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Tav sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She felt surprisingly fine, considering her broken rest and blood loss from the night before. Her stomach rumbled as Wyll began preparations to feed everyone. |
"What strange surface-world delicacy will The Blade of Frontiers be introducing me to this fine morning?" Tav asked the monster hunter with a smile as she rolled her bedding up. |
"Something called "Bacon and Eggs’," Wyll answered, focused entirely on food preparation, not looking up at Tav once. "It was going to be Bacon, Eggs and toast, but I guess I was wrong about our having a loaf of bread." |
Ah. Part of her gift last night had been stolen from their food supply. No matter. They were flushed with all manner of surface food, kept in a chest set with a stasis spell thanks to Gale. No one would go hungry for the loss of one small loaf of bread and now, she knew, the entire party would be well fed and at their ... |
"Tell me, Wyll," Tav asked, sweeping her long hair over one shoulder to comb the snarls out on one side. "What is "bacon’?" |
"Oh, so you know what eggs are at least?" Wyll replied, finally lifting his eyes from his work, brown and stone-gray. She was still sure there was something magical about his stone eye, though Wyll really didn’t want to talk about it and she respected that. Tav met his gaze with a grin, before his eyes dropped below he... |
Xsa rilbol! Wait, no... what was that common word she had learned the other day? |
Astarion awoke to raised voices outside his tent. He rolled his eyes in exasperation. What drama had their merry little band concocted so damned early in the morning? |
"... you let him what ?! Lae’zel, give me your sword, I’m going to chop his head off!" Gale’s angry voice cut through the general babble of voices. Well, fuck. Guess the vamp was out of the bag and the purple-wearing fop wasn’t having it. |
"Wizard, calm your ire." Ooh, Tav was using the Drow Voice. He loved that. |
"He came to me with honesty," And she’s lying for him! The plan is coming together better than he thought. "And I trust him. We have all worked together over the past days and it has gone well. He has given us no reason not to trust him and, as you can see, I am perfectly fine. I do not need you to avenge me." |
A pause. He wished he could see Gale’s face. Would they notice if he glanced out of his tent to watch this unfold? |
"... though, I do appreciate your concern." There goes the Drow Voice. She’s being sweet again. Probably patting the wizard on the arm or petting his head. Something foolish. |
"It’s just... Tav, he’s a Vampire. " Now it’s the Monster Hunters turn to convince her. Good luck with that. The Blade of Frontiers is holding a bigger secret than Astarion’s vampirism could ever be. Eldritch Blasts don’t come to humans naturally, after all. Tav may be fool enough to trust them all, but she wasn’t a ... |
"And all Vampires are evil, are they Wyll? Vicious monsters who would kill you as soon as look at you?" |
"Well, yes, Tav." Wyll sounded exasperated. Astarion was certain Tav was building to something. |
"Just like Drow?" There it was. |
Astarion knew he had to keep the smirk off his face if he was ever going to exit his tent, but by the gods it was going to be hard to keep a straight face. He was a bit put out that he wasn’t watching this unfold; Astarion was certain Tav’s "stand up for him’ stance was incredibly sexy. |
"As long as I don’t wake in the night to find fangs at my throat." Shadowheart was on his side too? Amazing. "Maybe we can get him to wear a bell. Dissuade any night-time prowling." Perhaps not entirely on his side, but he’ll take it. |
"A Vampire among us. So be it." Lae’zel, ever the practical one. "But should I wake with so much as a drop of blood on my neck, I will end him." Overly practical and perhaps more bloodthirsty than even he was. |
"Ugh, fine. He stays. I taste absolutely awful anyway." Gale had given in and that was Astarions cue to finally make an appearance. He pulled back the flaps of his tent and emerged into the dawn light, stretching as though he had just woken up. |
"Good morning!" Astarion chirped, bright and happy. Playing the part, yes, but also rubbing it in to Gale and Wyll that they had lost and he was here for good. The group had assembled in front of his tent to have their argument. Tav clearly preventing their more hot-headed companions from doing something rash while he ... |
