Gale was surprised when Shadowheart returned alone with a large stranger after they had killed Dror Ragzlin. While Karlach and Laezel ran off with the key to the treasure area, Wyll and Gale met up with Shadowheart. Gale greeted them with a smile until he saw the tear streaks and puffy eyes on the cleric. Even the stranger had a melancholy mood about them.

"It seems to me that we're missing two," Gale informed evenly, fearing the worst. Wyll covered his mouth as Shadowheart held back tears, the lump in her throat keeping her from speaking. The stranger rubbed her back before turning to the two men.

"I'm sorry, my name is Halsin. I'm afraid that in an effort to rescue me, one of yours has fallen," Halsin informed as Shadowheart burst into tears. She turned away to collect herself as the druid stared at Gale and Wyll, waiting for more information. They could guess judging by the cleric's reaction, but they needed to hear the words. "I didn't catch her name, but she fought fearlessly. She saved my life."

"Mystra above," Gale murmured, his knees weakening as he leaned on his staff. Wyll stared at the ground, shaking his head.

"Your pale companion, Astarion, is bringing her back to your camp," Halsin informed before bowing his head. Shadowheart's shoulders shook as she silently sobbed. "I am truly sorry."

"Thank you," Wyll whispered as he glanced up at Halsin, his good eye watering as a tear slid down his cheek. Karlach and Laezel walked down the stairs, carrying a good amount of gold and treasure, talking about something, before stopping in their tracks.

"Whoa, what happened here? We were gone two seconds," Karlach remarked, confused by the sudden mood change. Wyll walked over to his friend and placed a hand on her bicep.

"The others were able to find and free Halsin, but Piper didn't make it," Wyll explained, his voice cracking. Karlach dropped what she was carrying, wondering if she had misheard.

"What do you mean Piper didn't make it? Astarion wouldn't let her get hurt. Where's Astarion? Is he okay? Did he make it?" Karlach asked as she processed the information. Wyll nodded as Gale slid down his quarterstaff to his knees.

"He's bringing the body back to camp now," Wyll explained. Karlach shook her head, her brows crunched together.

"She can't be…" Karlach whispered as she covered her mouth. "We can't let these bastards get away with this. What happened?"

"A worg ripped out her throat while she was in panther form. The damage was too much for her magic to handle," Halsin explained as Gale gasped, the mental image surging into his head. "Astarion killed the beast a moment after the incident."

"Ts'kva, we're wasting time. We need to kill the rest of these bastards. One down, two to go," Laezel reminded, her anger showing. Karlach turned to her, waiting for her to elaborate. "Piper wouldn't want us to linger like sitting ducks. I don't- didn't know her well, but she didn't seem like the type to be idle."

"She's right, Piper would want us to finish the job," Wyll added, sniffing. Shadowheart calmed her breathing as she nodded.

"We have to finish this. For Piper," Gale whispered.

"For Piper!" Karlach shouted. She shoveled the stuff she stole into her pack and picked up her battleaxe. "These fuckers are going to wish they were never born!"

"Let's raze this place to the fucking ground!" Shadowheart added loudly, raising her mace. Karlach shouted as she ran out into the next room. The group followed; grief stricken but revitalized for now.

The next hour was filled with bloodshed and screaming as they raged and fought. Shadowheart and Halsin focused on their healing abilities instead of combat magic. They had treated Piper as a cautionary tale, making sure that no one got close to the brink of death again. Karlach raged as she beheaded and delimbed goblins as they went. Even the drow looked a little pale when they got to her. She had gotten lucky as the bridge gave out with a shatter spell that had knocked her out cold. Without a legion to command, she would have to retreat and regroup if she did wake up.

Soon, the decrepit temple was silent and dripping with blood and guts. Gale took a few sobering breaths, almost glad that Piper wasn't here to see it. He was sure that she had never seen such carnage, and she would never have to. In the silence, the grief came back as the party slumped over. The goblin camp had been decimated, both inside and outside. Zevlor and his people were now safe as were the druids.

Halsin gave his thanks and his condolences before taking his leave. He needed to see to his grove to make sure that everything was in its place. Gale handed him a letter they had found in the swamp a few days earlier addressed to Kagha that they hadn't been able to deal with directly before the archdruid left.

Gale wandered over to the waterfall and washed his hands of the goblin blood. He had half a mind to take off his robe and scrub it clean of the blood as well, but he knew that it would stain regardless of when he cleaned it. He turned to see the party scattered around. Karlach found a small patch of grass to sit in as she pulled at the blades. Laezel hacked at a burnt husk of a tree with her sword. Wyll paced along the bridge, and Shadowheart was on the bank of the river, her head bowed in prayer.

Night was falling fast, and Gale wasn't sure if they were going to make it back to camp before dark. A small part of him worried about dinner, but he knew that none of them would be hungry tonight. He took a deep breath as he walked over towards Wyll, wondering if he had a plan. If anyone had a plan, it would be the Blade of Frontiers.

"Wyll," Gale whispered when he made it to the bridge. Wyll stopped his pacing and turned to the wizard. "We probably need to start heading back to camp."

