The three men were silent for some time, Anomen and Valygar gratefully accepting mugs from a serving maid as Haer'Dalis ordered a refill.
After some time, the tiefling spoke. "Times are tense for all of us, with so much behind us and so much yet ahead. Perhaps 'tis best if I go soothe our ruffled dove's feathers."
Anomen drained his mug and stood. "No, I was the one to yell, I will go." Haer'Dalis relaxed slightly and made no motion to argue. Anomen trudged up the stairs and down the seemingly endless hall to Aerie's room.
His knock was greeted with silence, but when he tried the handle, he found it unlocked. A muffled, "Go away," came through the cracked door, but he ignored it and with a deep breath stepped into the room.
Haer'Dalis looked at Valygar. "So, my dark hawk, what are your thoughts on this venture? Shall we adopt the role of heroes once again and ride to the town's defense or deal with the more personal quest of saving Lady Raven's soul? Or," he added with a laugh, "should we all take vows of silence and roll in the dirt? I expect the life of a ranger has its romantic moments."
Valygar scowled. "You would do better not to mock your allies," he said. "Who knows how long they will remain so."
The bard grimaced dramatically. "Squire Valygar, you wound me. The loss of your friendship would be as the loss of a patch of gloom, or the presence of a shadow in the warm sun."
The ranger said nothing, only took a drink. "Ah, the silent treatment. You can imagine this poor sparrow has had more than his share of this torture throughout his career, though few times has the attacker been as skilled as you. I shall do my best to withstand its agonizing intensity and come out no worse the wear for it."
Valygar leaned forward and his words were almost inaudible. "Bard, you test my patience. Your taunts mean nothing to me but the sound of your voice grates upon whatever peace I hope to find. If you want to keep your tongue, I suggest you give it a rest; it will run itself dry if I don't cut it out first." He sat back.
Haer'Dalis stared for a moment before standing and busting into applause. "Well done, my dark hawk. You have left this bard speechless, which as I'm sure you guess is a rare event. Very well, I will leave you to your thoughts, however dark they be. But allow this chatterbox to warn you," he finished as he leaned over the ranger's shoulder and whispered into his ear, "that the darkest thoughts hint at dark desires. You had best consider the roots of these desires before they consume your soul."
Valygar ordered another drink as he watched the bard exit the room and wander into Trademeet's streets. He waved off the wave of unease and confusion as he drained the mug.
Anomen looked at Aerie sprawled on the bed, facedown. Her face was buried in the pillow and she made no move to recognize his entry. "My lady…" He wasn't sure how to begin, or even why he was here, exactly. Aerie's outburst was unexpected, and to his view, unwarranted. More surprising was his presence in her room; previously he would have left the girl to cry herself to sleep and pretend the occurrence had never happened.
He stepped to the bed's edge after closing the door and tried again. "Aerie." Her name seemed to bring the girl to life, and she lifted her head to direct tearful blue eyes at him.
"Now you think I'm some silly girl that needs a lecture," she choked out. "Well, I'm not, so don't bother. I'm older than you and have traveled with Aenwyn for as long as you have."
Anomen hid a smile at the elf's rebellion. She reminded him of her sister in a way. They shared the same depth of compassion, mixed with a streak of spirit which flared up at the strangest times. He fought an urge to stroke her hair as he used to do for Moira after they had fought and instead settled on sitting beside her.
"I am unused to giving apologies, my lady," he said quietly, "even though I have had many opportunities to practice." Aerie gave a weak smile. "I did not mean to cause you distress downstairs or suggest that your idea was wrong. I am concerned for Lady Aenwyn's health, that is all."
Aerie sat up. "Oh, Anomen, I'm sorry, too. I didn't mean what I said, but things have been going wrong for so long now, and I have almost given up hope of finding happiness in our travels. If we don't counteract all the evil done in the world, how are we any better than those that start the evil? I guess I just got carried away after all the awful things we've seen. I'm worried about Aenwyn, too."
