Clandestinity

by The Buggling Weed

“It’s not all his fault, Mrs. Retta.” Amie spoke up. “I con-convicie-conceived him to climb trees with me.” Retta closed her eyes and massaged her temples.

A/N: Hello all, and welcome to the first fanfic I've ever actually taken the time to write down. A few notes before you read, please. The –L- border's are for spaces between days. The -C- are for spaces between scenes. Sorcha (pronounced Sore-cha) and Bevil are eight in this story currently, and Amie is seven. The rating is teen, for now. Hope you like the chapter, and please read my other A/N at the bottom.

Disclaimer: If I owned NWN2 and its characters, Bishop would be chained to the wall in my basement, naked. Since I don't, he isn't there. Unfortunately. D: Fortunately, I do own Sorcha and any plot that is not a part of the OC, MotB, or SoZ plots.

-L-

10 Years Before the Adventure to Defeat The King of Clandestinity

BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!

Sorcha sighed and flipped Dieties of Faerun over on the desk; she just knew she wasn't gonna get any reading done for awhile.

BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!

"Comin', Amie!" She shouted. The booming continued. "Cyric's blood, I said I'm coming!" She stomped over to the door and glared at Amie when she opened it. "Whadda you want?"

Amie grinned at her."Don't be like that." She tugged at Sorcha's arms. "Come on, I need your help with something."

Sorcha narrowed her black eyes at her and gave her a suspicious look. "Help with what?" She asked cautiously. "I'm not helping you break into Tarmas's attic again. We almost got caught last time."

Amie rolled her eyes. "Not that again, silly." She flapped a hand at her. "I already got the book I was looking for. I need help with Bevil."

"Who's Bevil?"

Amie sighed loudly, stomping her foot. "You know, Bevil. Chubby boy. Brown hair, blue eyes, arch-menasis of the Mossfeld boys."

Sorcha frowned. "Whatcha need help with him for?"

Amie tugged on her arms again. "He fell in a bush when we were climbin' trees. I need your help pickin' the leaves an' thorns an' stuff offa him."

"Do I have to?" Sorcha complained loudly, bending over backwards to look at her book.

"Of course, silly." Amie grinned and gave a final tug at her arms and started skipping off, her blonde hair sparkling in the noon sun.

Sorcha scowled and closed the door behind her, then took off after Amie.

-C-

"Leira's sweet tongue, Bevil, hold still!" Amie cried as she pricked her finger for the millionth time picking thorns off of Bevil.

"Honestly, I'm tryin', but they itch!" He responded, trying to conceal his bum scratching. Sorcha smacked his hands away with no small amount of irritation. "Hey!" Bevil scowled at her.

Sorcha scowled right back at him, poking him in the stomach. "Listen to Amie, she's tryin' to help you." He grumbled under his breath, but ceased clawing at his derrière.

"Thanks Sorcha," Amie smiled at her. Sorcha shrugged at her in response.

Bevil glared at Sorcha and then proceeded to poke her in the head. "Be polite and use your manners. Say you're welcome."

Sorcha glared at him and poked him in his stomach harder. "You're not my mom."

Bevil huffed and raised his hand to poke her again, when Amie slapped his hand down and began to scold them. "No fighting, friends don't fight."

Sorcha turned to make a face at Amie. "He isn't my friend."

"He is now." Amie replied firmly, as firmly as a seven year old could, at least.

"Is not," Sorcha denied. "Friends have fun together, not poke each other in the head." She shot a glare at Bevil.

"Well I don't wanna be your friend!" The boy said hotly, glowering at her.

Amie crossed her arms and stomped her foot. "You're both gonna be friends 'cause I say you're gonna be friends! And what I say goes!" She stomped her foot again for added emphasis.

Sorcha stood up straight and gave Amie a dirty look. "You're not the boss of me!"

