After seeing Halsin, a few in the group went searching for the druid merchant to sell what they found at the temple. Astarion refused to leave Piper's side as they wandered towards the gate. Wyll was catching up with a few of the tieflings he had grown close to, and Piper wondered if she had monopolized too much of Astarion's time. She was glad for his company, and while she wanted to be selfish and keep him all to herself, she remembered the conversation a few nights prior. Carefully, she tried to remove her arm from his, to which he flinched and caught her hand in his, thinking that someone was taking her away.

"What's wrong?" he asked, seeing that she was fine.

"I thought you might want to have some time to talk with Wyll," Piper suggested. Astarion raised an eyebrow as he saw the man talking with the refugees.

"He seems occupied," he commented.

"You could join in the conversation."

"I'm quite comfortable over here. With you."

"I could go find the others, if you prefer. I promise I won't get lost," Piper replied, trying to assuage his worries. He frowned, tilting his head to the side. "You've just spent so much time with me, and you've hardly seen Wyll at all in the past two days."

"Oh gods, this again," he hissed, covering his eyes with his free hand. Piper stifled a laugh, finding him endearing.

"I just don't want to be the one to get in between the two of you, you know?" she added before Astarion sighed dramatically. He let go of her hand and pulled her arm closer, wrapping it around his.

"There's nothing to get between, darling. I don't know how you got it in that strange head of yours, but there's nothing going on between me and Wyll."

"But there could be if you went and talked to him."

"Okay, let me rephrase," Astarion groaned, leading them away from the refugees. "I'm not interested in anything between me and Wyll. He is dashing, I'll give him that, and quite the prince charming, but he's not who I have my eyes set on."

"Oh, but you do have your eyes set on someone?" Piper replied, waiting for him to elaborate. Astarion stared at her for a moment before shaking his head.

"If you haven't noticed already, darling, then you are going to have to figure it out yourself," Astarion informed, leaning down to tap her nose. She frowned, annoyed by his evasiveness.

"Other than Shadowheart, you are the most secretive of the group," Piper complained. Astarion laughed with a shrug.

"True, but you're the one that knows the most of my secrets," he informed. "That should count for something."

"Then you should give me a hint."

"I thought I did," Astarion remarked. Piper paused, thinking about his words, trying to find the clue. "Alright, we'll try something else. You have until tonight to figure out who I have my eyes set on. Once the party is in full swing, come find me and tell me at my tent. If you get it right, I'll give you a treat. If you get it wrong, then you owe me a bottle of wine for every wrong guess."

"You'll let me guess as many times as I'd like?"

"There might be some unforeseen consequences, but we'll see where the night takes us."

"This is going to be a fair game, right? This person is someone I do know, right?" Piper questioned, raising her eyebrow up at him. He chuckled, patting her arm.

"I assure you, you know them quite well," he replied. She hummed, still skeptical.

"Okay, I accept this little wager. Do I get to know what the prize is if I win?"

"Hmm, no, I think we'll decide tonight. Who knows what you'll be in the mood for," Astarion shrugged as they looped back around towards the refugees. Piper glanced back over to Wyll, who had found the rest of their party.

Piper guessed that it was someone that they were traveling with, but now she wasn't sure who it was. Shadowheart was gorgeous, but she was rather standoffish like Astarion. It would take more than a few days of traveling to get those two interested in each other. Gale was doting and kind, but Astarion didn't seem to enjoy his company all too much. Although, the bickering could be seen as some type of flirting. Karlach was loud and brash, which didn't exactly seem Astarion's type, but she was kind as well. Laezel was also brash, but she was also strong and intense. She always said exactly what was on her mind.

Astarion stared at her as he watched the wheels turn in her head, surprised by how dense she was. He had carried her body back to camp and even brought her back to life. Granted, he could admit to himself he wasn't thinking clearly in his grief, but he was determined to bring her back somehow. He wanted her close, even if he didn't fully understand why. He guessed if he were to be tied to her, then the group would help him kill Cazador. Even that seemed like a stretch now, but as much as he wanted to push his feelings down, he couldn't repress his need to protect her now. Until she could defend herself unequivocally, he would be by her side.

There was also the part where he wondered if it was her blood he felt possessive over rather than her person as a whole. A possibility, but it still didn't hit the mark. Regardless, he would be by her side until she told him to go away.

"It isn't Halsin, is it?" Piper wondered, bringing Astarion out of his thoughts.

"No, it isn't that bear of a man. Although, he is pretty easy on the eyes as well," Astarion pondered before smiling. "I think he'll make an excellent addition to our camp. He might even teach you how to be a proper druid."

"Now wouldn't that be something? I'd actually have a place in your world," Piper smiled. Astarion paused a moment at her comment, remembering that he had promised to take her back to her home world. If it did prove to be an impossible task, could she be happy here? Could he make her happy? "Astarion?"

"Yes?" he replied, blinking towards her.

"You seemed lost in thought there."

"I was just wondering what other things you could turn into. So far, we have house cat, wolf, and panther," Astarion lied. He wasn't ready to have that deep of a conversation with her. Piper wanted to go home, which he could understand. However, he wondered how bad it would be if she were stuck in his world indefinitely.

