1. The Cloakwood

Aiwë lowers her hammer and takes the offered hand. She grips tightly, an attempt to keep her a moment longer. "Are you geased? Do you know the answers to those questions?"

Viconia's answer is a deep, silent look into Aiwe's eyes.

(Insight: Yes, she's geased. Yes, she knows the answers. Aiwe can also sense a profound sadness in this drow, deeper and more intricate than the depths of the flooded Cloakwood mine. Almost as strong in her is another emotion: fear.)

Aiwë nods. "Thank you for coming. We'll do what we can for you. Until then, may the shadows guide and keep you." She gives her hand a final squeeze, then releases her.

Stephan's cheeks redden again, but this time with shame. "Everything you say is true... I didn't see because I didn't want to see. Maybe I'm just not strong enough. Not good enough." He wipes his eyes. "Maybe someday I can make up for it. Right now I just... want to go home."

He turns away, unwilling to meet Ida's gaze any longer.

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"No..." she shakes her head. "No, no, no! I can't—I can't do that..." Stella pushes away from the dark priestess and stumbles away. She topples and hits the ground as she tries.

Stella's dimly aware of Viconia's feet stepping close. "May your choice bring you comfort, Child of Light."

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"Ahh!" She groans and pushes herself up on her arms. Fear seeps back into her mind through her surge of clarity and the mind-dampening darkness, however, and she looks around, trying to orient herself.

Stella looks up to see Aiwe standing nearby. The numbing darkness has vanished, replaced by normal shadows. And between the boughs, high above the trees, the stars shine down like old friends.

Aiwë whirls around. "Stella!" She scoops her up immediately, holding her close. "Are you okay?"

"I’m sorry I shouldn't have spoken so harshly. You are so young and have so much of the world left to see." Ida puts a comforting arm around Stephan a distant memory of a time she had uttered almost identical words. "We can help you home if that is your wish." She removes her arm and rustles in her bag. Ida pulls the last remaining piece of her favourite sweet; butter rum. Moving in front of the boy and gently grabbing his hand and placing the hard tac candy still sealed in its wrapper and curls his fingers around it. "The world is harsh, if you choose, you may also join us to make it a little less so."

When Aiwë scoops her up, Stella tenses and trembles. She shuts her eyes tight and grits her teeth, then sobs as tears begin to flow. "I—I don't know," she says honestly, relaxing and leaning onto Aiwë, letting her hold her up.

"Viconia...Where...?

Stella's mind races through the events that just transpired. She thought she was done with this kind of fear. Yet, that vision...she was so close to following Viconia. The blanket of safety...the quietness...part of her still wanted that. And the fact part of her desired that now frightened her.

But she chose otherwise, driven by Papa's heartfelt words and Aiwë's powerful singular one. And...the dark priestess seemed satisfied with that...but why? Had Viconia used magic to muddle her mind, or was it just the natural aftermath of such a dire portent?

Still deeply confused, she opens her eyes while she holds to Aiwë, her eye-stars a deep indigo. "I..." she shudders one more time as her sobs slow. ...think I need some sleep." she finally says, breathing slowly.

Aiwë searches Stella for visible wounds without releasing or disrupting her. "Viconia said you were in the Shadowfell. I'm not sure if she came because of that, or just arrived at a good time. She helped you out, and delivered a message to me. She serves Rieltar—or his organization—under geas."

She strokes Stella's hair and hums a low, comforting tune until her sobs slow.

"Sleep sounds wonderful. We can trade our stories in the morning. Come, let's get back to camp. I'm expecting your love-struck lord to show up frantic any moment."

Stephan sniffs loudly and then looks down at the candy. After a long moment he accepts it. "Thank you. I'll... I'll do better."

He clears his throat and tries to downplay the last few minutes with a poor attempt at a chuckle. "I hope I didn't offend you earlier by calling you pretty. I mean, not that you aren't, I just- Hells! No wait, you're a cleric! I shouldn't be using such language." He sighs and drops his head. "I'm just going to go get something to eat now."

Indeed, soon there comes a frantic call from the direction of the camp. "Stella! Aiwe? I'm coming, Stella! Where are you?" Many other calls join in. It would seem that Aldous raised the whole camp to come search!

He finally locates the pair, and the look on his face when he sees Stella is relief at finding her mixed with sorrow for her tears. "Oh Stella..." He wraps her in a gentle hug and pulls her close. "What happened? No wait, tell me that when you're ready. What do you need? I have some water here..." He passes her a full waterskin. "Have a drink..."

Aldous looks over at Aiwe and quietly mouths a sincere "Thank you!"

"Ah, right on queue. Good man." Aiwë passes Stella off to him gently. At his thanks she nods with a sad smile.

Koveras, arriving terribly fast, skids to a stop near the group. Behind him, a number of refugees with torches approach.

The half-orc glances once at Aiwe, clears his throat, then kneels down by Stella. "Miss Melerelel, I am glad to see you safe." He offers her a clean handkerchief for her face. "Are you wounded?"

He looks over at Aiwe and quietly mouths "What happened?"

"Long story," she answers to Koveras. Does he expect all the details mouthed over Stella's shoulder?

Aiwë sighs internally at the sight of the refugees with torches. She is glad they all took the threat seriously, Viconia could have been there to assassinate them or worse, but now they are an audience Stella doesn't need. She allows herself a moment to rub her eyes, then straightens her spine and puts on a smile.

"Thank you so much, everyone. The danger has passed, and all is well. Let us return to our rest."

