Authors Note: This chapter contains some extra dialogue given to a group of fans by none other than David Gaider himself, the creator of Valen. It was never included in the game due to time constraints but he gave it to us to use in a module that I don't believe ever actually got made. I don't know if any of the others involved used it in their fan fictions, I'm not even sure if they wrote fan fictions but I'm including it here. Please enjoy.

Forgiveness

Part 1

Agathon did not miss how the Tiefling, Valen brought out the better nature of Hypatia. He hadn't missed the unmasked fury and hatred in her expression, nor how gazing upon the face of her lover had softened it.

"While it would be best, for your sake, Priestess Hypatia," Agathon spoke deliberately; "to recover from your injury. The urgency of the matter at hand compels me to send you after Farquhar immediately."

Hypatia nodded, wincing; the abused muscles in her neck protesting the movement. "Right." She glared at Gabriel then looked up to Valen and her expression softened, a half smile forming on her face. Then she looked to Deekin who was still writing in his book. Taking a breath she looked back to Agathon, "We'll find him, recover the artifact and put to rest his mad plan."

Cimmera knew what Hypatia had just done. She'd just selected her travelling companions; and she arched her eyebrows at her sister. "I know you don't think you're going without me."

Stricken Hypatia turned to her sister, "It will be very dangerous, Cimmera. I…I don't…I can't…"

"What?" Cimmera interrupted, "I'm a big girl now. I can take care of myself." She smiled wickedly, "Besides, wouldn't you feel better with someone extra along to help keep an eye on Gabriel? Or are you going to trust him enough to turn your back on him?"

Gabriel took a step forward, enraged. It was Agathon, raising a commanding hand to stop him that kept heated words at bay.

"You've broken her trust," Bronwyn offered quietly.

The words were like being doused with a bucket of cold water and Gabriel began to have the first inklings of just how badly he'd sinned against Hypatia.

Torn, Hypatia turned from Cimmera to Gabriel, weighing in her distrust of the man against her need to keep her sister protected from all harm.

Knowing that Hypatia was torn and angry that Gabriel had attacked her sister, Cimmera added, "Would you trust him enough to let Valen turn his back on him?"

That, of course, made the decision for her. Hypatia's eyes hardened and blurted "No." Then she hesitated, "But you must be careful."

At that moment a knock sounded on the door and without waiting for an answer Xanthus entered the room. Behind him were a couple of the priests who had followed Bronwyn during the melee in the chapel. "It looks like the tithes that have been brought into the temple for the past few years have been pretty completely looted." Xanthus reported, glancing over to his friend to see how things fared with him as he gave his report.

Agathon suppressed a sigh, "It would be too much to expect that Farquhar hasn't spent the wealth of the temple already. Probably upon a private army. I'm afraid this makes your mission all the more urgent, Hypatia."

Hypatia nodded again, another flicker of pain crossing her face. "Cimmera, do you need to get any equipment or supplies?"

Looking down at her ornate priestess robes, Cimmera smiled, "I should change. They'll be able to spot me a league away if I wear this. Give me a few minutes and I'll be back ready to travel."

"I too must fetch my pack and some supplies," Gabriel spoke with surprising humility.

"Alright, We'll wait here and see if we can find anything more about what Farquhar might have set in motion." Hypatia turned back to the shelves she had been searching.

"Hypatia," Agathon spoke while they continued to search.

Hypatia found a section of the bookshelf that bore the tell tale signs of a trap and stepped back. "There's a trap here," she turned expectantly towards Valen.

Valen stepped over and began the delicate process of disarming the trap. He listened carefully to the conversations swirling around the room. There were a lot of powerful people gathered in this place; people who could shape the course of Hypatia's future. People who had the power to hurt her in more ways than that fool paladin had.

Somewhat surprised, Agathon watched Valen disarm the trap.

"You needed something, Agathon?" Hypatia asked while watching Valen work, waiting for him to finish so she could see what was so important that it had been protected by a trap.

"Before you leave to find Farquhar, you'll need to select the next High Priest for this temple." Agathon broached the subject carefully weighing reactions as everyone still in the room turned to him. The priests who were helping search; Bronwyn, who stood up from where he'd been going through a footlocker. Xanthus almost dropped a figurine he'd found a parchment stuffed into, even Valen turned a surprised glance his way.

Hypatia gaped at him then shook her head, "I'm not the one you should appoint to make that choice."

