Olly had heard weapons of magic swing, but never quite like the Dawnstar. As she held his heavy wooden shield that was plated along the rim with scratched up steel, she saw the young man dash towards the legs of the Troll before them. The Dawnstar from a distance looked like just a fancy looking morning star, the large spiked ball balanced atop a black wood staff, two big golden rings attached to the stem that chimed out in the night. Though when Ed wielded it in his hand, suddenly that ball lit up, a light that Olly knew from her own eyes. Something Celestial was about that weapon, and the light that came off from the morning star hitting the flesh of the Troll lit up the forest like lightning, pure white light.

Again Ed swung the Dawnstar, ringing like bells in the air as he got the Troll to start running from him, a Old Angry One that was supposed to not be afraid of even the most experienced warrior. He fled the Cleric like a child running away from a scolding ground below her started to vibrate in rhythm as the Troll fled from Ed, his weapon still glowing hot as he watched the monster leave with a smile.

"There" he said turning to her with a boyish grin "No more killing for tonight, right?"

"No" Olly nodded breathing out a sigh of relief "That sounds great to me."

"Great" Ed said strapping the Dawnstar back to his side, the spiked end being hidden under part of his vestments that draped over the side of his hip. Olly didn't even notice any blood on the weapon, but she had seen Ed strike the creature right in the legs, she had heard the noise of weapon to flesh, but the relic looked as if it was never even used.

"What in the hell is that thing?" Olly asked not caring that they were still standing in the darkness of the forest.

"A Dawnstar, you've never heard of one?" Ed said offering his hand out to take his shield from her.

Olly handed it over trying to think if she ever had, her mother had asked her to study relics and weaponry, but Olly found herself wanting to try out the weapons more than study them...

"No I guess I haven't" Olly said "But hold that thought for later, what are you even doing out here Cleric?"

"Well obviously I came out here for the view" Ed rolled his eyes with a grin.

"Do I look to be in a joking mood priest? What are you doing here? I don't need someone spying on me for Peren. You can tell him I'm going to help my family, he can decide if he wants to still be a part of that. Until then, leave me be" Olly said getting hot, her defense coming up fast. She started to gather her things in an angry rush, the snaps of twigs and leaves being pushed past as she started to move away from Ed.

"Whoa back up wait" Ed said losing the grin and getting serious as he followed her, his hand gently coming up to her shoulder but Olly felt herself involuntarily flinch away, her face twitching as she almost braced. Ed felt his heart break a little at that, nobody should ever flinch away like that, and he could only guess why she was so used to it...

Shaking himself from those thought he quickly got his mouth moving "I saw you jump from the window, and the boy said you took off. Now I don't know about you, but I wouldn't feel comfortable seeing someone go off into the dark woods alone."

"I can handle myself" Olly said looking up at him, those eyebrows dipping down so tight Ed thought she looked like a bear cub trying to look intimidating.

"I could see that" Ed said trying to think on his words carefully, if this young lady was this upset, he might get a kick in a place he'd rather not and she would be back alone in the woods. Worst case scenario in Ed's mind.

"But you don't need to do it by yourself. I heard the fight between you and the Elf, I know this must mean a lot to you. And it seems more hands make light work, I'm a easy travel companion, so I'm here to help if you want" he said smiling sheepishly, doing his best to seem non-threatening.

Olly seemed to cool down at his words, she heard the truth in them and it settled her to where she relaxed her posture, her shoulders going down as her eyes looked to the forest floor.

"Thank you" Olly said a bit humbled and embarrassed she had yelled at him "But this isn't your fight. And it would complicate things between your party and Peren. I don't want bad blood between them because they got the wrong idea. So thank you, but I can do it alone."

"I know" Ed said nodding " I have no doubt you can do it by yourself. You are smart, and quite stunning to watch fight, you are Allana Duer after all, but it seems you've been doing a lot of things by yourself. I can tell a lot of your battles have been between you and yourself, I just think it's time you had some help. I'm a healer, let me at least try."

Olly listened to his words, like golden scripture that sunk into her heart. She hadn't been called smart since...gods since she was a young girl. She looked up at the young man, his snow white hair hanging limply from no doubt running all night over that golden headband that signaled his calling. Clerics were usually good people, though Olly had known a few that had been a little too curious about her, but she didn't get a bad feeling when she looked at this one. No, she felt warmth from him, from his words and she trusted them without thinking twice.

"Okay" she softly said, not sure how she should rightly respond "I guess, if you would like to, then I would appreciate the help. But don't ever call me Allana again."

"I'm at your service" Ed said strapping the shield on his back and holding out his hand to her "And I promise, only on death's door will I ever refer to you by that name."

Olly felt herself smile, a nice one that didn't feel faked or tight, it just flashed across her face before she knew it was there. She came up to him and looked him up in his eyes, the color of faded jade that she didn't see that often around humans.

