Chapter 3

Apikusis leads us to a corner of the grove, next to a large stone door. She slows to a halt, gesturing toward the door. "The First Druid is just through there, but..." she looks around. "Ser." she leans into me and murmurs, "Have you spoken to Zevlor?"

I look down at her. "Yes. Why?"

Her face hardens with determination. "May I speak to you privately?"

Gale waves his hand. "Please, we can spare a moment."

I glare at him before nodding. "Make it brief."

"Of course."

I hear Astarion groan loudly as the druid woman leads me down a bank to a stony cliffside.

She ducks into a hidden corridor carved into the stone. It's tight, and the walls seem to press in on me. My pulses rises, but the narrow corridor opens up into a wide chamber, lit by candles.

I breathe.

The room has a faint haze to it and smells of wet earth and smoldering amber. Bookshelves line the walls, filled with tomes, potions, and various gadgets. Birds and rats are scattered about, meandering and tittering. A man and a woman are lounging around a large round oak table, sharing a hookah.

The man does a double take as I walk in.

"Hembry, I'm afraid you owe me some coin." Apikusis holds out her hand.

Hembry is a dark dwarf with darker hair and a curled beard that hides his neck. His robes look priestly, but his demeanor seems indulgent. Not necessarily mutually exclusive qualities.

"Hah! I should have known better than to bet against you." He firmly pressed a few coppers into Apikusis' palm. "How did you get him to come?"

"I asked nicely."

I clear my throat. "Excuse me, was there an actual point to me being here?"

Hembry's smoking parter is a naga. Beneath her dark scarlet cloak, her body is coiled tightly. Her scales are decorated with wide bands of silver, black and copper scales. She holds her pipe like an aristocrat, and grins with a wily charm.

"Please, Ser, take a seat. We have an extra pipe." She pushes a chair out toward me.

"Another time, perhaps."

She scowls. "Busy man."

Apikusis rests her hands on the tabletop, leaning in. "We'll get right to it, then. That's Hembry and Emila."

They wave their hookah pipes at me.

Apikusis continues. "As a paladin, we were hoping you could assist us with our cause."

"And what cause is that?"

Her brow creases and I see her fingers press firmer into the table. "The Rite of Thorns. We have to put an end to it."

A smile crawls across my face. "You're revolutionaries."

Her face twists. "Are we? Honestly, nothing like this has ever happened in the Emerald Grove, which is why we would like you to speak to Kagha on our behalf."

"And what do you think I could possibly accomplish? A stranger waltzing into a druid circle asking to please stop a sacred ritual."

Apikusis smirks. "Farfetched though it may seem, we are unfortunately out of options."

I lean a hand on the table. "There are always options. It just depends on where you want to draw the line."

Hembry coughs lightly before taking a breath. "This madness must stop. We have coin, of course. Shrouding ourselves from the world is not Silvanus' will. Besides, we can't push the refugees out. It's not what Halsin would have wanted."

I lean forward. "Are you saying he made a mistake putting Kagha in charge?"

He goes quiet, mouthing the pipe lightly.

Apikusis interjects. "We're saying he misjudged her. She's young, I don't know what possessed him to assume she was ready. Emila has far more experience."

Emila scoffs. "Let the brood mother lead us. Her and her feckless serpent have no backbone. Teela is just as cocky and twice as dumb. Silvanus help us if an actual serpent be First Druid in his absence." I see her coiled body tighten slightly and she takes another drag of the hookah with a bitter scowl. She glances at me; her voice pinched as smoke escapes with every word. "Don't be fooled by the death viper's menace. It's all posture and no venom." She exhales the remaining smoke.

Hembry shakes his head. "Maybe it's a test, Silvanus must be testing us." He taps the hookah pipe against his palm. "We need a Peace Bringer who can help."

"Peace Bringer?"

"A term of endearment amongst myconids colonies. I was initiated into the Circle of Spores. Being duergar, growing up in the Underdark, that should go without saying. The myconids are as good as kin, so I may have adopted some of their better terms." He says with a few contented puffs.

I let a moment pass as I consider their position. "If I help," I begin, "it must be on my terms. I cannot promise this will end cleanly, but I can guarantee an end. How much are you willing to sacrifice for peace?"