"You could’ve killed her!" Wyll’s righteous fury was getting annoying. Astarion’s eyes darted to Tav to see where she stood in regards to the Monster Hunters ire. Annoyance painted her dark face, silver brows frowning over ice-blue eyes that nearly glowed in the dim light of dawn. Gale may have given in, but Wyll most ... |
"Well, I didn’t kill her. Obviously. So there’s that." Astarion snarked back. |
Tav moved to stand between them. Her hair drawn over one shoulder clearly showed the marks on her neck. She lifted her chin, cocking her head slightly to the side, doubly ensuring the marks could be seen. The sight of her proudly displaying his bite sent the borrowed blood in his body straight to his cock. |
"Wyll, it was my choice and I trust him. He won’t hurt us. Let it go, or leave." Astarion was quite taken back. Surely his plan hadn’t worked this well this soon. He hadn’t even bedded her. What had he done to inspire this faith? Having him stay was one thing, telling others to leave , though? He felt a little sick. ... |
"Fine. But I’m warning you..." Wyll let his empty threat hang in the air as he stomped back to his cooking duties. |
"I’m sure we’ll all feel better once we’ve eaten. I’m going to assist Wyll." Shadowheart eyed Astarion briefly from under her dark bangs, before moving to join Wyll at the campfire. |
The group broke up, with Gale and Lae’zel returning to their tents to prepare for the day. Gale immediately studying his - ugh, of course - purple-covered spellbook and Lae’zel beginning to fit her polished silver Githyanki plate mail over her green skin. The camp returned to it’s normal morning routine quickly, though... |
Tav lingered, the fight draining out of her. A wooden comb held uselessly in one hand and her white hair half a tangle, looking like a spider web across the back of her black shirt. |
"Darling, you look a mess." Astarion said, moving to gently take the comb from her numb fingers. |
"I didn’t tell them." The assurance fell from frozen lips. She seemed so worried. |
"No?" He asked, drawing her down to sit with him at the entrance of his tent. He positioned her in front of him and used the comb to gently attack the rats nest on her head. "I didn’t ask you not to." |
"Still, it’s not my secret to tell." Tav explained, "But Wyll saw the bite marks when I was trying to comb my hair and woke the whole camp up about it." |
"I admit, I could have been more subtle about it." Astarion admitted, his work on her hair nearly done. It was rather nice to have her sitting almost in his lap like this. He could plait her hair, keep her with him a few moments longer. "Perhaps bitten somewhere less... obvious." |
Her body shuddered and he grinned with delight. |
"I’m just glad you’re being sensible about these revelations. I could have awoken this morning to torches and pitchforks." He set the comb down, his dexterous fingers moving gently across her scalp to separate strands for plaiting. |
She shrugged one shoulder. "I trust you. I know what it’s like to be thought a monster." |
He felt a twinge. She didn’t know what a monster he really was. She couldn’t know. |
The plan. The plan. The plan. |
"There you are, dear." He dropped her hair to scoop up the comb and thrust it in front of her face. "Less a mess. Now go and see what horrors Wyll and Shadowheart are serving this morning. We have places to be. People to kill." |
"Yes," Tav agreed, taking the comb in hand and standing. She quickly gathered her hair back with a practiced motion, using a leather thong to tie it. It would have looked better in his braid. |
"He is making something called "bacon’. It smells rather delicious. I’m excited to try it. |
She smelled delicious and he was excited to try her again. |
"I... belbau kafeinoth ." She gestured to her hair. "Thank you. That was kind." |
"Don’t mention it, darling." |
Monsters don’t deserve true things. |
Lae’zel, beaten and bloody, was half-carrying a half-comatose Tav back to camp and he did not envy her that effort. He didn’t. Not at all. The Gith’s wiry muscled form was best suited to the task and he was not jealous at all of how protective and strangely gentle the fighter was being with his Tav. His? No. He was... |
"It’s ok. You did nothing wrong." Shadowheart comforted Tav, patting her shoulder as they walked. A strange little surprise, that the Cleric could speak some Drow. The day had started rather well. They discovered a cellar in the apothecary’s home that led them to a secret entrance behind a shelf. They fought some undea... |
A book of necromantic power and an upset Wizard muttering into his dark beard. A brilliant start to the day, really. |
