Chapter 7 - Just a Taste

Since Del had agreed to help save Mayrina, the party decided to just leave their camp up for now. If the brothers could be believed, the hag's home wasn't too far away and they didn't want to drag their packs with them if they were going to be getting into a fight. They had done so when they fought off the bugbear and his ogre mate and it had not been fun. It had made dodging difficult, hence why Del had taken a punch she normally wouldn't have. They would send Wyll to scout up ahead while they took care of the hag. Del had a feeling the goblin camp wasn't too much further. They just needed confirmation.

On the way to Auntie Ethel's Teahouse, Del made a detour towards the secret meeting place where Kagha was supposed to meet the Shadow Druids. She wanted to grab the letter that was proof that the druid was working with them and make sure she was kicked out of the grove for good. She didn't deserve Halsin's mercy, but it was better than letting her stay there after the shit she pulled with not only Arabella, but wanting to seal the grove.

As they got closer, Del told everyone to stay back, and set off towards the large tree. She covered herself in mud from head to toe, rolling in it for good measure, and snuck over to the chest without triggering the mud mephits and wood woads. She picked the lock, grabbed the letter and snuck back over to safe ground. As she walked back over to her companions, she slung as much mud off of her as she could.

Astarion eyed her with a twitch in his lip. "Luckily, the mud suits you."

"Would you like some," she asked him in a sweet voice. "I heard mud has clarifying properties for the skin."

"No, I think not -"He jerked away from her attempt to slap some of the mud on her hands onto his face, slipping on the muddy ground. He managed to regain his footing easily, though. He turned back to her and gave her one of his charming smiles. "No, thank you. Do enjoy your mud, though. I think you need it more than I do."

Del took the back route to the hag's place, avoiding the area the gur would be hanging out in. With Astarion's keen sense of smell, he was likely to pick up on the man's location if they got too close and she did not want to have to murder the monster hunter if she could help it. Granted, he was hunting for Astarion, but he wouldn't know what he looked like and Astarion would have his reasons for wanting the gur dead, anyway. If they didn't meet, it wouldn't matter.

After Auntie Ethel revealed her true form to them, they all threw everything they had at her. The hag was powerful in her own right and got a few hits in almost all of them, but her group was stronger. So long as Auntie Ethel stayed above ground with the rest of them. So when Auntie Ethel was about to make her escape, Del yelled out, "Don't let her near that fireplace!"

Lae'zel jumped into the hag's path and slashed at her with her sword, forcing the witch back. Gale cast fire bolt one more time and she finally fell.

Del was breathing hard and she bent down to catch her breath as Astarion went over to loot Auntie Ethel's dead body. Gale had wandered over to the hearth and was peering into it.

"There's a passage behind here!" He turned to look at Del. "How could you tell this was here from so far away?"

Del tried to hide her wince, as she realized what she had done. "I've dealt with hags before," she said. This was true. "They all have secret underground lairs where they do their real work. This up here," she gestured to the teahouse, "Is all a front to make prospective victims more comfortable and safe."

This was mostly true, as far as she knew. She had killed one hag before this one, and they hadn't been nearly as powerful. Of course, this wasn't the last time they would see Auntie Ethel, as her true lair was actually in Baldur's Gate. "When I saw her running towards the hearth, I knew she was trying to escape. She would have been harder to fight down there. We had to kill her up here."

Everyone appeared to accept that explanation without a fuss.

After freeing Mayrina and reviving her dead husband with a wand Auntie Ethel had left behind, Del decided it was time to return to camp. Del was leading them back the way they had come through the swamp when she saw Astarion pause. He was sniffing the air, and his face had turned into a scowl.

Shit, this wasn't good.

The others didn't know he was a vampire yet, though, and she would use it to her advantage.

She had the entire group stop as she asked, "Something the matter?"

Astarion glanced at her before looking in the direction of the Gur. "I smell something rotten."

Shadowheart had her head tilted back as she sniffed the air, as well. "I do smell something rather strange. I just assumed it was another aroma caused by the swamp."

"At one point, it probably did crawl out of a swamp," was his tart reply.

"Well, the sooner we leave the swamp," Del offered, "The sooner we can stop smelling the swamp."

Astarion's body was tense as he hesitated. He wanted to go after the Gur, she knew, but he had no good reason to. And if he insisted on it, he would have had to explain himself to the entire group. His hands clenched as they shook. A look of uncertainty passed behind his eyes. He didn't know if he could take on the Gur himself, either, not in his current state. He would need their help. There would be even more questions. He turned sharply away, walking ahead of them. "Then let's get moving. This place is dismal and I would like to enjoy the light while we still have it."

The return walk back to camp was uneventful. After slogging through mud, then having to fight off a hag and then slogging through more mud, everyone was tired. Auntie Ethel was the hardest fight they had had since escaping the mind flayer ship. So when they saw their camp and that Wyll had already returned, everyone was a little tense.

Wyll appraised them as they traipsed back into the circle of tents, covered in mud and the blood of a hag. Del stood in front of him, her hands on her hips. "How far is it," she asked him. He had returned before them, so it was obvious the goblin camp had to be close.