"You're right. I just don't think anyone's ready to see…" Wyll replied softly, his voice trailing off. Gale nodded. He hadn't considered what awaited them at their base. He had heard about it, but he wasn't sure he was ready to see it.

"Do you think it would be better if we camped out in the village, then? It's just over the rise, and it's about halfway to camp. I could get word to Astarion that we would be resting there if he would like to join us," Gale suggested. Wyll stared at the waterfall near the bridge before he nodded.

"I think that might be the best plan. That would give everyone some more time to come to terms with everything," Wyll suggested as he placed his hands on his hips. "I still can't believe she's just gone."

"It was just so sudden," Gale whispered.

"We didn't even get to speak with her today, she was in panther form all day. I wish I could just tell her that I'm sorry I broke my promise," Wyll sighed. He had promised to get her back home with her soul intact. Now her soul was unbound, floating in the afterlife far away from here. Wyll wasn't even sure where a mirrored plane soul would go in this instance. She didn't pray to any gods while she was here, nor did she say anything about believing in any religion from her own plane.

"You know she doesn't blame you for that, Wyll. She wouldn't want you to beat yourself up about that," Gale reminded. The warlock nodded, turning to the wizard.

"You're right, of course," Wyll replied before a moment of silence passed. Gale ran a hand through his hair.

"Why the hells did I suggest we split up?" he groaned. Wyll stared at him, surprised by his outburst. "Maybe if we had stuck together, maybe things would have been different. Maybe we could have struck down that worg before it got to her."

"Hey, don't play that what if game, that won't help. There are too many factors, too many decisions at play. What if we decided to let Piper stay back at camp? What if we had her stay at the grove? What if we tied her to the tree while we did all the hard work?" Wyll rambled on, making Gale chuckle at the last one. "What happened, happened, and we can't change that. We can't reverse the sands of time, no matter how much we would like to. We just need to move forward and honor her memory."

"How are you going to honor her memory?"

"Honestly, seeming like being in the wrong place at the wrong time seems to be the thing she was best at. The nautiloid. The druid idol. Bumping into Raphael. But she always took it in stride. Sure, there was a little stress and worry, but she always pushed forwards. She joined our little band. She learned how to control her magic. She even asked questions about Raphael to make informed decisions," Wyll answered, leaning on the stone wall of the bridge. "How would you honor her memory?"

"I think to explore the world more. The first day after we crashed, she came with us to the druids' grove, even though she couldn't understand our language at all. She followed Shadowheart around while I searched for a solution, and she took everything in. Even when she was stuck as a cat, she still traveled with Astarion and me," Gale mentioned with a laugh. "With my orb, I stopped traveling all together and locked myself away in my tower. I could learn a thing or two from her."

"Even though she was in our lives for a short time, I'm glad we got a chance to meet her and get to know her," Wyll smiled before he stood up again. "Let's make for the abandoned village then, yeah? We can regroup there and then make for camp in the morning. Then back to the druids' grove."

"A sound strategy. I'll use the sending spell to send for Astarion when we get to the village to know he's welcome to join us. I'm sure he could use the company," Gale sighed. Wyll nodded as he turned to look at the others in the group.

"Do you think he'll join us? He's always been a bit prickly."

"He has a tadpole, the same as us. I think he'll stick close until the tadpole has been dealt with. Then, I think he'll go back to wherever he came from."

"What has he told you of his past?" Wyll wondered as he crossed his arms. Gale shrugged as he leaned on his staff.

"Not a lot. Piper was asking him yesterday, and he said that he was a magistrate in the Upper City. He was a bit dodgy with the questions after that, but that was what he said."

"Very strange. There's something off about him, but I can't quite put my finger on it," Wyll sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I'm sure Astarion is just a strange character. Maybe he'll start opening up to us after this," Gale wondered as he yawned.

Wyll called the other three and explained the plan. They were going to spend the night in the village to give them some more time before they were confronted with the whole truth at camp. There were too many emotions after a long battle, and he thought it best to get a good amount of sleep first. With a few yawns and stretches, they made for the village up the hill, leaving the carnage behind.

Once they reached the village, Wyll led the group to find a building that wasn't going to collapse on them in the middle of the night. Gale stepped away to cast the sending spell. First, he grabbed his book to write out the twenty-five words he was going to send. He wanted to be clear and precise so Astarion would pack up and join them quickly. Soon, he cast the spell as the words were sent.

We are staying at the abandoned village for the night. The events of today are still too raw. You are welcome to join us too.

Gale stood at the top of the wall looking over the forest towards where they made camp, waiting for a response. He had explained the sending spell to Astarion before, so he knew that he could only send the twenty-five words back without using another spell. He found that he was growing impatient with the elf, wanting to go to sleep and forget the events of the goblin camp. Then the reply came back.

I think you should reconsider coming to camp tonight. I have news that I think you all will like. Please come back immediately.

Gale frowned at the reply. That was not the response he was expecting at all, nor did he appreciate the tone. Piper was at camp, and he didn't want to see her stone-cold corpse wherever he had left her. Besides, what kind of news would be so important that they would need to come back immediately?

