_{by jaymamma.}

Today had mostly been a good day. Droop was safe. Not only that he was having a sleep over with Lillian. All in all this worked out for Droop. It warmed my heart to think of them having tea parties and causing general havoc together as they like to do.

I just hoped I was not putting her family out. It was a big risk. Hopefully, I could change that. I understood most civilized folk were no fans of goblins. With dam good reason I suppose. All you had to do though was give Droop the slightest chance and he would change how you felt about his kind.

He would accompany us to end the threat of the young green dragon in Thundertree. Hopefully, this type of valor from a goblin could win him movement within helms hold. Tomorrow we would go to seek out the Vistani towards the finding of Dare’s sister. Hopefully, what the hag had told us was true. I have my doubts but I still hold out hope as well.

Things are looking up, I do have one worry though. The seed bag. It unnerves me greatly. It feels bad. My patron’s cryptic response did not make me feel any better about it.

What if some horror grew from it?

A rock just hit my dam window If I find some jackass out there trying to call one me in the middle of the night…..

I slid the window up and looked down into the roadway. Magnificently bright eyes sparkled up at me like diamonds.

“Ophelia?”

“Good evening Lilvari, I hope you were not expecting a gentleman caller” She said with a smile.

“Actually I kind of was. I had my fair share of gawkers in this town just like any other. Ok, lets be honest more than my fair share. Would you like to come up?” I asked.

“I am not really into that kind of thing, I was looking to see if you wanted to go down-” “I interupted.

“Maybe I am not into that kind of thing.” I relpied.

She laughed. At least she did have a sense of humor.

“Give me a few to get dressed. I will be down”

I slid into my hex dress and quietly down the stairs, and out the door.

“Come” She said. “Walk with me.”

We began to walk silently. After walking a ways I realized she wasn’t leading me anywhere specific just meandering about. Waiting for me to speak, no doubt.

“I was surprised to see you today.” I said.

“What you didn’t believe me? I said I would be there after.”

“Yes, you did. But why. Did the queen order you? What is in this for you. When first we met you hated me, and that was not all that long ago.”

She sighed and sat on the same bench that Mystic had been shoving cinnamon buns in her face earlier today. She patted the space next to her. I obliged and shifted my dress as I sat.

“Lovely dress” I smiled. “Thank you, it was a gift from Reinwald.”

She laughed out loud.

“Really? I am surprised.”

“Why is that surprising?”

She giggled.

“Reinwald doesn’t usually volunteer the fact that he can sow and tailor. The other boys tend to make fun of him. You must have made quite the impression on him”

I smirked in the devilish and sly way that I do.

“Oh you could say that”

Her lips parted and she returned the smirk.

“I bet you did. As for your question. Yes I did hate you, would have loved to see you dead. Then I met you. I didn’t bother inquiring of the queen. I knew she would only tell what suited her. I asked my god.”

“Well, he answered. He told me how things went in Eli, about your birth. Once I found out what had happened before you went Shadowfire nova in Eli, it changed my perspective. Seems we are almost, not quite, but almost two sides to the same coin.”

“What do you mean by that?”

She sighed. “I lost someone once. My retaliation was not on the scale of yours, but still…” She paused for a long moment and trembled. She then took a long breath and slowly exhaled. I put my hand on hers and squeezed. she looked at it and then at me.

“Go on its ok. You wont shock me I am sure.”

She smiled weakly and blinked away the slight moisture that was beginning to pool on her lower eyelashes.

“I did not wait for justice. I enacted my own it was violent, brutal and bloody. You left a town of ash. I left a keep smeared in blood.” She put her head down on her knees and sobbed quietly.

“I killed innocent people on my way to vengeance, cut them down as if they were just parchment blowing in the wind.”

I was at a loss. I did not know how to give comfort or that I even should. I almost wanted to slink away quietly, afraid I would make it worse. What could have put me at ease when I relived such horrible moments?

It would not have taken much I realized, All i would have needed was the gesture, the consideration, a little bit of warmth. I put my hand hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently.

“It is ok, I know how you feel. Could there have been just a shoulder to cry on, reassuring words, when we had needed it most. History may have been different. Nothing will ever take the grief and hurt, the longing for those we lost. Still though so many others lost because of me, you, us. We can only do what we can to repent and not see such things repeated. I see now why you hated me so, I reminded …”

She sat up.

“Yes, you reminded me so much of myself. I just got lucky I was not approached by the queen then. I surely would have given in. I was approached by another.”

“Your god of purity.”

“Yes, he appreciated my martial prowess. He promised to take me into his light. To show me the way to justice, not vengeance like I had wrought.”

“Two halves of the same coin indeed.” I agreed fully understanding now what she had meant. In a horribly selfish way, that immediately made me feel shame, I felt a connection to Ophelia. A connection born of our committed atrocities. There was someone out there in the world that understood me and where I had come from.

She looked at me and frowned. I realized I was smiling from ear to ear.

“I am sorry and I hate to admit this but I am grateful for you telling me this. Not because I take sick glee from your pain but because..” “It’s nice to be in the company-“

“of someone that understands” she said completing my sentence.

She then smiled back and stood. Forcibly she grabbed my arm and pulled me off the bench and into a deep and almost smothering embrace. There we stood I the moonlight, in firm embrace. I felt the warmth of her tears run down my neck and on the middle of my back.

