I sit quietly in the communal area in the hollow, holding a note from Apikusis. Daylight is swiftly approaching, and fleeting images of last night's events flash into my mind.

The smell of blood in river water. The feeling of cracking limbs in my hand. A creeping sense of dread.

My exchange with Lae’zel was disheartening. Her lead is a tenuous chain of ifs, as are the others. Halsin may prove utterly useless, and Moonrise may lead to more zealots and no answers.

I need to consolidate.

I tap a note on the table and read it again.

V, Team gathered. O is known. A.

I hear whispers rising from Bex and Danis's camp.

"What are you thinking?" Bex's voice is stifled and waking.

Danis croaks, sounding labored as he rises. "Do we have any eggs?"

"No, unfortunately, our rations are running thin."

"What do we have?"

I finally see her stand and head toward one of their crates. "We still have some of those apples from earlier. We should eat them before they spoil." She picks them up and as she turns, she sees me.

"Vash!" She lights up, her feeble voice slowly warming up. "Give me a moment, I'll be right down."

She tosses the apple to Danis and holds the other one up to me. "Do you want one?"

A generous offer given their position. "No, thank you. You take it."

I notice Danis peeking over the platform, looking down at me. He looks like a mess. The bags under his eyes make the brief flash of panic that crosses his face feel exaggerated. He tries to calm himself and gives me an awkward wave.

"Good morning, Danis."

He sits back without further acknowledgment, but I hear him loudly whispering to Bex, though I can't make out what he says.

She merely shakes her head at him and holds the apple in her teeth, climbing down to my level. She pulls the bite from the apple and sits across from me. "Any word from the goblin camp?"

A spark of mischief shines in my eye. "Our plan worked. We were able to get in."

She gives an enthusiastic clap. "Damn! That's great news! What happened? Is the camp finally clear?"

"No. There's a lot more to do, but the wheels are in motion and headed in the right direction thanks to you."

She sits back; a hopeful smile nestled on her lips. "Gods. I can't imagine how satisfying it is being an adventurer."

"Mostly busy." I fidget with the note, my eyes lingering on her. "Have you... heard of any swamps in the area? Or any imposing trees?"

"Swamps. Trees..." Something sparks in her mind, just on the edge of her thoughts, but it refuses to come to the forefront. She looks around the hollow trying to find something that can catch the memory. Her eyes land on Auntie Ethel's merchant booth and it finally clicks, "Ethel's Tea House."

"A tea house?"

"Yes, I've spoken with Auntie Ethel. She's the merchant that works the stand across the way. She's a healer of sorts. I was asking her about a problem of mine and she invited me to her home to discuss the matter further. She said if I ever get lost, to look for a large willow tree."

She stops, seeing a change in my demeanor as my face focuses. I feel a faint caress of Feywild magic pass through the air, softening everything it touches.

"What is it?"

A mischievous smile faintly plays across my face. "She's coming."

She looks at me, bewildered. "What do you mean?"

I nod toward the trailhead and after a breath we see Ethel breach the hill, walking towards us.

At the sight of the crone Bex bristles. "How did you... never mind." She stands, looking down at me. "Let's continue this conversation elsewhere."

I abide and tuck the note away, standing with her. She directs me toward a path that circles the Hollow, leading back to the gate, and avoids Ethel. "This way, let's not pass her."

Danis stands and slips into his shoes, but Bex waves him off. "Stay put Danis, this won't take long. I don't want to be too conspicuous."

He stops, his eyes grow wide and his shoulders tighten. His tail flicks nervously, and he seems to grow more agitated. "How would my coming be conspicuous?"

I stare at him and Bex sighs. "Not now. We'll be back." She snips, quickly walking down the platform. I trail behind her as she swiftly steps toward the parapets of the gate.

The cool morning air feels clean and welcoming. The sun has awakened the sky, and I catch a glimpse of Apikusis lingering near the trees by the elevator.

Bex stops at the wooden fencing that lines the drop-off to the trail below. "She said I need to head toward the willow tree and when I make it to the docks, go west again."

"Docks?" I look west, scanning for any imposing trees that break the line of the horizon. There are a few but none that stand out. "You're sure she said docks?"

"Yes."

"Then it's worth following up on."

She shifts her weight and places her hand on the fence.

Pick her up. Throw her over. Watch her crumble.

My hand twitches and I blink. The back of my throat feels sickened as I stand as still as possible.

