"Well, the only thing I can say is that half a night of celebrating the death of the Unseeying Eye takes its toll," Laska said to her gathered companions as she rubbed her painful head.

"Aye," Korgan said in sympathy, since he had just been treated with Bernard's recipe against hangovers : Six raw eggs in a glass.

"Laska," Viconia chuckled, "from the amount of liquor you consumed last night, I think you are quite flammable right now."

"Uh-huh..." Laska mumbled and directed her gaze at Keldorn.

"From what I do recall of what happened last night, I hazily remember a conversation I had with a gnome called Kylee Jansen. She told me about her cousin Jan. Now he's both a rogue and a magic user and when I think back to those traps in the sewers, I think it is best we add him to our little group of misfits while we're here in Athkatla..." Laska said.

*'So,'* Ipsiya told her mistress sternly. *'You're not going to tell your friends seeking out this Jan was MY idea in the first place'*

'Nope...' Laska retorted mentally. 'Hey, I'm supposed to be the leader here, you know! I'm the one supposed to have the ideas, instead of my sword!'

*'Hmmmmph,'* was Ipsiya's simple reply.

"My friend," Keldorn began, seeming a little distraught. "Are you certain about this?" A rogue, a magic user, and a Jansen. The aged Inquisitor held no particular love for either profession. It was, after all, his duty as an Inquistor to seek out and destory evil magics and it was his duty as a Paladin to uphold the law, which meant bringing thieves and the like to justice. And then there are the stories and rumors he had heard about the Jansen family, which made him unsure what to expect of this Jan fellow.

"Why?" Laska asked. "You know the bloke?"

"Not really, but..."

"Keldorn, ye old longlimb," Korgan broke in. "We almost ended up as lawn-ornaments in that beholder-hole. We may nae be lucky the second time we be steppin' on a tripwire! Having a good thief in this group of ole loonies may nay be such a bad turn."

"Boo says it's good to have a well-prepared party," Minsc interrupted. "Being a rogue or a mage doesn't make someone evil! It's how someone uses those skills that makes a person an goody buttkicker or an evil buttkick-ee!"

"Of course," Korgan chuckled and grinned evilly. "If I find his hand in me pockets stealin' me gold, I'll be forced to plant me axe in... various bodyparts."

"I agree with those three idiots here as well," Viconia chuckled as Laska, Korgan and Minsc stared at her with a little indignity. "I have no desire to be killed by a trap which could have been easily disarmed by even a lowly skilled rogue..."

"You are right, of course," Keldorn sighed. "I shall reserve judgment until I have met the fellow in person."

"Good. You shall," Laska chuckled, once again rubbing her sore head. "If you don't mind, I'm going back to bed for a couple of hours. My head feel like there's a miniature MindFlayer in there slowly eating its way out. And since Minsc and Boo have volunteered to buy the supplies today, the three of you have to meet this Jan at the government square."

"Are you certain you should let Minsc handle our money?" Viconia asked carefully. "Don't you remember what almost happened last time you did that?"

"Minsc does good shopping! I buy good thing with out money! Boo sees to it!"

"Oh yeah?" Viconia asked. "How about you tell us all about that time in Baldur's Gate, where a gnome offered to trade you all our magic swords and armors for three magic beans!"

"It would have been a great deal!" Minsc retorted. "But Boo said the beans weren't real, so I chased that silly gnome all over the city before he slipped away in the crowd."

"Thank Shar for Boo, then," Viconia chuckled. "Or we would have faced Sarevok naked and only would have had our harsh language for weapons!"

"Now that woulda been a fight to see! HAR! HAR! HAR!" Korgan laughed, sending Viconia and Laska into laughter as well, while leaving Minsc and Keldorn to shoot each other a questioning look.

"Alright," Laska chuckled, while rubbing her head again. "All this laughing is playing merry hell with my head, so get out of here!"

When Laska closed the door to her room and Minsc made his way to Waukeen's Promenade, Keldorn was left to stare at his two remaining companions, who in turn, stared blankly at him. Keldorn sighed as he realized he would probably have to spend all day with those two misfits. But perhaps... perhaps he might take some time to stop by his house to see his family.

A year... he couldn't believe he hadn't seen them in over a year... He felt himself sinking into a deep pit of regret once more...

