So… the plot thickens…

What do you think Alea will discover about her own fate as time goes on? Let me know in the reviews.

Chapter 10: Moonlight

If Alea didn't know better, she would have almost considered the ambush at Ember to be a challenge. There were tons of githyanki, and even one or two managed to land a hit on her. Of course, those unfortunate souls did not last long, as she dispatched them first, purely out of spite. Her heart sank as she thought of what was to come of the tiny village, and she considered warning the villagers. She knew, though, that if she saved them, it would simply be a different village slaughtered instead, and even though she felt like a terrible person for not insisting they leave, she would rather the small population of Ember than that of a larger town. There weren't many villages smaller than this one. It was a horrible thought that made her wonder what kind of a person she was turning into.

After forcing Bishop – who she already loathed with every fiber of her being – to give Marcus his skinning knife, she took one last look at the still-living Ember, and moved on, guilt tugging at her heart. She knew that the next time she came here, the town will have already been completely snuffed out.

Going through the githyanki base quickly and efficiently, Alea finally rescued Shandra for the last time, happy to not have to chase her down any longer. She'd walked hundreds of miles for this little farmgirl, and as much as she liked Shandra, it was getting exhausting. Once the githyanki leader Zeearie was defeated, Alea added the newest silver shard to her collection, and – after far too long – finally headed back to Neverwinter.

Sand wasn't in his shop. So, instead of going to say hi, she went to the flagon and sat down, putting her feet up for the first time in what felt like a century. She sat back, sipping at a cold beer, quietly enjoying her friends' company, when Sir Nevalle of the Neverwinter Nine walked through the door. His expression was grave, and before he even spoke, Alea knew exactly why. Her face fell.

"There you are," he said, visibly upset.

"Hello," She greeted, "You are Sir Nevalle of the Neverwinter Nine, are you not? It's a pleasure to meet you. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"I am here because Luskan has accused you of murder – an entire village, no less. Have you heard of Ember?"

"I traveled through it – I didn't slaughter it."

He nodded, still fuming, "I've scraped things from my boot that I respect more than Luskan. But unless we find some means of clearing you of these charges, we will have to surrender you to them." His fist clenched at his side, "We've signed a treaty with Luskan – they have the right to dispense low justice for any crimes committed on their soil. But I'm not turning over a loyal member of the Watch to some Luskan dog on this day or any other."

Alea pursed her lips in understanding, "Okay… So how do I prove my innocence?"

"Your guilt is preordained in Luskan court. If you were a lord, knight, or even a squire, however, then matters would be different. You would be subject to high justice, and your trial would take place here in Neverwinter before Lord Nasher."

"Very well," Alea said, taking a deep breath, "What must I do?"

"I need you to go see Sir Grayson, one of Lord Nasher's most trusted knights, and become his squire. I may also send a… friend of mine… to assist you. He has proven invaluable in such cases in the past. Mind you, the matter must still go to trial, and if you cannot prove your innocence, then you will face execution. For now, let us deal with what we can – see Sir Grayson at once at Captain Brelaina's office. Pledging yourself to Neverwinter's service will give us time to counter these Luskan lies. And until you answer for these charges, the gates of the city will be barred to you – seek out Grayson, but do not leave the city." With that, Sir Nevalle gave Alea a curt nod, and turned to leave. Alea watched him go, frowning. All those people were dead, just to get to her. It made her more furious than she ever thought she could be.

Duncan shouted above the din of whispers following Sir Nevalle's exit, "No way in the hells will I let those Luskans get their hands on you."

Shandra turned to her, "But there's still something we can do – right? Even Nevalle said as much, all you have to do is pledge yourself to one of the knights, and Luskan can't touch you."

"And we're innocent," Neeshka declared, "besides, I mean, the slaughter of an entire village? That's going too far, even by Luskan standards."

"Is it?" Bishop asked, more than a little condescending, "If you have something Luskan wants, they'd kill an entire city for it. They don't care. They attacked Neverwinter once, and even now, they're sending fleets to attack Ruathym. Give them an excuse, and you'll soon find Luskan blades at your gate."

Sal chimed in, "Uh… Duncan, looks like we have a guest."

Duncan sighed heavily, "…oh, as if the day couldn't get any worse. What do you want, Sand?"

Alea's mood immediately rose. She had nearly forgotten that this was the point when Sand became her official companion. Her face brightened of its own volition when she saw his face.

"I am here to help you – and your kin, actually," Sand explained simply.

Duncan didn't believe him, "Oh, really. And what's the price? If it's more than a half-copper, you can see yourself out."

"No, I… seem to have been given an ultimatum, in fact. I have heard of your… troubles with Luskan."

"Word travels fast," Sal mumbled.

Sand looked Alea in the eye, his gaze intense and unreadable, "Know that if you are sent to Luskan, you will be killed."

Alea just nodded, signaling him to go on.

"Allow me to act on your behalf. There are laws, and there is right and wrong. While I believe you are quick to take liberties with the law," he gave her a knowing look, "I do not believe you are guilty of this… and if they should get ahold of you, you will be killed. I believe people should answer for their crimes, but it must be just."

Alea gave him a gentle smile, "Thank you, Sand. So, what should we do?"

Qara, to both Sand and Alea's annoyance, spoke up, "Sure, after all, a hedge wizard can't make things any worse. Maybe all that digging through books might prove useful."

Sand gave her a dirty look, "If we need to burn down Luskan, then perhaps we shall seek you, Qara, but your ignorance will cause more damage here than you know. Luskan is not ruled by men, it is ruled by magic, by the masters of the towers. And if they have decided that you are to be delivered to them, then-"

"So?" she interrupted, "Let them try!"

