Astarion was the one who caught Piper's attention while she was stuck in her mind. She turned her head, but she still stared right through him. She could hear him ask if she was alright, and she nodded blankly. Gale had moved towards Nettie and Shadowheart as Astarion checked in on Piper. She blinked a few times, but she couldn't pull herself completely out of her daze.

"You don't seem alright," he informed sternly.

"It's just a lot to process," she whispered dully. "I'll be fine."

"How about a change of scenery?" he offered as gestured towards the door. Piper nodded, following him outside the inner sanctuary.

Once she was back in the sunlight, she took a deep breath, but her eyes couldn't really focus on anything yet. Astarion gingerly touched her shoulder, guiding her towards a small patch of grass. She flinched slightly at the contact before whispering an apology.

"No need to apologize, darling. Here, sit down and relax," he instructed. She crouched down before magic flowed from the grass through her fingertips. She pulled back her hands as she fell back on her backside. However, it was enough to jostle her out of her daze and she stared up at Astarion as her eyes teared up.

"I can feel the magic in the grass," she murmured. Astarion nodded, unsure how to respond to that comment. "I'm going to die here."

"Most likely, but you look young enough," he remarked, hoping to cheer her up. Piper huffed in an attempt to laugh before she sniffed.

"It's not looking great. I don't know what magic means. What if I hurt someone?" she whispered, blinking away the tears. Piper stared at her fingertips as she swallowed. "My magic isn't going to save us from the parasites, and it won't get me back home. One way or another, I'm stuck here."

Piper glanced at Astarion as he stared at the grove. She wiped her eyes and stood, leaving him in the clearing. She followed the path down to the riverside, rubbing her eyes in frustration. She shouldn't have vented to Astarion. They didn't seem to see eye to eye, not to mention she hardly knew him.

She removed her shoes as she approached the water, expecting the same reaction that she had to the grass. Once her feet were submerged, she could feel the magic in the river, but it was a different sort. Where the plant life felt rigid and bright, the water gave a calming aura. Piper took a few deep breaths as she felt her anxiety leave her.

She had no idea how long she had stood there before she heard her name again. She opened her eyes and turned to the shore. Gale was waving her down, beckoning her to come out of the water. With a sigh, she walked back onto the sand towards the wizard.

"The language spell should wear off in the next fifteen minutes or so, but I think I have just the thing to help," Gale mentioned as he held up a strange looking necklace. It was a gold chain with a large purple rock hanging off it. Piper glanced between the trinket and the man.

"I'll bite, how's a necklace going to help?" Piper sighed.

"It's not just a necklace. It keeps the spell's magic so you can cast it yourself when you need it. It should have enough for 12 uses each day before it recharges overnight," Gale explained as he placed it in Piper's hands.

"I don't know how to cast magic."

"I can teach you, if you'd like. I've spent my entire life studying the Weave. I can't teach you the druidic side of it, but I might be able to teach you the basics at least," he reassured as she placed the chain around her neck. "And when you have the basics down, we should be able to find you a druid to help you in that specialty."

"You convinced these people to help teach an outsider? They don't seem the most receptive," Piper reminded as she ran a hand through her hair.

"Well, that's true. After you left, Nettie mentioned that the head druid here went missing. A few adventurers went with him to scout out the area, but he didn't make it back with them. Now we've been tasked to help find him."

"Find him? How are we going to find him?"

"We're working on a plan for that. Right now, the plan is for Shadowheart and Astarion to search the area with Wyll. He's the one you came into the battle rather dramatically. He's been infected too, turns out."

"What about you? And me? What are we going to do?"

"We are going to set up a more permanent camp by the water and I'm going to teach you how to wield your magic. When they save the druid, he can take over. Plus, it sounds like he knows more about the tadpoles," Gale explained with a smile. Piper nodded as she fiddled with the rock.

"Well, while we have the spell, how can I use this?"

"Here, I'll show you," he replied as he gave a basic lesson.

Piper watched and listened carefully before the spell ended. After a moment of concern, she repeated the words and motions Gale showed her. The stone on the chain glowed as she felt the familiar warmth cover her skin before she took a deep breath.