"That's a good question. I know Gale wanted me to turn into a horse, but I still think that's a bad idea," Piper answered, tapping her chin in thought. "But maybe I could turn into something larger like that. I don't want to be a pack mule, but maybe I could turn into a moose or an elk."

"Not sure how either of those could be helpful, but sure."

"That's because you've never heard the terrible stories of people being gored by their antlers," she informed plainly, piquing his interest. "Moose can be very dangerous if provoked, especially if you threaten their children. Not to mention they're huge."

"Interesting," Astarion hummed before gesturing towards her. Piper nodded once before shaking out her arms. She had only transformed once since her resurrection, so this would be a good test of her skills.

Piper imagined an elk in her mind's eye, thinking of their slender legs and large antlers. She felt the magic flow through her as her body started to change and morph. Instead of shrinking, she could feel herself grow and elongate. When she opened her eyes, she was taller than Astarion, who was rather impressed by her transformation.

"Bravo, darling. Although, I'm still not feeling very threatened," he teased. Piper huffed before raising her head, trying to headbutt him. He dodged with a laugh as if he were playing a game with her. She brayed in amusement, continuing her playful assault, stomping towards him. With his quick reflexes, she continued, making sure not to hurt him.

"What in the hells?!" a shout came as she lifted her head. Gale had come down from the refugees, seeing the strange encounter. "Astarion, why are you fighting an elk?"

"That elk is Piper," Astarion replied, reaching up to stroke her nose. Piper huffed, staring at Gale. The wizard nodded slowly, still staring at the rogue. "She was trying to convince me that elk were intimidating."

"Well, given that she's nearly half a ton and has sharp points on her head, I would think that would warrant some caution," Gale reminded as Piper nodded, turning her head to bump into Astarion's, careful not to stab him with her antlers.

"Still, she's just a giant vegetarian. She doesn't have any claws or fangs," he teased. Piper bumped her head against his again, nearly knocking him over.

"Just don't kill him, Piper," Gale asked as Piper brayed in laughter. Astarion scoffed, irritated that the wizard didn't think he could take on an elk.

"As if she could in this form. I've felled beasts twice this large," he boasted as the wizard left. Piper rolled her eyes as she started to walk away, kicking Astarion lightly in the chest as she passed. "Darling, I don't think you want to try me."

Piper grunted before turning her head forward, returning to her human form. Astarion frowned, wanting to play some sort of game with her in elk form. Instead, she folded her arms and shook her head. Although, his comment about him felling larger beasts jogged her memory about something that he was supposed to discuss with the group before she had her accident.

"Arrogant," was all she said with a smirk. He rolled his eyes as he threaded her arm into his. "So, I don't know exactly how long I was gone, but did you have the conversation that we talked about before I died?"

"Conversation?" he repeated as she pointed to her own teeth. He frowned. "Ah, no."

"I don't want to be the one to tell them, but I don't want to be light headed all the time either," Piper explained with an exasperated sigh. It would be difficult to explain her symptoms if she couldn't just point to the resident vampire. "I wonder if Halsin could teach me that spell Shadowheart used."

"What are you talking about? Why are you getting lightheaded?"

"When you drank from me. I didn't feel great when I woke up, but when I shifted, I felt better. But I don't want to be shifted in animal form all the time, and I don't want to be lightheaded all the time either. That spell Shadowheart used when we were in the temple helped," Piper answered as Astarion stopped walking, staring at her. "What?"

"You were going to let me drink your blood again?" he asked. Piper bit her lip, realizing that she hadn't actually told him that she had made her decision on this. She hadn't even told him her reasoning.

"Yes, I was going to offer again, but I also wanted you to be open with our campmates in case they started to ask questions. But if I can learn that restoration spell, then maybe you can keep your secret longer," Piper started to reason, her anxiety spiking. "But then I didn't actually make it out of the temple, so I didn't get a chance to talk to you about this."

"I expected you to never let me near your throat again."

"Don't get me wrong, what you did was completely terrifying and absolutely not okay whatsoever," Piper informed sternly, remembering her panic and fear when she woke up to fangs in her neck. "But it did feel exhilarating. I didn't hate it, and as long as we talk about it beforehand, you can drink from me again."

"Are you sure?"

"You can't bite me when I'm sleeping."

"Never."

"Ever."

"Ever."

"Okay, then yes, when we discuss it, you can drink my blood. After I've learned the restoration spell. Or if you learn it. Or if you talk to everyone in camp," Piper answered before exhaling. A sense of relief filled her as Astarion smiled at her.

"We can talk to Halsin and see what the logistics are for the spell," Astarion suggested before he swallowed. "I'm not sure I trust the others with the knowledge that I'm a vampire. Especially Wyll, since he's a monster hunter."

"Just work towards it, okay? We're stuck together, might as well build the trust between us. It'll give us better odds of surviving," Piper reminded. Astarion swallowed, images of Piper's corpse popping into his head. He nodded, glancing at the ground.

"Of course."

