marik looked at the blade for several moments watching the fire reflected in its surface, then he began to speek in a voice broken by emotion, and weighted down with dispair.
"Clanggedin, I tried ta do what ye telled me ta do. But I failed, the humans will nay accept a dwarf into their order. I'v nothin now no clan, no family, no hall I am sorry I failed ye. Marik lifted the dagger resting its point against his chest over his heart, Marik closed his eyes and drew in what was to be his last breath on Faerun.
"Pardon me young man, but do you thint that is a wise idea...stabbing yourself."
Marik's eyes flew open at the sound of the unfamilliar voice and he looked up, Across the fire from him stood an old man leaning on a long plain wood walking staff. The human reguarded Marik with eyes that held no hazyness of age but instead a shrewd intellegence.
"let me be old man" Marik sighed "I wish no company this night" The man chuckled "The troubel with youth is thay never know what thay want...nor are they satisfied if they get what they think they want." the man lowerd himself down to the ground and gazed at Marik over the camp fire. "You look like a young man with a tale to tell, and I want to hear it. now, it is a beautifull night, and you have a nice fire here and an attentive listener...speek, tell me the tale of Marik Battleblood."
Marik blinked "H..how do ye know me name?" the old man waved a his hand in a dissmisive gesture "questions later impertinant boy now begin." Marik looked at the man for several heartbeats then he begain in a hesitant voice to tell of his life....

"I am the the son of Darok Battleblood son of Koroth Batleblood of Highstone hall in the mountains east of Sundbar. me father and his father afore him were members of the silver axes, warriors of Clanggedin Silverbeard , and defenders of Highstone hall. that was ta be me own life path as well, I spent the most of me life trainin ta be a warrior and a member of the silver axes, but that all changed durrin a battle against an army of stone giants that marched against the Hall, It was me first battle and I was set ta runnin orders and the like well durrin the fight I was runnun orders to one of the commanders on the flank, when a band of giants made a push. I took a glancing blow from a hurrled bolder on me shoulder and side of me head and was knocked out. while I was lyin on the field a vision of Clanggedin come ta me. "Marik" he said, "ye are destined ta serve a higher purpous. Ye have a great desire ta help them that are weaker than ye, and the soul of a warrior. All ye need is a power ta match, I can not give ye the power ye deserve, ye are different from yer father and yer father's father, that is why I came ta ye now ta tell ye that ye must turn from the path yer family wants ye ta walk and walk the path I have planned fer ye. I am chargin ye ta seek out Tempus the human god of battle. he and I are brothers in steel, blood and glory and he can give ye the power ye will need in all that is ta come. I know this will be hard fer ye, and yer clan will not understand, but ye must be strong Marik. I know ye can walk this path. I will be watching. untill we meet on the battle fields of the afterlife I commit ye to the Care of Tempus. Fare thee well Marik." "

"I was found and healed and I told me father about me vision he said it was caused by the head wound and had not really happened and to forget it. But I knew it had happened I began ta look in the libraries of the clerics and I found some information on Tempus much of it liking him with the barbarians of the north but I did find some entries speekin of temples ta him in the southland. Me father found one of the tombs in me room. He said I was a fool. I telled him it was my destony ta become a cleric of Tempus no matter what he said. He was furious he disowned me and had the clan elders cast me out of the Silver axes and bannish me form Highstone hall. the day I left was the blackest day of my life. the hardest thing of all was sayin good-bye ta me sister Norina. She was younger than me, but she believed in what I was tryin ta do. She even snuck out ta see me before I went away. Me father caught her talkin ta me and hit her and orderd her ta go home. I can still hear his voice "herritic" he called me "ye are no son of me blood and as long as I draw breath no member of this family will see ye or speek yer name. Ye are dead."

"I traveled fer weeks trying ta find a temple ta Tempus me search led first to the city of Tantras and the Temple of Glory but they turrned me away because of me size. I then traveled to Hillsfar and the Hall of Swords. but again they closed their door to me. so ye see now I have failed and have nothin left ta me but ta go to Clanggedin." "

The old man nodded "well that is a good tail young man...all but the endding...I hate sad enddings. well I say you should sleep on it and perhaps you can come up with a better end in the morning" at that the old man lay down beside the fire and closed his eyes "Don't forget to bank the fire young man...nights are still a touch cool you know" a moment later the old man was snorring. Marik looked at the strainge old man woundering why he had told him all that he had. and woundering how the man had known his name. Marik was still poundering this when sleep crept over him.

Marik awoke in a strainge place he was lying next to a large carved stone alter outside and a man in plate mail was standing over him . Marik scrambled to his feet fumbling for his dagger. The man smiled and held his hands wide "easy now good dwarf, no need for your blade I mean no harm I just wanted to see who was lying next to the shrine to Tempus. do you need help?" Mark looked at the man in supprise "A shrine to Tempus? where am I?" the Man grinned "you are in Shadowdale my friend. I am priest capitan Enor Thaxan and I look after this shrine from time to time for Tempus." "Your a cleric of Tempus?" Marik asked with a faint sense of hope. "yes that I am. how may I help you good dwarf?" "teach me of Tempus I wish to be one of his clerics." Enor looked at Marik for a moment with a straing look on his face "you wish to be a cleric of Tempus?" Marik nodded "yes sir." The cleric nodded "Well my friend, I think you have come to the right place for I have had a vision from Tempus telling me to seek one of his chosen in a unusual guise, and I feel certain it must in fact be you.

Marik spent the next several months with Enor learning the ways of a cleric of Tempus the Lord of Battles.