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Chapter Text

Foreboding shadows of ancient trees casted over the small borrower as she fumbled through the foliage on the forest floor. Gnarly roots protruding from the earthy ground threatened to trip her with each hasty step that she took as her breathing quickened. Ria knew for a fact that something – or someone – was stalking her.

She had become so used to the sensation of being watched by hungry predators throughout her young life that she could almost sense when she was being followed. Every single hair on the back of her neck stood up as she swallowed thickly. Being only a mere 10 centimeters tall made her very easy prey to just about everything that dwelled in the dark forest, and there wasn’t a single doubt in her mind that if she didn’t act swiftly, she was going to end up as a midnight snack very soon. Pressing forward, she soon felt small tremors rattle the earth below her feet like tiny earthquakes. Her heart leaping into her throat, she knew that this only meant one thing: whoever was following her was very close. She forced her legs to run faster, adrenaline now spiking her blood as she let her flight or fight response take over. Panic flared in her chest with each approaching tremor, each one getting stronger and more violent than the last.

Her gaze darted around the forest floor feverishly looking for anywhere that she may be able to quickly hide in to prevent her grim demise. She immediately spotted a thicket of thorns – prickly and painful, yes, but that might deter the hungry predator that was gaining on her rapidly. Without second thought, Ria dived into the thorn bush headfirst and immediately felt stabbing pain at her sides. The thorns tore through her clothing and sliced open her skin, her blood now dripping on the ground, but she pushed through it. She was determined not to die as a late-night snack. Grimacing in pain, she pulled herself as deep into the thorn bush as she could muster. Blood now stained her clothing as she glanced down at her wounds, feeling the wetness of her blood on her fingertips. Forcing herself not to cry, she held her breath, anxiously waiting to see if she would in fact live to see another day. The rattling tremors grew ever closer, causing her entire body to vibrate with each footfall.

Wait a minute – footfall? As in, bipedal? Human?

She shook her head. No, humans didn’t eat borrowers. It had to be something else. Something more carnivorous. Something that was intent on following her through the bush just to track her down and eat her. It made her stomach churn. Peering through the twisting thorny stems of the bush, she was just able to see what was outside thanks to the glowing full moon that shone from above.

A pair of dark leather boots appeared in her vision just outside from her spot in the thorn bush. Of course, she couldn’t see the owner of the boots, but just seeing the giant footwear made her heart almost stop right then and there.

“Come now, little one, this would be so much easier if you just surrendered right now.” A loud, masculine voice blared through her eardrums. The voice, however, was not what she was expecting. It had this sort of flair to it that she couldn’t quite describe. But either way, it didn’t deter from her impending fate. She sucked in a sharp breath and hoped that whoever it was would turn away.

“I can smell your blood, darling.” The voice rumbled from above like thunder. “My gods, it smells positively divine. Getting all bloodied up for a vampire is truly flattering, it’s almost as if you want me to bite you in half!”

Vampire!?

Of all the creatures that had to be hunting her down, of course it had to be a vampire. Vampires were known to eat borrowers in a multitude of different ways – biting their heads off to drain the remaining blood, biting them in half, or just simply straight up eating them. An icy chill snaked down her spine as she realised just exactly what she was dealing with. And she had made it even easier for him to find her by smearing her blood everywhere. This couldn’t get any worse.

A tsk tsk tsk noise resonated from above. “I suppose we’re doing this hard way, aren’t we?”

The hard way?!

A piercing scream filled her lungs as the protective thorn bush was practically torn open revealing the vampire in question. Before Ria had a moment to react, a giant hand came crashing down from above and immediately enclosed around her body into a tight fist, yanking her out of her protective thorn casing as if it were nothing. The vampire held her tightly in his grasp, slowly bringing her close to his watchful gaze. Thrashing in his tight vice-like grip, she cried out in protest but to no avail. The icy coldness from the vampire’s skin soon seeped through her clothing and she forcefully suppressed a shiver. There was not a single chance that she would be able to escape now. Steadying her rapid breathing, she finally met the gaze of her captor. Piercing giant red orbs met hers and she shuddered out a breath. The man that held her had strikingly pale skin that had an almost ethereal quality to it. His face was sharp and angular, with a cheeky smirk that revealed elongated canine teeth that glimmered white in the moonlight. Long, silvery-white curls framed his perfectly chiseled facial features, contrasting evidently with his crimson blood eyes.

Ria almost forgot to breathe. If the circumstances were different, and she wasn’t going to be his dinner, she would out rightly admit that the man was gorgeous.

“Oh, a little star struck are we?” The vampire chimed playfully, his smirk growing ever wider, noticing her demeanor. “I can’t say I blame you. I do have that effect on people.”  

Ria opened her mouth to speak, but she couldn’t muster anything that resembled a single sentence. Blood was still leaking out from her multiple cuts making her feel a little light-headed at the blood-loss.

“I must say, I have never actually seen a borrower in person before,” the vampire continued, his loud voice rattling her tiny ribcage with each word he uttered. “I can’t believe just how small you are, I mean, you’re literally bite-sized. How perfect is that?”

The word ‘bite-sized’ shot an arrow of panic straight through her chest. Coming to her senses, her words finally found her.

“Leave me the fuck alone!” A mixture of anger and fear swelled in her chest as the words literally spat out of her mouth.

The vampire’s eyebrows shot up at hearing her outcry, but it only made his grin grow wider. Her outburst, for whatever reason, seemed to please him deeply. “Wow, such a venomous bark for such a small thing. Perhaps if you use some manners I may reconsider,” he chuckled darkly. “I believe I haven’t properly introduced myself. My name is Astarion, and you are?”

Baffled at the vampire’s question, her brain attempted to process what was going on. Was he seriously threatening to eat her and exchange names at the same time? This was hardly the time to be formal and polite, but perhaps if it extended her lifespan just a little, she would play along.

“My name is R-Ria,” she managed to splutter out. “Astarion is a very pretty name.”  

“Changing your tone now, are we?” Astarion replied with a devilish smile. “But flattery isn’t going to get you anywhere in this situation, I’m afraid. Please don’t take this personally, I’m too weak to hunt right now and you’re the easiest snack I could find. All I need is a drop, then that will give me just enough energy to find something more filling.” He paused, licking his tongue over his upper lip. “However, I can’t deny that your scent alone has me salivating already.”

Ria could feel the remaining colour that was left in her face drain away. She attempted to squirm out of his enclosed fist but he only gripped onto her even tighter, threatening to crush her ribcage in his cold grasp.

“Oh, come now, it won’t be so bad,” he said playfully. “It’ll be over before you know it. But before I do, I cannot ignore the blood you already spilled for me. It’d be a shame for that to go to waste.” His gaze raked over her bloodied arms and legs from the thornbush, the blood still oozing from her open wounds.

He suddenly brought her closer towards his face, now filling her entire vision. Hungry crimson eyes stared at her open wounds and he parted his mouth. Stifling back a scream, she could only watch in horror as the tip of his tongue licked the entirety of her wounded arm, lapping up every morsel of her blood that was stained on her skin.

A low moan escaped past his lips and vibrated through the still air as he licked the blood from the multiple cuts across her arm. It didn’t take him long to start lapping at her other wounds along her legs and other arm with the tip of his tongue, savouring every drop that he could find across her skin.

Fortunately, his tongue stopped once all the blood has been licked clean from her exposed skin. At this point, her heart was on the verge of exploding as she realised that she had just been taste tested by a vampire. Hyperventilating rapidly, she glanced down at the parts of her body that she could see in his enclosed fist – noticeably, she could feel that he had only licked her wounds on the lower part of her arms and legs, and very thankfully, not on the middle or near her chest.

“My, my, darling, you taste absolutely delicious,” he hummed with delight, his tongue running across his upper lip with satisfaction. “It is true what they say about borrower blood being so tasty. I can’t believe I’ve been deprived of something like this for so long.”

“Just wait!” Ria finally managed to cry out, tears pricking her eyes. She expected Astarion to ignore her plea, but he remained silent, save for the still ever hungry gaze that lingered in his red eyes.

“Are you sure you want to eat me right now?” she continued, her heart spasming in her chest. “I-I mean, once you eat me, then there’ll be no more left. Shouldn’t something as tasty as me be savoured?”

Astarion remained silent for a few more seconds. She could see the conflicting thoughts dancing across his expression as he mulled the situation over.

“Hmm, I know this is you clearly trying to delay your untimely death, but you do have a point.” His gaze flickered back to Ria’s bloody wounds along her limbs. “But I am in desperate need for a midnight snack, I’m afraid. I would say better luck next time, but I suppose there won’t be a next time for you, will there?”

“Please, oh gods, I don’t want to die!” Ria shrieked at the top of her tiny lungs, tears now flooding down her face like a torrential river. “Please, I’ll do anything you want, but just don’t eat me!”  

“Hush now, my dear, it’ll be all over soon. I’ll be gentle, I promise.”

All Ria could do was watch in utter terror as Astarion opened his mouth wide as his enormous fangs inched closer towards her trembling body. He had her now pinched in between his index finger and thumb, bringing her inside his mouth like she was some kind of tiny finger sandwich.

“Oh fuck, no, please, no!” Ria screamed at the top of her lungs as the front half of her body entered the vampire’s mouth. She thrashed in the vampire’s grip, but it was utterly useless – she had no strength over the giant man. Closing her eyes, her lip trembled, as she slowly began to accept her fate. There was nothing more that she could do. This was the end for her.

“ASTARION!”

A loud, unfamiliar voice pierced the still night air, and Astarion quickly removed Ria from inside his mouth. She immediately felt Astarion tighten his grip around her body as a man emerged into the moonlight. The man had shoulder length brown hair, with purple robes and his jawline was brushed with stubble.

Astarion immediately made a face of pure disgust. “Hello, Gale.”

“What in the gods name are you doing?” The man, Gale, stepped forward. He quickly noticed the tiny borrower that was enclosed in Astarion’s fist. His gaze flickered back to the pale elf with anger.

“Astarion, is that a borrower in your hand?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Astarion said, hiding Ria behind his back so that she was out of Gale’s sight. “A borrower? Can’t say I’ve heard of them before.”

Gale exhaled a frustrated sigh. “Astarion, stop with the bullshit. I saw one in your hand. What were you going to do to them?”

“H-HELP-!“ Ria managed to choke out before she was smothered by Astarion’s cold fingers closing around her tiny form.

“Hand the borrower over, Astarion, or do I have to use magic to get you to cooperate?” Gale persisted, his anger quickly rising.

Astarion pouted like a child handing over stolen candy. “Fine, take her. I wasn’t going to eat her, if that’s what you’re so worried about.” He brought Ria out from behind his back and opened his palm, revealing the tiny borrower.

“He absolutely was going to eat me!” Ria retorted. 

“You were going to eat her?” The wizard gaped, quickly moving Ria from Astarion’s hand onto his. “For fuck’s sake, Astarion, we told you that you weren’t allowed to feed from people, only animals!”

“Fine, so what if I was?” Astarion exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air dramatically. “Besides, borrowers hardly count as people! They’re no different from halflings or gnomes, they’re just smaller.”

“We’re going to have a chat once we’re back at camp,” Gale pinched the bridge in between his nose with his free hand. “I’m so sorry about him. Did he harm you?”

Ria was almost at a loss for words. She was still shaking from everything that had happened. Swallowing back her chattering nerves, she craned her neck to look up at the wizard. “T-thank you, he didn’t hurt me, well, he almost did, but…” Her gaze drifted over to the cuts across her limbs from the thornbush. “I do have these cuts, but they weren’t from him.”

Gale noticed her wounds and glared daggers at Astarion. “I hardly believe that it wasn’t him that did this to you, but I’ll take your word for it. I can take you back to our camp, our cleric, Shadowheart, will have those wounds healed in no time.” He smiled warmly at her. “I’m Gale, but I suppose you already know that. What’s your name?”

“I’m Ria,” she answered thickly, her body still trembling. “A-and thank you, I appreciate all your help.”

“Oh no, it’s the least I can do after the trauma my friend most likely put you through. Let’s get going.” Gale’s fingers enclosed around her frame protectively, and she could almost hear Astarion’s eyes roll into the back of his head as they walked through the forest. Whatever happened next, she prayed that the rest of Gale’s friends were nothing like Astarion.

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

Ria awoke the following morning to the feeling of earth-rattling tremors shaking the ground. She was almost jostled from her spot underneath her makeshift blanket and it immediately sent a wave of panic through her body.

What is going on? Where am I?

Memories of the previous night soon came flooding back to her mind as she sat up in her miniature tent. It was hard to believe that last night she had been so close to death and now she was in a camp surrounded by giants. Gingerly she stepped out of her tent and saw that everyone was awake. A loud screeching noise resonated throughout the camp and she had to cover her ears with her hands at the dreadful noise. The source of the loud noise was coming from Lae’zel, who was sharpening a longsword on a slab of stone.

Gods, make it stop!

Shadowheart approached Lae’zel with a rather disgruntled look on her face. “Shar help me, Lae’zel, if you don’t cease your sword sharpening at this ungodly hour, I will make you stop.”

Lae’zel paused what she was doing and snapped her neck towards the half-elf. If looks could kill, Shadowheart would be dead right where she was standing.

“Chk. I’d like to see you try, Shadowheart.”

Shadowheart bristled with anger and opened her mouth to speak, but Karlach immediately came blundering in between the two with a plate full of pancakes in her hands.

“Guys, you won’t believe this! Gale made pancakes!” Karlach was practically oozing joy from her face as she shoved a piece of pancake into her mouth, not sensing the tension between Lae’zel and Shadowheart.

Lae’zel paused her sword sharpening to stare at Karlach with her plate of steaming pancakes.

“Pancakes?” Lae’zel wrinkled her nose. “That sounds like food for children.”

Karlach’s face quickly changed from joyous to that of utter disbelief. “Oh, my gods, you’ve never had pancakes before? You’re in for a real treat, Lae’zel.”

Lae’zel furrowed her brows, not very convinced by the tiefling’s statement. “I doubt that Gale could produce any food that could please my tastebuds, but I will try it.”

“When I was in Avernus, I never had food like this,” Karlach continued, her cheeks full of food. “Gods, this is so fucking good.”

“I’m glad that at least you’re enjoying it, Karlach. It does smell good.” Shadowheart’s anger from before had dissipated as she smiled warmly at the tiefling.  

Ria remained grounded where she was, not entirely sure what to do. The others hadn’t noticed her entering out of her small tent yet and she didn’t feel comfortable asking for some food, either. Borrowers didn’t exactly ask for food from giant people, she was so used to taking pieces of food scraps and anything that she could find without anyone noticing.

Ria didn’t have to wait for much longer as Shadowheart’s gaze soon trailed over her tiny frame.

The cleric greeted her with a gentle smile. “Good morning, Ria. I hope you slept well.”

Ria nodded, craning her neck to meet her gaze. “Good morning! Y-yes, it was actually the best sleep that I’ve had in a long time, actually.”

“I’m glad that you slept well,” Shadowheart replied. “Would you like to join us for breakfast? There is more than enough to go around.”

Ria blinked in surprise. No one, especially someone who wasn’t her own kind, had offered her breakfast.

“I would love to join you for breakfast,” she answered.

Shadowheart fell to one knee so that she was closer to Ria. The half-elf extended her open palm to the small borrower, gesturing for her to climb on.

“It’ll probably be easier if you climb on,” Shadowheart said. “And safer for you, too. I’d hate for someone to step on you.”

Ria inhaled deeply and steeled herself. She had allowed Gale to hold her and nothing bad had happened. Surely Shadowheart could be trusted as well, especially since she had been the one to heal her wounds from last night. Slowly and with great caution, she climbed into Shadowheart’s open palm. She instinctively grasped onto Shadowheart’s index finger as the half-elf stood to her full height.

Karlach’s eyes brightened as she looked down at the little borrower now sitting in Shadowheart’s palm.  

“I still can’t believe that little people are real,” Karlach said in between mouthfuls of pancake. “You are so cute!”

A faint blush blossomed across Ria’s face at Karlach’s words. “Um, t-thank you.”

“I can’t believe Shadowheart hasn’t dropped the poor thing yet,” Lae’zel grunted.

Shadowheart shot a scathing look at the githyanki. “As if you’re gentle enough to hold a borrower, Lae’zel. You would crush her with one simple hand movement.”

“Chk! I am not so careless to do such a thing, Shadowheart. I may be a seasoned warrior, but I can be gentle when I need to be.”

Shadowheart bit her tongue to stop herself from laughing. “You? Gentle? Don’t make me laugh, Lae’zel.”

Shadowheart and Lae’zel continued to bicker back and forth for some time, and all Ria could do was silently watch from her seat in Shadowheart’s hand. She quickly caught on that Lae’zel and Shadowheart certainly weren’t friends in the slightest, as it was obviously apparent. While they continued to argue back and forth, Ria looked around the rest of the camp. She noticed Gale hunched over the morning campfire with a frying pan seamlessly levitating above the fire by itself – a glowing aura of magic surrounding the kitchen utensil as the wizard flicked his wrist every so often.

At least Astarion won’t be out here.

Her gaze trailed away from Gale and her heart nearly caught in her throat. There, standing in broad daylight, was Astarion. Her mouth hung open in shock as she watched him absentmindedly flick through a book, as if standing in the sun was a very normal occurrence for him.

But- but- HOW? Vampires can’t walk in the sunlight! What in the hells is he?!

The only noise she could hear now was the blood pounding fiercely in her ears. Her heart rammed against her ribcage, threatening to break through them at any moment. Her knuckles turned white as her fingernails pierced into the palms of her hands. Dryness enveloped her mouth and her throat tightened. Images of last night replayed through her mind – flashing teeth, crimson eyes, the crushing weight of his fingers squeezing her tiny body. Without thinking, she instinctively wrapped her arms tightly around Shadowheart’s index finger and held onto it as if her life depended on it. Rumbling murmurs vibrated around her, but she couldn’t hear anything over the blood hammering through her ears.

Shadowheart’s fingers twitched around her quivering body. The half-elf’s face soon came into view as she brought Ria closer towards her.

“Ria? Is everything alright?” Shadowheart asked, her face etched with concern.

“Your unpleasant face has frightened the poor borrower, Shadowheart,” Lae’zel quipped.

“Now is not the time Lae’zel!” Shadowheart glowered at the githyanki.

“Is she okay? What’s going on?” Karlach’s worried voice rumbled through the air.

“H-How is he there?” Ria choked, her voice barely a raspy whisper. “I-In daylight – how?”

“Ah,” Shadowheart said, quickly noticing that Ria was staring at Astarion. “Well, I suppose we have a bit of interesting information to share with you…to put it simply, our entire group has been infected by illithid tadpoles.”

Ria swallowed thickly. “Illithid? As in…mind flayers?”

Shadowheart nodded. “Yes, unfortunately. It’s a bit of a long story, but our entire group were captured by some mind flayers who infected all of us with their tadpoles. Surprisingly, though, we haven’t transformed into mind flayers, even though under normal circumstances we should’ve started sprouting tentacles a long time ago.”

“Precisely why we need to seek out a creche,” Lae’zel interrupted. “Only a gith creche can cure us of these ghaik parasites that plague our brains.”

“And that’s basically why we’re all traveling together,” Karlach added, smiling softly at Ria. “We figured that sticking together as a group we’ll be able to get rid of these worms in our brains a lot easier.”

Ria took a moment to process all the information. She knew of mind flayers and their parasites, but being so small, being infected by one of those tadpoles was something she didn’t need to worry about. The mind flayers themselves, on the other hand, were a different story. She was aware of their oppressive tendencies and that they enslaved a multitude of races, one of them being the gith. She had never encountered a mind flayer in the flesh, but she had heard stories of their horrific reign and power. The fact that everyone in the camp was infected by illithid parasites didn’t exactly ease her nerves.

“So, the parasite allows him to walk in the sun freely?” she asked, turning the focus back to Astarion.

“Yes, fortunately for him, it does.” Shadowheart nodded. “However, I believe he’s still vulnerable to stakes, but we’re not exactly sure just how far the parasite will go in terms of other vampiric weaknesses.”

“If the spawn merely glances at my neck, I’ll be sure to test my blade on his throat,” Lae’zel hissed venomously.

“Why haven’t you all transformed into mind flayers yet?” Ria questioned.

“That’s what we’re still trying to figure out,” Shadowheart replied. “We really have no idea why, but we’re trying to find a healer, or someone that can help us rid ourselves of these tadpoles.”

“A gith creche is the only solution,” Lae’zel persisted. “Our priority is reaching the creche. Only then will we be free of these ghaik vermin infecting our brains.”

Shadowheart heaved a tired sigh. “Yes, Lae’zel, thank you once again for reminding us about the creche. As if we haven’t heard that enough times already.”

Lae’zel curled her lip into a snarl. “Chk! You will be thanking me once the gith relieve us of these parasites.”

“Hey, are you hungry?” Karlach tore a tiny piece of pancake off her plate and offered it to Ria, interrupting the conversation before things got heated again between Shadowheart and Lae’zel. “You’re welcome to have some of mine.”

Ria blinked, surprised at the tiefling’s generosity. “T-thank you, that’s very kind of you.”

Karlach flashed a rather charismatic grin. “Hey, it’s not like it’s a whole lot anyway. Oh, just be very careful not to touch my skin.”

Heading her advice, Ria carefully plucked the tiny piece of pancake from in between Karlach’s fingers. The piece of pancake was like the size of a loaf of bread in her small hands.

“Why can’t I touch your skin?” Ria asked.

“Infernal engine.” Karlach tapped her chest with her fist, and a loud clanging noise resonated throughout the air like she had just banged a hard piece of metal. “A gift from my old master, Zariel. Basically, it means I can’t touch anyone without rendering them into a pile of ash.”

Ria’s eyes widened. “That sounds…awful. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Karlach grinned. “We’re working on resolving it, as well as these tadpoles in our noggins.”

“I trust that our guest is doing alright?”

Ria tore her gaze away from Karlach and turned around to see Gale approaching them. A small feeling of calmness washed over her at seeing the wizard – out of everyone in the camp, Gale was the one who she felt she could trust the most after he had saved her the previous night.

“Good morning,” Ria said with a small smile. “I’m doing very well, thanks to the bed that you made for me last night. It was the best sleep I’ve had in a long time.”

Gale returned her smile, warmth reflecting in his hazel eyes. “That’s very good to hear. Feel free to eat as much food as you like, I think I’ve made enough to last us all the way to Baldur’s Gate.”

“Thank you again for all of this,” Ria said. “I never thought humans or anyone else for that matter could be this kind to borrowers. You truly have me in your debt.”

Gale shook his head. “No, no, again, it’s the very least we could do after what happened last night. Feel free to stay here for as long as you need.”

Ria continued to smile at the wizard, her heart fluttered gently in her chest. A sharp pang in her stomach reminded her of her hunger and she soon remembered the piece of pancake that she was holding. She tore a piece off with her teeth and nearly moaned with delight. It was the best thing she had ever tasted. The light, fluffiness of the pancake spread across her tongue as she chewed, relishing the delectable flavours.

“Would you like to sit down?” Shadowheart’s voice chimed from above.

Swallowing a piece of pancake, her gaze met Shadowheart’s. “O-oh, yes, that would be nice.”

Shadowheart nodded and slowly brought Ria down towards a nearby log that sat next to the campfire where Gale had been cooking up breakfast, it was the perfect spot for her to sit while still being out of harm’s way. She hopped off Shadowheart’s palm, clutching her piece of pancake close to her chest, and made herself comfortable on the log. Sitting down, she devoured the rest of her breakfast and watched as the rest of the group helped themselves to some of Gale’s pancakes.

All of them except for Astarion.

Ria tried her best to ignore the vampire spawn, and she refused to make eye contact with him, but she could feel his gaze burning into the back of her neck. If Gale and the others weren’t around, she wouldn’t dare be out in the open like this with Astarion so close by.

“Is that pancakes I smell?” A new, unfamiliar voice filled the air and Ria felt her body turn frozen solid.

Another person? Seriously!?

“Ah, Wyll, you’ve made it just in time for breakfast,” Gale’s voice rumbled from above, plating up another stack of pancakes for the newcomer. “Please, help yourself.”

Ria swallowed thickly as a man entered the camp – he had dark skin and a pair of curled horns protruding out of his skull. One of his eyes was black and red, whilst the other was a pale grey. He was certainly handsome, but his devil-like appearance made Ria bristle in fear.

“Don’t mind if I do,” Wyll answered, helping himself to some food. “I managed to get some more supplies for the camp while I was gone. It should last us until we reach the Goblin Camp.”

“Excellent, I’m glad to hear that your trip was successful,” Gale replied. “You should meet our guest, Ria. She will be staying here for a while until she is ready to leave.”

Wyll’s gaze searched the camp in confusion. A puzzled expression soon formed across his rugged features as he failed to see who Gale was referring to. “Um, is this a trick, Gale? I don’t see anyone.”

Ria cleared her throat. “Down here.”

Wyll lowered his gaze and finally settled on where Ria was sitting on the log. His jaw almost hit the ground and his eyes widened in shock. He immediately glanced back to Gale then back to Ria as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

“G-Gale? Is that a tiny person sitting on the log?” Wyll stammered.

“Yes, and her name is Ria,” Gale repeated. “And I take it you’ve never seen a borrower before, have you?”

“Oh, a borrower!” Wyll exclaimed. “W-well, I’ve certainly heard of them, yes, but I thought they weren’t real. Just a fairy tale for children.”

“I’m certainly not a fairy tale,” Ria said firmly, furrowing her brows. “Um, it’s nice to meet you, too, Wyll.”

“O-oh! I’m sorry, please forgive my rudeness.” Wyll leaned down towards Ria and extended his index finger to her. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ria.”

Ria tentatively took his index finger in her hand and smiled at him. Despite his devil-like appearance, Wyll seemed to be a kind person.

“What brought you to our camp?” Wyll asked curiously, removing his index finger away from her.

Ria’s jaw clenched. “Well, it’s a bit of a long story…um…”

“Astarion nearly ate her,” Lae’zel interrupted rather bluntly.

Wyll almost choked on thin air at hearing Lae’zel’s statement. “W-what? Seriously? Oh, gods above, I’m so sorry that happened to you.”

“I-It’s quite alright,” Ria said breathlessly, although she knew deep down, she wasn’t alright.

“No, it’s not alright.” Wyll scowled. “It looks like I may need to remind Astarion that he needs to keep himself in line if he wishes to travel with our group.” He shot a deathly look towards the spawn who was still lurking in the back on the camp.

Astarion, now noticing that everyone was staring at him, snapped his book shut in anger.

“Save it, Wyll. I’ve had just about everyone in the camp berate me for what happened last night. I really don’t need to hear it from you.”

Ria had been avoiding looking at the vampire up until now, but in that moment, she had made a quick glance towards him as he had snapped at Wyll. In the blazing heat of the morning sun, she immediately noticed just how ragged Astarion looked. There was a feral hunger that reflected in his crimson eyes – it was almost animalistic the way that he looked. The tips of his fingers were twitching every so often, his nails sharp, and his fangs were sticking quite noticeably out from under his lips. She had seen this same look in the eyes of other predators when they were on the brink of starvation and it never ended well.

“I do believe Astarion has learned his lesson,” Gale said.

“Thank you, Gale,” Astarion sighed. “Now, is someone going to bring me breakfast? I’m far too weak to hunt, unless anyone wants to volunteer-?”

“It’s okay, Fangs, we’ll get you something,” Karlach said rather suddenly. “Anyone want to come with me?”

“I would enjoy accompanying you,” Shadowheart replied. “If it means I’ll be out of earshot from Lae’zel sharpening her blade, then I’ll gladly come.”

“Chk.” Lae’zel curled her lip into a snarl, but said nothing more.

“I would like to come long as well,” Gale added. “I need to pick up some scrolls from the trader in Emerald Grove. We could make a quick stop there on the way.”

Ria’s stomach dropped at hearing all three of them were leaving. She had only just met Wyll, and she wasn’t entirely certain of Lae’zel’s intentions at this stage, so being alone with them at the camp with Astarion didn’t exactly make her happy. She immediately contemplated leaving right then and there, but it would be foolish to leave a camp when there was so much food and shelter available, despite the risks.

I’ll wait until they return, stock up on supplies, then leave.

“Wyll, make sure Astarion doesn’t get too peckish while we’re gone,” Gale said. “Especially for our little guest here.”

“Of course, I’ll make sure he behaves himself,” Wyll answered.

Gale, Karlach, and Shadowheart soon left the camp leaving Ria alone with the remaining three members of the group. She noticed that Wyll was looking at her with a soft look reflected in his eyes.

“Is there anything I can get for you?” Wyll asked with a gentle smile. “Some water? Any more food?”

Ria’s mouth was practically a scorched desert and her throat burned at the thought of having some water.

“Water would be amazing, thank you.”

Wyll’s eyes instantly lit up. “Right! I’ll go fetch you some.” His brows furrowed in thought as he realised that she couldn’t exactly drink out of a normal cup. “Hm. Give me a moment, I’ll go find something for you to drink out of first.”

