General disclaimer: I own nothing, even Maiyn generally decides her own path.

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Firewine

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Imoen watched the elves set off with mixed feelings. She was glad Maiyn trusted her to head the other group, and it was a pretty important task too. She was also glad her friend had found more of her kin and was getting on with them; the three elven males were so diverse that it was surprising they got on at all. Maiyn was similar to Kivan in many ways, so the young thief hadn't been surprised when their friendship had wordlessly bloomed, but Coran and Xan were almost her complete opposites, and almost complete opposites of each other. Yet both wished to give her their time, and managed to enjoy each other's company to a degree.

She only understood the basics of the elven language, so generally had no idea what the companions were talking about as they travelled. It made her feel left out and excluded sometimes, although recently she had been concentrating so much on her magic that she'd not been too bothered. Then of course, before that, there had been Garrick to keep her company...

Imoen sighed. Maybe she was just slightly envious that it was Maiyn now who had the attention, or maybe it was the kinship bond that she wished to have strengthened. Although the others were human, they tended to keep themselves to themselves, and were slightly more distant with each other than the elves were. Maiyn wouldn't need her close friendship much longer, especially if they managed to get through this; she might go off with Coran or Kivan or Xan, and find her own people.

I'd be on my own. She smiled softly at her silliness. It won't be like that; we've made plenty of friends, and perhaps I could go with her. After all, she wouldn't just abandon me - we've been together for so long now. The thief glanced around the town, watching the halflings go about their daily business. She knew they were both going to change before this was over - it was only to be expected. Maiyn had received little exposure to her own people until they'd left Candlekeep, so it was only natural she was interested in them and enjoyed their company. Imoen knew in her heart that her fears of losing her friend were silly - after all, who was it she always sought out when she needed to talk?

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I wish Imoen was here, thought Maiyn to herself as they walked south, back towards the bridge. Much as she enjoyed the company of the other elves, noone could really match her best friend for company; Maiyn missed her terribly. Still, at least I know the other group will do what they can.

She didn't mistrust the other humans at all - Branwen especially, would have diligently taken charge of the task, and likely done a good job at it too. Dynaheir also would give it her full attention; logical and intelligent, the witch was not one to be underestimated. Minsc had a good heart, and already Maiyn had felt his loyalty and friendship shining through, but he was possibly not the best to choose as a leader of a group. But she could trust Imoen in a heartbeat, without having to weigh up her pros and cons, and that's what had prompted her to ask the young thief to stay behind.

She'd have enjoyed scouting, thought Maiyn ruefully. Imoen enjoyed slinking about the shadows just as much as the ranger, and they'd frequently argued over who was better. Maiyn was still convinced she had the slight edge due to her elven blood, especially out here in the more rural settings.

The ranger looked to her right. Kivan was walking just a little away, silently watching ahead for any signs of unease. She knew Xan was behind her - of the four, he made the most noise, and seemed to have no inclination at all to act stealthily unless under duress. Over to her left was Coran, closer than the others, walking almost by her side. He caught her gaze, and smiled.

"I know not how feet so light can leave the prints so deep on my heart," he whispered, causing her to grin, and shake her head at him. He was possibly the most easygoing person Maiyn had ever met, but when needed, he was a capable and effective fighter, also with an eye for the more roguish arts. She thought back to the previous evening, just before sunset, when the group were using their spare time to relax and be in good spirits.

"Boo admires your skill with a bow, but thinks you should also learn how to use the mighty sword!"

The words echoed around Maiyn's head as she stood between the tall berserker and the elven fighter. Both Minsc and Coran were skilled in wielding their two handed swords, and both seemed to think they would be perfect to aid Maiyn with her melee fighting.

Minsc had offered his blade to her at first. Even though the slight elven ranger had managed the considerable weight, she found it cumbersome and unwieldy, and politely requested that she use her own long sword.

"Ah, a fine weapon," nodded Coran approvingly, taking the chance to stand behind her, and place his hand over her own, swinging the weapon around gently and making her move around as she did so.

Minsc had frowned. "Eh, it's a sword, but the mighty ranger could wield better than that!" Maiyn refused to be swayed though, so the berserker had shrugged, and partaken in a few sparring matches with her while Coran watched. Eventually the elf had not been able to hold back any longer.