Her eyes are fixed west. "Does that mean you'll be heading that way?"

"Yes." I speak slowly, giving myself a moment before I continue. "If what you said is true, then it's the lead I needed."

"Really?" A gentle smile dimples her cheeks. "What would you do without me?"

My throat relaxes and I manage a wry smile. "Curl up in a ball and die. Obviously."

She snorts and gives me a nudge. "You are a dramatic man."

I flinch from her hostile battery. "If you think that's dramatic, then you're far too sheltered."

"Are you calling me soft? Ser, I survived the Descent!"

"Survival is a necessity, not a personality trait."

She gasps and slaps my arm. "Don't joke like that!"

"Ah! I should call the guards for such a heinous assault!"

She merely shakes her head at me and her smile softens. "What is this lead, anyway?"

My arms drop, and I touch the note in my pocket, considering her for a moment. "It's-" I slip it through my fingers.

She feels the shift, and she steps closer to me, turning her back on the path behind us.

I slowly draw it free and turn it toward her.

Her fingers pinch the edge, and she begins to tug, but I hold tight, looking down at her.

She meets my stare and waits.

I finally release it and she quickly reads it, passing it back discreetly. She leans on the fence. "It seems you've been doing more than just chasing goblins."

"The grove is in a fragile state right now. The wrong move could tip it over the edge. They need real leadership, and that's exactly what I've been offering. Given what I learned at the goblin camp... well."

"What have you learned at the goblin camp?"

My gaze tracks the surrounding area. We're alone. I speak softly. "I cannot speak of it here; however, I am meeting with a group to discuss it."

"What kind of meeting is it, that would elicit such caution?" She's smirking at me. She knows the answer.

"A dangerous one. One that cannot be spoken about beyond the walls of the chamber." I dip my head. "Would you like to accompany me?"

Her eyes go wide. "I see." She barely hesitates. "Of course. If it involves the fate of the caravan I would have to insist."

"It does. Do you have a cloak? One that can hide your horns? We will be headed into the grove."

Her eyes dart to the glade, the foreboding Rite still echoing off the valley's walls. "Yes, of course."

"I'll wait for you just down the path." I gesture toward an alcove where Apikusis is waiting for me.

Bex darts off.

Apikusis snorts with a wry smile as I approach. "What was that about?"

"Another rebel, of course." I say with a wide grin.

"Ah." She folds her arms and steps into me with a bit of frustration. "You're not going to expose us to the entire hollow, are you? I know the tieflings are generally trustworthy, but a single person saying the wrong thing at the wrong time could destroy everything we've worked for."

"I understand your concern, but I've been working with that one already. I wouldn’t have invited her if I doubted her discretion."

"In future, might I request you discuss these decisions with the rest of us first? The stakes are too high."

My face falls and my voice becomes gentle. "Apikusis. Your survival depends on my guidance. If you can't trust me, then what am I doing here?"

Her lips tighten as she matches my stare.

Bex returns, horns shrouded, infernal skin covered. Her cloak is thread bare and coated in trail dust, but it works well enough. She stops, feeling the tension.

"Is everything alright?"

I put a hand on Bex's back. "Bex, this is Apikusis. Apikusis, Bex."

Bex turns to Apikusis, smiling graciously. "A pleasure. Thank you for allowing me to join you."

Apikusis' focus shifts blatantly from me to her, and she gives Bex a forced smile. "Certainly, but I need to emphasize how necessary it is that this meeting, and everything you're about to see, cannot be shared with another soul. I don't care how much you trust them. If this gets out, the Rite will take the redoubt."

Bex shifts her footing and squares her shoulders, her tail hanging low. "I assure you I'm aware of the sensitive nature of this meeting. My people's safety is in as much danger as yours, if not more. But we can discuss this further another time. For now, let's remain focused on what needs to be done."

Apikusis raises her brows, and her shoulders relax. "You're right." She glances at me one last time. "Very well, no more time wasted." She turns and I spot her smile creeping back.

She swiftly leads us to the cliffside chamber.

The chamber is starting to feel a touch crowded with more druids scattered about. A few conversing near a bookcase in the back of the room. Three more sitting at the table.

Apikusis sits near Hembry, a pigeon landing clumsily on her shoulder. Everyone grows quiet as I enter. Bex looks around and I nod toward the seat intended for me. She settles, pulling back her hood. A few watch her and exchange a few whispers.