Viconia glanced around nervously as she once again entered the goverment square : The place where she was almost burned at the stake no less than a week before. But quite soon, it became apparent that she had little to fear. The guards ignored her, since they had probably heard of her involvement in the destruction of the beholder-cult, meaning she had been given a little quarter here. Once in a while, she spotted a few of the nobles that had cheered for her death at the burning, but they went around her in a large circle as soon as they noticed her. 'They are afraid of me,' she thought. 'Good... Then perhaps they will think twice about attacking me again.'

She glanced over to Keldorn and Korgan, who were standing some hundred yards away, looking for the gnome called Jan Jansen. 'Maybe he isn't around today, or perhaps...' her train of thought was interrupted when she felt a small thump against her ankle. Immediately on the defensive, Viconia snapped around to take a look at her assailant.

Instead she saw a little blonde-haired girl standing a few feet away from, looking at her with a questioning look on her face. The girl couldn't be more than four years old, and her well-tailored clothes suggested she was of a noble family.

"Urmmm, ma'am?" the girl asked nervously. "Can I have my ball, please?"

Looking down, she noticed a small pink ball laying at the side of her foot. Chuckling over her foolishness, she bent to one knee and picked it up.

"Is this yours?" Viconia asked, while motioning the girl to come closer.

"Yes," the girl said happily as she took it from her. "Thank you."

As Viconia prepared to walk away, she noticed the little girl still hadn't moved from her spot and was looking at the Drow again, with a very questioning look on her face.

"You are one of the elves-peoples, aren't you?" the girl asked.

"You could say that..." Viconia replied gently.

"But your skin is all pretty dark. Have you been on fire, elf-lady?" the girl giggled.

Viconia chuckled in return. When young, these rivvin were very innocent still. She found it comforting. "Well then, tiny jalil, think of me, then, as a nymph who has taken a tumble through a dirty chimney and you'll be happier by far!"

"I once looked up the chimey for the fireplace once," the girl giggled. "And I got my face all black too! My mother was so angry."

"I bet she was, tiny jalil," Viconia chuckled, happy to have met another human not intending to bring harm to her. Then she noticed a small, yet bloody scrape on the girl's knee. "What's that?" she asked.

"Oh," the girl waved her hand. "I slipped on the stairs, when I went to the park and scraped my knee in the fall."

"Bet it hurts," Viconia said, receiving a sad nod from the girl. "Come here," Viconia motioned.

As soon as the girl stepped close to her, Viconia began casting her spell. Enticed by the pretty lights, the girl giggled excitedly as the spell took effect. With her wound healed, the pain disappeared.

"Thank you! That was pretty!" the girl giggled and kissed the Drow on the cheek.

Chuckling again Viconia rubbed her hand though the girl's hair. "My name is Viconia, tiny jalil, and yours is?"

"You have a pretty name, Viconia," the girl giggled. "I am Vesper, ma'am. Vesper Firecam..."

Viconia never saw it coming. The one moment she was kneeling on one leg, talking to little Vesper. The next moment, Viconia was violently shoved away from the girl and ended up sprawled on the ground facing the wrong end of Keldorn's Hallowed Redeemer.

"FILTHY DROW!" he bellowed angrily. "I will not allow you to corrupt my daughter with your vile words and magics!"

"Fool!" she retorted. "I was only healing her wou..."

"Silence wench!" Keldorn replied sharply. "I told you I would deal with your evil hide after we had finished our quest in the sewers, but now the time has come sooner than expected!"

"So, it's a fight you want, ey?" Viconia snarled in reply. "I'd be more than happy to oblidge you."

"Stop!" Vesper suddenly called out. "If you hurt the nice lady, I'll call the guards!"

"See?" Viconia directed at Keldorn. "Everybody was happy untill you showed up!"

Keldorn, visibly taken aback, lowered his sword and adressed his child. "My sweet Vesper... I am your father..."

"You're not my daddy!" Vesper shouted back at him. "My daddy is younger and a lot less mean than you! I don't know who you are, but you're a meanie!" Vesper shot one more look at Keldorn, stuck her tongue out and ran off, presumably to her home to tell her mother what is happening outside.