"But, my lady," Anomen said, "there is no reason for you to be unhappy. We have indeed performed much goodness and will continue to do so. Fighting Irenicus and his sister is important for more than Aenwyn; they are a threat we must destroy for the good of the world."
Aerie nodded.
"And," Anomen hesitated. "And…you should be content, my lady, for you have that bard to depend on." He couldn't help his tone when mentioning Haer'Dalis.
The elf bit back a smile. "Please, Anomen, he's a good man. I know you don't see eye to eye on many things, but I would rather not start another argument about him. Besides," she added with a growing grin, "he's not worth arguing over, is he?"
Anomen smiled back. "Aye, my lady, I will not start another fight if it can be avoided. I do not know whether I would come out for the better in the face of such a will."
Aerie blushed deeply but laughed when she saw the knight's eyes. "Anomen, I really am sorry, I behaved awfully down there. I just haven't been happy, or even content like you think, for some time."
"Then he does not please you?"
Aerie's blush spread down her like fire, and Anomen forced his eyes from its neckline course to Aerie's face. "I'm sorry, my lady, it is not my business to pry."
"No, no, it's all right. It's no secret, anyway. Haer'Dalis and I haven't been close for some time. I think I've just been waiting for him to break it off instead of doing anything about it. Cowardly, I know, but then I've never been that brave about anything." She looked down at her clenched hands.
"My lady…" Anomen covered her hands with his own. "I have seen you in battle, although you may think I have eyes only for Aenwyn. I have watched you, and I know that you possess as much courage as any knight of the Order. You have proven yourself many times over and need feel no shame for your conduct. You are a strong woman, my lady, a strong, beautiful woman, and my time with this group has been worthwhile if only to witness you blossom like the rose you are."
His breathing was coming in shallow gasps as his sweaty hands clenched her trembling ones. He had no thoughts as he grew closer and closer to those blue eyes, and scarcely knew what he was doing before he felt her lips respond to his.
They held the kiss for what seemed like minutes, and when they broke off Anomen's vision was filled with the sky blue eyes. His heart thudded in his ears as his stomach clenched, and for the first time since leaving the Underdark he felt stabs of fear.
Aerie seemed to be doing no better. Her mouth lay open and her eyes were out of focus, though she quickly straightened and stared at Anomen in horror. His stomach redoubled its efforts to clench into a knot as he saw her eyes widen and she backed away.
"Oh, Anomen…What will Haer'Dalis say? I didn't—we weren't—oh…" Her hand bounced on her bottom lip as if to make certain it was still there, and her eyes began to drift shut.
Anomen stood and in one step was by the door. "My lady I apologize I don't know what came over me please except my apology I have not been in the right mind for some time now can you forgive me I must go I need to check on—" And he had closed the door.
Aerie sat on the bed until the sun cast its last rays, staring at nothing until the door opened again and she jumped. "Oh. Haer'Dalis. Hello."
Branwen clutched Aenwyn's hands, finishing her last healing spell before getting ready to retire for the night. "I am sorry," she murmured. "I am sorry that I cannot help more. There should be something that I can do." She let go of the woman and leaned back in her chair. "It's so damn frustrating!" After standing and looking out the window, she came back to the bed and leaned over.
"I can't lose you. I've lost too much already. You have been my home, now. Where will I go if I cannot follow you? I think Tempus sent me to you, to help you, and I won't give up." She stroked Aenwyn's tangled hair and smoothed it down. "I won't." Her lips brushed against the pale lips of the unconscious woman and she wiped away an escaped tear before rushing out of the room.
She met Anomen outside the door and dashed past him, not noticing his own troubled expression. Instead of returning to her room, she headed downstairs. She found Valygar alone and joined him for a drink. She appreciated the ranger's quiet confidence, and while they rarely traded more than a few words, she saw a worthy ally in him.
He nodded as she sat down and got the attention of the serving maid. Branwen thanked him and drew a long gulp before turning to look at him. "How well do you know Aenwyn?" she asked.