Sand sneered, "Whatever spark of magic you think you have, you idiot girl, they will bleed from you by demon, spell, and curse until even your father won't be able to save you. And I suspect that what they seek may have consequence beyond you, beyond me – for much of the Realms."

Alea cut in before they started throwing spells at each other, "Okay, so what's the plan?"

"Fortunately," Sand said, returning his gaze to Alea, "becoming a squire is enough for our needs. And I believe you have already been told about someone who can help you… Sir Grayson, yes? Let me join with you. I have considerable experience with these matters – and foiling Luskan plots is something I relish."

Alea grinned, "I was wondering when you'd finally join our little band of misfits."

"Hmmm… Indeed," Sand said, eyeing the others in the group. What he didn't say was how he was both excited and nervous to be spending so much more time with Alea. The fact that he'd get to stick it to Luskan, though, helped him get over any apprehensiveness, and he joined the crew eagerly, hoping to make those Luskan dogs look like the fools they were. He looked at his now-leader, "Alea, my dear, if I may speak to you privately, there are matters that I wish to discuss with you. Regarding this whole affair."

"Alright," she agreed, "Let's talk in your shop." She turned to her uncle and other companions, "Excuse us, guys, I'll be back in a bit. Please, relax, we'll sort this out."

"Relax?" Khelgar bellowed, "How in the hells are we supposed to relax, knowin' your head is on the line? I've half a mind to march up to those Luskans and crack their skulls in, just for suggestin' you'd do something so despicable."

"Yes, well if you happened to have the other half," Neeshka quipped, "You'd know that Alea is more than capable of handling herself. Just watch, this whole thing will be over before you can even blink."

Alea smiled to herself, shaking her head as she turned and walked out the door, amused at the pair's bickering. She kind of shipped them to be honest. They argued like an old married couple. Sand followed her out into the street and they walked quickly to his shop, locking the door behind them. Turning to her, Sand frowned, "When you said that I'd save you from being framed for mass murder, this was certainly not what I imagined. Still, this situation comes with its perks. I'll take any opportunity to inconvenience those foul Luskans."

"Sand," Alea interrupted, "There's something you ought to know."

He raised an eyebrow, "Oh? And what is that?"

Alea grimaced, not wanting to have to tell him this, "Well… The person accusing me of this slaughter, is none other than Torio Claven."

Sand stared at her, anger bubbling up within him at the mention of that banshee's name. He hated her with a passion. Darkly, he said, "Then I will be even more satisfied to have the opportunity to humiliate her in court."

"Alright. Then here's what we're going to need…" Alea listed the pieces of evidence that were available to prove her innocence. Sand listened intently, not wanting to miss a single detail. When she had finished, they agreed to set out immediately.

Gathering her group of misfits, Alea marched proudly through the streets of Neverwinter. Reaching Brelaina's office, Shandra gave Alea's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. The elf took a deep breath, then entered, to pledge herself officially into Neverwinter's service.

The conversation was not a long one. Before she knew it, Alea was being guided to Solace Glade.

They arrived at a foggy foothill, scattered with a few trees and little else. Sir Greyson told her to ponder and meditate in solitude. She did just that, until Shandra came up to her, followed soon after by a few arrogant assassins. They didn't last long, but Alea made sure to collect the odd ring one of them wore. She had her first piece of evidence.

When Sir Greyson returned, he stared at the bodies on the ground in confusion, "What happened?"

Alea decided to go with the truth and explained about the Luskan assassins. Sir Greyson was less than surprised. Moving on, he officially declared her his squire, and they immediately left to inform Lord Nasher.

Needless to say, Torio was not happy. Immediately, Lord Nasher gave Alea permission to leave the city in search of evidence to clear her name. She nearly groaned at the thought of having more traveling to do, but she supposed it couldn't be helped. There was a lot to do before the trial.

Alea sat on the limb of a tree, looking up at the shining moon above her. Sometimes it seemed to call to her, like it was watching over her. She figured it must be a moon-elf thing. Ever since coming here she'd felt a serene affinity to it.

The others had gone to sleep a few hours ago, with Alea agreeing to take first watch. She preferred to stay up late rather than being woken up in the middle of the night. The sound of light footsteps caught her attention, and she looked toward them to see Sand, out of his bedroll, looking up at her, "What in all of Faerün are you doing up there?"

She turned her gaze back to the sky, "Just thinking."

"Indeed? That happens to be one of my favorite pastimes. Mind if I join you?"

She smiled sleepily, "Be my guest."

Sand, to Alea's surprise, climbed gracefully up to her branch and sat down beside her, making hardly a single leaf rustle. They sat in silence, looking up at the waxing moon, taking comfort in each other's friendship. Alea laid her head on Sand's shoulder, making his heart skip a beat. She – as usual – didn't notice the affect she had on him.

It didn't take long for Alea to fall asleep. Unsure of what to do, he simply let her rest on his shoulder, not knowing if he should wake her, or… what? He studied her face. She nearly glowed in the dim moonlight. He didn't dare move until he got so tired that he was forced to try and nudge her awake.

She was in such a deep slumber though, that Sand was unable to wake her, so – very carefully – he got her down from the tree and placed her on her bedroll. When she was properly settled, he nudged Neeshka with his foot, informing her that it was her turn to keep watch. She grumbled, but got up willingly, allowing Sand to rest. He fell asleep sometime after that, with the sensation of Alea's head resting on his shoulder still fresh in his mind.

That night, Alea once again dreamt of the familiar figure standing in the center of the two warring seas.