I am roused quietly, though I can hear the frantic undertones in his voice. "Vash. Vash, there is a frightening woman asleep in our camp."

The bright morning sky alarms me more than anything. I overslept. "Astarion." He's gripping my arm tightly, and for a moment I'd forgotten the events of last night.

Right. Karlach.

"It's alright. She's meant to be here."

"What? Are you saying she appeared in the night, and you just let her stay?" He pouts playfully. "Are you trying to build a harem of tiefling women to replace me?"

I push him back to give myself space. "Calm yourself. She's tadpoled, like us." I stretch my limbs, which quake as they tense and a waking groan escapes me. "...an entire harem to replace..."

"Oooooh. Another wormed brain to add to our menagerie. Fantastic. Another mouth to feed."

I grunt, getting to my feet. "You know full well we do not want for food."

He gives me a sly smile. "I must admit, your request for live chickens was generous of you. Hunting had started to lose its novelty."

"I'm glad someone appreciates what I'm doing around here."

"I do." His eyes linger on me before he clears his throat. "I appreciate it. Genuinely."

In a fluttering calamity, a dove lands hard on the table, paper strapped to her leg. I tap my ear. "Good morning."

The dove ruffles her feathers. "Good morning indeed! Got a message for you, Ser!" I sit down and carefully untie the note.

Peace Bringer,

The First Druid has gone missing.

A search is underway.

A.

Astarion plops himself down in my lap. "What does it say?"

"Bold of him," I mutter, setting the note down. "Seems I may have misjudged his readiness."

I grab a slip of paper and quickly write out a note, rolling it and tying it to the dove. "Head back. Make sure Apikusis gets this quickly."

The dove warbles dutifully as she lifts herself onto her single leg. "Whether it be wards or weathering wars, completing my mission is my reward!" She stretches her wings before pausing and turning back. "I came up with that myself." She coos before launching herself from the table and flapping away.

I shake my head and glance at Astarion, wrapping my arm around his waist. "You seem to be in an awful cozy mood."

Astarion drags his fingers over my shoulders as he watches the dove fly off. His arms curl around my neck. "As magistrate to the Lord of Dirt Worshippers, it's my duty to be intimately familiar with his correspondence. Last thing we need is you fucking up such a precarious political situation."

My hand drifts to his thigh and squeezes. "Be careful. I wouldn't speak so callously of a Lord."

"Hah!" He brushes my hair behind my ear. "Banish me."

My expression softens as my gaze travels across his body.

He settles into a playful smile and slowly leans down. His delicate fingers grip the back of my neck.

A breath.

Then he presses his lips to mine.

We sink into each other with a sigh. I taste the blood in his mouth, and a hint of exotic spices. Something lingers underneath. The taste of death.

I drag my fingers through his hair, cradling the back of his head. My other hand travels up his thigh.

He smiles and speaks wistfully into my lips. "Finally..."

I hear the padding of footsteps coming up to my tent, and Astarion grips me tighter.

A faint voice calls from outside. "Vash? Are you awake?"

Astarion pulls back from our kiss and snaps. "I swear to the gods, Gale. If you keep interrupting our time together, I'll empty your fetid blood into the River Chionthar."

Gale scoffs. "Fetid-You two are always together! How in the Hells am I supposed to speak to Vash when you two aren't drooling over each other like a couple of rutting aurochs?"

...He seems a tad on edge.

I look at Astarion with a grin and pull him into another kiss. I move my hands down his back, feeling his slight figure, before my grip curves around his ass. I pull him into me.

He moans softly, threading his fingers through my hair. His cold body warms against my infernal skin. He slowly and deliberately drags his leg across my lap, straddling me. I savor his body a moment more before pulling away.

He bites his lip, soft red eyes languid and wanting. I linger but give a soft sigh and lift him off my lap.

"Nooo." He pouts and holds the same indignity of a cat pulled from the shelf before tipping over a vase.

I stand, adjusting my pants and walking over to my tent door. I find a staggered and pale wizard waiting patiently. The dark circles under his eyes make him look like he hadn't slept last night.

"Gale, are you okay?"

His hand is pressed against his chest. "Yes! Well... no."