Panic flared in her chest at the prospect of Wyll leaving her side temporarily. “O-oh, it’s quite alright, you don’t have to-“

“Don’t worry, I’ll only be a moment,” Wyll interjected. “Just sit tight and I’ll be right back.”

Ria could only watch in dismay as her main source of protection walked off to the other side of the camp. He began rummaging around in bags, tossing aside cutlery and silverware as he searched for something suitable for her to drink out off. Lae’zel had also returned to her own tent, seemingly disinterested in making conversation with her. She steadied her breathing and attempted to calm herself down.

I’m being stupid. It’s not like Wyll has left the camp, he’s just not watching where I am is all.

Despite her feelings of fear, her gaze couldn’t help but to wander back over to where Astarion was standing. He was still several metres away from her, but he looked incredibly restless. He had tossed aside the book that he was reading as if he couldn’t focus on it anymore. His crimson gaze soon met hers and her heart almost stopped.

Please don’t walk over. Please don’t walk over. Please-

Astarion began to saunter towards her direction and her breath almost caught in her throat. She wanted to move, but it was if someone had glued her to the log that she was sitting on. Goosebumps trailed up her arms as the vampire spawn continued to approach her until he was close enough to reach down and grab her in his fist. She almost expected him to snatch her up in his hands, but much to her surprise, he simply stood there watching her.

Oh gods, oh fuck, what is he going to do?

“Hello, darling,” he said with a playful smirk. “Are you making yourself comfortable, hm?”

At hearing his remark, Ria could feel her chest tighten and her blood boil.

The audacity of this man! What is he thinking?!

“You have a lot of nerve acting so casual after you literally tried to eat me last night,” she hissed furiously, her face fuming. “Just who do you think you are?”

Astarion simply laughed at her statement. “Oh, I’m sorry my dear, you’ll have to speak up. It’s quite hard to hear you from all the way down there.”

Ria immediately no longer felt like she was glued to the log anymore. She jumped to her feet and craned her neck to look up at the giant vampire. Fear still flickered in her chest at being so close to him, but burning hot anger soon replaced the fearful thoughts away with each passing moment. She squared her shoulders and glared daggers at the enormous man – she wasn’t going to let him walk over her metaphorically or literally.

“Look here, you massive vampire ponce, just because I’m small that doesn’t mean you can just say whatever the hell you like to me!” She pulled the middle finger very aggressively at him with both of her tiny hands and waved them about. “You can go fuck yourself!”

This seemed to get a proper reaction out of Astarion as he clapped his hands together and his eyebrows shot up at her outburst. He seemed almost pleased, which isn’t exactly what Ria had been wanting nor expecting.

“Oh, bravo little one!” Astarion chimed, the stupid shit-eating grin still plastered across his face. “My, my, that was quite the outburst, wasn’t it? Very brave of you to say something like that given your stature, hm? I must say, I do admire your bravery if anything.”

Lae’zel had now come out of her tent and was now watching the two of them with interest.

“The little istik has a lot of fire in her for someone so small,” Lae’zel quipped, seemingly impressed by Ria’s defiance towards Astarion. “That is most admirable.”

Ria was caught rather off-guard by Lae’zel’s sudden compliment.

“Um, thank you.”

Lae’zel simply smiled down at her in response, her normally sharp, piercing gaze slightly softer than it had been before.

“Sorry about the wait, I finally managed to find something small enough for you.” Wyll’s voice resonated from behind Ria as he approached the log that she was standing on.

Wyll’s lips tightened as he shot a very hostile glare towards Astarion. He immediately stood in front of Astarion to place some distance between the vampire spawn and the borrower.

“Astarion, what in the Nine Hells are you doing?” Wyll snapped, his face seething. “Haven’t you done enough to her? You better not be thinking of doing anything funny!”

Astarion put his hands up in the air and shook his head.

“Believe me, Wyll, I wasn’t trying anything out of the ordinary with our vertically challenged guest over there,” Astarion said rather smugly. “Can’t I just simply engage in conversation? I’m on my best behaviour, honest.”

Ria flipped the bird off at Astarion’s direction once more and scowled at him.

“Somehow I find that very hard to believe, Astarion,” Wyll replied dryly, shaking his head in disapproval.

“Astarion was being no more than his snarky self than usual,” Lae’zel added. “However, I would’ve gladly offered a stake to his chest if he tried anything funny.”

“See? We’re all friends here,” Astarion smiled. “No need to jump to conclusions.”

“Speak for yourself,” Ria muttered under her breath.

Wyll heaved out a long sigh. “Right, well, if you don’t mind, I’m actually here to give Ria some water.” He dropped down to one knee so that he was eye-level with her. In between his index finger and thumb there was a tiny thimble filled with water, although compared to Ria, it was more like the size of a bucket.

“Sorry, this is all we had,” Wyll said. “I hope this is alright.”

Ria tentatively took the thimble from Wyll and held it in both of her tiny hands.

“N-no, this is perfect, thank you.”

She brought the thimble to her face and took a hungry gulp of water. It hadn’t occurred to her just how dehydrated she was until she continued to drink ravenously, the cool water easing the burning sensation in her throat as she quenched her thirst.

“I needed that.” Ria placed the thimble down, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

“Is there anything else I can get for you?” Wyll asked gently.

Ria shook her head. “No, I’m quite alright, but thank you.”

Wyll smiled down warmly at her in response. “Okay. Just let me know if you need anything.”

Ria returned his smile and nodded in reply. Her gaze shifted over towards Astarion and she immediately stiffened. Hunger was ever present in the vampire’s glowing red eyes. His fangs were protruding very noticeably out of his mouth now and both of his hands were clenched into a fist. His gaze kept flickering between both Wyll and Lae’zel’s necks as if he couldn’t decide who to sink his teeth into first. Lae’zel, noticing Astarion’s behaviour, glared at him fiercely, her hand hovering over the handle of her longsword in anticipation.

“Astarion? Are you feeling alright?” Wyll asked tentatively.

Astarion blinked before shaking his head. “I think it’s best if I avoid all of you for the time being until I’ve had something to eat.” His hungry gaze shot downwards to stare at Ria. “I’m using all of my energy left to restrain myself right now.”

“You are one step away from ripping into our throats,” Lae’zel hissed. “Leaving is an excellent idea. If you so much as glance at my neck one more time the only thing you will be tasting is my blade.” 

“Yes, I agree with Lae’zel,” Wyll answered. “It would definitely be safer for all of us if you kept your distance for now, at least until the others are back.”

Thank the gods.  

Ria felt a small feeling of relief wash over her as Astarion shot her one last look before scurrying out of the camp. It didn’t comfort her that he was on the verge of going ravenous, but at least he still had enough control left to remove himself from the situation. Gale and the others couldn’t come back soon enough.

Chapter Text

The only feeling that was present in Astarion’s mind was the constant gnawing emptiness of his stomach. Hissing out a growl of frustration, he trudged through the undergrowth of the forest until he could no longer smell the others at the camp. He had used every shred of his willpower not to turn the camp into a bloody massacre right then and there. But he knew for a fact that if he wanted to rid himself of the mind flayer parasite in his brain, eating everyone at the camp was not the smartest move, as tempting as it was, it wouldn’t do him any favours. He glanced down at his hands and noticed that his left hand was shaking uncontrollably – a strong sign that he was in a desperate need of blood, if that wasn’t obvious enough already. He gripped his shaking hand with his right one to stop the jagged movement, but it didn’t do much to help.

The only other time when he had been this close to starvation was his time serving under his old master, Cazador. Granted, it wasn’t that bad yet, but it wouldn’t take much longer for him to reach that same state if he didn’t feed on something soon. He grimaced as he remembered how he felt back then, so hungry that he had lost control of every rational thought, adamant on biting anything with a pulse. Any trace of the elf that he used to be was gone, replaced with the uncontrollable thirst for blood. The only thing his vampire master had allowed him to feed on were rats and bugs – just enough to keep him alive and nothing more. He clenched his teeth in frustration. Now, after finally becoming free from the clutches of his vampiric master, he had free reign to bite whoever he wanted. He wasn’t shackled by Cazador’s rules and punishments anymore. But his newfound companions weren’t all that happy about him snacking on sentient creatures – which he couldn’t exactly fault them to, of course, especially when it came to humans and elves.

Except for him not being able to feed on lesser creatures – that made him upset.

Halflings, goblins, dwarves, gnomes, and now even borrowers were off the menu for him. His mind flickered back to the previous night when he had briefly tasted Ria’s blood. It had only been a mere few drops, but it had been enough to give him a taste – and she had tasted divine. His stomach clenched at the mere thought. It had only been a small taste, but it had just been enough to make him crave more. If Gale hadn’t interrupted, she would’ve been the perfect snack to give him just enough energy to hunt down a proper meal. He had never eaten a borrower before – in fact, he wasn’t sure if Cazador would’ve even permitted him to eat them if he was still under his master’s control.

Most likely not, Cazador would never allow me to eat something so delicious.

His mind darted back to Ria and how she had stood up to him that morning. A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips at how she had pulled the middle finger at him and yelled right in his face. He couldn’t help but to admire her bravery, as stupid as it was, it was impressive that she even had the guts to do it to begin with given their obvious size differences. Admittedly, he had been very rude to her this morning – but being severely hungry often made him extra snappy. Not that he was particularly worried about whether he hurt the feelings of a borrower, though. They were lesser than gnomes, for gods’ sake.

Shaking his head, he attempted to distract his mind from the persistent hunger growling in his gut. It wasn’t doing him any good dwelling on Ria when he was starving. He hoped that it wouldn’t be too long until Gale and the others returned. Nostrils flared, he immediately picked up the scent of a nearby squirrel. Maybe, if he was lucky, he might just be able to catch it. It wasn’t as easy as catching a borrower, but he was so starved he was willing to try hunt something for the time being. Honing in on the scent of the squirrel, he kept low to the ground, his footsteps light as a feather as he followed the scent of the animal. His throat burned at the anticipation of tasting red hot blood on his tongue once more. He had hunted since the crash, and as a result the rest of his companions had then discovered his true vampiric nature one eventful night. But over the past few days, the group had barely slowed down enough to give him a proper chance to hunt again. Gale was mostly preoccupied in helping every stranger they came across, much to his annoyance, Lae’zel was adamant on reaching the gith creche, Karlach was desperate to find some infernal iron to fix her infernal engine (although he couldn’t fault her for that), and Wyll was just as bad as Gale – if not worse – when it came to helping random strangers. Shadowheart, on the other hand, was fixated on her Shar worship and the mysterious artifact that she had in her grasp.

Astarion didn’t expect any of his companions to understand his vampiric ailments, but he had at least hoped that they would provide him the opportunity to acquire some sustenance for himself every now and again. After all, he was far more useful to them when he had a full stomach, and clearly less of a threat to them. The sound of tiny paws scurrying across foliage returned his attention back to the squirrel and he paused in his tracks. Dappled in the morning sun as it filtered through the trees, a red squirrel sat next to a tree, completely unaware of the vampire stalking it. Licking his lips, Astarion slowly inched closer towards the squirrel, his stomach rumbling loudly with each careful footstep that he took.

Yes, that’s it, just a little closer.

The piercing pain in his abdomen increased, and very foolishly, Astarion lunged towards the squirrel with his teeth bared. The squirrel immediately heard Astarion’s clumsy footwork and hastily darted up the nearby tree before the vampire spawn could come any closer, much to his dismay. Growling loudly in frustration, Astarion watched as the potential morsel of food disappeared into the canopy of the vibrant tree. He had stupidly allowed his hunger to get the better of him and pounced far too soon – he was getting incredibly sloppy. If he couldn’t even catch a mere squirrel, he really must be losing it. Grinding his teeth, he kicked a nearby pinecone and slumped against the tree and exhaled loudly. Not like he needed to breathe, being undead he technically didn’t require oxygen, but his fatigue and frustration warranted it in that moment.

If only I could sink my teeth into that borrower…gods, it would be so easy.

His mind quickly returned to Ria, her miniature figure soon swirling persistently throughout his thoughts. He was grateful that he was away from the camp, thanks to the tadpole, it wouldn’t take much for his companions to pry into his thoughts and see that he was still intent on devouring their little guest. Wetting his lips, he imagined what it would be like to taste all of her, her blood running hot on his tongue, her tiny body snapping like a twig in between his formidable teeth. It wouldn’t be a lot of blood, given how small she was, but the moment of pleasure her taste would bring on his tongue still made the action worth it in his mind. Technically, Ria had been the first sentient creature that he had tasted during his entire vampiric life so far. He wondered if he could even settle for the taste of beasts again after he had been given a little taste test over what he could be eating instead.  

I need to stop thinking about her…gods!

Shaking his head, he attempted to push the thoughts of the borrower out of his brain, but he wasn’t very successful. Just when exactly were Gale and the others coming back? They would need at least a bear to satiate him at this rate. Groaning softly, he sat cross legged against the trunk of the tree and closed his eyes.

The crunching of leaves against leather boots stirred his senses as he inhaled the familiar scent of the wizard. Too weak to bother standing up, Astarion remained in his spot against the tree, and opened his weary eyes. Gale was nowhere in sight, but thanks to his heightened senses, he could hear and smell the wizard well before he could see him.

“Astarion? Are you there?” Gale’s voice rang clearly throughout the forest.

“I’m over here,” Astarion responded, projecting his voice as loudly as he could in his weakened state. Attempting to hunt the squirrel earlier had been a very foolish move on his part as his body was becoming too weak to move or even stand.

“Alright, I’m coming.”

Several moments passed before Gale appeared in front of Astarion. A squealing boar was being held by a levitating blue hand beside the wizard, the remnants of magic sparking at his fingertips from most likely casting the spell, Mage Hand.

“You look like shit,” Gale said rather matter-of-factly.  

“Thanks,” Astarion grumbled, his mouth salivating as he stared at the boar floating beside the wizard. “Are you here just to poke fun at me or can I actually eat the snack you’ve brought me?”

The glowing blue hand deposited the boar onto Astarion’s lap rather swiftly, and before the boar could even process what was even happening, he immediately sunk his fangs into the neck of the animal and it’s squealing ceased in a matter of seconds.

“Goodness gracious, you were hungry,” Gale remarked as he watched the vampire spawn drain the enormous boar in less than a minute.

Energy coursed through his veins as the blood from the boar quickly replenished his starved body. He licked the blood off his lips and staggered to his feet, now eye level with Gale. The stabbing sensation in his stomach had dissipated for the most part, and he felt significantly better than he had moments prior. The blood from the boar had eased his hunger, but it paled in comparison to the delicious taste of Ria’s blood. At least for now he had the strength to hunt again and to think clearly at last.  

“Astarion,” Gale said, his gaze firm as he stared at the vampire spawn standing before him. “We need to have a talk before we go back to the camp.”

Astarion pressed his lips together thinly. “Please, Gale, stop talking to me like I’m a child that did something naughty. It’s quite insulting, really.”

“Sorry, it’s just – I’m dead serious, Astarion,” Gale replied, folding his arms over his chest. “I like to think of myself as an open-minded fellow, and I’m perfectly fine with your condition. You can’t help your nature, after all, and you are a true asset to our team.”

Astarion furrowed his brows at the wizard. “Where are you going with this, exactly?”

Gale heaved a sigh. “I was thinking about Ria and her situation.”

Astarion squinted his eyes at the wizard. He wasn’t sure he liked where this was going.

“I’d feel awful if we just left her to fend for herself out in the wilderness, after all, a borrower without a roof over their head might as well be dead given how small they are,” Gale continued, ignoring Astarion’s unhappy expression. “Not that I doubt Ria’s resilience, she’s done amazingly to survive this far, but it would be wrong if we didn’t at least offer to bring her along with us.”

“You want to bring the borrower with us?” Astarion clicked his tongue in annoyance. “Hm. That hardly seems like a good idea. She’s not exactly…helpful, with her size. Besides, I hardly doubt she’d want to stay with us anyway.”

“We don’t know that for certain,” Gale responded, waving his finger at Astarion. “Providing you promise to behave yourself; I think she would warm up to the idea at least. And she could be useful – borrowers can climb into tiny spaces that we cannot and easily get past areas unseen if they wish. I think she would fit in well with our group.”

The notion of Ria staying with them didn’t exactly fill Astarion with glee, if anything, having to look out for someone so tiny in the camp seemed like a hinderance more than anything. That’s if Ria even agreed to Gale’s proposition, after last night, he doubted she would even want to breathe the same air as him let alone traveling together.

“I suppose I can be on my best behaviour if there’s a little borrower around the camp,” Astarion answered rather dully. “Have you spoken to the others about this?”

“Karlach and Shadowheart are on board with the idea,” Gale said. “I haven’t asked Lae’zel or Wyll yet, but I’m sure they will be alright with it. And of course, if Ria isn’t open to it, then she’s free to go her own separate ways whenever she is ready.”

Astarion failed to understand why Gale was so intent on bringing the borrower along in their quest to free themselves of the tadpole. But he didn’t care enough to protest the idea, besides, it was highly unlikely that Ria would even accept to begin with.

“Do you have a little crush on the borrower, Gale?” Astarion said in a very teasing tone, cocking an eyebrow at the wizard. “Emphasis on little, hah! I didn’t take you to have a size kink-“

“Of course, you of all people would suggest that,” Gale interrupted, rolling his eyes at the pale elf. “I am simply extending some generosity to someone who may appreciate it, nothing more. Being kind to others is something that you could benefit to learn from.”

“Perish the thought,” Astarion snapped, a scowl painted across his angular features. “Being kind is only worth doing if there is some benefit to doing it.”

No one was ever kind to me, he thought silently to himself, hoping that Gale wasn’t utilising the tadpole’s abilities to peer into his mind at that very moment. Fortunately for him, Gale was none the wiser and just shook his head at the vampire spawn in a very disappointing manner.

“Perhaps in time you’ll understand, Astarion. I suppose for now we best get back to camp.” Gale quickly glanced at the drained boar resting beside Astarion’s feet. “It would be a shame to let all that meat go to waste. This will make for a fine dinner tonight.” Uttering an enchantment, the blue hand materialised itself once more and picked up the deceased boar with ease. The wizard began to turn away towards the camp before quickly glancing back at Astarion.

“Are you coming or shall I leave you to brood some more?” A hint of mockery laced through the wizard’s tone, and Astarion couldn’t help but to smirk at Gale’s attempt at teasing him.

“I’d rather brood than listen to your incessant ramblings of every book you’ve ever read,” Astarion snapped. “Besides, the boar was just a mere appetizer. I should really fill myself up before returning to camp. You go on ahead.”

Without another word, Gale gave Astarion a small nod and vanished into the thick of the forest with the boar levitating beside him, his purple robes flicking out behind him somewhat dramatically in the cool breeze as he turned away.

Alone once more, Astarion returned his attention to finding food – he needed to sink his teeth into something large and filling if he was going to face the others at camp.

****

“You want me to join your group?”

Astarion waltzed into the camp, his belly now full after the six deer and adult bear that he had eaten, and gazed over at Gale and the others who were gathered around the dwindling embers of the morning’s campfire. Ria was situated on a log on top of a pile of Gale’s books to help elevate her somewhat. Not that it did much, considering how small she was, but it was something.

“Only if you want to, of course,” Gale said, his gaze softened as he stared at the little borrower beside him on the log. “We could assist you in finding somewhere more permanent to live along the way, if you find somewhere to your liking. It’s up to you.”

Ria opened and closed her mouth, attempting to form words, but she was too stunned to speak.

“I-I don’t know what to say,” Ria stammered after a moment of silence. “That is very generous of you to offer, truly, I…” Her voice trailed off and Astarion watched as her gaze fell onto his.

A small smirk spread across his features as he watched her expression change and her lips pull together thinly. A mixture of emotions danced across her face and Astarion could only imagine the internal debate she must’ve been going through at that moment.

She won’t say yes. There’s no way-

“Alright, I’ll stay.”

Astarion staggered back from his spot and almost choked on thin air at hearing Ria’s response. His eyes widened as his eyebrows shot up in utter shock. Was the borrower serious? No, this couldn’t be happening…surely?

“Fuck yes!” Karlach exclaimed, pumping her fist in the air with excitement. She immediately paused, noticing that everyone now had their eyes on her, and she quickly cleared her throat as her gaze trailed down to the floor in embarrassment.

“I mean, it’s great that you’re coming along with us,” Karlach said, her voice noticeably quieter than before. “It’ll be nice to have another person in the camp.”

“I agree with Karlach,” Gale added, a warm smile painted across his features. “It’s wonderful that you’ve decided to join us.”

“The little istik could be useful, even in battle.” Lae’zel kneeled beside where Ria was sitting on the log, her piercing yellow eyes brushed over the borrower’s tiny frame with a surprising gentleness which was most unlike the githyanki warrior. Astarion wondered if Lae’zel was starting to develop a little soft spot for the borrower.

“I will train you, istik. If you are willing.”

Ria’s eyes nearly popped right out of her head at the githyanki’s suggestion. 

“Y-you will?” Ria stammered in disbelief.

Lae’zel nodded. “I will train you in the ways of K'liir, and when I am done, even creatures larger than you will think twice before crossing your path. If you accept my offer, that is.”

Ria blinked, bewilderment and perplexation strongly present across her tiny face as she stared at Lae’zel.

“I would like that,” she replied after a moment of silence. “That is very kind of you to offer, thank you.”

As the rest of his companions rejoiced and generally seemed happy that Ria was going to be a part of the group, Astarion himself was baffled that the little borrower had even agreed to Gale’s offer in the first place. Not only that, but Lae’zel had suggested to train her in the art of githyanki combat, which was the most surprising of all. He had no idea how Lae’zel thought that a borrower of all creatures could even be remotely beneficial in battle – if anything, it would be a death sentence for Ria. But he knew better than to question the githyanki, especially if her mind was set on something. At least it would provide for some amusing entertainment.

Chapter Text

The next few days passed in a blink of an eye. Ria still couldn’t believe that she had agreed to travel with a group of giants, but ultimately it was her best chance of survival until she found a proper home…if she found one, that is. Not only that, but she was determined to not let Astarion get to her. She had revelled in watching Astarion’s shocked expression when she had agreed to join the party and a part of her wanted to prove that she wasn’t just some measly snack to him. Learning how to fight with Lae’zel was going to help her achieve that. The githyanki had kept true to her word and had promised to teach her how to fight, although having a githyanki teach a borrower certainly came with some challenges due to the size differences. For one, Ria had no weapon to call her own as all the weapons in the camp were catered for people of a much taller stature than herself. It wasn’t until Karlach suggested Dammon, a tiefling blacksmith from Emerald Grove, could make a borrower-sized dagger for her to use did it change things. Ria wasn’t sure if a giant could even forge such a tiny weapon to begin with, but Dammon proved that he had immense skill and an eye for detail when he made her a tiny dagger that was identical to its giant counterpart in every way. To say that she was impressed was an understatement – she had showered Dammon in gratitude and the tiefling shrugged it off as if it was no big deal. Now, with her newly acquired dagger, she could properly start her training with Lae’zel.

In the heat of the afternoon, Ria wiped the collective beads of sweat that were beginning to form on her forehead as she readied her blade at a loose potato on the dusty ground. Finding practice dummies when she was so small had proven to be rather interesting – Gale had agreed that she could use a potato from their rations to practice providing it was still edible after her training session with Lae’zel. She had been training for just over an hour now with the gith and her body was quickly becoming bruised and sore. Gripping firmly on the handle of the blade, she charged forward and thrust the dagger into the vegetable with everything that she had. The blade pierced through the skin of the potato like a knife through butter and she grinned with triumph. 

Lae’zel, who was standing not far from where Ria was, had her arms folded over her chest as she stared down at the tiny borrower on the dusty ground. 

“Not bad for a little istik,” Lae’zel commented, a small smile tugged ever so slightly on her lips. “Your form needs improving, but it isn’t a bad start.”

Ria couldn’t help but to smile at the githyanki woman towering above her. Normally, any giant looming over her ominously would strike fear in her chest, but over the past few days she had grown somewhat used to Lae’zel’s blunt and rather harsh demeanour. The fact that the githyanki was praising her for her attempt certainly meant a lot as she didn’t dish out compliments lightly.  

“Again.” Lae’zel waved her hand to the side, her yellow gaze firmly on Ria. 

Nodding, Ria began to pull on the handle of her tiny dagger, but the weapon barely budged. Frowning, she pulled harder, but the blade refused to release itself from the root vegetable. 

“J-Just give me one moment.” Ria exhaled deeply, her body quickly becoming drenched in sweat as she struggled to remove the dagger. 

“Pa'vrylk! Slow down, little istik. You will hurt yourself.” Lae’zel crouched down so that she was a bit more eye-level with the borrower, or at least as close as she could be. 

“I-I can’t remove it.” Heat burned across her face as she grunted in frustration. This wasn’t exactly how she had imagined her first training lesson to carry out. She frantically glanced around the camp, hoping that Astarion wasn’t secretly watching her fail miserably. Sure enough, much to her dismay, the vampire spawn was standing off to the side watching her with great interest. A shit-eating grin spread across his sharp features as if he was a cat who had stolen the cream. 

Fuck off, massive prick!

Ria’s entire body tensed up as she glared a burning look at Astarion. If he wasn’t careful, she was going to test her dagger out on him next. 

“Take a break for a moment,” Lae’zel instructed, her voice rumbling from above. “Collect yourself and then try again.”

Puffing rather angrily in defeat, Ria wiped the sweat that was glistening on her forehead and steadied her breathing, pushing Astarion out of her thoughts. She glanced over at Lae’zel, who was still crouching in front of her, the gith’s piercing gaze unwavering. 

“I’m sorry, that wasn’t very good,” she breathed, nervous that Lae’zel was going to be angry with her. She still wasn’t sure why the githyanki had agreed to train her given her small stature. Borrowers weren’t exactly known well for their fighting skills. 

“No need to worry, little istik, you are still learning,” Lae’zel replied. “You have the fire of a true githyanki warrior in your heart. A good sa’varsh does not give up on their students so easily. You have much to learn.” 

Ria ran her tongue over her chapped lips as she pondered Lae’zel’s words. She still wanted to know just exactly why Lae’zel had offered to train her in the first place, considering her sharp personality that radiated from her, it seemed very strange that Lae’zel would even consider the idea to begin with. 

“Why did you really offer to train me?” she asked, craning her neck slightly to look the githyanki in the eyes. 

A small grin crept along Lae’zel’s lips as she gazed down at the little borrower standing before her. 

“Your defiance towards Astarion impressed me greatly,” Lae’zel answered, her voice genuine. “The fact that you, a small and puny borrower, stood up to someone so much larger than yourself is truly admirable. Not many things catch my eye like that, but your actions did. You have the spark of a true warrior in your heart, and I want to help you realise that.” 

Ria was at a loss for words. Never would she ever expect a giant – least of all a githyanki – to say something like that to her. Clearly Lae’zel saw something in her that she wasn’t aware of herself. Either way, she was grateful to the gith for offering to train her. Fighting wasn’t exactly in a borrower’s nature – keeping to the shadows and staying out of sight was what she was used to, and all she had been expected to do her whole life. She swallowed thickly, shaking her head lightly, and cracked a smile at Lae’zel. 

“Thank you. That’s…that’s probably the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.” She cleared her throat. “Well, apart from being called puny.” 

Lae’zel returned her smile, although the gith’s was a lot pointier than Ria’s. “The fact that you are small makes your actions even more admirable, istik.” 

The gith suddenly stood to her full height once more, now casting a long shadow over Ria’s tiny frame. 

“Watch closely. I will show you what years of gith training can do.” 

Lae’zel drew her own longsword, the rays of the afternoon sun glinting off the gleaming metal as she unsheathed the weapon. A training dummy stood not far away from where Lae’zel was standing, and the gith inhaled a deep breath, gripping tightly onto the leather handle. In what could’ve only been a matter of seconds, Lae’zel rushed towards the training dummy, completely eating up the ground beneath her feet. Small earthquakes rattled the ground as Lae’zel charged forwards and Ria had to steady herself to not lose her balance from the tremors. As if it were nothing, Lae’zel swung the sword effortlessly at the training dummy, slicing its head clean off. The training dummy’s head rolled onto the ground until it stopped right in front of where Ria was standing. 

Ria’s eyes bugged wide and she gulped nervously at witnessing Lae’zel’s immense power. She wasn’t sure what Lae’zel was expecting her to do, but there was no way she could ever hope to do anything like that.

“I had spilled my cousin’s blood at a much younger age than you, little istik.” Lae’zel sheathed her sword, her yellow gaze piercingly sharp as she stared down at the borrower. “Keep on practicing. I will ensure that you will draw your first blood.” 

“I-I appreciate the confidence you have in me,” Ria stammered, blinking the dust out of her eyes. “But, uh, I don’t see how I’ll ever hope to slice someone’s head clean off when I’m this size.” 

Lae’zel nodded. “I don’t expect you to copy me. Use your stature to your advantage and hit your enemies where it hurts.” Large footsteps rattled the earth as Lae’zel approached Ria. The gith leaned down and picked up the training dummy’s head in her clawed hands. 

“Imagine you are in the face of an enemy,” Lae’zel said, her eyes cold and calculating. “Your tiny dagger could easily blind someone if you thrust it into their eyes.” The sound of ripping fabric punctured through the air as Lae’zel jabbed her sword into the training dummy’s head, pieces of stuffed hay scattering onto the dusty ground below as the contents of the dummy’s head was emptied. 

