Author's Note: Yay, finally, an update! I'm sorry it took so long, I had lots of personal things going on over these last two months, but I've worked through them, so I'm back to writing! XD Anyway, this author's note is going to be long, my apologies on that. I'm currently rewriting/updating my older chapters (I've only got Chapters 1, 3, 7, and 8 done to my liking, but 2, 4, 5, and 6 should be done soon), mainly because I went over them and started cringing at how... bland they were. So I'm fixing that. I would really love some feedback on the changes, if anyone would like to give it. I'm not fishing for more reviews, :P, I just want to know if the changes I made were for the better or not. PMs, reviews, smoke signals, carrier pigeons... I just want to know what you guys think, because your opinions really matter a whole lot to me, :D

Now, on to the warning for this chapter, :) This chapter is... rather dark and emotionally intense, as it delves a bit into Cari's rape. There are two reasons for this: one, because I wanted to develop Cari's character, as cold and clinical as that sounds, and for another, more personal reason. Lately, I've been seeing a lot of authors here on the Pit, not necessarily in the NWN section, but just around, that seem to think that rape is akin to breaking a fingernail. It's distressing to see the number of authors who have an, "Oh, I got raped. And then I went to McDonald's for a Big Mac!" attitude regarding it. I'm not saying that all authors do this, but a frightening number do. And I just wanted to do my part and (hopefully) show that rape is traumatising, something that most people don't just brush off, like one would a bad haircut. I am sure that some people in the world managed to deal with it within minutes and go get that Big Mac, but many others don't, and I want to show that other side. I know I can't change all of fandom, but I just feel like trying to do my part to help stop trivialising rape.

Anyway, enough of my rambling, here is the chapter! And a special, heartfelt thanks to the wonderful Iridaesin and anesor, who have helped me a lot of late. Massive kudos to you! XD And cookies!

Casavir had no idea what to do. He ran his hand through his thick hair, and groaned to himself as an errant stray strand of gray came off between his fingers. It had been two days since he and Cari had fought, two days he had spent wondering what to do, or doing what Duncan called, 'moping.'

He had never been confronted with such a situation before. He was used to evil being so obvious, so straightforward - the orcs at Old Owl Well, and men like Martin, and Lorne - but Cari was different. She was young, and pregnant, and while he knew that there was still good lurking within her, somewhere inside her, she refused to see it.

And Casavir still had absolutely no idea what to do.

At first, he had turned to Cari's other companions, to ask their thoughts on the matter, but the more he spoke with them, the more he realized that he wasn't going to get anywhere. Elanee was pleasantly aloof as usual, saddened to learn of the man's death, but oddly understanding of Cari's actions. Grobnar, while kind and eager to help, seemed strangely accepting of what Cari had done, though Casavir noted that it was probably due to Grobnar's good-natured absentmindedness. Neeshka and Qara both seemed not to care, and Sand seemed to be irritated that he was even asked about it, saying he had more important things to do than to be Cari's keeper. Khelgar and Shandra, however, seemed to be keeping their distance from Cari, something that Casavir hadn't expected would happen, and though Shandra offered him what advice she could, it was Khelgar who had the best idea.

"Lad, listen," Khelgar had said thoughtfully, taking a long drink from the mug of ale in his hand, "If you are so concerned about you and the lass, why don'tcha talk to that Hlam fellow, from the temple? He seems very knowledgeable. He might talk in riddles, but he'll know better than anyone what you should do."

Casavir had left the Flagon early in the morning, when the Docks were still a deep orange from the sunrise. The Merchant Quarter was nearly deserted, save for the guards at their posts and a few patrons sneaking out of the Mask. When he finally pushed open the doors to the Temple of Tyr, he took a deep breath and sighed, smiling softly, a deep, peaceful feeling settling over him, like he was coming home. He gazed around the temple, and spotted Hlam sitting in a comfortable-looking chair at the other end of the room, with his feet propped up on the small table in front of him and a thick book in his hands.

"Casavir!" Hlam exclaimed cheerfully, pleasantly surprised as Casavir sat down in the chair opposite him, "What brings you here? And so early! It's barely light outside!"

"I need guidance," Casavir said quietly, staring at the floor, "It's about Cari."