"Halsin." I say, breaking the silence. I pull the tuft of bear hair from my pocket and place it on the tabletop. "My ventures to the camp proved fruitful. I found him. Alive."

A few murmurs can be heard.

A halfling man in a modest tunic and slacks speaks up. "Alive and well, I hope." His voice is kind but direct. "But where is he? Why has he not returned?"

My face falls, and I shake my head mournfully. "He made the choice to stay in the goblin camp, despite what I had to say."

The man shakes his head. "Why? Did he give a reason?"

"Arron." Emila says gently. "For the same reason he left in the first place, no doubt. He won't let the threat of the Absolute endanger us. Not after what happened in the Shadow Cursed lands. You know this as well as any of us." She tips her chin down, looking at me. "Fuck us. Right?"

"Fuckery remains to be seen." I say with a smirk. "Halsin requested my assistance to take out the leadership of the cult. I intend to, but it's a tall order. I need time to prepare. In the meantime, he has remained to gather intelligence."

Apikusis snorts, folding her arms tightly. "Intelligence. The most valuable currency in all the realms."

"You know better than anyone."

"I do." She says, "But there's a time and a place for such things. Halsin's decisions as of late have been misguided at best. In leaving, in putting Kagha in charge, in choosing not to return when we need him."

Arron's nostrils flare. "You went through all the trouble, Ser. Put your life on the line to find him. And yet he remains. We should pay you double."

I wave my hand at him. "As discussed, I require no payment for my services. I just want to see the grove at peace once again. It's the least I could do for your hospitality."

"That is..." Arron sits back in his chair. "That's awfully generous of you." He leans toward Emila. "Peace Bringer, indeed." They share a light chuckle.

I lean forward on the oak table, glancing across the unfamiliar faces. "I assume you're all privy to what's going on here?"

A gnome in an antler headdress and white robes speaks. "We all know Kagha and her strange ways, but the Rite of Thorns is a bridge too far. Even for her. No one's been able to talk her down, what options do we have left?"

"Consolidation." I say. "Continue your recruitment efforts but accept that not everyone in this circle will see the light. Make peace with that. Then begin gathering arms."

The room goes quiet.

Hembry has a chalice of some dark drink in his hand. He takes a sip before setting it down, running his hand down his beard. "My prayers to Silvanus have been answered in earnest. I've heard his voice telling me you are the one who will break the shadowed blight of Kagha's blasphemy. You will herald a peace that will not only let us survive, but thrive."

A pale-skinned woman clad in bark armor studies me. The sharp angles of her face give her an intensity unique among the druids here. She turns to Hembry, speaking in a dulcet tone. "Have your prayers shown us that this is the only way? Do we really need to rebel? Isn't there a better way?"

Hembry picks up the chalice once more. "I am not the one to give that answer, Warden Maylee." He takes a sip and glances at me.

I rise from the table slowly and make my way to her. She watches me as I crouch to her level. "Warden Maylee. Thank you for trusting me enough to be here today. I sense you have questions, and more importantly, ideas. If there is a better way, we all need to know before we act."

Maylee stammers. "I..." She looks at Hembry and shakes her head. "No, I just thought..."

Aelar steps behind her, placing a gentle palm on her shoulder.

She glances at him and continues. "Can't we try to talk to her again? Maybe we can refuse to work until she listens? Maybe we can-"

"A valid tactic that takes time." I say gently. "Maylee."

She meets my eye and I give her a piteous smile.

"You have no time."

Aelar murmurs. "May Silvanus have mercy on us all."

I rest my hand on her knee before lifting myself and looking around.

"I have a lead on the location mentioned in the note. A willow, just west of here." I glance at Bex. Her legs are crossed and her hands rest neatly in her lap, shoulders leaning comfortably on the back of the chair. She gives me a subtle nod.

"The Willow?" Apikusis scoffs. "What do you expect to find out there?"

"I can only speculate, but it's a lead that cannot be ignored, given what we're up against."

"Then one of us should come with you." Maylee's expression is strangely composed.

"No." Emila says flatly. "Having someone vanish while under Kagha's watch could expose the entire operation."

Apikusis purses her lips. "Does anyone in your party know how to scout? That area is treacherous. Not something I'd suggest walking into blind."

I consider my companions. Astarion most certainly does not. Gale, no. Shadowheart is incredibly resourceful. Her and Lae'zel would be the most competent for this particular mission, but even so, they're no scouts.