They exchange a glance.

Hembry slowly sets down his pipe and folds his fingers. "Ser, you need to understand something from our perspective. The Rite of Thorns does not take this long. At most it should have taken a few hours, and yet they've been at it for days."

A few birds chirp, and the candle flickers as they take flight across the room. A house wren lands on my shoulder, waggling its tail feathers and tweeting. I glance at it, my nose curled. My hand aches with a cold desire to break him.

The seams of the chair creak as Hembry leans forward. "Something is wrong. Silvanus must be protecting us from the curse, but we can't truly know how long his protection will last." His voice grows desperate. "We need someone who can advocate for us. That's why we need you. Think about it. In our hour of need, a Paladin arrives and protects the gate from a goblin horde? Destiny. I have no doubt."

Apikusis holds up her hand. "Let's not get carried away. The man just got here and you're already spewing nonsense about destiny." She glances at me. "Look. If you can try, we'd be grateful. Even if your efforts fail, we will still pay you. Half." She smirks.

"I'm not a sell sword."

The hope in Hembry's eyes remains steadfast. Apikusis lifts herself from the table. Emila takes a long drag from the hookah, the tip of her tail flipping.

"I will speak to Kagha."

Hembry snaps his fingers and points at Emila. "I told you!" He turns to me. "Ser, you are too generous. You have our gratitude."

I hold up my hand. "I'm not going to pretend that the odds of convincing her are good. They're not. I don't care how much charisma you have. I will try, of course, but what I need more than anything is information. Once I've finished speaking with her, let's reconvene here so we can discuss next steps. If by some miracle I can convince her, then our business is done and we can share a bottle of good wine and wash our hands of the matter."

"Mead, Ser. Our mead is quite excellent." Hembry says with a proud grin.

I smile. "Even better."

Apikusis sighs. "Thank you. She's been a handful to say the least. She always has been."

Emila breathes out a few ringlets, then lets out a jet of smoke that breaks them. "If she becomes belligerent, do me a favor." She points the hookah pipe at me. "Deck her for me. You can have an extra bottle of mead for that." She gives a hardened chuckle. Only half joking.

"You are certainly a lively bunch."

"It is our duty to cause mischief." She grins wide. "Let us know the moment you have news."

"Paladin," Apikusis reaches for my hand, "thank you."

With a smile and give it a squeeze with a slight bow. "My name is Vash Neel."

I turn and head back through the fucking corridor.

Chapter 5

I send Gale off to find the others, giving him the map with the campsite circled.

The cliffside corridor. The yawning darkness stares into my heart, leaving me feeling naked and raw.

My eyes narrow. I am unmoored from today's events. I don't have the confidence to speak right now. I duck around the stone wall and crouch on my heels for a moment, staring blankly at the sand. My eyes go out of focus.

Time Passes.

My mind wanders.

And I blink.

Slowly, I stand. My feet are numb, but I manage to roll my shoulders, regaining my poise. I finally slide into the corridor without a second thought.

Emila and Apikusis are playing lance board. Hembry seems to be absent.

Apikusis sees me enter.

Emila shifts in her seat to see me step into the candlelight. "Well, if it isn't the Peace Bringer." She smirks. "Is now a good time for sitting?"

Apikusis leans back. "What's the word on the Rite?"

Emila nudges a chair forward and I take it. "I did not talk her out of it, of course. This was to be expected."

Emila laughs lightly. "Please tell me you at least decked her?"

"No on that front, too."

"That's a 100% failure rate."

"Hah." I lean back in the chair. "Do you have others who are sympathetic to your cause?"

"Yes." Emila fidgets with her bishop. "Yes, I can think of a couple."

"Gather them. Do it discreetly and be diligent. We're going to need to know who stands with you."

Emila and Apikusis share a glance.

"Do you know a man named Aelar?"

"Aelar." Emila's posture lifts slightly. "The First Warden. Of course."

"Bring him in," I place my boot on the edge of the table, leaning back. "If you can, that is."

"I'll speak to him tonight."

"Good. It seems Kagha has plans for the Grove Wardens that he may not be privy to."

Apikusis castles her rook and king. "Is that what she said? She's more delusional than I realize."

"Fuck." Emila scans the board. "You're bad luck, Vash. She usually doesn't whoop me like this."