"The young squire?" Hlam inquired, setting his book down on the table beside him. Casavir nodded, and Hlam frowned slightly, concerned. "What about her? Is everything all right?"

"No, it-it really isn't," Casavir said painfully, slouching forward to rest his forearms on his knees, "She-she did something horrible. She murdered a man who surrendered, and I used Tyr's power to view her spirit. She-she's evil, Hlam, and I don't know what to do about her anymore. She told me to stay away from her, and I-I don't know what to do, how I feel about all this, about her…"

"You sensed evil in her?" Hlam asked, his frown deepening, "What happened, exactly?"

Casavir took a deep breath and proceeded to tell Hlam what had happened two days ago. The confrontation with the two thugs, how Gulver had propositioned Cari and was promptly killed by Bishop, Hewe's threat and surrender, how Cari had killed him anyway…

"What incited her attack?" Hlam asked after Casavir had finished, having talked himself into a moody silence, "What exactly was this threat? Were her actions unprovoked, or-"

"Hewe threatened to 'slice her belly open,'" Casavir recalled, shuddering slightly at the thought, "Cari's pregnant. He threatened her baby-"

"Did she feel like her baby was in danger?" Hlam interrupted, hoping to understand what had happened, "I'm not condoning her actions. I just want to know what occurred."

"I-I suppose so," Casavir mumbled, "I mean, we were rather far away from her, and there's no way one of us could have gotten to her in time, if Hewe had broken his surrender. Bishop had his bow, but even he's not that fast. I suppose she felt like the baby was in danger."

"She probably did, Casavir, and I'm not saying that what she did was right," Hlam said firmly, "But if she wanted to protect her baby…" He gave Casavir a sympathetic smile before continuing. "You've heard how mother bears protect their young, yes?"

"Yes, of course," Casavir said, confused and slightly irritated, "But what-oh." He stopped himself, mid-sentence, as he realized what Hlam was talking about.

"Do you see what I mean?" Hlam asked gently, seeing the understanding on Casavir's face, "Female bears are at their most aggressive, their most vicious when they have cubs. They will attack anything that gets too close to one of her cubs, whether it is friend or foe. I do not think it is wise of Cari to attack anyone who comes near her, but if she felt threatened, if she felt that her baby was in genuine danger… I can see why she acted the way she did, and I think you should overlook her actions here. What if Hewe had reneged on his surrender, and hurt her? He proved willing to use her as a shield, how do we know he would have kept his word? I know that he surrendered, Casavir, but I cannot criticize Cari for acting as she did. She was protecting her baby. Perhaps you should look back for yourself and consider the situation. If the child had been yours, and in imminent danger, what would you have done?"

Casavir sighed and massaged his temples with his forefingers. "If-if it had been my child, or my lover, pregnant with my child… I probably would have done the same thing," he admitted, bowing his head, slightly embarrassed at having condemned Cari as he had, without giving consideration to how she must have felt, "I had not thought about how scared she probably was."

"It's all right, Casavir," Hlam murmured, "You've never had to deal with such a situation before. I've never had to deal with such a situation before. While I think you may have overreacted in this case, do not punish yourself for it. This one incident does not make up for what she may have done in the past. I don't know her. I don't know what her life has been like. All I am saying is that, in this one instance…" He gave a half-hearted shrug, noticing the sullen look on Casavir's face. "Well, in any case, I must give her my congratulations on the baby," he said, smiling warmly, hoping to lighten the mood a bit, "And my congratulations to the father as well." He paused, and raised an eyebrow. "Are you the father, Casavir?"

"Oh, no," he said hastily, chuckling uncomfortably, "I'm not. It's Bishop, the ranger. Cari and I have never been together." He smiled sheepishly and stared at his hands, folded in his lap. "I mean, we did get close once-"

"'Close?'" Hlam repeated, frowning again, "What do you mean by 'close,' Casavir? I hope it wasn't another repeat of Ophala-"

"It wasn't," Casavir said quickly, holding up his hands, "We kissed, and I stopped it before things got out of hand, even if, at the time, she resented me for it." He paused, and then added quietly, more to himself than to Hlam, "Even if my own body resented me for it…"

Hlam chuckled, noticing the tinge of color in Casavir's pale cheeks. "Don't be ashamed of it, Casavir. You are a paladin, yes, but you are also a man. Men, and women, are fallible. We make mistakes. Don't be ashamed if your body reacted before your mind could catch up. You should be proud of yourself for managing to halt things, I am sure that others would not have been as strong. And it's not wrong to seek comfort in the arms of another or to enjoy such comforts, just…"

"With the right woman," Casavir finished, chuckling under his breath, "Not with the woman who's throwing herself at you because she and her lover had a fight."

