-"If I didn't do anything wrong, then…then why did you discard me?" she wondered, the earlier joy replaced with all-encompassing puzzlement.

-"I…well, as I came to know you, you kept reminding me of Imoen…and what little thought I've idly pondered in my childhood in Candlekeep, I reckon she's off limits now." He smiled.

-"Why?"

-"…she, as I, is a child of Bhaal…Sarevok seemed to think I were the more interesting one though."

-"…Bhaal?"

-"…yes." He replied, momentarily stunned at the idea that she actually hadn't known…

Staring blankly at him for a while, she suddenly jerked upright, scrambled to her feet, and hurried to the door, from where she looked back at him, eyes shifting between fear for herself and sadness for him;

-"You know what might happen to you, don't you?"

-"…What?", he questioned, grateful that she hadn't sealed his fate by running, crying and incomprehensible in fear, down the stairs to where they had left Minsc.

-"…you…you read a lot in…Candlekeep?

Didn't you?"

-"A fair bit, yes, but mostly I trained with the guard…for some reason Gorion thought that best for one who couldn't recall whether he had memorized a ray of light or a fireball."

Giving a slight smile, she asked if he could recall reading anything about Slayers…

-"…one of the cloaks gods use to visit the world?"

-"…one of the cloaks -Bhaal- used to visit the world…"she whispered, fleeing the room, leaving him to ponder exactly what he had read about the creature with the ominous name…

And suddenly grew cold, as he realized what she was afraid of…what his inner voice might actually be…(!)

Hurriedly, he climbed onto the bed, regained his position, and started going through every calming exercise he could recall ever having learned…ignorance, his earlier steadfast companion, had now become his worst enemy, only a hair's breadth lower than Irenicus…



Having settled in a small clearing, a ways into the slightly darker area of the forest they had been directed to search first, the group watched as Aerie had her massive protector vanish from sight. With a slight squeak from Boo, the scout(s) ran off into the night…

And a moment later, The rest of Negrath's companions became aware that they were not alone…from the shadows stepped a man who seemed like he was very nervous about something…Negrath stood, and approached him;

-"Hello. I take it you are not after our blood?"

-"Squirrels, no. I just want to advice you to clear out of here while you still got the chance…my…new leader…takes badly to visitors."

-"Too bad for him, then."

-"Her, sir. Too bad for her…but it won't be. She probably hears every word as we speak. Please, leave!"

-"I've been talking to a Druid that called himself Cernd…what he said, fits somewhat badly with the picture you paint…or is the situation even worse than he thought?"

-"I should believe so…the new leader of the Grove is…rather dark in her ways…we have similar goals, but she…she cares for no other life than that of the forest."

-"So I think as well, sometimes." Muttered Jaheira, studying the tip of her heavily enchanted spear, before picking up her staff to move over to them.

-"But you probably intend to stress the importance of NO other life…correct?"

-"Quite so…no other life than the forest." Glancing around, as though looking for someone, the Druid opened his mouth to ask something, but closed it as he understood the look Jaheira gave him.

Negrath, however, stole a glance around, just to make sure…no, no ghostly apparition in his footsteps as of yet. He hoped it would stay that way…

Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he turned his head to find Jaheira looking at him, casually ignoring the newcomer;

-"Don't worry. He wouldn't do that…even if I wanted him to." she smiled slightly.

-"Not to press the issue,…but was that all you wanted to tell me?" Negrath queried carefully.

-"…No, I guess it wasn't. I'm sorry for the way I acted…I guess I still am a little over-sensitive to anything looking like a betrayal…and before you ask, no. The part of me that considers Khalid's death a betrayal is the kind of annoying little bug we all have to struggle with…although I would assume yours is a bit more difficult to ignore than most…" she studied his face for a bit.

-"I wouldn't know. My training has given me much practice in the art of general ignorance…perhaps too much." He smiled.

-"So it would seem…the "messenger boy" is gone," Viconia commented from across the tiny campsite.

So he was…

As Minsc returned, well over the time the invisibility could have maintained itself, but with a clean blade, They decided to wait 'til morning to follow the safest route he had found…



……………………………………



So, then; what do you think?

Should I shower you in the leftover chapters of this?

Or simply throw what's left on the fire?

Nah, I care too much about my own work to ever do that…got an elfquest manuscript that'll simply NEVER be seen by anyone but me, I assure you…suffice to say, I wrote it over a period of 5-7 years, back while still in…well, let's call it youth-school, and leave it at that… :-P

Either way; should I post the rest? (roughly about 30-40 chapters…and that's without the "sidebars" that probably will show up once I get to play the game again…not to mention ToB & NWN!!!