Agathon smiled, "You are," he paused, "truly remarkable, Priestess Hypatia. I must, respectfully, remind you that as the ranking priestess in the temple and with the defection of the current High Priest it is not only your duty but your right to choose his successor." He cast a look at the blue-eyed warrior, Valen, before adding, "Even if you were to choose to take the position for yourself."

Hypatia suddenly went pale and looked around a bit wildly. Become High Priestess? Here? Be tied down to one place? The walls seemed to close in on her and she fell back through her memories, instinctively shielding her sister and Valen from her own horror as she heard her father's voice on that long ago day speak damning words, "No, spare me I beg you. My wife, take her. I have two daughters also. They are yours, just let me go. Please!"

In her mind his voice merged with Gabriel's voice and his forgotten face became the faces of those who occupied the temple who had turned against Mystra to follow the false High Priest. There would be no hiding here, where everyone would know her as the High Priestess. There would be no place she could secret those she loved from betrayers and murderers.

Because, on that day so long ago, it had been a matter of life or death that she not allow her sister to know how frightened she had been, Hypatia had blocked the transmission of her emotions through the link instinctively. Had Cimmera understood her fright and become terrified herself, she might have made a sound and they would have been found by those foul men. She could not permit that to happen. So now as she did then, through sheer will, command the bond not to leak a whisper of her terror or the anguish of betrayal.

Watching her carefully Agathon was the only one facing her directly and therefore witness to the terror writ upon her face. Carefully keeping his own expression neutral he added, "The ring you wear shows the…blessing of your goddess is upon you. The priesthood here will follow you."

Finished with the trap Valen stepped next to her, frowning deeply. He couldn't feel anything unusual through the bond, but he was aware enough of her to notice her sudden tenseness and he heard the change in her breathing. She was visibly trembling. Something was distressing her greatly. He turned a fierce glare upon those gathered in the room while stepping slightly closer, comforting her with his nearness while his bearing made it patently clear that getting to her would require going through him.

Shaking her head in a slow no Hypatia struggled to get her memories under control and focus on the situation at hand. She looked around somewhat frantically. "Bronwyn," she gasped as her eyes fell upon him. "He stood firm before Farquhar when others believed his lies."

Bronwyn goggled at her, "Me?"

Taking a breath, Hypatia calmed; glad for Valen's powerful presence next to her. She was actually able to dredge up a small smile. This was the first time, ever, that she'd faced something like this and had someone beside her whom she felt safe with. She wasn't alone. "I must put an end to Farquhar's scheme. Bronwyn is able to remain here and be High Priest, if he so chooses."

Cimmera returned wearing the assassin's garb that Hypatia had brought back from the hells. To say it was riske would be an understatement, especially on such an ethereal beauty as Cimmera. The top was more like an open front vest, held together by a jewel like necklace that lay across Cimmera's throat. Long dark close fitting leggings fell from a similar, jewel like girdle that lay low on her hips.

Hypatia took one look and her jaw dropped, "Cimmera," she warned, "This will be extremely dangerous."

Cimmera turned an arched eyebrow on her sister, "You know as well as I that despite the way it looks, this is enchanted armor."

"It'd better be enchanted because there's not enough leather there to cover you sufficiently, much less stop a weapon," Hypatia muttered under her breath. She did notice how the eyes of every man in the room gazed upon the generous expanse of creamy skin that the 'armor' displayed and decided that she could probably relieve each of them of their weapons and a significant amount of coin and they'd probably not even notice so long as Cimmera stayed in their sight. She failed to notice that despite her sister's undeniable beauty and provocative dress, Valen had but glanced at her sister, long enough to assess the threat level she might present; then returned his protective gaze to her.

Cimmera shook her head, rolling her eyes, "Do you honestly think I've done nothing but sit around the temple the entire time you've been gone, dear sister?" She stepped back into the shadows and disappeared.

Hypatia gasped and looked around wide eyed for her sister. Cimmera reached into the bookshelf and retrieved a sheaf of parchments from a small box set behind the books that had been trapped, appearing out of the shadows without warning. The look of surprise on the faces of those around prompted a silvery laugh from the cleric.

She glanced over the papers, her smile quickly fading. "These appear to be work orders. I think if I were to ask around while you, dear sister, perform the anointing of the new high priest, I can find out some more about what Farquhar has been up to and what, judging by the prices here, the bulk of the treasure of the temple has been spent on."

