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

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The Temple Ruins

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Kivan burst into the cabin, causing Maiyn to break free from Xan's arms where she'd drifted off into a light slumber. She ran through to the main room, and noted his grim expression.

"Bandits are heading this way," he said grimly. "Ogres and humans alike."

The companions quickly snatched up their weapons and ran outside. Garren's son, Taar, was sitting at the river. He was no more than sixteen years old, and had said very little to the companions; regarding them almost with suspicion after his father had left. Maiyn quickly told him to go inside, and warned him of the approaching marauders. He nodded affirmatively to her, heading quickly to the door when a shimmer in the air signalled the teleportation of mage enemies.

Maiyn screamed for her companions to attack, Yoshimo and Kivan's shots taking down the one closest to the boy. He ran for the cabin, but another of the bandits effortlessly strode over to him, grabbing his arm tightly and pulling him through a portal where they both disappeared. Minsc roared in fury, battling several of the ogre fighters at once, his sheer strength and prowess carrying him through. Maiyn and Jaheira targeted another of the mages, Verya darting around the battle, nipping at the spellcaster and disrupting his spell to their relief. Anomen had taken down one of the human warriors, and turned his attention to the last mage, receiving backup from the archers; the battle was over swiftly, but the loss of Garren's child was a blow Maiyn was reluctant to accept.

Yoshimo furtively worked his way through the belongings of the men and ogres, eventually finding a rolled up parchment amongst some coin. He passed it to Maiyn, and she unfurled it angrily; her temper reaching seething point as she read the words on it. She thrust it out to Jaheira as she stomped off into the cabin, and the druid read it out aloud for the others.

Maiyn,

I give you the opportunity to earn back your honour, and more. This game is interesting, but it drags on and on. Come, let us meet and decide who is the better 'person'. In the northeast is our battleground. You will know it to see it. Yes, I think you will know.

Jaheira looked at the note after she'd read it, but her mind was elsewhere. Sometimes she wasn't even sure why she was still travelling with Maiyn; she didn't really blame her for all that had happened, but the extreme hurt and loss she felt regarding Khalid's death was seeking an outlet and the ranger was a convenient target. It was true that he may not have died if she hadn't left, if they hadn't had to travel hard to have any hope of catching up with her. They hadn't rested in almost two days when they were finally overwhelmed, fatigue and weariness contributing largely to the ease in which their foes had captured them.

Fatigue generated by their pursuit of the errant Maiyn.

Jaheira berated herself; the young ranger had the burdens of her heritage on her shoulders, and she had thought it was best to leave her friends behind for their own safety. Even if she hadn't, the mage would still have made an attempt on them; there was no guarantee that there'd have been any other outcome than the deaths of her husband and the Rashemeni witch. But still, if they hadn't followed her...

The druid knew Maiyn was hurting just as badly. She'd left behind the man she insisted she loved; the man she'd stuck with despite the disapproving remarks from both the Harpers as they'd travelled amidst the iron crisis. She'd willingly handed over some coin to his former lover - the mother of his child - asking her to look after him, setting off into the sunset on her own without a thought to his recovery.

But then, she didn't believe he would recover, did she? She'd resigned herself to his 'death', believing that he would never awaken, that he would drift into Arvanaith from the slumber that possessed him. The druid had to agree that the chances of his survival certainly seemed slim when nothing had any effect on him, but to walk away from your partner... Maiyn had consciously abandoned him, but she had always stood with Khalid, and he had been taken from her; he had been forced out of her life, and it wasn't fair... it would never be fair.

She blinked back the tears filling her eyes with ferocity, and scowled around the clearing. "Get these bodies away from here," she snapped to Minsc and Anomen. "We will have to tell Garren what has happened when he returns, then seek out his child."

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Garren was understandably devastated to find out what had transpired in his absence. "My son! My son is gone! I left this place in your care! I... no, no. I know it was not you. I know my enemies. Damn Jierdan Firkraag, what is his grief with me? This must end! I cannot live under his shadow... under his heel!"

"I would see it end as well," interjected Maiyn determinedly. "We will rescue your child, no matter the risk."

Garren nodded, but his attention was elsewhere. "I thank you," he said. "I don't know where you will find him though."

"I have an idea," replied Maiyn grimly. "I will find your kin, rest assured."

