Chapter 11 - The Tiefling Party

The confrontation once they got to camp went as well as could be expected. Wyll had struggled to accept that Karlach was not the evil fiend he had been told. But he could not deny what Karlach's tadpole showed him, and after a while he had backed down. He had looked devastated by that revelation, though. Del understood why, of course, but he would be fine in the end. And Karlach was now safe - as safe as she could be with her infernal heart, anyways.

Karlach had filled everyone in on her condition on their walk back to the grove, due to the fact flames continuously licked over her body. Dammon hadn't quite finished packing up his space, so they were able to ask him to take a look at it while they were in the grove. She had already found a piece of infernal iron in the Blighted Village, so when he brought up the metal he needed, Del handed it to him. He was supposed to bring the finished product by during the party.

Karlach had had everything she needed to set up a tent and had been busy doing so, while also talking to the rest of their companions and getting introduced to everyone. Everyone took an immediate liking to her and she soon had everyone smiling or laughing at her jokes. Even Lae'zel smiled a little. Which was a lot for a githyanki.

Soon, tieflings began to wander into their camp to help set up for the party. Asides from a few banners and some blankets used as table clothes, it was going to be a rather rustic affair. They pulled logs into the space to use as seating, set up tables on slabs of rock, set up a clearing for music and dancing, and built a giant fire to cook on. They were going to do their best to make a feast. Partially to lighten the load so they wouldn't need as many carts. Which meant all the alcohol they had also made it into their camp. Some of it was ale, but most of it was various wines. Del was surprised at how much alcohol the tieflings had brought with them from Elturel.

Then night fell and the rest of the tieflings filled their camp. Halsin had also joined them, finally, having set up another Druid to lead the grove in his place. He already looked more relaxed than he had before and she had to admit the newfound freedom suited him. Del was, also, finally able to meet Zevlor and he thanked her profusely for her and her companion's help. He had handed her a purse of gold for their troubles, which she accepted gladly. They would be needing it to buy more supplies in the future.

A gentle chatter filled the space, as wine was poured, and food was served. The scent of cooked meat wafted in the air along with smoke from the campfire. Del's mouth watered, as she realized she hadn't eaten anything all day. There was bread, cheese, some fruit, and someone had ingeniously thought to cook kabobs, which were filled with boar meat, onions, and carrots. She needed a drink first, though.

She poured herself a bit of ale and thought about chugging it, but after further thought decided it might be for the best if she remained mostly sober. Who knew what she might do if she got too drunk or, more importantly, what she might say. She could hold her drink fairly well and she knew her limit, but in this environment she decided it was best if she stuck with a single cup. She was concerned about the possibility of everyone propositioning her tonight and she wanted to try and avoid situations where they could corner her.

Del liked everyone, of course. How could she not? But they hadn't been traveling together for very long. Her head was still stuck on the fact that this was even happening still. She couldn't imagine in a thousand years that she would physically be here right now. She had accepted her life in this world, yes, but this was beyond anything she could have imagined. She gazed out at the groups of laughing tieflings and remembered with a jolt that she had helped make this happen. With her own two hands. She had helped people before, of course, but not to this degree. Not this many.

Not bad for an NPC, she thought to herself.

As the night grew deeper, the air of the party became more merry and music began to play. Everyone was chatting away or dancing to the tunes being played by Alfira, the bard. Del had finished her one cup of ale and she had situated herself in the middle of the action, so to speak, to make it impossible for anyone to get her into a one-on-one conversation. At least, until the dancing started.

Del had eased away from the twirling tieflings to take a seat on a nearby rock to watch. Her lute was placed in her hands and she looked up to see Shadowheart smirking at her. Alfira had let out a gasp and started asking Del what songs she knew. Once they had settled on a few Del was able to accompany her on, they played a few sets together, with Alfira singing and adding embellishments on her end.