"Um," Wyll scratched at his nose, eyeing Del up and down. "You've got something…" He waved his hand around, gesturing to her body. "All over you."

Huffing, she gave him a look. "I'm well aware. I did it to myself. Please continue."

"It's only another hour away," Wyll confirmed, clearing his throat. "They've taken over what looked to be a temple. There were a couple of vantage points around it I used to try and get a better look and it's full of goblins. I'm not sure how many exactly, since I couldn't see inside, but if the outside is anything to go by, it's a lot."

Del nodded. "Alright. Well, we know we can get in without any issues, based on the goblins we met at the village. They see us as one of their 'True Souls.' We can use that to gain access to the camp so we can have a better look around. Find this Halsin. Maybe figure out more about this tadpole. After that, we can come up with a plan on how to get rid of the goblins, once and for all."

Wyll nodded his agreement. "That's a sound plan."

"We'll head out first thing tomorrow morning."

Everyone let out a sigh of relief, as if they thought she would want to run to the goblin camp right now. She was just as tired as the rest of them and they truly needed the rest. She knew Gale had used his strongest spells against the hag and he wouldn't be in good spell casting condition until a good night's rest. Shadowheart had used up all her healing spells on them and was also depleted for the day. The rest of them weren't as spell reliant, but it had been a stressful day, none-the-less. They needed time to unwind before they threw themselves into the literal belly of the beast.

Del walked over to her tent and started to remove her leathers. She would need to give them a good cleaning. The mud was everywhere. She placed everything into a pile and carried it over to a nearby boulder. Her body was also covered so she walked over to the river to disrobe and rinse off the mud.

She had had the forethought to grab some more clothes from the hag's house and she put those on while she washed her garments and hung them up to dry - including the shirt Astarion had repaired for her. His stitches were neater than hers, so she couldn't even see where the shirt had been torn. She had found the blouse lying neatly folded next to her when she had woken up that morning.

She returned to her armor and sat with a brush, a soft cloth, and bottle of neatsfoot oil in case anything needed to be rehydrated. As she worked, everyone else in camp was busying themselves with their own matters. She looked up a moment to check on everyone, and noticed both Wyll and Astarion were missing at one point. She didn't think either of them would wander too far, though, so she continued her task unbothered.

A bit later, as she was setting down her last piece of now gleaming leather, Wyll showed up carrying a boar over his shoulders. He set it down by the campfire, which wasn't lit yet, and gestured towards Gale. "Dinner is served."

Gale came over, laughing. He slapped Wyll on the shoulder. "I don't think it's quite ready, just yet, my friend. But don't worry, I will make a fine meal out of this. Everyone loves a good pork roast."

Del watched them with a small smile as they continued to talk about what to do with the rest of the pig. The meat would last them a good few days, at least. Leaving her leathers to finish drying, she stood from the rock and stretched. She noticed Astarion still hadn't returned, but the sun had only just started to set. She walked over to Gale and Wyll to ask if they needed anything else for dinner.

"Mushrooms," Gale exclaimed, clapping his hands together. "If you could find some they would really make this meal. Non-magical ones, of course. Do you think you can manage?"

"'Course I can," Del told him. "I've foraged before."

Del wandered into the forest, her feet bare since she had just cleaned and treated her boots. She was treading carefully anyway, since she was keeping an eye out for any mushrooms. She kept her eyes low to the ground and paid close attention to the areas around tree trunks.

She came into a denser part of the woods where the sun didn't shine quite so brightly. This would be the best area for them, she thought. If she didn't find any here she would be shocked. She ran her hands along the bark of the trees she passed, keeping an eye out for the fungi. Soon, she came across a decent grouping of them. Smiling, she pulled one from the ground to inspect.

Yep, these were definitely edible and non-magical. She laid down a cloth she had brought with her and collected them onto it. Thinking that should be plenty, she tied the cloth around the mushrooms and started back towards camp.

As she got closer, she could see flames just through the trees. Gale probably had started the fire in advance. As she quickened her stride towards it, she heard a shuffle behind her. She whirled around, her dagger already in hand, but it was just Astarion, returning from wherever he had been. Sighing, she put her dagger back into its sheath.

"You really do have a death wish, sometimes, you know?"

Some light was still making its way through the foliage in the trees and it dappled his upper face, making the rest of him seem to almost melt into shadows, even though the woods were not dark enough. She noticed he was leaning against a tree, his hand gripping it in a way that looked almost painful. Suddenly, she could see the tenseness in his eyes, the crinkles just on the corners were caused by something else besides laughter or anger. He still hadn't spoken.

She tilted her head at him. "Astarion? What's wrong?"

He seemed to gather himself so he could speak. His eyes looked away from hers and she could see him swallow. "I need blood," he managed, his voice low, quiet. "It's been too long since I last fed. I was attempting to hunt down an animal, but I'm too weak. Wyll caught the damn boar I was after…" He cursed and turned back to her. "I wouldn't normally ask, but I need only a little… just enough to get my strength back up."