"You… you will travel unchallenged," said Garren quietly. "My pleas of your virtue were heard by the squires. They will take the message back to their building and send out some knights to look into the matters. They would appreciate if you would stay in the area until they get here, in good faith of your innocence."

"Of course," Maiyn assured him. "If they should arrive while we are gone, you can recommend they look to the northeast - we believe it is there we need to head."

"The northeast?" asked Garren. "There are... well, ruins there. I suppose... it would possibly be where Taar was taken. I don't know."

"We will check regardless," insisted Maiyn. "Thank you for your words to the Order - we will not fail you on this."

Garren just nodded, and watched as they set off towards the dilapidated remains of the temple. When they had disappeared from view, he turned and returned to his cabin with a heavy heart.

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The moon hung in the air; only small slivers of cloud drifted across it, casting only the slightest of shadows on the ground. Verya followed Maiyn silently as she led the way, letting her instinct guide her on their course as they navigated their way through the rocky trail leading away from the forest and into the mountainous terrain. No one spoke as they went, all consumed by their own thoughts and musings. The atmosphere wasn't tense, but it wasn't overly friendly either. They swiftly worked together, however, to eliminate the foes they came across; swarms of goblins and hobgoblins, and occasionally an ankheg bursting from the ground. They were lucky enough to not incur any serious acid damage from the insectoid creatures.

After almost an hour of travelling they heard shouts and the ringing of steel upon steel. Maiyn tensed, and signalled for the others to follow quietly. She followed Verya as the cat padded gently around a rocky outcrop, and saw several human men battling some large and fierce looking gnolls. Minsc was about to rush in to the men's defence, but Maiyn noticed Verya's tensing, and she reached out to her feline companion.

They don't smell like men.

Maiyn put out her arm to the berserker, and shook her head. He looked at her with puzzlement but accepted her decision, and the group watched from the shadows as the men easily overcame their opponents. The three turned to look in the direction of the party, as if they sensed their presence, and they began conversing.

"I did not think we deserved an audience. Despatching these creatures was well and truly easy." The tallest of the three spoke first, a proud looking man with hair the colour of ripe corn.

"Perhaps so, but are we not amazing in combat?" The brown haired man smiled as he looked at himself approvingly. "Even in these frail and hairless skins."

"Hairless perhaps," replied the blonde man. "But frail? Perhaps you should speak for yourself!"

"Now now," interjected the remaining man - his hair was vividly ginger. "Do not fight amongst yourselves. We have plenty to struggle against without turning upon each other."

"Indeed," agreed the brown haired man.

"You would agree," sneered the blonde one. "Anything he says is perfectly acceptable to you. We all know where your loyalties lie."

"Oh, just because you are bitter about being too weak to lead, you question everyone that follows as they should." The brown haired man gave the blonde man a look of contempt.

"I said to stop bickering," said the ginger haired man, raising his voice. "Have I not made myself clear?"

"Indeed," said the blonde man, almost sarcastically. "Bad form for a pack to appear as such."

"A pack?" muttered Xan quietly. "Oh Seldarine..."

"Are you more worried about our appearance when it is no more permanent than the shifting of the day or night?" wondered the brown haired man.

"Maiyn, these are-" began Xan.

"Here we go again," groaned the blonde man. "More philosophical questions. Can you not just be happy with the hunt? Must you analyse us all?"

"Werewolves!" shrieked Xan, slightly neurotically. The men were immediately reminded of their audience, and began moving towards them.

"Well, how rude," remarked the brown haired man. "I'm not sure these will be to my taste at all..."

"Regardless," roared the ginger man. "We hunt!"

With a cacophony of howls, the men rippled and twitched as they shifted into their werewolf form and charged at the group. The fighters took up a strong front line, protecting Yoshimo and Kivan as they rained down their arrows on the largest of the three, while Xan composed himself enough to cast a holding spell, rooting the smaller two to the spot. From then, the companions made short work of their enemies, moving on swiftly before they attracted too much undue attention.

"If he is also in the habit of employing werewolves we shall need to be even more cautious," warned Jaheira. Maiyn nodded, allowing Verya to scout ahead diligently. Before long they turned into a small valley between two of the steeper slopes, and discovered the remains of a ruined temple. Elaborate paintings of serpents and wyrms adorned the fallen pillars, and rubble littered the still grand entrance, a staircase that led deep underground into the heart of the building.

