Sorry if this one is short!

Anyway, this is where this story intertwines with a Sand-centric story I am currently writing - but the two are not so closely related, and will be kept separate until the very end.

And please REVIEW! I really need your feedback.


Anyway, my pregnancy wasn't showing yet; I knew it was going to be much harder to keep Grobnar quiet when it would. The father, oh, but where was he? I didn't see him in the collapsing Vale, I fainted before I could check if he could escape. Still, I hoped he would be there at Crossroad Keep, take me into his warm embrace, the one which would make me forget all my worries. Then, we will get married and raise our child. About the baby, I had no idea or "feeling" at all to help me in thinking up a name, but Grobnar seemed sure that it was a girl, as he suggested a new female name about ten times a day. Oh, Grobnar.

Listening to his songs and traveling on the horse he rented and led, the days passed fast. He wouldn't let me carry anything, and, was it for him, I would have lain in bed 24 hours a day. We got to Bildoobaris before I even knew it, and I realized with astonishment it was more than a month since I met dear Grobnar at the inn at Immilmar. Watching the tent-city getting built seemed to fascinate him, and soon he decided to lend a hand by singing inspirational songs to the workers. I lay back on my bedroll, munching on the piece of cake he got for me Tymora knows where. Mmm, honey. Its sweet smell reminded me of the night Sand, Shandra, Casavir, Grobnar and I spent outside again while on our way to Ember.


Busy as I was picturing myself after execution, now deciding the Luskans wouldn't give me a nice easy choking on the gallows but rather skin me alive or behead me, of course I couldn't sleep. My pretty head lying in a basket…

At least the sweet smell the wind brought could somehow distract me, as it wasn't horrible like that of my dead body would be. Must have been those pretty white flowers I noticed when we camped down for the night.

I stirred and sat up, looking up at the starry sky. Shandra, Grobnar and Casavir were fast asleep. But Sand was nowhere to be seen.

I know I was evil, but I grinned when I thought I would just have to follow the trail of slime to see where he was; but somehow I didn't want to. I didn't like Sand, he was slimy, arrogant and… simply not funny with his sarcasm, which he used to show at my expense! I never did anything wrong to him, okay, maybe nicknaming him Powder wasn't a good idea, but still. He was a horrible person!

I saw his bedroll, so I knew he didn't just plain up and leave us, though, frankly, I couldn't care less if he did. I was going to be executed anyway, especially with his, ahem, help, so what was the point?

That sweet smell. The flowers. I decided I'd pick some to show Casavir and tell him to get similar ones for my grave, when I came to a halt. Somebody else had preceded me.

Sand stood by the patch of flowers, carefully picking the prettiest blossoms, the bunch in the crook of his arm was slowly getting thicker and thicker.

Does he have a secret girlfriend?, I wondered. Nah, nobody would be stupid enough to date him. Slime, slime and slime… bleah!

Then what, did he need them for potions?

I discarded this second idea when he stopped, and took a ribbon from his pocket to arrange the flowers in a pretty bouquet. The moonlight shone on his face, and I was surprised to see a deep sorrow in his features. I never thought he could make an expression like that. He turned, and I immediately dropped flat on my bedroll, pretending to be asleep and merrily dreaming about rainbows and unicorns.

"Don't think I didn't notice, Lailli."

My eyes opened and I tried my best to look regretful.

"Sand, sorry, I…"

"And don't think I can't tell you're dying to know why I just did this."

Damn my curiosity.

"Uhh… well, never mind…"

"Lailli my dear, did you honestly think I would tell somebody like you?"

My peace of mind was instantly gone, and turned to anger. How could he talk to me like that, openly showing that he considered me insignificant and stupid?

"Sand!"

"Quiet, girl, you don't want to wake the others, do you?" he still didn't even look at me, quietly adjusting the ribbon on the bouquet.

I fumed silently, trying my best not to explode. A fast death, faster than Luskan execution, at least…

Suddenly, Sand sighed deeply and grabbed my shoulder to make me look at him. Those azure eyes froze me… only then I noticed their lovely, but somewhat cold colour. And Tymora, were they lovely, and, most surprising of all, they had an incredible depth that showed me Sand had feelings after all.

"You really want to know, eh?"

I tried to shake my head, but I knew he wouldn't believe me.

"I…"

"Fine" he said and caressed the flowers' petals so gently that I couldn't believe those long, thin fingers were the same ones that grasped my arm so painfully the day before "and no, these are not for my wife, lover, fiancée, whatever, for I have none. And don't get your hopes too high, girl, they're not for you either. They're for someone I once loved, but now she is no more."

"…oh" I couldn't say anything more.

"It's alright" he said "just don't tell it around."

I knew he wouldn't say more, so I just mumbled something and lay back. What could I have said, anyway? Offer my condolences? I didn't even know who he was talking about, his lover? His mommy? Maybe his child? Nah, nobody would make babies with someone like him…


"Ow!" Grobnar burst in, breaking my thoughts.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"They didn't like my song."