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

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Endings

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Jaheira and Khalid arrived at the Friendly Arms after of scouting around Cloakwood. They had primarily been watching the paths that were known to lead up to the mine, and they had been interested to see the frequency of use they saw. Several groups of what appeared to be mercenaries had been travelling in both directions, though their intents and purpose was still mostly unknown.

The link between the mine and the bandit raiders was growing, and the two Harpers had decided that they should find out as much about the local activities as possible before Maiyn returned with her companions. They did not expect her for a few more days, which would give them ample time to carry out their investigations properly, and armed with the knowledge, they could work out what their next move was to be.

The two half-elves sat in their room, weary from the ground they had covered. They had travelled straight to the forest from Nashkel, and were about to rest for the first time since the group had split. Jaheira was staring out the window, lost in her thoughts while Khalid checked through their packs, making a note on herbs and items they were running low on.

"You look concerned d-dear," he said, smiling gently when she looked over. "You are w-wondering how the others are?"

Jaheira nodded and let out a mighty sigh. "I am sure they are fine," she said eventually. "They have strength in numbers, and they have been through enough recently to give me confidence that they've learned from their experiences."

"It certainly would s-seem so," agreed Khalid, repacking their belongings neatly. "For Maiyn to express her c-concern about moving straight into C-cloakwood certainly seems to show a sign of m-maturity."

"I had begun to doubt it was there," admitted the druid with a wry smile. "She is Gorion's daughter, indeed, although I can never remember him being quite so rash."

Khalid grinned. "I am sure in his y-younger days, dear..."

Jaheira chuckled. "Most probably. I suppose they are both an asset to him. They are still somewhat childish and immature, but they are showing some signs of ability at least."

"D-don't be too hard on them," said Khalid softly. "Imoen is very s-skilled at her roguish arts, whether or n-not we approve of them, and Xan was t-telling me how she has began to pick up m-magic with a fair amount of s-skill."

"It would be preferable if she guided herself from petty thievery," nodded Jaheira. "And a properly skilled mage can be powerful indeed."

"Q-quite," said Khalid. "Maiyn seems to have a l-love for the outdoors, and I am sure she will m-make a good ranger with time and p-practice. Kivan seems like a reliable p-person to guide her."

Jaheira snorted slightly. "He is filled with thoughts of revenge and a lust for vengeance. I do not doubt his skills," she added, noting Khalid's slightly disapproving look, "and I am sure Maiyn shall learn well from him, as long as she does not convert to his faith also."

"I d-don't think there is much chance of that," assured the fighter with a smile. "You have s-seen Maiyn in p-prayer and meditation. She is completely d-devoted to her chosen, and her choice d-does make sense."

Jaheira sighed softly. Fenmarel Mestarine. The choice of outcasts and scapegoats. Oh, and the feral elves, she reminded herself dryly. She was still unsure why Gorion had permitted one of his children to follow such a deity. He was an honourable enough member of the Seldarine now, but he had a dubious history - it was odd that the sage had allowed her to develop such an affinity with the idea of such isolation. He had known that she would outlive him easily due to her elven blood and so may one day need to meet her own kin.

But she had met her own kin now, hadn't she? And her ties with them had grown faster than they had with the others in the group. Perhaps she isn't as swayed by the idea of loneliness as I imagined, thought the druid. Fenmarel of course was said to instruct his followers in camouflage, stealth and secrecy. And survival. He was maybe not such a bad choice for her, after all.

Khalid got up and walked over to his wife, wrapping his arms around her gently, and feeling her relax into his embrace. "There is no n-need to worry," he said. "The others will l-look after them both, I am sure."

Jaheira nodded, then remembered the newest member of their party. "Oh, I am sure Coran especially will try to 'look after' them," she replied sardonically.

-----------------------

Kivan followed Maiyn as she scouted along another dark passage. This one looked promising - the others had turned into dead ends long before they had managed this distance.

He had felt slightly unsettled when Maiyn had informed them of her decision to come to the ruins before pursuing the bandit leaders, but ultimately he knew it made sense, and respected her choice. He had wondered if he should take his leave from them then; go on with his own task with the information he'd gathered. He'd even been ready to say his farewells, but he'd taken one look at the two young girls and realised he couldn't.

He glanced quickly to Maiyn. She seemed to be changing every day, and he wondered how different she'd been when she first left her home. Her confidence was growing slowly and he was sure she was beginning to feel a part of the elven company even though she was used to human society. He'd found himself becoming fond of her, like a younger sister he'd never had.

