The morning air is crisp, and a light mist rolls across the Chionthar. There are several druids moving through camp, hauling supplies.

"Over here. If you could," I say, directing a man with poles tucked under his arm.

Gale emerges from his tent, stretching and yawning. He pauses and looks at all the bodies shuffling about dutifully. "Vash?" He walks over to me, dodging a woman rolling a fish barrel. "What is going on?"

"Just a few people assisting with my entitlements."

"Entitlements?" He watches a man pass by with a folded tarp. "What entitlements?"

"I was able to stop the Rite of Thorns, and in return, the druids have agreed to supplement our camp. Very generous of them."

"Hah! That's wonderful news! How in Mystra's mercy did you manage that?"

Shadowheart rises from her tent and glances around as she adjusts her braid. "Well. This is a bit... chaotic." She approaches us.

"Where do you want this, Peace Bringer?" Two men are holding a crate.

I gesture toward the canopy that's being laid out by the previous two men. "Place the crates under the canopy once it's erected."

"Of course." They shuffle off, and I glance at Gale.

"Peace Bringer?" He folds his arms. "Well. That's a... reverent title."

"Yes." I walk over to the camp chest and flip the lid open, Gale follows. "With the evidence Bex discovered from Astarion's note, we were able to prove there was a Shadow Druid infiltration in the grove. After that the druids did the rest." I pull a tent from the chest. "They're very grateful for our help."

"Isn't that Alfira's?"

"I need privacy. I'm tired of sleeping in the dirt. I know she'd understand. Once we find her, I'll obviously relinquish it."

He stills. "Right..."

I pull the bardic banners and flags. What is left is a blank beige tent. As I stake it out, I hear shouting.

"You cannot set up this monstrosity here. This is the only flat arena in camp for proper sparring!"

Two druids back away as Lae'zel advances on them, sword poised.

I jog over and duck in front of her. "Lae'zel! You cannot threaten our guests."

"They are not welcome if they are going to get in the way."

She tries to dip around me but I grab her arm. "Stop."

"Unhand me!" She jerks her arm free. "You are not the authority of this camp. I refuse to let you carry on as you have."

"What are you suggesting?"

A faint smile tugs at the corner of her lip. "A duel."

"Is that what you really want?"

"I do."

My eyes track her face, then I glance up. Gale is crouched by the fire, preparing breakfast, pretending not to be watching. I press my lips thin. "Very well."

"Good. I'm tired of your fecklessness." She lifts her chin. "We meet at daybreak. Along the trail by the ivy gate. If you do not arrive, your authority is forfeit."

"Understood."

With camp settled, I head back to the grove.

My stomach turns as I think about seeing her. If she'll speak to me at all. This is the second time I've crossed a line. I'm not sure if she'll be open to hearing me out again.

As I pass the Arron's stall, I am suddenly surrounded by the children.

A tiefling boy bounces. "You're Peace Bringer! The druids said it!"

"I saw him!" A girl squeals excitedly. "He fought a whole bear by himself!"

"Yeah! He fought a bear, like this!" The boy raises his arms and begins to growl and stomp. "The bear picked up Peace Bringer and threw him! HACHAH!" He mimes a forceful throwing motion. "And then Peace Bringer stabbed him!" The boy lunges. "And then caught the bear in his arms and carried it on his back to the druids by himself!"

"No! It was a man who turned into a bear! Not a real bear!"

"It was so a real bear!"

I look for Mol, but she's nowhere to be found. She was supposed to keep them in their little hideout during the coup.

"Teach me! Teach me! I want to fight bears!" The little girl grabs the head of the boy next to her and begins to tug. "I'm going to bite your head off!"

"Stop it, Ide!" He pushes her off and she chases him.

A few children grab my arms and drag me to the sparring station as they argue about what did or didn't happen.

...If they were going to witness my spectacle, I'm glad it at least made them happy.

A little girl with piercing green eyes tugs on my cloak. "Are you going to teach us?"

I hear a voice behind me that sounds like a retired battle cry. "Give it a try, Peace Bringer." I glance at the man. He's giving me a cheeky smile.

"Please, Vash is fine, and you are?"

"Asharak. Here." He hands me a training sword and steps back, giving me a nod.

I hold the training sword awkwardly, turning it over in my hand. Do I teach these children to kill? Do I teach them to incapacitate? I look down at the expectant faces and hand the sword back to Asharak.

