A/N: In Baldur's Gate 2, the PC had a regular series of odd and somewhat prophetic dreams. Although Jen is not my "PC" per se, I decided to use the dreams in her story as a way of contrasting it with her "normal" life at home as well as a form of process.

Long Way Home

Chapter 10 – Nightfall Part II

When night finally came, Jen was very glad to go to bed. She felt tired and worn out from both the day's events and her own anxious thoughts. Still shaken by her street fighting experience she found herself worrying about her ability to survive in a place like Faerun. This was countered by the thought that she might not have a choice.

She lay in bed breathing slowly and trying to relax. But tired as she was, she still found it hard to go to sleep. Instead she found herself trying to come up with moneymaking ideas that would allow her to pay Cambrel's fees herself. The skills and the career she'd had on Earth just didn't translate to Faerun. She'd been a teacher at home but here it certainly seemed to her that she knew less than the smallest child. In any case, public schools seemed non-existent. What little she'd learned from Nalia and the others about Faerun's educational system indicated those who could afford such things had private tutors and those who could not found apprenticeships or took up menial labor. She tossed and turned, trying to get comfortable, all the while pondering the possibilities but no brilliant moneymaking ideas came to mindwhich left her with Haer'Dalis's offer; an offer she was reluctant to take.

The sound of her own breathing calmed her and she began to relax. But her mind wasn't ready to let go entirely. Instead she found herself replaying Haer'Dalis's and Cambrel's confrontation and the changes in Haer'Dalis she was sure she'd observed. She pictured him in her mind, seeing his eyes shift from impenetrable black to something brighter, glowing, almost green. Nanny may be right about him. But I still don't understand. It was hard to think of him with suspicion for such thoughts were overridden by the knowledge of his kindness – his attempts to help her get home, the laughter they shared during his frequent visits, his concern for her after the street assault as well as the reassuring feel of his arm around her and the warmth of his hand covering hers as they'd walked down the street earlier that day. I do like him, she thought. I don't want to believe Nanny. With a sigh she refocused, trying to stay aware of the sensation of breathing and avoid the temptation of following any of the thoughts that floated through her mind. As she concentrated she found herself slowly relaxing, her consciousness finally giving way to sleep and dreams.

Jen followed Haer'Dalis down the narrow forest trail. Where had he come from? Something tugged at the back of her mind. Something Nalia had said to her at dinner that evening. She tried to pinpoint it, but the thought eluded her. Why can't I remember?

She knew that somehow Haer'Dalis had located a portal and she was on her way home. This puzzled her. When did we visit Cambrel again? Suddenly she found herself on a trail in the forest, following Haer'Dalis. How odd. Still, I'm on my way home!

The forest's thick canopy blocked out both moon and starlight, making it difficult to see more than an arms-length in front of her face. Besides the lack of light, the thick underbrush constantly caught at her feet and she found herself looking downward more than forward. Peering into the darkness, she tried to keep up with Haer'Dalis, but was distracted by tree branches whipping back against her face as she hurried down the trail. She sighed. Why do portals always seem to be located in such remote locations?

The air was damp and a brisk wind blew through the trees. Jen shivered with cold. She didn't seem to be able to keep up with Haer'Dalis - a fact which bothered her tremendously since she didn't really want to be left alone in the dark.

"Haery! Please! Not so fast- I can't keep up with you!" she tried to call out. Her voice didn't seem to be working properly however and the words that came out of her mouth made little sense even to her. Haer'Dalis didn't seem to understand the words either as he only glanced back briefly without slowing down. Jen grew warm with anger. Damn it, she thought, what's the matter with him? Does he think this is funny?

She increased her speed, trying to catch up and hoping not to fall. Then, without warning, Haer'Dalis went around a bend in the trail and disappeared. Jen ran forward calling his name but he was nowhere in sight. She found herself gripped by nameless panic and looked around frantically. There was no sign of him.

"Haery!" she screamed. "Haery, where are you?" There was no answer – just the sound of tree branches scraping together as they were blown about by the wind.

