A/N Hope you are enjoying the story so far. Would love to see what you think of it, all comments and reviews are very welcome and appreciated. :)

There was a chill in the air and evenings were turning colder, seasons changing with slow grace, first leaves falling and scattering on the ground in a multitude of colors. Astarion started wearing his doublet more, his usual shirt being too light for this time of the year. That is, it would be if he could feel the cold. He supposed that was one of the few perks of his current state.

Tav was autumn personified, wearing an ankle-length coat in shades of bright amber with a brown fur collar which she left unbuttoned, revealing a shirt and trouser ensemble of a lighter shade that matched her leather boots. Her hair was in a low braid with shimmering golden threads woven along the tresses.

"You know, it's the first time I see you wearing something other than that frilly shirt," she commented, throwing a pretty sparkly ring into the air, and snatching it quickly before the trinket hit the ground. "You look nice."

"Well thank you, not that your opinion was wanted or needed," Astarion rolled his eyes. He didn't need Tav to know he looked good, though he didn't mind being admired by all. The doublet was beautiful, although the golden embroidery was a pain to look after. Not all his conquest were gentle when handling him and his clothes had a fair share of wear and tear. He took care of the little he had meticulously and carefully, as Cazador did not see it fit to give the spawn any more than bare minimum.

Yet, flattery would really get people everywhere and his mood was decidedly better now than it was before he set out for the night. Thus, assured of his good looks, Astarion strolled down the street with unhurried steps, keen eyes observing those he passed by. They passed the potion shop and were nearing Wyrm's Rock. There were more people around for this time of night and not the usual crowd too. Families, children, young couples, their excitement for the fireworks display in celebration of the grand re-opening of Felogyr's Fireworks so palpable he could almost taste it.

"I just don't understand why you don't just come and work in Sharess' Caress, with your looks you could make tons, tons!" she gesticulated wildly in her excitement to show just how astronomical his earnings would be. "And then you could have everything you wish to have, which whoever it is that you work for doesn't provide. Mamzell Amira is not exactly nice, but she treats everyone well enough, better than you get treated clearly. I am sure-"

"I don't need your advice. Or your pity," he spat, cutting Tav off sharply. "I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself. Find another charity case if that's what you are after."

Tav frowned but did not flinch or move away. She was used to adults having little patience when dealing with her, perhaps understandably. She did go on and on sometimes. Besides, she had her suspicions about Astarion for a while now, and she knew the defeated look of a person who had no power to make their own choices and hated it. It was useless to pry, for now.

"Sorry, that was wrong of me to say that. It wasn't meant to be pity. I really do say the dumbest things, don't I?"

Astarion sighed, a little annoyed at himself for this display of emotion. Yes, she was an insensitive, intrusive little idiot, but she did it out of some feeling of misplaced kindness. And whilst he did not necessarily need her kindness, it was quite refreshing to talk to someone who wanted to converse just for the sake of it.

"Well, I guess it can't be helped," he brushed his fingers through his silver curls, "your atrocious lack of manners is especially obvious today, that's all. You should really work on that."

"Maybe. But at least I'm trying. Wouldn't hurt you to be nicer, you know. Once in a while," Tav said petulantly.

"And it wouldn't hurt me to be less nice, so your point is moot," he countered.

"Oooh, someone is in a bad mood. Fine, I'll shut up," she huffed and turned away, seemingly determined to show that she was upset.

That lasted for a grand total of two minutes before Tav started fidgeting and shooting furtive looks his way.

"Want me to do your nails then? It is party tonight, after all. I have everything with me. Polishes and all," she asked hopefully.

Apparently, it was physically impossible for the girl to be quiet.

"No."

"Aw, come on!" she whined in a most aggravating way. "You have beautiful hands! Like the bard with the lyre that played at Sharess' the other night."

"Well, I do know which strings to pluck to make everyone sing for me."

The innuendo went completely over her head.

"So, is that a yes on the nails?"

"Still no."

She pouted but did not insist anymore.

"The human delivery boy who brings the groceries to Sharess' Caress asked me to go watch the fireworks with him tonight."

"Oh?" He looked at her with his eyebrows raised. "Sounds like somebody's got a date."

"Eww, gross" Tav scrunched her nose at the suggestion. "He is a year older, but so juvenile for thirteen," she said, clearly unimpressed with whatever the boy did to try to get her attention.

"Because clearly you are a picture of wisdom and maturity," Astarion quipped.

"Well, maybe not," she agreed, "but kids my age are boring. They see one gash on my leg, perhaps bleeding too much and maybe there was a bit of bone sticking out, I admit, and just faint! Wimps," she scoffed haughtily.

"Not everyone has the devil-may-care attitude you do, it seems."

"Exactly! And why would I want to hang out with someone bland and boring like that? They won't be able to keep up."

