The next day's travel brought them back to the Flagon at last. Duncan was happy to see their safe return, and made much over them, Shandra in particular. Once they'd gotten settled and bathed, Duncan laid out a big meal, and the talk turned to Shandra's future and Raewyn's past.

"Lass, I'm so happy to see you back here in one piece" Duncan said with a smile as things quieted down.

"Actually, I discovered I have an extra piece inside" Raewyn joked, though smile didn't reach her eyes. "There is a shard lodged within me. I need to talk to you about this wound I received when I was a child."

Duncan's eyes grew wide, and he seemed at a loss for words.

"Duncan, I understand you felt it wasn't your place to tell me if Daeghun had chosen not to, but I need to to know about this shard."

"All right, then... when the King of Shadows attacked West Harbor long ago, that's when it must have happened…" he told her everything he knew. "...so you were the only survivor. We found your mother cradling you. The shard must have passed through her body and lodged in your chest. I don't know if he knew that the wound was from a shard or not. In any case, Daeghun must have felt it was too much to tell you."

"Thank you Duncan, for telling me now, though we still know so little of how the sword got there or was broken."

"It's been with me for a long time... I am glad I could finally speak of it." her uncle replied, giving her a quick hug.

"Ah... notice the stumble in his words." Bishop's mocking words came from behind her. "Your uncle has been keeping secrets, I think."

"Silence, Bishop." came Casavir's retort, before Raewyn had a chance to draw a breath. "We don't need any more of your help."

The ranger didn't bother looking at him. "Ah, why don't you let our leader speak for herself, 'paladin,' without you speaking for her, eh?"

"Bishop, Casavir has spoken exactly as I would have, and he knows it. This is not your concern. Speaking of which, thank for your assistance, but you may consider your debt discharged."

"Actually, since you mention it, I've decided it would be in both our interests if I stay on with you."

"What? Why?" Raewyn had been certain he'd be only too happy to see the last of them, and for all his skill, she wanted him gone.

"Does a man need a reason? Come now." His mocking tone belied his seemingly friendly words. "Duncan's kind request was enough to start this, I think, why not finish it? Besides, traveling with you is the most fun I've had in years."

Beside Raewyn, Duncan stood to address the ranger. "No, no. There's no need, Bishop. I'm sorry for before, but you've done more than…"

Bishop was not dissuaded. "Oh, come now, Duncan, I still owe you. And what better way to make it up to you than watching your kin here?" He turned a cold gaze on Raewyn. "After all, a debt is a debt...all the way until the end. Isn't that right?"

Raewyn looked to each of her companions. None of them seemed too enthusiastic about Bishop's continued presence, but she couldn't see how to dissuade him if he chose to hang around. She looked apologetically at Casavir, her eyes begging him to understand.

"Fine, whatever." She took a sip of her wine and massaged her temples, feeling a ranger-shaped headache looming. Shandra spoke up then "I hate to ask...but what happens now? I can't go back to my farm, ashes and all."

Duncan answered at once "Well, I'd be more than happy to offer the lass my hospitality, but don't you need her to unlock Ammon Jerro's Haven?"

At Shandra's look of horror, Raewyn hastened to reassure her. "We hope that is something you will be willing to help us with, yes, but you must choose your path. You may stay here, or you may join us."

"Well... I know enough to use a sword and can handle myself in a fight. I mean, I'm no spell caster, but if you need an extra blade…."

Casavir nodded. "If Shandra agrees to travel with us, the danger might be greater than within Neverwinter's walls, but that is not certain."

Khelgar nodded gruffly "If she's going to be with us, she'll need to do some catching up... we can't just keep on rescuing her all the time."

Shandra looked offended. "Rescuing me? I can rescue myself! Sometimes, when there's not too many lizard-folk. Or githyanki." she subsided then. "Alright, I admit, you've rescued me twice now. And if you're going to help teach me to survive these attacks, I accept." She smiled at Khelgar before turning to Raewyn with determination. "But there's some things you're going to have to accept, too. I don't like being left behind. Because whenever you're out of my sight, suddenly all this trouble starts happening, and I'm really tired of it." Her voice grew quiet then. "So... look, I won't try to get in your way or anything, but I don't want us to part ways again. I've... I've, well, lost too much already. You're not leaving me behind. All right?"

"We welcome your sword and your company, Shandra."

"Then that's all I ask."

"Well, it's settled then" announced Raewyn. The group shared toasts all around, and Grobnar broke out his lute and started in on a set of merry tunes. Raewyn remained troubled, however, and retreated to a table a bit away from her friends.