"Exactly." Hlam gave him a knowing smile. "You enjoyed it, didn't you?" When Casavir looked startled, Hlam let out a short laugh. "That isn't meant to be a criticism, Casavir. I'm not trying to chastise you. I'm just asking a question, and maybe it will help you sort out how you feel about her."

"I-I can't deny that I enjoyed it a bit, yes," Casavir confessed, trying to ignore Hlam's questioning gaze, "She is a very beautiful young woman…"

"But?" Hlam prompted gently, the eyebrow above his good eye raised in interest, "Is there more?"

Casavir chuckled. "You know me too well, old friend," he said dryly, smiling wistfully, "She is beautiful, and desirable, but she was, and still is hurting, and I am sure that she didn't want me because she wanted me. She wanted me to prove something to herself, and if I were to take her when she was so vulnerable, in so much pain…" He shook his head, his broad shoulders sagging slightly. "I could not dishonor her like that. I could not dishonor myself like that. I don't care for her in that way. I would have been using her. Perhaps, if things had been different-"

"Do not dwell on what might have happened," Hlam said kindly, reaching out to grasp Casavir's shoulder, "And do not dwell on what has happened. I am not saying that her actions now negate what she may have done in the past; she will still face judgment for those. What you need to ask yourself is this: why are you with her now?" Casavir looked up, his eyebrows knotted in confusion. "You do not lust for her, and she has shown herself to be, if not cruel, rash and hot-tempered, her desire to protect her unborn baby aside. What is to stop you from leaving her right now? Why did you come to me, instead of simply leaving? What is it that makes you stay, Casavir?" Hlam smiled softly and released Casavir's shoulder, and then leaned back in his chair and folded his arms over his chest. "Perhaps you should ask yourself why you even traveled with her in the first place, and maybe then you should decide whether you should leave, or stay."

The two men sat in silence for a long while as Casavir mulled over Hlam's words, reliving old memories in an attempt to remember why he was even traveling with Cari in the first place.

I care for her, just not as a lover. Is-is it just out of habit? He thought, idly twisting an errant thread from his tunic between his thumb and forefinger. Have I been with her so long that I can't even remember why anymore?

Well… why was I with her in the first place? Old Owl Well? Or was it more than that?

I-I really don't know why. I could have left her after we defeated Logram, but I followed her instead. Groaning to himself, he held his head in his hands, running his fingers through his dark hair. Maybe I should have left after she helped me…

He blinked, mildly startled by his own thoughts. Maybe that's why I'm still with her. She helped me up there, with more than Logram. She helped me get past the mess with Ophala…

She helped me get past the pain. She helped me be happy again.

Maybe that's why I'm with her. She helped me get past my pain, and I-I want to help her do the same. I know she's hurting. I want to help her to be happy too, like she helped me.

Maybe… maybe if she's happy, she'll stop hurting others. She must do it because she thinks it will make her feel better, and it won't, it'll only make her feel worse.

I just want to help her be happy, like she helped me. He smiled to himself. I want her to be happy for her baby too.

If she'll still talk to me… He sighed and buried his face in his hands once more. Gods, I messed that up. I should have realized how scared she was. I know it doesn't excuse it, but I can understand her wanting to protect her baby, and who knows if that man would have kept his word…

I hope she'll let me talk to her, explain things to her. She needs to know, and I need to apologize. I hadn't given any thought to her baby, none at all. Maybe I can help her see that I only want to help her. And maybe I do want to 'save her,' but not in the way she's thinking of. I want to save her from her pain, as she did for me. I owe her that much.

"I want to help her," he mumbled, breaking the stillness that surrounded them, "That's why. I want to help her through her pain, so maybe she'll be happy. That's why I'm with her."

"Even if she is evil?" Hlam asked softly, his tone kind, "Is that going to be a problem? Don't let her cause your fall, Casavir."