"Allow me," he said smoothly, taking up his position behind her once again, and using his arms to guide both the ranger and her blade, skilfully parrying Minsc's light blows, and eventually finding a way through his defences. Minsc clapped wildly, and rushed off to tell the others that Maiyn was making progress with her swordsmanship.

Coran stayed where he was, and Maiyn felt herself relaxing slightly, leaning back against the fighter as his hypnotic movements lazily guided her blade as it glided through the air. The air around them was still and quiet, and it felt like they were in their own little pocket of existence.

"I hope you realise that you should not be this relaxed when you're in the heat of battle," murmured Coran into her ear, making her jump slightly, and she immediately pulled away from his hold. "You move well, as one of our kin should," he grinned, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "It was a pleasure to... move with you."

"I don't know what came over me there," she apologised, moving away. "We should go back to the others."

The fighter reached out and caught her hand, making her spin back to face him, and he pulled her into a warm embrace. "Do not be afraid of my love, Maiyn," he whispered. "It is not such a fearful thing."

Kivan had appeared at that point and Coran had released his hold, allowing her to move away. She'd felt slightly embarrassed at being caught in such an intimate clinch, and so had hidden herself away in the village's small orchard, throwing herself into her prayers and meditations, and not returning to the company of the others until it was time for bed.

She was flattered by Coran's attention; she couldn't deny it, but she'd also heard enough of his tales of former lovers to know that any involvement with him would just end in tears. He was not shy when it came to talking about past conquests, though the stories tended to be banded to Imoen as the two thieves chatted. He insisted he was unable to settle down, and made no excuse for his long list of affairs. Maiyn knew she liked him a lot - well, more than a lot - but she wasn't going to risk the structure of the group over a brief liaison. Soon he'd get tired of trying to work his charm on her, and he would seek solace elsewhere; their friendship would remain, their group would be unharmed.

Maiyn nodded to herself as she walked. Yes, that is how it has to be. A slight grin crossed her face. Of course, it doesn't mean I can't tease him a little bit, just for practice of course...

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They'd encountered several groups of skeletons and a few kobolds before they crossed the huge bridge. Maiyn had unsheathed her sword hesitantly, following Coran into the melee, and trying to remember the ways he'd shown her to move. At first he seemed to spend more time protecting the young ranger as she slashed wildly, but by the fourth of fifth skirmish, she was handling herself capably, and he was grinning in approval.

The fighter had examined the walls of the bridge before they crossed, and had studied the stone carefully as they went. Now he was intently searching around, while the others kept a watch for any marauding kobolds. It took him no time at all to clear away some stubborn vines, and unearth an ancient looking door. With a firm shove, he managed to open it, and grinned to his companions.

"I believe we've found an entrance!"

They clambered down the slope to him, and Maiyn gently pushed past him to peer in. The dark catacomb disappeared into the distance, the floor was covered in dust and the air was foul.

"What now?" asked Kivan, looking to Maiyn. "Are we going in, or returning for the others?"

"We don't need the others yet," said Coran. "We don't know if this goes anywhere, and it'd be a waste to go all the way back for them, only to find out this is nothing but an elaborate dead end."

Kivan nodded his agreement, and Maiyn looked to the enchanter.

"Any thoughts Xan?" she asked softly.

Xan sighed dramatically. "Do you really need me to remind you how doomed we are if we enter there, and come face to face with dozens of our foe?" He shuddered slightly at the thought of the kobolds, obviously thinking back to his experiences in the mine.

Maiyn squeezed his hand comfortingly, and peered back in. "We can have a look," she decided. "If we stay quiet, there's no reason why we can't always leave to fetch the others if we need to. Are we all ready?"

The others nodded, though Xan seemed reluctant. Maiyn took a deep breath of the fresh air surrounding her, and led the way into the dusty tunnels.

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Minsc's sword swung wildly as he fought off the vicious, snapping kobolds that surrounded him. "Great fun!" he roared, laughing with delight as creature after creature fell to his blade. Branwen was also fighting hard, though her expression was much more serious, and she concentrated fully on the task at hand.

