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Chapter 12


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#1 Guest_theacefes_*

Posted 31 January 2005 - 12:51 AM

Sacrifice: Chapter 12


I woke up late the next morning. Realizing it was almost noon, I quickly bathed and dressed and hurried to the courtyard to meet Nalia. Jaheira and Aerie had gone out walking for the day so that Jaheira could teach Aerie some of the ways of nature to better prepare Aerie for when we travel again. Yoshimo simply said he was going to Atkatla due to an emergency and would be back in a few days. Jaheira told Minsc to go with Yoshimo. I knew that Jaheira did not completely trust Yoshimo but it was also a good idea for Minsc to accompany him for safety reasons.

"Nalia?" I called once I was in the courtyard.

"Over here, Auren!" I heard her say. I saw her sitting on a stone bench in the far left corner of the courtyard. I walked over to her and said, "Sorry I'm a little late. I erm....woke up late."

She shook her head and said, "That's okay. You needed the rest anyway." She looked at my side where I had been injured. The wound was now bandaged and hidden from sight by my clothing.

"So...where are we going?" I asked.

"Well," she said, looking a bit nervous. "I was thinking maybe we could go out in the fields around the keep and eat," she held up a basket which was obviously full of food, "and then we can go from there. How does that sound?"

"Whatever you want to do is fine with me," I said and suddenly realized the way the words had come out of my mouth. Calm down, Auren, I thought, just take this a little bit at a time. You don't even know what she's thinking about you either. I was an elf, and she was human, and it was not uncommon for either race to have relationships like....this. But we don't have a relationship, I thought quickly.

Stop talking to yourself and just go with it, you moron, I scolded myself.

We made our way to a green and grassy area outside the keep. We sat down and began eating.

Nalia told me about several incidents in which she had snuck out against her aunt's will to go to the slums and give money to beggars, orphans, or just anyone that was obviously in hardship and needed help.

"But not everyone is deserving of help," I pointed out. "What about people who have ruined themselves because they were slavers or worse?"

Nalia shrugged. "Usually I can tell. But I mean, don't you think everyone deserves a second chance?"

I thought about. Sure, there were countless times back when Imoen and I traveled the Sword Coast where we made decisions that we regretted afterwards, times we should have died or failed...but oddly enough we did not. Whether it was the intervening of a divine source or sheer luck, I will probably never know.

"I suppose," I agreed.

She told me about her mother and how she had helped people in the slums as well. I was going to ask what had happened to Lady D'Arnisse but I felt that the subject was a private matter to her and better left alone.

We talked for a few hours over lunch until she said, "Well, shall we go for a walk?"

"Sure," I said and we headed towards the woods in the area. There was a clear path going into the woods indicating that many had walked through here before.

"You should be careful when you're in the slums," I said. "There are some that will recognize you and try to rob you."

Nalia just stared at me. "I...appreciate your concern for my safety," she said, "but I'm quite capable of protecting myself."

I laughed a little. "I'm sure you are."

She smiled and we continued walking for a few hours. I soon lost track of the time and didn't realize how long we had been out until the sun had begun to set. We finally made a semi-circle through the woods and ended up near a small creek that had a waterfall.

"How pretty! I didn't know this was here!" Nalia exclaimed.

I put my hand in the water. "The water's freezing," I observed.

"Really?" she asked. Suddenly I found myself completely drenched and cold and treading water. I heard Nalia laughing hysterically.

"You....you pushed me in!" I cried.

"Yes..." Nalia said between laughs, "I did. And you look REALLY funny right now."

"Why, because I'm wet?"

"No, because you're mad," she said.

"No, actually this is what I look like when I'm mad," I said and grinned as I yanked on her shirt and pulled her into the water.

"AHH!" she yelled and went under. When she came up, the smile on my face disappeared as I saw the look of anger on hers.

"Um....am I in trouble?" I asked with a mock-innocent expression.

"I should put a Dominate Mind spell on you and make you drown yourself," she said as she moved wet strands of reddish brown hair out of her face.

"You serious?" I said.

She sighed and laughed a little. "I guess not."

I looked at the sky. Stars were beginning to become visible.

"Maybe we should head back," I said.

Nalia nodded and stunned me by taking my hand, which was underwater. I stared at her.

"Um..Nalia...I'm not-" I began nervously.

She quickly withdrew her hand. "I'm...sorry. You're right I shouldn't do this to you. Especially after all you've done for me."

"No no," I said quickly. "I was going to say that I'm not very good at this sort of thing because I haven't done anything like this since I was like...fifteen." This time, by my own control and will, I took her hand again.

"Oh," Nalia said, nearly stuttering. "Okay..." She moved closer to me and closed her eyes and I did the same. We moved closer and closer...

"WHAT IN THE NAME OF SILVANUS IS GOING ON?!"

I jumped what seemed like fifty feet in the air, but then I remember I was in the water. The freezing water.

Jaheira was standing in front of us with Aerie, looking puzzled.

"Oh...well...you see-" I started, wondering how I was going to explain this.

"I'm sorry Jaheira. Auren and I went for a walk so I could show her the land and I was so clumsy that I tripped and fell in the water, and...well, I can't exactly swim. Auren jumped in and saved me," Nalia said, covering up for both of us. I knew very well that Nalia could swim.

"Well, in case you haven't noticed, that water is probably freezing and both of you are going to get very sick if you don't get out right now!" Jaheira snapped. I caught Aerie staring at Nalia and trying to hold in giggles.



A little bit later, we were back inside the keep. I was finishing drying my hair when someone knocked on the door.

"Come in," I said. The door creaked open and Nalia walked in. She was wearing a white nightgown and was wearing her hair, which was still wet, down. It stopped at her shoulders.

"Hi...um..I hope you're not going to get sick after all this," she said.

"Don't worry about it. I'm surprised I didn't get any illnesses from Irenicus's dungeon," I replied.

"Oh," she said. "Well, I just wanted to say goodnight."

"Okay....um...goodnight?" I said, not knowing what to do.

She laughed and gave me a hug. "Goodnight, Auren." Then she left.

I sat there in silence...and grinned.




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