"Perhaps, if I can help ease her pain, she will change," Casavir murmured, "She is evil because she hurts others. She hurts others to ease her own pain. Maybe if I can help her, she'll stop hurting others. Maybe she'll finally be happy."

"A noble goal," Hlam said, giving Casavir an encouraging smile, "And one I think young Cari will see, if you just explain it to her. Talk to her, Casavir. I have faith that you two will come to an understanding."

"Yeah," Casavir agreed, sighing heavily once more, "If she'll even talk to me-"

Both men looked up as the door to the temple suddenly opened, and Casavir blinked as Cari stepped inside, one hand supporting her ever-growing belly. His heart began pounding against his chest as their eyes met, and then she turned away, ducking into a nearby room, as though trying to get away from him.

"Well," Hlam said softly, watching the door shut behind her, "It appears you might get a chance to talk to her after all."

--

Cari groaned and gave a curt nod to the guard standing at the entrance to the Merchant Quarter. Cormick's invitation still nagged at her, lurking in the back of her mind, and now that the fiasco that was protecting Tavorick had finally ended, Cari had no more excuses to avoid him.

Gods, why do I do this to myself? The damn place is going to make my brands itch…

She kept whining to herself as she pushed open the doors to the Temple of Tyr, feeling the tattoos on her back and arm start to burn the moment she stepped inside.

I don't even like Cormick! I'd much rather be back at the Flagon with Bishop right now, even if he is sleeping. I don't even know what-

She halted, mid-step, as she glanced at the end of the hall and saw Casavir sitting with Hlam, the kind, if not bland man who had aided her during her Rite of Tyr. Even from across the room, she could see that Casavir looked unhappy.

Good. Serves you right, you self-righteous, hypocritical-

He looked up from the floor, and for a moment, their eyes met, breaking Cari from her silent tirade.

Hells, he-he looks miserable.

Still… serves him right! Judging me like he did… bastard…

Cari held their gaze for another few seconds, and then turned away, the words of their earlier fight echoing through her head. Wanting to leave Casavir and Hlam to whatever they were discussing, she pushed her way through the nearest door, and paused as she realized that she had stumbled into what appeared to be a small bedroom, and that it wasn't empty.

Cormick was sitting up in the bed in the middle of the room, engrossed in conversation with a pretty woman with long, red hair who sat in the chair beside him. They both looked up as Cari closed the door behind her, and the red-haired woman suddenly jumped up and hurried over to her, grinning excitedly.

"Oh, hello!" the woman said warmly, giving Cari a bright smile, "You must be Carianna! I'm Alistine, Cormick's wife." Cari briefly returned Alistine's smile and reluctantly took the other woman's offered hand. "He told me what you looked like. I had hoped I would get the chance to thank you in person. You saved his life."

Cari smiled uncomfortably. "Please, it really wasn't anything spectacular. Cormick was never in any real danger-" She jumped as something suddenly wrapped around her leg, and she looked down to see a girl, no older than four, looking up at her with a big, innocent grin on her face.

Cormick chuckled. "Our older daughter, Adalla," he said apologetically, nodding at the pretty girl with thick, brown curls and bright brown eyes, "Our younger daughter, Ellie, just learned to crawl."

"Do you have children of your own?" Alistine asked, noticing the way Cari absentmindedly stroked her swollen belly, "Or is that your first child?" Cari nodded, and Alistine's smile grew kinder. "You and your husband must be excited! Your first child! Congratulations!"

Cari blanched and paled. "I-um-uh… I'm not married," she stuttered, taken aback, "And I'm not sure 'excited' is the right word."

Terrified is more like it…

Alistine winced, and then smiled awkwardly. "Oh," she said sheepishly, a blush showing underneath her freckles, "I-I didn't… forgive me, I didn't know."

"It's fine," Cari mumbled, waving her hand dismissively, "No big deal."

Alistine gave her a gracious smile, and then reached out to take the little girl's hand, pulling her away from Cari's leg. "I should probably be taking her home. She'll need a nap soon."

Cari nodded, and then looked up at the ceiling as Alistine leaned over and gave Cormick a quick kiss.

"I'll be back soon, darling," Alistine whispered, smiling as she gave him one more kiss, "You need to rest now. Don't talk too much, all right?" Cormick nodded and sighed, waving as Alistine and Addie passed through the door and shut it behind them.

