2. Beregost

Aldous takes Stella's hand and gently directs her to one side of the smithy for some privacy. "Listen. The Flaming Fist make no secret of the fact that they are mercenaries; they work for pay more than loyalty. However! Their leader is one of the Grand Dukes, a ruler alongside my father! Duke Eltan is like an uncle to me. He would never act against the interests of Baldur's Gate, and that includes turning on the heroes of Nashkel. Assuming he knows who you are and what you've done for the region..."

Still holding her hand, he nods decisively. "I must go on to the Gate, as fast as I can. I'll speak with my father and Duke Eltan and tell them of your group's heroics." He grunts and shifts on his cane. "I would only slow you down if I tried to stay with you, and I'll be able to do more to protect you this way."

The young nobleman releases her hand and puts his own up to cup her face a moment, then leans down to brush her cheek with a quick kiss. "Stay safe." Face red, he pulls back and shuffles out of the smithy.

"Look at me and tell me I’m wrong Stella. Do it"

Taerom lights up to see Dieter. "Ah young man! I haven't seen you in weeks. How is-" He cuts off as Dieter asks for aid. The smith's magnanimous smile is quickly replaced by a deep frown. "I will help you, even if the Flaming Fist proves to be corrupt. They have done nothing about this Iron Crisis, while you have been getting to the bottom of the matter."

He pulls a key from his pocket and presses it into Dieter's hand, then points to the back of the smithy where there is a set of double doors. "That way to our stable, and beyond is my home. It is small, but you can stay there until nightfall. No one thinks to find you there."

"Thank you master, I’m sorry Aiwë you’re right please forgive me."

I really hope this isn’t a set up

As Aldous tries to flee his embarrassment and dive into heroics Aiwë reaches out and grabs him by the neck of his very fine coat. She doesn't look at him, but rather at Dieter, and points sharply with her other hand.

"Last time you made the run/not run call you got dead. The Fist probably has blockades waiting already, like for that drow."
She nods, glad to have reached and understanding.

"And you," she pulls Aldous forward as she steps back, placing herself between his very red face and the door. "I appreciate you looking out for my cousin but you don't like to ride and the road is too dangerous for anyone alone, let alone a nicely ransomable noble. Besides, blood is blood and corrupt is corrupt. The Duke could send an official proclamation right this minute and without enforcers here on our side it wouldn't hit anything." She pauses on her colloquialism. "I mean it wouldn't help. You want her safe, you do it here."

She grabs his hand and puts it into Stella's. "Keep him from wandering off," she instructs sternly. There is the barest wink for Stella though as she turns.

"Thank you, master." Shelur thumps her chest once more then pokes Dieter in the back towards the stables. "Hurrak! Move out!"

"go go!" Dieter doesn’t stop till he’s in the house and preferably somewhere hidden with a good escape route.

Stella glowers at Dieter's words, eye stars flaring orange, but looks down and remains silent, clutching to her tome. He was probably right, but she didn't have to like it.
Stella follows, still holding to her tome with her other hand.

Just stellar, Stella thinks sarcastically. At this rate, I'd bet on the Lady of Mysteries true name that his father's involved in all this somehow...

She knew she shouldn't jump to conclusions, but they'd faced enemies at practically every turn.

As Aldous cups her face, her quickened breath catches, then she relaxes, meeting his eyes. It felt...safe. A strange sensation, given she could physically outclass him in almost every way. She blushes at his quick kiss.
Stella's tension returns. She was still teasing, now?

"Now we're just going to get accused of abducting a nobleman..." Stella murmurs. She tightens her grip on Aldous hand, partially because Aiwë said to, but almost moreso for comfort. She reluctantly follows Dieter and Aiwë.

"They were already gonna." She looks over her shoulder at Stella with a tired frown.

"All that matters is that we get him home. Then after that... maybe it's our turn."

Stella looks up in surprise at Aiwë, then nods and lets her gaze wander down again, eye stars fading to a sullen indigo.

Of course, this would happen, Stella thinks to herself. She helps save a witch and suddenly calls herself a hero. Then when the promise of assassins shows up again, she goes right back to cowering. They still didn't even know why they had been targeted back in Candlekeep. And now after Nashkel, they were probably even higher on the hit list.

But even Aiwë tired of being chased. Or was she just tired of babysitting?

