Under a Violet Moon

Disclaimer: "Neverwinter Nights" and all the characters and places within belong to Obsidian and Bioware, not me, and I just borrowed them for a little joyride through Faerun. Keridwen is mine. Attentive readers might find some of her weaponmaster philosophies similar to some aspects of Frank Herbert's 'Dune' saga... and they're right. I always found his concept about fear and its control highly intriguing, and so I decided to use it as Keridwen's mantra in an altered form.

Author's Note: Did I mention that I like emotional character dramas? No? If not, be prepared, because we are now reaching the part of the story were the emotions of the characters are beginning to run wild... ah, the drama! :D

Many thanks again to everyone who left a review or added this story to their favs/story alert - your support is highly appreciated, as always!

Psychic Koala: I'm really glad you liked the dance scene. Many people I've spoken to don't like the idea of a dancing Bishop, so I'm glad that it didn't seem out of character to you. It's good to know you still enjoy the story, so I hope that this update won't disappoint.

Kalyane: It's good to know you liked Bishop's reaction to her death. His is a very tricky character when it comes to displaying strong emotions, so I'm glad his actions were convincing. He strikes me as a rather wolvish man (he has not bonded with Karnwyr for nothing, after all), so that's what I was aiming for. ;)

Lemonbreeze: So, now the story continues - I hope it won't disappoint! :)

Llandaryn: I love using flashbacks for the very reasons you described - it's a wonderful tool to shed some light on the past events that influenced the feelings between these two characters without having to retell the whole OC, and I'm glad that you like the way I use them. That last one is one of my favourite chapters for various reasons, so it's good to know you enjoyed it! :)

jeandark: Thanks, dear - I'm very happy that you liked that last chapter and can only hope that the rest won't disappoint!

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11

The first thing she felt as she slowly returned to consciousness was the pain… and the cold. It seemed to permeate her very being, paralysing her mind and limbs with its freezing touch, and her chest felt like it had been squeezed in a vice, leaving every single breath to be barely less than agony.

The darkness around her had finally given way to a strange, whirling kaleidoscope of bloodred, grey and black, and she had to close her burning eyes for a moment, her mind simply overwhelmed by the sheer endless amount of sounds and images that suddenly needed to be rearranged and understood. There was a sudden movement by her side, startling her, and with some effort, she slowly opened her eyes, only to see a dark figure looming above her, its shape strangely blurred as her eyes were still unable to focus clearly on her surroundings.

"Keridwen?"

A calloused hand reached for her neck, steadying her while pulling her even closer to the figure, and she had to shut her eyes again as the sudden movement made her feel sick and forced her stomach to churn wildly all of a sudden. She tried to take another agonizing breath, but saliva caught in her throat and she coughed violently, her chest suddenly feeling like it had been set on fire. In her weakened state, the pain was almost more than she could bear, and for a fleeting moment, she truly feared that the darkness would overwhelm her still fragile senses once and for all as the edge of her vision started to cloud once more. But the hand around her neck steadied her, lifted her into a more upright position until her coughs finally subsided and she could breathe more freely, and now the cool air felt almost soothing against the sensitive skin of her raw throat.

She blinked, her eyes still burning, and for the length of a heartbeat her vision cleared long enough for her to see a pair of hazel eyes before her, watching her intently, sitting in a pale, angular face rimmed by disheveled, mahogany hair. Then the figure moved closer, and she found herself pressed against a leather-clad chest, the arms that encircled her holding her so tightly that it was almost painful, and she could feel its hands and shoulders tremble ever so slightly as she savoured the warmth that suddenly spread through her body, thawing her still freezing limbs.

The warmth enveloped her, nourished her, and with each passing moment, she could feel a part of her strength return while her mind became sharper and more focused, slowly filling with memory and thought. Her other senses sprang back to life, leaving her with the ability to feel and smell again, and it was then that her nose suddenly caught the whiff of a scent that was familiar enough to stir a memory.

Bishop.

