Author's Note: I haven't forgotten about Minsc, though after reading over this it looks like I had!

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

Anomen

When Anomen was a child, he'd spent his days with one of his mother's old curtains tied around his neck, pretending it was a cloak, and a wooden sword that one of the friendlier knights had given him. He'd stand on chairs, pretending they were the cliff-edges, leading down to the lair of an evil and deadly dragon. He'd leap onto his sisters bed, and jump around, pretending that it was infested with invisible kobolds. He'd wave his sword menacingly at the side of the pool, the only way to keep the sea monster living there under control.

And Moira had followed him. As soon as she learned to walk, she became his shadow. Sometimes she was the damsel he had to save, sometimes she was part of the fearsome hoarde, and a gentle poke to her belly with the tip of his sword was enough to make her fall to a sitting position, giggling at his antics.

For many years they were inseparable.

But as she grew older, she spent less time with him, and, he had to admit to himself, he was less eager to spend his time finding her. They remained close, but sought their own paths. Moira loved to garden, and would spend hours tending to the plants and flowers around the house, helping their mother to keep the home beautiful. She also loved to dance, and became friends with some of the other ladies of her age.

Meanwhile, Anomen still had the same dreams and ambitions; but now he was growing up, he was facing them in a different way. Their father, Lord Cor, was a merchant, successful and wealthy. He wanted his only son to be taught the way of business, to be prepared to inherit eveything when he came of age.

But Anomen wanted something different. He still wanted to slay dragons and rescue damsels, but with age he realised he wanted to do it properly. He wanted to be a Knight of the Order of the Radiant Heart. He wanted to protect, to serve, to experience. And so, with all his courage summoned, he told his father.

That was when it all changed.

His father raged for days, his temper never ending. Anomen's mother and sister both became victim to his foul moods, but Anomen remained resolute. The more stubborn he became, the angrier Lord Cor would be. In time, Anomen's mother passed away; many whispers across Athkatla's society suggested her heart had been torn apart by the crumbling of her family.

For not only was Anomen affected; Moira was also targeted by Lord Cor. As if he were afraid his other child would also try and defy him, he brought about an end to her dancing lessons, to her appearance at balls and parties. He kept her restricted to the estate, and slowly she became withdrawn and melancholy. Yet her support for Anomen and his dream never wavered.

"You will make a magnificent knight," she'd told him one day, her soft hands wiping dust off his collar as he prepared to make his way to the Temple of Helm. "I am so proud of you."

But like his mother, she'd not lived long enough to see him achieve his dream. And not much later, his father had also passed on from his life.

When Anomen had returned to Athkatla with Imoen by his side, he was not sure what to expect. He had a room at the Order, but as the last living heir to the Delryn name, he worried about the debts that would still be outstanding against the estate...

"My la—Imoen... It... It is beautiful."

Imoen shot him a sly grin before taking his hand, and dragging him along behind her. She'd been the first to suggest using some of their coin to wipe clean the debt that lingered beyond his father's death, and then suggested that he keep the estate as a base for whenever he was in Athkatla.

"But Imoen – I am a Knight of the Order. I already have a roof to sleep under within their walls."

She'd tutted at him. "That's hardly a suitable place for the children," she'd said, causing him to redden greatly. "And anyway, this was your childhood home. You can't just give it up – and we can easily afford to keep a modest amount of household help."

She had been correct, of course. While he had spent days at the Order, debriefing, listening and planning for future campaigns, Imoen had busied herself in her own way. The walls and floors of the house had been scrubbed, the place cleaned and tidied. Imoen had exercised some caution in his absence, however; nothing had been removed from its place, unless damaged beyond repair or otherwise unsalvageable. The pool had been cleaned and refilled, and pots of lavender and chrysanthemums surrounded the ornate urn that held Moira's ashes. The sight of that alone had brought a lump to Anomen's throat.

"I hope it's all okay," Imoen said, a vague hint of anxiety in her voice. "Some of your old servants have been in touch, asking about positions. I've kept their names..." She rummaged in her pocket and drew out a piece of parchment. "And... well, the bedrooms. No one has been in them, because... it didn't feel right."

"Imoen... thank you."

The girl smiled, catching his hand in hers and dragging him through to the kitchen. A fire was burning brightly in the range, the smell of cooking meat coming from one of the pots hanging above. The large beech table had been cleared of empty bottles and cleaned of old ale spillages. A simple vase of roses sat in the centre, and two candles had been placed at either end. The shelves were full of pots and pans scrubbed clean, and even the dishes and cups in the dresser looked as though they'd had attention.

"It took a while," Imoen said, grabbing a ladle as she approached the pot, "but we got there in the end. I mean, I didn't do all this myself. A girl called Hazel turned up and asked if she could help. She... she said she'd known your sister, and she wanted to try and make this place somewhere nice in her memory."

Anomen nodded. "I remember her. Freckles, red hair. Always giggling with Moira about... well, boys, I do believe. They had the same dance mistress, became inseparable for a time, until..."

"Hazel mentioned something about it," Imoen said. "She asked me to pass on her gentlest regards to you, and that her family are thinking of you at this difficult time."

"It is kind if them," Anomen said. "And it is kind of you, to have done all this. My lady – Imoen – I am extremely grateful for all you have done. I hope you know this."

With a grin, Imoen nodded, fetching two bowls from the dresser and putting them on the table. "Oh, I know," she said. "But I wanted to do it. And now you have some free time – you do have some free time don't you? Good. You can go through the... other rooms, and I will help with anything you need help with. Then you can have a look through that list, and we can have a think about getting some help into this place to make it feel a bit more like home again. Agreed?"

"Agreed," the knight smiled.

"Then that's a plan!" Imoen declared happily, giving her concoction one final stir. "Now... I have to warn you. Maiyn was always the one who could cook..."