Chapter 27 – Weighted Returns

The trip back to Neverwinter was easy enough but the stay had been exhausting. Not only did she have to put up with the upper class who snubbed her but then the stupid Castle Never had been attacked. As soon as they dealt with the first barrage of undead creatures the Neverwinter guards, including their elite named "the Nine," hid away in a safe, hidden room. Sir Nevalle then sent the Halfling out to try to get to Lord Nasher to save him.

With sparse instructions into a hidden tunnel system that went to the throne room, Avera was off with an unhappy leopard checking for scents and her own disgruntled attitude to help her fight what Kathin found. All the while that she fought vampires, specters and other undead, the tiny woman imagined skewering a "brave" knight or two whom had hidden in the cubby hole and sent her on this wayward task.

By the time she arrived in the throne room the halfling was in an extremely foul mood. It was a wonder that she did not continue on with her fighting mania past the creatures which had gone after Lord Nasher. Her fury was beyond normal by that time as she also had to deal with the Castle's defenses.

Then the lord knighted her on the spot and she was thrown into a completely new situation of all of the stuck up nobles suddenly trying to treat her like royalty and gain her favor.

Getting away from those stuffy dignitaries had been quite a trick but finally the Halfling was able to find a way to make them realize that she was tired and needed her rest. Damned if she wanted to spend any time with them! She'd already done her "duty" for Neverwinter and was not about to continue on with the charade. Forget that these high socialites said they wanted to be around her. Avera knew exactly how they felt about her and wanted nothing to do with their high nosed attitudes and butt kissing turn arounds.

Once she'd gone to her rooms she took a long bath then slept, waking before first light. Rooms? For goodness sakes why would a lone Halfling need a king sized bed in a huge bedroom which included chairs, couches and a desk, another room for guests and a closet as big as a peasant's house? She could house all of her friends in there, with beds, work tables, a full functioning kitchen, dining and living room and still have space left over.

It was very early when she left her rooms and scurried to the stables to make sure that no one realized she had gone. Some of the dignitaries would be upset about not being able to parade their sons past her but she had sent a page to Lord Nasher with a flowery note of how she needed to get back to work if she were to find assistance in the land's plight against this great evil that threatened them and blah blah blah. At least that should pacify the lord of Neverwinter. Avera could care less about the suitor tossing back stabbers.

Since her escape from elite boredom, Avera had ridden her pony slowly across the land. There was no interest in getting anywhere too fast. It would just quicken the requirement to go out on another mission and take risks she felt weary of. So she slacked off the day riding and did so once again the next day after having camped.

The Keep was now not too far off so Avera got off the animal and let it loose in a small corral so it could eat and rest. Kathin was somewhere looking for supper and the evening was pleasant. The spot she had chosen was reclusive with a small farmhouse which had not been used in many years. It made a fine place to settle into for the night.

Avera stood under a tall elm while breathing the fresh air, wrapping her arms around herself and looking into the sky. This was where she preferred to be; in nature and away from most people. Even with the pleasant surroundings, her mind floundered into horror and her eyes watched the stars with a sense of foreboding dangers.

Speaking of which, "What do you want?"

"Tsk tsk, and here I thought you would like someone to notice your arrival since your wonderful promotion. Welcome back, Knight-Captain." The bow he bestowed for her was mocking with a flourish of the hand making it an even further insult. Even though she had not turned to see this, he knew she saw from the sides of her eyes.

"News travels fast." Eyes rolled as she could feel him come up behind her and knew that he was looking down her body with a leer and leaning over her to breathe in her scent, "You do realize that since I did not like being called 'Captain' that calling me 'Knight-Captain' could make me even less pleased?"

"Now now, Knight-Captain. Aren't you happy to have gotten a promotion?" Honey eyes glittered with resentment for the title as he turned her so she could see him. There was something weird about how he was acting. It was almost gentle, "One would think that you would enjoy having so much to command. There is a lot here to lord over."

"Sometimes I believe that your warped little mind has been broken more than it has been." Avera snorted as the ranger took a good accounting of her body as if he had expected something to have changed along with the reprehensible title, "What do you want, Dagger Tongue?"

"What else would I want but to be graced with your presence?" The leer grew as he licked his lips.

