As the Ash Settles

Chapter Twenty-Four: Lucia

"I didn't ask that of you." Astarion looked her up and down, gratefulness in his eyes. He reached his hand out, his fingertips inches from her own. His red eyes met hers, Citrine longed to grasp the hand before her own. "Besides a little pain can be nice every now and then."

"I don't want to bring you any pain ever." She placed her hand in her lap, smoothing the wrinkles in her skirt.

"You've already tried to murder me, and I did quite enjoy the aftermath of that." He sighed, positioning himself back onto his hands, one knee bent on the bed the other extended. "We truly are ill-fated, one day bards will sing of our forbidden love." He threw his head back in laughter. "They will also sing how we figured out a way to escape this all." His eyes locked into hers.

"Would now be a terrible time to tell you that I'm craving the feeling of gutting something open?" She leaned down on her hands, looking up at him with puppy dog eyes. "You know when there's nothing you could do about it? Can't tie me up and restrain me if you can't touch me."

Astarion laughed again. "You devilish little elf, a secret between you and I" his voice lowered to a whisper. "I like to watch."

The two laughed and spoke until the sunset and the moon came out shining high in the sky. They kept their distance from each other but their fingers inched closer to the others though never touching.

Citrine woke earlier than the others, Astarion and her had meditated side by side. She looked down at him as he dreamed. His kids twitching and a smile on his sleeping face. She wondered if his dreams took place in the sun.

Citrine gathered a pouch of gold and took Robin and Scratch with her to the market. They would need supplies for their trip. Plus she did want to cook something that wasn't made of scraps at least once. The market was enormous, with stalls and carts are far as the eye could see from produce to weaponry to creatures and beasts alike.

Citrine stopped at every stall she could even if it was to just admire their wares. When she reached the menagerie stall she made sure to ask all the critters if they were being housed well and to her joy they were all quite content with their current owner. A white and golden rat caught her eye, she was shy and beautiful Citrine asked the inky black-headed dwarf if she take a closer look at the fancy rat. He nodded lifting her roomy cage up.

"They are pleased to be with you," Citrine informed the dwarf as she looked over the little rat.

He laughed full laugh. "I'm glad to hear that, I think my wife would come back from the grave and kick my ass if I didn't treat them well. All rescues each taken from a bad situation some worse than others, each have their own quirks." He eyed Citrine. "Druid?" She nodded. "My wife was too, made it her life's mission to make sure no creature had to live poorly." His eyes went off into the distance his mind lost in memories. "If they could be put back into the wild they would be, if not she made sure they found the best home possible." Citrine with her free hand petted Scratch and Robin. "Owlbear wondering the streets of Waterdeep I've got to hear this story." He sat on the bench behind the table and gestured for her to sit next to him.

Citrine obliged, sitting the cage on her lap, sticking a finger through one of the slots. "This is Robin and Scratch. Both furious on the battlefield both giant snuggle bugs at the campfire." She laughed recanting the tales of both Scratch and Robin. A few hours flew by speaking to the dwarf who she learned his name was Tovier and his wife's name was Lucia. The way he spoke to her was as if she was still there. Lunch time had rolled around and they ate together, still recanting their tales.

"Tovier I do truly hope to keep in touch. Should you ever need anything or just want to tell me more about Lucia." the little rat was asleep cuddled to her finger.

"Looks like someone has already decided where they would like to go." He laughed softly so as to not wake the fancy rat.

"How much is she?"

"For you friend, a copper piece." Citrine pulled out three hundred gold pieces in a satin pouch within her leather one.

"For the good in the world you do, I know it isn't a lot but hopefully it helps." He tried to refuse, but she insisted.

"Wait then a gift for you!" He pulled from his satchel a gold chained necklace with a honeycomb adorning it, drips of honey falling from the combs. "It was my Lucia's got her out a pinch of trouble a time or two. You've seen mage hand at work haven't you?" Citrine nodded. "Well think of this like that, except these are actual bees. Be kind to them and they'll be kind to you." Citrine lowered her neck allowing Tovier to clasp the chain.

"You are the kindest person I've met in a long while." She placed the cage on the table and hugged Tovier. He hugged her back. She thanked him once more promising to treasure the gift and her newfound friend and headed back to Gale's.

She found her friends sitting at Gale's dining table, the three talking happily. "Well, there she is. Is that a rat in my house?" Gale eyed the cage.

"This would be Olivia." Citrine set the cage on the table, Citrine slid her hand into the cage, and placed the little rat on her shoulder. "She will be staying with us."

"Of course, the druid would bring home a rat." Shadowheart laughed. Gale looked annoyed, but there was already an owlbear and dog in his house he supposed a rat was better than something else Citrine could have brought home. She joined the three at the table.

"Plans?"

"Well, we are going to see if we can find any news of where the circus may be and head there. Elminster did inform me that he is done teleporting for now so it would seem our journey is on foot or if we want we could fork out the gold for a couple of horses."

"One horse night was fine with me, horses bite." Astarion interrupted.

"You bite and we still keep you around." Shadowheart giggled.

"I don't appreciate being compared to a horse." Astarion faced the window, the sun falling into his scarlet eyes. "Besides I'm far better behaved than a horse."

"As I was saying a couple of horses should make our journey to wherever it is we need to go faster and the faster we set foot the faster we are to helping Karlach and Wyll." Gale finished.

Citrine looked to Astarion, wanting in her eyes. "Horses could be nice."

"He dropped his shoulders. "Fine but if one bites me, I'm biting back."

"I wouldn't imagine it any other way." Gale sipped from his mug. "Shall I go procure some?"

"We should all go and I think I might know someone who could help us find the perfect matches!" Citrine darted up from the table.