"Isn't Alistine wonderful?" he asked, smiling as Cari dropped down into the chair beside his bed, "She's smart, beautiful, and can cook like nobody else I know. Gods, I'm lucky."

"She's… nice," Cari murmured, unsure of what to say, "She seems-"

"She's an instructor at the Academy, actually," he continued, as though he hadn't even heard her, so lost was he in his thoughts, "We actually met after someone broke into her home. Stole three books and a lantern. We eventually found who'd done it, a student actually-"

"While this story is fascinating," she interrupted, as politely as she could manage, "Could we please get to why you asked me here?"

"Oh, yes, of course," he said quietly, not realizing that he was babbling, "I suppose I should just get right to it, finally get off my chest, it'll make it less painful-"

"Indeed," Cari agreed, eager to get past whatever Cormick had to say so she could get back to the Flagon, "So? Why am I here right now? Why did you need to talk to me so badly?"

Cormick sighed heavily, his shoulders seeming to slump with the weight of whatever was on his mind. "I suppose it's now or never. Do you remember that last Harvest Fair, Cari, the last one that I competed in?"

She chuckled dryly. "It's kind of hard to forget, Cormick," she said quietly, pursing her lips, "But yes, I remember it. Why do you ask?"

"You remember the Brawl, right?" he asked softly, staring down at his clasped hands, "The one with-"

"With Lorne, yes," she interrupted again, a soft growl passing through her nose at the thought of him, "What's your point? I have no desire to sit around exchanging stories about that monster."

"It-it's about Lorne," Cormick mumbled, staring at a crack in a nearby wall, "And about the Brawl. Remember how everyone talked about how I 'tricked' him? How I got him angry and all that?"

"Yes, yes, I remember," she snapped, increasingly frustrated with his inability to get to the point, "Cormick, what're you trying to get at here? I really don't have all day to sit around here with you reminiscing over not-so-pleasant times."

"Cari, this-this has been wearing on me for a long time," he said softly, still avoiding her gaze as he dropped his gaze back to his clasped hands, "It's not easy to say. It really isn't."

"It won't get any easier with you dodging it," she grumbled, shifting in her chair to lessen the strain on her back from the baby, "Just say it."

"It's not that simple." He took another deep, steadying breath, and finally raised his head to look Cari in the eye. "It's… bad."

Cari frowned, resting one hand on her bulging belly. "How bad?" she asked warily, "What are you getting at?"

Cormick ran his hands down his ruddy face and over his thick beard. "Cari, I… I'm sorry, I am," he said quietly, his tone apologetic, "But I… I told Lorne about you and Bevil during that fight," he blurted out, "I told Lorne you were bedding his brother. I said it to get him angry. And it worked-"

"What are you talking about?" Cari spat, confused, "Lorne knew about Bevil and me. That's why he was so quiet and cold around us. I thought we'd done a good job of keeping our relationship quiet, because of my father, but-"

"You did," he said quickly, the painful burden on his chest slowly lifting the longer he spoke, "Lorne didn't know. He was quiet because he didn't know how to talk to you. You sort of… blossomed all at once, Cari. Suddenly, here you were, this beautiful young woman, and Lorne was just confused. And he didn't deal with it well, that's for damn sure. He didn't know about you and Bevil because he was too nervous to be around you and Bevil-well, you, really. Nobody in West Harbor knew about you two-"

"Wait a moment," she said quietly, finally understanding what Cormick was telling her, "If nobody in West Harbor knew about Bevil and me, then how did you know?"

"Bevil told me," he admitted, letting out another heavy sigh, "Bevil came to talk to me about some, well, personal things, things he couldn't go to anyone else to, and it didn't take much thinking to know he was talking about either you or Amie, and since it was you I saw sneaking into the Starling's house at night, I kind of figured it out-"

"And you told Lorne?" Cari hissed angrily, aghast, "You told Lorne about us?" She rose from her chair and started slowly pacing back and forth, running her fingers through her long hair. "You betrayed Bevil's trust, and look what happened," she murmured, anger coursing through her like nothing she'd ever felt before, "You told Lorne, and look at what he did to him! To me!" Her knees felt weak, and she dropped onto the bed beside Cormick, her breaths shallow and sharp. "He raped me, Cormick! And it's your fault!"