"Haven't you found yourself a prostitute to bop yet? I thought I gave you money to do so to get you out of my face." A hand rubbed her forehead as she debated on whether she wanted to walk past him or beat the crud out of him. The foul mood from the previous days had stayed but if she walked, he would follow. If she beat him, he would probably enjoy it too much and try to pull her under some bushes.

Moving closer still, Bishop whispered into her ear, "But I'm sure that would not be as much fun as..." His head snapped up with a growl just before a deer fell from the tree on top of him. The ranger fell over with a sad smacking sound and he groaned from the impact.

"Oops." A mind voice rang in Avera's head just after the deer fell. The form of a large cat pounced from the tree, onto the building beside it then disappeared from sight.

Avera dropped to the ground, checking Bishop over to make sure he was not hurt too badly and healed what was damaged quickly. The song she sang was a light melody from the Mere, "Are you ok, Bishop?"

"I'm fine." Bishop snarled as he glared up at where the leopard had just escaped from the tree, "What in the gods' names?"

"It looks like Kathin found supper and accidentally dropped it." The Halfling snickered at the nasty look on the man's face. Now that she had healed him there was no fear of injury so mirth took over. It was kind of funny that he would be taken out by falling prey.

The ranger pushed the ungulate off of him and stood up quickly, wiping himself off as Avera watched. He glared down at her as she now stood beside the little house and growled, "What?"

"I'm just making sure you are not still hurt." A shrug was all she came up with to help with that answer. The anger from the last couple of days died away as concern for Bishop's well being had replaced it. The man tended to be difficult but she still cared for him like she did for her other friends.

"I would have been fine without your healing song." Bishop snapped with a touch more venom than he normally used. His eyes narrowed as he glared at her. Why would she use that song? It infuriated the man that she used such a song for him and made him wonder what she knew about him.

A clucking of the tongue was the only response he got to the reaction as she went back to wrapping her arms around herself and looking off into the distance. It was easy enough to keep him in her range of vision but her attention had been taken up by things much more fearful than him.

With a frown adorning his features, Bishop swiveled his head just a touch to watch the tiny woman staring off into space. It was strange to see her so lost that he forgot the song for a moment. This was not a normal thing for her. Sure she would stare into space but it was not in a depressive stance as she now took, "What's wrong with you?"

A snort came from her as her eyes turned. Ever the pleasant ranger he was, "You wouldn't care so why ask?"

"Something is bothering you." Bishop dropped to the ground and crossed his legs. He gave her a glare as he was curious but did not wish for her to know that part of it was concern. There was no strength in depression yet he'd been there often enough. When she just stared at him he growled, "Well, tell me. It's not every day I'm this bored as to listen to someone's stupid problems."

"So you want me to take advantage of you." It was no question but it was her way of jibing him back for being so unpleasant.

"I might not say 'no' to that." He scratched at an itchy spot on his cheek where his stubble was growing in a bit thicker than he preferred then flicked his fingers. His gaze trailed up and down the Halfling before sniping once more because he knew she was joking. If she had not been joking his reaction would have been much different, "Spill it before I change my mind, Chickadee."

The ice blue eyes returned to the sky as she gathered her thoughts, "I don't like people dying for me."

Now it was his turn to snort but his was derisive and short, "Is this about the stupid farm girl? Because if it is you know full well she was not that good a fighter and all we needed her for was getting into her stupid grandfather's fortress anyway."

"She was a friend, Bishop!" Avera's head snapped around and her eyes glowed with fury making Bishop lick his lips with renewed interest. He loved it when she showed her strong side. It seemed like too much to be contained in such a small package, "I know you couldn't stand her but she was MY friend! She was my responsibility and I took her into danger that was too much for her."

"The farm girl requested to go and was old enough to take responsibility for herself." He flicked a bug from his pants.

For a moment Avera paced then glared at him because he was right, "Either way she died because of me. And that cold bastard had the nerve to try to take no responsibility for his own actions. He kills for the shards, goes after us for my shards, brings in infernal creatures to fight for him, kills his granddaughter and snickers that we can't kill him." She kicked a stone into the distance, "Just because the creep got the last of that stupid ritual we need in order to beat this King of Shadows or whatever it is!"

Bishop snickered, "Yeh, I have to admit I would have liked to have seen you gut him but there's still time for pleasure."