The children groan and I hold up my hands before walking over to the dummy. "When you attack, you must remain unseen. At your size, it should be easy, you just need to learn the art of silence."

Asharak mouths a quiet, "Thank you."

"Everything you need to kill a man quickly is going to be above the neck." I get down on my knees and point to a spot behind my ear and drag my finger down toward the front of my collarbone. "Trace this line here."

I see the children follow my instructions.

"This is where you need to cut. Claws. Teeth. Swords. Your enemy will not fight fair. Neither should you. This will ensure they fall quickly. You only need to get close enough. Once you've mastered ambushing, you can train to get strong enough to take on bigger foes. How strong are you now? Show me."

The children begin to flex and growl, showing off their strength.

"Look, look! Am I strong enough?" Mirkon is giving it his all to show off.

"Almost! Keep training." I pat the boy on the head and he runs off.

Asharak laughs. "I'd have objected to such a visceral lesson, but things have gotten dire. Even with the Rite ended, the world hasn't gotten any safer for them. Just this blessed little haven you've carved out for us."

The children check each of their necks. Some are still flexing. Others have picked up their swords and start their morning training routine.

"I hate how right you are." I give him a warm smile. "You're doing a good thing for them. They need someone who isn't afraid to prepare them for the truth. It will make it easier for them. They'll be safer for it."

Ide takes a practice sword and stabs under the boy's arm. He holds it as if he'd been run through and falls to the ground, tongue sticking out, mocking death.

She cheers. "YEAH! I AM THE PEACE BRINGER!"

I spot Doni sitting on the edge of the wooden training platform, legs dangling over the edge. I sit next to him. "Good morning, Doni."

He's fidgeting with his shoe. He slides it off. His sock is crumpled around his heel, and the seam is crooked.

"Nnngh." He says, absentmindedly.

"Looks like your socks are worn out. Would you like fresh ones?"

He straightens them out and pulls them up around his ankle in frustration. He finally nods, focused on the loose fabric.

"Come with me. Let's go talk to Arron."

He follows slightly behind me as we walk over to the merchant's kiosk.

Arron laughs lightly as he sees me. "Good morning, Peace Bringer."

My mouth curls. "Morning Arron. I was hoping you had some suitable socks for my friend."

Arron peeks behind me to see Doni hovering close to my cloak, watching his own feet.

"Of course." He unlocks a chest, flipping it open to reveal a plethora of raiments.

I kneel down and begin to carefully dig through, pulling two pairs of socks. I hold them up to Doni.

He looks at them and reaches out to take them.

"Try them on."

He runs his fingers over both and swiftly hands one back, shaking his head vigorously. "Nnnghh." He waves his hand dismissively.

I feel it between my fingers. Wool. Itchy. That's a no. I put them back in the chest while Doni pops off his shoes and pulls on the new socks.

The look of relief on his face is worth a million silver.

"How much do you want for them?"

Arron tosses the wool socks back into the chest and locks it. "Have them, and be well, Vash."

I press a copper into his palm with a respectful nod.

Doni begins hopping with a smile. "Nnngh!" He dashes off, nothing but a tail in the wind.

"Vash."

Bex is walking up the path toward me. She watches Doni dash away before turning back to me. "Uhm..." She looks up at me. "I think we should talk."

"Right," I breathe. I follow her through the hollow and she leads me to a bench inside the makeshift prison.

She closes the door and sits next to me.

I wait, folding my hands and tapping my thumbs together, trying to keep my leg from shaking.

She looks at me. "Gods..." She shakes her head. "You look like a guilty dog."

"It doesn't feel far from the truth."

She leans back and taps her fingers on her knees. "I don't regret what we did yesterday."

My hands fall still.

"I hate that I understand it. I hate that this is what needed to be done to get to where we are now."

She shifts in her seat, settling. "The chanting is gone. I see smiling faces for once. It seems the hollow is breathing again. Zevlor is currently in negotiations with the druids to provide labor for provisions. That will keep us fed for once. We've..." Her voice stiffens and she glances at her hands. "We've been hungry for a long time."

She taps her fist against her thigh. "But the cost." She whispers. "I paid it as much as the dead. I survived the Hells. Witnessed atrocities. Suffered. But this... this was my fault."

She swallows and blinks. Her brow pinches. "And then Markoryl. That man. I understand he was endangering my people. I understand he was going to die." She softly shakes her head. "I just wasn't ready to become what you made me, Vash." Her voice falters. "It didn't feel triumphant. It made me feel... like a butcher."