"I didn't mean for it to happen," he said softly, fearing that she would react as she had, "I made a mistake, a huge one! I didn't know he would-"

"You didn't know he would beat his own brother half-dead?" she asked sarcastically, "You didn't know that he would beat me too, and he'd only stop to fuck me, and then he'd start beating me again? Do you have any idea what happened to me that night, Cormick? Do you?" She pounded her fist against the bedside table, hard, which only succeeded in causing her hand to hurt. "Part of me died that night, Cormick! Did you know that I screamed? I screamed and I cried and I begged, but nobody came for me. Nobody came. So much for the West Harbor folk looking out for their own. Nobody even found me until the next morning, when Retta returned. Bevil wasn't even moving. I thought Lorne and those fucking Mossfelds had killed him when I heard Retta scream. And it's all your fault!" She was yelling, not caring about who could hear her. "It wouldn't have happened if you hadn't told him!"

"Cari," Cormick whispered, lowering his eyes, trying not to let the guilt and the shame of his mistake overwhelm him, "Cari, please, I didn't know he would do that to you. I didn't want that to happen. I never wanted that to happen. I-I'm sorry-"

"You're sorry?" Cari mocked, her face a mask of cold fury, "You're sorry? Lorne destroyed me, Cormick! And it's your fault! You sacrificed me for-for what? A tarnished trophy and a raggedy old cloak?" She let out a dark, harsh chuckle. "You have no idea what the worst thing he did to me was, do you?" Cormick shook his head, part of him not wanting to hear what she had to say. "The worst part was that he made me enjoy it," she growled, her voice becoming more crazed the longer she spoke, shivering at the hideous memory, but wanting him to know just how much Lorne had hurt her, wanting him to feel the pain she felt, "I've never told anyone that, but he did. That fucking bastard made me enjoy it. Do you have any idea how filthy I felt when he was done with me? I felt betrayed by my own body, you bastard. Do you have any idea how… disgusting it felt to be begging for him to stop, begging and pleading and whimpering and crying, only to have him force you to feel pleasure? That was the worst of it. He kept telling me I deserved it, that I deserved what he was doing to me because I enjoyed it. I couldn't help it. I wanted him to stop, I begged him to stop… but I couldn't help it. I hated myself for it. I still hate myself for it. How could my body enjoy something like that? How-"

"I didn't know," he pleaded, horrified at what she was telling him, wanting her to believe him, wanting her to understand that it had been a mistake, a mistake he regretted more than anything, but still not knowing what to say, "I didn't know that Lorne would do that to you, Cari. I didn't. I swear. If I could fix it, Cari, I would. I'm so sorry…"

"Fix it," she muttered, more to herself than to Cormick, "Fix it…" Her eyes suddenly narrowed, and in one smooth movement, she yanked her dagger from the sheath on her thigh and tucked it beneath Cormick's chin. "Will killing you fix it, Cormick?" she whispered wildly, "Will killing you make my pain stop? Will killing you make the nightmares stop?" Cormick winced as the edge of her blade cut into his flesh. "Did you know that I still have nightmares? They're not as frequent as they used to be, but I still have them. I still wake up screaming, Cormick. If I'm not screaming, I'm usually thrashing, or I'll be begging. I'll be begging Lorne to stop." Cari shook her head, as though trying to clear the unpleasant memories from her mind. "You don't know how many times I've woken up shaking in Bishop's arms. You have no idea what Lorne did to me-"

"I'm sorry," he whimpered, feeling utterly helpless, his muscles still not strong enough to fight back, even against such a small opponent, "I am, Cari, but please, don't kill me. Killing me won't change anything. But please, don't kill me. Please-"

"Why?" she hissed through clenched teeth, the smile on her face cruel and cold as she dragged the tip of her dagger down his throat, drawing a few drops of his blood, "Give me one good reason, Cormick. Beg for your life. C'mon. Beg for it. I'll even wait for it. Tell me why I shouldn't-"

"My daughters," he blurted out, again wincing in pain as tears welled in his eyes, "My wife, and my daughters. My family. Don't take me away from them. They need me. I love them. Please, don't kill me. I don't want them to suffer." The tears spilled out the corners of his eyes and down his cheeks. "I love them, Cari." He took a deep, shuddering breath, more terrified for his life, for his family than he had been in ages. "Don't take me away from my family. Please, don't. Please…"

Cari froze mid-taunt, bewildered, the tip of the dagger still poking against his throat.