Part of the reason he felt unwilling to leave was also due to her learning. Since he had joined their band, she had not hesitated to ask him for advice on her ranger training, and he had tried to guide her as well as he could. She was happy to listen, and never complained about any criticism he offered - although it was usually hard to find many faults at all. He found it brought him a small sense of joy in his otherwise bleak world to watch the young girl endeavour to hone her skills, but of course she was doing it partly out of duress.

She had lost someone she loved, too, and that was the main staying point for him. He'd spoken to her one evening of Deheriana's death, and it had been difficult. She had shared her feelings about Gorion though, and he'd felt almost obliged to offer something in return; something to show her she wasn't alone, that he understood.

He watched her carefully turn the corner in the tunnel, keeping as close to her as he could manage. She stopped, and pointed ahead. He saw it too - something was moving towards them rapidly. He signalled for Coran to come forward, and moved back beside Xan. The enchanter, as usual, was tense, ready to cast if needed.

Kivan watched the figure approach - it was too large to be a kobold, and its movements were deliberate and controlled. As it got closer he could make out a skeletal form underneath a set of armour. He readied his spear as it stopped before Maiyn - she'd signalled for everyone to wait and let it advance.

"Strike me down," it said with a hollow voice. "Take the armour back..."

It then raised its polearm and lunged to Maiyn. Kivan watched Coran's sword parry the blow, saving the ranger from the vicious point. Maiyn's sword flashed through the air as she tried to make contact with the skeletal figure, moving around Coran with the greatest of ease and anticipating his moves, leaving him with the space he needed to continue parrying. Kivan watched them both for a few moments, amazed by the speed their natural partnership on the battleground had developed at.

Seeing a gap, he lunged forward, managing to pin the figure back against the catacomb wall briefly, allowing Coran to turn from defensive attacks into the offence. Maiyn automatically moved to take his role, blocking the swipes aimed at the fighter on his behalf while he manoeuvred himself into position for the killing blow.

The skeleton fell to the floor in a pile of bones, the armour freeing itself. Kivan picked it up carefully. It was a rusted from years of neglect, and broken beyond repair in many sections. Nevertheless, he could still tell that it had once been a high quality piece of platemail; old insignias were still visible around the collar, and some intricate patterns had survived the erosion and wear it had suffered.

He handed it to Maiyn, watching her expression as she studied it. Her youthful naivety was shining with this task, and he'd seen her look of rapture when she'd been in the presence of the ghostly knights. She's lived such a sheltered life; these experiences are still so new and exciting. She smiled to them when she had finished looking over it.

"We need to go and free the other figures," she said.

-----------------------

Branwen and Minsc were feeling better after they had rested for a short while. Imoen had ensured that there were a few halflings keeping watch outside while they tended their wounds, and she was glad that there had been no further activity.

Dynaheir was filling her small bag with slingstones, preparing for the next battle. She'd rememorised her used spell, and had helped Imoen prepare her own in case they needed it.

"Thou hadst just remember that it is important to concentrate," she had warned, and Imoen had nodded; she appreciated how dangerous magic could be, especially in the wrong hands.

Branwen had prayed for a while, regaining her healing powers while Minsc fed Boo. The rodent had been allowed to scamper about in the brewery, and was currently sitting atop a barrel at the far side of the room. Imoen checked they were all ready to move back out, and Minsc strode over as well as he could manage, considering he had to keep his head and most of his upper back bent, to collect his hamster.

Boo squeaked as Minsc leaned down for him, and darted onto the floor, dashing between Minsc's legs. The berserker tried to catch the hamster, but lost his balance and fell clumsily against a barrel, knocking it over.

"Boo!" he exclaimed in surprise. "That is no way to act!"

Imoen giggled as the large ranger tried to catch his mischievous pet, but a scowl from one of the halfling brewers soon wiped her smile away. She went over to pick up the knocked down barrel, but as she bent down to grip it her attention was taken by the wall.

It was slightly discoloured, which was to be expected if it had been hidden from the light for a long time; but right at the bottom the wooden frame seemed to be quite rough and serrated. She pulled the barrel up, but didn't push it against the wall. Instead she examined the area closely, her interest peaked by something she couldn't quite place her finger on.

