A/N: This is much later than I hoped, but it's here. Please enjoy!
Kahga was a bitch.
Brennus had few kind words for her, but that was the least of the words that he felt that he could express without letting the Urge do its thing and outright kill her for her absolute lack of respect for him. Him, yes, and the others that were around him.
He may have felt a little bad about sneaking about the druid camp if the only people, other than Rath and Nettie (though she tried to poison him when he used his dark humour in attempt to sooth) that were at least half way polite. As such he didn't feel the slightest bit of guilt in his snooping, and finding the hidden chest with an incredibly suspicious letter addressed to Kahga?
He wanted to know more.
What on earth was Kahga doing that necessitated the need for so much secrecy? And why had it begun the very moment that the Archdruid Halsin had left seemingly without return?
After fighting those weird creatures at the decrepit sanctuary, a place that had probably once been pristine and lively and had long since fallen to shadow. The loot that the group had picked up was pretty nice, even if they were all absolutely soaked through and caked in mud.
"When are we going somewhere with a decent bath? Since we met you've dragged us through a swamp, a collapsing and on fire crash site and we walked in on a bugbear and an ogre going at it."
Brennus quite liked Astarion, even when the other man was complaining and it was at times like this that he wished he had memories of his past just so that he could see if he had bantered like this with others in the past or not.
He doubted he had, though. There was always something intimidating about his presence, one that even squirrels had picked up on if that incredibly argumentative, territorial one by the Grove was anything to go by.
"Well, we're not stopping by any bath houses anytime soon, you'll just have to make do with the river." Karlach was amused as she spoke, and couldn't help but snigger when Astarion screwed his face up In disgust.
"Maybe the druids have a bathhouse, or a spring?"
Brennus didn't speak much, but they all heard him when he did. There was something about his voice that demanded a person to listen, even if he wasn't at all meaning it and just having polite conversation.
Astarion scoffed, "I very much doubt that, and even if they do I doubt it would be something that they would let outsiders like ourselves use it."
Brennus shrugged, knowing it to be true. Had Halsin, who by all accounts was a much more decent sort, been there when they had originally showed up maybe it might have been the case, but the Archdruid hadn't been and now they had to deal with Kahga.
The group travelled in silence, taking the lift down to the grove itself where the chanting was still going on, many of the druids looking as though they hadn't slept for days.
They probably hadn't, knowing the nature of Kahga and the sense of righteousness she held.
Finding out the Kahga had been played gave him a sense of deja vu, but he couldn't exactly be certain as to why. Maybe something had happened in his own forgotten past that had gotten him where he was today that was somewhat similar?
He had wondered if she had known what she was getting herself, and the other druids in for when she had begun the rite and whilst it seemed that she had, she definitely had not thought the consequences through. Even with his absolute lack of a coherent memory, he knew that he hadn't thought of consequences in the past and was more or less doubtful that he would in the future.
"I wonder if I've ever made a decision that bad that would have affected this many people."
The thought itself wouldn't stay quiet, and neither was his voice..
Gale laughed, "You seem like the sort of person who thinks their decisions through thoroughly and maybe makes a list of the pros and cons."
Brennus bit back a snort, knowing that was definitely in no way, shape or form correct, but it was nice to know that this group that had gathered together for a common cause saw him as someone who had their shit together enough that they didn't act on pure impulse and attempted goodwill alone.
(And the Urge he held back would not stay silent for long, no matter how hard he tried and no matter how much goodwill and karma he put out into the world.)
"I hope I am." Was all he said, garnering a raised eyebrow.
Astarion and Karlach turned to face him, looks of confusion etched upon their faces.
"You hope?" Shadowheart was far more straightforward.
Brennus shrugged, he may as well come out and admit to it. "I wouldn't know. My first memory was waking up on the nautiloid, something pulling me out of the mind flayer pod and then running into Lae'zel shortly after. Whoever I was before all of this is gone."
They stood in silence for a moment, before they all began to talk over each other; the common thread being about ceremorphosis and the tadpole taking away memories.
Astarion was the only one who was silent, studying Brennus as though he were a particularly interesting gemstone. "I'm sure we'll find out something along the way to find a cure, but otherwise maybe it's a good thing? A fresh start?"
Brennus shrugged, but he knew that deep down that was definitely the case.
A fresh start, and a way to atone for all the horrible urges he could feel trying to rise within him once more.
A/N: Stay safe and hydrate everyone!