At daybreak on the last day [Present & Past] Darvin/Talathel 2.11 edit

BOOM.

Beranhond's eyes flicked open and, out of habit, his hands reached out to take hold of Aesahaettr before letting and returning it to its place beside his cot. The cannon blasts against the walls of teh stronghold were intentional, and expected, and nothing to worry about at the moment. In a few hours perhaps they would be of concern, but for now he shut his eyes and tried to return to sleep. Before he could, Tigrisclawu jumped onto his cot and prodded him.

"Perhaps, since you are awake, and because it is probably our last day on this plane, we should go and check on your remaining companions. It is a clerical duty after all!"
Beranhond nodded and sat up.
"Very well. Have you been chasing rats?"
"Chasing rats?" Tigrisclawu looked bemused by the question. "No, they've been serving me from the mess pots at the central army kitchens. I think they find me to be a good luck charm."
Beranhond smiled, reached up, and scratched the cat's head. "Well, you've always been one for me." He turned, smiling, as Aelysin remained fast asleep to his side. "To think," he thought to himself. "At one point she refused to talk to me and now we go to face our deaths together."
"Let's let her sleep for now." Before he slipped from the cot and started to don his robes. The robes were worn, threadbare in section, Narath's insignia battleworn, but still visible. He belted Aeshaettr to his side and grabbed his shield, swinging it behind him, before stepping out to find his companions.
"How far we have come together..." He thought, before his mind slipped back to that day that changed everything when they finally found the elves and then sought the treasure beyond....

Two years prior.

The elves at the archaeological dig did not give them any songs, travel goods, or outlandish gifts to help them in their journey. Instead, they quickly escorted them to the boundary and sent them on their way all the while trying to block their vision of the pits of the shoveling equipment.
"Well, they were very welcoming." Tigrislcawu mentioned as they headed down the path.
"Extremely." Beranhond said in agreement.

The three of them traveled up the path for a day, stopping only for a light meal break, before they came to a part of the woods where the technicolor storm had caused lasting damage. The vegetation along the path was covered in numerous pastel hues, almost as if the hails had melted and covered the trees and foliage in dyes.

Tigrisclawu scampered underneath a bush in search of a rat - when he emerged a moment later he too was painted in a dozen pastel hues.

"Don't... say... anything." He hissed.

Beranhond just grinned winking at Talathel and Darvin. "Nothing at all." Before he moved forward and peered into the distance. In a clearing in the trees, not too far from the trail proper, the storm had lashed into the soil causing deep ruptures.
"It's almost as if the sky was trying to tear open the earth itself." Beranhond observed. He looked upward as if expecting a sign. While he did Darvin's careful, treasure hungry, eyes noticed a glint of gold. Darvin sprinted forward and reached down to tug out bars and coins aplenty.

[OK. So. That wraps up the side quest to the woods for the stupid treasure of Eel Skin Jack that Darvin and Co were getting to refit a fleet to go off to Waterdeep...]

Bernahond smiled, remembering how that moment had reawakened his faith and reminded him that though the God's were busy, Narath could still work a few miracles. As he walked toward his companions tents, he nodded at the passing soldiers and his mind slipped into memory. One miracle that Narath was unable to help with was making it easy to slip treasure into Baldur's Gate undetected...


"Darvin! You said you could pass off as a slaver." Beranhond said as he tried to urge the horse on, the cart behind him bouncing from the speed.
"I would if you hadn't wanted to smite that merchant for trying to cheat us and supporting the undead army up north. Great time to go all Paladin again." Darvin said shaking his own reigns of his horse.
"Well, to be fair..." Talathel said from behind them as he bounced on the top of the wagon. "Darvin is terrible at disguises and you are terrible at not smiting things. But for now let's stop arguing and try to get away from whatever it is chasing us." As he looked over his shoulder hooded figures on ghostly horses chased them barely twenty yards behind.
"We are only a mile from Baldur's Gate - I think we can make it. I'll do what I can to distract them." Beranhond said turning around in the saddle and raising his shield. He shut his eyes and a wave of blue light burst from the shield and toward the dark shapes. They slowed to avoid the blue light, a few hissing in anger.
"Well, that at least gained a couple of seconds. Make haste!" Bernahond once again turned forward in the saddle and shook the reigns encouraging them forward.
Darvin shook the reigns, guiding his cart and wagon free horse with ease forward. "Come on ye scallawags."
"Darvin, some of us are carrying the treasure we worked so hard to get." Talathel said shaking his reigns to encourage the horses. They neighed their protest but picked up the pace slightly.
"We can't keep this pace up - we need to split them up." Beranhond called. "Darvin, can you try to pull them away and then catch up? You will be faster than us and that could buy us some more time."