"I think I'm getting the hang of it," she chuckled as the wizard grinned.

"The others are going to finish up here and then begin their search. Let's get back to camp and then I can teach you more magic you can do on your own," Gale offered, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. Piper hummed as she walked out of his reach, smiling back at him.

"What kind of magic?"

~A~

Once they were back at camp, Gale helped put her own tent up they had collected along the way, setting up near the riverside. Piper had mentioned that water calmed her, and the river gave her a sense of calm when she was next to it. When it was up and ready, Gale guided her back to the center of camp with a book in hand.

"So, as I mentioned, I won't be able to teach you any druidic magic, but I can at least teach you the basics and a few simple spells. They are called cantrips, and they are the best place to start," the wizard explained as he opened the tome. Piper shuffled her feet as he began their next lesson.

Gale explained a few basic spells which he named as mage hand, produce flame, and a few others. None were successful until they tried to shape water. Piper watched the water move almost on its own as she moved her hands, showing the way. Gale exhaled in relief, glad that she finally learned something from this lesson.

They kept at it for a while longer before Piper started to sway, the magic taking a physical toll on her. Gale steadied her by grabbing her arm as she regained her balance. She nodded before kneeling to rest.

"You're doing well, though. We can take a break, and we can start again before the others get back," Gale offered.

"When are they supposed to get back?"

"I would guess before nightfall. I think we should probably start thinking about what to do for dinner."

"I think you should start on dinner then. I'm going to rest in the water. Maybe my magic will regenerate by then," Piper suggested as she stood. Gale closed his book with a nod.

"Not a bad plan. If there's time, we can continue after dinner," he smiled.

Piper wandered away from the center of the camp as Gale started a fire. She was glad that he was helping her when he still didn't know who she really was, but she was grateful when he gave her some space as well. She stepped into the water as the current changed, wrapping around her legs like serpents. They glided around her as she felt her body thrum.

At first, she was pleased with the water tricks, but as they continued, she could feel her control slipping. She wasn't even sure how it was slipping, nor how to get it back. The water rushed around her, threatening to send her further down the river. She tried to step back without tripping, but the water caught her before she lost her balance. Panic filled her veins as she flailed. Her magic responded as her body shifted.

When she thought of shape shifting, she expected the impossible process including the pain of the bones changing and flesh rearranging. However, she only felt warm and strange, but the process was painless. Piper could feel her body shrink as hair grew thicker on her skin. Once she regained her body, she bolted out of the water to the shore on all four legs. Only when she stepped onto land did she realize that everything was too big.

Gale had come to collect her and to let her know that dinner was cooking still, but he was going to bathe in the river while it simmered. He had hoped that she would be able to watch it to make sure it didn't burn, but now he wasn't sure what to say. He had watched for a moment as the woman stood in the river, water covering her body. He went to call out to her when a flash of golden light covered her. Now, there was a wet cat on the shore.

"Um, Piper?" Gale asked as the cat looked up at him after shaking off the excess water. Her eye color stayed the same, if it was still Piper.

Piper tilted her head to the side as she opened her mouth to reply. A meow was the only thing that came out of her mouth, surprising her. She examined her body to see that it had significantly changed. Her skin was now covered in a dark brown if not black coat of fur. She had paws instead of hands and feet with a long tail trailing behind her. She turned back to Gale before she yowled.

"It's okay, it's okay," Gale replied as he took off his top robe. Quickly, he scooped up the cat, drying off her fur the best he could. She struggled a little, not used to the manhandling. "I'm glad your druid powers are somewhat normal, I suppose. Although I'm surprised you were able to shape change so quickly."

Piper gave a low growl, but she held still as Gale carried her back to camp. He set up a bedroll by the fire before unwrapping her from his robe. She climbed out his arms and onto the new bedroll, testing out the material. Gale sighed before stepping away, mentioning that he was going down to the river for a bit to clean up before dinner.