"I'll see if we can work with the others, too. I know that Shadowheart and Laezel are having a hard time getting along, although I don't know why. I was hoping that maybe they would open up to me a little about that, but Laezel is not very open to conversation."

"And Shadowheart is?"

"Touche."

"Trust is a rare commodity these days, love. I'm sure they'll come around when they need to," Astarion reassured before seeing the caravan starting to move.

"Oh, looks like they're setting out," she observed.

"And they're off to our camp," Astarion grumbled as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Maybe the party will be fun."

"Parties are meant to have bounties of food, wine, and beautiful young patriars. I think we'll have some rations, swill, and refugees," he complained.

"Oh, come off it. This will be my first party in Faerún, I think it'll be fun."

"That makes it even more depressing."

"Man, you're such a spoilsport! It's the best we can get in the middle of the forest after all. It's not like we can run down to the liquor store and buy a whole case of wine," Piper countered before shaking her head. "We just have to make do with what we have."

"Once we get to Baldur's Gate, I'll show you what a real party looks like."

"That's the city where you're from, right?"

"Yes, it is. It sounds like it's different from the cities you're used to, but it might be more familiar than the woods are," Astarion remarked. Piper nodded, giving a small smile.

"It would be nice to be in a bustling place again. I do like how peaceful the forest is, but I do miss the loud noises and people. I'm not sure what to really expect from a city here," Piper admitted with a sigh. "Do you think we'll find a practiced planecaster there?"

"Who knows? I'm sure the wizard would know better than I would," he replied as she shrugged. There was a beat of silence as Astarion wondered if he should offer her some words of encouragement.

"I'm not sure if I should hold out hope for finding a way home."

"What do you mean, darling?"

"I don't even know which plane I come from. That's not something that's common knowledge where I'm from. I'm pretty sure that no one knows what plane their on back home. Even if we find a planecaster that skilled enough to get me home, I'm not even sure I could tell them where to send me," Piper explained, squeezing Astarion's arm. "But I'll ask Gale later and see what he thinks. I know he doesn't know much about the planes, but maybe he has some insight into it."

"Possibly."

"But it doesn't matter right now, it's not like we'll find a planecaster anytime soon," Piper said loudly, boosting her spirits. "We have a while before we reach Baldur's Gate at least. From what it sounds like, we need to reach these Moonrise Towers first."

"True, the druid did mention that was the first step in finding the cult."

"Have you been there?"

"No, I haven't. Haven't heard of them, actually."

"Ah, well, then we're in the same boat."

"Would appear so," Astarion replied with a half-smile. "I'm sure Halsin will tell us all about them tomorrow before we head out."

"Do you know how to get there?"

"I don't remember you asking so many questions before we went to the goblin temple," Astarion recalled, glancing down at her. Piper shrugged and met his gaze.

"Maybe my cat form rubbed off on me. I'm more curious now. I want to be more involved with everything," Piper answered before she bit her lip for a moment. "I know my death was hard on everyone, and I am not keen to repeat it. I want to make that clear. But I also don't want to waste away at camp and be useless. I want to know what the plans are and where we're going. I plan to train with Halsin, if he lets me, so I can come on missions with you again. I want to build my experience and confidence up so I can help you take down this cult. I want to be able to pull my weight without the fear of dying."

Astarion stared at her as she spoke, and his immediate reaction was to say no. He wanted nothing more than to keep her at camp with the druid and the haunted skeleton where she would be safe. She could lounge in her wildshape all day and just relax while he took care of everything with their companions. However, he also wanted her to be able to defend herself when he wasn't there. So, he smiled and patted her hand.

"If you can convince Halsin, I think that's a grand idea," Astarion answered before winking. "Saves us from doing all the hard work."

"I'll be fighting cultists before you know it," Piper smiled. She was surprised that Astarion agreed so readily, but she was glad he did. She needed that boost in confidence from him. "Plus, it sounds like Withers will be with us for a while. He'll make for a good failsafe."

"You are not coming with us until Halsin is sure that you are ready," Astarion informed sharply as Piper nodded.

"I'm not coming within a damn mile of your quests until I get over my fear of being ripped open again," Piper replied with a humorless laugh. Astarion swallowed, forgetting that while he had been traumatized by witnessing her death, Piper had been the one to physically die. "I meant in case something happens to one of our companions, or to you. I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to any of you."

"I'm sure you'd be okay, darling," Astarion tried to comfort as Piper shook her head.

"Would I? I don't know the first thing about this world. How do I get a job? Where would I live? I'm only able to eat because Gale cooks. I don't know where he gets the ingredients from," Piper replied before shaking her head. "Besides, I've grown so attached to all of you, I wouldn't be the same if any of you just died on me."

"You could always join the grove," Astarion offered. Piper wasn't amused. She turned to him, grabbing his forearm with both her hands.

"Just promise me you'll always come back," she pleaded. He smiled and nodded.

"I promise I will always come back," he reassured, grasping her hand with his free one. She nodded before she relaxed. While she knew it was most likely a lie as it wasn't something he could control, Piper felt more at ease with his words.