Valygar thought for a moment before answering. "I've traveled with her enough to know that she's a good woman. She's taught me many things, most importantly that heritage is not everything."
Branwen gave a tight smile. "I think everyone's learned something under her. I've been through much with her. Sometimes I'm amazed at how different I am from the girl who left her village. Most of that came from Aenwyn."
She thought for a moment, then spoke again. "Things have changed so much since I met her. I am the only one left whom she knew before the thrice damned Irenicus. The others…the others are gone."
Neither Aenwyn nor Branwen had spoken much of their time at Irenicus' hands or the events before. Tales of the Hero of the Sword Coast had reached Amn, of course, but neither adventurer had been too keen on relating the tales. Even Haer'Dalis' cajoling so that he could narrate the epic had been turned down.
"What happened?" Valygar asked gently.
Branwen took a swig before replying, straightening when she spoke. "I can tell you this much, there was none of this emotional foolishness. No one was mooning over anyone else like a milkmaid. We knew where things stood. Once Safana had stopped seducing the males, that is." She barked a laugh. "She ran off with some elf we met, left us when we needed her most, that one. Xan and Kivan left, too, after a while. Once Sarevok was dead the group didn't have a reason, and everyone had their own agenda. Xan went to his home as Kivan did his. Only Shar-Teel and I remained, us and Durlyle." She took another drink.
Valygar had heard Aenwyn mention this Durlyle in passing but had no clear idea of him. "Durlyle?"
Branwen's face held the ghost of a smile. "He was a good lad, barely a man. But then, so was Aenwyn. They…they loved each other, you know. They met under bad signs, though, because it wasn't meant to be." The smile was gone and anger replaced it. "He died at that monster's hands, just like Shar-Teel. One moment we were together and happy, and then—" She paused to take another drink. "It was over so quickly. How can someone you care for so much disappear in an instant? We never even said goodbye."
She cleared her throat and looked at the ranger. "She and I were the only ones to escape Irenicus' dungeon. Us and that traitor thief. If I ever find him, I swear by Tempus I will make him wish he were never born."
Yoshimo had inadvertently revealed his allegiance to Irenicus when the group had confronted Bhodi in her lair, and he had been cast out soon after. Aenwyn had decided that while he served her enemy, he had been a friend in his own way, and she could not bring herself to kill him.
"She has seen so many losses for one so young; I worry for her. Even before Spellhold, I worried for her. I am afraid that even if we heal her soul, her heart will still be broken. There are worse ways to die than in battle."
The still common room surrounded them for some time before Valygar spoke again. "Does she know?"
The priest turned on him swiftly. "Know what?"
"That you love her." His dark eyes gazed at her intensely and she looked away.
"Of course. She knows that I honor her above most people—"
"You know what I meant."
Branwen faced him again with clouded eyes. "No. I…we have shared many things, including the loss of loved ones, but I have never…"
Valygar laid his hand on her back for a moment and smiled. "There will be time when this is all over. Now is when we fight for those we love. As long as we keep hope alive, the fight will go on."
"Yes, I…thank you, Valygar." He nodded. "And you? Whom do you fight for? Surely Aenwyn has taught you that you can love, have a family. Your line need not die out like you had intended."
Valygar winced. "I am not destined for the family life, I fear. While I no longer fear my tainted blood, there are other obstacles for a normal life. I fight so that others may do so. I hope for the future."
He stood and walked to the stairs. "Valygar," Branwen called after him, "families come in many forms. Aenwyn is now my family. You need not marry to find happiness." The ranger stopped for a moment, his back still turned, then continued up the stairs and out of sight.
R Little Dragon- Thanks for commenting, sorry it took so long for me to get back to you. As you'll notice, I made the first part longer; I didn't realize how short it was until I looked over it again. I hope the chapter breaks work because I'm not writing this with specific chapters in mind as much as just continuous narrative. I hope you enjoy the changes!