The battle for Lith My'athar had been a long one, and in that regard, it was the hardest fight I'd ever been in. But, thankfully, we'd had the advantage of a defence. I envied none of the duergar that had acted as cannon fodder in the first wave of attacks against our walls. I tried not to think about how many corpses must have littered the rocks outside the city, my arrows sticking from a fair number of them.

Apart from the occasional glance of fiery red hair — and I'd be lying if I said I hadn't been keeping an eye out for him — I'd crossed paths with Valen and Nathyrra only once, and it had been hours after the first wave.

Nathyrra had acted as a runner, alerting me with wild eyes that the docks had been taken.

Apparently, the golems from the Maker's Isle had simply walked out of the river and into the city. The drow Imloth and Valen had assigned to the area hadn't been nearly enough of a defence against the magical constructs.

As it turned out, I wasn't going to be able to hide out on the wall until the fighting was done. But that didn't mean I was rushing into danger without backup; my arrows being close to useless against the golems. We needed a mage for this. A mage and Valen.

As I sought out Gulhrys on the battlements, Nathyrra darted back down the stairs towards the courtyard in search of the tiefling.

Unlike the two of them, the wizard and I had met no resistance on our way to the waterfront. Say what you will about the crabby old mage, but greater invisibility spells were the best thing since sliced bread.

At the sight of the devastation left in the golem's wake, I suspected — had we been able to communicate with the kobolds we'd found at the beholder's hive, and been able to convince them to join us — they'd have been just as easily overrun.

It was probably a blessing in disguise.

It was there, taking back the docks, that I realised just how well the three of us had learnt to complement each other fighting styles; Valen capturing our enemy's attention as Nathyrra and I picked them off from both shadow and distance.

But despite our compatibility, I suspected the wizard Gulhrys' aid was the only reason the city wasn't ultimately overrun by the bronze golems.

As we'd finished off the last of the attacking force, I'd found myself wondering idly — as Gulhrys turned an unfortunate golem's stone to flesh — if he'd been one of the sentient beings that we could have swayed to our cause, given the time and resources.

The sight of the fallen drow's bodies — crushed beyond repair — left little room for me to feel bad about ending the golems.

The battle won, the bulk of our troops set off to cut off the retreat, following the horde back to the Valsharess and her devil.

Unsurprisingly, all reports said she hadn't left her tower to join the attack.

And it was travelling towards our enemies city that I found myself considering my supply of potions. We marched towards certain death in a disorganised scattering of drow, myself in the middle of it. My satchel hung off one shoulder as I peered at the contents within.

The Valsharess' troops had wormed their way through the Underdark by other passages, tunnels that were simply impossible for such a large group to follow by.

It was, for this reason, we marched confidently through a wide cavern, meeting no obvious resistance. The cavern's general shape way ovoid, the floor littered by reaching stalagmites. The walls around us curved to the floor, and the walls above arched out of sight, like a starless night sky.

It was the same as the previous cavern, and the one before that; each connected by plateaus of flat stone.

Every now and again a scout would report to Imloth, blades suspiciously covered in gore — but strain my ears as I might for the telltale sounds of fighting — the only noises I could pick up were my own and Valen's echoing footsteps as we navigated the forest of stalagmites with less ease than the dark elves.

Since the docks, Valen had remained by my side; neither of us straying far from the Seer and Imloth, her silent shadow. We would occasionally glimpse Nathyrra with the scouts, but she was always quick to return to her other duties.

Mine and Valen's duties seemed to consist of merely walking where we were told, now that the main battle was done.

And that I was okay with.

Valen's usually dour face was alive with the light of success, and his smile came to him easily as we travelled through the cavern.

I didn't have the heart to dampen his spirits, but nor could I match his smile.

"Emma," he shook me from my thoughts, as my mind corrected him with a desperate; Jane. His smile was all teeth, and his eyes crinkled at the corners. "I think I owe you an apology."

I tried not to falter, my fingers stilling in my satchel.

His voice held no reluctance at the admission; his pride overpowered by his sheer happiness.

My surprise wasn't at his words — they rang with familiarity from a time long ago, despite the different tone. Instead, my surprise came from the realisation that I'd been waiting for this conversation, hoping for it. And, also, that I'd accepted that we wouldn't be having it.

After all, this always came before the battle of Lith My'athar. I didn't have that wrong, did I? Maybe there was still hope for him following me to Cania… I took a deep breath. God's, I hoped there was.

I glanced uneasily in the direction Nathyrra had last disappeared, worrying at my lip with the realisation that I wasn't so sure about her following me anywhere.

The drow we currently travelled with kept a respectable distance from myself and the weapon's master, but I had little doubt that they could all plainly hear us, despite his low voice. Looking ahead, my eyes caught the Seer's as she glanced over her shoulder. She gave me an expressionless nod over Valen's shoulder, before focusing ahead once more.