The kobolds were no match for them really, but their sheer numbers had threatened to overwhelm the group initially. It hadn't helped that despite keeping watch, the creatures hadn't been spotted until they were almost at the town. Imoen had briefly wondered if they had surfaced from somewhere nearby, but the halflings insisted there was nowhere they could have come from.

Dynaheir's quick thinking had caused her to cast a magic missile at the commando leading the foray, and with his demise the structure and order of the attack fell apart, making it much easier for the companions to take control.

Imoen had taken down many of the beasts with her bow, using the practice to hone her skill. She knew she wasn't as sharp with her aim as Maiyn was, but she was sure she could come pretty close with a bit more application. Dynaheir was getting used to her sling; she had protested at first when Maiyn insisted she carry a ranged weapon, insisting her spells were enough to keep her safe. The ranger had refused to take no for an answer however, and eventually the Rashemeni witch had agreed that it was a prudent move, allowing her to involve herself in battles without wasting valuable spells needlessly.

Just as the last of the kobolds fled the scene, a flurry of arrows descended from the sky, hitting Minsc and Branwen. Small explosions detonated as each met their mark, causing horrific burns on the warriors, and the fading yapping noise implied it was one last defiant move from the creatures before they retreated. Imoen and Dynaheir rushed to their friends, but Branwen was already uttering a healing prayer on herself.

"Well," said Imoen, "that was cheeky!"

Minsc was roaring for the kobolds to come back and fight, and it took both Imoen and Dynaheir to wrestle him into the brewery where the halfling priest tended his wounds. I wonder what the others are up to, thought Imoen as they recovered from the fight inside. And I wonder how many more assaults we'll have to get through...

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Maiyn knew how Xan must feel. She was getting sick of kobolds already, and they'd only been in the tunnels for a couple of hours. The darkness of the place didn't matter much to the group, blessed with infravision as they all were, but the twisty passages meant that there were plenty of places for the creatures to ambush them, and plenty of them had the fire arrows they'd experienced in the mines.

Maiyn beat out a flame that was dancing on her cloak while she scowled at the corpses of the latest group of commandos to have fallen. It certainly seemed as if they were in the right area, considering how many of the beasts they'd come across, but she was still hesitant to leave. We can probably manage this on our own, and the others are needed at the village.

She checked her companions. Apart from some minor scratches on Coran, they seemed to be fine. Xan was hanging back, staying out of the combat unless he was able to use his sling, and Kivan was using his archery skills well. Maiyn had equipped her sword, and was becoming more and more confident with it as they moved along the catacombs, finding that she could work well with Coran in melee; both seemed to instinctively know what the other was going to do, and they were both good at watching the other's back.

She nodded quietly to them and moved on silently. She could see something strange ahead - the tunnel turned abruptly to the right, and there seemed to be a faint glow emitting from it. Her instinct told her that it wasn't anything dangerous, but regardless, she cautiously moved along to the corner, and peered around.

A fairly large, open room lay before her, completely nondescript in every way, except for the ghostly presences that lined the walls. She gasped slightly as she looked at them; tall, majestic figures, still embodied in their armour, and looking like knights of old. She wandered out from her cover, ignoring the questioning mutters from her companions, and walked into the room.

The presences mainly ignored her as she walked before them, looking at each in turn with awe. A benign aura emanated from each and she felt no danger from their existence. Slowly she made her way around to the figure farthest away, and stopped before him. He was a kindly looking man, and his spectral face looked down to her.

"Together enter, together fall," he whispered. "Such was the vow agreed. None shall leave until all are one, such the vow remains."

Maiyn cocked her head to the side slightly, trying to understand his words. "There is something we can do for you?" she asked.

The figure almost seemed to smile. "We must be as one." Then his gaze rose back to the far walls, and his attention was lost.

The others had followed the ranger into the chamber, and were looking around with interest. Maiyn pointed to the only other exit from the room.

"We need to go that way," she said confidently. "They need us to do something for them, and I'm pretty sure it's that way."

The others nodded, and followed her lead once more. She wasn't sure what it was they were meant to do, but she was determined to give it her best shot to help the ghosts find their peace.