Astarion slides in next to me, pressing a palm to my arm. He sees the state of Gale. "Gods, you look like you just crawled out of the Hells. Did something happen?"

"I'm here to get one of my jewels from my cache."

He sounds patient and impatient simultaneously. It's impressive.

"Is it time to feed the wizard already? How often do you need a jewel for your condition?" I snap the arcane lock away and open the chest. After a moment of digging, I find a sufficiently useless pendant.

Gale sighs. "Well..." His voice is strained. "It averages one every three days. Thank you for the jewel." He takes it and begins to leave.

"Can I see what you do with it? I'm curious."

He eyes me, exhausted, bone weary, slightly hunched. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt anything, though I don't owe you any favors."

Astarion interjects. "Hold on. What is going on?"

He palms the pendant and gently presses it to his chest. A violet light bursts forth. I can feel the Weave sinking into his heart. The pull is uncanny, and it leaves the Weave feeling stretched taut. Like someone had cored out a section of flesh and sutured the edges to fill the void.

His posture corrects, color returns to his face. His shoulders melt. He even dares to smile.

...At least someone is getting a little relief this morning. "Interesting. How does it feel?"

He takes a deep breath. "Like the coldest glass of water after trekking through a desert."

I give him a gentle smile. "I'm sorry you have to go through this, Gale. Perhaps someday we can find a cure."

"And perhaps someday we can cure Astarion from his vampirism." He snaps. "This arrangement is less than ideal."

"Tsk. Don't be sour, Gale. It's working well enough so far. You're right as rain."

He straightens himself, staring me down. "No one asked you to do this."

"You didn't need to. I am the only one capable of carrying this duty."

"That's the problem!"

There is a slight hitch in the smile I give him. "If you have any questions, you're welcome to ask them."

"No, that's not... We should be making decisions as a group!"

"If we left every decision up to a vote, we'd still be stuck in the grove bickering about whether to speak to Zorru or Nettie. Be grateful, Gale."

His mouth drops, but words fail him. "If this is the cost of your leadership..."

"Be careful." I say quietly.

His shoulders tense and he shifts backward before leaving.

Astarion wraps his arms around my waist, placing his cheek on my arm. "What a silly man."

"Yes. A silly man who could get us all killed."

"Hm?" He glances up. " What do you mean?"

"I mean he has a bomb in his chest."

"A WHAT?!"

"He took it upon himself to keep that from us."

"By the nine Hells." Astarion stares as Gale storms off.

I take him by the hand, pulling him close and gently pressing my lips to his forehead. "I have it under control."

He rests his head against my chest, pressing his fingers into me. He's quiet for a while, as I hold him. The others begin to wake and there is a soft hum of conversation outside. He finally nestles his ear against me and I hear a soft murmur.

"I miss it... having a heartbeat."

I fold my arms around his shoulders, resting my chin on his head. "Come." I drag my fingers through his curls once more. "I'll introduce you to Karlach."

As we leave the tent, Scratch runs up to me, waggling every part of his body. "You're awake! The human man is making breakfast! I visited Gomwick. He's getting worse."

"Gomwick." I forgot about the dead courier. "Was that your friend's name?"

"Yes." He says softly.

"Scratch. Would you like me to bury him?"

He stops waggling for a moment, his panting stilled. "I think-" His tail swings low. "I think that would make him more comfortable while he rests."

My face falls and I give pat him between the ears. This seems to perk him up and he dashes off to lap the camp like a fluffy white sentinel.

Gale is cooking eggs with an assortment of fragrant herbs, along with some choice cuts of goat shoulder. It's the single most fantastic thing I've smelled, next to Nettie.

With Bhaal's blessing I'll be able to find another equally useless dwarf, and this time have a proper meal.

Bex is practicing her aim. She falls still. Then looses the air. It snaps against the shoulder of the dummy, burying itself deep into the straw.

Danis claps lightly. "You're getting very good, darling."

Karlach is sitting at the edge of her tent near the campfire, cross-legged, fixing the beads in her long dark hair.