Del was taken aback. He had come to her and was asking without even attempting to sneak a bite in her sleep? That seemed quite out of character, but then again, she did already know he was a vampire. And he knew she could kick his ass into oblivion if the need arose. He had come to the conclusion that it was safer to beg her for her help, for her blood.

Unfortunately, giving him her blood was counterintuitive to her needing to keep everyone at an arm's length. He would certainly feel like he owed her if she agreed to it. And she knew how he would feel like he needed to repay her with his body. Assuming he didn't already feel that way. But she also couldn't risk him being weak. Especially not during the battle to come.

Sighing, she looked over her shoulder towards camp to make sure they couldn't be seen, then walked closer to where he stood in the shadows. "Okay, but just a little. If you take too much, I will stab you."

He almost looked shocked at her agreement, but he quickly recovered. "Of course. I would expect no less from you."

Del placed her makeshift bag of mushrooms at her feet. She stood, awkwardly, as she tried to figure out the best way to let him bite her. She would prefer her wrist, but she worried the bite would be too visible there. At camp, she normally wore her sleeves rolled up. And she didn't have as many scars there, to hide it. So it would have to be her neck. She pulled at the ties of her blouse, allowing her collar to pull to one side, exposing her old bite scar.

Astarion stepped closer to her as he looked at it. He ran his fingers over the mark and she shivered. She wasn't sure if it was from the memory of the bite or the anticipation of this new one.

"Are you sure?" He managed to look concerned. He wasn't asking if she was sure about him taking her blood. He was asking if she was sure she wanted him to bite her on what was essentially a reminder of a past trauma.

"Yes," she told him, looking into his face. "It's the best place to hide it. And this way we aren't adding anymore scars to my extensive collection."

She tried to smile, but she was too nervous to hold it. She had been fighting for her life when she received the first bite and she couldn't remember much about it except the pain. She was having to trust him, letting another vampire bite her willingly. At least he couldn't turn her.

Astarion's pupils were blown, his body excited by the prospect of having real blood for the first time ever. However, he still had asked and he even gave her a moment to brace herself before he bent his head towards her neck. One hand cradled her head and the other wrapped around her shoulders, bringing her flush with him. She took a breath just as his fangs pierced her skin, causing her to gasp in pain.

For a moment she was transported back to her fight with the other vampire, but she fought the vision. Astarion's fingers sank into her hair, moving softly over her scalp as if he sensed her panic. The spawn smelled nothing like the master vampire had and she took deep breaths of his rosemary and bergamot scent to help her calm down.

As he drank, the pain didn't really leave, but it took a back seat as another sensation found its way through her body. A tingling that spread through her veins, causing goosebumps to rise on her skin. Her heart was racing and her body was warming, starting from the center and blooming outwards. Her hands had found their way to his chest and she was fisting the fabric of his frilly shirt.

Gods, she hadn't expected it to feel this good.

For a time, she drifted along, letting him feed longer than she had intended. She was starting to notice the pounding of her heart. It beat heavily in her chest, almost in time with the pull of his mouth on her neck. Then she noticed she was getting light headed. She needed to stop him.

She patted his shoulder with her hand. "Astarion," she was just barely able to get out, her voice rough.

His body had been so relaxed against hers, but when her voice pierced his blood lust it immediately tensed up. He pulled away, almost reluctantly and Del reached up to slap her hand to her neck to stop the bleeding. "That was… amazing. I already feel so much better. My mind clearer."

She gave him a wry smile, trying to hide how much it had affected her. "I would hope so. Otherwise, what purpose did I just serve?"

"If only that was enough," he sighed, wistfully. "I will need to hunt again tonight. But I will wait until the camp is asleep. I'm afraid if I'm gone too long everyone will become suspicious."

"You're assuming anyone notices your coming and going," Del prodded, bending over to grab the mushrooms for tonight's meal.

He stepped back up to Del and her breath caught again as he began to fix her blouse so it was covering her neck and the ties were neatly in place. "They will definitely notice if you are gone for too long. Let's get you back, shall we?"

Del swallowed. "Alright."

As she turned back towards camp, Astarion said to her, "This is a gift, you know. I won't forget it."

Not sure what to say to that, she merely nodded at him and continued walking. When she walked back into the center of camp, Gale pounced on her in excitement. She passed off her collection of mushrooms to him.

"Oh, these are quite fine, Del," he told her. "You have a good eye for mushrooms!"

She smiled at him. "As I told you, I have foraged before."

She saw Astarion as he finally emerged from the forest and slinked his way back over to his tent. To his credit, no one remarked on his return or questioned where he had gone. It was like no one else but her had even noticed he hadn't been there. As he sat on the ground and flipped open a book, his eyes caught hers and he gave her a small wink.

She turned away before her body could even think of blushing. She was still the de facto leader here. Blushing wouldn't become her. Instead, she turned her attention back to Gale as she asked him if he wanted her to clean the mushrooms for him.

Later that night, as everyone else slept, Astarion crept back out into the dark forest as he had said he would.