Tida finds what she's been looking for.

[Tida]

Tida woke up in the room she rented at the inn. She
normally stayed in her room at the farm house, as she
didn't care for big cities like Waterdeep. It was
better than being alone though. Alone, she thought, I
am alone these days. Too scared to be in one spot too
long, yet wanting to be in one spot. She decided to
take a walk, maybe that would help her. She needed to
think.

There was so much on her mind these days with
the battle close at hand yet so far away. The battle,
how she hated that idea, but at the same time she
couldn't wait for the day when The Vile One was no
longer a threat. There was so much she didn't
understand.

In a break in her thoughts she realized
that she as at The Turning Point east of Waterdeep.
She decided to head north and to the east. There was a
forest there she liked to walk among from time to
time. As she walked she came upon a clearing with soft
green grass. She thought this would be a good spot to
sit and think some more.

Trying to make sense of everything that is happening
her mind slipped from question to question. Why are
the red-robes attacking more, why are they taking the
mounds from the north, and Trobraind. That thought
shocked her for a moment, as she hadn't thought of
him in some time. "Where are you Trobraind?" she
wandered aloud. She tried to figure him out, why he
possed Kurik, did he want to help or was he still
working for The Vile One?

She sat there in such deep thought she didn't hear the
noise around her at first. When she heard it again, it
sounded like a feast was going on nearby. Curious
about the noise, she got up to see what it was. Walking
a short way, she walked upon a feast. There was music,
food, and people all around. As she stood at the edge
of the clearing, she saw beautiful men and women
adorned in sofrt velvet robes and slippers. Tida
decided to take a closer look, as she walked up a man
stepped infront of her. "State your name!" he said in
a deep growl.

Shocked by him, Tida stammered, "T..Tida." "May I ask
you your name?" she asked quietly.

"I am Cystic, High Priest of Sharess." he growled more
softly. "Are you a Sunite?" Cystic asked curiously. "No,
I do not follow a God at this time." Tida replied softly.
"Maybe that's what I'm missing in my life." she said more
to herself than to Cystic.

"I would have thought you were a Sunite with that
beautiful face and flaming red hair." "If you are in
search of a God and love things that are beautiful, as
I suspect you do, you may join us for our fest."
Cystic softly growled.

"Who is Sharess? Tida finally had the courage to ask.
Cystic looked at her with a surprised look and then
smiled softly. "Why Sharess is the most beautiful
Goddess only rival to Sune. She is worshiped by bards,
hedonists, and sensualists. She is also called The dancing
lady, or Mother of cats." Just then Tida noticed on Cystic's
robe, and the robes of many others, that there was an
emblem of cat eyes and his hands appeared to be like cat
claws. As she looked around she noticed the table. The
cloth on it looked so soft, yet had a silky look to it, how
she yearned to run her hand on it.

As Cystic showed Tida to a seat he introduced her to the
others. She know she would never remember all 30 names,
given to her all at once. Everyone made Tida feel so welcome,
a feeling that she was looking for. Just as Tida looked up she
noticed a woman standing there. She didn't remember seeing
her before. Her long flowing hair was the color of a black
starless night, eyes of green, so green they appeared to be jade.
She wore a soft, velvet-looking green robe that flowed loosely as
she walked, yet when she stood still it settled, clinging to her
body closely.

"Welcome Tida," she purred so softly, you could barely
hear her, yet it sounded so clear. "My name is Chere,
I am the High Priestess of Sharess." she purred.

Tida looked at her with a shocked look on her face. "H..How
do you know my name?" Tida stammered.

Chere purred "We know all about your plight. We have been
watching you for sometime. We decided to have this
feast in your honor. To welcome you in the loving arms
of Sharess, if you wish to come"

Tida realized at that moment that is what she had been
looking for. A faith, something to believe in, and she had
found it. "Of course I wish to join." Tida said as she bowed
deeply to all.

Chere purred quietly into Tida's ear, "When we are done with
the feast follow me to the temple." Tida nodded slightly, afraid
for a moment of what was to come. She had heard of Gods
wanting sacrifices or something when you joined them.

As the feast started winding down, Tida followed Chere
to the temple a short distance away. When Tida saw the
temple, it took her breath away with its beauty. As they
walked into the main temple Tida looked at everything,
taking in all the sites. Chere walked up to the altar, turned
around and told Tida to kneel. As Tida knelt she heard Chere
purr a prayer she did not understand. Chere asked Tida if she
will worship Sharess willingly openlyngly. Tida looked up and
responded, "Yes, until the end of my days."

With that Chere purred a spell upon Tida. Tida started to feel
dizzy, like she was going to pass out. To steady herself, she
put her hands down. She heard a voice purring in her head.
"You are safe, Tida, you have always been safe. You must believe
you belong in the role that has been laid out for you." Then almost
as if in a dream, Tida saw faces of people she knew and places
she had been flash before her. It was strange to her watching
herself interact with others from her past. "See we have been watching
you since you were a young magi. You have always worshipped me,
you just never realized it. Now wake and worship me as you promised."


Tida awoke and rose with far more grace than she'd had before. Chere
handed her a cup of water and purred gently, "Drink this, it will
quench
that thirst of yours." Tida drank and handed the cup back. "Thank
you." Tida purred quietly. Shocked Tida noticed that she seemed to purr
when she talked now. Chere just smiled with a knowing look on her face.
"Go get some rest, as you have had a full day, and there are many
more ahead of you." she purred softly.

Tida slowly walked back to Waterdeep, back in thoughts again. As
she steeped just inside of the gates, she got the feeling something
wasn't right. Yet as she looked around, everything seemed normal.
She got the feeling of someone following her, yet there was no one
around. Feeling no danger, she went to her room, said a prayer to
Sharess like Chere had taught her. Still feeling that someone was
watching her, she purred quietly, "I will find out who you are soon."