At that, Ida does let out a small genuine chuckle "You know I appreciate it, I'm turning 128 this year. The comment just took me off guard, usually when someone is on death's door it's a lot more groaning and complaining... and MUCH more colourful language. Don't sweat the small stuff it takes a lot more to offend me than some curse words." Returning to her backpack she sees a few ration packs that are almost completely intact. "If you need food I do have some to spare. It may not be the tastiest but it is nutritionally dense, I'll give it that. Ida looks around at the other people occupying the chamber and gets up. I want to make some rounds and see if there's any aid that the people need before we enter the woods tomorrow. You're welcome to continue wallowing if you choose, or you're welcome to join me" Ida takes the time to look over wounds, breaks, and other injuries sustained in the mines. she sets to work methodically working to cleanse, splint, and wrap what she comes across.

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Aiwë searches Stella for visible wounds without releasing or disrupting her.

OOC:

Other than minor scrapes from falling over, I don't think she's wounded? Still not sure where the blood on the books came from.

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"Viconia said you were in the Shadowfell...She helped you out, and delivered a message to me. She serves Rieltar—or his organization—under geas."

"A geas?" She furrows her brow and straightens a bit, relaxing to Aiwë's song and stroking her hair. That might explain some of Viconia's actions, but not all. Still... "We can dispel a geas. Where is she? Is she...no, it would take too much time, and she's likely compelled against such aid...But maybe if we see her again..." Her mind tries to work out how they could contact her and help, but the train of thought soon fizzles out into exhaustion.

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"Come, let's get back to camp. I'm expecting your love-struck lord to show up frantic any moment."

Stella puffs a laugh, then her eye-stars brighten to a sky blue at the sound of Aldous' voice. It shifts to an icy blue as she hears then sees how many people come to see. She's grateful when Aiwë sends them off.

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"Oh Stella..." He wraps her in a gentle hug and pulls her close. "What happened? No wait, tell me that when you're ready. What do you need? I have some water here..." He passes her a full waterskin. "Have a drink..."

She wraps her arms around him and leans into the hug, grateful for his patience. She accepts the water and takes a long drink gratefully, not realizing until now just how parched she had been. The cool water soothes her further.

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The half-orc glances once at Aiwe, clears his throat, then kneels down by Stella. "Miss Melerelel, I am glad to see you safe." He offers her a clean handkerchief for her face. "Are you wounded?"

She turns to look at him and frowns. She hadn't expected him to be so concerned for her, nor so...tender. She blinks a few times and accepts the handkerchief. "No. Thank you." Not physically wounded at least, she thinks as she wipes her face, then returns the handkerchief.

"I'm sorry to have...worried everyone..." she murmurs, still holding to Aldous and feeling his warmth. "Thank you all."

She was about to say 'upset', instead of 'worried', but she knew that wasn't quite accurate. Back home, she was usually the one to worry about everyone else. It was...heartening, to be so well cared about. Even a nice contrast to the calm numbness of the shadows. Why she would flee from her friends was quite a valid question for Viconia to ask, indeed. She would have to be sure not to do any further divinations while alone.

After a few minutes, she takes a deep breath and steps back, letting Aldous lead her back to the encampment to rest.

"Aldous," Aiwë calls quietly as he starts to lead Stella back to camp. He had cared for her so tenderly and so well. "That thing you asked me for—it's yours."

Stephan blinks, pales, and blinks again.
Put at ease by Ida's pleasant nature, Stephan feels a small smile start up on his face. "Um, okay!"

He doesn't know much about medicine or bedside care, but he's a smart lad and a quick learner. He makes himself reasonably helpful, and even manages to crack a few jokes that have the wounded refugees smiling despite their injuries. He seems genuinely happy to work alongside Ida.

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"Aldous," Aiwë calls quietly as he starts to lead Stella back to camp. He had cared for her so tenderly and so well. "That thing you asked me for—it's yours."

Aldous brightens immediately. Careful not to put Stella off-balance, he still manages to do a little happy jig with his frog leg. "Oh it's nothing," he tells Stella. "Just the beginning of a dream come true! But come, let's get some food in you."

He looks back over his shoulder to flash Aiwe a grin and an appreciative nod.

Aiwë smiles and nods in reply to Aldous. With Stella ushered off to sleep in Aldous' remarkably capable hands and the refugees settling back in—that leaves Koveras. She turns to him and meets his eyes without embarrassment or shame, just as she had in Candlekeep after enduring his scorn.

"Thank you for coming." She takes the handkerchief from his hand—he had been rather gentle with Stella hadn't he?—and shakes it out with a snap before returning it clean and dry. "We'll share all the details tomorrow. For now, we'd better get some rest. Good night." She nods farewell and returns to the compound.

As she crosses the threshold Aiwë stops and leans against the compound wall. She hugs herself with one arm and rests her head in the palm of her other hand. Today was one that felt like hundreds.

"Your uncle's death was perfectly planned and orchestrated."

"In her flows the blood of warriors, heroes, and the power of the gods."

"You make me want to be... more."

"The Eyes of the Watching Woman. I can swear they're brighter tonight."

"It's okay if you don't understand right now."

She drives the circling thoughts out of her head with a song whispered under her breath.

"My mother says I have Orcish eyes. They're as strong as the sun in the cloudless sky but they're never so strong as when I let them cry."

Tears well up in her eyes. Two fall, but she wipes them away immediately banishes the rest. There is no space for her tears here with all the weariness and struggle remaining in camp despite the victory of the day. She wishes Keggruk were still here. She understands suddenly why Stella wanted to be in the woods alone.

Aiwë thumps her palm against her forehead gently once, twice, three times. Then she straightens and puts on an easy smile as she heads to the center of camp. Everyone will sleep better if she soothes their rest with her handpan. She can sleep later.