I do not own anything here except Tahlith (the PC) and the story idea. This fanfic takes place post-MoTB. Some events are minor-AU type things, but they are, for the most part, explained in the fanfic. Feel free to ask me questions.

Choices in games: In the OC, Bishop was not killed by the PC and Qara did a bunk merely because she hates Sand. The Construct was formed and the PC did not join the Neverwinter Nine. The PC joined the City Watch, not Moire's the PC rejected him. The PC joined the Crusade and had all the Mask Fragments, so Akachi was saved. Any other choices should become clear through the story. Feel free gang. Casavir did proclaim his love, but was rejected. In MotB, Okku joined the party, not One of Many. Gann confessed his love, but to ask questions if you want back story.

Let me also explain right now that, once you hit Chapter 1, you are going to realize that Georg, along with many other West Harbor citizens who should be dead, are alive. That's intentional; I wasn't going to make up all new inhabitants for West Harbor, so I 'salvaged' a few. Pretend they actually made it.

"Stillborn..." Shayla Farlong sighed, putting the dead tiefling child aside, covering it with a blanket. "I'm so sorry, Esmerelle."

Esmerelle lay on her bed, exhausted and silently crying. After months of secrecy about the child's origins, it had all acumulated to nothing.

"Don't cry, Esmerelle," An elvish woman of mixed blood reassured her. "Don't forget our deal. You will still have your child to raise." The elf had a hand on a basket beside her. Inside was a sleeping baby, one that couldn't have been more than a day old itself.

Shayla looked at the child in the basket. It was clear that the baby girl had been given a small amount of sedative in its last meal to keep it from waking at an unfortunate time. A small pair of horns protruded from the infant's forehead, just enough to remind Shayla of the slightly larger set that had been present on Esmerelle's dead baby. Repressing a shudder, Shayla turned to Esmerelle. "You don't have to do this. Maybe it was for the best that the child died; it would only have been a constant reminder of that devil... This child will only make it worse!"

Esmerelle shuddered a bit at the memory, but her reply was firm. "No, Shayla, it will make things better. If anything good can come of this, then all the better. The child needs a home." She sat up a bit. "Let me see her, Tinureth... please."

Tinureth, the elf woman, smiled sadly as she took the tiefling child out of the basket and handed her to Esmerelle. Esmerelle smiled as she held the infant closely. "What is her name?"

"Tahlith," Tinureth replied. "Tahlith Auvreaneldth."

"Auvreaneldth..." Shayla repeated as Esmerelle began cooing the name to the sleeping infant. "That isn't your last name."

"Nor is it the last name of her father, but it must pass as such." Tinureth stood, looking almost longingly at the child before turning away. "She'll wake within the hour. Shall I take the other with me?" She was referring to Esmerelle's dead child.

Esmerelle sighed. "Yes, I suppose." She longed for her real child to have survived, but she understood that it was better this way; raising 'twins' would have been more conspicuous.

Tinureth quickly gathered up the dead infant, blanket and all, and scooped it into the basket the other child had been brought in. "I shall give it a proper burial once I'm away. And Esmerelle?" She looked back at the woman one more time. "Thank you again for fostering m- Tahlith." The words caught in her throat, but she kept a straight face. Esmerelle nodded her understanding. Tinureth took one more look at the child in the woman's arms before turning away. There was a flash of red light, and she was gone.

That flash of light was enough to send poor Retta Starling scurrying away from the window sill she'd been hiding under, just outside the house. She'd heard every word of the conversation inside and, while she was not one to gossip, this was definitely one of the biggest things to have happened in West Harbor in years.

Retta told only two people her story: Georg and Lorne. Lorne was killed by Black Garius's hand, but not before he sent a letter to his own brother, Bevil, telling him every detail of his time in Luskan, why he had fought to kill Tahlith, and just what his mother saw that evening Tahlith was 'born'. Bevil didn't get the letter until he worked at Crossroads Keep, and by then he was unsure of what to make of the news. He never told Tahlith. Georg still lives, rebuilding West Harbor. He'd always thought that Retta's story was good, but never shared it with anyone else.