She stopped and looked the slight distance down at him. How she hated that people were almost as tall as her, or just as tall as her, when they were sitting while she was standing. It only fueled her anger, "Now we are stuck with the creep until we go to that last fight." Avera's gaze shifted to the landscape again and her voice almost cracked, "But in the meantime I have people following me to their deaths."

"They follow of their own accord." He shrugged in a non-committal manner, "If they die then it was their choice to go into the danger in the first place."

"Their choice or not they still follow and I don't like seeing any of my friends die!" It was frustrating that he was being so reasonable and that made it so when she turned back to him she forgot to hide the fear from her face, "That sense of helplessness when you can do nothing is too much, Bishop."

"So then people die. It isn't like people don't die every day." He yawned.

"Of course people die every day but I don't want to watch those I care for die and not be able to do anything to stop it! I'd feel the same way with any of you. I can just imagine seeing each of you cut up, torn apart and your heads on sticks paraded about to mock me because you helped!"

Bishop had been pretending he was looking at the sky but her words made him lower his head and gaze directly into her eyes in shock, "Even me?"

Avera's eyebrow rose, "Yes even you! For goodness sakes, Bishop! I'd be horrified if you followed me to your death."

Bishop snapped. He grabbed then threw the Halfling up against the wall. He held her by the waist as he yelled at her, "Why do you do this to me?"

"Do what to you?" She squinted with the one eye while raising her other eyebrow. What in the world was going on in that little mind now?

Even with him being this violent she didn't cringe or worry. He couldn't understand the woman. She was driving him mad. Even the little action of how she gave him that look encouraged his anger as it always made him want her more. He pushed forward, snapping out his words through clenched teeth, "You treat me like a person!"

Avera snorted, "Uhm … I don't know if you've looked in the mirror lately, but you kind of are a person."

"Dammit woman! I've done so many nasty things and you know it. I am always lewd towards you. I have even come close to ruining your relationship with the tin can! How in the nine hells can you treat me like this?"

She cocked her head to the side, "What? You want me to treat you like other people do?"

"Yes!" He howled it into her face, "Why don't you?"

"Hm." She thought it over while allowing him to seethe, "Because I am not like that."

Frustration built to a boiling point as he brought his face closer to hers, breathing down her neck then gazing into her eyes, his voice lowered into a deadly whisper, "I could kill you. You know that."

It looked like Avera was considering the idea as her eyes rolled up to view the sky again, but once he had asked his question she returned her gaze to Bishop's while an eyebrow rose, "Of course you could kill me."

The human ranger shook with frustration. Why wouldn't she be scared or tell him he's a jerk and force him to leave? Why wouldn't she just slash him with those hidden knives he knew so much about? What did she want being nice to him? Sure she could hit hard when she was truly upset at him but it was only when he had pushed her to her limits and even then it wasn't anywhere near as bad as she could do. It wasn't like others who would try to hit him or threaten him every time he said something they did not like. Not to mention that she had given him that expensive sword for his safety instead of selling it. And now the woman said that if he died it would hurt her?

Bishop looked down at her in disgust, "What makes you think I won't?"

Avera shrugged and looked into his eyes without focusing.

His mouth brushed her cheek and he whispered, "I could do it. I can make it so you would not see any of us die by killing you here and now." The sensual shiver he gained from her with that small action made him want to do something completely different from killing her. He could do it too, if he really wanted and it was oh so tempting.

"Go for it." She whispered back, depression settling in as he lowered them to the ground then kept a hold on her with one hand. In a moment one of her knives blocked his from her throat.

Bishop started laughing, his eyes crinkling at the edges from his morbid mirth, "You are too tough to lie down and let someone slit your throat, Chickadee. But," His mouth touched her cheek once more, "I still can offer you an out to that future you fear so much."

"I will not run away, Bishop." Avera took a deep breath, "You know that."

"I know but I had to offer." He could feel her breathing against him and he had to close his eyes in response to the thumping of her heart. The scent of her tempted him as he scratched his stubble along her cheek then kissed her lips. Her eyes were wide but she did not move until he pulled back, the sounds of horses clip clopping around the building catching their attention, "It's too bad."

Avera sagged to the ground, angry at herself for stopping his knife but had not even noticed him kissing her until the very end of it. Somehow even the sounds of the horses coming across the fields had escaped her. Now she sat there as Bishop flung the carcass of the deer over his shoulder and began walking towards the fire pit on the other side of the house.

