In the light of the moon, high on top the of island of Brynnlaw, the girls of the party were gathered in a shallow and comfortably warm volcanic hotspring. Imoen, Mook and Irylarr had donned their swimsuits and slipped inside the comforting waters first and were relaxing and chatting away.

"And what's the deal with homework?" Imoen asked her two elven companions. "You're not working on your home."

"My, my, what a deep philosophical debate," Mook snickered.

"Yeah, and you know," Imoen continued, "the problem with talking is that nobody will stop you from saying the wrong things."

"I dunno about that," Irylarr said. "If somebody says the wrong things to me, my fist to their teeth usually stops them."

"Yeah, but only after the wrong things have already been said, don't you see?" Imoen said.

Footsteps announced the arrival of Viconia and Dynaheir, both robed and chatting away as they approached the hotspring. The spring was not small, but not large either. At the edge, the depth was comfortable to sit in, but in the middle, a tall person standing would be completely submerged.

"Hey, Vic," Imoen said. "Come on in, the water is fine."

"Don't mind if I do," Viconia replied. "Did you go through my things a few hours ago back at the ship?"

"Well, um, yes," Imoen said. "I wanted to lay out your swimsuit and towel for you, but I couldn't find it in your pack."

"That's because," Viconia said and opened her robe to expose her body to the cold night air, "I don't own one."

"Wow," Imoen blushed as Viconia gently lowered herself into the water, sliding back and resting her head on the side as she disappeared into the depths to her chin. "You just, um, jump right in like that, huh?"

"Who's talking?" Viconia snickered. "I'd rather be naked than having to wear a pick bathing suit with blue ribbons on the side."

"HEY!" Imoen huffed. "I have you know I bought this in Baldur's Gate and got a big discount!"

"I can see why," Viconia smirked.

"Oh, yeah?!" Imoen raised her chin and stared the Drow down. The Drow stared back and immediately, Imoen felt her resolve crumble to dust. "Well, you... you've got stupid hair, so there!"

"Don't be dense," Viconia said, having tied her long white hair into two braided buns on both sides of her head. "I only have my hair like this so it won't get wet."

"You know," Imoen said, "for some reason, the word 'Leia' keeps coming to mind."

Dynaheir, in the meantime, wasn't making any effort to move into the hotspring. Instead she sat at the edge and put her feet into the warm water.

"Getting warmed up?" Mook asked.

"Thank thee for offering, but I think I'll just sit here and relax," Dynaheir replied.

"What?" Imoen giggled. "Afraid to get wet? Come on, dive in already!"

"No, I think I will just sit this one out," Dynaheir said.

"Oh, come on," Imoen called over. "Wuss!"

"Thank thee very much, but no," Dynaheir replied again.

"Okay, I was hoping I wouldn't have to do this, but, Dynaheir... you STINK," Imoen said and held her nose.

"What?!" was Dynaheir's baffled reply.

"I mean it, come on!" Imoen said. "You haven't had a bath ever since you came out of those stink sewers, and it sure leaves a mark. Girl, you could outperform a skunk!"

Dynaheir instinctively sniffed a little. "I smell nothing."

"The person who stinks is always the last to know," Imoen said. "Come on, we've lost enough time already, get in so we can have some clean air around here."

"Viconia, I..." Dynaheir tried.

"Sorry," Viconia said without looking up, and responded further by tapping her dainty nose a couple of time.

"GET IN!" Imoen shouted, lashed out to grab Dynaheir's hand and pulled the startled Wychlaran into the hotspring. Dynaheir sputtered as she came up for air and splashed wildly into the water.

"Why thou little," Dynaheir threatened a little and advanced on the innocent looking pink-hair.

"Hey, don't touch the merchandise!" Imoen said as she pulled out of Dynaheir's reach.

"Yes," Viconia broke in, again not looking up. "It's designer crap from Baldur's Gate she's wearing."

"Hey, now that you're wet, you might as well stay in," Imoen smirked while Dynaheir glared at her and took a seat, submerging herself to her neck in the water.

