Soon enough some heavy stuff is going to hit the group and change its dynamic. and we get closer and closer to spellhold, where everything will be turned on its head 
enjoyThey made their way out of the city without anymore delays and were soon among the open fields of the Amnish peasantry. Jaheira deeply breathed in the air and smiled, refreshed to once again be in Nature’s domain.
Tybalt couldn’t enjoy his surroundings as easily as the others; guilt still plagued him over Suna Seni’s appearance. Though he couldn’t prove it, he knew in his heart that she was somehow connected to Irenicus. To voice this knowledge would do no good, however. Valygar was distraught enough over Suna’s reticent behavior. To realize who this mysterious master was would only grieve him further.
Haer’Dalis walked to his side. “Meeting old flames is always difficult,” he said quietly. “More so when lovers become foes.”
Tybalt scowled. The last thing he wanted was to here the tiefling’s views of entropy and how every relationship was destined to end. “I thought I asked you to stay away from me,” he said coldly.
The bard dramatically recoiled from an imaginary blow. “You wound this sparrow justly, my raven! I have had time to think of my error last night, and I must apologize for my brutish words. I sometimes become over enamored with my faction’s philosophy and forget the present. You have this sparrow’s word that he will not speak of the subject again.”
Tybalt glared at him, disbelieving. “I don’t want to forget it, Haer’Dalis! My heritage is a part of me, something I can’t avoid if I wanted to. I’ve tried running away from it but there’s nowhere to go.” He searched the tiefling’s face to see whether any of this made sense. “What I can’t understand is how you would even consider what I am a blessing. Chaos and entropy are well and good, but what’s inside me is darker than night, an evil constantly whispering to me. I would not wish that upon anyone, not even Irenicus. No matter how much he wants me to ‘reach my potential’ I don’t think he would continue his experiments if he knew what I was truly capable. I hold death inside me.” He panted after this speech, unaware of how much of this fear and pain he had kept inside himself for so long.
Haer’Dalis smiled wryly. “My raven, we all carry death inside of us. ‘Tis the natural order of things. Even Jaheira would agree with me, gall her though it would. You cannot have life without death, nor would you want to. The risk is what makes life exciting.”
Tybalt shook his head firmly. “No. This is not a natural thing inside of me. Haer’Dalis, have you never felt a trace of evil creep upon your soul from your ancestor?” He clutched at the tiefling’s cloak desperately.
Haer’Dalis’ face darkened for a moment as the Bhaalspawn’s words washed over him. He opened his mouth to say something, then shook his head. He forced a slight laugh. “I can’t say that I have, my raven. The most my fiendish grandfather has ever done is bequeath me my striking visage.” He gestured with a smile at his exotic features.
Tybalt dropped his hands hopelessly. “Then you can have no idea how hard it is for me to get through every day, wondering whether today will be the day that I loose control for good and give myself over to my father’s taint and erase any memories of my life. I go to sleep unsure if I will be the same person in the morning. Yet you want me to embrace this force and unleash it on the world?” His face held lines of agony and sorrow which he tried to rub away with a shaking hand.
“Tybalt,” Haer’Dalis spoke softly. “I am…sorry. No, let me continue,” he held up a hand as Tybalt made to interrupt. “This is no show of pity for you, you do not deserve that. I apologize truly for my rashness last night. I spoke of what I do not know and forgot that entropy has a time and place. We cannot rush its course nor delay it, nor should we meddle with powers beyond our own. I thought of your divine essence and not the man in front of me. I would sooner walk through a thousand infernos before willingly harm you.” He gazed at the stunned man, waiting for a reaction.
Tybalt absorbed all of this with astonishment. He wasn’t certain if the man spoke truthfully, but Haer’Dalis seemed honest enough in his apology. “All right,” he finally stammered hesitantly. “Thank you.”
Haer’Dalis gave a tiny smile. “From your hesitation I sense that you do not entirely believe my words. Humble they be, but often the simplest prose can hold the most truth.”
“No,” Tybalt corrected quickly, “I believe you. I’m sorry, I’m not being fair. You didn’t know, and now there’s nothing to worry about.”
“As I had hoped,” the bard replied contentedly. Inwardly, he couldn’t help but visualize the chaotic power Tybalt had referred to inside his soul. “You are indeed a wonder, my raven,” he murmured greedily. “One I will enjoy unraveling.” Tybalt had turned to enjoy the scenery and thus didn’t hear this.