"I'm a ranger." Bex's voice cuts the silence. Several people turn to her. "I'd been scouting along the river road for my father's caravan up until the descent." Her brow creases slightly, and her tail dusts the ground behind her, pensive. "Swamps are no stranger to me."

"You're offering your services? After everything you've been through? This isn't the River Road. We're truly in the wilds out here."

"It's not even a question, Vash."

Arron's mouth opens slightly before he speaks with a light tone. "Another tiefling, willing to help the very people pushing you out?"

Bex turns to him. "Our cause is singular. Let's not dilute it with the fanatical rhetoric of the people we're trying to stop."

"I'd be a fool to turn you down." I'm unable to hide a faint smile. "We'll head out at once. How far is the Willow from here?"

"A day's journey, with guidance." Apikusis gives Bex an encouraging nod. "Bring your nicer boots, it will get muddy."

Bex leaves first, making her way out of the grove, unnoticed.

Apikusis walks with me to a wooden elevator that leads out of the inner sanctum.

She steps close to me and murmurs low between us as the elevator rises. "Olodon has been in communication with Kagha for some time, it seems. Kagha's position as First Druid is no accident. Halsin was being fed false information regarding her background. Kagha's been his apprentice for five years now. What he was told was that she came from a decorated Enclave family. Her parents were Autumnreavers who died fighting the Cult of the Dragon."

Apikusis looks up at me. "This is a lie."

The elevator slows to a stop at the cliff's ledge. A path to our right bends forward toward the ivy gate. To our left the cliff looks over a vast valley carved out by the Chionthar.

"I haven't been able to figure out where the fuck she came from, but there is no record of her family ever being a part of any Emerald Enclave militia."

Apikusis turns toward the valley. The waters flow by, unbothered by the turmoil growing along its banks.

I stand next to her; hands folded thoughtfully behind my back, my fingers twitching again. "So, Halsin has been training a fraud."

"It's strange to understand why something happened and still be baffled by the outcome." She laughs lightly to herself. "If that makes any sense."

The sun's heat rises as noon approaches. I glance down at her and imagine what her body might sound like hitting rocks from this height. Would it bounce?

"It does." My eyes are fixed on her. "All the more reason to remove her."

Her face falls. "A shame."

"It is the nature of things, isn't it? Are you prepared for that?"

She is quiet for a moment. Her eyes settle on the grove. The prayers of the Rite continue in the shade of the surrounding trees. The power of Silvanus swirls through the air.

"You said this may not end cleanly, and the more we learn, the more I understand."

She places a hand on my arm and my shoulder twitches. Her feet only a meter from the edge.

"Vash, as silly as it may be, you are a Peace Bringer." Her voice drops. "Do what must be done."

I can hear the shouting as I walk down the trail toward their camp. Muffled words bandied back and forth before the echoes begin to hit me more cleanly.

"I'm sick and tired of having to make myself small just to protect your feelings! I'm not your porcelain doll, Danis!"

"Porcelain... I'm not trying to objectify you. I just want you to be safe! When did that become a problem?"

"When you stopped seeing the difference between protection and possession. You may not be trying to objectify me, but you're doing it regardless!"

I stop below the platform as a silence falls between them.

"I'm sorry. I'm not trying to hurt you, but I'm still leaving. Only for a few days. I'll be back, I promise."

Another pause.

"I don't think you understand what you're agreeing to, Bex."

I walk up the steps of the platform and sit at the table below their camp.

"Are you saying I'm too naïve to see the danger?"

"No, that's not it. Of course not. What I'm saying is he-" He hesitates and I glance up. He's staring at me, face pained and twisted in desperation. He looks back at Bex. "Let me at least come with you." His pleading is edged in fear.

Bex glances down at me. "Vash."

My eyes track both of them as they drag me into their spat. "I'm only taking two others west with me. My companions Shadowheart and Astarion. It's a short trip through a swampland. It will be easier to take a smaller group. I'm not going to have a trained adventurer step aside just so you can follow, Danis."

He lifts his hands in the air, almost like he doesn't know what to do with his arms. He tries to speak, but words fail him.

Bex finishes packing and throws her bag over her shoulder. She gently takes his arms and wraps them around her. "Danis."

He looks at her, forlorn and helpless. "Please, don't."

She presses her lips against his, clutching him lovingly. "Please don't worry..."

He scoffs, but wraps his arms around her tightly, closing his eyes. "Please don't die..."