For Keldorn, in the meantime, it seemed as if the world just had collapsed on top of him. A thousand thoughts, including all the regrets he had experienced over the past few years hit him all at once, as he realized his own daughter didn't even recognize him. He was so revolted by his negligence of his own beloved family he almost vomited on the spot. The church... the church was a harsh mistress indeed.

"Aye, now this be an interestin' sight!" Korgan replied, who had wondered over from his perch in the park. "What be happening 'ere?"

"I... I..." Keldorn stammered. "I must see my family... I must see them now."

"What?" Korgan laughed. "Are ye daft, lilly-lover? We're here to see this Jansen-chappy."

"I SAID I must see my FAMILY!" Keldorn shouted in reply.

"Let it go, Korgan," Viconia said as she saw the dwarf make a grab for his axe. "I get the feeling this is very serious."

"So ye say this girl ain't seen ye for over a year, then?" Korgan asked as the three companions arrived at the Firecam estate. "Well, no wonder then. It's a quarter of her life, after all..."

"Yes," Keldorn replied sadly. "But it's worse than that. I think that in the four years of her live, the days I have been in her presense would only number a month or so."

"Well, then," Korgan said with a sly wink. "Yer woman must be even more happy to see you, then! HAR HAR!"

"Get your mind out of the gutter, dwarf!" Viconia whispered. "If you go too far you might drive him over the edge."

"I'd like to see him try!" Korgan replied, keeping his axe to his side.

Upon entering the estate, Keldorn, Korgan and Viconia were being led to the livingroom by Keldorn's maid Peony, who made a more than a little nervous impression on Viconia. Viconia knew something bad was about to take place in this estate. Once in the livingroom, they were met by Keldorn's wife Maria and his daughters Leona and Vesper.

"Hey!" Vesper waved to Viconia. "Look, mother! That's the nice lady who healed my owie! Hi!"

Viconia shot back a smile, until confronted with a thunderous look on Keldorn's face.

"I still don't believe you're my father!" Vesper directed at Keldorn and stuck out her tongue once more.

In the meantime, Leona, a teenager, was staring at Keldorn impassively, but the look on her face was quite distinctly one of contempt.

"Girls," the woman known as Maria Firecam said, "please wait for me in your room. I must speak to your father."

"And who are these here?" Maria said, pointing at Korgan and Viconia. "Heathens you converted in Calimport? Pilgrims you stumbled across in Saradush?"

"OY!" Korgan suddenly shouted. "Does we look like god-praying, lilly-lovin', feetwashin', dessert-travelling, walkin'-on-water religious types to ye, ye daft..."

"Korgan..." Viconia whispered to him through clenched teeth.

"Actually," Keldorn said, ignoring both dwarf and Drow, "these are companions of a new friend who is..."

"I do not care, Keldorn," Maria spat. "I haven't seen you for a YEAR! A whole year, Keldorn! And even then you were only here for a day! Not even long enough to leave you scent about this place."

"If I had, but a choice, Maria," Keldorn said with audible sorrow as he replied to his wife's accusation. "But the Order's work..."

"Would you? Would you, now?" Maria interrupted with fury. "The guildhouse is HERE! Right in the city, Keldorn, and yet I never see you! It's always Radiant Heart this, Radiant Heart that! But... but what about my heart, Keldorn. What... What if I don't... love you anymore," she said with sorrow.

"Maria!" Keldorn replied. Amazing how much emotion a person can convey with a single word, a single name even. Anger, sorrow, confusion, surprise... even fear.

In the background, Viconia and Korgan shared a look, both wanting to be anywhere else but here at the moment.

"Do you not think," Keldorn stammered, "that my thoughts are never with you and the children every single moment that I am away. Do you not think I ache for you every day I am gone?"

"It... It is too late for that, Keldorn," Maria replied warily. "What if my girls can't live without a father anymore. What if I can no longer live without a husband."

It appeared Keldorn was still in the dark to the meaning of this statement, but both Korgan and Viconia knew exactly what Maria Firecam was implying. Both were inching towards the door, preparing for a swift escape, should things heat up...

"You... don't love me anymore? But... But I still love you," Keldorn replied. "I love you like I love the Church, but the Church is a harsher taskmaster. You knew that when we married."

"I knew... and I still know that. But... I... still love you, Keldorn. And I always will..." Maria stammered.

"But... If there is still love, how can anything come between us?" Keldorn replied hopefully.