Looking back, I realised with disappointment that the crinkling had disappeared from the corners of Valen's eyes, and his smile had begun to drop at my silence.

I tried my best to return the smile but it came out wan; my cheeks pulling uncomfortably. "An apology?" I pressed.

I hurried to remain right by his side; two steps for every one of his own. He frowned, a slight bunching of his brow that disappeared as suddenly as it had appeared.

He motioned around us with disbelief. "For this," he admonished.

I took in the silent army of drow momentarily, before turning back to Valen's expectant smile.

"Never did I think we would make it here," he shook his head in wonder.

We walked in silence for a few moments more, as I contemplated where we were, what I'd done to get here, and all I still needed to do.

From the corner of my eyes, I noticed his smile had been replaced by a deep frown. He pondered his next words carefully, obviously going over what he wanted to say in his head before speaking.

"You know," he started. "Ever since the Seer foretold your coming, I have resented you." He glanced at me cautiously. "A little."

I couldn't help the scoff that escaped me, but I lightened it with another attempt at a smile. This one came a little easier.

He hurried to continue, eyes straight ahead. "I think… I think it was more because I wanted to be the one who kept the Seer safe."

He shrugged and I nodded for him to continue.

"I had been working so long to save them," he motioned around us, his gesture finally landing on me. "I did not want someone bursting in and taking all the credit."

I followed along with his words, but part of my mind raced ahead; trying to remember what came next. What my role in this was. What I needed to say to get him to help me in Cania.

"So," He shrugged. "I convinced myself that you couldn't be trusted. That perhaps the Seer's vision was wrong." He glanced in her direction, and I couldn't help but think his glance held a tinge of wistfulness. "But you've proven yourself again and again. And now this." Another vague gesture ahead of us before his eyes eventually found my own. "I… am very sorry."

I swallowed at his sincerity, floored by the earnestness in his gaze. Uncomfortable, I tried my best to cover it up, letting a sly smile curve my lips. I gave him a gentle nudge with my elbow.

"Not bad for an untrustworthy human, huh?" I said, throwing his words from when we first met back in his face.

He gave a surprised huff of laughter, shaking his head.

"I'm beginning to think that perhaps we really could win against the Valsharess. For the first time in my life, the end is in sight." His words held such open longing.

'Don't get your hopes up,' Enserric drawled lazily, unbidden from the back of my mind.

I resisted the urge to hush my sword, scratching my ear to distract from the momentary flash of annoyance that had crossed my face.

I silently hoped that Valen hadn't seen it.

But he must have, for his smile faltered too. "I feel I must warn you, however… she may not be our true opponent," he said. "If she holds an archdevil captive, he may indeed be more powerful than she."

I nodded, remembering the drow from my dream the night before. "Without him, she's just any other matron mother," I agreed. "So we find out how he controls him, and then we break it."

My mind drifted to the Relic of the Reaper that lay hidden in my pack. My lifeline. And my curse. I spun the ring on my finger as I considered the power behind the artifact I'd found in the shadow plane, after Undrentide.

All part of Mephistopheles careful plan…

"And then?" Valen asked.

The way he asked it made it clear he didn't know the answer himself. He sounded… lost.

"And then I go home," I answered him honestly.

He looked at me suddenly.

The smile was back in place, but there was uncertainty in his tone when he spoke. "This Waterdeep of yours, the city the Valsharesss is attacking… perhaps I could join you when you return there?"

I scratched the back of my neck in an attempt to borrow time, immediately regretting it at the sight of the embarrassed blush that was creeping up Valen's neck.

His expressive blue eyes betrayed a moment of hurt before he hurried to add; "I was hoping to maybe have a guide to show me around the city."

He looked like he was about to say more, but I raced to repair the damage my silence had caused.

"Of course, Valen," I lied through my smile — immediately thinking of my actual home, and how a tiefling had no place in that world. The next part wasn't a lie. "I'd like that."

His face softened, but the blush was still clear on his pale skin. "I'd like that too."

The guilt was like gasoline in my gut, and his answering smile only served to ignite it. I held my smile.

My shoulders slumped in relief when his eyes shifted ahead once more, settling back into contemplative silence.

One minute passed. And then two. Three.

Guilt was eating at my insides, twisting and clenching. One step. Two steps. Three. I let him lead me through the dark, closer to an end that would be nothing like he hoped.

It was almost a relief when the magic of the teleportation spell enveloped me.

It enveloped me in a gust of wind and harsh white light, halting everyone in their tracks.

As the cavern faded around me, I had the clarity of thought to realise that I definitely didn't deserve the alarmed cry of Emma's name — torn from Valen's lips.

NOTEBOOK EXTRACT

The following section is a tally of shaky lines, some look like they've been done in close succession. For others, some time has passed — evident from a different style of stroke or new coloured ink.

Total Charges: 20

Sharwyn: I

Daelan: II

Tomi: V II

Linu: I

Me: V II

Valen: I