"Perhaps I am wrong to assume as such, but something tells me that you are well-traveled. Care to share one of those travels' adventures? Or mishaps, whichever comes to mind first."
"Hah! You don’t know what you’re asking. For every grand tale of heroism I could spin, there’s at least three mishaps that’ll have you questioning how I’m still standing." She paused, smirking as a memory surfaced.
"Did you know I was expelled from the Harpers once?" she began, clearly enjoying herself. "Oh, now this is a tale. It starts over a hundred years ago, with the High Harper of Amn — or, rather, a pompous little fraud who fancied himself one."
Jaheira leaned forward, her elbows resting on her knees, a wicked smirk playing on her lips. "This self-important fool summoned us to the Harper Hold with all the grace of a rooster demanding the sun rise. He claimed it was of utmost importance. So, naturally, we go, expecting some grand mission. Instead, what do we get? An interview — and not just any interview. No, this pretentious git focused on Abdel like a hawk eyeing its prey."
"And the questions he asked! Gods, it was as if the man had written them down while drunk. ‘What’s your favorite color? Do you prefer meat or fish? Do you ever feel... violent?’ It was absurd. He was one question away from asking Abdel for his star sign and whether the moon affected his mood."
Her smirk faded, replaced by a glint of steel in her gaze. "But here’s the thing. Every answer Abdel gave, this bastard twisted to fit his little narrative. Didn’t matter what he said. In the end, it was all to ‘prove’ that Abdel was a bloodthirsty monster, unworthy of redemption, and destined to bring death wherever he went. And then — oh, this is rich — he has the audacity to suggest we put him down right there, as if Abdel were some rabid dog."
Jaheira leaned back with a sigh. "So, I told him to fuck himself. In rather explicit terms. And when his delusions turned to threats, I made good on my promise to show him how monstrous we could be. One less bastard in the world, and I’ve no regrets. The man was poison. The Hold was better off without him."
"After that, I threw away my Harper pin and became persona non grata among them. I had a terrible time cleaning my name." She exhaled sharply, as though shaking off the memory, before adding with a wry smile, "And for the record, Abdel’s favorite color is green. In case you were wondering."
