Disclaimer: I do not own 'Shadows of Amn', the 'Forgotten Realms' or any characters therein. Wizards of the Coast do, at my last check. Lucky them.
I do, however, own Fritha and certain other characters and plot points. Basically, if you don't recognise it from the game, it's probably mine.

– Blackcross & Taylor

Playing for keeps

Fritha stood at the door, her room laid out before her; still and empty, and lit only by the grey light that poured through the window as the city waited for dawn. One final glance about her to ensure she had everything, one final moment to enjoy the solitude, before she shouldered her pack with a sigh and made her way downstairs. She had done her duty last night, sitting in the bar and chatting with the group about her, answering their questions with a confidence she certainly didn't feel. Minsc had been a help once he'd arrived though, explaining in detail their situation and Irenicus' immanent demise by their hand with an enthusiasm that bordered on psychotic.

She could see him now as she reached the foot of the stairs, stood at least half a head taller than any other in the tavern, not that he'd much competition then: the large room practically empty at that time of the morning. She smiled as she watched the way his eyes lingered over the elf before him. The ranger seemed to have taken Fritha's orders in the circus to heart, for she noticed he still took a protective stance with Aerie even now, though he hardly watched her as he had Dynaheir. The girl herself was still packing her bag, Nalia hovering anxiously at her arm, already packed and ready to leave. Anomen seemed nervous as well, though he was concealing it much better, stood by the door with his shield slung across his back as she had seen Khalid carry his many times before.

Fritha's breath caught at the unexpected thought of the man, but she concealed it behind a yawn, bringing a sleeve up to her face to hide both. Jaheira was stood next to him and she wondered if the druid had noticed it too, though either way she was glad to see her. Jaheira had not made an appearance the night before, but it had not been entirely unexpected and Fritha had spoken with the girl at the bar, arranging for some dishes to be sent up to her room, not seeing why the woman should have to choose between the sufferings of company or hunger. Jaheira glanced up at that moment, almost as though her thoughts had provoked her, a frown already creasing her brow as Fritha approached.

'What are you wearing?' the woman exclaimed by way of greeting, drawing all eyes to her and Fritha glanced down. Her tunic was the plain blue one the druid had seen a hundred times before, so she assumed her fuss was due to her loose linen trousers and, more specifically, the fact they now ended at her mid-calf, her feet looking overly large and pale in the new sandals.

'Clothes,' she answered with forced briskness, hoping to indicate that it was not a topic for discussion. It was strange how things changed. There had been a time not so long ago when such attention drawn to herself would have had her scarlet within seconds, but now it hardly seemed to register.

One final check of equipment and route, and they left, passing under the arches of the city gates in time for the dawn, heading eastwards into the rising sun as they began the day's walk through the forests to Nalia's home.

It turned out to be another hot fine day, though the shade of the trees took the edge from the heat and Fritha found some peace in the walk, glad to be out of a city that, so far, held only bad memories for her. And so she walked along, following Minsc as he found their path and letting her gaze drift along with her thoughts, falling upon absent friends as they willed, but also on some unfamiliar plant or bird call. Of course, Imoen would come to her more often than most, but there was nothing to be done in mere thoughts of her friend. Fritha had her goal, albeit a distant one, and now the responsibility of Imoen's rescue lay on her, misery was just another luxury she could not afford.

Fritha sighed, losing herself in the whisper of the trees and the chatter of Nalia and Aerie behind her. The girls had become instant friends, something which served only to please her, as, rather selfishly, it meant she did not feel responsible for providing company for either of them. Anomen seemed to have settled in well enough too and was currently leading the way with Minsc, though he did occasionally keep glancing back to her with a concerned look, and that too was a pleasing distraction, Fritha entertaining herself with wondering what Minsc and Boo were telling the poor boy.

She felt she sensed a change in Jaheira as well, the druid always more at ease with herself when out in natural world. The woman was walking just ahead of her, eyes half closed and Fritha considered she might be praying when she stopped suddenly, glancing back to catch her eye and Fritha sent her a slight smile, Jaheira slowing her pace to join her.