Amie opened her mouth to reply-

"Bevil! Goodness gracious son, were you climbing trees again?!" Retta Starling looked dismayed as she crossed over to the trio of children. "Look at you! How many times have I told you to be careful? Now I have to pick out all of those thorns before I wash your clothes, or they'll spread throughout the laundry!"

Bevil flushed and looked down. "Sorry mother," he mumbled into his chest. Retta just looked at her son and sighed.

"It's not all his fault, Mrs. Retta." Amie spoke up. "I con-convicie-conceived him to climb trees with me."

Retta closed her eyes and massaged her temples. "Convinced, darling, not conceived." She opened her eyes and studied Sorcha. "You must be Daeghun's daughter."

Sorcha ducked her head, curly black hair falling over her face. "Yes ma'm," She muttered into her dress.

Retta frowned at her. "Stand up straight and look someone in the eye when you are talking to them dear, its good etiquette." Sorcha did as she asked. Retta looked over the child. Thick, curly black hair with eyes that were so black they looked without a pupil, combined with the child's dirty porcelain skin made her look sickly; she seemed too thin and short for her age as well.

As if summoned by her thoughts, Sorcha started to cough, her lungs rattling a bit. Retta looked concerned. "Are you alright, darling?"

Amie chose this time to speak up again. "She's fine, ma'm. She just coughs sometimes, is all."

Retta frowned but dropped the matter when Sorcha nodded her head to Amie's words and then stopped coughing. Sorcha looked at Retta. "Father says its connick."

"Chronic, dear. Can you please smile for me?" Sorcha gave her an odd look, but gave her a small smile. "With teeth please, sweetheart." Sorcha complied, and Retta grimaced and took her and Bevil by the hands. "Bevil, we're going home, and then you're going to change and pick the thorns out of your clothes yourself. Sorcha, darling, I'm going to teach you the wonders of toothpaste at my house."

Sorcha tried to pull her arm away from Retta, but Retta held on tight and began walking."I don't wanna glue things to my teeth!" Shorcha protested.

Amie giggled and grinned at Sorcha. "Toothpaste cleans your teeth, silly!"

Sorcha looked confused. "Then why do they call it toothpaste?"

-C-

"There now, don't you feel better? Cleaner? More hygienic? " Retta Starling asked Sorcha after she had taken a bath, and then brushed her teeth for the first time in her eight years.

"Yes ma'm," Sorcha agreed.

Retta smiled at her. "Now, let's do something about that hair-"

Sorcha squeaked and put her hands to her head. "No cutting it!"

Retta frowned at her. "A little trim won't hurt it, dear."

Sorcha still shook her head. Retta studied her for a second, then asked, "You do know that trimming off the bad ends of your hair makes it grow faster, don't you sweetheart?"

Sorcha looked at her suspiciously. "You promise?"

Retta smiled at her. "Of course, dear."

Sorcha took her hands slowly off her head, still looking at Retta suspiciously. "Only a little trim, alright?"

Retta nodded, smiled, and acquiesced.

-C-

Sorcha arrived home late that night, surprised to see lights inside the house. Father isn't supposed to be home yet. She crept around the side slowly and soundlessly. Ignoring the growing pit of fear and anxiety in her stomach, stepped on a rock and looked in through one of the windows. I don't see anyone. She gently opened the window, taking care to make no noise, peeking around the house. She nimbly crawled inside, landing silently on the wooden floor, and crept to the living room door and opened it just a crack.

"My daughter." Daeghun's voice came from behind her, and Sorcha jumped. She turned around and saw her father peeling an apple in the shadows.

"Hello father." Sorcha greeted, her heart pounding in her throat from the scare.

Daeghun studied her. "You cut your hair."

Sorcha looked down and muttered. "Mrs. Retta did it, and she only cut a little bit. She said it'd make it grow faster."

He studied her for a moment longer, before nodding and standing up. Handing her the apple, he walked into the living room. "I trust you had no troubles while I was away?"

