FREEDOM | Astarion

| act one: 2 |

 Sleep had come to you relatively easily last night. Although when you woke, you felt the same chill of the vacant ruins that had bristled you the night before, you had reluctantly emerged from the warm cover of your blanket. Your companions were following their adjusted morning routines, you caught Gale attempting to carefully shave with a fragment of glass as a mirror. From a distance, the line of hair was reasonably straight either side of his face, the risk he had of cutting through the epidermis however, you had mild concern for. Conversation this early appeared to be absent for you all, and with everyone's concerns so focused on seeking a healer for the worms that were writhing in your heads, you were not enamoured by reciting with each of them the very same thoughts as the day before.

As you pushed your bedroll into a neat bundle, you could feel an itch, at the very back of your head. You lifted your hand to the back to try and scratch it, but the sensation persisted as tingles crept down your spine. It felt dangerous. Finally, you turned around, you saw the elf again. He was watching you, almost exactly identical to how he had been when you had fallen asleep. As you studied his unrevealing expression, you realised that you couldn't recall seeing him participating in any morning rituals himself, or moving at all. Then again, he seemed to be far away in his own mind, his stare was distant and if he had seen you staring very obviously at him, he gave no sign.

"Do you suppose we should ask the skeleton for any of his services, before we leave?" Shadowheart asked aloud, dressed for the day as she had been the day before.

"Unless they know how to pluck these damned illithid tadpoles from our heads, I suggest we would not become so easily distracted." Lae'zel sharply quipped, shooting a dreadfully fierce stare at the cleric. Their brief petulant argument from yesterday on the nautiloid was still causing tensions for the pair- so much for not being easily distracted.

This was one of those deciding moments for the group, judging by the silence of your companions who were merely watching the cleric and githyanki, you could assume that Lae'zel's response was the most agreeable so long as it meant you could all avoid a conflict with her. To Shadowheart's reluctance, you left the ruins only minutes later. The warmth of the sun was instantly inviting, you dipped your gaze to avoid its glare which may have otherwise ruined the blissful feeling of the morning. Beside you walked out Gale, who still wore an uncertain grimace which had plagued his expression all of last night too. You assumed he was still unsettled, perhaps even uncomfortable from what may have been a poor night's rest.

 "You don't have to join us today." You said to him finally as he frowned at his shoes of all things, "Perhaps you should stay and get some rest, keep an eye on 'Withers' too. I doubt we'd be so lucky to find a healer and solution all in a day's work." 

Gale looked up, his brown eyes looked small where his eyes had puffed up from lack of sleep, he was still weary but he was also stubborn, 

"Nonsense! I am just as capable as I always-"

"Your pack. Its on back-to-front." You whispered, gesturing to his back where his belongings were threatening to spill out across the entrance to the ruins. The wizard blushed, awkwardly twisting his arms to reach the pack and pull it back into a better position. As expected, half of his things fell out, including some charts he must have still possessed from Waterdeep, a durable bottle of some interestingly blue, viscous liquid and a compass. Carefully you crouched down with him, picking up the compass before he could quite reach, 

"Rest, Gale. Please. And I promise to tell you everything of the day. Agreed?" Even now you could see the resignation in his eyes as he watched you, the sense that he was being useless if he stayed, but finally he took the compass from you and forced a tired smile. 

"I suppose I would just slow you all down anyways. I shall stay, as you suggest, but I do expect an enthralling tale of your adventures when you return!... if, you return?"