For a moment, everyone sat back into the water to enjoy its soothing warmth. These hotsprings had the perfect temperature, warming its occupants to the bone. Soon enough, the last two visitors arrived. Laska, wearing her black two-piece swimsuit, and Rose, wearing her red bikini, strolled calmly up the mountain-path and looked eager to join the others.

"Hey, party started yet?" Laska asked and flexed a little in the chilly air.

"Say," said Irylarr, "in this light, you look a little like that teen tramp singer Chrissie At-me-leer-a."

"Thanks," Laska replied. "I think... That Chrissie sure has some hot moves, though."

Rose said nothing, but responded with a smack against Laska's shoulder. "She's not your type," she then added.

"Hey, it's okay just to watch, right?" Laska replied and rubbed her shoulder.

"Not if you're in a relationship."

"Okay, okay, time to cool off then," Laska said and eyed the water. "HEADS UP!"

"LASKA, NO! THERE'S A..." Imoen shouted, but it was too late. Laska whooped and jumped into the air, intending to land butt-first into the water and sink into the warm water. But quickly after she had hit the water, she came to a shuddering halt, her face twisted in a grimace.

"... flat shallow ledge right underneath the surface there," Imoen finished.

"I've noticed," Laska spoke in an uncharacteristically meek voice as she sat only up to her navel in the water. "Corellon almighty, I'm so happy elves don't have butt-bones..."

"Laska!" Rose scowled and slapped Laska in the back of the head while slipping into the water herself. "You could have broken your neck with a stupid stunt like that! Don't do it again!"

Laska crossed her arms and looked away, "Yes, mom."

"Come on," said Rose as she laid her arm across Laska's shoulder. Laska smiled, and let herself be dragged into the warm water.

"Say, I wonder how the boys are doing..." asked Irylarr.

On the other side of the mountain, Keldorn, Limryu and Minsc sat in a hotspring of their own, sitting in silence, staring vacantly in front of themselves.

"Why aren't there any girls here?" Limryu sighed. "Come on, Laska wanted to do a co-ed hotspring."

"We'll have none of that," Keldorn said.

"Stuffy human." Limryu shook his head.

"Boo says that boys who look at girls will go funny in the head, and Minsc doesn't want that, no sirree! I won't be funny in the head... I will just be in the head! HAHAH!"

"Say, didn't Korgan want to come?" Limryu asked Keldorn, ignoring the hulking warrior with the hamster on top of his head.

"No," Keldorn said. "He's afraid the cleansing water of the pool will mess up the texture of the beard."

"Aye," Limryu said. "It's mostly the grime, the dirt... and the mold that keeps it together, I suppose."

"How's Jan?" Keldorn asked.

Limryu looked to his left and watched at the bubbles rising up from under the water next to him. "Still talking."

"Does he know we can't hear him from under water?"

"Pretty sure he doesn't."

"Then we're in the clear..."

"So, what if, while we're sitting here, the volcano decides it doesn't like us and erupts the entire island!" Imoen raved.

"Imoen," Viconia sighed. "Volcanoes don't just 'spontaneously' erupt if they don't like you. They're not persons. Eruptions just happen if there's enough pressure building up."

"Hey, hey, hey, what if you toss milk into the crater of a lactose intolerant volcano, then? What then, ey, what then?" Imoen stuck out her tongue to Viconia.

"Well, then we must appease it with a virgin sacrifice," Viconia smirked. "Any takers?"

"Too late for me," Mook said.

"I'm in the clear," Irylarr said.

"So am I," Dynaheir added.

"Don't even look at me," Rose smiled briefly.

"Do I even need to speak up?" Viconia smirked.

"Sorry, I be no virgin," Laska added.

"Errrm," Imoen blushed bright red and seemed a little uncomfortable. She nervously twirled her thumbs under the water. "I'm going to shut up now."

"That's a first," Viconia smirked even more.

"HEYA!" Imoen shouted and retaliated. The little pink-hair took Viconia by surprised and pushed the Drow underwater by her shoulders. The Drow struggled and frantically waved her arms into the air after Imoen had dunked her head and kept it underwater for a while.