STOP. she tells herself firmly, eye-stars flickering orange. She forces herself to focus on her breathing, and the feeling of her hand in Aldous'.

Aldous stumbles as Aiwe grabs his collar, but she easily keeps him from entirely falling. He turns on her in anger, obviously unaccustomed to being manhandled in such a way. "Don't touch me! You have no right to keep me from going anywhere. What makes you think your assassins care about me? I'm likely in greater danger with you than not, and by leaving I will actually accomplish something useful."

He straightens his coat and takes a deep breath, though he doesn't let go of Stella's hand once it's in his. "I'm not going alone. I'll have Ajantis with me, as well as the extra guards he gets from Kagain. But while you are staying hidden I can get to the Gate and my father."

His stormy gray eyes meet Aiwe's "This is the only thing I can do to keep her and the rest of you safe, and it's in a way you can't do on your own. Let me help you."

Taerom pockets the vial with a nod. Then, listening in on the argument at hand between Aiwe and Aldous, he does a double-take. "Aldous Silvershield! Forgive my forgetful mind, but I have not seen you since you were as tall as this anvil." He pats a nearby piece of equipment. "Your father is an honorable man. Stern, but fair. And Duke Eltan is as noble as they come. Nobody becomes Grand Duke without proving themselves in the public eye; the Four we have are all good persons."

Aiwë inflates subtly in the face of Aldous' anger, looking taller and wider than she had a moment ago. She searches his eyes, then becomes smaller once again. "I was thinking more about giants and bandits than our assassins. But you're right." Her accent softened and became touched with elvish. "You did just fine before we came along. As you will, my lord. My apologies for the rough handling." She bows.

Stella reluctantly releases his hand, staring off into space. "He's right, she agrees softly. "About the dangers, I mean. Anyone traveling with us always gets put on the next bounty notice. Best to make our traveling together a temporary matter. I doubt we can hide here for more than a night, but parting ways might be for the best."

She was scared, and she would worry, but they had only known each other for about 24 hours—she wouldn't be losing a friend today, she told herself, not really.

It also comforted Stella to hear Taerom praise Aldous' father's and the Duke's honor. Perhaps not everyone was out to get them.

Aldous looks pained as Stella lets go of his hand, but he nods and leans on his cane.

Aiwe and Stella both hear it first: the jangle of metal on metal. Several people in heavy armor are approaching the smithy. A glance out the window gives them some relief, however, when they see it is Ajantis and a few other armored men, including the dwarf Kagain. The party remembers meeting him in one of the taverns as he tried to recruit guards for a job. The very job of guarding Aldous himself, they remember.

Aldous sighs. "It's best we part ways." He looks into Stella's eyes for a long moment, and she easily guesses that he's considering another kiss, but he flushes and shuffles towards the front door. He waves the party toward the back door. "The fewer people who know where you are, the better. Ajantis doesn't need to know."

"Sorry, sister-girl," Aiwë murmurs in Elvish. "Hopefully he knows what he's doing." She takes Stella's hand and follows Dieter out. Strangely, Aiwë seems to be gripping Stella's hand much the same way Stella had held Aldous' for comfort.

Stella actually finds herself relieved when he forgoes another kiss, especially with others watching. The first kiss was unexpected—Ajantis was right that the young noble would try to move into some kind of relationship rather quickly, even she had saved his life. She had been looking forward to dinner with him, though...perhaps another time, when this blows over, she hoped. If this blows over, she corrects, as she lets Aiwë lead her out.

"Move!"

The party waits in Taerom's house until nightfall. It is indeed a small place; the smith lives alone.

Taerom himself arrives with several large sacks tossed over his shoulder. "The armors! They are finished." He opens the sacks one by one to reveal all the commissioned work. The last sack is full of food. "For your journeys. The smiths, we each pitched in a bit to provide these meals for you."

The master smith pulls Dieter to one side. "Would you like me to tell Tulfgar? That you were in town? Your successes and troubles?"

"…..no, they’ll be watching him. If you do see him tell him you thought of me and that surely I think of him as I do every day. Thank you
Master, with this armour I will protect many and strike down much evil."

"Already!" Stella remarks, shocked by the speed, and amazed at the gift of food. "Oh, thank you Master Taerom!" She hadn't expected him to get any of them finished today.

She draws out dozens of strings of gold coin to pay him.