Bloodlust

Chapter 2

Nithza does not sleep well, her dreams haunted by the thoughts of killing, as they had been every night for the past few weeks. She wakes up, hearing the voices of her companions outside around the campfire, and slowly gets up from her bedroll and begins to get ready for the day.

As she steps outside of her tent, she sees her companions gathered around the fire, talking and laughing amongst themselves. Astarion catches her eye and gives her a small smile and nod of recognition, before returning to his conversation with the others.

"Ah, good morning!" Gale says cheerfully as Nithza exits her tent. The wizard sits on a log by the fire, between Karlach and Lae'zel.

Nithza waves at him half-heartedly, still groggy from lack of sleep. She grabs a bowl of stew that Gale had prepared for breakfast, and sits on the ground, her back against a stump, as she eats.

Astarion sits near the fire as well, occasionally glancing over at Nithza as he converses with the others. He can sense that she's not quite herself this morning.

As the morning wears on, the group packs up camp and sets off on their journey in search of Moonrise Towers once more. Nithza walks silently, lost in thought, her eyes downcast. Astarion falls into step beside her, matching her pace.

"Are you feeling alright, darling?" he asks softly, looking at her with concern.

"I couldn't sleep last night," she admits, her voice low so the others don't hear. "I'm exhausted..."

"Sleep can be elusive for us creatures of the night," Astarion says with a smirk, trying to lighten the mood.

Her brow furrows as he speaks. "Why are you being so kind to me, all of a sudden?" She asks, too tired to consider her question before she asks it.

Astarion chuckles, "All of a sudden? My dear, I've been kind to you since the moment we met." He pauses and then continues, "But in all seriousness, I suppose it's because we understand each other, in a way that the others in the group can't quite comprehend." He glances over at Nithza, "Besides, I may be a vampire, but that doesn't mean I'm incapable of kindness."

"You consider holding a dagger to my throat kind?" She asks, chuckling lightly as she recalls how he'd tried to kill her the first time they met.

Astarion chuckles as well, "Touché, my dear. I suppose I should clarify - I may not always be nice, but that doesn't mean I'm not capable of kindness."
He looks over at Nithza with a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth, "And as for the dagger incident, well... let's just say that I was in a bit of a bad mood after being abducted by mind flayers."

He falls silent for a moment, his eyes fixed on the road ahead. "But I hope you can forgive me for that," he says softly, his tone almost pleading.

She laughs, seeing the concerned look on his face. "You're still here, aren't you? Consider yourself forgiven," she says as they continue down the road.

He visibly relaxes at Nithza's words, a small smile returning to his face. "Thank you, I certainly appreciate it."

He falls silent again before continuing, "You know, I think we make a good team. We may not always see eye-to-eye, but when it comes down to it, we're both capable of getting the job done." He then shoots Nithza a sly grin, "Who knows, maybe we'll even become good friends."

"Maybe we will," she says, grinning in response. She feels her cheeks flush at his words, and she turns her head to hide it.

He continues to walk beside her, his presence comforting in a way that Nithza can't quite put her finger on. There's something about Astarion that sets him apart from the others in the group, and she finds she's drawn to him despite herself.