Silandra had expected to feel refreshed after sleeping in an actual bed, but her body still ached. Of course, she could have stood to sleep for a few hours more, but Jaheira had meant it when she said she wanted to leave at first light. She'd knocked on the girls' door when it was still dark and practically dragged them out of bed when they didn't move as quickly as she wanted.

Ajantis was already waiting for them downstairs, but Montaron and Xzar were missing and the woman at the bar couldn't say what room they were in.

"We don't have time for this," said Jaheira. "Either they appear before we finish eating or we leave without them."

"No," said Silandra, surprising even herself with her force. "We will wait for them. It wouldn't be right to just leave without saying anything."

"We'll leave them a note," Jaheira said, crossing her arms.

"We'll at least wait until breakfast is served," said Silandra.

This earned a vigorous nod from Imoen, who had been most dismayed to find that their food options were limited so early in the morning. The day's bread wasn't done baking, though the smell flooded the inn, so they had the stale remnants from the day before, accompanied by eggs and salted pork. Silandra herself never ate a lot, nor was she particularly picky about her food, but Imoen considered meals the most important events of the day.

"That will be another hour!" Jaheira said. "We cannot wait that long. I thought you were considering leaving them anyway."

"Well, yes," Silandra admitted. "But I was going to talk to them about it, not just disappear. And after last night… perhaps it would be better to keep them around."

"We can protect you well enough," said Jaheira. "In fact, your safety is probably more at risk with those two tagging along."

"Monty does seem the type who'd be interested in the bounty," Imoen said reluctantly. "We were careful not to tell him about it last night."

"He doesn't have to know about it," Silandra said.

"Know 'bout what? What bounty?" came the halfling's gruff voice.

Montaron and Xzar had finally made their appearance, and Silandra sighed.

"There's no time to explain," she said. "You two are late and now Jaheira's mad. Get some food quickly and then we're leaving."

"Listen, girly, if there be a bounty on yer head…" Montaron began, advancing on Silandra, his hand dangerously close to his sword.

Ajantis stood and moved to stand beside Silandra. "That's close enough," he said.

"Knowledge can be the difference between livin' an' dying'," Montaron said, though he stopped moving.

"Oh Monty, leave the nymph alone," Xzar said. "'Tis a long way to Nashkel, and we are late. We are ever so sorry to hold up the group. Let us proceed forthwith."

"You've already eaten?" Jaheira asked skeptically. "We're not stopping until midday."

"We're capable of eatin' an' walkin'," Montaron said. "Let's go."

He and Xzar headed out the door. Silandra glanced at Imoen, who was the only one still eating.

"Sorry Imoen, guess we're not waiting," she said.

"We'll stop in Beregost right?" Imoen asked, standing reluctantly with the last of her bread.

"Yes, we will need to visit the smith," said Jaheira. "I doubt we'll stay long."

Upon leaving the inn, Silandra saw that the first few rays of sun were just beginning to brighten the sky. As she admired the colors, she wondered if she'd ever get to stay anywhere long enough to actually enjoy it. The Friendly Arm Inn may be interesting to explore, but it was small compared to a town like Beregost. She'd read of it in her history books and wouldn't mind the chance to look around. It was also where Firebead Elvenhair lived, though she didn't expect he'd be back from Candlekeep yet. She made a mental note to visit at a later date if she could, for he may be able to tell her if Hull had ever found out anything about the assassin he'd apprehended. It didn't seem likely that multiple people wanted her dead – it was shocking enough that anyone did – so she thought that there was likely a connection between all the men who'd tried to kill her.

Montaron and Xzar took the lead, chewing on rations from their packs, with Khalid and Jaheira following closely – likely to keep an eye on them. Imoen and Ajantis followed, while Silandra brought up the rear. She was contemplating how quickly her circumstances had changed. Only a few days ago she'd been safe in Candlekeep – safe but bored – and now she was on the road with a group of strangers, Gorion was gone and someone wanted her dead. She wasn't yet sure if her path to adventure had been worth it.