All of a sudden, images and feelings began to flood her mind, carrying the memory of a familiar face, paired with an urgent wish to reach him, to free herself from a deadly trap along with the desperate desire to shield her self from a devastating pain that she had never experienced before, and she felt her spirits rise as that line of thought made relief and joy well up inside her, despite her exhaustion.

She was with him again. She was safe now.

As her mind returned to a certain degree of wakefulness and the burning pain in her eyes slowly began to subside, the world around her came finally back into focus, and for a short while, she was just content to take in the familiar look of the buckles and straps of his leather armour and the coarse stubbles of reddish-brown hair that darkened his chin, relishing the warmth that spread through her body, the skin of his neck almost feverish compared with her cool cheek.

"You're so warm…"

Her voice was barely more than a croaked whisper, spoken softly against the warm skin of his throat, but she felt him tense immediately, the grip of his hands tightening painfully around her. Then he suddenly let go, and she was none too gently laid back onto the ground, the sudden movement making her head spin and leaving her stomach to churn violently while her body was already shivering, now that he had taken his warmth away. A throbbing pain spread through her temples, forcing her to close her eyes with a moan to stop her head from hurting so much, and bile rose in her throat, the acid mingling strongly with the coppery taste that she could suddenly taste in her mouth.

A whine to her left caught her attention, and slowly, she turned her head, the effort of that simple movement already enough to leave her breathing heavily and her head hurting painfully again. A wolf stood amidst the large fir trees, less than a yard away, its grey fur damp with morning dew, hesitantly trotting back and forth while it lowered its head submissively, and its high-pitched, heartbreaking whines made goose bumbs rise all over her body. The wolf's gaze wandered questioningly between her face and a place somewhere to her right, and she frowned as the intelligent light in those amber eyes actually stirred another memory.

Karnwyr.

She remembered the wolf. He was with Bishop. He was a friend.

There was the sound of soft footsteps approaching, and then Bishop kneeled beside her again, a large sheet in his hand, and she sighed contentedly as he covered her with it, the warmth now slowly returning into her still strangely frozen limbs.

"Here, take this."

Bishop's voice sounded surprisingly hoarse, as if his throat was somewhat sore, and there were dark shadows under his eyes that made his face look unusually pale and solemn even in the bloodred light of day, and it surprised her to see him without the familiar mocking half-smile that usually played in the corners of his mouth. He frowned all of a sudden, and one of his hands reached for her face to touch the corner of her mouth, his fingers so deliciously warm against her cool skin, and something like alarm flickered in his hazel eyes as he stared at the red liquid that now coloured the tips of his fingers.

The wolf whined again, and Bishop looked up, a grim expression on his face, and for the length of several heartbeats man and wolf simply stared at each other, giving her the strange impression that they were actually exchanging more than just looks. Then the wolf turned around and trotted back into the woods, just to turn his head after a couple of steps as if to check whether they were following him or not, and Bishop reached for her with a growl, swiftly lifting her into his arms so that her head rested against the bend of his neck, and she winced as she was forced to close her eyes once again, the throbbing pain in her temples increasing almost immediately due to his sudden movement.

They walked through the woods in silence, the wolf leading the way with Bishop following close on its heels, carrying her in his arms, but as pain and exhaustion continued to numb her still weakened senses, she spent most of their travel through the bloodred shadows in a drowsy state of dizziness, gliding in and out of consciousness while she slowly breathed in his scent, savouring the feel of his arms around her, holding her protectively against his chest. She couldn't tell how long they kept wandering like this through the dim light of day, searching their way through the bloodred shadows under the trees, and sleep was starting to tug at her as they finally came to a halt and she was lowered carefully onto the ground, her back now leaning firmly against a tree.

For a fleeting moment, her curiosity got the better of her almost desperate desire to rest and regain some of her strength and with effort, she managed to open her eyes long enough to see Bishop kneeling a few yards away from her, carefully scanning their surroundings while he seemed to gather some things that lay scattered across the ground to his feet, and she felt a strange feeling settling in her stomach as she saw the long and foreboding shadows the large oak trees were casting onto the grass. Karnwyr lay in the middle of the clearing, hackling contentedly while he watched the man rise from his crouched position and make his way back across the clearing towards the woman, and she closed her eyes again with a sigh, feeling strangely dizzy all of a sudden.