"Bad luck for you, maybe." Apikusis pats my boot. "He's my lucky charm."

I give her a knowing smile before pushing back from my chair. "Let's meet again at first light and we can discuss this further."

Emila's tail coils around my feet. "Stay a while, no need to scurry off so soon."

I feel cold scales slide smoothly over leather and smile. "I'm afraid bad luck has a curfew."

She pulls herself back with a smooth grin. "See you at first light, then."

Chapter 6

The hidden chamber has a few more assembled, as promised.

A man with cool hazel eyes and dreads, tied up neatly behind his ears, sits next to Hembry. They are deep in conversation, until Hembry spots me. "Ah! Vash! Welcome back."

The others look up as I sit near Emila. She hands me a pipe, "Thank you."

I take a drag. It tastes floral and sweet. A very specific type of pipeleaf. It's good. I feel a levity in my shoulders and take another drag.

My lungs don't burn from the embers. It seems I'm accustomed to smoking. Either that or it's my tiefling heritage. I can't be sure...

The man next to Hembry breaks away from the conversation. "Vash, it's good to finally meet you. Thank you for organizing this meeting. I'm Aelar."

"First Warden Aelar. It's a pleasure."

"It seems my legend precedes me." He says with a soft chuckle. "Kagha's been talking about me. She's under the impression she has authority over the Grove Wardens. She does not. I lead the Wardens out of necessity, we are volunteers, nothing more."

"Necessity?"

His smile falls slightly. "No one in the Emerald Grove has my experience leading a militia. I was a part of a faction under the Emerald Enclave. We worked to root out the Cult of the Howling Hatred. They were posing as druids, spread across several circles." He recites the information like he's giving me a field report. Empty and even. His eyes become vacant. "They were..." he trails off.

I tap the pipe in my palm, lightly. "Kagha means to position your wardens at the river front after the Rite is complete."

"Is that what she said? I'd call it bold, but it falls in line with her current rhetoric."

"I suggest you take her up on the offer when she approaches you."

Aelar scowls, "I will not put my people in a position where they placate that mad woman's whims."

"Placation can be an effective tool when you don't want to rouse suspicion." I lean forward, arm resting firmly on the oak table. "What do you think she would do if she found out about this little meeting of ours?"

He sits back and looks at the others. A quiet falls across the room as the gravity of the rebellion finally settles.

I take another drag from the hookah, letting the smoke fall from my nostrils. I reach into my cloak and pull the note that Astarion found and place it on the table, pushing it to the center. "This runs deeper than you know."

They each lean forward and read the note.

"By the gods..." Aelar murmurs.

"Olodon?" Emila glances at me. "Do you have any idea who that is?"

"I was going to ask you the same."

She pulls her cloak forward. "Not a clue."

The bewildered faces makes it clear. "An unknown variable." I tip my head to Apikusis. "Do you think you can use your network to get more information on them?"

"You couldn't stop me." She says with a smirk. "Let's see where this thread leads."

Emila's sharp grey eyes focus on me. "Where did you come across this?"

"My rogue." I mutter. "He may have been snooping around where he ought not to be."

"Good," she says. "Keep him off the leash."

"If you knew Astarion, you'd understand how impossible a leash would be." My mind drifts to thoughts of a leashed Astarion.

Emila watches me and pulls a very deep breath of smoke.

I clear my throat. "I'm going to the goblin camp to locate Halsin. I'll be taking my team with me. From there we should have a clearer understanding of what needs to be done next. In the meantime." I focus on Aelar. "I suggest you begin preparing the Wardens. Whatever this is," I gesture toward the note, "it likely won't lead anywhere good. This isn't just Kagha. It's Olodon and whomever stands behind them. We need to be ready for this to escalate."

Aelar sighs and lowers his voice. "I had hoped it wouldn't come to that, but you're right. I'll brief them on what was discussed here. We'll be prepared for what may come to pass."

A hand grips my shoulder. "Vash." Emila leans in. "Master Halsin needs to know what's happening here. If you find him, if he's alive…"

I place my hand over hers, pressing lightly. "If he's alive, I'll find him."

She watches me for a moment before leaning back. "Thank you. Truly."

Chapter 12

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."