Even though he had several questions, Gale had no more spells to use for messaging. So, he returned to the temporary camp where Karlach had already passed out. Wyll was drinking out of an old wine bottle he had found somewhere in the village when Gale came back.

"Is Astarion on his way?" Wyll asked as Gale motioned him to come away from the center of their camp. Wyll took another swig as he swaggered over to Gale. The wizard grimaced, wondering how much Wyll had while he was gone.

"No, he is insisting that we come back to camp tonight," Gale answered. Wyll nearly spat out his mouthful of wine as he wiped his mouth.

"Excuse me?"

"Exactly. I don't know what he's up to, but he said that he has news that he thinks we'll like and that he wants us to come immediately."

"That's a load of bollocks. What kind of news can't wait until morning? Especially when Piper is just sitting there," Wyll hissed, shaking his head. "What do you think?"

"I think Astarion is grieving and is showing it in a strange manner. I think that he doesn't want to leave Piper alone in camp," Gale sighed before rubbing the side of his face. "As for the news, I haven't the slightest clue what he's on about. Unless he has a new lead on the tadpoles, I don't know what kind of news we would be interested in right now."

"I can't imagine what news it could be either," Wyll said. "Do you want to go check it out?"

"A part of me does, but the other doesn't. I could go an entire lifetime without seeing Piper as she is right now," Gale groaned before shaking his head. "But I will say there was a certain urgency in his message. Maybe it is important."

"If you want to go, I think you should go. Otherwise, I think it'll be fine if it waits until morning," Wyll reasoned before offering Gale some of the wine. With a sigh, Gale took a drink as he thought about it.

On one hand, Astarion never asked him for anything. Ever. He always started arguments and jabbed at him. This was the first time Astarion reached out genuinely. On the other hand, Piper was laying in camp, lifeless and stiff as a board. Gale knew that Astarion wouldn't just leave her body in the middle of camp and leave it there for someone else to deal with. Piper was most likely in her own tent, away from the carrion birds and scavengers. With a sigh, he shook his head.

"Alright, I'll go see what the fuss is about. I'll talk to Astarion and see if I can convince him to come back up here for the night," the wizard decided, handing the wine back to the warlock. Wyll dipped his head as he patted his friend's shoulder.

"You're a good man, Gale. I'll be up a while yet, I'll wait for you to return," Wyll informed before he went back to the fire.

Gale gathered his pack and staff and started back on the road. He grumbled under his breath, hoping this was worth it. If he was ambushed in the dark for a prank or something of that ilk, he would string Astarion in the trees from his toes.

The walk to camp from the village wasn't too terrible, as it was mostly downhill. Gale slowed as he approached the camp, unsure how far into it he wanted to go before he just called out for Astarion. He didn't even want a glimpse of his dead friend in her tent.

"Astarion!" Gale hissed, clutching his staff. He could see the red fabric of the elf's tent close by. Then he saw the curly mop of the elf's head peek up and then the red eyes. "I'm here."

"There you are!" Astarion stage whispered before quietly making his way over. Gale had started to whisper in case Astarion was already sleeping, but he wasn't sure why the elf was now quiet. "Okay, so you are not going to believe me if I tell you, so I am going to show you."

"What?" Gale asked, trying to keep his voice down. Astarion nodded, reaching for his hand.

"I know we don't really get along, but I need you to trust me. If you never trust me ever again, I need you to trust me this one and only time," Astarion pleaded. Gale stared at his extended limb in confusion. Gale would be lying if he said he trusted Astarion, but he took a deep breath and took the elf's hand. Astarion smiled as he brought Gale further into the camp.

Gale held his breath as he was waiting to see the corpse of his friend as well as whatever else Astarion wanted him to see. Gale didn't understand what was going on until they were standing in front of the red tent and Astarion stepped forward. The elf pulled the tent flap back to reveal Piper. Gale was about to scream and rip him a new arsehole for bringing Piper's corpse into his own tent when he noticed her chest rose. Then it fell. She was breathing. She had color in her cheeks. Piper was alive.

"What in the hells? Shadowheart and Halsin said that she had her throat ripped out," Gale informed, wondering if they had been mistaken.

"Oh, she did. She died in my arms, and I carried her cold corpse all the way back here," Astarion confirmed as he stepped back, crossing his arms. Gale scrunched his face in confusion before Astarion pointed to the strange wraith near the river. "That skeleton charged me 200 gold and brought her back to life."

"Ex-fucking-scuse me?" Gale hissed before guffawing. That was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard. Astarion nodded, pursing his lips. The skeleton looked up at both of them.

"Ah, another. Thy name has been recorded. Dost thou have need of my services? Or mayhaps a resurrection instead?" the wraith asked. Astarion politely declined, waving the skeleton off as Gale's jaw dropped.

"Do you still have that spell scroll?" Gale asked.

"Of course, darling," Astarion replied, pulling out the parchment. Gale tried not to snatch it out of Astarion's hands and cast the spell to send the message to Wyll.

Astarion wasn't lying. Something important and amazing has happened at camp. You might regret waiting until morning to come back to