"I've good news for you, Captain.", Bishop said somewhere to her left, his voice surprisingly quiet and accompanied by the sound of something heavy being put down beside him on the ground, but sleep kept tugging at her, trying to lure her into its dark embrace, and so she kept her eyes firmly shut, finally allowing her mind to fully drift away to unconsciousness, and his next words sounded strangely distant already as if they reached her from afar. "Seems like all our things are still here, and it looks like your shadow friend has decided to… Captain?"

A sudden pain spread across her face, pulling her back from the edge of sweet oblivion, and startled, she opened her eyes just to see Bishop now kneeling in front of her, his hands lifting her head so that she could actually look at him, and his dark eyes bored hard into hers as he spoke, his voice now low and threatening.

"Look, Captain, I don't care how you do it - but you will stay awake, do you understand me?"

There were small, bloody scratches on his cheek, and she frowned, confused by the menacing undertone in his voice and her own cheek still burning strongly from the none too gentle slap he had given her, her temple actually feeling a little chafed where the stubbles of his chin had been rubbing constantly against her skin while he had carried her in his arms, and her voice was barely more than a soft murmur as she replied.

"You could use a shave, you know…"

For the length of a heartbeat, he simply stared at her, his eyes widening noticeably in surprise. Then he scowled, and she could hear him hiss under his breath as he half-turned to start rummaging through his backpack, looking thunderous.

"I must have gotten insane!", he growled, pulling a small leather pouch from his bag. Its content tingled slightly, the chiming sound of glass hitting softly against glass, and Keridwen fought hard to keep her eyes open while Bishop tore at the bindings of the pouch with stiff and angry moves, the sweet promise of sleep and rest still so very alluring.

But something told her that he would not hesitate to slap her again - and even harder, should need be - and since her cheek still prickled more than uncomfortable from his last hit, she tried hard to resist the poisonous voice that was luring her back into oblivion when Bishop turned back to her, holding a small vial in his hand. It's green colour looked strangely sick in the reddish light of day, but it sparkled slightly as he held it right in front of her nose, his expression still thunderous.

"Drink that.", he snarled, and the tone of his voice was so commanding that Keridwen had already raised her hand and reached for the vial before her foggy mind had even registered that she had complied. The glass felt surprisingly warm under her fingers, but even its small weight seemed to be too much for her exhausted body. Her hand began to shake the moment she carried it, and although she managed to close the other around the small cork that stuck in the neck of the vial, she simply couldn't pull it out.

Bishop watched her fruitless struggle for a moment, his eyes narrowing slightly. Then he leaned forward to rip the vial from her hands with a snarl, and with a hissed Hell's fire he pulled the cork out and lifted the potion to her mouth, his other hand reaching quickly for her neck, and Keridwen was startled when she felt small beads of sweat on her forehead, her breathing now irregular and shallow.

"Drink!"

He steadied her head while she did so, his touch surprisingly gentle – firm, but not as rough as she had expected, judging by the livid expression on his face. The liquid tasted… different, but not unpleasant, and warmth seemed to spread from her belly the very moment she finished her drink. But unlike the by now familiar warmth that made her limbs feel a little too heavy and tried to lure her back to sleep, this one seemed actually to sharpen her senses, to clear the fog that was clouding her mind, and so she drank greedily when he offered her another vial, her breathing slowly returning to normal as she did so.

The warmth spread through her limbs and rushed through her veins, gradually restoring her strength while making her prickle all over, and Keridwen leaned back with a sigh against the trunk of the tree, her eyes firmly closed while she enjoyed the tingling sensation now that the pain in her body and mind was slowly subsiding. Bishop let go of her, and this time she could hear his voice much more clearly as he spoke, still sounding slightly annoyed.