The journey was a much needed escape from the bustle of Athkatla. Tensions had run high in the close confines of the city, and a trip through the countryside calmed their collective nerves. Jaheira and Valygar in particular seemed to exude an aura of peace and serenity; the druid and ranger were returned to their natural environment.
“I have been to this Grove once before,” Jaheira related to Valygar as they walked ahead of the others. “It was after I had left my own Grove in Tethyr and begun to journey Faerun. I will always have a special place in my heart for the druids who raised me, but this Grove is one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. Wild growth spreads across fertile marshes and forests, colorful plants line deer trails, waterfalls cascade down rocky ledges. Nature herself has blessed the land.”
Valygar smiled distractedly at her description but kept his eyes on the road ahead.
“Valygar,” Jaheira stated with a touch of annoyance, “if you wish to be alone, just say so.”
The ranger glanced at her in surprise, then frowned. “I’m sorry,” he muttered. “I just can’t get Suna’s arrival out of my head. That was no accident meeting, but she hadn’t expected to find me. She was after Tybalt.”
“I know,” Jaheira said softly. “I, too, have old companions after our friend.”
Valygar realized with shame that the druid had refused to complain over her desertion of the Harpers, yet here he was ignoring her to reflect on Suna. “I guess we have something else in common,” he smiled sadly.
“Besides more in our heads than the rest of the group combined?” she asked dryly. The ranger laughed at this. “Or were you referring to our rugged magnetism?”
Valygar hugged her to his side as they marched. “I haven’t laughed in such a long time, but now I don’t know why.”
“Sometimes we forget the bigger picture when we focus on our smaller issues,” the woman said quietly. She squeezed him tightly. “We all need to remember that life goes on regardless of our personal tragedies; I had forgotten.”
“I hope you’re starting to open your eyes again,” Valygar wished for her.
She gazed at his face. “I have never seen more clearly.”
Yoshimo wandered after the leaders without watching his step. He was out of his element here, far from civilization. No traps or street thugs would assault them here, and so he was free to relax his guard and ponder his life’s direction.
Safana had said that Irenicus was not pleased with his progress. It had been difficult to lead the group into going to the Shadow Thieves for assistance, considering Jaheira’s stubbornness and distaste for the less-than-scrupulous guild. And now that Tybalt was reclaimed and Irenicus’ location discovered, there should have been no further obstacles to his job. But now they had to make this damned detour to Trademeet and the feral jungles of this land.
He hoped that Suna’s appearance hadn’t been to capture Tybalt herself, or to demand he finish his assignment, but he would never know as Valygar had deflected that threat. But how soon would the next messenger come? Was someone following them even now?
He rebuked himself for this foolish doubt. Of course they were followed! Irenicus was no fool, whatever else he may be, and had set watchers onto the party since they had left his dungeon. Perhaps Suna trailed them, or Bhodi’s lapdog Safana. There was any number of possibilities, but now was not the time to make contact. There was nowhere to hide in these open lands; Trademeet would be a good enough place to stage a meeting.
Even with his guard down he realized that Irenicus’ agents were not the only ones trailing the group. He had seen signs of this before they had left the city, and while he couldn’t be sure while out in nature’s domain, he thought he could still detect their occasional scouts verifying the group’s course.
But who else would follow them from the city? Surely the Shadow Thieves had spies, but they would be too clever even for Yoshimo’s senses. The Order would be too obvious to miss, plus they had Ajantis as an informant. The Cowled Wizards would not use such mundane techniques as tracking to find their prey.
But the Harpers might.
He wondered whether he should alert the group, but he was irritable at this point and didn’t want to create a fuss, which Jaheira would inevitably make. And as long as these mysterious followers tracked the group, they were not attacking.
“Something troubling you?” Xan asked to one side. Iranie echoed the statement, hovering over the elf’s head.
Yoshimo had head the mage approach so was not startled in the least, but he collected his thoughts before responding. “I am not accustomed to the country as much as our companions ahead.” He gestured to where Jaheira and Valygar shared a joke about one thing or another. “Most of my jobs occur within the city.”
The elf pursed his lips sourly. “All this green wears on the nerves. I can’t see what anyone would find pleasing about the wild.”
Yoshimo grinned to himself, knowing the mage would say much the same when they entered Trademeet. “And how is your little companion. What is her name again? Iranie?”
“Iranie, Iranie!” the fairy screamed joyously, whizzing around the thief’s head.
“She’s very energetic,” he observed.
“I haven’t found a way to turn her off yet,” Xan replied with a grimace as the familiar giggled next to his ear. “From what I can tell, she sleeps less than two hours a day.”