From there she watched them, feeling both the boon of their loyalty, and the weight of responsibility each of them brought. Could she send one of them to their death in battle? If one of them fell, could she live with it? She sighed. She supposed she'd find out when the time came. And then there was Bishop. She had been counting on his taking off the moment they hit Neverwinter, and his continued presence did not sit well with her. She still felt that there was a better man somewhere inside him, but she didn't trust him. And honestly, helping that better man emerge was not something she considered worth risking her mission or the lives of her comrades. There had been something in his eyes, and in his voice when he spoke of debt that filled her with apprehension. And of course, she was not at all looking forward to more verbal sparring between him and Casavir.

She thought that whatever rift appeared between herself and Casavir at the gith lair had begun to close as they had neared Neverwinter, but the distance remained. She missed their long talks, and the ease they had begun to feel with each other. That was before Bishop's arrival; since then, he had withdrawn again, perhaps not as much as before, but she felt the loss. She missed him. She considered their conversation about the ranger. Raewyn had been touched by his concern, but once again confused by his hasty retreat into claiming it was none of his affair. She longed for a glimpse behind the paladin's enigmatic demeanor. At that thought, her eyes sought him.

She saw he was sitting and talking with Shandra. Truthfully, Shandra was doing most of the talking, but then Casavir said something and she laughed before continuing with what she was saying. Raewyn's chest felt tight suddenly, and she rose abruptly, her chair screeching loudly against the floor, and left the room.

Casavir looked across the room at the sudden sound, and saw Raewyn leaving, hurrying around the corner. He had utterly forgotten what Shandra was saying. It was unlike Raewyn to stalk out like that, and the paladin was concerned.

"Casavir?" He turned back to Shandra. "You might try a really novel approach. Like, maybe, talking to her?"

He stared at the former farmer, not understanding. She sighed.

"Casavir, anybody with eyes can tell that girl really cares for you. And you don't even need that much to see you care for her. But you've barely spoken to her since...well, at all that I can see. And every time that jerk" she thumbed over her shoulder at the ranger "makes some awful play for her, you go all thundercloud and retreat. Now we find out he's here to stay, and you're over here, laughing it up with me. How do you suppose that makes her feel?"

"I…" He struggled for words. "She has much to concern her, and she will ask if she requires me. I do not know what she wants…."

"Don't you?" Shandra looked him right in the eye and dared him to deny it. He shifted uncomfortably under her stare. She sighed and tried a different approach. "Casavir, do you know what your problem is?"

He raised an eyebrow.

"You're problem is that you are at war with yourself. You are a regular 'house divided,' and you know how that always ends."

"A house divided? What do you mean by that?"

"Look, I don't know you very well, so I can't really offend you...I hope. So I'm going to be blunt. You are a paladin, and a good one." she waved away his half formed objection. "No, no, you are, it's like a big sign over your head that says 'goodness.' Trust me, it's a little disconcerting, really." Both eyebrows flew upward at that.

"Anyway, you are also, in case you've forgotten, a man, and if I am any judge of character—which I am; I've thrown in with you lot, after all…" she paused for breath, and Casavir regarded her with considerable bemusement.

"Anyway, if I'm any judge of character, you are a very passionate man. Deep emotions, huge heart, still waters run deep, that kind of thing. But you have this idea that you can't be both, so you're always at war with yourself over it. But Casavir, all you're gonna do is kill yourself that way. If you weren't a passionate person, how could you be so dedicated, so...paladin? That takes a level of passion most people, including you apparently, can't begin to comprehend. So stop trying to choke off what makes you...you!"

"But…." he began.

"Listen, Bishop's an ass, and believe me when I say Raewyn sees that as well as you do. But the man's got fire. Come the middle of the night, even a girl like Raewyn's gonna want some heat, not just cold armor…."

Casavir drew himself up a bit, Shandra's words coming far too close to his own recent thoughts about the ranger and his pursuit of Raewyn. "What my lady...wants...in that regard...is her concern, and not my business. But I thank you for your words. You have given me much to think about."

Shandra just smiled, shaking her head. Not his business! Men were idiots, she decided, not for the first time in her life. "Go ahead and do that, but I suggest you have a word with our leader before you settle in for that 'think.'" She chuckled as she watched him go, hoping he was looking for Raewyn. She really didn't want Bishop to succeed; the ranger gave her the creeps.

When Raewyn had fled from the Sunken Flagon, she had had no destination in mind. She just needed to get away, finding herself unable to sit to the side watching Casavir talking so easily with Shandra, particularly when she had been feeling estranged from him, and missing his company and conversation. Now Raewyn stood by on the dockside, the chill wind from the ocean tugging at her hair. She was cold, but she welcomed the chill, hoping to cool the heated confusion inside her.