'Cool enough for you?' she asked with a nod to her white, sandaled and now slightly muddy feet, and Fritha smiled, hearing the slight tinge of disapproval that was still lingering about the issue and deciding to ignore it.

'Yes, thank you. It's nice to be out of the city's glare, don't you think?'

Jaheira snorted at her double meaning and did not try to disguise her appraising look, though her tone was casual. 'You seem in better spirits today.'

'As do you… it is easier when you're doing something, isn't it?'

The woman watched her a moment longer before nodding, turning her attention back to their path.

'Yes. Yes, it is. Ah, I think our knightling would have words with you.'

Fritha glanced up to notice Anomen had dropped back slightly, pausing as they drew level and falling into step with them, Fritha between the two and wondering what Minsc had finally said to drive him into seeking their company.

'Ladies,' he greeted. The women shared a look.

'Anomen.'

A moment of silence followed where Anomen stared across her to Jaheira, seeming to expect the woman to excuse herself, but the druid merely returned his look impassively and in the end he seemed to realise the conversation would be in front of her or not at all.

'My lady,' he began stalwartly, returning his attention to her with a smile.

'Fritha,' she interjected, though he seemed not to notice the interruption.

'My lady, we have travelled together a short while now and I am surprised that you have yet to ask me of my travels ere we met. I would have thought it would be of importance to know the experiences of those you will later enter battle with.'

Fritha stared at him a moment. She had hardly shared a dozen words with him since they met and, to be brutally honest, what he had been doing beforehand was at the bottom of a very long list of her current concerns. Fritha sighed; aware she should not be taking out her melancholy on any of the newcomers.

'Then tell me, if you wish.'

'There is precious little to tell-'

'Then why bring it up?' she heard Jaheira mutter at her side and suppressed a smile with some difficulty.

'-although my few adventures have been glorious indeed,' Anomen continued reassuringly, as though worried she doubted it. 'The path to knighthood is a long one, however, hence the need for my travels. But a few of my deeds have reached the ears of bards.'

Fritha did smile at that, wondering what sort of songs a conversation with Anomen would inspire.

'Battle is commonplace enough throughout Amn, and the Order has fielded its army many times in recent years. Most recently, however, let me think…' He made a show of stroking his beard a moment, apparently lost in thought, and Fritha glanced to Jaheira who scowled. 'Ah yes, I was with our men when the orcs came down into the Ommlur Hills once again. In great numbers they are a force to fear, but individually they are no match for a warrior. I, myself, was able to fight through many of them and take the head of one of their foul chieftains.'

'Oh… that sounds very… impressive,' said Fritha, hiding her bewilderment behind a wan smile. What had suddenly prompted all this she was not sure, but his intensity was unmistakable and Fritha wondered who he wanted to convince more, her or himself. But Anomen merely beamed, her words seeming to bolster him and he continued with conviction.

'Aye, it has been a struggle to prove my worth to the Order. I wish nothing more than to ride into battle with the crest of Radiant Heart flying over my head. But I speak too much of my own deeds, one would think me preoccupied with pride.'

'Never,' muttered Jaheira at her ear and Fritha snorted, unexpectedly amused, hiding her face in her sleeve and trying to disguise it as coughing as Anomen gave her a suspicious glance.

'I would not blame you were you not interested in my tales of prowess,' he conceded; her 'coughing' was obviously fooling no one. 'I am interested in hearing something of yours, however. I have been told a little of your deeds in the Sword Coast, albeit they do sound quite fanciful and exaggerated.'

Oh, now they had the truth of it; he had found out who they were.

Suddenly Anomen's behaviour did not seem so odd and Fritha glanced up to find him watching her, as though waiting for her to cry 'Slander!' and correct him with a few heady tales of adventure.