She pressed various bits of the wall, and knocked lightly around the bottom - it sounded oddly hollow compared to the surrounding parts. She frowned, and ran her fingers lightly along the skirting, catching her finger on the serration, and causing a faint click.

Imoen raised her eyebrow, and quickly felt around a bit more, finding a small hollow that was only just large enough for a finger. Exploring it further caused part of the wall to shift slightly, and as she stood up she realised she'd somehow unlocked a hidden hatch, previously hidden by shadows and barrels.

"Eh?" said Minsc, peering behind the thief. "The sneaky thief has found a hidden doorway?"

Imoen grinned at him. "Seems so, doesn't it? It looks like it goes underground somewhere. Maybe we should check it out - it might give us clues as to how those kobolds managed to get so close to town before we saw them."

-----------------------

Maiyn wasn't sure how she was meant to hand an incorporeal figure an item, but it appeared that she didn't need to. The ghosts had detected the return of the companions, and gathered around her as she held the armour of their fallen comrade.

"So it was, so it is," wheezed the tall knight as he noticed her gift to them. "Together enter, together fall. Brother traitor completes the one. Together... free."

Maiyn watched the armour crumble to dust, and one by one the figures faded from sight. Soon, only the one that had spoken to her remained, and his gaze returned to the young elf. This time she was certain he smiled.

"Thank you..." he whispered as he disappeared, a click from the wall behind him disturbing her feeling of peace from her good deed. Coran went over to investigate immediately, his nimble fingers finding a secret door that had been unlocked by the knights. He opened it cautiously, and the companions looked through.

More tunnels lay ahead, but this time they knew they were close to their goal; the smell of kobolds was almost overpowering.

-----------------------

Imoen stealthily moved down the stairs, listening for any signs of enemies. She'd told the others to wait until she got back to them - none of them were very good at staying quiet while they moved, and she wanted to know what was ahead before anything became alerted to their presence.

She could smell something bad in the air, but she didn't know what it was. She hoped it wasn't anything too disgusting; for some reason it was almost familiar to her. She shrugged and kept moving forwards, down into a small landing that appeared to be a dead end. She sighed with disappointment, but checked the walls quickly just in case. Nothing. She felt her heart sinking slightly, her adrenaline was calming, and her excitement was gone. She turned round to head back up to tell the others, and promptly tripped over a loose stone on the ground.

A faint click came from the wall by her side, and a quick examination revealed a hidden door. She opened it slightly, peering through into a corridor lit by a few lanterns. A kobold sat further down it, its back to her and she closed the door quickly, her heart beating faster again. This is it. She could scarcely believe the fortune they'd just had. The others... we should wait for them to get back. But they could be ages... No, she knew what she had to do. She silently made her way back to her group to inform them she'd found a passage. They were going in.

-----------------------

Maiyn could see a large room ahead of them. They had been extremely lucky so far; her stealth had allowed them to pick off the kobolds they'd encountered without too much fuss or noise - obviously not expecting anyone to come from that way. They could all see a small group of the creatures towards the centre, but what gave them more cause for concern were the other figures.

Three ogrillons were towering over the kobolds, seemingly restless. Two paced around, but the third had more self control, and was waiting for orders. Closer to the group were two other figures; a human, and an ogre. Both wore mages robes.

"We could take the mages out quite easily, could we not?" she asked the others. Coran shrugged uncertainly.

"We could hit each with arrows," said Kivan softly, "but the chances of killing them both before they cast is quite low."

Maiyn nodded. They had to think of some kind of plan now they were here, but they were outnumbered once again, and although most of their opponents would not normally challenge them, all together they were quite a formidable prospect.

"Right," she said, trying to think. "Xan, any ideas?"

The mage quickly rifled through his small pouch of spell components, and seemed satisfied with what he discovered. "I can cast a horror spell into the middle of the room," he said calmly. "It might incite a few of them to panic and try to flee, at least taking their mind from attacking us."

Maiyn nodded. "That would be good. After that, Kivan - you target the human mage, and I'll target the ogre with Coran. We'll see if we can take them out quickly before moving in to finish off the followers?"

Kivan nodded his agreement, and Coran switched to his bow swiftly. Maiyn nodded to Xan, and he began the familiar murmuring.

-----------------------

Branwen and Minsc were raring to go, but Imoen had a harder time persuading Dynaheir to follow. Eventually the witch relented, and the party made their way downstairs. Imoen opened the door quietly, and took out the kobold with a well placed arrow. Quietly, they all filed out into the tunnel and followed it up to a sharp corner.