She had no claim on Casavir, and she must force herself to accept that fact. One night's fanciful imaginings, even topped by an accidental eyeful, didn't mean he saw her as anything but a leader, nor that he ever would. She wasn't even entirely certain what she felt about him. She was attracted to him, certainly; she'd established that much the other night. And she cherished his loyalty, his kindness, his friendship. She didn't know how she would continue on if he was no longer at her side. Even though she knew little of love, she knew it would be a mistake, if an easy one, to confuse those things with love. Then why had she felt like she couldn't breathe back at the Flagon?

Wanting to understand, she forced herself to imagine Casavir loving someone, anyone. She built the image in her mind of him embracing a woman, kissing her, smiling at her. She gasped at the sudden surge of agony that filled her, and she pushed at the pain like at a sore tooth, exploring the sensation. In minutes she was on her knees weeping, the pain at her imaginings tearing at her as if the shard she bore was twisting inside her. She raised her face to the sea, letting the wind dry her tears.

So. Perhaps she did love the paladin. Was this the pain that seemed to flash across Casavir's face when Bishop made no secret of his desire for her? No, she doubted it. Casavir had never given any indication he thought of her as anything other than a worthy cause. 'Great; I'm a cause, not a person…' she groused to herself. She allowed herself a moment of bitterness at that, before rejecting it as unworthy of the paladin. If he were any different he would not be Casavir. Her Casavir...

"Damn it all to the nine bloody hells!" she shouted into the wind. She cursed her foolishness in even giving time to the thoughts she'd savored a few nights ago; she'd only made things harder on herself with her foolish daydreaming. Whatever her feelings for Casavir, they were simply something she would have to live with. Another burden to be borne, like the shard, like the lives of her companions. Her shoulders sagged, the weariness she'd not quite gotten past since the battle with Zeeaire now flooding her, and she longed only for her bed. Well, not only that, but she resolved not to let herself think that way. She rose and turned her feet back toward the Flagon at last.

Casavir had gone looking for her, and grown worried when she was not at or near the Flagon. He knew that setting out looking was futile; he'd stand as much chance of missing her return as of finding her, so he stationed himself at the door. He remained there as the others finally retired, determined to speak with her. Finally, his patience was rewarded as he saw her walking up from he docks, the wind making her hair dance and her cloak billow out behind her. His heart swelled as he watched her. She was precious to him, more than he had allowed himself to realize.

She spotted him as she neared the inn, coming onto the porch before speaking.

"Casavir." she said, half greeting, half question.

"I was worried my lady. I could not find you."

"I didn't imagine you'd be looking for me." She hated how petty her voice sounded.

Casavir noticed the edge, and cringed a little, remembering Shandra's words. '... you're over here, laughing it up with me. How do you suppose that makes her feel?'

"I am sorry, my lady, I did not intend to… I mean, I wasn't…." Why did he have no idea what to say to her?

"You don't have to explain yourself to me, Casavir. You may do as you like, after all." Her voice was flat, emotionless, and she didn't look at him. "Now I'm very tired, and I'm going to bed." She pushed past him and was gone before he could muster something to say. Casavir stood mute, castigating himself for his silence, baffled by his sudden inability to communicate.

The following morning, Raewyn came down to the common room feeling sleepy and grumpy. She had not slept, tormented by the tension between herself and Casavir. With the morning's light, she was determined to find the paladin and resolve whatever had happened to strain their friendship. If that meant forcing Bishop to leave, she'd do it.

"Duncan, has Casavir come down yet?" she asked her uncle.

"I haven't seen him, lass."

She went back up and knocked on his door. After waiting a moment she opened the door to find the room empty and the bed undisturbed. She went back down, thinking hard. Where in the nine hells had he gone? Feeling like a jealous shrew, she checked Shandra's room, and found her still asleep, alone. Finally, she could stay at the inn no longer, and Raewyn went walking through the city.

It was nearly dusk before she returned, exhausted and hungry, but more determined than ever to resolve matters between herself and the paladin. As she entered, she saw Elanee and Neeshka talking over dinner. Grobnar sat beside the fire, puttering with his lute, and Khelgar was working with Shandra, showing her some knife-fighting techniques. And Casavir sat in his usual corner. He looked up at her entrance.

She stopped, holding his gaze for a moment. She took a deep breath, and went to sit across from him.

"Casavir, I…

"My lady, I…"

She gave him a wry smile as their words collided, and he gestured for her to speak.

"I am sorry about the way I acted last night. I…."

She was interrupted by a commotion near the door.