"Which is probably a good thing for them, as they clearly have a sense of self-preservation, and you don't."

"Whatever," she smiled, apparently choosing to take his comment as a compliment. Tav flicked her hair over her shoulder, the golden threads making her blonde hair twinkle as if lit up my magic. "Besides, the fireworks are going to be down by the river, not far from Felogyr's Fireworks. I wouldn't be able to go even if I wanted to."

Ah, yes. There was the ever-present issue of her having to traverse these streets over and over again without being able to explore the rest of the city.

"You are not missing out on that much, fireworks are frightfully dull, overrated really," Astarion said with a longsuffering sigh, as if going to a party was such a chore.

"Yeah, baby stuff," she looked up, catching on quickly.

"Quite so."

Her lips quirked into a smile. It was a ghost of her usual enthusiastic grin, but better than nothing.

"Ya know," Tav looked down, suddenly finding the cobblestones worthy of her attention, "I decided I'm going to marry you when I'm older," she said in a nonchalant manner.

"Are you now?" he snorted in amusement. "And I suppose you didn't think to ask my opinion on the matter?"

"Just you wait, I'm going to grow up to be strikingly beautiful. Well, maybe not as beautiful as you", she sighed, accepting that as a fact of life, "but close enough! And I'm going to save you from your master, because he clearly does not treat you as well as he should, and you will fall hopelessly in love with me!"

"Didn't you say that this isn't what you really look like? You might be quite a bland thing. Terrible warts on your nose. Missing teeth, bad breath."

"Stop it, don't be horrid!" she laughed. "You are just saying that to be mean."

He was needling her on purpose, that was true. But Tav could take a joke and wasn't fishing for praise. It was a nice change of pace when he didn't have to needlessly stroke someone's ego and come up with artful, empty compliments. Words were usually just another arrow in his quiver, a tool used for seduction to ensure his survival. It was pleasant just to talk to someone just for the sake of it.

"Well, even if I am beastly and ugly, and you will not want to marry me, I hope we can still be friends even many years from now. And I am going to set you free no matter what."

Set him free, she said. And who was going to set her free before that? Because no matter how negligent her family was, she was being educated, provided for, dressed in the best of the best. One did not just do that out of the goodness of their heart. There had to a purpose for whatever this was.

"Well, that sounds like a plan," he rolled his eyes. "It may be missing the how and when you are going to best Cazador-"

Fuck. He didn't mean to say his name. The less she knew about him, the better.

"Don't make fun of me! I may be measly twelve now, but in a few years, I will be old enough to decide my own destiny. One day, I will do something great, really great, and it will change everything."

"If you say so," he allowed, relieved that she did not latch onto the name and start asking questions.

The fireworks display started abruptly, painting the sky a myriad of colours. It was obtrusively bright and showy, but seeing all this in his world where colours were muted and dull had a certain appeal.

"Right, whilst you idle away the hours, some of us have things to do, places to be," he walked off, moving with the crowds that started making their way towards the Lower City.

"Okay," she ran up to Astarion to hand him a potion, upholding her end of the bargain as usual, "hope your hunt goes well!"

Hunt. Yes, that is exactly what he was doing. And the crowd tonight seemed so ready for the picking, oohing and aahing at the beauty above them, drunk on their excitement and cheap beer. It was almost too easy to engage one, two, three victims in quick succession. Pluck them like ripe fruit, ready to be devoured.

The other spawn quickly caught on to where his hunting grounds were for the night, and he started glimpsing them here and there. Dalyria grasping a tiefling's chin and bringing his lips closer to her own to whisper something seductively, him following her completely enthralled by whatever she was saying. Petras loudly propositioning a human pair, them laughing and calling him daft, which was obviously not the effect he was going for. Astarion scoffed. Petras was terrible at being suave, he lacked the finesse, the ability to improvise on the spot.

At one point, Astarion had a niggling suspicion at the back of his mind that Tav was watching him from the rooftops, he thought he saw her once or twice. But, when he crossed the bridge yet again and noticed her up on the roof of the potion shop, she was looking at a human family with a wistful expression, the child holding his father's hand and gesticulating animatedly, clearly excited about being out and about after dark. The mother crouched beside the boy and tucked a strand of hair behind his ear, eliciting delighted giggles. Tav scowled and quickly turned, walking away from the edge of the roof and then bleeding into the shadows.

A child without a name, without a family, and without any history. Astarion supposed that she had little in common with children that sought her company, who had the luxury of enjoying the care and love of their parents, or at least were free to come and go as they pleased on a whim.

She was a specter that haunted the streets of the city she could never properly explore. It was little surprise that she identified with him on some level. He was a creature who was a ghost of his former self, who was compelled to act as he was bid. A former elf without a past, a vampire spawn without a future.