Agathon, taking advantage of the distraction provided by Cimmera, approached Hypatia. He hadn't missed her expressions when she moved and was preparing a spell that might ease the tremendous pain she had to be in. She still bore the remains of a massive bruise on the side of her face and head. Gabriel had struck her hard.

He hesitated in his spell casting though as the plane-touched man standing protectively over her moved subtly to intercept him. Indicating her bruised and battered face he spoke quietly, "If you permit it, I can help her."

Fierce eyes regarded him suspiciously before Valen granted a barely perceptible nod.

It was Deekin, busily writing in a little book who looked up and observed, "Yous help Boss. If yous hurts boss, Deekin be thinking there bes hells to pay." The little kobold looked up at Valen and grinned toothily.

Surprised, Agathon smiled down at the kobold, an unexpected twinkle of humor dancing in his eyes for a moment, "I'm sure there will be." He cast his spell and a multicolored wavering of light spread from his hands over Hypatia and the tenseness with which she'd been holding herself eased. He stepped back and addressed Valen in a voice not meant to carry, "I have helped her all that I can." Now it is up to you, he left unspoken, trusting this surprising plane-touched man to understand; if not now then soon enough.

Reaching up she rubbed her neck and blinked several times before graciously thanking him. "The pain eases. Thank you."

"It is a small thing, Priestess and barely begins to compensate you for the harm you have suffered at the hands of one of my own men." He smiled at her and stepped away, looking over those gathered. He turned his attention to Deekin.

"And you, little kobold," Agathon took a moment to quietly indulge his own curiosity, "how is it that you have come by a rather fine set of wings?"

"Ooooh," Deekin jumped up and down a bit before launching into an explanation of how his old master had told him he had dragon blood in him and Boss told him she couldn't tell him how to live his life sos he'd decided to becomes red dragon disciple. "Deekin tries to fly, but wings not bes strong enough. All Deekin does is crashes into table."

Left with little choice Hypatia did indeed anoint Bronwyn high priest in a suitably grand ceremony. Meanwhile Cimmera spent several hours meeting with her contacts in the city. They gathered once again at the Temple of Mystra late in the afternoon to finalize their plans and leave for one of the most ancient and far away Ghost Holds.

Gabriel led the way out of the city and Hypatia was happy to let him. Unwilling as she was to have her back to him at any time. Let him lead the way for now, let him stay where she could see him. "We'll have to stop at one of the hostels," the dark haired paladin thought to wear the mantle of leadership for the little party. "Brigands, thieves and highwaymen stalk the wilderness."

Travelling once again and with so many others around, Hypatia and Valen fell into a careful formality reminiscent of the way they treated one another during their first adventures in the underdark, although with a bit more warmth. Valen stayed close to Hypatia keeping a wary eye on the deep forest that surrounded the worn road they travelled.

They reached the modest hostel just after dusk and hired rooms for the night for the five of them. Hypatia rented a private room for them to have supper in, stepping up to the innkeeper before Gabriel could, much to his chagrin. Once she'd seen about that and five rooms she turned to the group, "I've ordered supper for an hour from now. That'll give us time to polish our armor, if necessary, or see about bathing and what not before we gather to eat and discuss our plans for breaching the Ghost Hold's defenses."

Cimmera managed to sweet talk Deekin out of the book he had written of Hypatia's adventures in the Hells and spent her time reading some of it. She quickly realized that while Hypatia had told the tale she had left out some of the more…personal…things.

Like she had completely failed to mention that before the ice troll battle that had caused such a drastic change in her a creature called the mimic had stolen her armor, leaving her standing on a raised platform surrounded by lava in the frozen hell of Cania in nothing but her undergarments. Cimmera read the passage smiling gently to herself.

"Err... my lady?" Valen seemed a bit flustered, his eyes directed skyward. "Is it not a bit dangerous to... be so bare. Of armor, I mean."

Hypatia, still a bit shocked to find herself without her armor and unable to pursue the strange creature that had taken it spared a glance around, "I'm in no danger, Valen." Thankfully.

Valen scanned the area for threats, "I am certain that you are well able to protect yourself, of course." He gulped and looked in another direction. "That is not what I meant..."

Hypatia scowled and unslung her pack from her shoulder rummaging around for something that might help her get her armor back. It wasn't like she carried a spare with her. Obviously distracted she asked, "Well, what do you mean, then?"