Karlach had joined in the dancing, though she didn't dare dance too close to anyone. After a song or two, she had managed to drag Wyll into doing a dance with her. Shadowheart stood on the edges of the dancers, but nodded along with the songs. Not even Karlach could move her to join them, but they all still appeared to be having a fantastic time.

Del was not used to playing anymore and soon found herself begging for a break, which everyone gallantly allowed. She walked away towards the fire, rubbing her sore fingers. She was thirsty, and was sure another alcoholic beverage wouldn't do her any harm. One magically appeared before her and she took it, surprised at the timing. She glanced up at Halsin and thanked him before taking a sip.

The Archdruid smiled at her, his eyes crinkling in the corners, before his gaze returned to the dancers. "You are most welcome. You looked like you could use it after all that."

Del laughed softly. "I was not expecting to be part of tonight's entertainment," she said. "But it's nice to be able to offer up a little joy for once."

"You've done a great thing for them, as is. I'm sure that is a joy all on it's own."

"Maybe," Del shrugged, looking down at her mug. "It feels different when you offer it up with music, though, instead of knives."

They stood together as the music and cheerful sounds of laughter wound around them, but Del realized she had wanted to speak with him before the night was over. "Oh, I meant to tell you, but we are having to do a small detour before we head to the Underdark."

"Is that so," the Druid asked, glancing down at her. "And where would that be?"

"Lae'zel really wants to look for this crèche," Del explained, gesturing with her cup. "They have this thing that can purify us. But don't worry, it won't work, so we'll still be heading to Moonrise Towers, either way."

Halsin appraised her with raised eyebrows. "I'm all for your finding any possible cures. I'm surprised you are so certain this one won't work. Granted, I know nothing of the githyanki or their technology."

"It's never that easy," Del said with distaste. "Wouldn't be much of an adventure if it was. Anyway, what I meant to say is you don't have to travel with us just yet. We can meet back up with you once we are ready to hit the Underdark."

"No need," he assured. "I am happy to tag along. As much as I enjoy the grove, I am excited to spend my nights sleeping under the stars and my days traversing the lands. I am also curious about this crèche and what it's like."

"I'm sure it will be very enlightening," Del muttered, taking another sip of her drink.

A few more moments passed as they stood together. The Druid seemed like he wanted to say something else to her, but he hesitated. Del waited, acting like she was still enraptured by the display before her. Eventually, he just said, "I should make my rounds. Please enjoy the rest of the party."

She smiled at him and raised her glass. "Thanks again for the drink."

She watched as he made his way over to speak with Zevlor, before looking around to see how everyone else was doing. Wyll and Karlach had convinced Shadowheart to join them in dancing, finally, while Gale was having a conversation with Volo and Rolan, who was also a wizard. Lae'zel was off to the side, drinking and watching the party, but not really joining in. Astarion was doing similarly well, though he had an entire bottle of wine in his hands despite not having the ability to get drunk off it. Or taste it, really.

A wicked thought came to her mind and she decided to do something she'd wanted to do for a while. Putting her half empty cup down, Del walked over to him and grabbed the bottle from him. She took a swig amidst his protest and then handed it back to him. "It tastes fine," she told him. Then she whispered, "You're a vampire, remember? You can't eat or drink normal food anymore, nor will it taste the way it should."

Astarion wrinkled his nose in distaste. "I'm trying not to. Hence the drinking." He hefted the bottle up to take another swig before making a face again.

"You can't even get drunk off wine," she nattered on. "So why bother?"

Astarion ignored her before giving her a good look in the eye. "How did you know that I was going to talk about the wine tasting off, anyway?"

"Your face," she supplied.

"Excuse me," he asked, one brow raised.

"Last time I saw you drink wine, you made the same face. At the time, you were polite enough to not say how bad it tasted, though."

He rolled his eyes. "Then how did you know it was the taste? It could have been the company."

Del sneered at him. "You were so into me. I had you wrapped around my little finger."

"I think you have it the other way around."

"Nope," Del said, popping the 'p.' "I am a great storyteller and even greater company. It's not my fault you're a bad date."