Shadowheart is barefoot with her feet resting near Karlach's leg. "Honestly, you're a godsend, I can't help but feel chilled most days. My feet are always cold for some reason. You're a lot more reliable than the campfire."

Karlach laughs. "Well in that case, I'm happy to help. Anything to warm those adorable tootsies."

Shadowheart giggles and leans back, flexing her toes. "Thank you."

Karlach spots Astarion and me approaching and smiles brightly. "Morning, Spooks!"

Astarion raises his brow and leans into me with a murmur. "Spooks?"

"A name I've earned."

"Is it? Honestly, I'm impressed she'd be so brazen."

We both glance at her. I turn back to Astarion. "The woman spent ten years enslaved to Zariel. We're her introduction back to a normal life."

He rests his hand on his chest. "A pity. The poor dear will never get to recover among this menagerie of broken lunatics."

I lean down, my voice humming in his ear. "Watch yourself, spawn."

Astarion's gaze falls into mine, his hair standing on end. "You need to whisper more sweet nothings to me. I like it."

I place myself next to Danis by the fire. He looks up vaguely and gives me a nod.

"Danis. How is your morning?"

He thumbs through a few arrows in Bex's quiver before handing her one. "Peaceful." He doesn't even spare me a glance.

Well, that was a nice conversation.

"Soooo..." Karlach glances between the two of us. "What are we doing today?"

Gale has begun handing out the food. He doesn't look at me and nearly drops my plate on the ground. Messy. "We're headed toward Waukeen's Rest, but I have reason to believe the trail will have a gnoll ambush up ahead." I glance over at Danis. "We need to find a way to protect you effectively, Danis. As you know, gnolls are ruthless. Perhaps you can hide in a crate on the ox cart."

"Crate on the... I will not be hiding in a box while my wife is out there battling those wretches!"

Bex has stepped next to me and places a hand on my arm. "Clearly Vash has forgotten tact... among other things."

Danis scoffs, but says nothing.

Karlach's tail brushes the ground. "What does that mean?"

Bex and I share a glance. Apology flickers across her face before she looks away.

"I've lost much of my past. It's uncanny. I can remember how to be myself, but not why I am the way that I am."

"Gods, that sounds terrible, Spooks. I'm sorry."

My eyes become big and watery with self-pity. "It's been so difficult. I've been surviving by the skin of my teeth."

Bex shoves me, wrinkling her nose. "Stop it. Goof."

I chuckle and roll with her shove.

A smile grows on Karlach's face. "Well, if there's anything you need from me, you know I've got your back."

"Thank you, Karlach."

Shadowheart slides a necklace off and walks over to Danis, handing it to him. "When the ambush happens, use this. It will allow you to teleport to safety. We can take care of the rest."

He runs his fingers through the chain and takes it, looking at the pendent resting in his palm. "Thank you." He tries to pull it over his head, but it gets caught in his horns and he grunts.

"Here, let me." She removes his hands and untangles him, then clips it around his neck.

"...thank you once again." He tucks the pendant into his tunic.

Lae'zel finally joins us, fully clad, having finished polishing her armor. "Gnolls. I look forward to fighting something that actually gives me a challenge. Faerûn has been far tamer than what I had been led to believe."

Karlach gets to her feet excitedly. "Well, let's get to it! Gnolls or not, I want to make it back to Baldur's Gate as quick as I can. I miss my home."

We quickly pack and head north.

The shadows drift across the Merchant's Road with each mile, the ox cart rumbling down the uneven path behind me as I lead the beast by the reins. The trail offers only birdsong, road dust, and Astarion tittering while perched comfortably on a crate. I slow, spotting a barrel of apples toppled across the path.

Karlach jogs over to one of the apples. "Oh, score! More provisions!"

"Karlach, we aren't going to collect food off the ground. Leave it."

She's already reaching for one. "Oh." She looks at the apple and snatches it anyway. "Just for me, now, then."

I smile and shake my head, before turning back to the trail. Scattered scraps of a cart line the road. Torn baskets. Broken crates. A severed hand covered in flies.

She polishes the apple against my cloak, and I hear the sound of crunching as she bites into it.

"Didn't you have some of Gale's breakfast?"

"Yeah?" she says, with a wet mouthful.

