No, I didn't die. I just had waaayyyy to much stuff to do. And I kinda got playing BG again and, well, got addicted all over again. Sorry! Well at least I got a feeling for the original game again and not just the sequel. Anyway...
Yay! Chapter 4! Again sorry about the poor grammar/spelling/punctuation/ect, I lack a betareader. :( But I hope you're enjoying the story anyway. If you are, please give me feedback! I'd like to know what you all think of it!)
I don't own BG or any of its NPC's, Bioware does.

Two weeks they had wasted so far in the pursuit of the Rashamani berserker's lost witch. She had been kidnapped by gnolls, and was most likely was now dead and eaten. It was unfortunate, but such was life, especially to the inexperienced.

Xan snorted. Not that that would matter to our illustrious leader. With how easily she gets distracted, it's amazing she accomplishes anything at all.

Xan was in a bad mood. Not his usual funk, no this was another even more dismal mood brought on by the fact that he was cold, wet, tired, and had a headache just waiting for someone or something to come along and give a little push and help it achieve its dream of one day becoming a full blown migraine. He walked at the back of the group, trudging along through the misty wilderness in pursuit of a dead woman. So this is how my life will end.

"So Xan," And here's the push... "what'dya think of our adventure so far?"

"Imoen," Xan said, slowly massaging his temples, "we're on yet another suicide mission, it's cold out despite it being late summer, I'm pretty sure we're lost, and to top it all off its raining."

Imoen grinned widely, threw her arms and head back and closed her eyes face up to the rain, "And it's wonderful isn't it?"

Xan shook his head.

"Liquid sunshine Winthrop used to call it," Imoen said adjusting her hood as she caught back up with him. "Besides I can find flaws in all the reasons you think this is horrible."

Maybe if he was quiet she would leave him alone.

"It's cold but that's keeping us more alert and our senses keen to take in the beauty up here! We might not know exactly where we are but that just means we're closer to another adventure! Also you said 'another suicide mission', if it were truly a suicide mission we'd have died on the first one! Just gotta look on the bright side Xanny!" She finished her speech by slapping him hard on the back, sending his already throbbing head reeling.

"Imoen," Xan said slowly, grating his teeth, "Would you please, please just leave me alone?"

"Jeez, someone got up on the wrong side of the bed. You know what would cheer you up?"

"I don't care," Xan said interrupting her.

"See that's your problem! Ya gotta care more! Be more enthusiastic! Smile once in a while and quit looking for death and find the silver lining!"

"Imoen, I do not look for death, I simply accept it's coming and recognize the pointlessness in fighting the inevitable."

"Such a pessimist!" Imoen continued on her speech undeterred, telling Xan all the ways he could improve himself if he just was a little happier, never noticing Xan pulling out his spellbook and pointedly ignoring her.

The rain had stopped a while later and the sun had begun to shine through the thin clouds. A wispy rainbow began to unveil its self in the now darkening sky. Just beyond the mist, the looming gray of an abandoned keep towered on the craggy cliff side, its walls glimmering in the weak light. The golden light of the setting sun setting it ablaze.

Xan stopped and stared at the crumbling towers. The mist, the mountainous terrain around him, the stout keep withstanding, albeit badly, the test of weather and time, it stirred something in him.

Home.

Of course it would be a ruin that would reminded him of his shining Evereska– it would be just that with time. His lush home slowly pulled away from the elves as Tethyr and all the other lands the elves had foolishly allowed humans to live on. He didn't hate humans, he hated losing his home. He hated himself for not being able to stop it. Just as the sun was setting now, he was living in the eve of the time of the elves. He sighed.

"You're the only one I know that could find sorrow in all that beauty."

Xan jumped slightly. Mina had come up beside him and was staring with a dreamy look at the shinning castle. "Reminds me of a story I read back in Candlekeep about a floating castle kept aloft by magic crystals."

His mouth went dry, "Did, did you read a lot in Candlekeep?" Why did she always make him so uneasy?

"I used to read all the time back home, don't have much time for it anymore. I really miss it though. I used to imagine I was one of the characters, going on some high adventure, changing the fate of the world." She smiled whimsically, "Gorion always called me a dreamer. He told me to be careful what I wish for. I guess he was right."

Xan glanced over at Mina, her gaze had fallen "You miss him don't you?"

"He was my father. I don't know what to do without him, I feel like I'm simply floundering around most of the time, just surviving on luck."

"You probably are." Why in the world did he say that? That isn't what she needed to hear right now, she needed comfort not... him. "Luck runs out. You should hope you get experienced at least somewhat before it does. That way you may be able to put off the inevitable a bit longer than normal. However given your extraordinary circumstances I doubt we will have such a leisure."

She sighed, almost as melancholic as his, "I know."

He was such an idiot. He was telling a recently orphaned and now hunted child, that she was going to run out of luck and die. He should be comforting her, not telling her she was going to die. But why sugar coat the world just to have her get a reality check later on? "I-I lost my father at a young age too."

She looked up at him, "I'm so sorry."

He nodded. "I know, at least somewhat, what you're going through. If you ever, if you need someone to talk to, I'll try and be of help."

She smiled at him, "I appreciate that." His heart stopped.

"We should, um, catch up with the others."

Mina nodded, suddenly more cheerful, "You're right. We'll have plenty of time to admire that fortress tomorrow while we look for Dynaheir."