Maiyn took a deep breath and checked the others were good to go. She patted Verya on the head as her companions began descending. "You don't need to come in here," she whispered.

I will follow.

Maiyn nodded and followed Kivan as he began descending the stairs.

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"Tell me," said Yoshimo quietly as they wandered down the dark passage. "How did you get into adventuring? It is a dangerous business, as well you know. Any one of us could die without even a moment's notice."

Maiyn glanced at the thief briefly. The passage was long, and they'd been walking for several minutes without any sign of it ending. It seemed like an odd occasion to start a conversation, but she replied regardless. "I did not so much get into it, as it was forced upon me."

"Forced upon you?" he queried. "What do you mean?"

"My father was killed by a man who was looking to kill me," replied Maiyn simply. "I was alone with no place to call home when I started on this road. I had no choice."

"I see," he said thoughtfully. "Tell me more about this man who killed your father."

Maiyn looked at him properly with an arched eyebrow. "Why do you want to know?"

Yoshimo shrugged, smiling pleasantly enough. "I always like to know about the people I travel with."

"There isn't much to say," Maiyn retorted. "I hunted him down and killed him. End of story."

"Is not the story a bit more involved than that?" asked Yoshimo quietly.

Maiyn stopped and frowned at him. He also paused, looking back at her with a completely innocent expression. "I have no further details that I wish to depart," she said abruptly, moving on and signalling the end of the conversation.

"As you wish it," he muttered. "I was merely curious."

Maiyn's frown stayed with her as they kept marching and she could see Jaheira giving her a curious look. The ranger glanced quickly to Yoshimo, and the druid's eyebrow arched. Maiyn manoeuvred herself over to walk by her side and recounted the conversation in whispers.

"He is perhaps just curious," said Jaheira in a hushed tone. "But I would advise caution regardless, unless you are willing to trust both him and the priest with what you really are."

"I will, eventually," said Maiyn quietly. "I will have to if they stay with us for long enough, but not yet."

Jaheira nodded. "The paladins that are arriving from the Order may recognise you, but it is unlikely. They will want to know your name; are you willing to have your presence in these lands so freely known?"

Maiyn shook her head. "Not yet. I told Garren my name was Verya before he left," she replied. "I will keep with that name for now."

"You do not think Anomen and Yoshimo shall wonder at your use of a false name?"

"Yoshimo will not suspect anything, I don't think," mused Maiyn. "He is in the correct trade to expect people to be guarded and suspicious after all. I will think of something to tell Anomen when we are done here."

Jaheira nodded. "I am glad that your caution has stayed with you, despite all these changes in your character. Come, we should keep up with the others."

Maiyn watched Jaheira stalk ahead to the front of the group and she let out a quiet sigh. She didn't doubt that the druid wanted to be there for her, but it was obvious that she was finding it difficult - and from the parting comment, it was painfully obvious that Jaheira was concerned about Maiyn's actions since they escaped from Irenicus' dungeon.

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Eventually the passage ended, and they made their way through caverns and tunnels inhabited by hobgoblins, ogrillons, orcs and other assorted foes. One of the hobgoblins had managed to teleport away from them, shouting that he had to report their arrival to his master. At one point after that, they'd encountered a rakshasa, standing before an immense obsidian door; the creature had delighted in sending his pet kobolds after them, much to Xan's despair. The party had been caught completely by surprise as they rushed the beasts only to have the kobolds explode, causing severe burns to Minsc and Anomen.

Now they were standing outside a rotten-looking wooden door, and Maiyn was listening to the bustling noises coming from beyond. She regarded the others, and shrugged, pushing the door open cautiously, and stepping lightly through into the room.

A troll looked up from his place at a large table and nodded amiably. "Hello there foodthing," it said in a gravelly voice. "You just in time. Please just jump onto the grill over there."

Maiyn ignored Yoshimo's snigger behind her, and looked blankly at the chef. "Pardon me?"

"The grill. That big metal thing," replied the troll, pointing to the massive range at the far end of the room. "Jump on. Be careful - it's hot!"

"You speak well for a troll," stated Maiyn, ignoring its request.

"My mother tried hard to give me good learning. She sent me to live with these hobgoblins here. They smart. Trained me how to cook real good." The troll sounded proud.

"What about the orcs?" asked Maiyn, wondering about her making small-talk with the beast.

