Sanctuary (Plot)

[Kender Bard]

"Sure!" the angel agreed, landing lightly. "Should be fun."

Crentha blushed to see him up close. He was roguishly handsome with sandy blonde hair and amber eyes. She giggled nervously.

"Where to first?" he asked. "Oh! And feel free to ride the horse. He laughs but doesn't bite."

---

"It can be hard knowing we are capable of violence against anyone, including loved ones," the angel reflected after a prolonged silence. "And harder still if we find ourselves actually thinking violent thoughts. But would you ever act on them in ordinary circumstances?"

"Never."

"Then you are a good man who listens to the whispers of Love and not Evil. A human with no Love is not a human. Demons are beings with only Evil. Now, if your sister had been made a demon, would you blame her for her actions?"

"No," Talon murmured. "And I think they may forgive me..."

"But?"

"But I still wanted to kill her. That thought came from me."

"From Evil," the angel corrected mildly.

Talon shook his head. "I'm not going to blame an unseen Force for my own thoughts."

"It's hardly any different from blaming yourself," the angel said. "The Evil in your heart belongs to you. It is unique to you. I am merely stating that it lives in you. You're human and you cannot help thinking Evil thoughts. From cradle to grave, you will. And from birth to death you will think thoughts of Love as well. If one is silenced, the other will dominate you."

Talon considered this in silence for a time. "I feel... Slightly better when you put it like that."

"You could apologize some more," the angel suggested with a bare smirk.

Talon sighed. "But what if Acqua won't accept it? Or worse, say she does but doesn't mean it?"

The angel pat his head gently. "Then you've done all a man can do, my child."

"Thank you..."

[Northen Light36]

Bas considered. "Let's go that way," she suggested, pointing randomly as Pas smoothly mounted the horse.

Even riding bareback, the boy was a quite good rider and enjoyed doing so whenever possible. "Fine with me," he agreed with his sister. After all, they hadn't explored anywhere yet, so one direction was as good as the next.

---

Pulling herself onto the side of the new hotsprings, Acqua let her feet soak while she watched Lillian playing and tried not to think too hard about the tension between her and Talon. A quick check revealed that the scar left by her brother's blade was gone completely, and she smiled slightly. One less reminder for both of us.

~I think he might be ready to talk to you again soon,~ Pixie commented idly. ~Which is good, because I think you're ready to talk to him too. Particularly now he won't have to carry you to do so. Feeling better, Kit?~

A fair bit better, yes. Physically, I'm fine but...

~The inside hurt will fade after you've washed out the poison. Then time, and myself, will fix the rest.~

[Kender Bard]

Talon decided to head back to his temporary home. He felt a little lighter for his talk with the angel who quietly excused herself and flew away. As he walked, he shoved in his hands into his pockets and whistled, softly, the first sign of bouncing back from the ordeal.

---

The group headed deeper into the woods. Now and then they could spot sign of the Forces' handiwork. It was as if they had felt like leaving marks of their passage, like a signature. There was a tree that curled in upon itself until it resembled Worg's holy symbol. There was a sudden patch of white flowers that looked like little wings flapping at the slightest breeze which smelled divine.

[Northen Light36]

Pixie trailed Talon for awhile, then got quietly ahead of him and bounded out onto the trail ahead and sat there, lashing her tail in the dirt. ~Sound more like a bird,~ she mock groumbled. ~All the mice are hiding now.~ She gave him her best irritated feline look before going and rubbing his ankles. ~Still, I'll forgive you. If you scratch behind my left ear. It itches.~

---

"Letha and Lilly would like those," Bas commented, eying the flowers. "Help me pick some?" she asked the others. "We can bring back a nice big bunch for them."