'Is that so?' she mumbled, taking a sudden and keen interest in her fingernails -Baldur's Gate was the last place she wanted to be reminded of. Anomen, though, was undeterred.

'Well, perhaps you could tell-'

'Why are you so interested in tales you have already stated you believe are little more than lies?' cut in Jaheira sharply, Fritha sending her a reproachful look as Anomen went pink. But the druid ignored both, taking Fritha's arm and quickening her pace to drag the girl with her, Fritha sending Anomen an apologetic glance over her shoulder that he returned with a healthy scowl. Well, she'd tried.

'How can you stand talking to that conceited idiot?' Jaheira snarled the instant they were out of earshot, releasing her arm to walk at a normal pace and Fritha sighed.

'Jaheira…I just think he's nervous. He's heard all about our glorious adventures up in the Gate. I expect he thinks he has to prove himself.'

'With what? His embellished accounts of his own adventures or his accusations that we have done the same?'

Fritha sincerely doubted his words had offended Jaheira in the slightest. But the past was a painful place for the druid at the moment and, as usual, it seemed she was reacting to her grief just as she reacted to every other strong emotion: blind fury. Fritha smiled gently, trying to return to the camaraderie they had shared before Anomen's unintentional disruption.

'Think of your Balance, Jaheira, there has to be arrogant people like Anomen in the world to balance out all the humble people.'

'Lecture me not on what you have little understanding of, girl! Not even in jest! And let me assure you that there are more than enough arrogant idiots wandering about the Realms to tip the scales well in their favour!'

Fritha frowned slightly; she had promised herself she would keep patience with them all that day. It wasn't even noon and already she was tired with the effort.

'That may well as be, but I doubt any comments to the fact from you will make Anomen more amicable. Be nice, Jaheira…'

The woman scowled. 'It is not in my nature to indulge others' idiocy.'

Fritha forced a smile, her voice even. 'Well, this will be an excellent opportunity for you to practise then.'

But Jaheira clearly didn't think so, for she stormed to the head of the group for a short argument with a bewildered Minsc and was still walking next to him in stony silence over two hours later. Fritha found it very hard to care. It was far more rewarding to simply enjoy the peace than attempt to keep it and she merely followed them, vaguely contemplating the various tactics for attacking a siege camp and taking pleasure in the shade.

'My lady?' came a voice and she glanced up to find Anomen had fallen into step with her, his eyes fixed resolutely on the path ahead as he continued.

'I have been thinking on our conversation before, on how the tales of you from the North seemed rather farfetched. I was not discounting the stories entirely. I know I can seem awkward with words sometimes, Fritha, and I… I meant no disrespect in what I said.'

Fritha shook her head with a smile; ah, he was all right really. 'It's fine, Anomen, some tales do grow with the telling.'

'Yes, yes quite,' he agreed earnestly, seizing on the idea with a genial laugh, 'I mean some of the stories I've heard have you saving Baldur's Gate and averting the impending war!'

'Do they really?' she answered mildly, but on seeing the uncertainty in his look she shook her head and stopped to face him. 'It's true, Anomen, we saved the Gate. How we got around to it was overly complex: all bounty hunters and Grand Dukes. But yes, we killed the one who was trying to start a war with Amn.'

Fritha sighed, turning back to their path; it all sounded so mundane when she put it like that. Anomen was clearly disappointed and she felt a twinge of guilt. Perhaps she could have told him a story of their time in the Gate, but even thinking back to it now brought a lump to her throat. They had all been together back then. Khalid and Dynaheir had been alive, Imoen never far from her side and she just couldn't bear to relive something she knew was gone forever.

Anomen did not try to catch up with her again and she walked the last few hours alone once more, though much less peacefully, her mind finding it difficult to settle again once such memories had been stirred up.

xxx

It was late afternoon when Nalia approached her, the elf at her elbow, to explain they would be arriving at the keep before long and Fritha halted the group soon after, sending Jaheira and Minsc to scout ahead, though their findings were not as expected.