“Too little time!” Iranie squealed as she raced through tall grasses and shrubs. “Too much to see!”
“Aerie has no such problem,” Xan lamented jealously. “All Quayle does is sleep. She puts him in her pack and can pretend he’s not there. Maybe if I find a bag of holding I can convince Iranie to explore.”
“I love seeing new things!” the fairy agreed shrilly. Yoshimo winced and covered his ears. “Yes yes yes!”
“You must get accustomed to living with another,” Yoshimo pointed out. “You said before that you cannot be separated.”
The melancholy elf grimaced. “Don’t you think I know that by now?” he snapped. “Easy for you to say get used to it, you don’t have to.” Xan glared at Iranie and walked by himself irritably.
Yoshimo allowed himself a small smile. Perhaps he was not the worst off at the moment.
Aerie walked hand-in-hand with Ajantis, looking at the clear sky. “I can’t help but think of flying at times like these,” she stated wistfully. “I would soar for hours on a day like this and be able to see for miles around.” Her face twisted into a melancholy smile. “The rush of wind against my skin, the sun heating me, the view, they were all infinitely precious to me. And I will never have them again.” Her eyes fell back to the ground. “I will crawl on this dusty ground for the rest of my life.” Her voice was flat and emotionless as she said this.
Ajantis did not seem to hear the desolation in her tone. “The land holds beauty, my lady, that you doubtless could not see from your lofty perch. You have merely exchanged one world for another. Both have benefits and pitfalls.”
Aerie shook her head vehemently. “You can’t understand, Ajantis. If you had seen what I had seen you could not say that. The wonders from the ground do not compare to flight. I would give anything to travel the skies again.” She sighed and cleared her throat. “But I know that’s just foolish dreams.”
The paladin finally picked up on the avariel’s depth of sadness. “You- you would give anything? My lady, forgive me if I am forward, but would you have traded our meeting for your wings?”
The girl hesitated as she thought about this. Ajantis nodded in confirmation. “Your silence is answer enough, my lady. A word of advice,” he suggested as he dropped her hand and started to fall back in line. “Wishful thoughts such as these can do you no good. The gods have a plan for us and to wish for anything else is blasphemous. Accept your life or face the consequences.”
“Don’t give me sermons, Ajantis!” Aerie called after him, willing him to return. “I need a friend right now, not a lecture!”
“And would you trade your friend for your wings?” Ajantis wondered sadly, moving to guard the group’s rear.
“Ajantis,” Aerie whispered, tears in her eyes. He didn’t appear to hear.
Tybalt and Haer’Dalis noted the holy warrior’s shift in position as he walked behind them to end the queue. They also saw Aerie look pleadingly at him to no effect.
“My dove, you bear such sadness,” Haer’Dalis murmured. “Would that I could relieve some of it from your innocent heart.”
Tybalt shot him an annoyed glare before realizing he had nothing to be angry about. So what if Haer’Dalis wished to comfort Aerie? Why would he care what the tiefling did? “Don’t you think Aerie is a bit weak?” he asked innocently, ignoring his inner voice laughing at his crude scheme.
The bard made an assenting noise in his throat but did not take his eyes off the elf.
“I mean, she can cast spells, sure,” Tybalt went on, fueled by Haer’Dalis’ indifference. “But what else is she good for? She messed up when trying to cure Xan: they both have to lug around useless familiars now. And if she mourns her wings one more time I might have to return her to her precious skies the hard way—there’s got to be a catapult somewhere nearby.”
Haer’Dalis had by this returned his gaze to his companion. An amused smiled formed on his lips. “What? What’s so funny?” Tybalt demanded sourly.
“My raven, if I didn’t know any better, I would say the green eyed monster has a hold of you.” The bard pointed at Tybalt’s eyes and the Bhaalspawn reflexively checked to make sure nothing was wrong.
He dropped his hands guiltily as he loftily replied, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Haer’Dalis’ smile softened to a fond twist of the lips. “I do not mean to mock, Tybalt. Your attentions flatter this artless sparrow, and he thanks you for it. Whatever else Aerie may possess, she bears none of the mystery and charm which draw me inevitably to your side.” He placed a hand on the other man’s cheek for a moment.
Tybalt jerked to attention at the touch. A spark of energy had seemed to pass between their skin, along with a promise of further contact. “I- uh…yeah,” he stuttered weakly, trying not to stumble as they walked. He shook his head and caught his breath, hoping the bard didn’t notice his bewilderment.
Haer’Dalis watched him smugly, knowing his power to be complete.