"They smell bad," replied the troll dourly. "But they okay I guess. They can be mean sometimes. Chief Digdag sometimes cuts my fingers off, and throws them onto the grill. Says they taste like sausages."

Maiyn just knew Xan was wincing in the passage as he listened to the conversation. "Doesn't that hurt?" she wondered aloud.

"Yep, but I'm a troll. Fingers cut off, fingers grow back. Now, quit talking and start broiling! Chief Digdag doesn't like me talking to the food."

"I'm not letting you cook me, you crazy troll!" exclaimed Maiyn.

The troll paused its chopping, and looked thoughtful. "Uncle Cajum, he was crazy. Me, I'm not crazy. I'm a cook." It smiled. "Now get onto the grill!"

"I really don't want to get on the grill," protested Maiyn.

The troll sighed. "If you don't get on the grill, how am I going to cook you?"

"But I don't want to be cooked!"

"If you didn't want to be cooked, why did you come here?"

"I am lost," said Maiyn quickly.

"Oh. Well, off you go. If you see the foodthing, send it here."

"Right," said Maiyn, quickly retreating, and pulling the door closed. She looked at her bemused companions and couldn't help but grin herself. "Well, that was interesting," she said lightly. "Let's see what else this place has in store for us."

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"I think I preferred the talking troll!" screamed Xan as he led the way down the corridor.

"Less talking, more running!" shouted Maiyn, glancing quickly behind her. Their foes were getting closer.

"Boo does not understand why we run," roared Minsc. "We should be kicking the butts of the evil-"

"We run to get a proper defensive position," yelled Maiyn quickly, pushing Xan firmly through the door. "Away," she said to Verya firmly, watching the cat retreat into the shadows. She had no wish to see her companion torn apart in front of her.

Eventually they were all in the room; the fighters took up positions at the doorway, Xan and the archers behind them, preparing for the vampires to catch up. Anomen offered a quick prayer to Helm, an aura of white light surrounding him as he was protected from any negative energy. Maiyn's heart was thumping in her chest, and she made a mental note to ask for such a blessing from Fenmarel when next she prayed to him. Then they arrived.

They were fast and they were skilled. They had a thirst for blood, and they were determined to get it from the party. Kivan and Yoshimo's arrows seemed to do very little damage on the rare occasion they made their targets, and Maiyn was having a hard job avoiding the fangs of the taller one, who had decided she'd make the perfect prey.

Larry was shrieking with delight as Minsc swung him around. "Kill it! Kill it quick before they're all gone!"

Minsc too was roaring in delight. "Fear not!" he shouted, heading into his familiar berserker rage. "I will inspire you all by charging blindly on!" With that he chased one of the offending vampires back through the doorway, and yelled his appreciation at the assembled undead who had been shambling slowly after their vampiric masters. Jaheira groaned and followed him, leaving Anomen to deal with the smallest of the three vampires.

The cleric drew out his symbol of Helm, brandishing it at the undead creature and causing it to recoil slightly in terror. Anomen quickly grasped the advantage this gave to him, closing in with the magical mace they'd picked up from the Copper Coronet. It didn't take long for the experienced warrior to better the creature, and it faded into a gaseous form, drifting out of sight.

Anomen leapt over to help Maiyn with her struggle, narrowly missing the green arrow that streaked past, hitting the vampire squarely on the shoulder. It flinched slightly in pain, turning its gaze to look directly at Xan. Maiyn heard the enchanter whimper slightly and Kivan suddenly ran past, throwing himself onto the mage and knocking him to the ground. She didn't get a chance to question the odd actions of her companions, as the vampire had turned its attention back to her, and was easily avoiding her blows as it lunged in attack.

Maiyn stumbled as she tried to dodge, and the vampire's clawed hands viciously tore into her unprotected arms. She cried out in pain and desperately tried to get up, but the creature was on her. She saw its evil face as it grinned down at her, then a searing pain shot through her body as a piercing sensation rippled across her neck.

Anomen's mace caught it firmly, knocking it away from the elf. He used his symbol to repel it, finishing it off with Minsc's assistance; the berserker had returned when he'd heard Maiyn's scream. Jaheira was immediately by her side, examining the wound, and murmuring her healing spells over it while Yoshimo searched around for any valuables. Kivan was helping Xan to stand - the mage had been charmed by the creature, and was looking quite sheepish, ignoring the thief's jokes about the irony of the party enchanter himself being enchanted.