She tried to shift her bag into a more comfortable position upon her back. It was heavier thanks to the extra rations Jaheira had made her buy. Imoen now carried a tent for the two to share, but she seemed to carry the extra weight well enough.

"My lady, are you alright?" Ajantis asked, falling into step beside her.

"Oh, I'm fine, thank you," Silandra said. She wasn't sure why he'd taken to calling her that, but she wasn't about to complain. "I'm not used to traveling yet, that's all."

"Your friends and I did not have much time to get to know one another last night, what with Bentley's interrogation, but Imoen told me the two of you grew up in Candlekeep and only left recently. You must have had an interesting childhood."

"In some ways, I suppose. I like to read, so I did enjoy being around so many books. Otherwise, it was actually quite boring. There were very few children around when I was growing up, and I was never allowed to leave the keep. But I only lost my foster father the other night and I'd rather not speak of home right now."

Ajantis looked immediately crestfallen. "Forgive me, my lady. Your friends did not tell me."

"It's alright. But it's the reason I'm here now. Why don't you tell me something about your journey so far?"

Ajantis seemed happy enough to talk about himself. Although he spent most of his time in the Amnian city of Athkatla, where the Radiant Heart were stationed, his family hailed from Waterdeep and he'd just returned from a rare visit. He needed to prove himself to the Order before he could be knighted, and he thought ridding the Sword Coast of their iron problem may make him worthy. He'd not made it very far – Baldur's Gate was closed to almost everyone due to the increased bandit activity – so his first chance at real information had been the Friendly Arm Inn. There, a woman had implored him for help getting her ring back from a group of hobgoblins who'd stolen it, and that is where he'd returned from on the night he saved her.

"It's a good thing I met you and your friends," he said. "I think this is a task that is best pursued with allies."

"It's a good thing for me that you were there," Silandra said. She hesitated a moment, wondering if she should bring it up at all. "Look, I'm really sorry I charmed you. I just didn't know if you'd help me otherwise, and –"

"What do you mean?" Ajantis asked, his brow furrowing slightly.

"I'm pretty sure you were just going to stand there staring at me if I hadn't given you a push."

"Oh. That was you? I just… I thought… never mind."

"What is it? You're not angry?"

"I thought maybe that was Helm flooding me with such purpose. But it's alright. And I… suppose I'm not angry. You didn't make me act against my will."

"I won't do it again. Gorion always said it was an invasion, and now that I can control it better I really should try."

"You'll still use it to get me outta trouble if I need it, right?" Imoen said, abruptly appearing between them.

"Oh, I don't know about that," Silandra said. "You could just try not getting into trouble."

"But you did it for me back home! And how am I supposed to resist when we're probably gonna see all kinds of people, with all kinds of interesting things in their pockets?"

Ajantis looked aghast. "Imoen, you cannot be serious!" he said.

Only then did Imoen seem to register that perhaps a paladin wasn't the kind of person to regale in picking pockets. She looked a little disheartened, just for a moment, before perking back up. "Don't worry, I used the money to feed er… starving children!"

"But I thought there weren't many children in Candlekeep," Ajantis said.

"Yeah, I mean, I sent it away!" Imoen said earnestly. "To orphans!"

"No matter how charitable your intentions, it's going to be a lot more dangerous if you get caught out here," Silandra said. "I'm not always going to be there to save you. You should probably stop."

"Or I've just gotta get better!" Imoen said, smiling widely and running ahead to Montaron and Xzar.

"She's not serious, is she?" Ajantis asked.

"I hope not," Silandra said. "She's my best friend though so please don't kill her if you catch her stealing."

"I wouldn't!" Ajantis said, eyes wide.

Silandra smiled, amused that he'd taken her seriously. "Just don't pay too much attention to her when we're around people. Out of sight, out of mind."

Ajantis gave her an awkward smile and returned his gaze to the road.