She followed him. "None, father."

Daeghun nodded. "Good." Sorcha and Daeghun settled into opposite chairs, facing each other. The fireplace crackled, and Sorcha began eating her apple, knowing that father would talk when father wanted to talk. She finished eating her apple and tossed the core into the fire; the fireplace snapped at her in protest, and a few ashes and embers jumped out of the fireplace onto the bottom of the mantle. Sorcha was nearly asleep when she heard her father begin talking.

"I see you have been learning of the gods." Sorcha blinked a few times, waking up, and then nodded.

"I thought you had already chosen your deity of worship." His eyes bored unblinkingly into hers.

She shifted uncomfortably, and clutched what appeared to be a tiny charm of a mask around her neck. "That doesn't excuse ignorance of the rest of the gods, father."

He seemed to consider her words for a few seconds, and then concurred. "The gods are indeed important figures in mortal's lives," his emotionless eyes regarded her as he spoke, "However, I have learned from speaking to humans that the god you have chosen to worship is malevolent, and I believe you would do better for yourself to select another as your god of worship."

Sorcha clenched her pendant harder, her eyes accusing her father as she responded, "He saved me."

Daeghun regarded her with patience."Did you ever think to wonder why?"

Sorcha began to feel distressed, the knots in her stomach clenching and churning harder. How could father not understand? "He saved me."

His eyes softened the slightest bit, as he tried to explain to her. "He is using you, my child."

She stood up, the fire illuminating the anger in her eyes."He saved me! Not you, not anyone else! He did!"

Daeghun's eyes hardened, but he made no other movement except to speak."Daughter, I understand that this is hard for you. It is important to me that you know and believe that I was coming to your aid, and would have rescued you that very night. I am not trying to upset you, but this god of shadows and thieves is simply taking advantage of your youth, and I would hope that as you are indeed mature and intelligent for your age, you would understand this."

Sorcha challenged her father, "Why would he want to use me?!" She tried to blink away the tears of anger and frustration welling up in her eyes. "I'm a child, there's nothing special about me! He saved me, and you're trying to take him away from me!"

Daeghun sighed silently. Shayla, lend me your patience. "I see we will have to talk about this another time, when you have your temper and your thoughts under control. Go to bed, you are tired." He turned away from her and began watching the fire.

Sorcha made a noise of frustration in her throat and ran to her bedroom, wiping away the unshed tears harshly. Why doesn't he understand? He saved me. He saved me from them. She started to shiver, her mind trying to block the harsh memories from the child. He saved me. Sorcha took off her dress and crawled in bed, pulling the covers over her head. He saved me.

-L-

Sorcha sighed and shifted the bundle of furs in her arms. Father had told her that they were for Mrs. Retta in payment for making some new clothes for her. She scrunched her brows up in frustration. Father had completely ignored last night's conversation, like it didn't happen. He said that he wanted her to speak to some man called Brother Merring after Mrs. Retta was done taking her sizes. It was so frustrating.

"Stop it! Stop it right now!"

She looked up to see Amie yelling and being held back by two young boys. What the-? She looked around to see Bevil being dangled over the well, by a very large and mean looking boy.

"Sorcha! Sorcha, stop him!" Amie had obviously seen her, and was now yelling at her for help.

Sorcha sighed and put Father's furs down; she hated being nice to others. The larger boy holding Bevil scowled at her, challenging her to come and get him. I can make an exception for him. She ran at him, arms stretching for his legs, trying to bring him down. He grunted as she made connection, his base shaken.

"Get offa' me!" He yelled as he tried to stay up and still hold a struggling Bevil. She bit him. "Arrgh!" He tried to get one of his legs free to kick her, but Bevil managed to escape from his grip and punched him in the face.

"That's what you get, Mossfeld!" Bevil cried as the boy fell, backwards onto the ground, tripped by Sorcha.