'Here we go,' Viconia thought wryly.

"I... I've been seeing another man... The children and the servants already know... H-he took the girls out to the circus, twice... oh, Keldorn..." Maria said apologetically.

"You... You what?! What is his name?!" Keldorn shouted in anger and sadness alike.

"William -- Sir William of Thorpe," Maria replied. "I beg of you, don't hurt him, Keldorn. If I can't have you, at least let me have something!" she shouted adamantly.

"G-G-Go to your daughters. To look at you right now, Maria... To look at you is to go mad!" Keldorn shouted in anger and brushed past his two companions as he ran outside.

"Well," Korgan chuckled. "This be bonney now, innit?"

"Curse the dictates of honor!" Keldorn shouted to no one in particular, when the three companions stood outside his estate. He let out a heavy sigh before continuing. "Oh, the very gods demand that I bring this case before the courts. Sir William shall be hung and my love of my entire life imprisoned! There is no other outcome."

"That is the law here, correct?" Viconia asked with interest.

"Lemme get this straight, long-limb," Korgan started. "Ye love yer lass, don't ye?"

"Of course I do!" Keldorn retorted.

"Dontya be shoutin' at me, prissy pants!" Korgan said angrily. "Ye brought this on yerself!"

"So only because it's a local law, you are willing to send your wife to prison," Viconia mused. "Is this your idea of vengeance?"

"NO!" Keldorn replied. "I do not want that to happen!"

"So, why bring this to the courts at all?" Viconia suggested. "Why not solve this matter yourself?"

"Listen to me, Drow," Keldorn replied sharply. "Listen to me carefully. I am not an evil monster like you. I can not ignore the dictates of honor and only pick those parts of it I like, only to toss the rest aside as easily as you do!"

"Oh, here we go again!" Viconia sighed. "I know what honor is, fool! You don't have to be a Paladin, or even a good person to understand the concept."

"Leave the darky alone, longlimb!" Korgan broke in. "That law be daft! And if you follow that daft law, then ye be daft too!"

"But the courts..." Keldorn began, but was interrupted by Viconia.

"This is not about the courts, Keldorn," Viconia said. "This is not about honor, Maria, your children, or even this Sir William. This is about you, Keldorn. Your female has deemed you unworthy of her, so you must prove your worth to her again, and this is done by dispatching or repelling your rival, in this case Sir William, so you can take your place at her side once more."

"Are you suggesting I commit murder?" Keldorn asked icily.

"Did you hear me say anything about murder?" Viconia asked. "Perhaps he can add to this tale of agony. Or perhaps he will leave your family be, if you confront him."

"Aye, and ye'll never know fer certain if you donnae find out fer yerself!" Korgan added.

"But..." Keldorn started to say.

"If this is about us bearing yer stigma of evil," Korgan said. "Well, we are nay as virtuous as ye, knighty, but thar be things even we wonnae do, longlimb!"

"Not all 'evil' is the same, Keldorn," Viconia added. "What do you have to lose by heeding our advice, Paladin?"

"If ye follow yer path o'honor, ye'll be certain to lose yer lass, laddie," Korgan added.

Keldorn thought deeply for a moment. Yes, they might be evil, but they were also correct. He would lose Maria forever, and probably his daughters as well, if he wouldn't follow their advice. At least their method would give him... and his family, a chance. Sighing deeply, he decided against his better judgment : He took the advice of an evil Drow cleric and a maniacal dwarven beserker at heart.

"Sir William of Thorpe!" Keldorn shouted across the Mithrest in, causing unease among the gathered nobles in that place. A bulter moved to motion the three companions to silence, but as soon as he saw how well armed they were, he decided against it and returned to the kitchen.

"Sir Keldorn... I was hoping you would come," was his simple reply. This William was the complete opposite of Keldorn. A regular noble-fop-stickboy, as Korgan put it. Still, he was a moderately handsome man, with brown hair and a knowing smile.

"I assume you know why I'm here?" Keldorn snarled in pure fury. This time, all three held their weapons ready, even though it would be a very short fight, should one break out.

"I was a husband to your wife and a father to your children, if that is what you mean," Sir William simply replied.

"Lady Maria has but one husband and it is I!" Keldorn shouted, venting all his anger and frustration towards Sir William. "As for Vesper and Leona, how dare you defile them with your presence!"