Jaheira called Anomen over. "She has been bitten," she said calmly. "Are you feeling weak, child?"

Maiyn scowled inwardly at being called a child, but said nothing. She did feel strange - it wasn't exactly weak, but it was... odd. "I'm not sure," she said. "I feel almost like I'm... missing something."

Jaheira nodded. "You have been energy drained," said the druid. "Anomen can help you, I believe."

The squire nodded, holding onto his symbol of Helm as he uttered the prayer to his God. As he finished, he reached out and touched Maiyn lightly and a warm glow spread over her body. Slowly she began to feel better; more whole. She smiled her thanks to him and he regarded her warmly in return, but the action had left him drained, and he seemed weary and fatigued.

"Let us find somewhere safe to stop," she said to her companions. "We will camp as it must be late by now, and we want to be alert when we get closer to whoever is behind all this."

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"I understand Gorion was very much like a father to you," said Anomen quietly as he sat by Maiyn on the last guard duty. They had managed to find a small room that seemed to be safe enough to use for a brief respite. Maiyn had been telling him about her childhood in Candlekeep, talking fondly about both her father and Imoen. "The relationship you had with him sounds admirable."

"He was a kind and patient man," replied Maiyn. "He was a great mentor to both myself and Imoen."

"I see," said Anomen thoughtfully. "I must admit, my lady, that I am rather jealous of you."

Maiyn looked at him in surprise. "Jealous? Why? He is dead; your own father is alive, is he not?"

"Lord Cor is alive, yes," said Anomen, a trace of bitterness in his voice. "He is nothing like your Gorion though; we do not have a good relationship. If he is not deep in his cups, he is demanding I uphold the family honour... or telling me what a worthless son I have become."

"You are not worthless," said Maiyn gently. "You are on your way to becoming a Knight of the Order. He should be proud of you."

Anomen snorted. "He was derisive of my choice to join the Order. He wanted me to take over the family mercantile business... something I truly do not have the stomach for. I would have given much for my father to be my mentor, but instead I endured his abuse until I was able to squire for the Order. I fled as quickly as I was able to."

"You must be glad to get away from him."

Anomen sat silently for a few minutes. "I suppose I am telling you this because... you remind me a little of my sister, Moira. She is young and determined and... I miss her. Perhaps the only thing of my family I do miss. I regret abandoning her to her fate with Lord Cor... But there was... there was... little I could do. She... I am sure she... No. Never mind."

Maiyn gently took the squire's hand, and he put up no resistance as she squeezed it gently in support. "When we return to Athkatla we should visit," she said softly. "I would like to meet her."

"I do not think my father would welcome visitors, my lady," said Anomen doubtfully.

"Then you can fetch her, and we can meet her somewhere in the city," said Maiyn brightly. "We could go to the circus together, or something." Anomen seemed to cheer up with this thought, and he nodded; slowly at first, but then more quickly as he thought over the possibilities, and he smiled to the elf.

"You are kind to listen to me, my lady," he said. "I think of her alone sometimes, alone in the manor with our father. Her last letter suggested she was bearing up well, but I think she was merely trying to ease my guilt. It cannot be easy for her and I wish that I could take her away and send her somewhere she could be happy."

"Why don't you?" asked Maiyn.

Anomen laughed slightly. "The Order does not pay well, my lady," he sighed. "And even if I had the wealth, Moira would refuse to go anywhere. She stays to take care of him, even at his drunken worst. Since our mother died I think she can hardly imagine doing anything else. I hope the old bastard does not treat her too harshly."

Maiyn just nodded, not knowing what to say for the best. Anomen looked back to her, and smiled slightly.

"Tell me about Imoen. I gather from your childhood tales that you are close to her?"

"Yes," said Maiyn softly. "I miss her terribly. I had always imagined we would be together; a stupid, childish notion perhaps, but one I was reluctant to give up. To have her taken from me as she was is almost unbearable, but I will do everything I can to get her back."

It was Anomen's turn to squeeze her hand. "What happened is a terrible thing, my lady," he said gently. "As long as I am free to, I will do everything I can to help you locate her and free her from her imprisonment. Of that, you have my word."

Maiyn beamed to him, and he smiled in return. "Thank you," she said sincerely. "That means a lot to me."