Imoen peered around, then pulled back and gasped slightly. "There are quite a few kobolds there," she admitted, "and three really tall things - they look almost like ogres. There can't be much else, because the room isn't that big, so we should be fine if we plan it."

Dynaheir immediately rifled through her belongings. "I shall use magic missiles on any who threaten us too much," she said. Imoen nodded in agreement.

"I have a hold spell," said Branwen. "It may help."

"Definitely!" said Imoen, glad of the spellcasters. "What we could do is let you cast that first, and then depending on how well it takes, you and Minsc can go in to fight, while Dyn and I stay back shooting and casting?"

"That would seem sound," said the priestess, and the others agreed. Branwen cautiously moved forward, and began her casting while still maintaining the cover of the corner.

-----------------------

The blue globe appeared at Xan's fingertips, and flew swiftly past the three other elves. It streaked into the room where it burst into the shape of a face, mouth opened in terror, and then quickly melted into the ground. Panic immediately ensued, with most of the kobolds bouncing around in agitation. The ogrillons seemed unaffected, but were confused by the sudden activity, and they looked around wildly for some sign of what to do.

The three archers managed to get off several shots to their respective targets, but both mages mirrored almost instantly, and ducked to the sides to be out of range. The elves inched their way down the corridor, taking out kobolds as they moved, then Maiyn saw a stream of light flow into the room from the opposite side.

The others noticed it too, and Xan issued a warning about other attackers. The elves drew back slightly almost immediately, waiting to see what would happen.

"Minsc!" uttered Maiyn, recognising the berserker as he strode out from the shadows, Branwen close behind. The yellow spell had been some sort of holding incantation, paralysing most of the kobolds, but again, not affecting the ogrillons. The elves watched their warrior companions immediately engage the ferocious humanoids, but then Maiyn remembered the mages.

"We need to get the spellcasters," she said urgently. "The others will keep the ogrillons busy."

She swapped her bow for her sword, Coran following her lead, and leapt out into the room running towards the ogre. He had been slightly dazed by the sudden attack, but when he noticed the elf approaching he immediately started casting. Coran went to face the human mage, who was already halfway through his incantation.

Maiyn noticed Dynaheir and Imoen both chanting spells, and was relieved to see Kivan by her side armed with his spear. Together they managed to wipe out the mage's mirrors, but his acid arrow struck Maiyn firmly, knocking her to the ground. Kivan shouted ferociously, and plunged the point of his spear through the mage's chest, then quickly made sure the girl was alright.

Maiyn had used her healing power to aid herself, and she got back to her feet, making her way with determination to Coran. A red globe flew past her as she went, coming from Xan, and hitting the human mage, causing some pain but not distracting him from his spell. Maiyn aided Coran in destroying the mage's illusions, but then suddenly he vanished.

"He's gone invisible!" cried Maiyn with dismay, looking around with futility. The acid was boiling in her blood, but her adrenaline kept her from noticing it.

"We concentrate on the others," said Coran firmly, pulling her with him. "His spell won't last forever, and if he begins to cast again we'll know where he is."

Maiyn obediently followed the fighter, and began slaying the kobolds who were regaining their composure. Minsc and Branwen had managed to take out one of the ogrillons, and had moved onto the next. Missiles from Dynaheir and Imoen had weakened another, and Kivan moved in to engage it in melee, taking it down fairly quickly.

"Over here!" yelled Xan from behind them only a few moments later, causing Maiyn to turn. Xan was pointing to his right, and sure enough, Maiyn could make out a faint shimmering shape, the mage's location revealed by his casting. She instantly began moving towards him, hoping she would manage to cross the room before his spell was done.

Kobolds swarmed around her, her slashes bringing them down easily but holding her up, and the mage's spell became complete. He pointed his fingers, and the bolt of lightning had passed through her before she even knew what had happened. The others saw it coming, and managed to mostly evade it, but it caught Branwen's arm, burning her badly.

Minsc noticed Maiyn fall, and let out almighty roar. Coran had also noticed, and the two fighters obliterated the kobolds standing in the way of them to get to their mage target with furious relentlessness. Kivan aided Branwen to bring down the last ogrillon, and then the two companions turned their attention to finishing off the kobolds. Xan, Dynaheir and Imoen had gone back to missile weapons, and concentrated on keeping Maiyn as safe as they could by striking down anything that headed towards her.