“O-oh.” Ria stared at the pieces of hay that now littered the ground around her and then she glanced at the tiny dagger that was still stuck in the potato. Perhaps Lae’zel was right – if she was ever in a scenario where she was in the face of a giant, jabbing a dagger into their eyeballs would certainly be effective. Although, when would she ever be in that kind of scenario? It seemed highly unlikely.

But then again, I never imagined I’d be travelling with a bunch of parasite infected giants, so…

Steeling herself, Ria inhaled a deep breath before gripping the handle of her dagger once more. She began to pull, her breathing quickened as she struggled to loosen the blade. In the back of her mind, she was aware that Astarion was still watching her, and that only fuelled her even more to release the dagger. 

No way am I letting him watch me fail!

With an almighty tug, the blade finally came free from its potato prison. Ria held up her dagger in triumph, a wide smile painted across her face as she gazed up at Lae’zel. 

“Hm. That will do for now, little istik.” Lae’zel nodded firmly. “We’ll train again tomorrow.” 

Ria swiped the sweat off her brow as Lae’zel stalked away to the centre of the camp. Everyone was now gathered around the campfire with Gale once again showing off his culinary skills. A long sigh escaped past her lips as the past hour of training with the gith suddenly caught up to her. Her entire body ached and she was certain there would be many new bruises blossoming on her pale skin very soon. 

Gods…what will tomorrow’s training be like?

She grimaced at the mere thought of more relentless gith training. Why had she agreed to Lae’zel’s offer again? 

At least I might be able to defend myself better once this is over. And shove a blade in Astarion’s sorry ass. 

Large tremors soon rattled her out of her thoughts and she snapped her neck upwards in panic to see what was causing the small earthquakes. Or, rather, who was causing them. Her stomach dropped as she watched Astarion waltz towards her with a punch-worthy grin smeared across his angelic face. 

Wait- angelic? What in the hells am I thinking?

Giant leather boots stomped ever closer to her trembling, tiny frame, shaking her out of her clouded thoughts. Instinctively her grip on her dagger tightened as her gaze followed Astarion with caution. The dust settled around Astarion’s large boots, now only mere inches from where Ria stood. Her mouth suddenly grew very dry as Astarion’s red eyes leered down at her like she was a mere scrap of food. 

“What in the hells is your problem?” Ria snapped, despite her growing fear, she managed to hold her ground. “Don’t you have anything else better to do?”

“Not really,” Astarion mused, glancing at his perfect nails in the dwindling light of the afternoon. “Is it so wrong that I just want to simply engage in conversation with you?”

The tension in Ria’s body eased just ever so slightly. “Why…why would you want to do that?” 

Astarion raised one eyebrow at her. “Well, I should say, I want to apologise for how I treated you from a few nights ago. You know, attempting to eat you and all.”

Ria narrowed her eyes and studied his facial expression intensely. There was the slightest detection of dishonesty on his face – he clearly didn’t mean this half-assed apology at all. 

“And what brought on this sudden apology?” Ria questioned him, squeezing the handle of her dagger. 

“Seeing as we’re going to be travelling together, I thought I should clear the air,” Astarion smirked. “It’s for the best, anyways. No hard feelings?” 

The temptation to stab Astarion’s boot with her new dagger was becoming harder to resist. 

“Apology not accepted,” she said through gritted teeth. “You’ll have to try a lot harder than that, pretty boy. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to find more pleasant company.” 

Without so much as glancing at him, Ria walked around his feet towards the campfire where everyone else was gathering as the sky began to grow dark. She didn’t need to see his face to tell what his expression was – she could feel his blood-boiling smirk burn into her back as she stormed away from him. 

“Oh, the borrower’s got bite! I like that.” Astarion’s voice rumbled from above. 

Ria rolled her eyes and wondered what she had done to deserve any of this. 

***

“No meat, please.”

Gale paused, a ladle in hand, and Ria quickly watched the wizard’s expression change from confusion to realisation as he scooped a small portion of vegetable stew for the borrower. Karlach, Shadowheart, and Wyll were sitting at the opposite end of the camp enjoying their dinner of roasted elk and stewed vegetables. Wyll seemed to be telling tales of his monster hunter days, Karlach listening to him the most eagerly. Lae’zel had already eaten her fill and had resumed her blade sharpening for the evening.

“Apologies. Vegetable stew for the borrower.” 

With the utmost care, Gale poured a tiny amount of vegetable stew into the small thimble that Wyll had found when Ria had first arrived. The thimble had proven to be incredibly useful for Ria’s day-to-day life with the group of giants. 

“Thank you.” Ria gripped the thimble firmly in both hands, sitting on her usual spot on the log around the flickering campfire. She was relieved that Gale had begun cooking the meat and the vegetables separate from one another after Wyll’s request at incorporating more vegetables into the evening dinners, which happened to be just to her liking. 

“I’ve noticed you don’t eat any meat, Ria,” Gale commented, carving some roasted elk for himself. “Are you vegetarian by any chance?”

Ria took a tentative sip of vegetable stew, the liquid hot on her tongue and she breathed to cool it down. “Yes, always have been, always will be.” 

Gale nodded respectfully. “Well, that is certainly an interesting revelation. And quite an admirable commitment. What pushed you towards a vegetarian diet?” 

As she opened her mouth to answer Gale’s question, she immediately paused when she saw a pair of glowing red orbs staring intently at her in the dark of the night. Astarion was sitting not that far away from where she and Gale were sitting near the fire. He seemed to be watching and quite obviously listening in on their conversation. 

“Ria?” 

Shaking her head slightly, she returned her attention back to Gale. 

“S-sorry, um, well, you see…” She cleared her throat. “I’ve had a lot of things try to eat me throughout my life, so eating other creatures like that just doesn’t sit right with me. Especially when I’ve been the one on the receiving end a lot of the time, the worst thing you can ever experience is someone wanting to eat you when you don’t want to die.” 

She flashed a scathing look at Astarion as if to say ‘yes, I mean YOU’. The vampire raised one eyebrow at her, his lips curling into a mischievous grin which nearly made her want to toss her dagger at his face. 

“That…certainly makes a lot of sense,” Gale said quietly, glancing at the steaming pile of roasted elk on his plate. “I couldn’t possibly imagine what that must be like.” His warm gaze flicked to her small form as his expression softened. “Are you alright with me eating meat around you? I’m not particularly fond of vegetables myself, but if it makes you feel more comfortable, I would be happy to oblige.” 

Ria shook her head lightly. “No, no, it’s quite alright. I don’t expect you to change your eating preferences around me. I appreciate the thought, though.” Watching giants eat other sentient creatures did in fact make her hair stand on end, but she didn’t want to demand anything of her new companions, especially Gale who had been the kindest to her out of everyone there. 

“I also have a question to ask you,” Gale said, changing the subject. 

“Go ahead.” 

“Why exactly did you join our group?” Gale asked. “I mean, it couldn’t have been an easy decision, after all, seeing as we’re all giants in your eyes. I’m not sure if I could do it myself if I were in your shoes.”  

Ria had a feeling someone was bound to ask this sooner or later. She finished chewing her mouthful of diced carrot before clearing her throat. “Well, despite how frightening large people are, it made sense for me to travel with some added protection while I find somewhere more permanent to live.”

Gale raised one eyebrow. “Even though said giants could turn into mind flayers at any given moment?” 

Ria stiffened. She had completely forgotten about the illithid parasites plaguing everyone’s brains. 

“Uh, well, that is a good point,” she replied somewhat shakily. “But if you were going to transform, wouldn’t one of you have transformed by now?”

Gale nodded, chewing some roasted meat thoughtfully. “That is a good point. I haven’t been able to pinpoint exactly why we haven’t completed ceremorphosis yet. All of us should be tentacle faced mind flayers by now.”

“Exactly,” Ria said. “Bearing in mind, if any of you start to sprout tentacles, I’m out of here.” 

Gale suppressed a chuckle as he swallowed a mouthful of food. “That’s fair enough.” 

Ria smiled warmly at the wizard and glanced quickly over at Astarion. The vampire was still watching her as if he expected there to be more to her answer. There was, in fact, more to her reasoning for travelling with the party of tadpole infected giants. And she wanted the vampire spawn to hear it from her own mouth.

“There’s more to my reasoning,” Ria continued. 

“Oh?” Gale said, slightly surprised that she had more to say on the subject. 

“I refuse to be seen as a mere piece of food,” she said, her gaze fixed on Astarion. “And I’m not going to let some vampire ponce look down at me like that.” 

Ria’s comments stirred a reaction out of Astarion and the vampire’s red eyes glowered in her direction, eyeing her up thoughtfully.

Yes, that’s right, you can kindly go fuck yourself. 

Gale quickly noticed the rising tension in the air and chuckled nervously. “Oh, well, I can certainly see why Astarion isn’t in your good books. Nor do I ever expect you to warm up to him, after what he did.” The wizard cleared his throat loudly. “Perhaps a certain vampire spawn should make it up to our borrower companion by doing something nice for her.” 

An exasperated ‘hrmphf’ resonated loudly from where Astarion sat and Ria had to force herself not to chuckle at his discontent. Astarion’s footsteps sent small vibrations through the earth as he vanished into the cover of the night, seemingly done with listening in on Gale and Ria’s conversation. 

“I do apologise about him,” Gale quickly said, a disappointed look visible on his face upon seeing Astarion’s reaction. “He’s not exactly the kind-hearted type.” 

“I’ve gathered,” Ria said, not even bothering to hide the smug look on her face. “No need to apologise, though. I plan on making him regret ever thinking about eating me.” 

Chapter Text

Every bone in Ria’s tiny body screamed in pain, her little boots kicking up pieces of foliage and broken twigs that were scattered across the forest floor as she trudged forward. Today’s training session with Lae’zel had been a somewhat brutal one and her body was certainly feeling it. They had begun training very early in the morning as Lae’zel was going out with Gale, Karlach, and Shadowheart to explore the Blighted Village and deal with a spider situation that Ria wanted no part of. Wyll had offered to stay behind and tend to the camp, along with Astarion, but Ria had no interest in being in the same area as the vampire spawn when nearly everyone was absent from the camp. She had mentioned to Wyll that she was only going for a short walk, and the Blade of Frontiers had been very persistent in allowing him to accompany her, but she had declined his offer. Being around large people constantly was proving to be very exhausting, and while Wyll meant well, she needed some time alone.  

Heaving a rather exhausted sigh, she carried on walking through the undergrowth of the wilderness, bearing in mind to keep to the shadows of the various plants and trees that loomed over her. Over the past couple of weeks, she had felt herself grow slightly relaxed now that she could let her guard down a little since she was in the safety of the camp. Despite how terrifying it was being constantly surrounded by giants; it did mean she didn’t have to worry about being eaten by animals as they wouldn’t come near the camp. Being with large people certainly had its perks and she was slowly growing to trust her giant companions.

Except for Astarion. 

Her skin bristled at the mere thought of the vampire. He hadn’t even bothered to properly apologise to her after he tried to eat her two weeks ago, and she certainly didn’t count his half-assed attempt at an apology from the past week. She couldn’t understand why he held such resentment towards her, it wasn’t like she had done anything to the man except swear at him. Perhaps he had a disdain towards people of her stature in general – she had overheard him making unpleasant comments in regards to gnomes as well, so it wasn’t just borrowers that he disliked. Either way, she couldn’t care less about him – as soon as she found a suitable home to call her own, she was leaving. A borrower had no place in the world of large people anyway.  

Ria continued to meander through the forest, pausing to rest against a nearby tree. She smoothed back her auburn hair and began finger combing through the tangles. It didn’t take long for her hair to get rather messy with it being just above shoulder length, especially after the intense training session she just had with Lae’zel. She slumped against the tree and sat down, her small chest rising and falling as she allowed herself to relax for a moment. The past couple of weeks had been hectic to say the least and it felt good for her to have a small moment to herself.

Her respite was short-lived as small tremors suddenly rattled the soil beneath her feet and it immediately jolted Ria to her senses. Eyes wide with panic, she frantically glanced around, looking for the source of the earthquakes.

“Oi, Slorm, do you smell that over there?”

All the remaining colour on Ria’s face drained as a loud, unfamiliar voice vibrated through the air.

“Oh yeah, I can smell it, Trifs. Smells fucking good, doesn’t it?”

Ria’s breathing quickened upon hearing the second voice rumble loudly from above. There wasn’t just one, but two individuals stalking her in the woods. Her entire body began to tremble violently as she realised the gravity of the situation that she was in – if she didn’t find somewhere to hide now, whoever those voices belonged to would find her soon. Wide-eyed and gasping for breath, she feverishly glanced around her surroundings in search for somewhere to hide. She darted out from her spot against the tree, desperately looking for something that could provide more cover, but in her haste, she stumbled and tripped over a small stone lying on the earthy ground.

Shit!  

The panic in her chest began to escalate rapidly as she scrambled to her feet, the tremors shaking the earth more violently now as the owners of the voices approached her. Once she was on her feet again, Ria fumbled anxiously for her dagger as her legs screamed at her in pain.

Run, for crying out loud, just run!  

Her rising fear constricted around her tiny body like a giant serpent, pushing out all the air from her lungs as she trembled in the middle of the forest completely breathless. She stood, frozen in place, her body acting as if she had been glued to the floor. Her fingers clutched the handle of the dagger, her nails digging into the leather material as her body continued to refuse to move.

“Look at what we have here.”

Every nerve in her body was electrified as she slowly turned on her heel to see two goblins looming over her with menacing grins painted across their faces. Her heart nearly burst from her chest as she quickly realised just how much danger she was in.

“Hey, Slorm, that looks like a borrower, innit?” One goblin, who Ria assumed to be Trifs, leered down at her with wide eyes.

“Hells if I know, Trifs,” Slorm, the second goblin, grunted rather loudly. “All I know is that she smells really fucking good.”

It was at that moment did Ria’s legs finally decide to unglue themselves from the soil below. She sprinted in the opposite direction from the goblins, her breathing ragged and fast as she desperately attempted to escape.

“You won’t be getting away that easily!” Slorm’s voice boomed from behind her and within a matter of minutes she felt giant, greasy fingers close around her small body and lift her upwards into the air.

“Let go of me!” Ria shrieked, thrashing in his fist, but her struggles were fruitless as the goblin’s grip on her only tightened in response.  

“You’ll make one tasty morsel,” Slorm said, running his tongue over stained teeth in anticipation.

“Hey!” Trifs exclaimed, placing her hands on her hips. “You can’t just eat the borrower! Do you realise how much they’re worth? We could be rolling in gold if we sold her to the right person.”

Slorm furrowed his brows as his gaze darted over to the other goblin. “What do you mean? Selling them to the right person? I’ve never heard of a borrower before in me life until today. How do you know so much, Trifs?”

“Mistress Minthara tells me things.” Trifs flicked back her dusty brown hair and flashed a smug look at Slorm. “She used to trade borrowers to another drow who dwells in the Shadow-Cursed Lands. Somethin’ about their blood being highly valuable.”

Ria’s heart almost caught in her throat upon hearing the goblin’s words. Borrowers being traded for their blood? Now that was something she hadn’t heard before. She hadn’t seen someone of her own kind in a decade and had just accepted that she could very well be the last. But if borrowers were being sold and captured for their blood…perhaps this was the reason why she had failed to find someone else of her own kind. Despite the peril she was in, she had to find out more information from the goblins.

“W-what do you know about borrowers being traded for their blood?” Ria said firmly, trying to hide the fear wavering in her voice.

Trifs narrowed her eyes at the borrower, crossing her arms over her chest. “Why should I tell you, pipsqueak? That’s for us to know and for you to find out.” The goblin’s gaze flicked back to Slorm. “Come on, Slorm, we need to keep this one and sell her to a blood merchant. Lemme have her.”

Ria gritted her teeth in frustration. “Please, I need to know, any information that you have–“

“Quiet!” Trifs snapped, flashing her pointed yellow teeth menacingly, causing Ria to flinch. “If you don’t shut up and be a good little borrower, I’ll silence you myself.”

Ria faltered, swallowing a lump that had begun to form in her throat and nodded slowly. She wasn’t about to test the resolve of a couple of goblins.

“Trifs, are you sure borrowers are worth a lot of gold?” Slorm whinged, his lips curling into a frown. “It’s hard to believe somethin’ like this little thing is worth a lot of gold. I mean, just look at ‘er.”

Ria’s jaw slacked wide open and she shot her goblin captor a piercing, stern look. “Excuse me?”  

“Shut it,” Slorm snarled, squeezing her tiny body in his fist which made Ria yelp in pain. “You don’t get to speak, rat.”

Trifs exhaled a loud sigh and rolled her eyes. “Slorm, I’m telling you, I’m right on this one! Borrowers are worth a lot of gold, trust me. Minthara told me so. Do you not believe the word of our mistress?”

“Of course, I would never doubt Mistress Minthara!” Slorm hissed, his forehead wrinkled intensely. “The only person who I doubt is you, Trifs.”

A low growl rumbled in Trifs throat. “Okay, fine, look – we’ll try and sell her and if she isn’t worth much, then you can eat her. How does that sound?”

Slorm chewed the bottom of his lip as he mulled it over. “Ugh. Fine. I guess that sounds alright.”

Panic began to quickly swell in her chest once more and her breathing became sharp and rapid. Why did she have to decline Wyll’s offer? Why was she so stupid to walk in the wilderness completely alone? If the goblins didn’t sell her, she would be eaten. Icy cold fear snaked down her spine and chilled her to the bone as her brain went into overdrive. Her now sweaty palms clutched tightly on her tiny dagger somehow still in her grasp as she wrestled in the goblin’s fist.

“You don’t want to mess with me!” Ria yelled, a sudden burst of confidence channelling through her veins thanks to the added adrenaline. “I have some powerful friends that’ll make mincemeat of you both when they find out what’s happened.”

Slorm flashed a wicked grin at Ria, his jagged eyebrows raised. “Oh, and where are your friends now, hmm?” He suddenly brought Ria close to his face, so close in fact she could smell his putrid breath emanating from his foul mouth. His breath stunk of rotten flesh and decay and she gagged at the smell.

“Give her to me, you’re gonna break her if you’re not careful!” Trifs grumbled as she attempted to grab Ria from Slorm’s fist.

“Oi, lay off, Trifs!” Slorm held Ria high in the air out of reach so that the other goblin couldn’t snatch her.

In Slorm’s haste at getting Ria away from Trifs’ grasp, his grip on her loosened ever so slightly in his fist. It was loose enough that Ria was able to pull out her dagger. Without so much as a second thought, she hastily thrust the blade multiple times into Slorm’s clenched fingers that were wrapped around her body, stabbing them as her very life depended on it.

“Fuckin’ hells!” Slorm exclaimed, nearly dropping the borrower in his hand, blood now leaking from his fingers as he brought Ria back to eye-level again. “You little bitch! I’ll crush you for that!”

“Don’t crush her, dingus! We need her alive!” Trifs yelled in frustration and tried to snatch Ria again.

“Fine, you can have ‘er!” Slorm deposited Ria into Trifs’ open palms, but not before shooting Ria a scathing look as he licked the blood off his fingers. “Little shit stabbed me.”

“I’ll be taking that.” Trifs plucked Ria’s dagger out of her hands as if she were taking candy from a baby. All Ria could do was watch in dismay as her only weapon was whisked out of her tiny hands like it was nothing.

“Please, I’m sorry, don’t sell me off!” Ria cried. “I’ll do anything, please, I’m begging you!”

Trifs shook her head as a vile grin spread across her crooked mouth. “Nuh-uh, you’re a bad little borrower. And bad little borrowers go in the pockets.”

“Pockets?” Ria croaked.

The whole world soon became a massive blur as Trifs hoisted Ria in between her thumb and index finger and swiftly moved the borrower into her shirt pocket. Everything quickly grew dark as Ria fumbled around the fabric, her heart hammering in her chest relentlessly as fear threatened to smother her entire body.

Glancing upwards, she was faced with a swampy green eye that stared at her intently like she was a prized possession through the opening of the pocket.

“You better make yourself comfortable, little borrower. You’re gonna be in there for a while.”

The only source of light that came from the pocket entrance suddenly sealed itself, shrouding everything in blackness in less than a second. Ria felt her body grow cold as the reality of the situation began to set in and she had to force herself not to cry. Either she was going to be sold off for her blood, or she was going to be eaten by goblins. This was the end for her.

Gods…why me? Why did this have to happen to me?

Tears pricked at her eyelids and she stifled back another sob. After everything that she had been through, this was how things were going to end for her. It was all for nothing after all.

In a matter of seconds, Ria’s entire world shifted as she was thrown about inside her fabric prison and a loud thump resonated through the air. The thunderous impact sent jarring shockwaves throughout her entire body, her limbs flailing as she flopped against the wall of the pocket.

“T-Trifs!” Slorm’s voice cried from outside, slightly muffled from the fabric of the shirt that she was still trapped in.

What is going on?!

Gathering her senses, Ria staggered to her feet and was relieved to discover that she was seemingly okay. The jarring impact must’ve been from Trifs falling onto her back. At least the goblin hadn’t fallen on her stomach, otherwise it would’ve been a very gruesome outcome for the borrower.

“You fucking vampire! Get away from me! Y-you shouldn’t even be alive in the sun!”

Ria’s breath hitched and her heartbeat pounded relentlessly against her chest.

Vampire?

She began to forcefully climb her way out of the pocket and using all her remaining strength, she pushed the pocket flap open and scrambled out into the outside world. The glaring rays of the sun caused her to squint at first as she readjusted to the change in light. She was standing on top of Trifs’ chest, who was passed out on the ground. Her eyes glanced over the goblin’s neck and noticed twin puncture wounds adorning her green skin.

Swallowing back dread, she turned her gaze away from the bloody wound on Trifs’ neck and looked straight ahead. Her stomach dropped as she saw a very familiar figure standing in front of her. Astarion loomed over Slorm, his teeth buried in the goblin’s neck as he feverishly drank his blood. A blood-curdling cry erupted through the air as Slorm’s very life essence was drained, and all Ria could do was watch in horror as all the colour from the goblin’s face faded away in a matter of seconds. Astarion dropped Slorm’s lifeless body onto the ground, now an empty husk, crimson dripping down his mouth as he ran his tongue over his lips hungrily. Time seemed to come to a standstill during that moment as Ria could no longer move her legs. Astarion’s red gaze soon trailed over to her trembling form and his eyes widened in surprise.

“Ria?” Astarion stammered. “What in the hells are you doing here?”

Words could not find her lips as she struggled to speak, her body overcome with fear as she stared at the giant vampire. Blood from the goblin still coated his mouth and she noticed the predatory look that glazed over his ruby eyes as he stared down at her. Would she be next?

“Darling, please calm yourself,” Astarion said. “I can hear your tiny heartbeat thrumming like a hummingbird. Now, are you going to tell me what you’re doing here or not?”

“U-um,” Ria mumbled, her heartbeat racing even more upon hearing Astarion’s comment. “I…I could ask you the same thing, actually.”

Astarion narrowed his eyes at her, his lips pursed. “Touché.”

She swallowed back the bile that was beginning to rise in her throat and she hastily scrambled off Trifs’ lifeless body. From memory, she recalled that Astarion wasn’t permitted to drain from thinking creatures at the group’s request. Goblins fell under that category, so just what was he doing?

But…he technically saved my life by eating those goblins.

Her chest tightened at the very prospect of the vampire saving her life. Whether he had intended to or not, he had just saved her from a horrifying fate and it made her stomach churn.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Astarion said, his eyes cold and piercing. “I’ve drained a couple of ‘thinking’ creatures – well, one could argue that goblins hardly think at all.” He chuckled lightly at his own comment, a small smile tugging at his bloodstained lips. “But in all seriousness, if you tell the others about this back at camp, I swear-“

“N-no, it’s okay!” Ria quickly said, sensing where the conversation was going. “I won’t breathe a word about this to anyone. And…well…” She released a long exhale as she tried to form the words. It pained her to even form the very sentence, but she had to get it out.

“You technically saved my life from those goblins, so…”

A smug grin wove itself across Astarion’s pale face as he realised what she was trying to say.  

“Do go on my dear.”

Her jaw clenched as she watched him grin arrogantly at her.

“Thank you for saving my life.” She practically choked out the words as if they were coated in poison. “Whether you meant to or not, you still did. So, thanks for that.”

Astarion seemed very pleased with the whole scenario as his grin grew even wider. “Well, that is certainly a turn of events, isn’t it? I never thought I’d be the one saving you, but here we are. I suppose that makes us even now.”

Ria swallowed thickly. Just what was he planning on doing next? The tension was so thick it could be cut with a knife. She had to distract him somehow and to keep the conversation going.

“Why did you eat those goblins?” Ria asked. “You know you weren’t supposed to, especially if the others find out – which they won’t!” She quickly cleared her throat before continuing. “But, um, isn’t all blood the same? Why go against everyone’s wishes and not settle for animal blood?”

Astarion laughed. “You’re comparing plonk to vintage wine. You can make merry with either, but they are not the same.” He paused to lick some of the goblin blood off his lips.
“Blood is life’s essence. And some creatures have so much more life than others.”

“But you still went against the group,” Ria persisted, starting to feel nauseous at seeing so much blood around her.

“So what?” Astarion narrowed his eyes, frowning down at the little borrower. “What they don’t know won’t hurt them. You’ll make sure of that. Don’t forget my actions saved your life.”

Ria faltered and inhaled a shaky breath. Lying to the rest of the group did not sit well in her stomach, but it wasn’t like she had another choice in the matter. There was no way she wanted to risk upsetting Astarion especially since she was so vulnerable – and he was right, he had saved her life after all. If he hadn’t intervened, she would’ve met a very gruesome fate.

“Okay, fair enough,” she replied. “So, what you’re saying is, you feel more satisfied after drinking blood from thinking creatures?”

Astarion scoffed. “As if that’s even a question! Blood from thinking creatures is delectable and far more filling. If I could eat like that daily, it would make the hunger far more tolerable…or at least as tolerable as it can be.”

A thought crossed her mind as she processed the elf’s words. If Astarion drank blood from the likes of humans and other thinking creatures – of course, ones that were bad – perhaps that would make him less inclined to eat her and the rest of the camp. Feeding off animals, while it kept him alive and somewhat sated, clearly wasn’t cutting it as he would not have resolved to eating goblins. At this rate, she wanted to do anything to stop him from looking at her like she was a piece of food while she was travelling with him and the others. And it would benefit not only Astarion, but the rest of the group as well – perhaps with the right words, she could convince the rest of the team to let Astarion feed on their enemies.

Astarion watched her curiously with one eyebrow raised. “What are you thinking in that little head of yours?”

“N-nothing,” Ria mumbled, glancing over her shoulder to spot her tiny dagger stuck in the soil. She hastily picked up the weapon and concealed it into her clothing.

The pale elf furrowed his brows as he watched the borrower’s movements. “You still haven’t told me how you ended up with the goblins. Care to explain?”

“I was going for a walk and they took me,” Ria said. “They…well, one of them wanted to eat me. The other wanted to sell me to a blood merchant for my blood.”

A small glimmer flickered in the vampire’s eyes as he listened to the borrower’s words.

“Oh? Borrowers being traded for their blood? Now that is interesting…I can certainly see why. Nothing has quite compared to the taste of your blood.”

Ria gulped anxiously and her eyes darted away from Astarion’s searing gaze. She was afraid she may have given him ideas.

“You don’t know anything about that?” Ria questioned him, steeling herself.

Astarion frowned. “This is news to me just as it is to you.” He licked a few remaining drops of goblin blood off his slender fingers.

A part of her was a bit disappointed that the goblins were dead – if only they were still alive, she may have been able to prod them for more information. Although it seemed unlikely that Trifs would’ve parted with such information lightly anyways, considering her failed attempt at doing so moments prior. Either way, she needed to find more information, and it seemed the only way to do that was to confront the one orchestrating it all.

Minthara…she is the one who knows. I need to find her.

Ria turned on her heel and began walking back in the direction of the camp. She didn’t particularly want to be the vampire’s company for much longer, especially with all the blood that was splattered over the ground. With the new knowledge brewing in her brain, she had to get back to camp and discuss it with the others – no doubt they would be approaching the Goblin Camp soon, where Minthara most likely would be. There was no way she was going to pass this opportunity up.

“You’re welcome!” Astarion grunted.

Chapter Text

By the time Ria had returned to camp, the others had also returned from their mission to the Blighted Village. She knew for a fact that she wasn’t going to mention her run-in with the goblins, and their rather gruesome demise at the hands of a certain pale elf. As far as everyone else was concerned, her walk had been pleasant and uneventful. Inhaling a shaky breath, she ambled into the centre of the camp. It still unnerved her to walk around so many giants, one wrong step from just one person would be the end for her, but this was one of the downsides she had to put up with for the time being. She could only hope that everyone would be considerate enough to watch where they were putting their feet. 

“You should’ve seen the size of that spider, Wyll!” Karlach exclaimed, her clothing completely drenched in blood, her arms flapping about enthusiastically. “It was fucking massive! Mind you, I’ve seen far worse things in Avernus, but I’d never seen a spider so big!”