"Alright Edric Alphonse, Cleric of Pelor" Olly said invoking something within her "You will help me on this quest and then you will be free to choose what you do. Do you accept?"

"I accept fully" he said smiling wide now as Olly clapped her hand into his, their palms bracing each other's wrist's in a silent contract between the two. Olly felt the magic between them slip, a feeling in the air of a vow being made, and let go of Ed's wrist a bit quickly, fearing too much magic to transfer. She didn't know how much energy she had at the moment, but was happy to look up at the sky to see the faint glow of morning starting to come up over the horizon.

"That's a good sign" Olly said nodding at the sky.

"Pelor's good grace once again comes to us" Ed said chuckling a little "But what do you mean by sign?"

"Good things come to promises made in the morning" Olly said reciting the old laws her mother had taught her "Druid's saying."

"I like it" Ed said standing beside the petite Ranger, her eyes focused on the sun coming up.

"Well, I still don't feel comfortable taking the road, Peren by no doubt knows I'm gone, or he will as soon as he wakes. Feel like taking a walk on the wild side with me?"

"That's what I'm here for" Ed nodded adjusting his things for the walk, no longer worried about running to play catch up.

The two started taking off north towards the mountain valleys that would twist and turn into a long plain of grassland until they reached the Trade Way to Waterdeep that would spring farther north to Triboar. She at least hoped that's where she should go, it was just a guess. She hated not being able to tell which direction Nole was, her divine sense still trying to seek him out and getting nothing back. She would head north, that was a good start, and she knew that once they got past the Trollbark Forest, Peren wouldn't be able to catch up and they could catch a ride on the road.

They walked for some time just in silence, letting the woods around them wake up to the morning light. Olly found it pleasant somehow that she didn't need to speak or give directions to Ed who was almost in sync with her movements. If the hoisted herself up he was right behind her holding out his arm, or if she tried jump from a high cliff, he was there to help her with the fall.

She didn't mind him touching her so far, it didn't feel like the way Peren would touch her. His grip was firm, harsh, and then fleeting, while Ed simply just did what he was supposed to and then moved on, no feelings behind it. It was neutral, and it was nice, a peace she didn't know she needed but welcomed it as it came.

It wasn't until they began climbing the cliffs of the mountains that would dip down into the plain of grassland did Ed pipe up looking up at the rocky hill they were about to climb.

"Woooo" he said with a grin "Haven't done this a while. This should be interesting."

"Do you want help?" Olly offered, about to get out some rope from her bag.

"No, no" Ed said waving her off, fear gripping his heart as he looked up at the heights "I'll be alright, if you hear any wet sounds though just mind your business. Also do you happen to have an extra set of trousers on you?"

Olly couldn't help but laugh "I don't think you would fit in them, but if this is too much we can try and go around the mountains, but that would lead us towards the Warlock's Crypt and I don't have the energy to take on all the mess that over there right now."

"Don't worry about it my lady" Ed said rubbing his hands together, his gauntlets shimmering in the morning light now, Olly catching the two golden suns stacked on top of each other crescent on the metal.

"Please don't call me that" Olly said grimacing as she blushed "I'm not a lady, we aren't even of noble blood. I mean, my mother may be, but she doesn't talk about it."

"Sorry I was just trying to be polite" Ed said shrugging "I mean, you are a Lady compared to me. I'm a nobody, just a simple Cleric."

Olly grunted in a laugh as she began climbing up the rocky hillside "Somehow I doubt that. You don't seem like too simple of a guy with a reliquary weapon."

"It's a long story, but if you are up for it we have a little time" Ed said gritting his teeth as he balanced his footing, his hands a little sore from the steepness of the hill.

All of a sudden he felt himself being lifted up, Olly's hands gripping the lip of his shield and pulling him along as she bore down into the hillside, almost bouncing off the rock with such agility he felt himself almost letting go altogether and being carried, his pride not stung a bit from slowing her down. She was definitely a lot stronger than she seemed, her little body picking him up with ease.

The terrain was rough, the wind whipping against them now that they were high enough over the tree tops. The mountain side was old, craggy spikes jutting out in all directions no doubt from the countless trolls that munched on the side of the walls of rock.

"Oof" Olly said getting to a flat part of the peak and taking a breath, Ed pulling himself up beside her and laying back, catching his breath as the dark blue sky was now turning a pale light blue.

"So you like doing this often?" Ed hardheartedly joked.

"Regretting coming along already?" Olly smirked with a furrowed brow.

"Not even" Ed shook his head "I'm just not used to this kind of traveling, but it's nice. My lungs feel like they are breathing real air, my chest isn't so tight up here."

"Well that's good at least" Olly turned to look at the horizon, the birds now flying above the treetops, singing songs again as the morning continued on while they took a short rest "Need any water?"

