I added some elfish words. They're in italic, followed by a translation in brackets.

07

My West Harbor visit didn't play as I had imagined… well, I'm not sure exactly what I was imagining. I got scarred as soon as I saw the village from afar. "What if he's not there? He leaves often…"

But he was. And he wasn't just there; he was at the exact same spot he used to be the night I left. I chuckled to the mental image of him staying still the entire time, though I knew it was absurd – Daeghun was just inspecting the horizons, bow ready in hand. I told my friends to wait and headed towards him. My heart was pounding like a gong.

The more I got closer, the stronger my desire to touch him grew. There was something very wild – very attractive about him – and it was maddening me. "Don't even think about it silly!" I tried to find any change in him, but besides his slightly longer hair, everything seemed as usual.

"I see you're back. And you have company." Arms crossed, he looked behind me to inspect my friends. "You shouldn't be here; you put this village in danger."

"Yes I'm fine thank you for asking." I hissed.

"You don't look fine." He said. "I'm sorry to be rude; I'm just worried you may have been followed."

"They would be already here if I was." I tried sounding frustrated, but it came out more like an excuse. Daeghun's cold nature was harder to accept at that moment. "Doesn't he care at least a little?"

"Come." He gestured towards a bench nearby. I thought he would keep his distance by staying up, but he took place next to me. "What happened to you? You look ill."

"It's called stress. I'm fed up by your secrets." I toyed with my hair to hide the tension. "Don't you know you aren't the only one affected?"

"Of course I know. I'm sorry you had to be involved. Maybe I should have gone myself and let you here after all." He said unemotionally as usual.

"Damn you Daeghun!" I lowered my voice. "You could never do it – too scared to leave your cocoon and face the world again! What you don't know is that I would have accompanied you." I kept playing with my lock of hair without looking at him. Truth was a difficult thing to express, and even though my last sentence wasn't very clear for him, it meant a lot to me.

"… thank you." He said.

"It doesn't matter now – it involves only me. Oh, and by the way," I said sarcastically, "thanks a lot for telling me I had a piece of that crap in my heart."

"What?" His sudden reaction amazed me. He looked actually worried. "That wound…" He whispered.

I stood quiet so he could think over whatever he was about to say. When he was ready, Daeghun told me about the battle at West Harbor many years ago. He mostly spoke about Shayla and Esmerell, my mother, and how they were fighting to protect me. His fiancée had died first, shortly joined by my mother. It seems Esmerell was keeping me firmly in her arms when a piece of the broken sword had landed in her chest through the back. The edge of that shard had only stopped after piercing my heart.

"Healing you was very difficult." Daeghun explained. "It took me the entire night."

"You healed me?" I grimaced.

"A lot of people died that night. The only cleric of the village had his hands full already. Why are you surprised?"

"I imagined you would have traded my life for another."

"No life is tradable." He frowned, but his features saddened as he realized. "Oh… you thought I would have let you die. I knew you disliked me, but not that you thought I was evil."

It was my turn to frown at him. "Who ever said I disliked you? I mean… I li… I don't dislike you!" My voice betrayed embarrassment. Talking about emotions with Daeghun was something I had never figured how to do, and I was paying the price of it by being silly.

"No need to be defensive about it." He said. "Shayla and I couldn't have children… well… I couldn't. Each time Esmerell brought you to our home, Shayla would leave us to play with you. After some time, your mother made her promise to adopt you if something would happen… but, as you know, things didn't turn that way." He paused for a moment before continuing. "You're disaffection to me is only natural – I didn't take care of you as Shayla would have… I'm sorry, I cannot talk about this anymore, please leave me."

The little opening I thought we had was suddenly sealed by his last words. It hurt to be such a sad reminder of that night to him. The wound of his loss was still bleeding, and he was unreachable because of it.

I moved my fingers through my hair to keep calm from his demand. I didn't want to leave. "Damn I just arrived!"

"You shouldn't stay h…" But I didn't let him finish. I simply left without saying a word.

I walked straight to Bevil's house, only to find out he wasn't in the village. Retta, his mother, welcomed me gladly, but that didn't encourage me the slightest. My voice and hands were shaking while I told her about my trial and fight with Lorn.

Retta only said she was expecting that kind of news, and that I wasn't to blame.

When I finished my business in the village, I went to join my friends at the tavern. The four of them seem to be having good time drinking wine and commenting on the place. Shandra especially couldn't believe I was coming from such a small village. I understood her – seeing the swamp, foliage and villagers made me different to her than a typical Neverwinter watchman.

After they asked me, I told them a little of how I grew up; my school, Daeghun, Emile… It surprised my to think what Emile did was great since wouldn't have left with Daeghun if it weren't for him. I smiled at life and providence once again – nothing happened without reason. "You're not that noble after all!" Shandra mocked. We all knew my manners were ungraceful, and that I could be quite bad tempered, although rarely with my friends.

Knowing I couldn't stay much longer, I offered them to continue the chitchat and pass the night at the Weeping willow inn before returning to our duties. No one showed interest in returning to Neverwinter, but the inn sounded inviting.

Once again, they waited while I bid farewell to those I knew. It was more painful to leave West Harbor a second time, especially when I realized Daeghun was waiting for me at the signpost. He was eager for my leaving then… "Can he imagine I would rather have swamp and mud rather than a splendid city?" I wondered why he hadn't gone into hiding by then, as he usually did when feeling miserable.

While approaching, I looked at him with care so I would remember every detail possible. And I definitely hated myself for being such an idiot.

My gaze on him was full of self-assurance, though we both knew it was nonsense. Seconds passed before he spoke – seconds in which we gazed at each other deeply for the first time. I still don't know how my knees didn't crack under the pressure pressure.

"I know I am not very helpful to you, but maybe this will be." He took off his seven-pointed star pendant and handed it to me. "It's enchantment changes depending on who wears it, so you will have to discover it by yourself."

Since I couldn't produce any coherent sound, I showed him my back and took my hair away. Daeghun slid the pendant carefully around my neck without saying a thing. "Cold…" I shivered as his fingers and the chain connected with my skin. The sensation was arousing though, and I enjoyed every second it lasted. It was precious.

I whispered a thank you and was about to leave without looking back, when Daeghun spoke. "Mystra na faer llie arta llie lem, Anar. (Mystra be with you on your journey, Sun.)

I turned to look at him, but he was already on his way home. "She is already…" I spoke to myself; thanking the goddess for all the help and courage she was giving me.

Mystra; the mother of mysteries and magic. She was usually venerated by bards, rangers and of course, sorcerers and wizards. It was odd to see a rogue devoted to her, but my faith and love had always been to Mystra only.

"Why is your father calling you Sun?" Casavir asked.

I had no idea if Elanee was teaching him elven between their body lessons, but his question infuriated me. "Don't ever call him that." I hissed menacingly at the paladin and headed for the village exit.

I heard Casavir whisper a shy "excuse me" and that's about the conversation I had had for the next two hours. My reaction had surprised them all, but no one dared asking me about it; only Elanee took my hand and walked with me. I knew she understood without the need of asking painful questions.

The journey back to Neverwinter was quick, with little conversation of my part. I was wrapped in my lonely bubble again and only played with Daeghun's gift between my fingers. The seven-pointed star represented Mystra, and it was given to me by him. It was more than valuable.

I wondered why he had called me "Sun" though…

When we arrived in the city, I concentrated on my task and avoided distractions as best as I could. The pendant never left my neck.