The first sign it might all fall apart was when one of the Goblin Booyahgs sidled up to Tav, bowing and scraping. The dirty little creature explained that there was a locked door they had been unable to break down. Surely something so well fortified could only hide treasure. Not wanting the goblins to follow them in, T... |
Where it really went to shit was when they emerged from the spider cave. They were mended, healed and mostly rested. A few coins and a glowing purple gem in his pouch, their map marked with the location of another travel portal. Though who would ever want to travel to a spider's cave, he’d never know.Tav was still dist... |
"Slave." Tav spoke the word quietly, as though tasting it on her tongue.And then two Goblins were charred corpses upon the ground and Tav was spinning in preparation of sending something into a worg. Wyll leapt into action, a smile on his dusky skinned face, rushing to free the gnome from its ties and sending him to sa... |
Once they returned to camp, Shadowheart and Lae’zel had rushed Tav straight to her tent and shut the flaps. |
"I’ll make dinner." Wyll offered, unusually subdued, putting more wood on the campfire to coax it back to life. |
"You did breakfast, my friend." Gale replied, peeling off his purple outer robes to reveal his darker-purple shirt and brown pants. The wizard threw his robe in his tent, before running a tired hand through shoulder-length brown hair and turning back to Wyll. |
They both ignored Astarion, pacing between Tav’s tent and his own, always beside hers since the day they began traveling together. |
"Didn’t you say you had some scroll or something so no one would have to stand watch tonight?" Wyll asked, digging through their chest of supplies, contemplating what could be made for the evening meal. |
The Wizards deep brown eyes widened. "Yes, of course! I’m so tired I had forgotten." He ran a tired hand through shoulder-length hair to emphasize that statement. "Let me go find it. I suppose you’re cooking after all. |
Wyll finished taking stock of what was available to eat before moving towards Tavs tent. Astarion had sat down near its entrance, strangely joined by a large white dog. He looked up and bared his fangs at Wyll’s approach, fear and exhaustion drawing a pale face even paler. |
The dog wagged a friendly tail. |
"Easy, there, Fangs. You’re just tired; we all are." Just that morning, Wyll had threatened him. Now, it seemed, everyone was too tired and worried to think about something as trivial as a vampire in their midst. What a difference a day can make. "Why do you have a dog?" |
"She rescued it the other day. Guess he finally found us." Astarion pet the beast, thinking of how bright Tavs" smile would be when she saw the dog had joined them after all. "It’s called Scratch." |
Wyll sighed. "Of course she did." keeping his good eye on Astarion, Wyll moved to the tent's entrance. The vampire's entire body was tense and coiled, his eyes tracked Wyll’s every move. "Shadowheart? Chicken or fish?" |
What a stupid question. Shadowheart was busy. |
"If you’re cooking; fish please!" Came Shadowheart’s reply, followed by the half-elf herself, emerging from the tent, long black braid pulled over one shoulder and chainmail shirt half unlaced. |
Scratch barked and wagged his tail. |
"Hello, Scratch, go on in." Shadowheart gestured to the tent as Lae’zel exited as well, heading for her own tent. The dog immediately replaced Lae’zel in the tents confines. |
The dog could go in!? |
Wyll kept up the inane chatter, as though nothing was wrong. "You two better go wash up. Gale has some scroll that will keep the camp safe all night, but I don’t know what its rules are-" |
Astarion growled as he got to his feet. This was all ridiculous, he was going to see Tav. Shadowheart caught his sleeve as he moved past her. It took a great deal to not lay her out then and there. He stopped and leveled a glare at the Cleric, reminding himself that she was useful and Tav needed her. |
"Physically, she’s fine, if really tired and a touch anemic." Fuck off, this wasn’t his fault. "I gave her a calming draught; she should sleep through the night. Don’t wake her and don’t feed." |
"Are you offering?" He snarked, grinning to show every pointy fang in his head. |
"I’d sooner kiss a goblin." Came the immediate reply. |
"They are your type." Astarion ducked into Tav's tent and shut the flaps. |
Laole Lolth... Laole Lolth... Udos ph'Jal vlees whol Lolth |
Two hundred slaves and male children to sacrifice. Meaningless little lives given to the demon. |