Silandra decided to catch up with Jaheira and find out more about her plans for their journey. She wasn't sure she liked letting someone else be in charge. When she and Imoen had talked about the adventures they'd have one day, they had always been the ones deciding where to go and what to do. But she couldn't deny that Jaheira was far better equipped to lead for the moment. When Silandra felt a little more worldly… then she may reevaluate the situation.

Surprisingly, it seemed Jaheira wasn't planning on pushing the group to their limits.

"We could reach Beregost by evening, but only if we move quickly and rest little," said Jaheira. "You and Imoen are both unused to travel and stand to injure yourselves if you push too hard. We will take lunch in a few hours and camp in the afternoon. That way, we can arrive in Beregost at a reasonable time tomorrow and do some shopping."

"I can't say I'm not relieved, but I thought you were in a hurry to get to Nashkel," Silandra said.

"Nashkel can wait a day or two," said Jaheira. "I was more concerned about getting you away from the Friendly Arm. I doubt that man was the only one who received that bounty notice."

"So maybe we can stay in Beregost a night and not have to wake up quite so early? I'd really like to look around a little."

"This is not some leisure stroll, Silandra," Jaheira said. "We are on a mission."

"P-perhaps we could s-stay a little while," Khalid said. "I for one w-would like to see F-Firebead."

"Firebead Elvenhair?" Silandra said. "You know him?"

Khali's eyes widened in surprise. "Er, y-yes. He is an old f-f-friend."

"He visits Candlekeep sometimes. He's always been nice to me. I'd like to visit him too, but he'd just arrived before I left and if he stays the full ten days then he won't be home yet."

"Oh," Khalid said. "W-well we can always visit the t-temple."

"I see what you're doing, Khalid," Jaheira said, but for once her tone was soft. "We can stay a night and leave mid-morning."

Silandra smiled in thanks to Khalid and continued walking with a little more vigor than before.

Their journey was peaceful, for a while. They didn't encounter anyone else on the road, which Jaheira commented on as being unusual. The worse the bandit raids got, the less people dared to travel. Silandra spoke with Khalid and Jaheira for a while, likely just asking the same questions Imoen had the night before, but they answered happily enough. While Khalid was a skilled swordsman, Jaheira was a druid, and they spent most of their time traveling and investigating problems such as the iron crisis.

They were looking for a good spot to camp for the night when Montaron spotted something. Later, Silandra felt validated in her decision to travel with him and Xzar, because she wasn't sure anyone else would have picked up on it.

"'Ere, stop a minute," he said in a low voice, his eyes on something at his feet. "Seems there was a struggle here. Looks recent."

Khalid and Jaheira were immediately on guard, but it was evident they still didn't trust Montaron for they didn't go too close to him to check what he'd seen. Silandra took a few steps closer to Ajantis, hoping he'd defend her again if necessary. She peered into the wilderness on either side, but the brush was thick here, making visibility difficult.

Montaron crept towards the edge of the path, alternating between looking at the ground and ahead. Xzar appeared unconcerned and stayed by the halfling's side.

"Wait here," Montaron said, and darted into the bushes.

Khalid and Jaheira exchanged a look, but evidently decided to listen and stay put. There were a few moments of silence, during which Silandra felt herself grow more and more nervous, and then Montaron reappeared.

"Group of bandits down there," he said. "Raided a caravan; they're still lootin' it. We can take 'em."

"How many?" Jaheira asked.

"Ten. But I can take down a couple. Any of you got some kinda spell ter help?"

"Oh, I can cast a sleep spell!" Silandra said. Despite the danger, she felt excitement creeping up on her at the prospect of doing something useful.

"I thought you couldn't do that one right yet," Imoen said, raising an eyebrow.

"No, I've got it," said Silandra. "I can put most of them to sleep and then we can just fight the rest."

"I dunno…" Montaron said.

"I approve wholeheartedly," Xzar said. "It'll be just like a sleepover. Go on, do it!"

Silandra glanced at Jaheira, knowing hers was the approval she really needed. With a sigh, the druid gave a curt nod.