Piper lounged among the bedrolls by the fire, wrapping her tail around her legs. Being a cat wasn't the worst thing in the world. Her senses were sharper, and she felt more flexible than ever. Also, the bedroll felt so much fluffier with her reduced weight. She was sure that Gale would explain her predicament to the rest of the group once they returned from their expedition. He had told her that he was going down to the river for a bit, so she was curled up by the fire and waited.

"Oh, what do we have here?" a soft voice sounded as her ears perked up. She turned her head to see Astarion walking towards her. He seemed exhausted, but he lit up once he saw her. She opened her mouth to explain, but only a soft meow came out. She glanced to see if Gale had returned, but he was still gone.

Astarion gingerly picked Piper up and held her in his arms. She tried to slide out, guessing that he would not be happy once he found out it was her. However, his own reflexes caught her, thinking that she had slipped.

"Careful now, dear, we don't want you to fall into the fire," he chuckled before he walked back to his tent. Piper leaned into him, wondering what the best course of action would be. He was being rather gentle with her, and she found that she liked the security of his arms more than she would ever admit.

He sat in his chair outside his tent and cradled her against his chest. She rested her chin on his shoulder and purred, a completely involuntary response that she didn't know she could do. He hummed in approval as he grabbed a book from his table. He laid the book in his lap as he would occasionally stroke her back or lean his head gently onto hers. When he wasn't being a complete asshole, he was rather sweet.

Guilt started to seep in. She shouldn't have been resting on his shoulder when he didn't know it was her. Slowly, she climbed up on his shoulders, ready to jump down, when his hand found the top of her head. She leaned into it before purring again. With a shake of her head, she jumped from his shoulders onto the ground.

"Leaving already?" he teased with a genuine smile. Piper froze, a soft meow leaving her lips again. Slowly she sat in front of him, her tail flicking out behind her. They stared at each other for a moment before Astarion closed his book. An idea sparked in her brain as she stood and started walking towards her tent, stopping to see if Astarion would follow.

"Where are you going?" he asked as he stood. She watched as he drew closer before starting towards her tent again, checking to make sure that he was still following her.

"Why are you bringing me over here?" he wondered as she sat next to her tent flap, her tailing flicking again. She stared up at Astarion expectantly, hoping that he would be able to connect the dots. Of course, he still didn't know that she could turn into an animal.

"Are you saying that you like her more than me?" he chuckled before he peered through the opening. He hummed when he saw it was empty, glancing back down at her.

"Come to think of it, I don't think I've seen Piper or Gale since we returned," Astarion pointed out, starting to look around. She meowed again, weaving between his legs to get his attention again.

"What has the woman gotten up to now? She's been nothing but trouble since we found her," he sighed, running a hand through his hair. Piper meowed at him loudly, offended by the remark. He knelt and rubbed her head.

"Still, I don't blame you for preferring her over me. She might be a little in over her head, but she has a big heart. She would probably beg us to let her keep you around," he laughed. Piper stared up at him, surprised by his kind words.

Astarion stood when he heard someone else approach the camp, finding Gale coming from the river. He quickly walked towards the wizard as Gale waved in greeting.

"Welcome ba-" Gale started as Astarion cut him off.

"I thought Piper was with you," Astarion mentioned before gesturing to the rest of the camp. "I haven't seen her since we got back."

"Ah, well, you see," Gale began, making eye contact with Piper. Adrenaline filled her as she dashed into her tent without a second thought. Astarion was going to be furious, she knew. He would be upset, but it wasn't like she could tell him what was going on.

"Did you let her wander off? She's the least equipped to be out on her own," Astarion reminded before scoffing. "And I don't want to go out into the dark forest to find her."

"I'm sure she's in camp. We were trying to home in on her druidic magic, and she went to relax in the river. I guess she was practicing a bit on her own," Gale explained as Astarion relaxed. Piper peeked around the tent flap as she watched the exchange. "She's been a cat for most of the evening, and I'm not sure how to help her change back. I think I might need to take her to the druids' grove again tomorrow."

"She's a cat?" Astarion repeated before he glared towards her tent. She slunk back, wondering if he would fish her out.