"A bad date," he sounded genuinely shocked. "I'll have you know I am an expert when it comes to courting."

"Eh, you have a tendency to lay it on a little thick."

"That's absurd." He shook his bottle at her. "I 'lay it on' just the right amount. I've had no complaints in over two hundred years."

"To be fair, Astarion, you never make it to the second date to find out, do you?" She gasped as if she had thought of something."You should conduct an exit interview to check your skills before you hand your victims over to Cazador!"

He narrowed his eyes at her. "The point of all of this-" he motioned to everything around them "-is so I don't have to go back, remember?" He paused. "You're not funny, by the way."

"Did Cazador suck away your humor, too?" She asked in a very serious manner. "Maybe we should work on getting that back, huh?"

Astarion turned away from her in a huff. "Gods, I can't stand you."

Del grinned and turned to watch as the dancers moved into a reel.

"Anyway," she said, "The reason I came over is because I wanted to know why you aren't joining in on the celebration."

"I am celebrating," he said. "Drinking is how I celebrate."

"Alone?" She raised an eyebrow at him.

He sighed. "I don't even know how to feel about all of this. I never pictured myself a - a hero." He scrunched up his face at the word. "Yet here the tieflings are - waving and smiling at me. Thanking me. It's all rather tedious."

Del snorted. "You're feeling uncomfortable because people are thanking you for helping them?"

"You know what I am - what I've done. I'm the person people should fear. They don't thank me. And I certainly don't save them."

"Astarion, what you've done in the past is in the past. Everyone here is judging you for the one good deed you did for them: helping to kill the goblin threat. That's it. Just enjoy the moment. Have fun!"

"Fun," he repeated, eyeing her. "I can think of better ways to have fun."

"Have fun and socialize," she clarified, rolling her eyes. She couldn't take the vampire seriously right now. "Take a moment to really take it in and remember what life was like. Not everything has to be all doom and gloom. We can save that for when things actually turn to the worst."

He grimaced at her. "You mean talk to people? Get to know them?"

"Or you could just come and dance. Not everyone loves to talk like Gale."

"I don't know…"

"You can't tell me you don't know how to dance, Mr. 'I'm an expert when it comes to courting.'"

"Of course, I can dance, but my knowledge is two hundred years out-of-date. I haven't had much reason to learn anything new."

"I doubt anyone here is going to notice."

He stared down into his bottle. "I'd much rather finish my wine."

"Fine," she said, throwing her arms out to her sides. "But if you change your mind, you know where to find me."

She decided to bug Lae'zel next. If she could throw off Astarion from his flirtation, she could probably do it to the githyanki, as well, if needed. However, it looked like Gale had beaten her to it, leaving Volo with Rolan and his two friends. No doubt he was bugging her about githyanki culture and how they lived on the astral plane. Forever the scholar.

Happy that no one was spending time alone, minus the grumpy leech, she returned to her seat by the dancers. Shadowheart, Karlach, and Wyll all tried to pull her into a jig, which she eventually allowed them to, and she ended up dancing with them for a few more songs. As she freed herself from dancing, Alfira approached her with a pair of hand drums and asked if she could play percussion, which Del agreed to.

By the time all the dancers had finally tired themselves out, the party was starting to wind down. Tieflings were making their way back to the grove for their final night before heading out in the morning. Alfira took a moment to thank Del for playing music with her after she had played her final song and made her promise to find her once they were back in Baldur's Gate.

A few tieflings stayed behind and helped Del clean up the space, but she eventually shooed them away, as well. Her companions were tucked away in their tents by then, most of them probably passed out from drinking too much alcohol. Del wasn't even buzzed, but was still experiencing a high from the party and found she had enough energy to finish cleaning the camp up. She was sure everyone would appreciate it tomorrow.

After all of that, she still wasn't ready to sleep and she found herself wandering over to the bank of the river they were camped close to. She sat on a rock and pulled her knees up to her chest as she stared up at the star-filled sky. She found herself reflecting on the party and realized she had been worried for nothing. No one had come on to her and she had managed to have an enjoyable time even without the aid of alcohol.