Silandra felt a kind of nervous anticipation as she followed Montaron off the path. The others trailed a safe distance behind, ready to dispatch the remaining bandits after her spell. Many of the bushes here had been trampled by the caravan's passage, but there were still enough standing to tug at her dress. She couldn't bring herself to care just now. She moved slowly down a steep incline, and the bandits soon came into view – ten of them as Montaron had said. They were all dressed in the same worn leathers, but some held bows while others were armed with short swords or daggers. One was serving as a very poor scout, more intent on whittling a piece of wood with his dagger than paying attention to his surroundings.

The others were rummaging through the caravan's contents, and some through the pockets of the occupants. Silandra's eagerness was dampened slightly when she saw the bodies. A small group of nobles, judging by their clothing, and their guards. If such a well-defended caravan could fall prey to these bandits then they were a grave threat indeed. She took a deep breath and waited for Montaron's signal.

The scout went down without a sound, blood gushing from his throat. Those remaining didn't notice, but they would soon. Now she just had to try and hit them with her spell. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to focus her mind. Then she opened them and began casting, quietly enough that she hoped her targets wouldn't hear.

Moments later, the area was brightened by a golden light, and five of the bandits stumbled and fell to the ground, some snoring loudly already. Those still standing drew their weapons and looked around, bewildered. They also appeared to be sparkling with some kind of golden dust. Silandra didn't have time to contemplate that further, for one of the bandits had seen her and was coming her way. She darted back to her companions and fell behind them.

Khalid and Ajantis ran forward to engage the men, while Jaheira and Imoen fired bullets and arrows from a distance. Silandra noted that Khalid fought fearlessly, despite how shy he seemed about speaking. She'd been a little worried about his competence though hadn't dared voice those doubts in front of Jaheira. He cut down one of the men easily in time to deflect a blow from a second with his shield.

Montaron ran another bandit through from behind before he knew what was happening, and Xzar finished the man by strangling him, his hands engulfed in an icy blue glow.

The four men were soon dead and Silandra was glad to see that her companions were unharmed. Additionally, she was elated at how successful her spell had been. She was sure the encounter may not have gone so well without it.

She walked towards the ruined caravan, keeping her distance from the sleeping bandits just in case. She noticed that one was a woman – it hadn't been immediately obvious; they'd all looked so similar. She was young – perhaps her own age, or even younger – and Silandra wondered what drove someone like her to such a life.

Just as she was wondering what to do with the sleeping bandits, Montaron walked up to the nearest one and slit his throat.

"What are you doing?" she asked, eyes wide in shock.

"What's it look like I'm doin?" Montaron growled, heading to his next target.

"This may seem harsh, Silandra, but we can't just leave these people to wake and continue their terror," said Jaheira reluctantly. "Even if we were to take them all the way to Beregost, they would be hung for their crimes."

"I don't like it either. This is dishonorable, but she does speak the truth," Ajantis said, eying Montaron with distaste.

Silandra regretted her outburst already. Of course, these people were murderers – their latest victims were staining this very ground with their blood. She wasn't upset by the deaths of those who'd resisted her spell, so why should she care in which manner the other bandits were killed?

"I think this guy was important," Imoen said, kneeling beside one of the dead nobles.

Silandra looked at the man, who was dressed in finery exceeding that of his companions. He was young, too – perhaps only a few years older than her. He'd been stabbed through the abdomen and finished with a cut to his throat.

"Were you going through his pockets?" Silandra asked, frowning.

"Only lookin' for something to identify him!" Imoen replied. "Though it's not like he can use his gold now anyway. Oh look, here."

She held up a letter, already unfolding it and beginning to read.

"He's a Silvershield," she said, somewhat in awe. "Must be related to the duke."

"I didn't expect you to be familiar with the dukes of Baldur's Gate," said Silandra. Imoen had always done her best to get out of her lessons, particularly when they revolved around history and politics.