I… I…

Oh, Gods, I-what-no…

Nobody… nobody has ever mentioned their family.

His family. No families. No children. Not again.

Seeing her falter, Cormick took a deep, careful breath, her blade still dangerously close to the artery in his neck. "Cari, please," he pleaded, catching and holding her gaze, "What if-what if someone killed the father?" His eyes briefly fell to her swollen belly before locking on hers once more. "What if you lost the father? Don't put my wife through that. I love her. I protect her, like I couldn't protect you. Let me live, Cari, for her, for them."

Cari stared at him, and the hand wrapped around her dagger started to shake. She had no idea what to do. She hated him, hated him for what he did to her…

But Bishop…

For a moment, her thoughts drifted off, bringing dark, painful images to the forefront of her mind, images she had once seen in Martin's temple. She knew that Bishop didn't want the baby, but the thought of raising it alone, and of never seeing him again…

Of-of having to bury him…

The sudden image of her kneeling before his grave filled her heart with a crushing dread, the same overwhelming fear and despair that had gripped her back in Martin's temple, when she had been tricked into thinking Bishop had been killed.

Gods, no… please, no…

Not that, I-I don't know if I could bear it. Not again.

No, not him. No…

After taking a few deep, shuddering breaths, Cari sat back, pulling her dagger away from Cormick's neck, and he let out a loud, relieved sigh. "Thank you," he whispered, smiling weakly, "Thank you, Cari. And I'm sorry. I really am. I-"

They both started as the door opened unexpectedly. "My love," Alistine said cheerfully, carefully balancing a tray of food on one arm as she closed the door behind her, "I brought some lunch, I thought-" She stopped abruptly at the sight of the blood both on Cormick's neck and the dagger still in Cari's hand. "What's going on?" She narrowed her eyes as she walked over and set the tray down on the table beside his bed.

"Nothing," Cari said hastily, swiftly sheathing her dagger, "Just… a misunderstanding."

Alistine's blue eyes were cold as she brushed her fingers over the cut in Cormick's neck. "A misunderstanding?" she said harshly as Cari quickly stood up, all of her earlier friendliness gone, "Then why is my husband bleeding? I saw fresh blood on your dagger!" Cari grimaced as she saw comprehension wash over Alistine's face. "You-did you hurt him?"

"No," Cari lied, shaking her head as she backed up towards the door, "No, I-I didn't-"

"Then why is he bleeding?" she cried, her voice steadily rising to a scream as she pointed to the cut in Cormick's throat, "That wasn't there when I left! You tried to kill him! After saving him!"

"Quiet," Cari hissed, panic threatening to overwhelm her, "Do you want the whole temple hearing you?"

Or the guards?

Gods, what do I do now?

"Get out!" Alistine shrieked, gesturing violently at the door, arcane energy bristling at her fingertips, "Now! Get out!"

For a moment, Cari hesitated, and her right hand twitched as her fingertips brushed the hilt of her dagger.

Do I run, or do I silence the bitch?

Kill her. Shut her up. She'll tell the guards.

If I kill her, I'll have to kill Cormick too…

Yes, and?

But… their daughters…

Who cares? They'll survive.

Even the baby?

They'll survive. Think of yourself here.

Her hand brushed over her dagger again, and her fingers curled slightly around the handle.

The guards. I-what'll happen?

You'll get arrested. Eliminate the witnesses.

Ye-wait, what?

Eliminate the witnesses.

Cari took a horrified step back as Martin's voice suddenly echoed through her mind.

Eliminate the witnesses.

You-no, he-he used to say that!

Then do it!

I-no! I won't! Not this time! I won't kill them!

The guards-

All they have right now is a cut. They've got nothing. If I come out of here, covered in blood, and their throats are slashed, Casavir and Hlam will see me, and I'm stuck. There's no way around it. I'm guilty.

I'm running.

Before she could think about it anymore, she turned around, yanked the door open and stormed out, not bothering to close it behind her as she raced towards the exit, feeling Casavir's piercing eyes on her back as she dashed outside, wiping tears off her face.