'There's no siege?' Fritha repeated as Minsc stood before her, gravely shaking his head, and she tried to quell her sudden dread. 'But what do you mean?'

'I would have thought that obvious,' muttered Jaheira, but Fritha ignored her, instead turning to Nalia, the girl pale under her freckles.

'No siege?' she murmured, looking distant, 'they surely would not have just left, unless…'

And suddenly she was off, flying through the undergrowth heedless of their cries.

'Nalia, wait!'

Fritha caught her just at the edge of the clearing, the castle standing tall and silent before them with banners lowered and drawbridge raised.

'Oh no! Oh gods, they've taken the keep!' Nalia cried, but Fritha hadn't even the chance to draw breath for some words of comfort, when the girl continued earnestly, pointing north through the trees to a small wooden compound. 'Come, there's a palisade up ahead, perhaps he escaped.'

They carried on, though much more sedately at Fritha's insistence, giving the others a chance to catch up, and the group entered the palisade more or less as one.

Inside, men sat and lay in varying degrees of injury, though no soldier had escaped unscathed it seemed, Aerie and Jaheira moving over to the worst as soon as they entered as Fritha stepped forward with Nalia. Most of the men just stared up at them, doing nothing to disturbed the heavy air of defeat, though one rose stiffly to greet them, battered plumed helmet under his bandaged arm.

'Lady Nalia!' he cried, clearly surprised to see her, before propriety seemed to catch him and he bowed, Nalia gathering up her skirts for a slight curtsey; an observance of the formalities still had a place there, whatever had happened.

'Arat, these are the mercenaries I hired to help us,' she explained, sweeping a hand across their group, 'Fritha, this is Captain Arat.'

The man straightened and they shook hands. 'Arat, lady, commander of the garrison.'

Fritha nodded politely. 'Well met, sir, when did this happen?'

'Sometime last night. We were breached somehow through the cellars. We fought room by room to keep the place, but once Lord de'Arnise disappeared it was hopeless and we had battle enough to lead what few men remained out.'

Nalia swallowed, her mask of the commanding young noblewomen slipping. 'Father disappeared? But you did not see him fall?' she pressed, looking slightly relieved as the captain shook his head.

'I did not, lady. As far as I know, both he and your Aunt are still alive within the keep. I was hoping they would demand a ransom for my Lord; even trolls must realise his value, but we have had no word as yet…'

Fritha swallowed, very aware of the time that had passed since the keep fell; still, she had come through worse.

'Right,' she began, turning to Nalia, 'is there any other way in bar the main gates?'

The girl nodded once. 'Yes, I know of one. I would use it to sneak out of the keep…' she smiled ruefully, 'when I wanted to escape Aunt Delcia's rules. Come, I'll show you.'

Fritha nodded, returning her attention the captain.

'Okay, have your men ready. We'll enter, secure the ground floor and courtyard then open the gates. Your men can hold the lower floors and guard our rear as we advance through the keep. The castle will be ours again by sunrise.'

Arat saluted, looking somewhat lifted and Fritha nodded once, wishing she felt as confident as she sounded as she turned to follow the others out. After a quick scan of the battlements, Nalia led them across to an overgrown section of bushes along the west wall, a narrow sally-port concealed within. The stone of the door matched so well with the surrounding frame Fritha would have passed it by had it not been pointed out to her and she watched as the girl stooped before it a moment, deftly picking the lock, before the door swung forward without a sound.

'Now, don't worry,' began Fritha gently, turning to Nalia as the others filed through the doorway behind her. 'Just return to the palisade; I shall send news out to you with Captain Arat once the gates are open.'

'Wait!' the girl cried, catching her sleeve as she went to turn, 'I wish to come too.'

Fritha frowned, but more with concern than any real impatience and she could already feel the heat of disapproving eyes on her back.

'Nalia…'

'No,' the girl interjected with an authoritarian tone Jaheira would have been proud of, 'I have hired you, I will hear of nothing else!'