She could have been just as still as that animal yet she'd stopped the knife. Maybe he was right. Maybe she did have too much fight in her to just lie down and give up. It had seemed like an easy way out. Now she had to go on. And the bastard knew all along that she wouldn't let him kill her.

"Bishop." The word was snapped out as a horse came to a stop, "What have you…"

"She's around that back." Bishop snarled as Casavir rushed past him. He was going to be happy to see that man dead. And he would die. That Bishop would make sure of. But not yet. The paladin would suffer for getting in his way.

Casavir rushed around the building, his head turning from side to side in concern for his lady love. As soon as he saw her, he rushed over and pulled Avera into his arms, kissing her face in little pecks from forehead down, "We heard about Castle Never. I was never so happy as when they told us that you were alright."

Khelgar glared at the ranger as he and Elanee dismounted. His hand went to his axe handle in an unveiled hint that Avera better be fine as Elanee took the three horses to the enclosure that held the pony. It looked as if the ranger did not even notice the gesture but Khelgar guessed that he probably had.

The Dwarf stomped to the back of the building and plastered a smile on his face as he saw that his friend was physically fine. She looked lost but he figured that was normal after the experiences she had just gone through. Couldn't she go anywhere without something bad happening?

"They said you single handedly fought to save Nasher, lass." Khelgar beamed as he came over. Casavir let her go so that the Dwarf could give her a hug while patting her back, "Ye know, you keep this up and you will get more promotions."

Avera tiredly smiled at the two men and brightened up a slight bit, "You would think they would stop doing that."

"So … how was everything else?" Casavir kissed her knuckles as he beamed.

"It was overbearing and unnecessarily extravagant." She lifted her eyes to the heavens then back at them as her mood started to lighten up more, "It was all a ploy to give me more power so the gentry wouldn't be so upset at me owning the keep. Well, except for the invasion that is. That was real enough." Her eyes roved to a new slash on her right arm and she sighed.

"We heard the lad knighted you right in the throne room, still bloody and right out of battle." Khelgar grinned. He would have loved to see that. The thought of those stuck up nobles gasping as a bloody, gore covered Halfling received accreditation for hard work where they'd not gotten any for their butt kissing.

Elanee strode over to them and hugged Avera, "We're just glad you got through it and are back with us."

"Thanks Elanee and yes Lord Nasher did knight me when I saved him." She flopped into Casavir's arms, leaving it up to him to hold her for a moment as she was mentally exhausted, "Sir Nevalle asked if it were proper for him to have done so without me all prettied up like a bull at auction but didn't use those words."

"You saved Nasher and Nevalle had the nerve to gripe?" Khelgar snorted making his mustache shake, "The lad ain't none too bright is he?"

Avera chuckled lightly, "Considering that he and the rest of the nine stayed in a hideaway while I did all the work, he was lucky I didn't forget he was a good guy."

"They let you fight creatures alone? With no help?" Casavir's eyes narrowed as he thought it over. How could they send her out into that kind of danger like that alone? He had lost faith in Neverwinter before and was wondering if there was any reason for that faith to return. From what he had heard there were even vampires in the list of invasive creatures at Castle Never.

"So you are a Knight-Captain. That should mean something." Elanee gleefully looked about at the others thinking of how Avera had earned the title and seeming proud of it.

Avera stood while holding Casavir's hand and turned towards the fire. The food was starting to smell good, "It is only a title. He will likely try to find a way to get his keep back once all of this is over." Her mind ran over the fact that the Lord of the land probably figured they would not survive this problem anyway.

"Oh no. It must mean more."

"Lass, ye ain't no good at figuring out people's motives now are ya?" Khelgar shook his head at the Elf.

Elanee stuck her tongue out at the Dwarf but before she could respond verbally, Avera began talking again.

"Oh but it does mean more. It means we have more work to do. Lord Nasher wants us to find allies in this fight against the King of Shadows." The halfling stretched, amusing herself with the way Casavir watched her every move, "He is getting ready to evacuate Neverwinter for the safety of the citizens. We are really going to have our job cut out for us. He wants us to talk to your people Khelgar, Lizardfolk and more."

"What will we do first, my lady." Casavir stood and looked down at her lovingly with pride evident. He was ready for any order she gave. Whatever she requested he would do.

"First?" The little woman strode towards the fire as she began humming a merry tune, "First we eat."

"That's me lass!"