From the corner of my eye, shapes dart between the shadows. I come to a halt.

The road grows still, and the air seems to compress around us.

Something soft drops and Karlach's apple core hits my boot. There is a creaking of leather as she grips her sword hilt tightly.

The click of a bolt being loaded into a crossbow, the mechanism pulling the string taut. Bex is ready.

I glance back. The party has surrounded the ox cart, poised for battle.

Danis clutches the necklace, head on a swivel. I tuck the reins into the ox's harness. "Prepare to get yourself and Danis to safety." I pat his nose before drawing my sword. Cold smoke rises from the blade.

The ox shakes his head, giving a quick glance around. "How am I meant to turn in this damned thing?"

"Carefully."

He snorts and shifts where he stands, tail flipping.

I brace my footing.

With a sudden wail of chaotic laughter, we're encircled by several hyenas, dashing and squealing.

"Keep your wits! They're trying to distract us!" Three large gnolls charge from the tree line.

The ox bucks and charges, kicking a hyena in the jaw, and dashing up the path. Danis clings to the cart as he's carried away.

A gnoll barrels toward me. He's covered in scars and missing an ear and several teeth. Battle-worn and still alive. My first swing is swiftly dodged, and the gnoll snaps at my throat. Heat of its breath washes over my face. It smells rancid.

He swings his hand axe, but I catch it against my blade. I shove him back and strike him with a concussive blow that rattles his body and splits his skin.

The damned thing growls and rears back, giving a bone-chilling howl.

Arrows begin to rain down upon us. I quickly throw my cloak over my head.

"Oh, hells no!" Karlach's engine roars and a fury engulfs her. She charges into the tree line and I hear yelps and scuffling.

The grizzled gnoll is on me once again. He's unrelenting. Each slice from my blade is a new scar decorating his body. He's wearing me down. Despite my will to keep going my arms are beginning to give out, and each swing of my greatsword is weaker than the last.

He tackles me to the ground, and I struggle to push him away as he snaps at me. His snout finds it way under my cloak and he clamps down on my shoulder, mauling me.

My jaw clenches and with difficulty, I grip his face. Lightning rips through me, surging into his head. He goes stiff and nearly topples off me but recovers. He raises his axe and I fold my arms across my head, then I hear a wet crunch.

The gnoll collapses on top of me, a bolt through its head.

I lay still... and listen.

The ambush has winnowed down to the whimpering death mewls of a few hyenas.

I look to my right and see Astarion pulling his dagger from a hyena's eye.

With a heavy breath, I push the gnoll's body off me and Bex runs up to me.

"Vash." Her voice is quiet. She runs her hand through my hair, brushing it aside and checking my shoulder. "Gods." She pulls out a healing potion, pouring it over the jagged wound.

It begins to knit together. The truth of these damned potions is that the healing isn't painless. It burns. It itches. It aches. Sometimes all at the same time. Tolerable for most basic wounds, but this time I can't help but wince as it mends. A tooth is buried near my clavicle; I try to pry at it, but the edges are too damned smooth.

"Hold on." She removes my hand and presses on either side of the tooth, prying it free. As the wound finishes closing, she drags her hand over my shoulder with a measured intensity.

Her eyes catch mine for the briefest moment, and a flush colors her nose. She takes a kerchief and wipes my shoulder clean. The rapid healing has left a fresh, fragile scar.

The others have begun to walk back up the road to meet Danis and the ox.

"There," she says, before standing to join them. She walks with her shoulders back and a subtle sway in her hips.

I could make her blush in unimaginable ways.

She straps her crossbow to her back, and glances back.

I blink, then push myself to my feet and follow. My fingers flex at my side before I tuck my hands in my pockets.

Astarion jogs up next to me.

My gaze travels across him, front and back.

He smirks. "You're being obvious."

"Just checking you for injury."

He holds up a finger. A cut. I take his hand and give it a gentle kiss, then lean down. "What do I have to do to break that wicked little smile into something breathless?"

He gasps. "Scandalous!" He curls his arm around mine. "Keep going."

We pass Gale, who suddenly stops and looks around. "Vash. Where's Lae'zel?"