"Oh, so you did see her?"

"Yeah, there was a cat by the fire, but she must have scurried off somewhere," Astarion answered, turning back to Gale.

"I'm sure she's around, but you're right, she shouldn't be out by herself. Did you see her leave camp?" the wizard asked, worry seeping into his voice.

"No, I think she's in camp still," Astarion sighed as Gale let out the breath he had been holding.

Piper retreated fully back into her tent as she listened as the others returned as well. Occasionally, she would peek out and see what was going on, but she felt vulnerable being so small with everyone around. She noticed that Astarion stuck close to his tent, reading from the same book from earlier. She wished that she could return to her human form so she could offer some kind of apology, although she wasn't sure what to say.

Eventually, her companions started heading to their tents as the fire died down. Piper waited until Astarion was the only one still awake before she left the safety of the canvas. She trotted over to his tent as he glanced up from the page. She sat a few feet away from him, her tail flicking out behind her. He sighed as he closed the book.

"And what do you want?" he asked, sounding more exasperated than angry.

Piper mewed quietly as she lowered her head, hoping to portray her intentions. He crouched down to her, his arms resting on his knees as he balanced on his toes.

"I suppose it isn't your fault that I picked you up. You even tried to jump out of my arms, didn't you?" he asked as she dipped her head in a nod. A snide smile came across his face as she bristled. "Were you looking for a cuddle, my dear? You didn't seem to mind when I caught you."

Her eyes narrowed as he chuckled.

"Next time I'll ask before I just scoop you up, how about that?" he suggested, easing her a little. She dipped her head again. "So, you really don't know how to turn back?"

Piper swung her head side to side before lowering her head. A part of her worried that she wouldn't ever be able to turn back, and then she would be a cat for the rest of her life, however long that ended up being.

"Some druid you turned out to be," Astarion teased before he sat on the ground, crossing his legs in front of him. "You'll be glad to know we have a lead on that archdruid from the grove. Maybe he can teach you how to be human again."

Piper straightened as her tail nearly wagged at the mention. An archdruid would certainly be better than nothing, especially after the treatment she received from the grove last time. Astarion laughed at her reaction.

"Once you get the hang of this, maybe you can turn into something more formidable," he mentioned as he stared at her. She tilted her head as he thought about something, but he just shook his head instead. "Then you wouldn't have to stay at camp and make us do all the work all day."

Piper rolled her eyes to the best of her ability, earning a chuckle from him. A shuffling startled her as she jumped toward Astarion, surprising him as well. He looked around and found Wyll was just returning to his tent. He waved at Astarion before ducking through the fabric. Piper hid next to his leg, out of eyesight from the warlock, and relaxed once she realized it was Wyll.

"Jumpy thing, aren't you?" Astarion teased again.

Piper looked up at him, realizing just how small she was again. She looked around the camp before staring up at him again. He was an ass most of the time, but she found that she wasn't as wary of him than the others. She laid down next to his knee, keeping eye contact.

She generally found it hard to trust new people as she never could figure out their motives early on. Some of the kindest people she knew turned out to be the cruelest. Maybe that was why she left relaxed around Astarion. She could trust that he was an asshole with a few soft moments in between. He hadn't been overtly kind to her in the beginning, so she knew that he couldn't surprise her with mean comments. She just expected him to be mean.

"It's getting late, kitty cat, better scamper off," he teased as he stood. Piper glanced at her tent and a strange feeling fell over her. She wouldn't have guessed that she felt safer around him than by herself. She turned to him as he tried waving her off. "Go on."

She stretched out her back as a cat would before staring up at him expectantly. Astarion waved again, but she didn't move. Instead, she laid back down, tucking her legs underneath herself with her tail wrapped neatly around. He dropped his arm and grimaced.

"Are you going to stay out here all night?" he guessed as she blinked at him. "Fine do what you like. Goodnight."

Astarion retreated into his tent as Piper tucked her head, resting it on the ground. If it got too cold, she would go back to her tent, but she found the night air to be refreshing and calming. With a deep breath, she sighed into slumber.