Laole Lolth... doer ulu udossa Glabrezu. Laole Lolth... tlu xuil udossa Glabrezu! |
Spiders chittered their excitement in the darkness. The incense in the air burned her eyes as the Priestesses chanting reached a fever pitch. |
Laole Lolth... Velgizich! Velgizich! Velgizich! Udos ph'Jal vlees whol Lolth... |
Tav bolted upright, the smell of timmaskh incense and spider ichor in her nose. She gasped for air, struggling against the weight on her legs. What was it? Had she been captured and restrained? The weight shifted against her and woofed. |
"Scratch?" Her voice was raspy. She blinked sleep from her eyes and the dog came into focus in the dark of her tent. "Scratch! You found us!" Tav sat up fully to give the dog a tired smile and reached out to pet it. Scratch leaned his weight into her hand, enjoying her touch. |
Her tent flap threw open. Astarion rushed inside, a waterskin clutched in his hand, pausing for a beat when he saw she was awake before pivoting to lecture the dog. |
"I told you not to wake her up!" He sounded exasperated and looked very tired. The dark circles were back under his eyes. He was still so beautiful. The beast cocked its head to one side and whined softly. |
"He didn’t, I had -" Tav’s attempt at explanation was cut off as the waterskin was thrust into her hands. |
"Don’t talk. Drink." |
"Drink." Wine-red eyes glittered at her in the dim light. His expression made it clear that he would see her better and no one, not even her, would stand in the way. |
She uncorked the waterskin and drank. |
"Nod for me, yes or no, ok darling?" His voice was deadly quiet as she gulped down the cool water.She nodded."Do you remember the spiders?" Cringe and a nod."Do you remember the gnome?" Nod."Do you remember burning down the village?" Shake.She pulled the empty waterskin from her lips."May I speak now?" There was still ... |
He slipped from her tent like a ghost, silent and almost unseen in the dark outside. The dog considerably less so, on both accounts, barreling from the tent with audible enthusiasm. She was alone. No comforting weight on her legs, her body hot and her hands remembering the comfort of his cool touch. Something Astarion ... |
"Fireball?" She whispered into the darkness of her tent. |
She supposed now was as good a time as any to commune with the weave and take stock of her Sorcerers abilities. An especially good time, as she neither wanted to process the day's events, dwell upon the nightmare that woke her nor think on how a devilishly handsome vampire spawn could make her heart skip a beat with on... |
She crossed her legs and rested her arms upon them. Closing her eyes, she reached both inside herself and out at the same time, the feeling always slightly peculiar, no matter how often performed. It was like reaching into her soul, then connecting that soul to the weave, as one buckles a belt. They were two ends of th... |
Her mind and abilities were both a jumble, no surprise, but the weave comforted and strengthened her. She tried not to think of something so vast as the weave as having any personal stake in one foolish Drow, but she couldn’t help but feel the weave was welcoming her. Glad for her company and continued survival. |
Organizing herself, she found the spells she knew as well as she knew how to breathe; Magic Missile, Thunderwave, Featherfall, Sleep. Then the ones that had come to her since the Nautiloid crash; Misty Step, Invisibility, Scorching Ray. Then... yes, there were more. Two more now and one was certainly Fireball. The othe... |
"Tav?" A voice from far away. A touch on her body? She was so far from it, she couldn’t be sure. "Come back to me, Tav." The voice sounded worried. She should go to it, assure it she was ok. She was fine, after all, held safely in the weave. |
Her eyes opened and connected with the concerned eyes of a Vampire Spawn. Astarion had returned to her tent with the promised food, and less one dog. |
"I do know Fireball!" She announced brightly, in lieu of any explanation. "And I knew it before Gale! Best day ever!" Nothing could be terrible about a day she gained a point in the friendly arms race she was in with the Wizard. |
"Well, one-upping the purple menace does put a certain shine to the day, but darling, you need to stop worrying me." Astarion didn’t sound worried in the least, but she had noticed he often didn’t sound like things he very much felt. "If you’re not here, who will keep me safe from the famed Blade of Frontiers?" |
Tav snorted. "Wyll likes you." |
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