He watched her walk on ahead, catching up with her sister and begin chatting animatedly. She had such a strange effect on him. He needed to keep better control of his emotions if he was going to be of any use to the group.

They had made camp that night in a small cave so as to stay out of the rain. Of course they had to drive its occupant, a very angry bear, out first. However it seemed that the bear had only stopped in the cave for shelter from the rain too as the cave didn't have the telltale smells that a bear's den would have. At least they had a small stroke of luck. The night was uneventful, save for Mina's nightmares, and the next morning they headed towards the Gnoll Stronghold.

oOo

Xan's back thudded against the rough crumbling wall behind him. The sound of his heavy breathing barely audible over the battle that raged just in front of his cover. Their plan of sneaking in and rescuing the witch had failed. Imoen and Kivan had been seen and a horde of gnolls had fallen on them. The rescue party had to be rescued. This was going so well.

An arrow slammed into the wall beside Xan's head. He rolled to the side and shot a stream of fire at his attacker, burning the beast and the friends it had brought with it as well. There were so many gnolls here. Of course it was their stronghold, but this many was just ludicrous. Mina had run out of spells a while ago and he wasn't far from running out either. Jaheria had shape-shifted and was using the wolf's sharp teeth to pierce the gnoll's armor like skin. Khalid and Minsc had managed to bottle neck the gnolls advance between one of their prison pits and the tall castle wall.

Yet they just kept coming. Despite their best efforts they came, and the witch still hadn't been found. It was like the monsters were coming out of the ground. The group was growing tired, and they wouldn't be able to hold them off forever.

"Clear the area!" Xan turned to see Mina rushing to the group, a dirty scroll clenched in her fist. Before anyone had a time to move, she began to cast. Xan didn't recognize all the words of it, but he distinctly heard the word 'fire' in her quick chanting. The fighters began to retreat, covered by Kivan and Imoen's arrows from just past where he himself was sheltering.

The gnolls began to swarm the slight girl, but her concentration was on the spell, her brow creased and her mouth quickly shaping the incantation. One slip, one simple mispronunciation, and the spell would fizzle.

The gnolls surrounded her completely, the largest of them raised his weapon. Xan looked away. He couldn't bear to watch what he knew was going to happen next. An explosion echoed around the keep, causing bits of loose rubble to fall from the walls. Silence; not a single snort or scuffle of the gnolls could be heard.

Imoen popped up from the rocks she had sheltered behind, "What was that?"

"Sunfire," Mina answered, sounding slightly smug.

Sure enough, when Xan rose from his spot of concealment he could see Mina, completely unharmed if not somewhat smug looking. She was, though, standing in the heart of what looked like an explosion of gnolls.

"Don't you ever do something as insane as that again!" Jaheira stormed, rushing over to the girl. She had evidently shifted back into her natural form and was practically shaking with either rage or worry. "You are a mage child! Mages are not meant to rush into the heart of battle! You could have gotten yourself killed!"

"Jaheira," Mina said, attempting to calm the druid, "I am still breathing see? You can even check my pulse if you'd like."

"That is not the point!"

"I believe the point could be that she stopped the gnolls," Kivan stated, placing a hand on Jaheira's shoulder. "She did after all."

"Yes but..."

"He is right d-dear," Khalid said coming up beside his wife. "And she is still alive."

"Yeah Jay!" Imoen said, bounding up beside her sister. "And besides that it was totally awesome! The flames just went BOOM out of nowhere around her and-"

"Jaheira is right though," Mina broke through her sister's chatter. "I should have been a bit more careful. I just didn't see another option at the time. I'll be more careful, I promise."

Jaheira crossed her arms and stared at her for a moment before finally sighing, "Well we have a witch to rescue don't we?"

For being so young, Mina showed exceptional skill at managing her party members.

They searched for hours before they finally found the witch. She was dying. Xan knew she would be, he just wished he was wrong. He watched silently as the large Rashamani, with a gentleness unexpected from his size, scooped the dark skinned girl up in his arms and brought her to Jaheira. They all could tell from one look at the tortured body that she wouldn't last the night. Minsc gently laid her body on his bed roll as Jaheria and Kivan knelt over her, doing their best for the sake of the berserker to at least make her passing less pain filled.

Xan felt someone grip his elbow tightly and look down to see Mina standing beside him. "I was too slow," she breathed, her voice catching.

"You can't blame yourself Mina. People die, especially adventurers. There was nothing you could have done, death is inevitable."

She blinked and he saw a tear slide down her cheek. "Do you think, do you think we could raise her? Once we get back to Nashkel?"

He sighed. "Mina," he said slowly, turning the teary-eyed girl to face him, "Did you see her body? She was tortured, tortured to the point her body began shutting down. Her body is in such a state that her spirit wouldn't be able to return to it. There is nothing we could – or can – do for her. You can't save everyone."

"I can try," she replied, raising her chin and staring at him defiantly.

"You can, and you will die," he said, looking her in the eyes. "There are somethings that just can't be done. They will be beyond your reach, their tasks beyond your skills. You will exhaust yourself, you will stretch yourself too far, you will wither and die. And where will that get you? What good would you be to those you seem to so desperately want to save?"

"What would you do then? Let everyone die?" her voice had turned icy.

He turned away from her, her and the dying witch. "Everyone dies anyway."

"Yes, everyone does die Xan," she stepped in front of him, not letting him look away from her. Her eyes were like ice and as hard as agates. "But you know that bit in the middle, between birth and death? It's called life, and it's worth fighting for; every life."