At that point, she felt a presence join her on the rock, but she didn't turn to look. She knew who it was by the fact she hadn't heard him approach. "It's a little late to ask for that dance now."

Astarion chuckled. "I'm just surprised you are still up."

"I'm not tired. Alcohol isn't as much of a depressant for me as it is for other people. And I'm used to being up late."

She felt him nod beside her. "Elves don't sleep, so much as enter a trance-like state to rest. And since I'm a vampire I tend to rest when the sun is out. It's been difficult to adjust my sleep schedule to accommodate being awake in the daylight again."

They were both quiet as they continued to gaze up at the sky. Del was staring up at the moon, Selune, comparing it to what she remembered of Earth's moon. They were both quite similar.

"You know," Astarion spoke, softly, "When I mentioned I could think of better ways to have fun, earlier, I did mean sex. We could easily slip away now that everyone is asleep. None would be the wiser."

Del frowned. Was this really happening right now? She turned to look at Astarion, noting his lowered lashes and how he looked at her from the corner of his eyes from a semi reclined position. His body language completely spoke of being at ease, relaxed. Like what he asked was no big deal. But she also could see the tightness in his jawline. The way he clenched his fingers together.

She turned her body towards him, lowering her legs so one touched the ground while the other bent to the side in front of her. "Why are you doing this," she asked him.

He looked surprised. "Why?" He let his head fall back and laughed, his front curl falling away from his forehead. "For pleasure, of course. I only want to have a bit of fun. Don't you?" He was looking at her now, his red eyes glinting in the moonlight.

She folded her arms as she regarded him. "You know that I don't expect anything in return for giving you my blood, right?"

"Of course not!" He sat up and turned his own body towards her. "This exchange is for our mutual benefit. A moment of pleasure where we can get lost in eachother's bodies. Isn't that what you want," he asked, leaning closer to her. "To get lost in my body?"

Del felt her heart skip a beat as he purred those last words. The vampire in front of her was beyond beautiful. She had always thought so. Even back at the tavern she had fought down her attraction towards him. He knew people found him attractive and used it like a weapon to get them to do what he wanted. It was how he lured victims back to Cazador. But after that fateful night at the Blushing Mermaid, she was really bewildered by the fact he would try again with her, albeit for different reasons.

Hoping her face wasn't too obviously red, she looked away from his piercing gaze. She shook her head to clear it and to decline his offer. "I'm sorry, but no."

There was a tense pause before she felt him move away. "Fine," he said, flippantly. "If you want to ruin your evening I won't stop you." He stood and gave her a small bow. "Sweet dreams," he said, with a smirk, before walking away.

When he was out of sight, Del let out a long breath before falling back onto the rock. She put her arms over her head and whispered, "Stupid," over and over to herself. When she was finished, she laid with her head and arms dangling over the edge of the rock, her world literally upside down. She had thought she had gotten away from the party without getting propositioned, but the vampire spawn just had to prove her wrong. And she had been so tempted. She covered her face with her hands and then slapped it.

"What is wrong with you," she asked herself. "You have one job and that is to get through this alive. You cannot be distracted by sad, pretty vampire boys. Or giant, handsome Druids for that matter. Get a hold of yourself."

She flipped back up into a sitting position and ran her fingers through her hair in irritation. This isn't a game, she had to remind herself. All of this is real. She didn't even know if she would survive this adventure to its end. They were so far from the finale, she couldn't even begin to hope she could make it. She needed to get herself together. With a groan she pulled herself up and started to make her way back to her tent.

It wasn't until she was curled up in her bedroll that she realized how alone she felt, at that moment. She had no one to lean on or talk to despite being surrounded by people. It's not like she could spill the beans about who she really was and how all of this was not new to her. So she forced her eyes shut and pulled the blankets tighter around her body. Everything would be better in the morning.