"That's better, Captain. Now sit tight and let the potions do their work while I pack our things… and remember – if you fall asleep, you'll regret it."

That last comment sounded so much like him that she couldn't help but to smile.

"Aye, sir.", she replied calmly, and although her voice was still rough, it was certainly an improvement from the soft whisper she had managed before. She could hear Bishop snort at her reply, and she imagined the expression on his face while he stared down at her, probably considering whether he should answer her good-natured banter with a caustic reply of his own.

But in the end, he seemed to decide against it and simply walked away, starting to collect their various possessions that were probably strewn about the whole clearing…

The clearing!

With a jolt, Keridwen sat up and opened her eyes, and for the first time since she had regained her consciousness her gaze was sharp and focused as she took in the familiar sight of the bloodred sky and large trees, casting ominous shadows on Bishop as he swiftly tried to cover the most obvious tracks near their campsite… and now that the fog around her mind had finally vanished, it brought back the memories with full force – her strange dream, the feeling of being at two places at once, her soul trapped in a summoning circle... and her last view as Qara's spell had slowly consumed the life of her astral form, leaving nothing but darkness behind.

The King of Shadows. He has returned!

"Bishop!"

Her call was sharp, her voice rough, but if Bishop heard the urgency beneath her words, he did not act on it.

"What now?", he asked in his cool voice while he went over to cover the remnants of their fire, but didn't look up. Grinding her teeth together, Keridwen gripped the trunk behind her with both hands and slowly pulled herself up into a standing position, her arms and legs aching from the sudden exhaustion. For a moment, she stood there panting, and joy filled her heart that she had been able to get up on her own.

But the strength the potions had returned to her limbs was vanishing rapidly now, and stars began already to flicker in front of her eyes while she took another shaking breath, the muscles in her legs trembling forebodingly while she felt a sharp sting in her chest.

"Bishop…"

She tried to reach for the tree to steady herself, but could already feel her arm muscles quiver, knowing that they wouldn't be able to hold her upright much longer. Bishop finally cast a glance over his shoulder, and Keridwen swallowed when she saw his expression change from ill-tempered to furious in a heartbeat.

"Have you lost your bloody mind?", he hissed when he caught her in his arms just before she was falling headlong back onto the grass. Now that she was leaning once more against his chest, she could smell his scent again, gradually becoming harsher due to their days out in the wilds, but strangely enough it didn't disturb her. On the contrary, his closeness seemed to ease the nausea that now quickly followed her exertion and so she leaned even a little into his embrace, the warmth of his body surprisingly soothing.

Then his hand grabbed her hair sharply, and Keridwen felt her breath catch in her throat when Bishop forced her to look up into his eyes, fury making them burn like amber coals in the dim light of day. His voice was harsh as he spoke, as if he was gritting his teeth so hard that they were about to shatter.

"Listen, woman, and listen carefully. Pull a stunt like that ever again, and I'll beat you so hard that you'll never be able to get up. Are we clear?"

She swallowed once more, not knowing what to make of his sudden anger, and tried to explain.

"Bishop…"

"Are we clear?", he hissed, cutting her reply off with a snarl, his hand tightening painfully in her hair. Startled by his sudden vehemence, she could do nothing but give him a feeble nod, her eyes watering from the pain in her scalp. For a moment he simply held her gaze, his grip tightening once more. Then he let go of her hair, and his voice sounded at least a little calmer as he replied.

"Good."

"I'm sorry.", she murmured weakly, a part of her feeling ashamed of her own stupidity. He was right to scold her. By doing too much way too soon, she had almost ruined the effects the healing potions had had on her… and by doing so had not only endangered herself, but his life, too. "But we need to keep moving."

"Tell me something I don't know, Captain.", he replied acidly when he leaned her none too gently back against the tree, but something in his gaze had softened when he sat back on his heels to stare at her.

"Look, I'll just take care of the fire, and then we'll set out on our way to the North."

"No!", she said, and Bishop cocked his eyebrows ever so slightly, obviously surprised by her sudden vehemence.