“It sounds like you had quite the adventure,” Wyll commented, flashing a warm smile at the tiefling. “I’m almost sad I was stuck at camp all day. I could’ve done with some monster slaying myself.” 

“The spiders were pathetic adversaries,” Lae’zel said fiercely. “But their webs were most frustrating.”

“Yes, and who was it that got you out of those webs?” Shadowheart grinned rather smugly. 

Lae’zel clenched her teeth, flashing Shadowheart a glowering look. 

“Tsk’va! You said you wouldn’t speak of that, Shadowheart!” 

Shadowheart tapped her chin with her index finger as a smirk spread across her face. “Did I say that? Maybe I was lying.” 

“Do you want me to make you regret freeing me from those webs?” Lae’zel growled. 

“Lae’zel, Shadowheart, please do cease this pointless quarrelling,” Gale chimed in, standing in between the two women. “There is no need for it, alright?” 

“Chk!” Lae’zel hissed, curling her lip into a snarl. 

Shadowheart heaved a sigh, rolling her eyes, but she didn’t make any further comment on the subject. 

Now that the air had settled somewhat, Ria decided now would be the time to make her entrance. 

“H-Hello everyone!” she called, waving her hands up at the giants that loomed ominously above her. 

Everyone seemed to stop what they were doing and turned their gazes downwards as soon as the words had left her lips.  

Karlach’s face lit up immediately. “Hey soldier! How are you doing?” 

“I’m doing well,” Ria said warmly, craning her neck to look up at the giant tiefling. “It sounds like your adventure today was successful?” 

“It most definitely was!” Karlach replied, grinning from ear to ear. “Oh boy, smashing some giant ass spiders really does a girl good to help let off some steam. In my case literally.” She chuckled lightly, her infernal engine glowing orange through her red skin. 

“Careful you don’t get too worked up Karlach,” Shadowheart added. “We still need to find more infernal iron to calm that engine of yours.”

“Ahh, I can’t wait until I can hug someone!” The red tiefling exclaimed. “I am absolutely dying for a hug right now.” 

Shadowheart smiled softly at the tiefling woman, warmth reflected in her gaze. “I’d be happy to be your first hug once you’ve had the next upgrade from Dammon. If you want me to be your first hug, that is.” 

Karlach’s eyes nearly popped out of her sockets and she had to force herself not to squeeze the half-elf into a hug right then and there. “Oh, seriously, Shadowheart? That would be amazing! You better prepare yourself; you’ll be in for the best hug of your life when I get that upgrade!” 

“I look forward to it,” Shadowheart chuckled.

Rumbling tremors rattled the ground beneath her feet as Astarion approached the group. She swallowed thickly, remembering that he was responsible for saving her life only mere hours ago – as much as she hated to admit it, it was the truth. He seemed to pick up on this as his gaze briefly hovered over her small form, a rather smug grin tugging at the corner of his lips. A scowl formed across her features. She certainly didn’t need a mind-bending tadpole to know what he was thinking.

“Greetings, Astarion,” Gale said, breaking the silence. “I suppose you had a rather uneventful day?” 

“You could say that,” Astarion answered. “The same can’t be said for you, it seems.” 

As Astarion and Gale continued to talk, Ria’s mind was swirling with thoughts. Convincing the rest of the group to allow Astarion to feed on thinking creatures was going to be interesting, but she was adamant that this was the best course of action to hopefully control the vampire’s bloodlust. Besides, if he only fed on bandits that they were going to kill already, what difference did it make? Better the bandits than her, or anyone else in the group. He certainly didn’t deserve her kindness, but at the end of the day, she wasn’t doing this because she was fond of him or anything like that. It was for her own safety considering how adamant the vampire was on eating her. 

Ria cleared her throat. “I-I have something to suggest.”

All eyes suddenly turned back to Ria as she uttered the sentence. Astarion stared at her apprehensively, narrowing his gaze at her as he waited to see what she had to say next. 

Don’t worry, you massive leech, I’m not telling them about the goblins.

“Speak,” Lae’zel commanded. 

She swallowed a lump that had begun to form in her throat. 

“I think it’s best if we allow Astarion to feed on thinking beings.” 

Ria exhaled a shaky breath, and watched as everyone’s expressions changed from curiosity to complete shock. 

“You can’t be serious!” Shadowheart exclaimed. 

“N-not on innocents, of course!” Ria quickly added. “Why can’t he feed on bandits that you’re going to kill? They’re going to die either way, besides, it means he’ll be less tempted to bite any of you…” She swallowed thickly. “Or me.” 

Astarion’s jaw slacked open, his eyes widening in disbelief, and for once he was at a loss for words. His gaze was fixed on her in that moment, completely perplexed as to why she was suggesting something that would benefit him. 

Ria shifted uncomfortably on her feet, not meeting Astarion’s gaze, as her companions exchanged confused glances amongst one another. She had to crane her neck up just to look at them, reminding her once again of how miniscule she was compared to everyone else. 

“Well, I don’t see how that could be a bad thing,” Karlach said. “I mean, as Ria put it, the bandits will be dead anyway. Why not feed Fangs while we’re at it?”

“I agree with Karlach,” Wyll added. “The monster hunter in me disagrees, but I can see why it might be a good idea. Vampires are typically better sated on non-animal blood and their abilities are enhanced a great deal.”

Both Shadowheart and Lae’zel seemed somewhat apprehensive at the idea. Gale, on the other hand, was pondering Ria’s idea away in that brilliant brain of his. 

“Tsk’va. I am not thrilled by the idea of Astarion biting thinking creatures, but providing they are only our forsaken enemies, then so be it.” The gith shot the vampire spawn a scathing look, her teeth bared. “And a reminder to you, Astarion, if you so much as smack your lips when I’m near, I will sever you piece by piece. I’ll leave you to guess which piece I plan to start with. Am I understood?”

“No githyanki meals, I promise,” Astarion said. “You have my word on that.” 

“And I hope you extend that to everyone in the camp,” Shadowheart commented, pushing her ebony braid purposefully over her exposed neck. 

“Of course, what do you take me for?” Astarion replied, a hint of irritation etched in his voice. “I have already promised not to bite any of you, unless you’ve forgotten that?” 

“As he’s mentioned, Astarion has already vowed not to bite any of us,” Gale finally chimed in, reiterating the vampire’s point, his brows furrowed. “I, for one, am completely open to Ria’s idea. As Wyll said, vampires simply perform better on sentient blood. If anything, this will help him get a hold on his bloodlust, and that’s better for everyone.” 

“Exactly!” Ria said. “It works out better for all of us. I’m glad you all see that.”

Astarion’s gaze flitted over Ria’s tiny form, and she met his watchful eyes with bated breath. Instead of his usual sinister smirk that often adorned his defined features, his face softened as he looked down at her. There was a gentle glimmer of something else in his eyes – something that Ria hadn’t seen before on his face – warmth. Was she imagining it? Quite possibly. Whether she was imagining it or not, it made her heart thrum against her chest and a swarm of butterflies fluttered in the pit of her stomach. 

Wait…no…why am I feeling like this? What is this? Stop it!

“I suppose this is all settled then,” Gale announced, tearing Ria out of her rather flustered thoughts. “Astarion can feed on our enemies or bandits that we come across – providing that they are not innocents. Is that understood, Astarion?” The wizard turned to face the pale elf. 

Astarion pressed one hand to his heart. “On my honour, no innocents will be hurt. I can assure you that.” 

No one objected, although Lae’zel muttered a small ‘chk’ under her breath rather discreetly. 

“Right, now that’s sorted, I could go for a big meal right now,” Karlach announced, flickering embers dancing across her red skin. “Smashing spiders has got me really hungry.” 

“Fear not, Karlach, your chef for the evening is getting right on it as we speak.” Gale began to swiftly rummage through a bunch of packs full of food and rations. 

As Gale began to prepare for the evening meal, everyone else in the camp disbanded and went to their own respective tents. Ria took this as her cue to leave as well, and began to walk in the direction of her own little tent. Every so often Gale had to enchant it with the reduce spell for it to retain its miniature size, and the wizard had assured her it wasn’t a bother for him in the slightest after she had suggested that she could just sleep on the floor. Gale was having none of that and happily kept on using magic to shrink the tent each day. She was very grateful for the wizard’s kindness and that she had somewhere catered to her own size to reside in for the time being.

As she continued to stride towards her small tent, she realised that she had forgotten to ask about joining the group when they decided to enter the Goblin Camp. She needed to know more about blood merchants trading borrowers. This was the only kind of lead she had on finding more of her kind in years, there was no way she could afford to pass this opportunity up. 

That can wait until tomorrow. We’re not at the Goblin Camp yet anyways.

Small earthquakes quickly jolted Ria out of her thoughts, signalling that someone was approaching her rapidly. She slowly pivoted on her heel to see Astarion sauntering towards her and a wave of dread quickly washed over her. 

What does he want now?

“Ah, there’s my little friend.” 

Little friend?! 

Ria’s chest tightened as she watched the pale elf drop to one knee beside her, tilting his head to one side as a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

“What do you want?” she snapped.

Astarion’s gaze suddenly shifted to the floor, avoiding her eyes, his lower lip quivering softly. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words uttered from his lips. This was incredibly strange for him, normally he had a witty remark for just about everything. What was going on? 

He cleared his throat and fixed his red gaze onto her small frame. “I…I wanted to thank you for what you said earlier. What you just did was…unexpected. You didn’t have to persuade the others like that for me, yet you did.”

Ria’s eyebrows shot up in astonishment, completely caught off guard by Astarion’s gesture. Little did he know that she hadn’t persuaded the group for Astarion’s benefit, she’d only done it in hopes that maybe he wouldn’t keep on eyeing her up like some kind of snack. But he had saved her life only earlier that day, so perhaps a small part of her was also doing it as a way of thanks…he clearly saw it that way anyway, whether she meant it or not. 

No, just ignore him.

Despite her negative thoughts, she couldn’t deny that he was looking at her differently. He seemed, for the first time since she had met him, genuine. Something about the way he was gazing at her stirred a subtle ache in her chest that she couldn’t quite explain. 

“Are you sure you’re feeling alright?” she asked, ignoring the growing feeling of warmth across her face. “You’re thanking me for something. That isn’t like you at all.”

A soft chuckle slipped past his lips. “I know, it’s very strange, isn’t it? I just…” His voice faded away. He was clearly struggling to find the right words. 

“You did something nice for me when you didn’t have to,” he said at last. “And I appreciate it. Perhaps I was wrong about you.”

Now it was Ria’s turn to be at a loss for words. Her brain swirled with confusion as his statement left her temporarily unable to speak. 

Is he serious?

She frantically searched his face, looking for a sign of deceit, but there was none. He was being completely honest with her and he meant every word. 

“Do you really mean that?” she asked hesitantly, still not quite believing his sudden change in demeanour. 

Astarion furrowed his brows. “Darling, if I wasn’t serious, I wouldn’t be having this conversation with you right now.” He exhaled a long breath. “You could’ve easily ratted me out to everyone as well with the goblins, but you didn’t do that. I think we should start over.” 

Before she even had time to react, Astarion extended his index finger towards her. 

“Deal?” he asked gently. 

Ria stared at his index finger intently as her body stiffened. She quickly glanced from his hand to his face, her heart racing feverishly in her chest. Her right hand was gripped firmly around the handle of her little dagger, concealed behind her back, and an idea pierced through her brain. No way was she letting him off that easily after everything that had happened.

Without a second thought, she lunged forwards and thrusted the dagger into Astarion’s exposed index finger. 

“You little-!” Astarion exclaimed, utter shock painted across his face as he immediately retracted his hand away from the borrower. 

A tight-lipped grin pulled at the corners of her mouth as she watched Astarion glare at her, trails of blood now dripping down his pale skin from the fresh wound on his finger. 

“Okay, we’re even,” she grinned. “We can start fresh now.” 

Astarion’s gaze softened as a smirk flickered across his facial features. 

“Cheeky little pup.” He grinned. “I suppose I may have deserved that.” 

Ria blinked slowly at him. “May?!”

“Fine, fine, I did deserve that.” He rolled his eyes before removing the tiny dagger from his finger as if it were nothing more than a splinter. He inspected the miniature blade for a moment before passing it towards Ria, holding it in between his index finger and thumb. She hastily grabbed the dagger from Astarion before wiping off the blood with a small rag in her pocket. 

“It amazes me that Dammon was able to make a blade so small.” He began licking at the oozing blood from his finger. It oddly reminded Ria of a cat cleaning its paws and a grimace of disgust spread across her face. 

“Ew, you’re licking your own blood?” she said, giving him a dirty look. The sight of blood made her squeamish.

Astarion paused his licking to stare at her, one eyebrow arched. “Darling, I’m a vampire, drinking blood is what I do.” 

“Yeah, okay, but your own blood?” 

Astarion shrugged. “It’d be a shame for it to go to waste.” 

Ria shook her head lightly and rolled her eyes. 

A small moment of silence passed. The only noise that could be heard was the sound of Gale attempting to make dinner and Lae’zel sharpening her sword. Sensing the incoming awkwardness, Ria swallowed a lump that had begun to form in her throat and began to turn to leave. 

“Well, I guess I’ll leave you to your blood licking.” 

“Wait!” Astarion said rather suddenly, lapping up one final drop of blood on his finger. 

Ria paused in her tracks and blinked at him in surprise. 

“I don’t want you to run off just yet,” he said slowly. 

She stared at him like he had grown a second head. 

“You…you don’t want me to leave?” 

“You intrigue me,” he replied, a small grin curling around his lip. “For such a little thing, you are quite resilient. Facing those goblins, not shying away from Lae’zel’s battle training…the fact that you want to fight back is at the very least admirable, considering how hopeless it is for someone of your height. And then you even stood up to me.” A small snicker flitted past his lips. “I’m not easily impressed by people of your stature, but you’re a lot stronger than I gave you credit for.” 

Somehow Astarion had managed to both compliment her and insult her at the same time and she wasn’t sure how she felt about it.

I suppose that’s about the nicest thing he’s ever said to me. 

She pressed her lips together in a thin line. “I thought you didn’t like me.” 

“You have your charms…more than you think.” 

Ria couldn’t tell if he was lying or being serious, but she remained cautious. There was a small glint of hunger reflected in his crimson eyes which reminded her that she was in fact dealing with a predator. But...despite this, there was something else there too. Something that was mixed in with his hunger that was perhaps preventing him from lunging forward to eat her right then and there. It was the same look that he had given her before – his features had softened, the sinister glare from his gaze completely gone. 

She hated how it made her chest flutter. 

“You aren’t so bad yourself,” she replied. 

Why in the hells did I say that!? 

She forcefully bit her tongue to stop any more words from tumbling out that she might regret saying. She wasn’t sure why she had even said it to begin with, but it made her want to kick herself. 

He wanted to eat me a couple of weeks ago, and he probably still does. I need to remember that.

“Well, this has turned into a surprisingly pleasant conversation,” Astarion smiled. 

“Don’t get too close,” Ria said, gripping the handle of her dagger instinctively. “I’m not one to easily forget.” 

His eyes crinkled as he simply chuckled at her. “I wouldn’t dream of it, darling.”

Chapter Text

“Concentrate little istik!”

Lae’zel’s blaring voice shook Ria out of her thoughts, her tiny dagger gripped loosely in her hand as she stared at her target – a giant red apple that Wyll had spared from his rations.

“S-sorry!” she spluttered, shaking her head lightly. Her mind had been distracted since the events of yesterday when Astarion had offered to make peace with her. She noticed he had started to act differently around her this morning as well – his snidey remarks had severely lessened to a degree, instead of flat out insulting her, there was a layer of gentle teasing to his tone when he spoke to her. Not only that, but he had started to look at her differently, too. His gaze oddly softened when he stared down at her now, which made her stomach do somersaults each time he glanced her way with that look.

No, stop thinking about him, I need to focus.

At this rate, she would never be able to concentrate on Lae’zel’s training. While she was in the gith’s good books, she hated to think what would happen if she were to piss Lae’zel off.

“K’chakhi!” Lae’zel hissed, narrowing her gaze down at the borrower. “You are clearly distracted, little istik. I need your full attention if you are going to learn the ways of Creche K’liir.”

Ria had no idea what ‘k’chakhi’ meant, but judging by Lae’zel’s tone, it obviously didn’t mean something good.

“I won’t get distracted again,” she said, her voice wavering slightly. “I’m ready.”

Lae’zel pursued her lips in thought. “Chk. Go ahead, little istik.”

She gripped her small dagger until her knuckles turned white before exhaling slowly. Centring herself, she lunged towards the ruby-red apple with calculated precision before unleashing an array of slashes onto the fruit. Whilst the apple was still incredibly large compared to the borrower, the impact of her blade on the fruit did jostle it slightly.

Heaving a sigh, she stepped back as beads of sweat gathered on her forehead. She craned her neck up at the gith, hoping that her efforts were acceptable.

Lae’zel’s face was as hard as stone, revealing no sign of true emotion behind her cold glare.

Ria’s heart skipped a beat as the silence became louder.

After what felt like an eternity, Lae’zel finally spoke.

“That is acceptable, little istik. You have improved, albeit only slightly.” The very small traces of a smile tugged across her mouth.

Relief swelled in Ria’s chest upon hearing the gith’s words. At least she was making progress.

“You still have a long way to go,” Lae’zel mused. “But do tell me, what is it that has you so distracted? That cannot happen again if you are to truly learn the ways of my people.”

Ria hesitated, her mouth suddenly going very dry. Was it a good idea to tell Lae’zel the truth? Did she even want to tell her the truth?

No, I can’t tell her.

“It’s nothing!” Ria answered. “It won’t happen again. I promise.”

Lae’zel arched an eyebrow, clearly not convinced, but she didn’t press her on the matter further.

“Chk. Fine, little istik.” Lae’zel dropped to one knee, her gaze focused on Ria’s small frame.

“Continue.” 

Inhaling a deep breath, Ria emptied her mind and pushed the thoughts of Astarion out of her brain. There was literally no reason for her to be so distracted. She didn’t even like Astarion anyways – she would be out of her mind to even entertain the idea. Right?

Shaking her head, she returned her focus back to the task at hand. Lae’zel was watching intently and she could feel the gith’s gaze searing into the back of her neck. Gripping her dagger firmly, she swallowed thickly.

Just as she was turning to attack, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Astarion having a conversation with Wyll. In that moment her entire body froze, her gaze completely fixed on Astarion. She drank in his features, noticing how his eyes crinkled as he laughed at something that Wyll must’ve said, the smile lines deepening on his face. The exaggerated hand movements that he made as he replied to Wyll’s remark had such a flair that Ria couldn’t describe – she hadn’t noticed it before, had he always done that? She could almost hear her heart threatening to tear itself out of her ribcage.

And then – his laugh – why did that have such an effect on her?

“Tsk’va!” Lae’zel bellowed from above, shaking Ria out of her thoughts. “You are clearly too distracted today, little istik. We can resume when you are serious about this.”

“I’m sorry!” Ria quickly said moments before Lae’zel stomped off, the gith’s footfalls rattling the ground so violently that she nearly lost her balance.

Shit…well done, I’ve now pissed off the most terrifying person in the whole camp.

A knot began to form in her stomach, a manifestation of the shame that was threatening to swallow her whole during that moment. A long sigh heaved past her lips as she tried to process her emotions. Why was she getting so flustered over Astarion of all people? Sure, they had decided to start afresh the previous night, and he had been surprisingly nice to her after she had persuaded the group to rethink his feeding habits. But he had still tried to eat her, as well as everything else he had done. There was literally no logical reason why she was feeling this way, and yet…she couldn’t ignore the feelings that swelled in her chest.

Gods, something is VERY wrong with me.

Violent earthquakes nearly caused Ria to fall off balance as everyone gathered around the centre of the camp not far from where she was standing. Being surrounded by towering giants was certainly something she would never get used to.

“I think we need to discuss our plan of action,” Wyll announced. “The Goblin Camp is right up ahead. We should think about what we’re going to do first once we get there.”

“I think we should rescue the druid, Halsin, before we approach any of the goblin leaders,” Shadowheart chimed in. “Perhaps he could assist us with getting rid of the goblins.”

“Do you reckon we could grab a pint of beer while we’re there?” Karlach said. “I’ve heard goblins always have some kind of alcohol not far away. Oh, and food! Could we please eat something there too?”

Ria anxiously listened as her giant companions discussed their plans on infiltrating the Goblin Camp, her heart hammering in her chest. If she was going with them, she had to ask them about it now or it would never happen.

Once there was a moment of silence, she loudly cleared her throat, and sure enough, multiple pairs of giant watchful eyes were suddenly now on her.

“Please take me with you!” she exclaimed, her face growing hot as she felt nervous with so many large eyes on her.  

“No, no, I’m sorry to say, but that isn’t happening,” Gale said firmly. “A Goblin Camp is no place for a borrower like yourself. It’s far too dangerous.”

“I agree with Gale,” Wyll added. “It wouldn’t be hard for a goblin to snatch you up – and gods forbid what kind of horrible things they would do to a borrower if they found one.”

Ria stared at her towering companions in dismay. This was not the response she had been hoping for at all.

“No, please, I’ve been training with Lae’zel!” she retorted. “I can look after myself. Besides, I could just tag along in someone’s pocket or something. I can be useful, too, sneaking into tiny areas unseen!”

“Tsk’va!” Lae’zel hissed. “You are not ready, little istik. Especially if this morning’s training session is anything to go by, you have a lot to learn.”

“For once, I agree with Lae’zel,” Shadowheart said. “It’s far too dangerous for you, Ria. You’ll be a lot safer here.”

“B-but-“

“I promise we’ll bring you along another time,” Wyll smiled down at her warmly, his gaze softening as he saw how distraught she was. “But I think it’s best if you stay in camp for today. You can tag along when we’re not infiltrating a camp full of goblins.”

“No, you don’t understand!” Ria protested. “It’s important that I go with you to the camp. There’s…there’s someone I need to talk to there.”

A hushed silence fell over the group as everyone exchanged confused glances with one another.

Oh, right…they don’t know. I can’t tell them about the goblins, I promised Astarion I wouldn’t.

“And who exactly would that be?” Gale asked, one eyebrow raised.

Astarion shot her a tentative look, his brows furrowed as he watched to see how she would respond.

“M-Minthara, one of the goblin camp leaders,” Ria answered truthfully. “She…I’ve heard that she knows some things about the disappearance of borrowers. I need to find out why – this is the only lead I’ve had on any of my kind in years!”

Gale gazed down at Ria tenderly, his eyes softening with a mixture of understanding and confliction. “I understand this is very important to you, Ria, but it is simply far too dangerous. However, I will ensure that we’ll discuss this matter to Minthara when we find her and press her for answers. You can count on that.”

“Yeah, don’t worry, soldier!” Karlach added. “We won’t leave until we find out everything that we can. I promise.”

Ria felt utter helplessness constrict her body as everyone seemed content on not letting her go with them. Her plan was falling apart right before her eyes. Not that she didn’t doubt that Gale and the others wouldn’t ask Minthara for her, but she had failed to mention the blood merchant aspect and she wasn’t sure how she was going to explain her knowledge of that to everyone without going back on her promise to Astarion.

“Please, I need to come,” Ria pleaded, desperation hanging from her voice. “You don’t understand how important this is to me!”

“Ria, you can be assured that the Blade of Frontiers will carry out your request,” Wyll said. “We will press Minthara for everything that she knows about borrowers and we won’t leave until we do.”

Ria felt her resolve crumbling away like jagged pieces of stone. While she had managed to convince the group about other matters, letting them take her to the Goblin Camp certainly wasn’t one of them. At least she knew that they would find Minthara for her and hopefully she would tell them everything that she knows. Despite this, feelings of frustration boiled in her chest knowing that she wasn’t going to be there to question Minthara herself.

Large tremors shook the ground once more as everyone started moving around her, giant feet narrowly missing her tiny frame as they all began to prepare for the mission ahead. Ria remained frozen in her spot, watching with wide eyes as her giant travelling companions shifted around like towering buildings. Feeling somewhat defeated, she meandered over towards the dwindling campfire and sat down on the dusty ground. For now, she would have to settle with being alone with her thoughts until the others returned.

Violent earthquakes suddenly jolted her from her spot on the ground and she quickly craned her neck upwards.

“I see you’re stuck with camp duty,” Astarion chimed from above, smiling down at her. “How unfortunate for you.”

Ria sighed loudly and buried her face into her hands. She didn’t have the patience for Astarion’s usual bullshit right now. “Please, I don’t want to hear it, Astarion. Just leave me be.”

“Alright, have it your way,” he smirked. “I guess I won’t offer to take you with me if that’s what you want.”

Her breath caught in her throat as his words vibrated through the air, her neck snapping up to look at him once more in disbelief. “W-what?”

“I think you heard me.” He dropped to one knee, his body casting a long shadow over her small frame. He extended his hand towards her, his palm facing up, beckoning for her to climb aboard.

Ria stared at his open palm. Her eyes widened open in utter shock; her jaw slightly ajar as she processed what was happening. Was he seriously offering to take her to the Goblin Camp? Her heart thumped fiercely against her chest as she tried to think clearly. Sure, she had seen a different side to Astarion the previous night and they had agreed that they would start over. But could she start to trust him so quickly? The last time she had been in his hands he had nearly ended her life.

“Well, do you want to come along or not?” Astarion asked, pulling her out of her thoughts. “I thought this was important to you.”

This might be my only chance. If I don’t go now then who’s to say I won’t ever get an opportunity like this again?

“Y-you’re really offering to take me to the Goblin Camp?”

Astarion flashed her a toothy grin. The glint of his fangs in the sunlight sent a flare of fear deep in her chest.

“Of course I am, darling. After what you did for me last night, it only seems reasonable that I repay the favour.” The tips of his fingers twitched ever so slightly, as if he was growing slightly impatient that she hadn’t clambered onto his hand already.

“Do you promise you won’t crush me?” Ria questioned, swallowing thickly.

“I’m not that careless,” Astarion said. “Besides, I would never waste such a perfectly good snack.”

Ria’s face fell, her skin growing hot as panic began to settle in her stomach. She knew he was most likely joking, but seeing his teeth in the light and how dangerously he loomed over her wasn’t exactly helping. However, there was another feeling there mixed in with her blatant fear. Her heart was racing, but not because she was scared – she felt oddly flustered by his comment, and that frightened her.

Astarion’s eyes instantly grew wide with alarm, his cheeky smirk vanished from his face and was soon replaced with something else – concern.

“Shit, I guess that was a little too soon, wasn’t it?” he said, a hint of worry laced his tone. “My apologies. I promise I have no intention of eating you.”

“Um, it’s okay,” Ria managed to choke out, inhaling a shaky breath. “I would strongly appreciate it if you didn’t refer to me as food related things from now on.”

Astarion nodded. “As you wish.”

Any sensible borrower would call her a lunatic for willingly climbing onto a vampire’s hand. But her determination to find more of her own kind managed to stifle her overwhelming fear. Very tentatively she climbed onto Astarion’s open palm, her heart racing as she felt his fingers curl slightly around her tiny body.

Glancing upwards, she was met with Astarion’s piercing gaze once more. A small grin danced across his lips as he stared at her standing on his palm.

“You are such a dainty little thing, aren’t you?” he mused.

Ria grasped onto his thumb for support, a small shiver rippling through her body as the icy coldness of his skin seeped into her own. Despite the drop in temperature, blood rushed to her cheeks upon hearing Astarion’s compliment. He had just called her dainty – another word for describing something small and pretty.

Hating him was so much easier when he wasn’t making her feel so flustered.

“And you are an oversized leech,” she snapped back, shaking away the feeling of shame tangled in her brain.

A rumbling chuckle vibrated through the still air. “Such a charmer.”   

Astarion’s fingers softly folded around her tiny body, causing her to flinch from the movement, but her heart rate relaxed slightly as she remembered that he wasn’t going to hurt her. He cupped her towards his chest, his sanguine eyes peering down at her trembling in the palm of his hand.

“Astarion, we’re leaving now!” Wyll’s voice resonated loudly through her ears and immediately Astarion shielded his fingers around her tiny frame.

“I won’t be long!” Astarion responded, the sudden loudness of his voice startling her.

The world quickly shifted all around her in a matter of seconds, and she found herself being lifted upwards into the air. Before she had a moment to react, she was falling into soft, plush fabric. She turned her head upwards, a window of light shining down on her from above.

A single crimson eye loomed above her, fixated on her as she sat trembling against the fabric.

“Comfortable enough my dear?”

Astarion’s voice rumbled all around her, his words intensified now that she was so close to his chest and it sent vibrations throughout her entire body.

“J-Just don’t forget about me, okay?” she said shakily. “And remember to find Minthara. Please.”

The giant ruby eye staring down at her merely blinked, the corners creased ever so slightly, suggesting that he was smiling.

“Don’t worry, darling, I can assure you that you won’t be forgotten in there,” he mused. “It’s quite hard not to, your heart is fluttering so loudly in your chest.”