A tear finally slips down her cheek.

I hesitate before placing an arm around her shoulders. She pushes it away, and I fold my hand into my lap.

She runs a finger across her cheeks and takes a deep breath in. "I need to know you understand what you did, Vash. Truly." She looks up at me. "So?"

"So." I shift back in my seat. "I..." My mind runs blank. I see the hurt in her eyes, but as the previous day runs through my mind, I see no alternative to bringing order to the redoubt.

I grip my thighs. "Two things can be true at once. The redoubt can be safe, but a price must always be paid. I understood this going into it, but I never made that expectation as clear as I should have. For that I apologize."

"You apologize for not telling me it was going to be violent?" She says in a flat voice.

"Y-yes..." I study her and my mind begins to race. "I genuinely wish there could have been a better way. But the Rite was imminent. Kagha refused to listen. There was no time."

"That's the thing that really gets me. The shape of you."

My face falls. "What do you mean?"

"You went from a man with amnesia who survived a crashing ship, to True Soul of the Absolute and Peace Bringer of the Emerald Grove." Her voice dips. "It took you five days."

"...does that frighten you?"

Her nostrils flare. "I... I don't know." She goes silent. "I want to know why you did it. Why did you force Markoryl's life into my hands?"

"I was offering you a choice. I thought it was what you wanted. A chance at vindication."

"I am not vindictive." She snaps.

"Yes. I understand that now." I turn to her. "I was frustrated and I let my feelings dictate the moment. It was a mistake. You didn't deserve that, and I never wanted to hurt you. I just..." I gesture to my head, trying to find the words. "I have a very different relationship with death than most. It's..." I stop, seeing her chin stiffen. "To me it is inevitable, and that inevitability can look like cruelty. It doesn't feel that way. It merely feels like the nature of things."

"You could get cut and never feel the pain of it," she says quietly. "Would you ever turn that against your friend? Your ally? ...Would you turn it against me?"

My chest tightens. "Bex. If you could only understand what you-" my words catch in my throat. I reach out and place my fingers on her palm.

Her tail flicks as she looks down. She doesn't smile, but she threads her fingers through mine. "Okay, Vash."

We walk silently to the grove. They've recovered swiftly from the coup. Cleaned the blood. Buried the dead.

As Bex said, Zevlor is mingling with a group of druids, deep in negotiations.

A stout druid catches my eye and relief washes over him. "Bless Silvanus, you're here."

"What do you need?" Bex and I stand next to Zevlor.

He gestures toward Zevlor. "There's not enough labor they can offer for the provisions they need. I don’t want to be troublesome, but the exchange is inequitable."

I glance at Zevlor. "How many are willing to work on the farms?"

"Eight good men," he says. "They're more than willing to assist in any way they can, if it feeds the caravan."

The druid clasps his hands and shifts his footing.

I tip my head to him. "Have you worked with tiefling laborers before?"

"No, Ser."

"Our bodies are forged in the hells. I assure you, our labor is worth the compensation. Take the work, and if any issues arise, speak to Apikusis to reach me directly. I will come."

The druid glances back to Zevlor. "I suppose it's an accord."

Bex steps forward as I take my leave. "What kind of labor is expected first? Let's create an outline of what you need, and we can go from there."

I find Apikusis fussing with her menagerie. It's grown significantly in the past few days.

"Any word on Kagha?" I ask.

"She hasn't gone far." She fastens a perch to a coop she's built. "She was last seen near Waukeen's Rest. Her path is obstructed, but I didn't get any specifics on what’s blocking her. The impression is that it’s someone rather than something."

"I’ll be headed that way. There’s a lead suggesting Gith raiders may be patrolling the area. This news certainly supports those rumors. I hope it’s true."

"You hope? If you wanted her killed, why not just do it yourself?"

"The journey to Cloakwood was a more appropriate fate for her."

She folds her arms. "If she even makes it."

"I pray she does." A one-legged pigeon flutters up and attempts to rest on the new perch. She manages to steady herself. "How far has Peace Bringer spread?"

"We've been spreading it as far as we can. It has started to take root and should make it easier to move through circles that know the title."

"Good." I glance toward the Chionthar beyond the ancient stone pillars of the inner sanctum, then turn back to Apikusis and study her quietly. "How have you been?"

She takes a moment to consider her answer. "Honestly." Her eyes trail over her grazing birds and squirrels. "Everything I’ve built has made me feel like I've really found myself. I appreciate what you've done here. For us."