The mage was casting again, and more mirrors appeared, causing Coran to swear loudly in frustration. Minsc's rage made short work of them however, and their opponent only had time to cast a missile spell at the berserker before Coran's sword neatly decapitated him.

The elf then rushed over to Maiyn, calling to Branwen for aid. The priestess got over as quickly as she could, and immediately started praying for healing. Slowly, the others gathered round, looking concerned.

"Is she okay?" Imoen's voice was shaking slightly, and she stayed well back from her friend's lifeless body. "The bolt went right through her..."

"Thou needst to be confident in Branwen's abilities," spoke Dynaheir, putting her arm around the girl, and hugging her. "Let us leave the priestess to her prayers so our friend may be healed." She gently pulled Imoen away, and motioned for Minsc to accompany her. The berserker was staring at Maiyn with worry and confusion, but he followed his witch without question. Xan and Kivan retreated slightly too, giving Branwen the quiet she needed to concentrate. Neither eyes left their fallen comrade.

Coran sat by her, holding her hand. It was limp and felt quite cold. It's your imagination, he kept telling himself. She would be fine, she had to be fine. He silently urged the priestess to make haste with her prayers, and joined in with his own. Oh, Hanali, please help her survive.

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Maiyn felt like she was floating. A myriad of colours surrounded her, softly filtering out to fade into a familiar scene. She was in her room at Candlekeep.

She looked around; it looked different to how she remembered it. It was neater, for a start - so neat that it looked as if no one was actually living there. But she recognised some of her belongings: the quill on the desk, which she'd had as long as she could remember; the small, violet plant on her windowsill that was likewise. All the items she'd seemed to have forever - but they all looked new.

Then the door burst open. A young elven child ran in, a delighted smile covering her face. She looked around excitedly, ignoring Maiyn completely, and squealed when she saw the plant. She turned back to the door to face the man who had followed her - Gorion! - his face amused.

"It's really mine?" asked the little girl, her eyes wide with hope. Gorion nodded to her, and she launched herself at him, throwing her arms around his neck. The sage chuckled as he hugged her back, then gently set her back onto the ground.

"You and Imoen are both growing up so fast now," he said, "that it was time you had a room of your own. She is just as happy to have your old room to herself."

As if on cue, another girl - a human - ran into the room, dashing past the mage, and gasping as she looked around.

"This is a nice room!" she exclaimed, making the elf beam with pride. "Of course," she continued, looking slightly less impressed, "it's not as big as my room..."

The elven girl stuck out her tongue, and excused herself to fetch her belongings. The human dashed after her while giggling madly, leaving Gorion to watch them with a bemused smile.

"Ah," he said thoughtfully - his voice was so familiar to Maiyn, a sound she'd missed terribly. "You've both grown up so fast, and soon it will all begin. If only you could keep the innocence that surrounds you both forever." He sighed, his smile fading away slowly, and wandered from the room. Maiyn tried to follow, but as she moved to the door her surroundings swirled and reverted to the hazy fog-like mist.

Father

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Branwen's healing had not been powerful enough to allow Maiyn to regain consciousness, but the girl was still alive. The priestess urged her to be moved to more comfortable surroundings, and so Kivan had gently picked her up, taking her to her room in the brewery with the cleric in tow.

The others had stayed behind - Imoen had spotted another staircase leading from the room. The consensus was for the others to follow it, and hopefully finish the business in the catacombs so they could concentrate on Maiyn getting better and leaving Gullykin.

Imoen listened intently, but could hear nothing coming from the stairway so Coran and Minsc led the way up, bursting through the door they reached and into the burrow of a small halfling. Imoen rushed in after them, and came face to face with the annoyed owner.

"What in the Nine Hells are you doing in my burrow home?" the halfling asked angrily, observing the others as they all crowded into her bedroom. "I don't know why you're here, but any assumptions you may have about halfling hospitality does not apply to me!"

"We're dreadfully sor-" began Imoen, but the woman interrupted.

"When an intruder comes into my home, I kill 'em!" she shrieked, waving her arms around, and then pulling out a shortsword from somewhere under her apron. "No one comes through here without my permission!"

"Poor little lady," said Minsc, showing his hamster the scene before him. "She's as mad as Minsc was before he found Boo. Perhaps we should get her a small hamster, that would surely calm her." Boo squeaked loudly. "What's that Boo? Yes, I think a chinchilla would do as well. It would match her eyes."