Heat quickly licked across her face like fire and she immediately turned away from his piercing gaze. His comment only caused her heartrate to increase and she felt embarrassment flaring in her stomach. It bothered her that, despite her small stature, he was still able to detect a tiny heartbeat such as hers.

Stupid vampire with his stupid super senses.

The shining light vanished from above as Astarion sealed the lip of the pocket, trapping her completely inside. She was in complete darkness now, and after a few moments of her eyes blinking, she slowly adjusted to the lack of light. Borrowers didn’t have Darkvision like elves, however, they were still able to see about 10 metres in front of them in very little light. It wasn’t as good as Darkvision, but it was still incredibly useful, especially for a borrower.

The pocket wasn’t as roomy as the tent that Gale had set up for her in camp, but it was big enough that she could stretch her legs if she pleased. She leaned her back against the wall of the pocket, or, rather, Astarion’s chest. If he were alive, from this spot this is where she would be able to feel and hear his heartbeat. But instead of that, she was greeted with silence. It was slightly unnerving, but she didn’t dwell on it.

I can’t believe I’m putting my trust in a vampire of all people…

Swallowing a lump that had begun to form in her throat, she ignored the clawing feelings of doubt swarming her brain. It was too late to back down now, and as much as she disliked it, Astarion was her best shot at finding out more information about her kind. She only hoped that Minthara would share any information that she may have, and if she didn’t…well, she would cross that bridge when she came to it. Shifting around in her position inside the pocket, she attempted to make herself comfortable. If anything, at least Astarion had excellent taste when it came to clothing – the fabric inside the pocket was incredibly soft and plush, and if she wasn’t careful, she could most definitely drift off to sleep.

No, don’t fall asleep! Stay awake!

Using her fingers, she forced her eyelids to remain open, shaking her head slightly as she moved around inside the pocket to stay awake. There was no way she would allow herself to fall asleep inside the pocket of a vampire, despite her mixed feelings towards him.

Suddenly applied pressure squashed Ria inside her fabric prison, and she let out a startled squeak in response as panic spiked through her chest.

“As-Astarion!” she spluttered, her body being crushed by what she assumed must’ve been his hand pressing against the outside of the pocket.

“Sshhh,” a loud, rumbling voice cooed all around her that was somewhat muffled due to the fabric. “Stop fidgeting around in there, you are awfully distracting.”

Heat brushed along her face as she quickly ceased struggling. She was glad that he couldn’t see her face right at that moment.

“F-Fine, I’ll stop!” she said breathlessly.

And just as soon as it was there, the pressure was gone.

Ria inhaled a shaky breath, grasping at the walls of fabric for some kind of support as she steadied herself.

It was going to be a long day.  

Chapter Text

The smell of burning meat and alcohol hit Astarion’s nostrils well before he had even stepped foot into the Goblin Camp. While he preferred more refined company, he did relish in the chaos that goblins often brought with them – and it was clearly abundant in the stronghold of the camp as he followed behind Gale, Wyll, and Karlach. Lae’zel and Shadowheart had reluctantly been nominated to look after the camp while the others were away, much to both the half elf’s and gith’s dismay. He wondered if they would kill each other while he and the others were gone.

His stomach grumbled as dozens of goblins flitted around a roasting spit, cooking what smelled like dwarf meat, as they downed pints of alcohol. Seeing this many exposed necks and pulses made the never-ending ache in his stomach worsen. Soon enough he would be able to feed – thanks to Ria persuading the group, he could drink all the goblins dry if he wished once they were done with the leaders.

Ah, yes, the little snack in my pocket…

He was so swept up in the moment that he almost forgot about the tiny passenger that he was carrying. She hadn’t stirred since they had left camp and he wondered if she had in fact fallen asleep. Her small heartbeat had slowed down considerably as well.

His hand hovered over his breast pocket where Ria was concealed inside, and he gave the pocket a little tap to alert her that they had arrived. Almost immediately the borrower inside began to stir, her tiny heartbeat increasing as he felt her squirm against his chest.

Scanning the area, he noticed that everyone else had gathered towards the centre of the camp. Karlach, Gale, and Wyll were standing near a small stage where Volo, a poor bard that he and the others had met in the Emerald Grove some time ago, was performing some terrible rendition of Dror Ragzlin. They seemed completely enthralled by Volo’s presentation as they didn’t even bat an eyelid towards Astarion’s direction.

“Oi! You smell funny, mister.”

Astarion blinked and swiftly turned his gaze downwards to see a female goblin standing directly in front of him.

“How polite of you to say,” Astarion sneered, sharpening his gaze at the little goblin. “And you smell utterly dreadful. Is that all you wanted to say to me or can I be on my way?”

The goblin chose to ignore his statement and instead took a deep inhale of air through her nose. Her eyes grew as big as saucers as she inhaled and she stared at him intently.

Shit. She can smell Ria.

“There’s something in your pocket, isn’t there?” The goblin said, folding her arms across her chest. “I can’t quite make it out, but it’s different to whatever poxy perfume you have on, and the smell of blood in yer mouth.”

“That’s not for you to know,” Astarion hissed, flashing his fangs at the goblin. “Why don’t you mind your own business. Unless you want my fangs to meet that green neck of yours, you best move along.”

The female goblin nearly jumped out of her skin upon seeing Astarion’s perfectly white fangs flash in the sunlight and she immediately backed away from him.

“S-shit, sorry!” she exclaimed, panic evident in her voice. “I didn’t think a blooming blood-sucker could walk in the sun…you must be some freak or somethin’.” The goblin quickly scampered off, not daring to look behind her as she vanished into the hazy crowd.

The sudden outburst seemed to garner some attention as a few goblins had stopped what they were doing and eyed him up curiously. There was no doubt that they could also partially smell Ria’s scent to some extent, too. It seemed that his own scent wasn’t quite enough to mask the borrowers unfortunately. If any of the goblins stopped to really smell him, then he would be in trouble.

He had to get out of there. And fast.

Astarion wasted no time in melding into the shadows, something that came very naturally to him as a vampire spawn, and quickly vanished from sight. Ria was still safe inside his pocket for now, but he knew if the goblins were made aware of a borrower in their midst, it could end very badly for her. Perhaps it would be a good idea if they could mask her scent somehow. He snuck behind a large stone pillar, now out of sight from the masses of goblins and his own companions.

“Astarion?” Ria’s small voice chimed from inside his pocket.

He opened the lip of the pocket and glanced downwards at the tiny passenger he was carrying. He would never say it aloud, but as her little face stared up at him, he couldn’t help but to admit she did look rather cute. She was so tiny, so vulnerable, so fragile – it would be so easy for her to become injured if he wasn’t careful.

Not that he cared if she got hurt. She was just a borrower after all, nothing more.

So…why was he feeling a sudden urge of protectiveness when he looked at her?

He shook his head, dismissing the thought from his brain.  

“Are you just going to stare at me or will you tell me what’s going on?” Ria asked, bringing Astarion back to the present.

He blinked and flashed her a grin. “Well, I was just thinking that it might be a good idea to disguise your scent, darling.”

Ria’s eyes widened in realisation. “Oh…right. I can’t believe I didn’t think of that…” Her voice trailed off as her brain tried to think of a solution. “Maybe I should’ve thought about that before we left.”

“Perhaps that would’ve been a good idea,” Astarion commented. “It’s just fortunate that the goblin from earlier didn’t press me further. I thought my scent would be enough to mask yours, but it seems that you just smell so…” He paused as a grin tugged at the corner of his lips.

Appetising. That’s what he was going to say, but he held his tongue. He knew that teasing her like this when she was only just starting to trust him a little was a bad move, especially after she had asked him not to call her things like that from now on. Still, he couldn’t deny that she did smell delicious. Even with the masses of goblins around him – who significantly had plentiful more blood – her blood sung to him the loudest out of everyone there.  

“So…what?” Ria said, her tiny brow furrowed as she craned her neck up at him.

“Never mind,” Astarion chuckled lightly, attempting to shake the growing thoughts of hunger out of his brain. “Well, you know what I mean, anyway. I’m sure you heard the conversation with the goblin. We really do need to hide your scent somehow.”

“You do have a point.” Ria pursued her lips in thought. “I need to have a better look at what’s going on outside.”

He watched the borrower as she wriggled around until her tiny head just barely managed to peak out from the lip of the pocket. He imagined she must’ve been standing on tip toes just to reach that high.

Ria’s gaze searched the Goblin Camp, concentration hardened her facial features as she tried to think of what to do. After a few moments, her eyes finally settled on a large tub where some goblins were collecting alcohol from.

“That’s it!” Ria exclaimed, pointing towards the tub full of booze on the other side of the camp.

Astarion glanced down at the borrower and then his gaze flicked to the giant tub of booze she was pointing at. Multiple goblins were walking up to the tub to take a swig of alcohol in large mugs, some of them downing their drinks as if it were only water.

“Hm, the pungent alcohol would most certainly cover up your scent,” Astarion said. “But getting you in the alcohol, however, seems like a risky move. Are you sure about this?”

“You’re a rogue! Use some of that dexterity of yours!” She flashed him a small smirk. “Just dip me in the booze quickly and then I’ll be out in a second. I’m sure a vampire spawn can handle that.”   

Astarion arched an eyebrow, wondering just where the sudden burst of confidence that she had was coming from. Not long ago she had been deathly afraid of letting him hold her, now she was placing even more of her trust in him to pull off a stunt that could backfire badly if he didn’t do it carefully. Still, he wasn’t going to let a borrower downplay him like that.

“If you insist,” he replied. “And I suggest we do it quickly. We really don’t want to attract any more attention to ourselves.”

Ria gave him a small nod in reply before she vanished into the inside of his pocket again to conceal herself. With their new goal in the forefront of his mind, he clung to the shadows of the camp to pass by unseen until he reached the large tub. Very swiftly he reached into his shirt pocket and plucked Ria in between his index finger and thumb and leaned towards the large tub of booze.

“Do it!” Ria whispered fiercely.

Before Astarion could do anything, a strong force collided into the back of his legs, causing Ria to fall out of his fingers as he was knocked forwards. All he could do was watch as the little borrower fell out of his grasp, followed by a small plop as she disappeared into the liquid.  

Shit!

Seething with anger, he whipped his neck around to see who the culprit was and his gaze fell on a goblin who looked like they were on the verge of passing out.

“Oh man, I could go for another-HIC!” The goblin spluttered, the smell of beer radiating from his mouth as he wobbled around to gain his footing before passing out on the floor.

Astarion rolled his eyes and hastily returned his attention back to Ria, who was now, quite literally, swimming in the tub of alcohol.

“Hey, you’re holding up the line!” A raspy voice hissed to his left, and he noticed yet another goblin standing close to him. “Hurry up and grab a drink, we all want some!”

Growing somewhat stressed now, Astarion snatched up a nearby cup before returning his attention back to the tub. Ria had fortunately resurfaced, looking rather dishevelled and shaken up, but otherwise she was alright. He wasted no time and scooped her into his cup, keeping it close to his chest as he attempted to sneak away from the masses of goblins that were starting to cluster around them.

“Hey! Where do you think you’re going?” The same goblin with the raspy voice from earlier tugged on his armour, stopping him in his tracks.

Astarion immediately grimaced.

This can’t be good.

“Don’t mind me,” Astarion replied through gritted teeth, wanting nothing more than to turn invisible. “I’m just passing through.”

“Not without having a drink you’re not!” The goblin persisted, clearly somewhat drunk, and clung on stubbornly to his light armour. “You look as pale as a bloody ghost. I’m not letting you go until you’ve drunk every drop from your cup!”

The commotion had now brought even more attention to him, as Astarion quickly realised that multiple sets of eyes were glued to his frame and watching his every move. No matter how he looked at it, there was no getting out of this.

He tentatively gazed down into his cup, and saw Ria’s little face staring up at him with pleading eyes. She could obviously hear everything that was going on, and judging by the petrified look that was painted across her face, she knew exactly what he was going to do.

“Go on!” The goblin pulled on his armour once more, and Astarion had to restrain himself from biting the creature’s head off with how hard they pulled at the fine fabric. “You could do with some colour in your cheeks.”

He pulled his lip into a thin line as his gaze flicked back down to where Ria was sitting in his cup. All the colour had drained from her face as she stared at him with watery eyes, she looked as if she had been crying. Knots twisted in his stomach as he felt a wave of dread wash over him as he tried to rack his brain to think of an alternative. If he pretended to drink, there would be the chance of Ria falling out of the cup and to her death, which he wasn’t going to risk.

The only other option was to drink.

He gave her a wink before mouthing the words ‘I’m sorry,’ silently to her, and her eyes widened in response as he brought the cup towards his lips. The beer hit his tongue and he immediately had to force himself not to spit out the liquid as he took a forceful gulp. He had never been one for beer, wine, on the other hand, or better yet, blood, was more to his liking, but it wasn’t as if he had a choice in the matter. His attention on the beverage was soon replaced as he felt something soft and warm press up against his lips.

Ria.

Her tiny hands were pushing against his lips, her body squirming as gravity pushed her rather forcefully towards his mouth. He was very careful not to swallow her, and rather gingerly he used the tip of his tongue to push her tiny body away from the inside of his mouth so that she wouldn’t fall in.

He pulled the cup away from his lips and glanced downwards at the goblin. The goblin was still stubbornly standing beside him with narrowed eyes, very clearly not impressed with his half empty cup.

“I said drink all of it you elf pansy!” The goblin exclaimed. “That was merely a sip! Come on, you aren’t leaving until all of that is completely gone, and I’m going to look at your cup afterwards, so make sure you guzzle it all down!”

Oh dear.

If the goblin was going to investigate his cup afterwards, he had to ensure that it was completely empty.

Ria wasn’t going to like this.

Very slowly the cup was brought to his mouth once more, and this time he took a hungrier gulp than before. He could smell the overwhelming fear from Ria as she was once again pressed against his mouth, her tiny hands scrambling across his lips, and this time, he didn’t stop her from falling inside. With a final gulp, the borrower disappeared into his mouth and he sealed his jaws shut.

Chapter Text

It took every fibre in her being not to scream as Astarion’s lips passed over her body, pulling her inside his open maw. Before her eyes could adjust to the change in lighting, she was suddenly pressed to the roof of his mouth as he took a loud gulp and swallowed the remaining beer from his cup. She remained motionless as the giant fleshy muscle held her in place, all she could do was watch in terror as the liquid disappeared down his cavernous throat in a matter of seconds. All it would take was one swallow, and she would disappear down his gullet too.

His tongue suddenly relaxed, the beer now gone down his throat, and she found herself lying on the expanse of his wet, warm tongue. The scent of beer was heavy in the air, but it chilled her to the bone when she could also smell the metallic scent of blood hanging evidently in his mouth too. Tears burned her eyes and she stifled a sob. Her breathing came out in raspy gasps as dread hooked its claws into her once more as she attempted to process what was happening.

Gods, is he going to eat me?! Will I die like this?

Her mind immediately flickered back to when she had first met Astarion, how he had been so intent on eating her, how he had tasted her blood, running his tongue over her arms, and held her squirming in his cold fist like she was nothing but a mere piece of meat ready to be eaten. Fear clung fiercely to her heart and it quickly spread to the rest of her body like wildfire, smothering any other rational thought that was left in her brain. How could she sit idly, inside a vampire’s mouth, and not do anything? If she didn’t do something right now, she could be taking a trip down his throat very soon. She refused to wait around to see what would happen if she chose to remain idle.

My dagger.

As soon as the thought struck her brain, she hastily reached for her tiny dagger that Dammon had so carefully crafted and gripped it firmly in her trembling fist. Without a second thought, Ria drove her dagger into the flesh of his tongue and began stabbing the muscle multiple times as pure adrenaline clutched onto her hungrily with a vice-like grip. No sensible thoughts crossed her mind as she stabbed relentlessly, all she could think about was how much she didn’t want to go down Astarion’s throat and into his waiting stomach.

“Let me out!” she shrieked at the top of her lungs, blood from his tongue now splattering over her clothes as she continued to stab the wet surface, tears streaming down her face. “I haven’t come this far to be eaten by the likes of you!”

The fleshy surface beneath her suddenly tensed before pinning her to his palate once more, an audible grunt resonating loudly from the back of his throat. In the confusion of the moment, the dagger slipped out of her grasp and clanged against his large molars before falling and wedging itself between some of his pristine teeth that were dangerously close to the back of his throat. All she could do was watch in stunned silence, aside from the gurgling noises coming from the back of his throat, as her only means of defense was completely out of her reach.

Shit. Shit. SHIT!

Now she was quite literally at his mercy.

Perhaps stabbing his tongue so persistently wasn’t a good idea after all.

Sealing her eyes shut, she waited for the dreaded moment where he would swallow. Surely after her outburst of frequent stabbing, he would be done with her and gulp her down with no hesitation. Her body trembled as more sobs racked through her core violently as she waited for the end. But moments passed, and she was still pinned to the roof of his mouth as his tongue firmly held her in place.

What is happening?

Opening her eyes, her gaze scanned her surroundings and she was soon greeted with a formidable wall of teeth. She shuddered as her eyes fell on his fangs, so large that they could impale her entire body if he so pleased. Those same fangs had almost ended her life only a few weeks ago, and now she was face to face with them once more inside the vampire’s mouth. Chills snaked down her spine, suppressing another shiver, as she recalled those memories yet again of that fateful night. However, this time was different to when she had first met him – she was alive and inside the vampire’s mouth now, and surprisingly not halfway down to his stomach.

Why hasn’t he eaten me yet?

She wriggled around against his soft tongue, wondering if he was simply tasting her before the inevitable happened. Surely if he was going to eat her, he would’ve done so by now – right? His tongue barely moved, cradling her delicately against his palate, and it showed no signs in flicking her body down his throat. All she could do was wait painfully to see what he would do. Her heart pounded relentlessly against her ribcage, threatening to burst right out of her chest, her stomach dropping like a stone. If Astarion didn’t end her soon, the sheer suspense of the moment would.

After what felt like days, his tongue slowly relaxed and lowered her down until she was resting on the bottom of his mouth again. She didn’t dare move a muscle as she quivered on top of his tongue. Seconds turned to minutes, but still nothing happened. His tongue was surprisingly still as well, holding her as if she was as fragile as glass. While she sat in the vampire’s mouth, her overwhelming fear started to slowly dwindle. Her body was still frozen in place, refusing to move, worried that if she attempted to move again, he would squash her to the roof of his mouth, or even worse, swallow her whole. While she laid on his tongue, the only noises she could hear was the bubbling noise at the back of his throat. It certainly unnerved her listening to his bodily functions, a constant reminder of where she could easily end up if Astarion willed it.

Saliva coated her entire body, drenching all her clothes until they were a sodden mess. She sniffled as she realised that if she survived this, her clothes were completely and utterly ruined. There was no way she could walk out of this with any dignity left to her name, if she managed to get out of this at all. At least it was…pleasantly warm inside his mouth. It shocked her that while Astarion himself was icy cold to the touch, his mouth was surprisingly cosy. It pained her that the thought even crossed her mind, but the warmth that radiated from his mouth could only be described as such. Perhaps there was hope for her yet. She recalled Astarion winking at her moments before he slipped her inside his mouth, and how he had looked almost apologetic. Maybe she would be fine after all. And maybe stabbing his tongue had been incredibly stupid of her, but in her defense, after everything that she had been through, stabbing him was a perfectly reasonable reaction to the situation. Or at least that’s what she would keep on telling herself.

Pools of saliva had now started to gather around his tongue, steadily increasing by each passing second. A small yelp escaped past her lips as the fleshy muscle suddenly pinned her against his teeth, his throat releasing a very loud swallowing sound as the gathering pools of saliva vanished down his throat in a matter of seconds. Panic fluttered in her chest like a swarm of butterflies as she watched the liquid disappear so quickly down his gullet, and she shivered, thinking how easily that could’ve been her.

He…he still isn’t swallowing me.

His tongue soon relaxed, no longer pressing her against the wall of giant teeth. She inhaled a shaky breath, attempting to calm her frantic beating heart as she slowly accepted that perhaps she was safe after all. Why would he deliberately avoid swallowing her multiple times if he wasn’t going to do it? Especially after she had stabbed his tongue so harshly, she had expected him to swallow her almost immediately after doing something like that. But despite everything, he was holding her on top of his tongue like she was some kind of prized jewel. She was surprised that the vampire could be so gentle, especially in his mouth of all places where his dangerously sharp fangs could easily tear her in half.

Does he…care about me?

As soon as the thought entered her brain, heat blossomed across her face and her heart almost skipped a beat. Maybe he did care about her somewhat, after all, she had persuaded the group to allow him to feed on bandits and other thinking creatures. He had expressed gratitude towards her, and he had even thanked her for it the previous night. But she still couldn’t believe it.

No, that can’t be right. There’s no way that he could, especially after everything that’s happened…

The burning blush on her face only deepened and she knew for a fact that he could feel her tiny heartbeat pounding fiercely against her chest. She needed to get out of there quickly. She wasn’t sure just how much more of this she could take without turning into a complete mess.   

Gods, why me? Why did I have to suggest the alcohol idea in the first place?

As if her prayers were answered, light suddenly showered down on her small frame as his lips parted open. A startled squeak jumped out of her throat as pale, cold fingers gripped her waist and pulled her out of his mouth and into the cold air from outside. She shivered as the freezing air caressed over her saliva-coated skin, and for a brief second, she almost wished that she was back inside the warmth of the vampire’s mouth.

Before she could even process the thought, silky fabric smothered her entire body and gently massaged small circles into her drenched skin and clothes. She was completely numb to it all, her brain still attempting to comprehend what was even happening, but through all her mixed and flustered emotions she gathered that Astarion was attempting to dry her with what seemed to be a handkerchief of some kind. He continued to softly dry her soaked body, including her little head, his saliva and drying movements causing her hair to stick up in utterly ridiculous angles. Her face burned with embarrassment as he continued to dry her body and she was a little grateful that he couldn’t see her face during that moment.

The fabric soon pulled away, revealing Astarion’s piercing red gaze that settled on her small frame as she quivered in the palm of his hand.

“Well.” Astarion’s tongue swiped over his lips, a faint smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. “That certainly got a lot more intimate than what we planned for, didn’t it, darling?”

She opened and closed her mouth, but no audible sound registered on her lips. How was she supposed to talk after going through all of that, and then have him say that to her? Not to mention the way he ran his tongue over his lips – although she couldn’t tell if that was deliberate or not, it sent her heart spasming in her chest. Her mind failed to string together a coherent sentence as her lip trembled.

Astarion faltered, clearly seeing the look of distraught across her puffy face made him rethink what he was going to say next. His usual cheeky demeanour soon faded and was quickly replaced with a look of worry that once again surprised her.

“I do apologise for…uh…that.” He cleared his throat, his sanguine eyes staring at her with a soft warmth that was much unlike his usual piercing glare. “Holding you in my mouth was not my intended plan at all.”

He paused for a moment, his eyebrows knitting together as he cradled her in his hand.

“Are you alright?”

Her throat felt as if it were being crushed by some unseen force, tears pricked at her eyelids as her gaze darted away from his face to look at the floor below her as she sat in his cold palm. She didn’t know how to respond, after being faced with death once again and having those memories resurface, all she wanted to do was to run away and hide.

Of course I’m not alright. After all that, how can I possibly be?

“Ria?” Astarion’s voice rumbled all around her, startling her from her thoughts.

“Put me down,” she rasped, her voice barely above a whisper.

Both of his eyebrows shot up upon hearing her request. “Ria, we can ta-”

“I said put me down!” she exclaimed, tears burning her cheeks, her face swollen and puffy from crying. “Please. Now.”

He didn’t question her further as he dropped to one knee and lowered his hand to the ground. Immediately she hopped off his palm, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand as she blinked back more tears.

She angled her neck upwards to look at him, his towering frame casting a long shadow over her tiny body as she swallowed back her rising fear. Now that she was on the ground, she was reminded once again just how small she was compared to him and everything else.

She needed to get away from him.

Before he could say anything, she sprinted away from him in the opposite direction. The ground trembled as his footsteps shuffled around on the dusty ground, and that only made her run faster.

Maybe it was utterly foolish for her to run away from her only means of protection, but she couldn’t bear to be around him in her current state. For her own sanity, she needed to get far away from him. They were still outside the Goblin Camp, the noises of the cheering from the goblins celebrating their latest kill rung heavily through the air, but she ignored it and continued to sprint towards the main building.

“Ria!” Astarion’s voice boomed from above, rattling through her very core and sending adrenaline spiking through her bloodstream. His large footfalls sent trembling earthquakes through the ground and she forced her legs to continue to run with all she had, not daring to look back.

In front of her she saw a small hole encrusted in the wall of the main building, just the right size for her to crawl into. She dashed inside, briefly feeling Astarion’s fingers brush past her hair as he made a failed attempt at grabbing her.  

“Wait, just hold on!” Astarion shouted from outside, his voice piercing her tiny eardrums and she flinched from the intensity.  

She ignored his words and instead ventured into the depths of the Goblin Camp.

Chapter Text

All Astarion could do was watch helplessly as the tiny borrower disappeared into the hole in the wall to the Goblin Camp, his fingers only managing to brush through her auburn hair moments before she vanished into the wall. His face tightened as he gritted his teeth in frustration, and stretched back up to his full height. A flicker of guilt bloomed in his chest as he processed the situation. Ria had run away from him because of what he had just put her through, and there was no doubt that the whole ordeal had resurfaced some unpleasant memories for her from when they had first met. He knew he shouldn’t be feeling guilty, but the feeling refused to leave him. 

His tongue swirled around in his jaw, feeling what remained of her taste in his mouth, along with the taste of his own blood from where she had stabbed him repeatedly. He couldn’t deny it, but she had tasted delicious on his tongue, and he immediately felt a pang in his stomach reminding him of his insatiable hunger. It would’ve been so easy for him to swallow her right then and there, and a large part of him had been incredibly tempted to do just that, but he had resisted. While he would never admit it out loud, a small part of him was beginning to grow rather fond of the borrower. 

Gods, the tadpole must’ve eaten a hole in my brain for me to be feeling like this about a borrower of all creatures. 

He could only hope that Ria would be smart enough to stick to the shadows and hide, or at least hide long enough until he found her. He hated to think what Lae’zel would do to him if she found out that her tiny apprentice had been killed in the Goblin Camp because he had brought her there. Not to mention Ria was completely unarmed, her only weapon stubbornly lodged inside his mouth. Running his tongue along his teeth, he soon felt the small handle of Ria’s dagger near the back of his throat. The weapon was stuck in the flesh of his gums, giving him a piercing pain in his jaw. Grunting in frustration, he attempted to manoeuvre the blade with his tongue, but the blade refused to budge. If only he could look in a mirror, he would probably have better luck removing it, although that was certainly not an option with his affliction. 

“A-ha! There you are!”

Astarion turned on his heel to see the familiar face of the wizard, his eyes scanning the vampire spawn up and down as he tried to make sense of what he had just walked in on. 

“Care to explain what you’re doing Astarion?” Gale asked, his brows furrowing. 

“Nothing that concerns you Gale,” Astarion retorted, swallowing the gathering pool of saliva down his throat, along with the last remaining taste of the borrower in his mouth.  

Gale arched one eyebrow at Astarion, clearly not completely convinced. 

“I saw you were acting rather strange around the goblins,” Gale remarked. “I didn’t see the whole event that transpired, but what happened exactly?”

A flicker of panic stirred in his chest as the wizard probed him for questions. It was fine, Gale had no idea that Ria was even here, or that she had become all too familiar with his mouth against her will. But even still, he knew the wizard was the sharpest out of everyone in his little group. He had to make sure that Gale wouldn’t detect anything suspicious. 

“Oh, the goblins?” Astarion chuckled. “They insisted that I try some of their wretched beer. Of course I obliged them, I didn’t want to seem rude. It was positively foul, mind you. I would not recommend it.”

“Note taken,” Gale replied. “I suppose you can tell Karlach that later, she seemed ecstatic to try some.” The wizard paused, his gaze flicking over Astarion’s mouth for a moment. “Do you have something stuck in your teeth?”

Astarion’s eyes widened. “N-no, of course not! Why would there be?” He cleared his throat. “It’s not like I eat solid food.”

Gale pursued his lips, his brows knitting together as he eyed up the vampire spawn. 

“Alright then,” Gale said after what felt like years. “We’re going to head inside the Goblin Camp now. Wyll and Karlach are already waiting inside.”

“Right,” Astarion replied, an idea hatching in his brain. “Why don’t you three go ahead, I’ll catch up in my own time. I might investigate to see if the goblins have any loot worth taking.” 

Gale wetted his lips, mulling over Astarion’s suggestion. 

“Hmm…okay. Are you sure you want to do that? It’s probably best if we stick together.”

“Trust me, Gale, I can meld into the shadows a lot better without having to worry about the three of you,” Astarion said. “I’ll catch up with you later. Besides, we’d be able to cover more ground if we split up.”

If I can leave the group, then I can find Ria by myself, and they won’t have to know a thing, he thought to himself, hoping that Gale would agree to his idea. 

“I suppose that is a fair point,” Gale answered. “Just make sure to let us know if you happen to come across the druid. We need to get him out if we want to have any hope of resolving the conflict in the grove.”