"I'm glad to be working with you."

She looks up at me and smirks. "And?"

I blink. "And... thank you. For everything you've done. Your contribution has been invaluable."

She lifts her chin. "You bet it has."

I chuckle. "Gustav has been a huge help. You were right to recommend him."

"I was worried he might be too much of a smartass, but he’s genuinely proud of his work."

"He's the right amount of smartass." I finally scan the inner sanctum. "Where is Rath?"

"Hiding in the druids' chamber." She says flatly.

"I better go fetch him. Drag him out of whatever hole he’s trying to bury himself in."

Rath is sulking at the stone table, staring blankly at several notes laid out before him, untouched. The Shadow Druids have gone stiff and they're beginning to marble. The scent of blood has only grown more pungent.

I curl my nose and step back outside. "Apikusis, could you send for a few people to help clean up the druids' chamber?"

"In a moment." She says, tying another perch.

I step back inside and seat myself across from Rath. "Good morning, Rath."

He doesn’t stir. I wait for him to speak.

"Rath."

A low, hoarse murmur falls into his lap. "This is wrong."

"Wrong?"

"This. This isn’t how things are done. As First Druid, I have sole authority over this circle."

I lean back in my seat. "I see. You agreed to my oversight yesterday. The ordinance is signed. It's a bit late to start having regrets."

"We will give you one more delivery of provisions, and some coin so that you can make it to Baldur’s Gate."

The light from the inner sanctum cracks through the door as Astarion enters the druid's chamber.

I smile gently. "Generous as your offer is, this is not what you agreed to. A delivery every third day. Along with a quarter of the grove's earnings as an allowance for my services. It's in the subtext."

Astarion sits next to me, crossing his leg and clasping his knee. "Ooo. Are we having regrets about signing notarized documents?"

His jaw grows tight. "Yesterday was... a lot. That doesn't mean I should let you extort us just because you cleared out a few Shadow Druids."

"Is that all I did?" I rise, pressing my hands onto the table. "You seem to assume this arrangement was optional." I lean forward. "It is not."

A large wolf briskly jogs up, planting himself next to Rath. His eyes are locked onto me.

Rath presses his hand into him. "Please, Silver, don't get involved."

The wolf's voice hums low. "You don't sense it. I do. There is blood in his soul."

"Bring your human to heel, Silver, before mistakes are made."

Silver snaps. "You have no right to be here! You may have cleared the blight, but now we are under the boot of a tyrant with a devil’s face."

"Devil?" The word lands like a stone, and my fist follows. It slams into Silver's head. He lets out a sharp yelp and skids backward.

"Silver!" Rath staggers to his feet.

I blink. My hand flexes. Somehow, I'm standing over Rath.

Astarion glances at me and purses his lips. He subtly tucks a curl behind his ear and folds his hands in his lap.

"Consider your position, Rath." My fingers twitch and I place my hand behind my back. "You are expendable. The others see you as a traitor. I am your only ally here. Be grateful I spared you despite your transgressions."

Something pummels me from behind.

"Silver, stop!" Rath cries, trying to pull him off me.

I'm pulled to the ground as Silver clamps down on my arm and begins to shake. My skin tears under my wool sleeve. I focus. Trying to grapple my arm free without losing it.

Astarion jumps to his feet. "For the love of... dagger. How in the hells do I not have a weapon on me?!"

I try to reach for one in my cloak, but the moment I loosen my hold, Silver bites down harder. "Astarion! My pocket!"

He drops to his knees and reaches for my pocket.

Bex and Apikusis enter, leading two druids into the chamber.

"Peace Bringer!" The druids jump on Silver, but his jaws are locked. He doesn't relent.

"Silver, let go!" Rath's voice is cracked and panicked.

Bex darts over and pulls her dagger, sliding the blade clean across Silver's neck.

The wolf falls, and my arm slips from his jaws.

Bex’s hand trembles, her breath heavy as she stares down at the body.

"I... I don't know what came over him." I say with a breath.

Rath stands stiff and quiet.

"Peace Bringer, you're hurt." One of the druids gestures toward my arm.

Blood runs from my sleeve. "The dead need tending. If you could..." I gesture toward the library.

The other druid places a hand over his heart. "We are honored to help." He stares down at Silver. "All things will be claimed when their time has come. As you said, by His will." He murmurs the words softly.

"Yes... please, bury them with respect."