"If you wouldn't mind" Ed thanked her as he took a swing from her flask. Olly watched as he drank his fill, happy to have a companion for this journey. If she had been alone, she might be thinking of everything bad that could happen, but in the Cleric's presence, it was better. The Dawnstar at his hip flashed in the morning light, but quickly was extinguished as Ed handed the flask back.

"So" Olly said "What's the story?"

"Oh right now? Okay" Ed said sitting up and coming next beside her. Olly would have felt uncomfortable with someone sitting so close, but seeing as how they were on top of a rocky peak, it seemed appropriate. Gods how long had she been starved for touch? She used to be so comfortable with her siblings and friends being close, but after months and months of nothing, it seemed strange to have someone right beside her.

As Ed settled in, Olly thought about how she missed her mother and father right now, how she missed being little and being in their arms, falling asleep to the rocking or humming...

"You alright?" Ed said waiting for her to look at him.

"Sorry got lost a little in thought" Olly said shaking herself to the present "I'm listening now."

"Well this" he said pulling out the Dawnstar "is something I've had with me since I was a young boy. See I'm an orphan, I was found on the banks of a river near the temple of Pelor. The Spines had been quiet for some years, and the river flowed fast from the mountains, so the priests speculated I could have come from a mountain village that had been raided. Whatever happened though, I ended up at the temple being raised by the acolytes and priests."

"I had no clue" Olly shook her head "So you were pretty much born a Cleric from the start."

"That's what the priests thought" Ed laughed a little "I was a gift from the gods, some of the women thought, and not because of my charming good looks. The temple was known to take in children of villages that had been attacked, so I'm sure a kind stranger found me and left me at the temple. Either way, this life is what was clearly chosen for me. I grew up with the other orphans of the temple, I had a best friend, I had a pretty good childhood. Only problem was is that I'm terribly curious, and even as a kid I would get into trouble getting into things I was not supposed to."

"Sounds a little like me" Olly giggled. She enjoyed listening to Ed talk, he was very eloquent in his stories that reminded her of her father.

"Oh you have no idea" Ed smirked "I would get caught at taverns late at night when I was just a boy, and another time I snuck into the high priest's library to look at some scripture that hadn't seen the light of day in centuries. It's there I found this guy" Ed said staring down at the weapon "I couldn't help myself. I reached out and touched it and my life was never the same again."

"What happened next?" Olly said interested now.

"A voice" Ed said waving his hand as the ball lit up with that same white light, radiant even in the daylight "It spoke in my head, but I wasn't scared. It was like that voice had always been there, just waiting comfortably until I was able to hear it. It simply said "Hello Edric Alphonse". Thing was, I had never heard my last name before. I was named Edric from the priests, but orphans don't get last names. Usually we take the surname Sun."

"A play on Sons" Olly nodded "Suns of Pelor."

"Exactly" Ed nodded.

"So what was the voice?" Olly asked feeling a slight breeze start to pick up alongside the peaks.

"It's a Solar" Ed said almost whispering looking at the glowing orb and then back to her "You know what that is?"

Olly felt her heart race hearing the word "Solars, the most powerful of the Celestials."

"Right, a little step below the gods themselves. Well this particular Solar is The Wrathful Star, Valour. One of the Four Solar's that went into the Nine Hells themselves to save a paladin of Pelor. Their souls are infused in each of the four Dawnstars Pelor made himself. It can do wonders in the right set of hands" he said pointing to the head of the morning star.

"So it chose you?" Olly said amazed as she looked down at what was essentially a genie bottle for a suped-up version of herself.

"I have no clue" Ed said shrugging "But I couldn't part with it after I touched it, and believe me everyone tried. I was told I wasn't experienced enough, but even the high priest couldn't deny when Valour came alive again when I held it."

"I guess in a way we are both blessed" Olly said "We were both kind of chosen by something a bit bigger than us."

"What are you talking about?" Ed said standing up "We are the biggest. Pelor may be my god, but he doesn't wield his own hand. That's me and anyone else under his light, so that's why my job is important. No one else is going to do it, so I will."

Olly respected how much faith Ed had, but didn't know Pelor. She hadn't seen the god herself, so it was hard to determine what kind of power he was.

"That's also why I'm right here" Ed said looking up at the sky "I know this is the right thing to do, Valour hasn't spoken up once while I was running to you. It's what you would call a good sign."

With that, the Cleric offered his hand out to the Ranger, the girl taking it quickly as she shot up beside to young man.

"I'm glad you are here, it would have been pretty boring talking to myself the whole time" Olly said laughing as she went to the other side of the peak and looked down "Oh good, it's smooth sailing from here."

Ed joined her and looked down, the cliff side literally smooth, so much that you could slide down if if you wished. He felt Olly's grip on his tunic before he started to go downwards, his feet kicking in front of him to slow the slide.

"Hold on!" Olly yelled as her hands went behind her clawing into the hillside like a cat shredding bark down a tree.

Ed was usually up for anything and everything, but it seemed with Olly Duer he was in for a whole new type of adventure.