"Please, you don't… you don't understand. He's back, Bishop - I saw it all. The ritual… noone was there to stop him, and so Garius… he succeeded. We need to get out of Illefarn territory, and we need to do it quickly."

That statement made his eyebrows rise even higher, the look he was giving her now nothing short of sceptical, and Keridwen felt urgency and despair reaching for her with sharp and icy claws. She needed him to understand, to believe her. If he did not… it could be the end of them all.

"Touch the land.", she demanded urgently, feebly reaching for his hand. "You can feel the difference. We cannot go North. It would be the death of us."

She could see his eyes narrow as her fingers closed around his, his shoulders even tensing at her touch. But he was obviously battling with indecision, weighing her words against his common sense, and so Keridwen did the only thing she could think of to convince him – she pleaded.

"Bishop, please…"

A strange emotion flickered across his face at her softly spoken words, kindling a different fire in his eyes, and Keridwen felt the old feeling of foreboding churn in her stomach as he looked at her with this fiery stare, making her suddenly aware of the fact that she was still holding his hand. She let go as if she had burned herself, treacherous heat already creeping into her cheeks, but forced herself to hold his gaze evenly nonetheless. In this very moment, it had suddenly occurred to her that she was out here in the wilds, suffering gravely from an almost fatal wound and completely at the mercy of a man who actually despised her, and weak people on principle.

Never let a predator smell your fear.

"Fine.", Bishop said calmly after a while, and Keridwen repressed a sigh of relief when he leaned back a little, but that strange look in his eyes did not go away. "We'll go East, then – into the Sword Mountains, and then we'll see."

She allowed herself to close her eyes for a brief moment to calm her mind, feeling strangely exhausted by their battle of will, and was thankful that she could still feel the magic of the potions doing their work, rebuilding her strength… but so very slowly.

"Thank you.", she murmured, glad that he was willing to trust her enough to change directions and not simply leave her behind. Bishop just nodded and then got up, only to return shortly afterwards with his backpack back in place and his scimitars hanging from their sheaths at his side. He stepped closer, and Keridwen tensed when she felt his arms glide under her legs and back to lift her up into his arms before he headed from the clearing with long, purposeful strides, Karnwyr trotting silently beside them.

She was highly aware of his hand on her legs and the way her body was now pressed against his chest and tensed out of reflex, her body becoming stiff as a board.

"Would you just relax?", Bishop growled when he stepped under the trees, clearly sensing her discomfort. "It's no pleasure to carry you around all day, Captain, believe me – and the next time I feel a sharp elbow in my ribs, I'll just let you fall."

"I'm sorry.", she replied as she tried to calm her tense muscles while pulling her arms closer against her body, but it was difficult. She could not walk on her own. He had to carry her. But unlike before, his closeness had no soothing effect on her anymore. On the contrary, with the memory of his burning gaze still vivid in her mind, being pressed so closely against his chest made her feel highly uncomfortable, and not for the first time did Keridwen wish that she was strong enough to walk on her own.

They made their way through the quiet woods in silence, the soft sound of Bishop's footsteps the only disturbance in an unnaturally quiet vicinity. Keridwen tried to keep still and relax, even when her legs began to prickle from their uncomfortable position, and felt a strange ache rise in her heart as she watched Bishop from the corner of her eye. Beads of sweat were forming on his forehead, the dark circles under his eye speaking so clearly of his own exhaustion, his arms trembling ever so slightly due to her weight, but still he kept walking with her in his arms, never slowing his pace, always on his guard, and Keridwen couldn't help but to feel touched by his effort, even though she knew that it was only professional.

"I think I should be grateful that you're not leaving me behind.", she murmured quietly while they were crossing a small brook, even the sound of the lively flowing water seeming strangely diminished in the bloodred half-light.

"Oh, you certainly should be." His eyes flickered to hers for a moment, and Keridwen could see that the strange look was still burning in their depths, mingling with other emotions she could not read, and she felt a cool shiver run down her spine at their frightening intensity.

"But do not think for a second that I'll ever forget how much you owe me, Captain."

*****