“Absolutely,” Astarion replied with a sly smile. Good. Gale had bought it. Now he had a chance of finding Ria, hopefully before Minthara did. 

Darkness soon smothered Ria’s body as she scrambled through the small opening in the wall, she could still hear Astarion’s voice shouting her name from the outside but she did not pay him any mind. Despite his attempt at drying her, her body was still damp and cold from his saliva, which made her shiver as she ran through the entrance. Forcing back more tears, she darted through the dark as her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting. She could see that she was inside the walls of the main building of the Goblin Camp, stone surrounding every inch and corner with no visible end in sight. At this point, she didn’t really care where she ended up, all that mattered was that she got as far away from Astarion as much as possible. She continued to race forward, her breathing ragged and heavy, until she saw a glowing orb of light up ahead. 

A way out.

Clambering with every ounce of energy left in her body, she forced herself onwards until she reached the end of the tunnel. She tentatively poked her head out of the opening and held her breath. She was in the interior of the Goblin Camp, the stone walls seemed to stretch on forever as she gazed upwards and shuddered at the gruesome décor. Bones were strung high across the walls and pillars, illuminated dimly by flickering candlelight. The smell of burning flesh assaulted her nostrils and she had to force herself not to gag or make any noise in fear of outing herself. The walls were cold and clammy to the touch, and mingled in with the scent of burning flesh, she could detect traces of old blood present on the stone. Rumbling footsteps of the goblins vibrated through her skeleton and she stiffened as large feet walked right across from her. Fortunately, they didn’t see her as they stomped on, completely oblivious to the tiny borrower infiltrating their camp. 

“Praise the Absolute!” The goblins chanted, throwing their fists in the air as they marched further into the building. 

What in the hells is the Absolute?

Ria had heard this word uttered a few times by some of the goblins, but she still had no idea what it meant. Was it a cult or following of some kind? She had no idea, but whatever it was, it certainly couldn’t be any good. 

I need to find Minthara.

Her original goal resurfaced in her brain, reminding her of the task at hand and her whole reason for coming to this awful place to begin with. She needed to find Minthara and fast, before she was spotted by any of the goblins there. She quietly snuck outside of the hole in the wall and moved down the interior of the building, clinging to the walls and doing her best to meld into the shadows. She managed to pass by multiple goblin guards completely unseen, not one of them so much as glancing down in her direction. Thanks to her diminutive size, being dunked in alcohol, and, much to her distaste, Astarion’s saliva, the goblins acted as if she didn’t exist and allowed her to slip into the frays of the camp. 

Gingerly, she sniffed her skin and almost recoiled as the pungent smell of alcohol filled her nostrils, not to mention the metallic scent of blood mixed in which almost made her nauseous. As much as she hated to admit it, perhaps being swirled around inside Astarion’s mouth hadn’t been all for waste as she smelled nothing like her usual self.

As much as I hate this, at least this means that the goblins won’t notice me, she thought bitterly to herself, longing for nothing more than a nice warm soak to scrub away the scent of blood and beer out of her skin, and the remaining traces of Astarion’s saliva. 

As she ventured further into the inner dwellings of the camp, she realised that she had utterly no idea where Minthara was, or what she even looked like. As the realisation dawned on her, more thunderous footsteps shook the ground violently and she quickly pressed her back against a wall and held her breath. 

Gods, this was not a good idea…why did I ever think this was a good idea?

“Our ladyship Minthara wishes to speak with you,” One of the goblins that walked past Ria grumbled, pointing at a different goblin with a brown hood over his head. “She said somethin’ about your scouting party not returnin’ yet.”

The goblin with the hood visibly stiffened, fear flickering across his eyes. “O-oh, right, thanks for that. I will go see her ladyship immediately.”

This was her chance. If she followed the hooded goblin, she would find Minthara. Once the coast was clear, she lunged forward to the hooded goblin and grasped onto his leather boots. As she clung on for dear life, she forced herself not to gasp as the goblin began to move, completely oblivious to the tiny hitchhiker on his shoes. The movement was staggering and her vision quickly became a blurred mess as the goblin stepped forward. Everything moved at such a frightening rate and it caused her stomach to lurch with each thundering footfall that the goblin took, sending rattling vibrations throughout her entire body as his foot collided with the stone floor. She hoped that the goblin didn’t have to walk far to reach Minthara, she wasn’t sure how much more of this she could take without emptying the contents of her stomach. 

Fortunately, she didn’t have to wait too long for the goblin to reach his destination. He finally stopped moving, his feet now at a standstill, which allowed Ria to catch her breath and force herself not to hurl. Her vision was blurry due to moving around on the goblin’s boot, and she couldn’t quite make out where she was as everything was spinning around her. While she couldn’t see very well currently, she could hear some loud voices coming from above. 

“Your scouting party has not returned, and half of the intruders escaped your guards!” A raspy, feminine voice punctured through Ria’s eardrums as she clung to the goblin’s boot. 

Is that Minthara? 

“Sorry, Mistress,” the goblin replied. “We mucked up.” 

Ria’s head had finally stopped spinning, and she quickly jumped off the goblin’s boot and dashed behind one of the many war drums that were scattered around the room. Chest heaving, she anxiously glanced upwards and saw a female drow looming over the hooded goblin, her face cold and full of rage. 

That’s Minthara. 

“Until their sanctuary is found, I will take something precious from you every hour that passes,” Minthara continued, her gaze as cold as ice as she glared at the goblin before her. “A trinket…a tongue…a limb.” Minthara said the final word with such an intensity it sent chills up Ria’s spine, and she was quickly starting to regret her decision for coming here by herself. 

No, I’m here now, I must go through with this, she thought to herself, shaking away her clouded thoughts of doubt and returned her attention back to the goblin and the drow. She decided it was best to remain hidden for the time being, or at least until Minthara had cooled off. 

“I ain’t no use without me limbs,” the goblin quickly retorted, his frame shrinking back as the drow leered over him threateningly. “The lads’ll make the prisoners squeal soon enough; I swear!” 

“Silence now, creature. Or I will silence you forever.” Minthara’s words were scathing, and the goblin flinched back in fear as she glowered at him fiercely. 

“Be gone, unless you want me to start removing those limbs of yours,” the drow hissed. 

“Y-yes, of course your ladyship.” The goblin frantically hurried out of room, his footsteps sending off small tremors throughout the ground as he scrambled away. 

Minthara heaved a rather exasperated sigh, massaging her fingers across her temple. 

“If only I had been given drow warriors not pathetic goblin trash,” Minthara muttered under her breath, her lips pressing into a thin line as she sat down on a nearby chair and hunched over a stone table. 

A moment of silence passed, Minthara seemingly absorbed in the parchment of paper that was on top of the table, and Ria steadied her breathing as she tried to think of what to do next. How in the hells was she meant to approach the drow? And if she did, just what exactly was she going to say? How would Minthara even react to her? Minthara certainly didn’t strike her as a kind person, and she hated to think how she would react to finding a borrower sneaking through the camp. A sinking feeling of dread began to fester in the pit of her stomach as she realised just how stupid she was for coming here alone. In the heat of the moment, she had abandoned all logic, only thinking about how far away she wanted to get away from Astarion. But in doing so, she had placed herself in an incredibly dangerous situation. Now she wasn’t sure how she was going to proceed. At least her scent was disguised for the time being, so perhaps there was a way she could leave the room undetected. 

Gods, why did I leave Astarion?! He was my only protection! 

She chewed on her bottom lip in frustration and scanned the room intently. There had to be some small crack in the wall that she could slip into, or some kind of hole she could hide in for the time being until she could think of a better solution. In her current spot behind the war drum, she was too exposed, it wouldn’t take much for a goblin or the drow to glance down and find her there. She had to get out of there quickly, before Minthara finished whatever she was drawing up on the stone table and looked in her direction. In the corner of her eye, Ria suddenly spotted a small crack in the wall, big enough that she would be able to fit into it without a problem. The only thing was, it meant that she would have to pass under Minthara’s table to reach it. 

Ria inhaled a rather shaky breath as beads of sweat began to form on her forehead. She could do this. Passing by larger folk was something all borrowers were good at to survive, but she knew if she messed this up, it could mean dire consequences for her. She had to be perfectly quiet if she wanted to get out of the Goblin Camp alive. Without a second more of hesitation, she sprinted towards the stone table and quickly dashed underneath it. Minthara didn’t move a muscle, completely unaware of the tiny borrower that was currently right under her nose. Swallowing back the fear forming in her throat, she sneaked around Minthara’s metallic boots, being extremely careful not to accidentally bump into them. Her exit out of the camp was rapidly getting closer with each tiny footstep that she took, still being extremely careful, and her blood pounded harshly in her eardrums. 

That’s it…just keep on going.

The scraping sound of metal against stone filled her eardrums, snapping her neck to look over her shoulder to see what the noise was, and a scream nearly jumped out of her throat as she saw Minthara’s boot swing towards her. Everything happened so quickly, she didn’t even have time to react as Minthara’s boot collided into her tiny frame, sending her spiralling out from underneath the stone table and into the open. 

“What in the name of the Absolute?” Minthara’s voice thundered from above, her footsteps sending off tiny earthquakes through the floor.

Ria winced in pain, every inch of her body screaming in agony, the very wind had been knocked right out of her lungs as she gasped for oxygen. She attempted to climb to her feet, but her body refused to move. Instead, she was met with searing pain that flared over her body like fire. Rapidly blinking, she turned her gaze upwards, and saw the glaring face of the drow staring down at her. 

“Ah, it seems I have found an intruder.” The air shook with the intensity of Minthara’s voice, and all the colour quickly drained from Ria’s face. 

Shit! 

Despite the burning pain throughout her little body, Ria forced herself to her feet and made a feeble attempt to run the opposite way. 

“Hahaha. You are not getting away from me that quickly, vermin.”

Ria flinched as Minthara’s boot suddenly collided with the ground in front of her, sending a rattling impact throughout the floor that almost sent her flying off her feet. Hastily she scrambled to her feet once more and began to turn to run the other way, but large fingers enclosed around her body and hoisted her up into the air. 

Frantically, Ria reached for her dagger, knowing that was the last resort at defending herself. A sinking feeling settled in her gut when she couldn’t feel the blade in its sheath. 

My dagger…I left it in Astarion’s mouth. I’m so fucking stupid!

“Do my eyes deceive me or am I staring at a borrower?” Minthara mused, her fingers tightening their grip on Ria’s squirming body as she wrestled in the drow’s hand. “I haven’t seen your kind for quite some time. I thought you had all been killed like the insects you are.” 

“Let go of me!” Ria yelled, her stomach churning with fear, but she held her gaze firmly on the giant drow. “I-I’m not here to cause any trouble.”

The drow stared at the borrower quizzically, her red eyes narrowing. “I find it extremely unusual for a borrower to willingly walk into a Goblin Camp, do you have a death wish little creature?” She paused, her gaze scrutinising Ria like some kind of specimen in a lab. “I know there’s more than what you’re telling me.”

Ria exhaled deeply, attempting to calm her nerves. She was here now; she might as well do what she came here for. 

“I’ve heard that you know some things about borrowers being traded for their blood,” Ria said firmly. “Apparently you were involved in it. I want to know why it’s happened, and if it’s still happening now.” She swallowed audibly, staring into the drow’s red gaze. “Please tell me all that you know.” 

The drow’s red eyes widened before she threw back her head and laughed rather menacingly. 

“Oh, this is just divine. A borrower who is not aware of the properties of their own blood? I couldn’t think of anything funnier than that.” 

A wicked grin spread across the drow’s face, sending a deathly chill down Ria’s spine. 

“Please! You must tell me!” Ria pleaded, her heart pounding fiercely in her chest as she locked her gaze with the drow. “I…I really have no idea. I need to know.”

“Is that so?” Minthara smiled, arching one brow. “And what, exactly, do you plan to do if I provide you this information?”

Ria’s mouth parted open, but no words fell from her lips. Just what was she going to do when she found out? It would answer a lot of questions she had, but, if borrowers were being traded for their blood, what exactly could she do about it? Was she hoping to save the borrowers that had been traded for their blood? By herself, it was impossible. But perhaps with her new friends, maybe they would help her. Either way, even if she couldn’t do anything about it, she had to know that she wasn’t the last borrower. There had to be more of her kind out there, she refused to believe otherwise. And, if she found more borrowers, perhaps she could join their colony and finally live with her own kind. 

“Going awfully quiet now, aren’t you?” Minthara’s gravelly voice rumbled through the air, her gaze hardening. “No matter, you’re lucky I find it so pitiful that you are so incredibly ignorant.” Her grip on the borrower tightened, almost crushing Ria in her slender fingers and she cried out in pain.  

“I used to catch the odd borrower and trade them to a drow who was a daughter of the fallen House Oblodra,” Minthara said. “She now resides in Moonrise Towers. I haven’t come across a borrower in years, until you came along.” 

A deep cackle resonated in Minthara’s throat as she watched Ria continue to thrash in her grip. “And I believe she will be most pleased to find such a fine specimen like this. Your blood will fetch a lot of gold for me.”

Ria’s face paled, her tiny hands growing cold and clammy. The drow was going to sell her off for her blood, and there wasn’t anything she could do to stop her. Her mind raced as she tried to think of what to do as her heart threatened to burst out of her ribcage. The only thing she could do was stall Minthara – keep her talking in hopes that maybe, just maybe, Astarion or Gale and the others happened to show up, but it was unlikely. Astarion being the one to save her seemed very slim considering his disdain towards her. But she had to do something in the meantime, whether someone came to her rescue or not, at least until she could think of a better option. And there were plenty of questions she needed to ask the drow.

“Why is borrower blood so sought after?” Ria questioned genuinely. 

Minthara’s eyes widened and she stifled another cackle. “Oh, this is hilarious. You truly are an ignorant little worm.” The drow leaned over her stone table and roughly tossed Ria onto the hard surface, sending her tumbling across the stone. 

“Borrower blood is rife with magic, thanks to your fickle Fey ancestry,” Minthara said, looming over Ria’s tiny frame upon the stone table. “Vampires seem to be intoxicated as soon as they get a taste of it. They easily become addicted, as if it’s like a drug to them. They also happen to pay a lot of gold to have it in large amounts, which is why blood merchants will pay a high price to obtain borrowers to sell to their vampire clients.” 

“W-what?” Ria croaked, her face falling upon hearing the words fall from the drow’s mouth, her brain attempting to process what she was saying. “You…you can’t be serious.”

“Do I look like I am joking?” Minthara growled, causing Ria to flinch from the intensity in her loud voice. “I know many jokes, little rat, but I can assure you I am deadly serious. Is this too much for your miniscule brain to handle?” 

The entire room began to spin as Ria’s body rapidly grew numb. No, this couldn’t be true. The drow’s words echoed in her brain, rattling her very core, refusing to let her be told anything else. Her tiny body trembled as a crushing sadness washed over her, sending her buckling to her knees as her body could no longer support her own weight. She wanted to scream at the top of her lungs, but no sound could be mustered from her lips. She remained almost frozen on the stone table, her mind racing as she pieced everything together. 

Is…is that why I haven’t seen another borrower for ten years? Is that why Mum and Dad never returned home all those years ago? Were they all taken to be sold off to blood merchants? 

“I see this information has been quite the revelation for you, to say the least,” Minthara’s rumbling voice jolted Ria to her senses. “As amusing as it is watching you fall apart, it is time for you to be put in a cage.”

Ria stiffened. “A what?”

A rusty, metal bird cage was placed on top of the table right across from where Ria was kneeling. Minthara opened the door to the cage as a grin tugged at the corners of her mouth. 

“When I caught borrowers more frequently, this is how I contained them.” The drow lunged forward with outstretched fingers and squeezed Ria into her fist. “Fortunately for you, I never got rid of it.”

“No!” Ria shrieked as Minthara tossed her into the cage as if she were nothing. 

The door locked shut and Ria felt her stomach sink to the floor. Scrambling to her feet, she rushed to the bars of the cage and rattled them with every ounce of strength she had left. 

“Let me out!” she cried at the top of her lungs. “Please, you’re making a very big mistake!”

Minthara cackled, her laugh sending vibrations through the air that shook her bones to her very core. 

“Oh, I think I’m doing quite the opposite.” Minthara held the cage up to her face, consuming all of Ria’s vision as she sneered at the borrower. “Araj will be most pleased when I give you to her.”

A cold sweat trickled down Ria’s neck as tears pricked her eyelids. She was completely helpless and there was nothing she could do to stop Minthara. Oh, how stupid she had been to come here alone. 

Why did I have to be so foolish…

Tears welled up, blurring her vision as a mixture of emotions coursed through her body. Fear, sadness, resentment, but most prominently out of all the emotions that swirled inside her brain, anger began to burn as brightly as the sun. 

This isn’t fair! THIS ISN’T FAIR!

Her entire body went rigid as a surge of heat flooded her senses. It almost felt as if electricity was beginning to fly from her fingertips as she allowed the emotion to take a hold of her. Suddenly, a blue light began to emit from Ria’s chest and quickly spread to the rest of her body. Her body felt charged, as if she was going to burst at any moment. 

“What are you doing?” Minthara snapped, bewilderment spread across her face as she stared at the borrower inside the cage. 

“I’m not letting you take me!” Ria shouted fiercely, sparks literally flying as a bolt of electricity shot straight out of her fingertips and directly onto Minthara’s astonished face. 

Minthara yelled in surprise as the bolt of electricity hit her directly in the face and she dropped Ria’s cage in shock. She was now falling, everything a hazy blur, until the cage slammed into the hard floor below. The impact from the floor sent the cage door flying open, and as soon as Ria had gathered her senses, she leaped out without a moment’s hesitation. Rather breathlessly she scurried away from the towering drow, her body screaming in pain, and made a mad dash towards the large bridge that was laid out across the room. 

“You insolent little pest!” Minthara’s voice bellowed like thunder from above, her large footfalls sending convulsions through the stony ground. 

Ria had no idea how she had summoned the bolt of electricity, but it had provided her with an opportunity to escape, and if she didn’t act quickly, she would be in the drow’s clutches once more. She sprinted as fast as her small legs could carry her, adrenaline blazing through her body as she forced herself to keep moving forward. But her movements were no match for the drow. Minthara’s hand swooped down from above and crushed Ria in her vice-like grip once more. 

“I should break you for such abhorrent behaviour,” Minthara snarled, her white hair frazzled and sticking out in places from where Ria had hit her with electricity. “You are lucky that you are more valuable to me alive.” 

Out of desperation, Ria attempted to summon the electricity once more, but she was met with nothing. The feeling had vanished just as soon as it had taken a hold of her. 

“N-no!” she cried out, tears running down her face as she squirmed in Minthara’s fist. 

“Cease your whining,” Minthara hissed, reaching down to grab the cage from the floor. “Your kind are so utterly pathetic.” 

Ria screamed as loud as she could, tears streaming down her face, but it made no difference. She was going to be traded off to some blood merchant and then most likely be consumed by some vampire. 

“Silence!” Minthara snarled, her red stare furious. “Or I will-”

Minthara didn’t even get to finish her sentence as an arrow shot straight through her chest, causing her to stagger backwards from the sudden impact. 

The drow’s eyes went wide with fear as she stared at the arrow now protruding out of her armour. Crimson began to leak out of the wound and she coughed out a splatter of blood. 

“W-what-” Minthara wheezed as her fingers loosened their grip on the borrower, allowing her to drop to the ground.

No words managed to form on Ria’s lips as her body was now falling through the air, everything passing by in slow motion as she made her gruelling descent towards the hard floor. Just before everything went black, she saw a very familiar pale elf drive a dagger through Minthara’s chest. 

She let the darkness take hold of her as everything faded away. 

Chapter Text

A rasping, gurgling sound was the only noise that came out of Minthara’s throat as more blood oozed out of the wound. The sweet, metallic scent of blood flooded Astarion’s senses and his stomach lurched. He was so hungry, and the drow was weakened and vulnerable…if he was quick, he could sate his hunger and put an end to her before any of the goblin guards decided to venture into the room. 

“Y-You wretch,” Minthara managed to choke out, blood bubbling from her chapped lips as she sent him a scathing look. “Gua-”

Before she could finish her sentence, Astarion lunged towards the drow’s neck and sank his fangs deep into her flesh. He wrenched the dagger free from Minthara’s chest, more blood now gushing out of the raw wound in the process as he drank deeply. Minthara’s knees buckled as Astarion continued to drain her life force, her body growing weaker by the second. A ripple of pleasure shuddered throughout his body as he tasted the drow’s blood on his tongue, it was as rich as wine and it filled his mouth with warmth. He could feel Minthara’s body stiffen as he continued to drink, her pulse becoming weaker with each passing moment as life slipped away from her. 

With one final gulp, Minthara’s body went completely limp in his grasp, and her lifeless body slumped to the floor. Astarion licked the delicious crimson off his lips, his stomach somewhat full, at least momentarily until he needed to feed again. His gaze quickly flicked across the floor and saw Ria’s tiny, broken body lying on the solid stone floor. Immediately he rushed towards her small frame, dropping to one knee, he leaned over her and his heart welled. 

She was so small, so delicate. He was afraid that if he reached down to touch her, she would shatter into a million pieces. Her body was so battered and broken, one arm in a very awkward and unnatural angle, and her head was bleeding onto the floor. Hastily he rummaged through his small daypack and pulled out a Potion of Healing. Since she was so small, she would only need a tiny drop of the potion to heal. Very carefully he tilted the open bottle over her bruised body and parted her mouth open using the tip of his index finger, being very mindful not to accidentally damage her any further. A small drop splashed onto her mouth, some of it going down her throat, but a lot of it went on her face. 

Gods, please be alright!

His chest tightened as he waited anxiously for the potion to take effect. He couldn’t explain why, but a feeling of protectiveness surged throughout his entire body. Never had he felt the need to protect anyone like this, let alone someone so incredibly small. He tried to push the feeling away, but it was terribly persistent, and refused to leave his brain. Perhaps it was the tadpole again, making him feel stupid things about the borrower.  

The potion finally began to kick in as the purple bruises on Ria’s skin began to vanish, the bloodied wound on her head healing completely, and her arm shifted back into place until it looked normal again. Moving his ears, he picked up the very faint and small sound of Ria’s heartbeat. 

He exhaled deeply, a feeling of relief washing over him, as he continued to listen to the small thump, thump, thump of the borrower’s heartbeat. She was alive. 

Thank the gods…

Despite her present pulse and healed wounds, Ria’s little body refused to stir. Very gently he stroked the tip of his finger down her slender arm, but the borrower didn’t move a muscle. His gaze darted around the room, keeping a lookout for any Scrying Eyes or goblins that might notice him standing there. He needed to get out of there quick, before anyone noticed him beside Minthara’s corpse. 

Cautiously, he moved Ria’s body into his hands and almost immediately he wanted to bring her closer to his chest. She was so warm, something that he hadn’t felt since he had been turned. The warmth from her tiny body quickly spread throughout his hand, and he cupped her gently against his chest before moving her into his pocket near his breast. There was a part of him that wanted to hold her in his hand for longer, but he knew now was not the time nor the place for anything like that. 

“Astarion!”

The pale elf stiffened as he watched Gale, Karlach, and Wyll enter the room. All three of them stared at him dumbfoundingly, their jaws slack open as their eyes trailed over to Minthara’s bloodied corpse on the stone floor. 

“Gods, Astarion, you couldn’t wait to kill someone before we got here?” Karlach exclaimed, striding over towards where the dead drow lay. 

A small exhale parted from his lips as he realised that none of them had walked in when he had healed Ria. They were all still completely unaware of the small borrower now tucked safely in his breast pocket, and that relaxed his nerves slightly. 

“What can I say? I just couldn’t help myself,” Astarion answered, licking the remnants of drow blood off his lips. 

“Clearly not,” Karlach remarked.

“Fortunately, we need to kill all three of the goblin leaders if we want to help the tieflings in the grove,” Wyll said. “We managed to free the archdruid, Halsin, but we told him to wait in the worg pens until we had cleared out the camp.” He leaned down, inspecting the drow’s corpse. “Minthara was one of them. That means we just have Dror Ragzlin and Priestess Gut to finish off.” 

“Well, I’ve just made that easier for all of us,” Astarion said somewhat smugly. “Now all we need to do is kill two more leaders and some goblins. Sounds like a great lot of fun if you ask me.”

“You weren’t seen by anyone, were you?” Gale asked, glancing around the room somewhat anxiously. “There are Scrying Eyes about, not to mention goblins everywhere. I hope you were careful.”

Astarion rolled his eyes and heaved a loud sigh. “Please, Gale, sneaking around unseen is one of my many talents. Killing the drow quietly was like taking candy from a gnome.” 

“Fair point, Astarion.” Gale paused as his hazel eyes suddenly grew very wide. “By Mystra, we forgot to press Minthara for questions!” 

Karlach’s face immediately fell upon hearing the wizard’s words. “Oh no, we fucking did! Shit, I promised Ria that we would do it and everything! She’s going to be so disappointed…” 

“Astarion, please tell me that you pressed the drow for answers?” Wyll asked the pale elf, his gaze hardening. “This was very important for her.”

Astarion bit his lip as he racked his brain to think of what to say. He hadn’t managed to overhear Ria’s conversation with the drow, as he arrived just before she had fired a bolt of electricity out of her fingers. That was another thing as well, the fact that the borrower could do magic was truly something unusual and very unexpected. He would have to question Ria about that later.

“I do have some Speak with the Dead scrolls in my daypack,” Gale quickly said, rummaging around in his pack for the scroll. 

“N-no, it’s quite alright,” Astarion swiftly interjected, realising that if they used the Speak with the Dead spell, they would discover that Ria had been there all along with Minthara. “I got all the information that Ria needed. I’ll tell her when we’re back at camp.” 

All three of them exchanged glances between each other, staring quizzically at Astarion. 

“You really did that?” Wyll questioned. 

“That was awfully nice of you Fangs,” Karlach said, her golden eyes widening. 

“I am capable of doing the right thing from time to time,” Astarion replied. “Let’s get going, shall we? We have a lot of goblins left to kill and I’m still feeling rather peckish.”

Gale eyed up the pale elf with searing scepticism, his brown gaze almost boring into the vampire’s skull as he tried to decipher his words. Unfortunately for the wizard, Astarion was an expert when it came to lying.   

“I was pretty certain you hated Ria,” Gale said, his eyes narrowing. “It seems very odd to me that you would go out of your way to help her like that.”

“Well, what can I say? Even a little borrower can have its charms,” Astarion said smoothly, a grin plastering itself across his angular features. “I thought it was the least that I could do, after everything that I’ve put her through.” 

“How thoughtful of you,” Gale responded, scepticism still evident on his face, but it had lessened to a degree.  

“I think we should really discuss this back at camp,” Wyll said firmly, his eyes scanning the room somewhat frantically. “Goblins could walk in any second now and we have a lot of work to do.”

“You’re right Wyll,” Gale answered, heaving a small sigh. “Let’s get going then.” 

As the four of them left the room, Astarion’s hand hovered protectively over the small passenger that was resting soundly in his pocket. Perhaps he was growing soft, or the tadpole was affecting his judgement, but he couldn’t deny that his undead heart was filled with worry for the tiny borrower. He could only hope that she would wake up soon, otherwise he would have a lot of explaining to do when they got back to camp. 

“ Tsk’va! Shadowheart, you will return what rightfully belongs to me!” Lae’zel growled fiercely, her hands balled into fists as she glared at the half-elf. 

“You are utterly deluded to believe that it belongs to you of all people,” Shadowheart snapped back, tossing her ebony braid over her shoulder dismissively. “I won’t warn you again.”

Astarion and the others had returned to camp after successfully freeing the archdruid Halsin and eliminating the goblin leaders. Halsin had left to go inform Zevlor of the news and to deal with the druid, Kagha, and prevent her and the rest of the druids from completing the ritual in the Emerald Grove. Now Astarion, Gale, Karlach, and Wyll stared at the event that was transpiring before their very eyes. Lae’zel and Shadowheart were at each other’s throats, most likely squabbling over the artefact that Shadowheart had been carrying with her since the Nautiloid crash. 

While everyone else was at a loss for words, Astarion couldn’t help himself but to smile at the drama that was unfolding. 

“Oh, this does look quite a show,” Astarion smirked. “It seems we came back at just the right time.”

“What in the Nine Hells are you two doing?” Wyll exclaimed, pushing himself in between the githyanki and the cleric. “Get a hold of yourselves!”  

“Shadowheart carries an heirloom of my people. I demand she return it to me at once and explain why in the name of the mother gith that she even has it!” Lae’zel hissed, her lips curling back to reveal pointed teeth. 

“I’ve said this already, it has nothing to do with her,” Shadowheart persisted. 

“Lies!” Lae’zel retorted. “This has everything to do with me. Now hand it to me if you ever want to see the light of day again.” 

“Stop this, please!” Karlach pleaded, rushing in towards them but being mindful to keep her distance. “Shadowheart, this isn’t worth any bloodshed. Can’t you and Lae’zel meet somewhere in the middle?” 

Shadowheart’s dark eyes flicked to the tiefling, and her gaze immediately softened. There was a change in her expression, as if she was suddenly feeling conflicted now that Karlach was asking her to stop. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words mustered from her lips. Heaving a defeated sigh, she turned to look directly at Lae’zel. 