I had wept to much in the last day or so. My puffy eyes had just returned to their normal beauty. At least these tears that now trickled down my cheeks were of joy. Neither of us wanted to be the first to let go. So we stood for quite a while.

A raven called as it flew overhead in the inky dark sky and finally broke our embrace.

“Where are you staying tonight Ophelia?”

She laughed. “I had planned on riding back to Neverwinter tonight, well now.”

I took a step back.

“Nonsense you can stay the night and head out in the morning. Come I insist.”

We could hear Dare snoring through the door of the others room. I held a finger up to my lips as we slipped into my room quietly and I closed the door.

“I feel like you are sneaking me in?”

“I am kind of. I don’t want to explain. I already am going to have to explain my shadow demon to mystic”

“That is the elf?” “Yes, she’s like party mother.”

“Hmm, I thought that was your position within your party” She smirked.

“Why would you think that?”

“Curing the orc’s addiction issue. Going to great lengths to protect the goblin. You don’t look out for yourself much I have noticed. That is why I think she is so interested in looking after you.”

I realized she may have a point.

“Nothing to say?” she said still through her smirk.

“Nope, too tired to argue to be honest.”

“I will take that as an admission of guilt.”

“Again to tired to argue…oh”

“What?”

“I forgot that Droop’s alchemy lab is still set up on the other bed.”

She shrugged. “Its ok the floor is fine”

“No I invited you. We can share the other”

She made a funny expression that I had not seen her wearing to this point.

“Its ok. I don’t bite or snore shadowflames.”

She shrugged and in an instant her armor was gone. Just poof, not there. She wore a nightgown similar to the one when we last met on the the rock.

“That was a neat trick.” I said as I touched the hangar for my dress. it slinked off of me and onto the hangar which I placed in the closet.”You have no shame do you. She asked.”

“No, not really I can sleep in the dress if it makes you more comfortable I usually sleep nude.”

“No need.”

I felt a sudden rush of warmth and in just as quickly it was gone. In its place was a white silken night gown identical to Ophelia’s.

“Touché, that is really a neat trick between the amour and the robe you will have to teach me that.”

She smiled. “You have a hex dress. I have hex armor”

“No shit there’s a hex blacksmith? I have to meet him”

“Her. She is quite the metal worker. I am sure you will meet her.”

“I looked down at the robe still amazed by how nice it felt. It was almost as good as sliding into cool sheets in the nude.

“The robe, that goes along with my gifts from my god”

“Oh?”

“Yes running around with all your unmentionables flapping in the wind doesn’t exactly scream “Purity”.

I laughed out loud at that.

“He is interested you know.”

“Interested in what?”

“You of course.” You don’t just have a connection to the Shadowfell. There are more aspects to you.”

I rolled my eyes. “I hope this isn’t all some ruse to recruit me.”

“No no not at all I am sorry if it came off that way forget about it”

I smiled and actually I did believe her. “Sorry, get testy when I as emotionally spent as I am. Shall we. I motioned towards the bed. I looked her up and down slowly as I did.

She blushed.

“I was just messing with you Ophelia. You sure you are not a paladin of the god of bashfulness.”

I slid back the blanket and again invited her. She slid in quietly almost nervously.

“You remind me a lot of Mercarri you know” I said as I slid in beside her”

“Is that a good thing?”

“Sometimes she’s a little bashful about normal awkward life happenings. I think its adorable so yea not a bad thing.”

“Ill have to take your word for it I guess. Good night Lilvari”

“Night Ophelia we will have to try to sneak you out before they wake. Like I said I don’t feel like explaining. She didn’t respond. I turned over an looked at her and she was already fast asleep. I stretched out, yawned and couldn’t help but think. “Lil who can’t you get into your bed.” I fell asleep with a smile on my face.

The sun peeked through the window, morning had come way to quickly. I then heard a noise from downstairs. One that implied my door was ajar. Then I heard whispers by the door.

“No come here quick look”

Great it was Dare. I didn’t even turn over. I then realized Ophelia’s arm was draped over me and her leg was overtop of both of mine. Someone was a snuggler.

“Look she got a girl in her bed, she looks pretty dam hot too”

“Oh, I didnt realize she was into that.”

Ugh Mercarri.

“Why you curious?”

Great Nazzeth too. I imagined a totem pole of their stupid gawking faces the narrow space between the door and doorframe.

“No, I like meat”

“Well, I got some green saus–” A loud smack resounded through the door. Mystic was joining the totem pole.

“No one wants to hear about your green sausage Dare why are you all peeking at Lilvari sleeping. She always sleeps nude. I am sure you have all seen it all by now. Oh, I was not expecting that.”

Just then Ophelia whispered. “They think we like you know….”

I rolled over suddenly. I stretched one arm up and laid it down across Ophelia before putting my head on the sider of her face.

“Good morning your creepy bastards. I would like you to meet my oh so very special friend Ophelia”

I could literally feel the heat from Ophelia’s reddening cheeks. Ophelia this is my party.

“Dare the master of handling sausage”

“Hey wait no-“

I cut him off. “Nazzeth the sorcerer of always being on his back. Mercarri the creeper. and Mystic the star elf. Ophelia kicked me lightly under the blankets. “Um Hi nice to meet you all”….