But Fritha sent her a measured look and the pretence died instantly.

'Fritha, please,' she implored, anxiously wringing her hands, 'I know the layout and can pick any lock in the keep… please,' she continued, her voice growing softer, 'he's my father.'

'Oh, all right,' Fritha sighed at last, sending up a prayer to anyone listening that she did not regret this later, 'can you fight?'

'Well, I can use a bow.' Nalia smiled tentatively. 'I'm a rather good shot actually.'

Fritha laughed in spite of herself; the girl's modesty was warming.

'Right, then. Minsc,' she began, holding out her hand expectantly and he passed her the short bow from his shoulder, 'this is the company bow; please take care of it, it's the only one we have.'

Nalia smiled as she took it, Minsc ready with a quiver of arrows as Fritha continued, 'Now you're to stay at the back of the group with Aerie, I do not want you in the melee. I can't see your father being too pleased if we free the keep and lose you in the process.' Fritha grinned, stepping back slightly to include them all. 'Everyone ready? All right, Nalia, lead on.'

Fritha followed the girl with the rest of them into the dim stone room, the comparative coolness of the air leaving her skin bristling and she was glad for the cramped conditions as they all crowed in, waiting for Nalia to unlock the next door. Once opened, she lead them onward, along a narrow passageway and through another door into what looked to be a storeroom; the walls piled high with dusty chests and old furniture, though it hardly registered when sprawled upon his back in the centre of the floor, half eaten corpse was staring slack-faced at the ceiling.

Nalia drew a sharp breath and turned away, religious mutterings coming from the more pious members still behind her as Minsc crouched down to confirm it had indeed been the work of trolls. Nalia seemed to have transcended pale and now almost matched the pallid stone walls that surrounded them, though her countenance remain firm. Fritha shook her head; the sooner they left there, the better.

'Right,' she said loudly, casting an eye over the two other doors, 'where does-'

'Here, what's goin-?' cut in a gruff voice behind and she turned with the others to see a stooped old man in the left-hand doorway, his eyes wide beneath woolly brows. 'Lady Nalia! You have returned!'

'Daleson!' the girl cried, almost starting forward as though to embrace him, before decorum caught her and she straightened stiffly. 'Are any of the other servants with you?'

'Yes, lady,' he replied, nodding eagerly all the while, 'Peter, Luk, the two chambermaids, Abbey and Charlotte, and old Elise, the cook. Others got out before the keep fell- though it seems poor Aul wasn't so lucky,' he added darkly, gesturing to their feet.

Nalia chose to ignore this, deliberately not looking at the body.

'Well, you are safe, so that's something at least. Have you any news of my father?'

Daleson's face fell and Nalia looked stricken. 'I have news, lady, but…'

'Gods, man! Speak!' she snapped, her composure wavering.

'I saw him this morning. Alive, but being taken down into the cellars by one of the trolls.'

Nalia turned away, silent, and Fritha stepped up to fill the breach.

'The cellars. Right, we'll clear out this floor and then head down. Are you all in there?' she questioned, moving to the door behind him as Daleson nodded. Fritha peered inside, five sets of wide eyes looking back at her from the gloom.

'Only one way in…' she considered aloud. Well, it was as safe a place as any. 'Right,' she continued, turning back to Daleson, 'if we find anyone else we'll send them here. Once we've opened the gate, I'll tell Captain Arat you're here and he can get you outside safely. And push something in front of the door once we're gone. Nalia, what's through here?'

The girl started, but rallied instantly, crossing to an old table to draw in the dust as she spoke. 'The great hall with access through to the kitchens and the courtyard.'

'Okay, we'll secure the hall and kitchens, take the courtyard and open the gates. Any problems, and we fall back here. Understood?'

Murmurs of assent travelled the group, everyone reading weapons; Anomen swinging the tower shield down from his back as Nalia adjusted her finger guards. Fritha moved slowly to the door, drew a breath and threw it open.