Chapter Text
The departure from Baldur’s Gate was a bittersweet one. Wren hadn’t adequately prepared for how difficult it would be to say goodbye to her companions. Once they were fanned out before her, the wagons hitched and packed to the brim with supplies and refugees, Wren couldn’t hold it in.
She was truly leaving them. The truest friendships she’d ever known. It was hard to believe she wouldn’t be waking to Wyll’s incessant whistling or Gale crafting a decadent meal out of whatever odd rations they’d collected. No more sunsets in ruins or strange encounters with monstrous creatures. It was a difficult, perilous road they’d shared, but she’d miss it all.
Now that their adventure was over and the danger had waned, dread settled in the pit of Wren’s stomach. She’d never known true peace a day in her life.
Shadowheart said her goodbyes first. Her destination was The House of the Moon in Waterdeep, where she would recover from the death of her parents and reconnect with Selûne to find her new purpose. She and Gale would journey together, as he’d felt it time to return home and use his ‘exceptional mind for more selfless ventures’ - becoming an educator. Gale also shared that in a surprising turn of events, Astarion would be joining them as he sought a way to walk in the daylight once again. While Gale had waxed on about the convenience of Waterdeep’s wide array of resources, experts, and institutions, the wizard’s face flushed and his eyes sparkled like the damn Chionthar in sunlight.
Wren had suppressed the urge to chuckle. Shadowheart only rolled her eyes.
Though Karlach and Wyll had immediately fled to Avernus, Wren knew they’d see each other again someday. Jaheira and Minsc would remain in Baldur’s Gate and help rebuild. They expressed their unending gratitude for Wren and Halsin’s efforts in taking refugees to a new land; a place where they could heal and thrive, providing a better life than the city could offer.
Wren shirked off the compliment. None of this had been her idea, she was merely following Halsin’s lead. She could scarcely believe she was doing this at all. Feeding the needy and rearing orphans. If Nine-Fingers could see her now..
Once their final goodbyes were spoken, Wren’s companions blended into the crowd gathered at Basilisk Gate and sunlight peered through the clouds.
Wren found Halsin at the end of the line of wagons. She appreciated the distraction from her melancholy as she watched him crouched, fixing a loose wheel. His strong arms flexed and his tight trousers looked fit to burst at the seam.
“Need some help there?” Wren snickered.
“I think I’ve got it.” His jaw worked as he snapped the wheel into place and secured it. “There we go. Are you ready to depart, my love?” He moved to her, ghosting a hand over her arm.
Wren grinned nervously. “As I’ll ever be.”
Halsin’s expression softened into concern. “Are you having doubts? Has everything moved too quick-”
“No, no Halsin, it’s not that.” Wren interrupted. “It’s just.. I’ve never lived like this. I’ve never raised children or helped the sick or.. I don’t..” I don’t know how to give you happiness. I don’t know what will make me happy. I don’t know who I am. None of these thoughts felt ready to be shared.
Halsin’s tender gaze searched hers. “You do not have to be anything other than who you are. And if you are unhappy in the new settlement, you are not bound to stay. I will love you no matter what you choose.”
Wren could hardly stomach that thought. “Thank you, but don’t worry about that. I want to be where you are.”
“But your desires need to be honored as well, my heart.”
Wren shook her head. She appreciated the thought, but her worries weren’t as simple as where she lived. “Forget it. It’s just nerves, that’s all. Let’s get on the road.”
“Very well.” Halsin relented. Judging by the lingering concern etched into his features, Wren knew this topic would be revisited. “We’ll forge ahead until dusk.” He continued. “Hopefully that will place us near the heartlands when we make camp.”
Halsin signaled the wagons to roll on. Wren took advantage of the moment and grasped the hem of his tunic, pulling him down to her. She kissed him with fervor, melting into the softness of his mouth. For all her doubt and worry, she could at least remind him how much she cared for him. How badly she desired him. How he gave her solid ground to land on.
Halsin returned the kiss, flexing his hand against her back and pulling her against his torso. Wren answered by tracing his bottom lip with her tongue.
His breath hitched. Then he plied kisses across her cheek and up to the shell of her ear, a low hum rumbling in his throat as he said, “I will dream of you beneath me, undone by my touch.”
Wren shivered. “A promise, I hope?”
He smiled, his gaze fiery. “Always.”
With the blessing of Silvanus, and a heap of good luck, there was no trouble on the journey to Reithwin Town. The western heartlands yielded smooth passage through its grassy flatlands and rolling hills. Waning spring’s gentle turn embraced them, providing ample sunshine for their six day venture.
In all, nine wagons of children, six of wounded and wearied, and several groups on horseback had departed Baldur’s Gate. No longer choked by necrotic shadows, New Reithwin would be a place where they could live freely and abundantly. Politics and class, wealth and power, these trappings would be abandoned and exchanged for the shelter of trees and a blanket of stars.
Halsin spent much of their journey roaming in wildshape and patroling the distant horizons. Nature welcomed him with gentle strokes of wind through his fur, scented evergreen and lavender. As the noise of civilization subsided, it was replaced with shifting grasses and birdsong.
It had been so long, too long, since Halsin felt this free. Yet, his heart was not entirely unburdened. Dread snuck into his mind at night. Unsung melodies of torment and anguish would not allow his hopes to go unchecked. Something deep within warned him of what may come and what he stood to lose.
There was so much he’d experienced in the past centuries. So much cruelty and pain. These people now relied on him for protection from it. The children under his care needed guidance, so that they might grow and make the world a better place. These horrific cycles of abuse and violence could be ended by a generation shown true love and acceptance, reverence for the greater world; By the Oak Father’s grace, he might carve out a true sanctuary in a perilous world.
Halsin knew himself to be capable, powerful, and stalwart in his beliefs. He prided himself on seeking wisdom from his mistakes, yet he feared it would not be enough. If he ever failed again, he stood to lose the most precious joy of his life.
He thought of his family buried under the Grandfather tree.
The urge to protect made him restless. Each night at camp, once the wards were set, Halsin could not bring himself to trance for more than a few hours at a time, and sometimes not at all. He often patrolled while the others slept, ready to strike if danger made its way to them. He was grateful to only ever hear the sounds of camp, of crackling embers and the children’s soft breathing.
His sole source of relief came when Wren joined him in the solitude of twilight, warming his body and his heart with her company. They shared a pipe and sat in comfortable silence. They did not speak of worries or nightmares. They focused on the journey and discussed what lay ahead in meticulous detail. Their kisses were simple and sweet, yet they vibrated with hunger.
Halsin would not sacrifice his focus to passion, not until they were safe. All he could do was dream of Wren’s bare body under starlight, her icy skin and midnight hair. Her mahogany iris’ darkened with desire for him. The caress of her hands and the petal softness of her lips.
It was difficult to subdue his wanting, especially as she slept against his chest, but the feeling gave him cause to hope. He would yet have the life he desired. True respite. Ample centuries to live alongside Wren as her partner, if she would have him. Though he was not a man of societal conventions, he sought to keep her and claim her.
While his heart did not stir lightly, it did for her, and he hoped to soon discover exactly what that meant to him.