"They yearn for a father... any father. Even an imposter off the street in your stead! Be to them in your compassion what you are to them in blood, Keldorn," Sir William accused angrily.

"So says the viper who will sleep in my bed, running his wretched fingers through her spun gold hair? What do you want, Sir William? To have a child that is not even yours?" Keldorn spat, not noticing all the eyes in the place were directed at them.

"Lady Maria and I have never even spent the night, Sir Keldorn," Sir William replied softly. "She loved you too much to betray you in such a manner. I offered only companionship for she and her family, Lord Keldorn. Lady Maria loves you deeply, but without expression, love withers and dies. I was but a single drop of moisture, you are the oasis for which she searches. Love her, and I will be but wind-borne dust."

Keldorn was absolutely stunned. He had never expected this kind of reaction, or even this kind of man. Sir William was hardly the wife-stealing fop he expected him to be. A tense moment followed, a moment so tense the entire inn fell silent.

"Are you asking for my forgiveness, then?" Keldorn finally stammered.

"I am not foolish enough to expect that. I only ask you to go to your wife and children and stay with them. Perhaps, one day, you will thank me." And then, Sir William was off, leaving a stunned Keldorn behind.

Another moment of intense silence followed, only to be broken by Korgan.

"Och! Dammit! Me axe was itching for fresh blood," Korgan grimaced. "Ye be no fun, longlimb!"

"I once believed that with age would come wisdom, but every day I seem to doubt it more," Keldorn said.

"Have you vented your anger?" Viconia asked.

Keldorn nodded.

"Are you ready to meet your wife, then?" Viconia asked.

Keldorn nodded once more.

"Well, go to her then, ye daft ol' knighty!" Korgan shouted.

"Well, I..." Keldorn began, but was interrupted.

"Go to her now, or I'll be plantin' me axe in yer rear to spur ye on!" Korgan said. "We ain't be walked all across this blasted bloody city only fer ye to give up now."

"Very well," Keldorn said decisively. "I shall go and see Maria... We have... a lot to discuss. Tell Laska I'll be back in a couple of days perhaps. I... I must think upon my future as well."

"Will do!" Korgan said, waving his axe around to scare the gathered nobles.

As Keldorn left the inn, he turned around once more to look upon his two bickering companions while a smile tugged at his mouth. Whoever said an old dog couldn't learn a new trick?

"Vic, you've been gone all day," Laska said her friends entered the Copper Coronet with a gnome in tow. "It's almost happy hour!"

"We've finally found Jan 'ere, lassie!" Korgan replied with a chuckle.

"I see, anything interesting happen while you were gone?" Laska asked, already sipping her first ale.

"Nah..." the Drow chuckled.

"Where's Keldorn?" Laska asked, but was interrupted by the gnome.

"Ay, so you must be that elven girl who's been fighting that big bad beholder, ey? You know, I once had an uncle who fought beholders for a living. My uncle Giles Jansen used to be the expert on beholder-slaying, you know. Even had a young blonde apprentice named Buffy who was supposed to take over the business when he'd retire to the moonshae isles. Yeah, he used to slaughter them all, you see? Big beholders, small beholders, blue beholders, undead beholders, red beholders, near-sighted beholders, angry beholders, scary beholders, blind beholders, beholders with cataracts, pink beholders, happy beholders, cheery beholders… wait where was I? 'But Beholder cannot be buggered at all!' Funny to think how a single griffin could take out someone who killed that many beholders, ey? But that was..."

"YOU!" Minsc suddenly shouted. "Minsc remembers Count Turnipsome! You try to sell Minsc fake magic beans!"

"That was you?" Viconia directed at the gnome. "I should wring your neck!"

"Now, now," Jan Jansen said rather nervously. "The man who sold those beans to me, ermmm, assured me they would work! You see, when my cousin Pamela went to waterdeep...."

"RRRRRRRAAAAARGH! There shall be liberal butt-kicking now!" Minsc shouted and chased the gnome out the door.

"Gotta catch me first, Minscey!" Jan giggled as the two ran trough the slums and the streets of Athkatla.

At the same time, on the promenade, Sir Keldorn Firecam took his family to the circes, carrying a giggling Vesper on his shoulders and his wife at his arm...