"Why does it smell so much of kobolds in here?" asked Coran suddenly. "I thought halfling people despised them."

The woman turned around to look at the fighter. "Ah, you are the ones who came to solve the problem then? I wondered if you'd ever figure it out - none of the others have."

"Figure what out?" Imoen was puzzled.

"Foolish girl," snorted the woman. "No one ever goes into the ruins any more; very few people can find the way! They set up base there so that they would be safe, attacking any aspiring adventurers for their money and goods without ever being tracked back to their lair!"

"And you allowed them passage through your home, didn't you?" asked Coran. "That's why I can smell them in here."

"We saw the kobolds appearing almost right in front of us earlier," said Imoen. "We couldn't work out how they got so close without us spotting them. They came from here? Why did you let them?"

The woman shrugged. "They paid well," she said simply. "And now, if you have somehow managed to defeat them, you'll understand that I must protect my home."

She spun around and lunged for Dynaheir, cunning enough to pick the closest, least armoured opponent - but she hadn't counted on Minsc's quick reactions. Seeing his witch under danger, he deftly flicked the halfling's sword from her hands, and Coran managed to land a solid hit, enough to fell her immediately.

"Well," said Imoen. "This has certainly been intriguing."

-----------------------

The young thief reported to the halfling leader when they'd found the exit to the burrow. He hadn't seemed surprised when Imoen mentioned the involvement of one of his own, saying that the woman, Jenkal, had always been a bit of a loner, and didn't seem to like her kin very much at all. He refused to go into any more detail, but thanked the party heartily for their efforts, paying them the gold he promised.

"How is your leader?" he asked, his face creasing with a worried expression. "We were told of her injuries, and we are praying for her."

Imoen thanked him, and said that she was sure Maiyn would be fine. "She's been through a lot and always survived," she said with a weak smile. "Hopefully a night of rest will be enough for her."

Gandolar nodded, and excused himself to report to the rest of the village's people. The companions returned to the brewery where the news was as they expected. Maiyn's wounds were healing with Branwen's prayers, but she was still unconscious.

"How long will she be like that?" asked Imoen worriedly.

"I cannot say," replied the priestess with a sigh. "I have done what I can to heal the physical wounds, and now it is up to her to waken on her own."

Imoen nodded, and went to sit by her friend. Come on Maiyn, we gotta lot still to do. We need you with us.

-----------------------

Maiyn awoke the following afternoon. Imoen had spent most of the day sitting by her, usually with Coran's company, while the others spent time outside in the sunshine, picking up some supplies from the hospitable halflings to enable them to travel to the Friendly Arms Inn comfortably.

The first thing she noticed was that her head was thumping. She opened her eyes tentatively, but the bright daylight streaming in the window only served to increase the pain in her temples, and so she closed them quickly again. She groaned - she really felt unwell.

"Maiyn!" Imoen's voice seared through her, and it felt like her ears were bleeding. She whimpered in pain. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

Maiyn tried to speak, but her voice seemed to have deserted her. Eventually she managed to mumble, "Pain... 'thing hurts..."

"I'll go and get Branwen," said Imoen softly, "I'll be as quick as I can. Coran will stay with you."

She heard the door open, and Imoen's footsteps as she hurried through the brewery. Maiyn tried to move, but her limbs felt heavy, and any movements of her head made her feel sickeningly dizzy. She groaned involuntarily this time.

"I'm here." Coran spoke in their native tongue, his voice soft and soothing compared to Imoen's shriek. She felt his hand take hers gently, being careful to not move it too much. "Branwen and Kivan brought you back here yesterday after you fell," he continued. "She healed you as much as she could, but you wouldn't awaken. The rest of us explored a stairway we found behind the mage's room. It led up to a halfling's burrow; she revealed she'd been letting the kobolds go through her home to get into the village. I knew I could trust Kivan to get you to safety, and I would have come myself with you, but I needed to..." His voice faltered, and Maiyn tried to tell him it was alright. She couldn't even manage to croak though, and Coran was saved from his self-inflicted awkward moment by the sound of Imoen's return, Branwen close behind.

Coran's hand fell away from hers before they arrived, and he mumbled something about leaving them in peace to do what was needed. Maiyn tried to sigh, but even that was proving hard, and she listened to his footsteps as they faded into the distance. All she was left with was the sound of Branwen's murmured prayers.