"I had to know who'd have the best stuff if I ever got to visit," Imoen said. "I bet this is his son, Eddard Silvershield."

"I know the name," Jaheira said. "He is indeed Entar Silvershield's son. There'll be a reckoning for this. Give me that; we will have to turn it in to the authorities."

There wasn't much gold to be found; Silandra suspected Montaron had pocketed most of it while she and the others had been distracted by the duke's son. She wondered if they could send a letter to Baldur's Gate to inform him – but then she questioned whether messengers were even still operating. If a caravan with armed guards could fall to the bandits then surely a lone courier would stand no chance. She knew Gorion used to have some magical means of sending and receiving messages, but he'd never explained it to her. Perhaps there was a mage in Beregost who could help.

There was some discussion as to what should be done with the bodies. Ajantis wanted to bury them, but Jaheira said it would be better to tell the Beregost authorities and let them handle it. Besides, they had to stop soon and make camp for the night, and they needed to put the carnage a good distance behind.

Instead, Ajantis settled for praying over the bodies, and Jaheira made a request to Silvanus, the Oak Father, to watch over the fallen men until they could be interred properly.

They then made haste down the road, though all were more wary than before. There could very well be another ambush. Finally, they reached a small clearing off the road which Jaheira said would suffice for a campsite.

Imoen and Silandra struggled with their tent, but Ajantis helped, and soon Khalid had a fire going and everyone was able to relax. Imoen settled beside Xzar with her rations. Silandra could only assume she was trying to find out more about his magic. She wished there was a more… wholesome example for her to talk to. If only she herself had got further in her studies, she may be able to help.

"Right," said Montaron. "Yer goin' to tell me all 'bout this bounty on the girl's head. Thought that tale 'bout a drunk attackin' 'er was horseshit."

"You know as much as is necessary," Jaheira said, folding her arms and glaring at him.

Khalid sat beside her, looking between the two nervously, but he didn't say anything.

"If someone wants 'er dead then there's a good chance they'll be comin' after us too so I think it's necessary ter know as much as possible."

"For all we know you're after the bounty and that's why you're traveling with her to begin with!"

"If'n I wanted the bounty she'd be dead already!"

Silandra looked at Xzar apprehensively, worried a real fight may break out, but he didn't even look like he was paying attention. He and Imoen were reading what had to be his spellbook. She cringed as she thought about what kind of things a mad necromancer may have in there.

"Montaron, Jaheira, stop," she said. "Since this bounty is about me, I think I will decide who needs to know what. And I do think I have to side with Montaron on this one."

Jaheira huffed and opened her mouth to speak, but Silandra held up her hand.

"I'm not done," she said. "Montaron, yes, an assassin tried to kill me last night. Someone put a bounty on my head. I hope two hundred gold isn't enough for you to want to kill me."

"Got more'n that from those dead nobles," Montaron said.

"That money belongs to Entar Silvershield!" Ajantis cried.

"That is not important right now," said Silandra.

"Why would someone want you dead?" Montaron asked.

"I don't know," said Silandra. "But if someone else does try to kill me, let's keep them alive for questioning, alright? Is everyone going to stop arguing now?"

"I question your judgement, Silandra," said Jaheira stiffly. "You cannot trust everyone you meet on the road. Luckily for you, Khalid and I will be here to keep an eye on these two."

"Fine, watch them all you want," Silandra said. Suddenly the long day was catching up with her and she found she just wanted to get some rest. "Montaron, please be… pleasant."

Montaron chuckled darkly but didn't say anything. That was probably the best she'd get out of him.

"I'm getting some sleep," she said. "Wake me if there's trouble."

She retired to the tent she was sharing with Imoen, but she didn't try sleeping until she was sure things were under control outside. Instead she studied her spellbook, trying to work out why on earth her sleep spell had created sparkles.

Note:

In my mind, the missing Silvershield son is named Eddard, but it seems this was put in the game as part of the Unfinished Business mod. I decided to go with it since I'd feel weird naming him anything else at this point.