"I, ah... I simply mean you may attract unwanted attention. This is a land of devils, after all."

Hypatia looked around sharply, trying not to let that thought frighten her out of her wits. This was a land of devils and…it didn't bear thinking. Not wanting to let Valen know just how much those implications frightened her she asked, "You think devils are interested in my underwear?"

He squirmed openly, trying to formulate a response to her question. Still not looking at her he muttered, "You are a beautiful woman, my lady, without doubt. You... would garner notice wherever you went."

She stopped rummaging around in her pack to look up at him, a shy smile curving her lips. He thinks I'm beautiful. She stored that thought in her heart to ponder later, a quiet joy filling her.

He cleared his throat, looking abashed. "I simply... I would not want any attentions directed your way to be... inappropriate."

Hypatia turned to him, surprised as a sudden thought occurred to her, "Valen... are you defending my honor?" She pulled an ornate cloak that glowed softly blue out of her pack and wrapped it around her.

His pale eyes suddenly turned and fixated on her, his bashfulness melting away to be replaced by a sudden intensity and earnestness. "Always, my lady," he said in a breathless tone, his eyes unmoving, "if you'll allow me."

Hypatia's eyes softened and she looked up at him with that shy smile once more, completely charmed by him.

His gaze lingered only a moment longer, a blush slowly crawling up his cheeks. Finally he turned away once more, his stance resolute. He reached into his pack and pulled out a suit of silvery armor, handing it to her while carefully not looking at her unclothed form.

Down in the dining room where they gathered Cimmera returned the book to Deekin, "You are quite astute, little Deekin. And," she added with a bit of a laugh, "you have no shame."

Deekin went over to peer at the passage she'd read and he gave her a toothy grin, "Oooh, yous read some romantic bits. High born ladies eats that stuff up. The dark, brooding, angsty, Weapons-Master finds true love with Boss. It bes good stuff."

Hypatia, sitting across from them quietly blushed to the roots of her hair. Valen, sitting next to her, felt the tips of his ears warm with a blush.

Gabriel looked at them with a rising sense of outrage. "He cannot love her," though he kept his voice low enough not to disturb any of the handful of other patrons, he still spoke with heat. "His love would be as tainted as he is. And she cannot love him. Not if she knew what love really was."

Hypatia sprung to her feet, outraged and only refraining from drawing Enserric by the calming hand Valen placed upon her.

Valen's eyes flashed red and he stood, feet planted, one hand resting on the hilt of Devil's Bane, "Tell me," he asked with deceptive softness, "has Hypatia ever committed a wrong against you?"

Frowning Gabriel was forced to admit, "No, never."

"Yet you found it within yourself to try to cheat her out of her future, so that you might have a wife you could safely marry and lock away. Or were you just going to send her off to a convent?" He didn't wait for an answer, "You justified completely disregarding her as a person. In your mind she was, and perhaps still is, not worth more than being your slave by marriage." Finishing with censure Valen asked, "And you think to call that love?

"I would have treated her well," Gabriel shot back.

Valen shook his head once, "You would have treated her like a prized possession, to be locked away and marveled over when it suited you. I think you are a selfish man and Hypatia deserves better."

Stung Gabriel snarled, "Oh and what would that be? Some fiendish half breed like you?"

Scowling deeply Valen replied, "Hypatia deserves to be adored and taken care of. She does not deserve to be locked away for someone's convenience." Seeing that the paladin was blind to his error, Valen continued, "Tell me, paladin, do you expect to be rewarded for your life of devotion and sacrifice to your god?"

Nonplussed by the sudden change of topic Gabriel opened his mouth then closed it once or twice before finding his voice, "Yes. It is only right that the gods should reward faithful service. Though that is not why I, nor any pious follower, serves."

"And you thought Hypatia deserved no better reward than to be callously used by the likes of you as some kind of living dweomer against falling?"

Gabriel jerked as if he'd been struck and confusion replaced the anger in his eyes.

Much later that night Hypatia sneaked out of her room and let herself into Valen's room. He had insisted upon separate rooms to avoid giving Gabriel any excuse to cause her any more grief.

Upon hearing the door open Valen rolled out of bed, ready to defend himself. It was her scent that gave her away and he quietly scolded her while drawing her into his arms. Unrepentant she kissed him and stayed with him until just before dawn when she left to return to her own room. She failed to notice Deekin hiding in a corner of the hallway, his pen waiving as he wrote in his book.