“Let’s leave this, shall we? There’s no point in fighting over something like this when we have the pressing issue of these tadpoles in our brains,” Shadowheart said calmly.  

A growl resonated in the back of Lae’zel’s throat, her gaze so sharp it could cut through diamonds as she glared at the cleric standing before her. 

“ Chk! You think something like this can be settled with just words? No, honour demands I take something from you.”

“Why don’t we wait until tomorrow to sort this debacle out? We’ll be hosting a party tonight and both of your tempers will be cool enough by tomorrow,” Wyll commented. “There is no need for fighting amongst ourselves. We can’t afford to given our condition.”

“I doubt the gith’s wits will be any sharper by then,” Shadowheart retorted. 

“I do not wish to spill blood here,” Lae’zel interjected, staring intensely at the cleric with distaste. “Come daylight, we will find a place to end this.”

“No, you will absolutely not be ending anything!” Karlach shouted, her skin illuminating vibrant flickers of orange fire as her engine flared. “Listen to Wyll. There is no need for any of this. Please.”

“I do apologise for interrupting,” Gale suddenly said, who had been completely quiet up until now. “But may I ask where our borrower guest is? I don’t see her anywhere.”

Astarion felt his stomach drop like a stone. 

The entire camp went deathly quiet as everyone processed Gale’s words, and soon everyone was staring at both Lae’zel and Shadowheart for answers. 

“We…we haven’t seen her since you left this morning,” Shadowheart said breathlessly, panic seeping into her voice. “I assumed she had just returned to her tent.”

For the first time since Astarion had met Lae’zel, the gith looked anxious. It was unusual to see her so stressed about something given her stone cold and ruthless demeanour towards most things. But right at that moment, the harsh façade she usually displayed was fracturing at the edges as worry quickly spread across her features.

“Ria!” Lae’zel cried out, immediately rushing to the borrower’s small tent. “Are you there? Answer me!”

When Lae’zel was met with nothing, she tentatively opened the flap of the tent with a clawed finger. 

“She isn’t there,” Lae’zel breathed heavily, stepping away from the reduced tent rather numbly. 

“Both of you were meant to be keeping watch at camp while we were gone,” Wyll said sternly. “What in the Nine Hells were you doing? Didn’t you stop and think where Ria was amidst all this?”

“Truthfully, we didn’t,” Shadowheart answered grimly. “We were…distracted.”

“Oh gods, I hope she’s okay,” Karlach said, scanning around the camp frantically. “She’s so small, anything could’ve happened to her! What if an animal got her?”

While the rest of the group frantically searched for Ria, Astarion remained silent as his stomach twisted into knots. If he pulled Ria out of his pocket now, he would be in for a hell of a beating from just about everyone, especially Lae’zel. In fact, he’d be lucky if he even survived. For now, the best course of action was to keep to himself and wait for the right moment to remove Ria from his pocket when she was awake and not in the presence of the rest of the group.

He swallowed thickly, freezing in place like a statue when he felt the dagger dislodge itself from his gums and slip towards his throat. 

Shit! Not now!

The sharp blade stabbed his throat which instantly triggered his gag reflex. Instinctively he began to cough harshly, the blade jostling free from his throat and onto the soft expanse of his tongue. Without thinking, he spat the dagger out into the palm of his hand, releasing a small sigh now that the stabbing pain in his mouth and throat was gone. 

Astarion quickly realised what a grave mistake that was.

He had caught the eyes of everyone in camp from coughing, and now all his companions were staring at him intently with shock as all of them gazed at the tiny dagger in the centre of his palm. 

“Is that…” Shadowheart murmured softly, her eyes widening with horror as she stared at Astarion’s palm. 

“That is Ria’s dagger,” Wyll said grimly, his eyes dark. 

“No…not Ria,” Gale whispered softly, his face contorted in disbelief and horror. “Astarion, how could you do that?”

“Hold on, it’s not what it looks like,” Astarion said breathlessly as everyone started to crowd around him. “You must believe me. I didn’t hurt her, I swear it-!”

“Astarion, why the fuck would you do that?!” Karlach exclaimed loudly, tears beginning to swell in her eyes. “She was just a little borrower! She didn’t do anything wrong!”

“Karlach, please, calm down,” Astarion said. “I can honestly say that I did not hurt her. I know this looks bad, but, please, believe me.”

Ignoring the vampire spawn’s words, Karlach rushed towards him and crouched down so that she was eye-level with Astarion’s stomach. The tears that spilled from her eyes were almost evaporated into steam in an instant, creating a small cloud of mist around the tiefling’s head. 

“Hold on soldier, we’re going to get you out of there!” Karlach shouted at Astarion’s stomach in between sobs. “Just hold on tight! You’ll be okay!”

“I swear I did not eat her!” Astarion protested. “If you just let me, I’ll tell you everything!”

“That will not be necessary,” Lae’zel’s cold voice cut through the still air like a knife through butter. “It is painstakingly obvious what you have done. I will fillet you, Astarion, and rip out your spinal cord and wear it as a necklace once I have freed Ria from your wretched insides.”

Lae’zel unsheathed her longsword and pointed it directly at Astarion. She was poised like a venomous snake, ready to strike him down at any moment.

“Move, Karlach,” Lae’zel hissed through gritted teeth, her eyes blazing with pure fury. 

“Hold on, you might hurt her!” Karlach turned to face Lae’zel, her eyes puffy from crying. “We have to do this carefully if we want to get her out alive.”

“I could extract her with magic,” Gale chimed in, his hands glowing with the essence of the Weave as he began to prepare a spell. “Sit tight, Astarion, this won’t hurt a bit – but don’t think we’re going to let you off so easily. We will unleash Lae’zel and all her fury onto you once Ria is safe.”

“ Chk , fine.” Lae’zel angrily sheathed her sword, not taking her seething gaze off Astarion. “I will destroy you for this, spawn.”

“Please, just listen to me!” Astarion yelled at the top of his lungs. If his undead heart could beat, it would be threatening to tear itself out of his chest right at that very moment. “For the last time, I did not eat her! If you would just allow me to explain, I can tell you what happened.”

“I think you’ve said enough, Astarion,” Shadowheart remarked. “We all know how badly you wanted to eat her since she first arrived in the camp.”

As his companions inched closer towards him, something stirred in Astarion’s breast pocket. He glanced down and saw Ria’s tiny head pop out of the lip of his pocket, her blue eyes blinking as she slowly came to her senses. Relief immediately flooded through him upon seeing Ria’s tired face staring at everyone around her. The healing potion had worked and now she was finally conscious again, and just at the right time. 

“W-What…” Ria murmured, her voice thick with sleep as she drank in her surroundings. “What is going on? What happened?”

A hushed silence fell over the entire camp as everyone processed what was happening. A few seconds passed as nobody said anything, everyone was too stunned to even muster a word. 

“She’s alive,” Wyll finally said. “Astarion was telling the truth after all.”

“Thank Mystra!” Gale cried, lowering his hands as the magic of the Weave left his fingertips, relief spreading across his face. “Perhaps we jumped to conclusions a little too quickly.”

“Thank the gods!” Karlach exclaimed, wiping the evaporating tears from her eyes. “She’s fine…fuck, I was almost ready to tear your head off Astarion.”

Astarion grimaced as the image of Karlach ripping his head off and Lae’zel tearing his spine out flashed through his brain vividly. He was glad that Ria chose to wake up when she did, otherwise he would’ve met a very gruesome fate. 

Lae’zel’s expression relaxed, the burning scowl from her features mostly vanished but the gith was still staring at the pale elf intently. “ Chk. Tell us, Astarion, why do you have Ria in your pocket?”

“Wait, you brought Ria to the Goblin Camp?” Karlach spluttered. 

I suppose this was unavoidable…

He pressed his lips together thinly before inhaling a steady breath. “Yes, fine, I took her with me. But she wanted to come. All of you didn’t want her to come along, and this was important to her, so I was a gentleman and obliged her.” He flashed a small grin, but no one reciprocated it. 

“Gods above, Astarion, we were going to find out the information for her!” Gale snapped, pushing towards the spawn. “It was incredibly dangerous and stupid for you to bring her along with you, didn’t you think about that? She could’ve been seriously hurt, or even worse!”

“I realise that,” Astarion hissed, his fangs flashing for a small moment as he glared at the wizard. “But this is what she wanted. And she’s perfectly fine.”

“Why don’t we ask Ria that?” Wyll said coldly. 

Ria, who was still safely tucked in Astarion’s pocket, was still blinking away confusion over what was happening. Everyone fell silent as they all waited for the borrower to respond. 

“Um…” Ria rasped. “I…I did go with Astarion. It was my choice.” 

“But how did your dagger end up in Astarion’s mouth?” Shadowheart questioned, quirking a brow. “That is a very peculiar place for your dagger to be, and I hardly think Astarion was holding it in there to keep it warm for you.”

Astarion stiffened as his breath caught in his throat. Just how much of the truth was Ria going to say? Would she tell them everything that happened or will she lie? He hated to think what Lae’zel would do to him if she found out that he had put Ria in his jaws unwillingly. He chewed the bottom of his lip nervously as he waited with bated breath for the borrower to answer. 

“I-I…” Ria stammered, her cheeks flushing a faint shade of pink. “I’d rather not talk about it, please. I’m tired. Can’t we discuss this later? It’s been…one hell of a day.”

“I agree, we should discuss this later,” Wyll said, his gaze softening upon seeing how exhausted Ria was. “It’s been a long day for all of us. Besides, the tiefling’s and the archdruid will be here soon.”

“W-What?” Ria coughed, her eyes widening with shock. “What do you mean?”

“After we defeated the goblin leaders, Zevlor, the leader of the tieflings in the grove, offered to celebrate by throwing a party for us,” Gale explained. “They will most likely be here any minute now.” 

Ria’s jaw slacked open as she digested Gale’s words and her eyes grew very wide. “They’ll be here… any minute ?!” Her breath hitched and Astarion could feel her squirm against his chest. “Put me on the ground. Now.”

Astarion pinched Ria’s waist in between his index finger and thumb and placed her softly on the ground below. Before anyone could say anything to the borrower, she immediately sprinted away from everyone as fast as she could. 

“Ria,” Astarion said softly, his chest tightened as he watched her scamper away. 

Lae’zel looked conflicted, as if she was silently debating whether to chase after her or not, but the gith did not move from her spot. 

“I think it’s best that we leave her for now,” Wyll said. 

“Poor little thing,” Karlach murmured, her gaze forlorn. 

“It may have been an oversight that we didn’t consult Ria first about having the party,” Gale commented, his brows furrowed. “Being surrounding by seven giants is one thing, but dozens of them? Now that is quite a difference.” 

Wyll nodded in agreement. “It was a bit selfish of us not to think of her. But there isn’t a lot we can do about it now; we should start to get ready."

While the rest of the group began to prepare for the evening ahead, Astarion’s thoughts were distracted. A part of him wanted to go follow Ria, and he surprised himself that he even felt the need to go after her at all. He had put her through a lot today to say the least, and he wasn’t sure what information she had managed to pry from the drow. Hopefully she had found out what she wanted to know, although perhaps it hadn’t been the answers she had been looking for. 

It wasn’t long before the druid, Halsin, and Zevlor with his group of tieflings arrived. They brought plenty of wine and food, much to Astarion’s delight. While he would much prefer to be drinking blood, he could make do with some wine for the time being. Not like he could taste much anyway given his vampiric nature. He swiftly opened a bottle of wine with ease and pressed it to his lips. It had to be better than the goblin beer he had the misfortune of tasting earlier that day. His expression quickly soured as the foul taste of vinegar spread across his tastebuds and he lowered the bottle in disappointment. Oh, what he would do for goblet full of blood. 

Still clutching the wine bottle in his hand, his gaze scanned across the camp as cheers of celebration filled the night air. He hadn’t seen Ria since she had run off and worry began to flicker deep inside his chest as he thought about her. Shaking his head lightly, he attempted to dismiss the thought festering in his brain, but it refused to leave. 

There was no use in pushing it away anymore, he had to find her. Clicking his tongue in annoyance, he honed in on her scent amidst the tieflings and began his search. 

Chapter Text

The chill of the night air wrapped its cold arms around Ria’s trembling form as she sat huddled in the dirt. She had bolted towards the outskirts of the camp, away from the loud party that was being held in its centre, down by the flowing river that trailed alongside the camp grounds. This was the only place that wasn’t occupied by the masses of tieflings that had swarmed the camp.

Bringing her knees close to her chest, she allowed the tears to spill down her cheeks until her vision became a hazy blur. The events of the day flooded her brain like some vivid nightmare as she attempted to process everything that had happened. The truth about the disappearance of her kind had been answered for her and she struggled to comprehend it. Was this all her kind had been reduced to? Products to be bottled up and devoured without a second thought? Is that all she was worth?

Was I made to be devoured? Am I just a piece of meat? 

Sobs racked her body heavily, gasping for breath in between each of them, as she allowed all her anguish to flow freely. Her chest heaved with each exhale and she huddled closer to her legs in a feeble attempt to keep warm. The surrounding air was cold to the bone, and her frail clothes weren’t offering much to help retain any body heat. 

Astarion’s face flashed in her mind, and her sobbing slowed. She remembered seeing his face as he drove a dagger through Minthara’s chest before clamping his jaws around her neck moments before she passed out. Astarion had saved her life for a second time, however, this time it was intentionally unlike before with the goblins. Not to mention he had protected her and carried her back to camp inside his pocket when he easily could’ve just left her there.

Conflicting emotions battled intensely in her brain. She certainly hadn’t forgotten the whole ordeal of being inside his mouth, but at the same time she couldn’t push away the fact that he had purposefully saved her from Minthara.

“Vampires seem to be intoxicated as soon as they get a taste of it. They easily become addicted, as if it’s like a drug to them.”  

The drow’s words echoed clearly in her brain. It certainly explained why Astarion was so intent on eating her when they had first met. And he had a taste of her blood for quite some time now…was she even safe being around him anymore? Not like it was very safe to be around him beforehand anyway, but at the same time, he did seem to be acting nicer towards her as of late, and he had saved her life. Astarion himself wasn’t even aware of the intoxicating nature of her blood. And yet, he had cradled her with his tongue as if she had been made from porcelain, when he had most likely been battling his vampiric nature to eat her. Flashes of brilliant white teeth and the warm, soft sensation of the vampire’s tongue flickered in her brain. It had been an utterly terrifying ordeal, as it had resurfaced memories from when she had first met the pale elf, and at the time she hadn’t been sure if he was going to eat her or not. It would’ve been so easy for things to have gone horribly wrong. She shook her head lightly and pushed the thought to the back of her mind.

Ria wasn’t sure what to think. So many things had happened all in the span of one day and her brain kept on darting from one thing to the next. Her gaze raked down towards her hands, still bewildered that she had somehow managed to summon a blast of magic. The sensation of the Weave had long since left her and she was now met with a hollow, sinking feeling of nothingness in her gut. Whatever had possessed her to cast the spell, it had long since gone. Perhaps when she was feeling better, she could discuss this matter with Gale. If anyone could teach her anything about harnessing the Weave, it would be the wizard. Borrowers controlling the Weave was something she had never even heard of. She wondered if her parents had known it was possible.

Her thoughts were interrupted when the soil beneath her feet thudded rather violently. Freezing in place, her heart pounding in her chest, she craned her neck upwards. She relaxed when she saw that it was only Shadowheart approaching her. The half-elf paused in her tracks, her emerald gaze focusing on Ria’s tiny form on the ground. 

“Mind if I join you?” she asked softly, a wine glass in hand. 

Ria wiped her tearstained face with the back of her sleeve. “S-sure. Make yourself comfortable.”

If it had been anyone else, she probably would’ve denied them. But Shadowheart seemed to have an understanding aura about her that Ria couldn’t quite explain. Perhaps talking to someone was what she needed at that moment. 

Shadowheart sat down next to the borrower, but with a considerable distance between them. 

“I think you could use a drink,” Shadowheart said, revealing a thimble pinched in between her index finger and thumb.

Ria blinked away her remaining tears and watched as the cleric dropped a small amount of wine from her own glass into the thimble. Very slowly, she deposited the thimble in front of where Ria was huddled in the dirt.

“T-Thanks.” Ria glanced down at the thimble full of alcohol that sat directly in front of her.

Some mind-numbing wine was exactly what she needed after what had happened today. Immediately she grasped the thimble with both hands and thrust it towards her face, taking hungry gulps of the liquid as if she was parched for the substance.

“Careful not to drink that too quickly,” Shadowheart said, her eyes widening as she watched the tiny borrower devour the wine like she hadn’t had anything to drink for days.

Ria placed the half-full thimble on the ground, releasing a long exhale.

“I really needed that,” she said numbly, pushing strands of red hair out of her eyes.

“I’m not surprised,” Shadowheart replied with a weak smile.   

“Today has been utterly horrible,” Ria sniffled, blinking back more tears that were beginning to well in her eyes. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” Shadowheart asked gently, concern reflected in her green eyes.

She wasn’t sure why she felt the need to tell the cleric what had happened, perhaps it was the wine, but she proceeded to tell everything to Shadowheart. Shadowheart remained silent, nodding a few times, the half-elf’s eyes growing very wide when Ria described certain events.

When Ria had finally finished telling Shadowheart everything, she took another large gulp of wine from the thimble as the cleric processed the borrower’s retelling of events in shock.

“And that’s why my dagger was in Astarion’s mouth,” Ria said, her words slightly slurred as the effects of alcohol were starting to take hold.

Shadowheart was at a loss for words and took a swig of wine from her own glass.

“My goodness, Lady Shar above…” Shadowheart struggled to think of the right words to say. “I’m so sorry that happened to you. I can’t possibly imagine what you must be feeling right now.” 

Ria only managed to give the cleric a small nod in reply before she downed the rest of the wine that was in her thimble, holding it up high above her head as she attempted to get every drop, not caring if some of it spilled down the side of her face and onto the ground.

“You might want to slow down with the wine,” Shadowheart commented.

“Too late for that.” Ria placed the empty thimble on the ground, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. “I stink like beer and blood and I’ve had the worst day imaginable. I’m going to drink as much as I can.”

“Fair point. I won’t stop you.”

Ria flashed a weak smile at the cleric before heaving a long sigh. 

“I…I don’t know what to think anymore,” Ria murmured, her voice breaking. “Discovering that my kind is some kind of addictive drug for vampires was not what I was expecting.”

Shadowheart narrowed her eyes in thought. “Well, I don’t think anything could prepare you for that revelation.”

“And I don’t know if I can show my face to Astarion,” she rasped. “After what happened, I…it…it’s all so much.” She inhaled a shaky breath. “What if he tries to eat me again? I thought maybe we were starting to get along, but…” Her voice trailed off, her gaze focusing on the flowing river in front of her, shimmering in the soft rays of moonlight.

“I will blast him into the dirt if he tries anything like that again,” Shadowheart said reassuringly. “But, despite everything that happened, I think he does actually care about you.”

Ria turned her head and glanced upwards at the half-elf. She couldn’t deny that there was certainly some truth to Shadowheart’s words, seeing as he had saved her after all, but she still struggled to comprehend it. 

“Do you…really think so?”

“Of course.” Shadowheart nodded. “I’ve noticed how he’s been looking at you lately. There is a softness there that wasn’t there before. Besides, he could’ve easily eaten you again today, yet he didn’t do that. Not to mention he also saved you from Minthara and brought you back to camp safely. That is a remarkable improvement on his character entirely. And it was all for you .”

Hearing the words come out of Shadowheart’s mouth she slowly started to believe it. Her mind kept on replaying the scene of Astarion stabbing Minthara so brutally – all of that was to save her life. Going back to a few weeks ago, there was no way that Astarion would attempt to do anything like that just for her.

Shadowheart was right. Astarion had to care about her, even if it was only a small amount.

“It is outstanding that he resisted the urge, given how adamant he was on eating you before.” The cleric paused to take a sip of wine before continuing. “I say he cares about you a lot more than what you know.” 

Heat quickly flushed to Ria’s cheeks, except it wasn’t from all the wine she had drunk from before. Her mind swirled as she attempted to process that Astarion, the very man who had nearly ended her life not that long ago, cared about her . It was truly a mind-boggling thought. 

“B-But why would he care about me?” Ria mumbled.

A soft smile curled at the corners of Shadowheart’s lips. “Well, you did suggest that he should feed on thinking creatures. None of us were willing to let him do that.”

Ria pursued her lips in thought. “That…that is true.”

“And perhaps he’s just grown a bit soft for you,” Shadowheart added. “You’re a kind person, Ria. And you’ve probably been the kindest to Astarion out of all of us.”

A small grin tugged at the corners of Ria’s mouth as she thought about what Shadowheart had said. She couldn’t explain why, but the very idea of Astarion warming up to her made her heart skip a beat and a rush of excitement filled her chest.  

“Ow!” Shadowheart suddenly exclaimed, startling Ria out of her thoughts.

“Are you okay?” Ria asked with concern. 

“It’s nothing.” Shadowheart grimaced as she clutched her right hand. “Just an old wound that refuses to heal.” 

Ria’s gaze flicked to the wound on the half-elf’s hand. There was a noticeably dark spot on the back of her hand which seemed to be the source of her pain.

“That is a funny looking wound,” Ria said, the alcohol impairing her judgement somewhat. “Can I do anything to help?”

“No, it’s fine.” Shadowheart’s face relaxed as she lowered her hand, the pain subsiding for now. “That is sweet of you to ask, though. But I’ve had this condition for quite some time. It always passes after a while.” 

Shadowheart brought her cup to her lips, taking a long sip from the glass. 

“Are we going to just ignore the fact that you can do magic now?” Shadowheart smiled, obviously wanting to change the subject about the wound on her hand. “I’ve never heard of borrowers being capable of using magic. That is truly something special.” 

“Y-Yeah, it was definitely unexpected,” Ria answered. “I’m planning on telling Gale about it. Maybe he can help me harness it.”

Shadowheart gave a small nod in agreement. “That sounds like an excellent idea. While Gale certainly tends to yap, he is remarkably talented when it comes to harnessing the Weave. Good luck trying not to fall asleep if he offers any magic lessons.”

A small chuckle slipped out of Ria’s lips. “Oh, I’m sure he can’t be that bad.”

“You’re too kind to the wizard,” Shadowheart smirked. “But if anyone can help you, he certainly can.” 

A faint smile pulled at the corner of her mouth as she allowed herself to momentarily push the traumatic events of the day to the back of her mind. Talking to Shadowheart had helped her feel a little better despite everything that had happened. It also gave her a different perspective on Astarion and she wasn’t sure how to feel about it yet.

The ground trembled as Shadowheart suddenly got up to her feet.

“I’m sorry to cut this short, but…” Shadowheart cleared her throat. “Well, let’s just say I did promise my evening to someone else.”

“Oh, who is the lucky person?” Ria quirked an eyebrow at the cleric.

“Karlach,” Shadowheart responded rather quickly, her voice giddy. “She’s…wonderful. And I’m lucky she’s interested in me too. I hope you don’t mind me leaving so soon.”

“I thought there was something brewing between you too,” Ria smiled softly. “Please don’t let me hold you back. Thank you for coming to see me. Our talk really helped…quite a lot.”

Shadowheart returned the borrower’s warm smile. “Anytime. My tent is always open. Take care of yourself, Ria.”

Rumbling vibrations rattled the earth as the half-elf padded away into the heart of the party, her long pony-tail braid swishing behind her rhythmically as she walked.

Only mere moments after Shadowheart had left, tremors started to become increasingly more violent as Ria was alone with her thoughts.

Gods, who is it now?

Fearing it was a random tiefling and not someone that she knew, Ria staggered to her feet, albeit somewhat wobbly, managing to hold her ground as she prepared to bolt.

Her heart stilled as a pale lean figure quickly came into her vision. 

Astarion.

The elf had his ruby eyes glued to the ground, his gaze scanning around feverishly, and Ria realised with alarm that he was purposefully looking for her.

Her body seemed to freeze up as his footfalls became more intense and his tall figure loomed ever closer. She couldn’t move, as if some holding spell had been placed under her.

Did she even want to run away?

The option to run away unnoticed soon dissipated as Astarion’s biting gaze fell on her small frame. As he realised that it was her, the fierceness of his gaze seemed to almost melt away and become… gentle . 

“Ria?”

Astarion’s voice cut through the cold air, almost startling her even though she knew he was right there.

Ria sucked in a sharp breath.

“Y-Yes?”

Her reply was weak, and her voice trembled.

“Ria, I–“ Astarion cleared his throat. “May I?” He gestured to the spot where Shadowheart had been sitting mere moments ago.

Ria blinked in surprise and quickly nodded in response.

The floor rumbled as Astarion ambled forward, slowly taking a seat right next to her on the ground and sat cross-legged. He had a wine bottle that he was loosely holding in one hand and she was almost tempted to ask if he could pour some of that wine into her thimble.

“I…” Astarion stammered, his voice strangely quiet for once. “I want to apologise for everything that happened today. It was very foolish of me to put you through all of that, all things considered.” 

Ria’s eyebrows shot up in shock as she took in Astarion’s words, wondering if she had heard him correctly.

Was he apologising to her?

“Are you being serious?” she mumbled, not fully convinced that he was being genuine with her.

“I know this is hard to believe, but I am being completely serious. It was idiotic of me to put you through all of that. I don’t expect you to forgive me.” Astarion softly exhaled through his nose as a gentle smile pulled at the corners of his mouth. “Unfortunately, I’m fresh out of flowers, so I do hope this will suffice. But, if not, then I understand as well.” 

Perhaps there had been some truth to Shadowheart’s comments from earlier. His gaze was soft, and it lingered over her with a warmth that made her stomach twist itself into knots.

“Well, you could start by giving me some of your wine,” she said, a playful edge to her tone that surprised even herself. “But I do forgive you…you did save my life after all, despite everything, so I can’t completely hate you for that.”

Her response only made his smile deepen, and she caught a hint of his fangs behind his lips.

“You’ve certainly surprised me there, darling. You’re a lot more fun than I originally thought.” He lowered the wine bottle and carefully dropped some of the liquid into her thimble. “You’re welcome to try some, but I must warn you, it tastes awful.”

She lifted the thimble to her lips and hungrily guzzled the liquid without a second thought. Immediately her expression soured as the vile taste of vinegar assaulted her taste buds. It was a red, dry wine that was nowhere near as good as the wine that Shadowheart had offered earlier.

“Okay, that wasn’t the best,” she coughed. 

“See what I mean? Awful.” Astarion took a swig from the bottle himself, his face scrunched in disgust. “I also have something for you.”

Ria quirked an eyebrow, wondering just exactly what Astarion was going to give her. He pulled a tiny dagger – her dagger – out of his pocket and pinched it in between his fingers.

“Don’t worry, I cleaned it thoroughly,” he said reassuringly, holding out the miniature dagger towards her.

Ria leaned forward, grasping the handle of the dagger and turned the blade over in her hand. It gleamed in the dim light of the evening and not a speck of blood could be found on the weapon. It was free of Astarion’s saliva as well, much to her relief.

“T-thanks.” She slipped the blade back into its sheath.

“You know, I do admire you for stabbing my tongue so many times,” Astarion chuckled lightly. “As stupid as it was, you’ve got a killer instinct in you that I like.” His red gaze lingered over her as a seductive grin curled around the corner of his lips, completely drinking her in as she sat beside him. “I never knew vegetarians could be so bloodthirsty.”

Ria’s eyes quickly darted away from Astarion’s intense stare, her heart thudding so fiercely against her ribcage she was afraid it would break free. The mood of the conversation had suddenly shifted, and now she couldn’t stop the flush of heat spreading across her face.

“Well, you did deserve it,” she retorted, pushing a strand of red hair out of her face as she tried to ignore the fluttering feeling that was threatening to burst from her chest. “And now my clothes are completely ruined. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to wash the smell of blood and beer out of them now.”

Astarion’s smirk faded, his face softening.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, you’ve already apologised,” Ria said hastily, waving her hand dismissively, surprised by his gentle tone. “There isn’t much you can do about it now.” 

A pregnant pause encompassed the area, and for a while the only sounds that could be heard was cheering and celebration coming from the centre of the camp as the tieflings and the rest of the group enjoyed the party.

Astarion cleared his throat.

“So, did the drow tell you what you needed to know?”

Ria grimaced briefly at the mention of Minthara, her cackling laugh and scathing words echoing through her brain.

“Y-yeah, I did,” she answered stiffly, pushing the memories of the drow to the back of her mind. “Borrower blood is…very valuable. Apparently, my kind are descended from Fey, and magic runs in the blood. Which would explain why I was able to cast that spell on Minthara.”

Astarion listened intently, his eyebrows shot up upon hearing the revelation of her Fey ancestry. She wondered how he would take the next lot of information.

“Minthara also mentioned that vampires become easily addicted to borrower blood,” she said quietly, her heart catching in her throat as she waited to hear his response. “She…she said it’s almost like a drug to them.”

The elf’s eyes widened in surprise for a moment, but it was quickly replaced with his usual charismatic grin as he processed the new information.