"You gettim' Bevil!" Yelled Amie as she continued to struggle. Encouraged, Bevil hopped on the other boy and started pounding on him. When Sorcha got kicked in the face from the ensuing struggle and started to cough, she decided it was time to let go of his legs.

Crunch! The Mossfeld boy chose this time to head butt Bevil in the nose, breaking it. Bevil screamed in pain and held his hands to his nose, trying to protect it from further damage. The larger boy shoved Bevil off of him, and started punching him in the gut. When Sorcha's lungs decided to work again, she hopped on his back and wrapped her arms around his neck, trying to choke him. The boy got off of Bevil and slammed his back and Sorcha into the ground, trying to get her off of him.

"Break it up! Sweet Talona, I said break it up!" Sorcha felt large, strong hands pulling her and the boy away from each other. Sorcha struggled, trying to escape from her new captor. "That's enough, young lady!" The man set Sorcha firmly on the ground. "Stay here, and don't move." He stated firmly. She scowled at the balled man as he went to separate the larger Mossfeld boy and Bevil. "Get off of each other and settle down!" He disentangled the two boys. "You two should be ashamed of yourselves, honestly. Bevil, I expect better from you. What would your mother say?" The man scolded the as he went to split up Amie and the younger boys.

Amie protested. "They started it! Wyl tried to throw Bevil in the well!"

The larger boy, Wyl, disagreed. "Nuh-uh, you lying demonspawn!"

The man scowled at the all. "I don't care who started it, you should all know better."

Cradling his nose with his hands, Bevil objected in a nasally voice, "But, Georg-"

"No buts Bevil, your mother needs you to be better than this. Now, get to Brother Merring and get that nose of yours fixed." Sorcha watched Bevil stomp away. "As for the rest of you, go get cleaned up. Don't let me see you fighting again." Georg walked away, shaking his head.

Wyl turned to face Amie and Sorcha and spat at them. "We'll get you, don't you worry. Come on." Wyl led his brothers away, shooting them dirty looks.

Amie turned to face her, grateful. "Thanks Sorcha, you really helped us out there."

Sorcha rolled her eyes and went to get the furs. "Whatever."

"Who are those for?"

"Mrs. Retta, she's gonna make me some more dresses."

Amie looked hopeful. "Can I come?" Sorcha shrugged.

"Thanks." Amie replied happily. "So, me and Bevil were gonna break into Tarmas's attic again, there's another book I wanna read that Tarmas says I'm too young for. Watcha say?"

Sorcha made a face at her. "I don't want to get caught."

Amie laughed. "Bevil's gonna look out for Tarmas this time, he'll whistle if he sees him. Come on, we need you. No one else can mess with locks around here."

Sorcha turned to face her. "Why are you playing with him?"

Amie looked confused. "With who?"

"Don't be stupid; with Bevil."

Amie blinked. "He's our friend, Sorcha."

Sorcha disagreed. "Nuh-uh; he's helpless."

Amie protested. "Bevil's actually very strong, he can pick me up." She tried to reason with her. "Besides, if we're gonna be like those pretty ladies in Tarmas's books, then we're gonna need someone to hold off all the monsters while I destroy them with my magic, and you steal the treasure."

She studied Amie. "You really think Bevil can handle that?"

Amie smiled at her. "Uh-huh. He was sayin' just yesterday to me that when he gets older, he's gonna be really strong, and go adventuring all over Faerun. "

Sorcha looked skeptical. "Really?"

Amie nodded. "Really. Now, let's go see Mrs. Retta." Amie gave her a final smile before taking off skipping to the Starling house.

-L-

A/N: Hope y'all liked it, please tell me if you did. PLEASE, if I made your day a little bit more enjoyable, you can make mine a WHOLE LOT more enjoyable by simply pressing the little review button below this note. A simple "I like it," or "Good job," will suffice. If you don't like something in the story, please tell me what it is and why. Thank you for your time, and have a wonderful day.