"MY HAIR!" Viconia shouted as she emerged from the water and glared Imoen to death with her baleful eyes.

Sadly, Viconia was answered with a splash in the face. Viconia retaliated...

"Let's ignore the children for a while," Dynaheir said while Viconia and Imoen tossed water at each other. "Tell me something. What wilt thou be doing when thy adventures are done? Hast thou given it some thought."

"I know," Mook said. "I think I'll start a soft-drink company called Mooka Cola! I'll flood the market with the drink and then, out of the blue, will replace the original formula with New Mooka Cola. Then, when everyone hates it, I'll reintroduce Classic Mooka Cola and make a fortune!"

"Sounds like an evil plan," Irylarr said. "I think that, when my children are grown up and will stand on their own two legs, I'll start a farm or something. Just to do something else."

"I'll go back to Rasheman, I suppose," Dynaheir said. "To take up a position as Wychlaran elder on the Rashemi council, or to teach magic to apprentices. I haven't decided yet."

"Hmmm, I haven't given it much thought," Laska said. "I always figured I'd keep on fighting until something ends up killing me and..."

"Hell no!" Rose protested. "I'll give you a job at my inn. It'll be better for your health."

"But not for the inn," Mook snickered. "If you put that one behind the bar, she'll drink your profits."

"I dunno," Laska said. "I wonder if I'd get bored pretty quickly if I had to give up adventuring and fighting. I would..."

At that precise moment, a carelessly splashing Imoen crashed right into Laska and dragged the poor elf with her as she went under. Both sisters struggled for a bit before they emerged from the water.

"Sorry 'bout that," Imoen giggled. "Heavy traffic in this little pool."

"I think I'll call it a night," said Rose. "I was up early this morning. I wanted to make you guys breakfast, but Laska came into the pantry and took over from me."

"Thank the gods she did," Irylarr muttered under her breath, remembering that the last time Rose had tried to make toast, she had managed to set the Swiftwind's rudder on fire. Rose had been cooking the toast in a pan on the furnace, but when the bread exploded in the fire, she had panicked and had thrown the burning toast out the window, right on top of the rudder. The damage had been slight, but severe enough to keep them grounded for an extra two days. Still, the experience hadn't detered Rose from wanting to keep on cooking.

"You sure you don't want to dry off first?" Laska said as Rose stepped out of the water. "There's a chilly wind out there."

"I forgot my towel," Rose said, "besides, I'll be fine. See you back at the ship."

"AAAACCCHHOOOUUUU!" sounded from Laska and Rose's bedroom on board the Swiftwind the next day. Laska entered her chambers carrying a tray with foodstuffs. The shades in front of the portholes were closed and Rose lay on her side wrapped in blankets with her back facing the door.

"Hey," Laska said, and was greeted by violent coughing. "I've brought you some of my home-made chicken soup and some fruit. It should make you feel a little better."

"Thanks," Rose sniffed as she shifted while Laska put down the tray on the bed beside her downed lover. "Figures, huh? A two minute walk and I catch a cold."

"Hey, I hate to say I told you so, but I did," Laska smirked. "Imagine me being the mature one for a change."

"You? Mature?" Rose's left eyebrow shot towards her hairline as she took a spoonful of chicken-soup in her mouth.

"Yep!" Laska smiled. "I was right and you were wrong! Nyah, nyah, nyah-nyah, nyah! I am SOOOO mature and you are not! Nyah, nyah, nyah-hyah, nyah!"

"It shows," Rose smiled. "Thanks for cheering me up."

"Hey, that's what I'm here for," Laska said, and leaned in for a brief kiss on the forehead. "Don't worry about me catching your colds. Us lucky elves don't get colds."

"No butt-bones, no colds," the half-elf smiled. "But you do have big ears."

"And don't you forget it," Laska tapped Rose's nose with her index finger. "Now, eat up and get some rest. We sail tomorrow."

"Stay?" Rose asked, and looked at Laska with pleading eyes. "Just for a moment."

Laska smiled, took off her boots and crawled into the bed to hug Rose from behind as she ate her meal.