Suddenly, a movement caught the corner of her eye and looking to the left she saw something coming towards the pathway - it appeared to be a thick vine, but alive in an alien and rather frightening way. It reached her all too quickly, wrapping itself around her ankle. Screaming, she tried to pull her foot free, but the vine moved backwards, pulling her towards the bushes.

Jen clutched frantically at the underbrush as she was dragged off the trail. She struggled helplessly and then, just as fear threatened to overwhelm her, something snapped. God dammit! She wasn't going to die out here alone and afraid. She remembered the dagger Haer'Dalis had given her before they had left the house that morning. I'm still wearing it. She drew it from its sheath and stopped struggling, instead reaching towards her feet and slashing at the vine, which responded by sending out additional tendrils to wind around her legs.

Jen redoubled her attack, ripping and kicking at the thick ropy vine. Suddenly it let go and shot off into the bushes as if it was being sucked up with a vacuum. She scrambled to her feet and ran back towards the trail, her heart pounding madly. Don't panic! Don't panic! You'll get out of this. Haer'Dalis can't be far away. He probably didn't hear you calling over the noise of the trees and the wind.

Darkness closed in around her like a smothering blanket. Then with a sense of relief, she remembered she was still wearing her backpack. My flashlight, she thought, why didn't I think of it before? Getting too used to more rustic lighting, I guess and forgetting about technology. She pulled it out of the pack and turned it on, pleased to find that it still worked. Wondering how much farther she needed to travel before reaching the portal's entrance, she pulled the portal gem out of her jeans' pocket. The golden lines glowed and she figured she couldn't be too far away.

She was still alone however and wondered what had happened to Haer'Dalis. With her heart pounding in 2/4 time, she headed down the trail, straining her eyes as she looked forward in the darkness. Finally, with a vast sense of relief, she saw a figure on the trail ahead. Haery! Thank God! As she got closer, the figure turned and instead seeing the tiefling, she saw a taller man dressed in flowing robes. Cambrel?

"Cambrel!" she gasped. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to make sure you got home," he replied. "Here's the portal entrance. All you have to do is give me the gem and I'll see you through." He gestured towards the portal's mouth.

A alarm sounded in her mind. She drew back startled. "Huh? Wait a minute - where's Haer'Dalis? And why do I need to give you the gem? Don't I need it to get through?" she asked.

"Of course you do my Kestrel," he replied, "but I'm going with you."

She was startled by the avian name and looked up with a puzzled expression to find herself staring into Haer'Dalis's handsome face. "Wha….? Where's Cambrel?"

It was his turn to look puzzled. "Cambrel? What are you talking about?" he asked in return.

"Nothing," she muttered, now convinced that she was losing her mind."Absolutely nothing."

"Let's go," he said, holding out his hand. As she took it, she noticed that his skin seemed wrong - leathery and dark - almost reptilian. The opening of the portal distracted her from taking the observation further however and she looked up at Haer'Dalis who smiled down at her saying, "You're almost home, Jen. Come on!"

Again there seemed something strange about him. The words. They didn't seem right. She couldn't remember Haer'Dalis ever saying anything like "What are you talking about" or "come on" before. She ignored the warning however and stepped forward into the portal, feeling as though she were striding through knee-deep peanut butter. And found herself suddenly dragged forward, firmly clutched in the scaly hand of a towering demon. Horrified, she stared up and saw a massive spiny body with horns sticking out at all angles from its head and body. A second clawed hand reached out, pulling her towards a cavernous mouth and massive fangs. No! This can't be happening! Haer'Dalis! She struggled against the demon but it was strong - too strong. Just as it began to bite down, she felt herself falling.

Just as the ground rose up to meet her, she jolted awake, her heart pounding madly against her ribs and her skin damp with sweat. Peering into the darkness she saw nothing except the familiar bedroom. She could hear Nanny Bea's soft snores coming from the next room and the familiar sound comforted her. Taking a few deep breaths to slow down the pounding of her heart she thought, It was a nightmare. Just a dream. But dreams are supposed to be a way to work out unfinished business and this was just...confusing. She tried to think but it was impossible. So she did the next best thing and pulling the covers up over her head like a child protecting herself from the closet monsters, she went back to sleep.