The following day, the group gathered in the common room of the inn, silently considering their situation.

Jaheira in particular where unusually silent with her righteous outbursts about doing what was right, just as Boo chittered almost ceaselessly at a Minsc that seemed to listen with rapt attention.

Keldorn had an air as if nothing had happened, and Aerie kept looking around nervously, seemingly expecting to see the creatures Negrath had talked about creep out from under every table and through every door, completely ignorant of the brilliant daylight flowing through the open windows.

Negrath, having told his story, just sat looking darkly down at the table.

Eventually, after having looked around in a desperate attempt to have someone else say what had to be said, the Harper cleared her throat, and, doing her best to sound like she meant it, stated;

-"Negrath, we'll get Viconia back. If we so have to wade through those undead beasts to the hip. The question is, would you consider it easier or safer to do what she wants?"

-"Vampires." Were Negrath's toneless reply.

-"I know. I believe the part about your visitor having a body the temperature of which were less than comfortably cold, with eyes that had no soul, gave it away." Commented their resident knight.

-"Keldorn…" warned Minsc, looking sternly at the paladin.

-"No one here wants her with us anyway!" exclaimed he.

-"I do, O Righteous One." Were the malevolently low response he thusly called from Negrath.

-"And Minsc likes the Drow lady too. Boo wants her back with us."

Smiling gratefully at the massive ranger, Negrath nodded;

-"And so she will be, even if we…sorry, friends, even if -I- must slaughter both sides of this ridiculous conflict."

-"Don't do that to us, Negrath." Jaheira pleaded, "If you want her back, we're behind you all the way, no matter what you choose to do.

But we need to know whether to prepare for battle, or running errands for some vampire."

-"Isn't that the same thing?" The Bhaalspawn retorted blankly.

-"…I guess it is." Jaheira nodded, trying to call forth a smile with one of her own.

It failed.

Turning almost embarrassed eyes on the table in front of her, she looked up as Keldorn put an arm on her shoulder;

-"Jaheira, do not pay attention to him more than you need to. I'd be happy to be your middleman."

Looking morosely at him for a moment, she slumped against him like she suddenly were at Imoen's age, sighing heavily;

-"That won't be necessary, Keldorn…but I'd be honored to call you my friend."

-"Always, my lady." The paladin stated, as though anything else where unthinkable, putting a protective arm around her as he turned back to the reason of their being in a group in the first place;

-"So, attack vampires or help vampires?"

-"You who know their kind best,…what do you think they'll put us to do?"

-"Nothing worse than Alan would." Keldorn stated plainly.

-"Probably not. Well, then, It seems we will aid -two- women of the night with our actions in the near future.

Any objections?" Negrath concluded, looking squarely at the limp form in the crook of the knight's arm.

-"Negrath not be accusing his friends for what they feel." Minsc rumbled, before turning back to his still-chittering hamster, nodding in worried understanding.

The Kensai at the end of the small table could not help but want to know what the rodent said…what the ranger -thought- the rodent said, he corrected himself hurriedly.