“Well, that certainly explains a lot ,” he answered. “And here I was wondering why your blood was so divine. It seems there’s an actual reason for it.”  

He took another sip of wine from the bottle, running his tongue over his lips as his gaze fell back onto her.

“And yet you didn’t eat me,” Ria said softly, the words leaving her mouth before she had time to think. “With all that temptation, it would’ve been so easy for you to eat me earlier today. But why didn’t you?”

Astarion faltered, somewhat caught off guard by her sudden question.  

“That is an interesting question,” he replied after a moment, his voice dropping to a low murmur. “Let’s just say I may have taken a small liking to you, darling. My previous perspective on borrowers may have changed…albeit only a little.”

His response surprised her and she almost choked on the wine that she had just sipped from.

“Oh, don’t tell me you’re growing soft on me,” she coughed, wiping wine off her chin with the back of her hand. “I’m still finding it hard to believe that you even like me at all.”

“Emphasis on little , darling,” Astarion said sharply, but the glimmer in his eyes betrayed his words. “Besides, Lae’zel was ready to gut me like a fish when they all thought I had eaten you. I rather like having all my innards inside my body and I want to keep it that way.”

Ria couldn’t help but to chuckle upon hearing his reply, and she took another hearty drink of dry wine from her thimble. At this point, she didn’t care if the wine was awful, she just wanted to drink away the pain from the events of earlier that day.

“Yeah, why in the Nine Hells did you think it was a good idea to put me in your nasty mouth?” she spluttered, the wine really starting to settle into her system now. “Surely you could’ve thought of something else, or were you just too brainless to think of an alternative?”

Astarion dramatically placed a hand over his undead heart and gasped loudly in fake shock. 

“Darling, how rude! My mouth is anything but nasty, thank you very much. I may not be able to see my reflection, but I know for a fact that my teeth are as white as pearls.” He paused to take a sip of wine before continuing. “Anyways, I’ve never been much of a detail’s person, alright? It was the only thing I could think of in the heat of the moment. If those goblins saw you in my cup, you would’ve been eaten for real.”

“Yeah, you really aren’t a detail’s person, that’s for sure.” She guzzled the remaining alcohol from her thimble before placing it firmly on the ground.

Astarion stared at the borrower in genuine surprise, his eyes growing wider as he watched her finish the rest of the wine so effortlessly.

“That was a horrendously large amount of alcohol for someone so small to consume so quickly,” Astarion remarked.

“Nah, this? This was nothing!” Ria hiccupped as she stood up on rather wobbly legs, her eyes immediately falling on the wine bottle that was firmly in his grasp.  

“Darling, I don’t think you should be standing up.”

Ria shook her head rather enthusiastically. “Nah, I’m fine .” She began to giggle and staggered towards where he was sitting across from her.

Astarion watched as the little borrower fumbled forward until she was directly in front of his legs, a goofy grin plastered on her dainty face as she stared up at him.  

“Gimme!” She flopped onto his leg, her tiny hands grabbing fistfuls of the fabric of his pants as she arched her neck to look up at him. “Hand over the wine!”

He cocked an eyebrow, titling his head softly to the side as he processed her request.

“I think not, you’re clearly wasted enough as it is.”

Her lips turned into a massive pout and she banged on his leg with her tiny fists in frustration.

“No, that isn’t fair! I deserve more wine, gods dammit! Especially after what you put me through today, it’s the least that you could do.”

Astarion heaved a long sigh and rolled his eyes. “Fine. But this will be the last bit of wine I’m going to offer you for tonight.”

He slowly lowered the bottle down to her level and slightly tilted it downwards. Immediately Ria rushed towards the lip of the bottle and brought her lips to the glass, taking a hungry gulp of the alcohol without a second thought.

“Okay, that’s enough,” Astarion said, tearing the wine bottle away from the drunken borrower. “I think you’ve had far more than you can handle, my dear.”

“Don’t be stupid!” she exclaimed, her face flushed scarlet as her small body sunk into his leg. “For your information I could’ve taken way more than that.”

“I very much doubt that,” Astarion smirked, taking a sip of wine for himself. “You look quite comfortable down there. After today I didn’t think you’d want to be this close to me, even if you’re horrifically drunk.”

“Hmm, well, maybe I don’t hate you that much,” Ria answered, her words rather slurred as she pressed her burning face into his leg. “And you’re right, I am pretty comfortable here.”

“Oh? Is that so?” Astarion grinned, rather amused and surprised by her words all at once.

“Yes, but don’t let it get to that fluffy head of yours,” she retorted, her eyes growing droopy as she leaned into the fabric of his pants.

Rumbling vibrations rattled through the air as the pale elf chuckled. 

“Well, coming from you, that is quite a compliment.” He stared down at her tiny frame on his leg. Her body was so light and small, he could barely feel her there.

“I must ask, what exactly do borrowers do?”

His question made her eyelids fly open and she glared up at the giant vampire in disgust.

“Excuse me? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means exactly what it means,” he replied, a playful grin dancing on the edge of his lips. 

Ria frowned upon hearing his reply. “Well, we borrow , of course. I thought that was painfully obvious.”

“And that involves?”

She exhaled loudly, rather annoyed by his question. “We borrow small things that larger folk like you won’t miss. Small pieces of food, bits of fabric, needles, thread…stuff like that.”

“That’s what you would call stealing, darling,” Astarion smirked. “You’re hardly borrowing anything at all.”

“It isn’t stealing!” she exclaimed, glaring harshly at him. 

“Oh, so you give the items back when you’re done with them?”

Ria pressed her lips into a thin line, her brows furrowed. “N-no…but it’s only stuff that people won’t miss, so it hardly counts as stealing.” 

“That still counts, I’m afraid.”

“It does not!”

“It does. Trust me, I am very familiar with the concept.”

“Fine, whatever. I’m too tired for this.” Ria buried her face into the fabric of his pants, her body screaming with exhaustion from everything she had been through over the past few hours. She didn’t have the energy to argue with the giant vampire spawn especially at this hour of the evening, nor did she care how close she was to him right now.

The two of them sat together without saying a word for some time, the sounds of the party gradually growing quieter as everyone began to head into their respective tents for the night. Ria’s eyelids sealed shut as she allowed the events of the day to completely wash over her, her body aching with exhaustion and the effects of the wine sending her into a deep sleep, too tired and drunk to care that she was still lying on Astarion’s leg.  

Astarion soon noticed that she had dozed off on his leg and a warm smile spread across his face. Placing the now empty wine bottle on the ground, he gently scooped Ria’s slumbering frame into his palm and picked up her tiny thimble with his other hand. Cupping her towards his chest, he slowly rose to his feet, being very careful not to jostle her, and began to search for her small tent.

His eyes scanned the camp, a few tieflings were still flitting about, but most of them had since left or gone to bed. He noticed Lae’zel dragging Wyll off outside of the camp in the corner of his eye, and he couldn’t help but to smirk. No doubt the Blade of Frontiers was going to be put in his place that night.

Continuing his search, it didn’t take him long until he found Ria’s small tent…or, rather, what was left of it. The shrunken tent was completely crushed, no doubt stepped on by a tiefling who hadn’t been looking at where they were going. There was no possible way to salvage it in the slightest. 

Gently breathing through his nose, he gazed down at Ria who was still sleeping soundly in his palm. His fingers curled slightly around her slumbering form almost instinctively, a warm feeling settling in his undead heart as he looked at her. She was so peaceful and so very vulnerable right now. There was no way he could just leave her outside by herself with no shelter to sleep under, which left him with only one option. 

He padded quietly towards his tent and slipped inside without making a single noise. No doubt Ria would be mortified if she knew what he was planning on doing, but he wasn’t going to leave her out in the cold. Everyone else was asleep or had other plans for the evening, so it didn’t seem right to bother them when he was perfectly capable of offering her somewhere warm and dry to spend the night. It was only for one night, what could the harm be? 

Using his other hand he grabbed one of the many cushions that adorned his tent, setting it down not far away from his own pillow. Very carefully he moved Ria’s small frame onto the plush surface of the pillow and grabbed a clean handkerchief from his pocket, draping it over her tiny body. 

Her body was so tiny and light she barely made an indent in the pillow. He watched her small chest rise and fall, her tiny heartbeat pulsing softly through his ears, as strands of auburn hair messily fell over her face. A gentle smile wove across his sharp features as he gazed down at her, a surge of protectiveness and something else – something warm – threatening to burst out of his chest. Dismissing the feeling, he shook his head and made himself comfortable in his own bedroll, his head now next to Ria on her pillow as he got ready to enter a trance. No doubt she’d want to stab his eye out in the morning, but, quite frankly, the idea didn’t bother him. Strangely enough, there was just something about someone who was a hundred times smaller than him threatening him with bodily harm that made it more appealing.

Chapter Text

A pounding, almost bludgeoning pain resonated through Ria’s skull as she struggled to open her heavy eyelids. Immediately she clutched her head, feeling every single pulse as if someone was swinging a hammer at her skull. Despite the vibrating pain in her head, her body was surprisingly comfortable. This certainly felt nothing like her old tent. The surface she was lying on was incredibly soft and plush, her tiny body sinking into the luscious fabric as if she was floating on a fluffy cloud. A familiar scent quickly graced her nostrils and she breathed it in deeply. Sunny notes of citrus flooded her senses, coupled with a slight alcoholic overtone that piqued her interest.

Wait…is that…brandy? No…that’s…that’s…

Her eyelids suddenly shot open once she realised where she was, the remnants of sleep now completely gone as she turned her head over to her side. Her entire body froze over when her gaze fell on the slumbering giant that was lying directly next to her.

It was Astarion.

Her heart almost threatened to leap out of her throat once she realised her predicament. She was lying on a pillow with Astarion’s handkerchief draped over her body to act as some kind of blanket, and Astarion himself was lying right next to her. She wasn’t lying on the same pillow as him, but this was still far too close for comfort. Frantically she attempted to recall the events of last night, wondering what had she done to end up sharing his tent of all people.

What happened last night? Did…did Astarion and I…?

Red blossomed across her pale face as the very thought plagued through her mind. No, there was no possible way that anything could’ve happened between her and Astarion. But, despite her brain trying to think logically, another part of her mind began to wander elsewhere. Her gaze fell onto the pale elf’s lips and her heart began to flutter against her chest. She remembered the events of yesterday prior to the party just fine, and now that she was staring at his lips, the memory of falling in the giant cup and being pressed against his mouth flashed through her mind. Her entire body had been pushed against his lips – practically kissing her.

No, stop it! It was not a kiss! I just…fell onto his lips. That’s how gravity works.

She remembered how soft his lips had been. Her body pressed against his mouth, moments before she had fallen inside. He had been so very gentle with her, even after she had stabbed his tongue repeatedly.

Stop this right now!

Ria clasped her hands over her burning face and refused to look at the sleeping vampire. She was horrified with herself that she was having such indecent thoughts about the elf of all people. Her head was still pounding relentlessly, constantly reminding her that she had consumed so much alcohol that she still couldn’t properly remember the events of the tiefling party from last night. What had happened? She remembered speaking to Shadowheart who had kindly offered her some wine. Not long after the cleric had left, Astarion had found her. After that everything became hazy.

I need to leave. Now.

Very tentatively she slipped down the pillow until her feet hit the hard floor below. Perhaps if she was quiet enough, she could sneak out of the tent before Astarion woke up from his trance. Slowly but surely, she inched closer towards the mouth of the tent, wincing every so often as her brain reeled from the effects of her drinking from last night. Gritting her teeth, she kept on pushing forward.

Just keep on going…

“Leaving so soon? Don’t I at least get a good morning?”

The borrower’s entire body froze over as if she had been blasted with a ray of frost. Her heart almost burst out of her chest as she slowly turned her head around to look up at the smirking giant elf. Her breath hitched as she saw that he had rolled over onto his side, one hand holding his face as he leaned against his pillow, the laces of his ruffled shirt had become loose and was revealing more of his chest than what she was used to.

“My fangs are up here, darling,” Astarion’s voice chimed from above, startling Ria back to her senses.

If her face wasn’t completely red before, it certainly was now and she frantically fixed her eyes onto the floor of the tent. She couldn’t believe that Astarion had just called her out for staring and embarrassment threatened to smother her completely.

“W-what am I doing here?” she managed to choke out, her voice wavering.

“Well, after the events of last night, it made perfect sense for you to share my tent.” A very smug grin curled at the corners of his lips. “You don’t remember?”

Her heart spasmed against her ribcage. What was he implying? What had happened last night?

“N-no,” she stammered, swallowing thickly. “I don’t remember. All I remember is drinking some wine, you offered me some, and…that’s it.”

Astarion’s massive frame suddenly shifted, now looming over her even closer than before, the ground trembling from his large movements. If this had been a few weeks ago, the sight of Astarion hovering above her would’ve sent her running. But right now, it was almost as if someone had glued her to the ground as she gazed up at his giant form.

“I’m not surprised you don’t remember after all that wine you drank last night,” he hummed, wetting his lips. “I’ve never seen someone so small consume so much alcohol before.”

The rumblings from Astarion’s voice vibrated through the air and she winced as a stab of pain flared in her skull.

“I’m certainly paying for it now,” she grumbled, clutching the side of her head. “Remind me never to drink that much again.”

“Note taken,” he replied.

Swallowing a lump in her throat, she steadied her gaze back at the giant vampire.

“So…um…what happened last night? Why am I here?”

“Oh, you should see the look on your face,” Astarion purred, completely ignoring her question. “It is delicious. Are you worried that events may have…transpired between us?”

Her face burned as Astarion voiced her thoughts. And what made it worse was the feeling of butterflies swarming in her stomach that refused to leave. There was no way that she should be feeling like this about the pale elf, especially considering everything that had happened, but she couldn’t stop thinking about how he had saved her life yesterday. It certainly didn’t help that he was very attractive–

Shut up! Shut up! Stop it right now!

“Oh darling, while it is adorable watching you act so flustered, I won’t hold you in suspense any longer,” he said, a devilish smirk curling at the corners of his mouth. “You can rest assured that nothing happened between us. Besides, can you imagine it? Ugh. No. You’re a borrower after all.”

Astarion’s words shouldn’t have hurt her, but for whatever reason, they did. Not that long ago she was spitting curse words at him, but now, she felt a part of her heart crumble upon hearing his response. If anything, she should’ve been relieved to hear his answer, but she wasn’t at all.

“Y-yeah, right,” she answered stiffly, trying to hide her real emotions. “And you’re a vampire. Of course nothing would happen. Besides, how would it work? I’m so…small.”

“Precisely, darling,” Astarion said. “Anyways, the real reason why you’re here is because some careless tiefling crushed your tent underfoot. I couldn’t just let you sleep out in the open by yourself.”

Ria’s eyes widened in shock upon hearing his response.

“W-wait, nobody put my tent away during the party?” she gaped, a bit horrified that if she hadn’t been with Astarion last night she would’ve been crushed in her sleep.

Astarion shrugged casually, as if he couldn’t care less. “Aren’t you happy that you were with me last night? Gods forbid what would’ve happened to you if you had stayed in your tent during the party.”

Ria swallowed thickly, a shiver running down her spine as she tried not to think too much about it. She was upset that nobody had bothered to put away her tent. Despite how kind and accommodating everyone had been to her since she had joined the group, it shocked her that nobody had thought about her small tent. She didn’t want to think about where she would be sleeping once nightfall came again now that the tent was destroyed. Exhaling deeply, she walked towards the entrance of Astarion’s tent.

“Oh, you don’t want to keep me company?” Astarion’s voice rumbled from above.

“I need to get out of here,” she answered quickly. “And I desperately need a decent bath, especially after what I went through yesterday. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to ask Shadowheart if I can borrow some of her soap.”

Ria didn’t hear a word from the pale elf as she exited his tent and her eyes squinted as the morning rays of sunlight shone down on her tiny frame. It was still somewhat early, not everyone had risen yet. She assumed most of them were feeling the effects from the party last night. As if to remind her, a searing pain flared in her skull as she walked towards Shadowheart’s tent.

Perhaps I can ask Shadowheart to remove this hangover for me with her magic while I’m at it.  

As she neared the cleric’s tent, she paused as she noticed the half-elf emerge from the tent with a very happy expression painted across her features. It seemed as if Shadowheart had a very good night. The half-elf’s gaze quickly fell on the borrower and her smile deepened upon seeing her.

“Shar’s blessing to you, Ria.”

Ria was somewhat perplexed by the mention of Shar – she had briefly heard Shadowheart mention the name a few times, but she couldn’t recall exactly what it meant. Perhaps she would have to ask the cleric later when she wasn’t feeling so horribly hungover.

“Good morning,” she replied thickly, wincing as more pain pierced through her skull. “Did you have fun last night?”

Shadowheart’s face practically lit up upon hearing the borrower’s question. “Oh, it was wonderful. Karlach and I basically talked the entire night away, since, well, we couldn’t exactly touch each other. She mentioned that perhaps we could find some temporary ways to cool her down, so maybe I’ll be able to steal a kiss from her very soon. How was your night?”

Ria could only offer the cleric a very weak smile as her head continued to pound violently against her skull. She was happy for Shadowheart and Karlach, but she couldn’t express her full support when her head felt as if it wanted to explode.

“To be perfectly honest, I’m terribly hungover,” she murmured, her eyebrows knitting together. “I can barely remember what happened last night.”

Shadowheart’s eyes widened in concern, and the cleric immediately kneeled so that she wasn’t towering over the borrower anymore.

“Oh, that simply won’t do,” the cleric said, a green aura beginning to radiate from her hands. “Just hold still for a moment, I’ll rectify that in a second.”

Ria froze in place as Shadowheart’s index finger softly touched her forehead, magic coursing through her body as the throbbing pain in her skull gradually faded until it was completely gone.

Shadowheart retracted her finger, smiling softly at Ria.

“How do you feel now?”

“Much better, thank you.” She heaved a deep sigh of relief, thankful that the pounding feeling in her brain was gone.

“Anytime,” Shadowheart replied softly.

“I do have another favour to ask, though,” Ria quickly added. “I am in desperate need of a good bath; do you have any soap that you can spare?”

“Oh, absolutely!” Shadowheart exclaimed, quickly dipping into her tent without another word. A few moments passed and the half-elf reemerged with a bar of soap in her hand along with a clean purple handkerchief.

“I can give you a ride down to the river as well,” Shadowheart added. “There is no need for you to walk all the way over there by yourself. This’ll be much faster for you.”

Ria stared up at Shadowheart with gratitude, a smile pulling at the corners of her mouth.

“Thank you so much, that is very kind of you.”

“This is nothing, honestly. I’m happy to help whenever you need me, okay?”

Shadowheart offered her hand to the borrower, her palm facing upwards. The cleric’s kindness almost made Ria forget about the entire tent scenario, and she eagerly climbed into her waiting hand.

Ria had never been more thankful for a bath in her entire life. After being dunked in beer, swirled around inside Astarion’s mouth, and sprayed in blood, the feeling of cleanliness felt like a blessing from the gods themselves. She had scrubbed vigorously against her skin using a chunk of the soap that Shadowheart had provided until she was adamant that the smell of blood and beer was completely gone.

She had also used this as a good opportunity to clean her clothes, which, at this point, were more like a bunch of rags now with how tattered they were. Her shirt and pants were thoroughly scrubbed, and were now drying in the sun on a small rock along the shore. Hopefully when she had finished her bath, they would at least be somewhat dry enough for her to wear comfortably. 

She released a sigh of contentment as the cool waters of the river rushed over her. It was a welcome change to how gross she had been feeling over the past few days. Being able to finally be clean was exactly what she needed. A few more minutes passed as she enjoyed the soothing waters of the river and massaged her fingers through her auburn locks.

As she continued to massage her scalp, a flood of memories from the tiefling party suddenly crashed through her brain like a tidal wave. It seemed since Shadowheart had cured her of her hangover, it had allowed her to tap into those foggy memories from the previous night.

Ria slowly stopped scrubbing her hair as she remembered her heartfelt talk with Astarion – the fact that he had approached her by himself and apologised for what had happened at the Goblin Camp almost made her jaw hit the ground and her chest tighten. But what shocked her most of all, was the fact that she had gotten so horrendously drunk with the pale elf that she had fallen asleep on his leg.

Oh gods…that’s why I woke up in Astarion’s tent…this is humiliating.

At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to bury herself alive so she wouldn’t have to show her face at camp ever again. At least none of the others – other than Astarion of course – had witnessed her drunken antics. The fact that she had allowed herself to be so vulnerable and drunk around Astarion was utterly mortifying to say the least. She knew she would never hear the end of it from the vampire spawn, and it surprised her that he hadn’t shared that detail with her when she had woken up in his tent that morning.

Perhaps I should get out now before I drown myself in the river from embarrassment.

As she began to stride towards the shoreline, she noticed the water rippling strangely. Pausing briefly, her brows furrowed as she noticed the bizarre movement.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

She sucked in a sharp breath as small earthquakes rattled the sediment beneath her feet. Someone was approaching, and quickly. Frantically scanning the area, she immediately sprinted towards the shoreline and ducked behind a large rock that was jutting out of the ground. In her haste she grabbed the handkerchief that Shadowheart had given her and wrapped it around her trembling form.

The tremors quickly became more intense with each passing second and she clapped a hand over her mouth as Astarion’s towering figure came into view. The pale elf was carrying a small rattan basket at his hip and he gently placed it on the ground near the shoreline. He seemed to be completely oblivious to Ria’s presence.  

Why did it have to be him?

Much to her astonishment, the vampire spawn began to remove his clothing. Her eyes widened as she watched him remove his ruffled shirt, revealing an expanse of toned abs, defined muscles rippling beneath his lustrous pale skin.

She knew that averting her gaze was the right thing to do, but it was almost as if she was under some hypnotic spell as she continued to watch the pale elf remove the rest of his clothing. As he peeled off his dark pants, she had to stifle a laugh as she saw Astarion’s shockingly blue underwear. Her amusement quickly faded as the bright blue underwear soon flew off, revealing his incredibly pale behind.

At this point, Ria had enough strength to tear her gaze away from his giant naked frame before she saw anything else. Her skin burned like fire as her brain attempted to process what she had just seen. Her stomach twisted into knots, the realisation that she had just willingly witnessed Astarion strip and seen things she really shouldn’t have begun to sink in. Burying her face with her hands, she pressed her back against the stone and wrapped the handkerchief around her body tighter.

At least Astarion doesn’t know I’m here. Maybe I can leave without him noticing.

As soon as the thought popped into her brain, she quickly dismissed it. If she decided to make a stealthy escape, there was a very strong chance that the vampire’s keen eyes would be able to detect her scurrying away. Perhaps if she was deathly quiet, she could wait it out until the pale elf had finished his bath and went on his way.

I could be waiting here a while…he really does care about his appearance.

Chewing on her bottom lip somewhat anxiously, she waited behind the stone as the occasional splashing noise filled the air. Time seemed to pass by longer than usual as she waited with baited breath for the elf to finish his cleaning routine.

Gods, I’m going to be here forever at this rate!

Somewhat gingerly, she decided to peek a small glance over the stone to see if Astarion was anywhere near to being done with his bath. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw his towering figure half submerged in the river, his toned and very pearly white back was now facing her. For whatever reason, she found it almost impossible to tear her gaze away from his form. Strongly defined scars were raised above his skin, a stark contrast to the pale smoothness of his back. Her brows furrowed as she stared intently at his scars. The arrangement of them seemed very deliberate as if someone had carved it strategically into his back. She squinted her eyes at his back and her jaw slacked.

The scars were written in Infernal, the language of the Hells.

When she was a child, her family lived in a home owned by a small family of tieflings just along the outskirts of Baldur’s Gate. The tieflings had many things written in Infernal and she remembered seeing some of the writing scattered around the house when she went borrowing with her father. What any of it meant though was unknown to her.

“Enjoying the show, darling?”

An icicle of terror jolted straight through her chest as Astarion’s voice pounded through her tiny eardrums. She had been so caught up with deciphering his scars, she hadn’t realised his head had turned to the side and was looking directly at her. Her entire body was washed over with utter horror as she rapidly hid back behind the stone. As she reeled in shock, the sound of water splashing filled her ears as Astarion moved around in the river.

“There’s no point pretending to act like you aren’t here. I can hear your little heartbeat pounding away after all, remember?”

Swallowing thickly, she attempted to steel herself.

“I-I was just leaving!”

She scrambled over to where her clothes were sunning on the small rock and snatched up the clothing hastily, refusing to look where Astarion was in the river, and quickly returned to her spot behind the rock so that he couldn’t see her anymore.

“I thought vampires couldn’t swim in running rivers,” she said shakily.

“Another perk from having the mind flayer parasite,” Astarion answered. “I can run through rivers, walk into homes uninvited, walk in the sun…it’s quite remarkable, really.”

“Of course, that makes sense.” She clutched her clothing to her chest and wasted little time in putting them on.

A small moment of silence passed between them. Ria could hear her own heartbeat pounding so fiercely in her eardrums that it drowned out any other noise.  

“I couldn’t help but to notice you were staring earlier,” Astarion chimed, breaking the silence. “I didn’t realise you were that smitten by me, darling. Although I can hardly blame you when I have these gods given good looks.”

Ria wanted nothing more in that moment to vanish entirely. Blood rushed to her cheeks and her skin burned with embarrassment. There was no use trying to deny it, he had caught her in the act after all for the second time that day. But perhaps she could deter the subject.

“I was only trying to decipher those scars of yours,” she said. “How did you get them?”

There was no response to her question. She couldn’t see his face as she was still hidden behind the rock, but it appeared that her question had struck a chord with him as he was silent for once.

“Astarion?” Ria called out. When she was met with nothing, she cautiously peered around the rock she was hiding behind. Astarion was still waist deep in the river, his lower regions concealed by the water, and a rather pained look was painted across his elegant features.

“You don’t have to answer, I’m sorry for prying,” she said hastily, worried that she may have resurfaced some troubled memories from his past.

“No, it’s quite alright,” Astarion answered, his face sombre. “I was a slave, kept by the Szarr family. The scars are a poem. A gift from my master, Cazador. He considered himself quite the artist and used his slaves as a canvas. He composed and carved that one over the course of a night.”

Astarion paused, his face contorted in discomfort as his eyes glazed over, seemingly lost momentarily in a dark memory of his past.

“He made a lot of revisions as he went.” His jaw clenched as the words fell out of his mouth, his playful behaviour from before had completely vanished before very eyes.

Ria’s eyes widened as she fully absorbed the weight of his words, her mouth parted slightly in shock. She would’ve never had guessed that Astarion had been – or perhaps still is – a slave. A wave of sympathy washed over her as she struggled to think of how to respond.

“I’m so sorry,” she said softly, her brows furrowed. “I had no idea.”

“Oh please, I don’t want your sympathy,” Astarion scoffed. “I was his slave for 200 years of my life. I prayed to every god there was, but no one came to help. No prince in shining armour came to my aid. Of all the things that could’ve saved me, it was the mind flayers. As rotten as they are, they broke Cazador’s spell on me and I was finally able to resist his commands. Now I’ve been conveniently lost.” He peeled back his lips into a growl as his gaze hardened. “They won’t ever control me again.”

Her chest was constricted with sadness upon hearing more of his past. She wanted to offer more words of comfort, but she knew it wasn’t what he wanted to hear given his previous response.

“Why did Cazador write the poem in Infernal?” she questioned.

Astarion’s eyes widened in surprise, seemingly caught off guard by her question.

“Infernal? I…who knows? The bastard was insane.” He ran his fingers through his damp curls, his gaze sharpening as he focused back onto her. “Better question is, how does a little borrower like you know the language of the Hells?”

“My family lived under the floorboards of a house full of tieflings,” she answered, a small smirk pulling at the corners of her mouth. “I can’t read it though, but I know Infernal when I see it.”  

“Well, that is certainly interesting.” He massaged shampoo through his scalp before rinsing it off in the river, shaking droplets of water from his wet locks. “Now, if you are quite done staring, I would like to continue my bath.”

Scarlet blossomed across her face and she quickly spun on her heel so that she was no longer facing him.

“I told you I was planning on having a bath earlier, it’s your own fault for blundering down here when you knew I would be here too.” She sucked in a sharp breath, trying to hide her own embarrassment. It was bad enough that Astarion had already caught her staring at him when she had woken up in his tent that morning, now she had seen other parts of his body that had previously been left up to her imagination.

“I didn’t realise you were going to take so long,” Astarion responded. “Everyone is packing up camp and getting ready to move on, and it was vital that I had a decent bath before we hit the road again. Oh, what I wouldn’t do for a proper bath…”  

“Well, maybe if someone hadn’t dropped me in a tub of beer and then proceeded to stick me in their mouth, I wouldn’t have had to spend so much time cleaning myself,” she shot back.

Ria still had her back turned to him, but she could feel in the air that he was rolling his eyes.

“The fact of the matter is that you’re still here,” he said. “I never took you for a voyeur, but I suppose we’ve both learned something new about each other.”

“I’m leaving!” Ria began to stride very quickly towards the direction of camp, not daring to look over her shoulder as her skin burned as hot as Karlach’s engine. “And I am not into voyeurism!”  

“Whatever you say, darling.”

Chapter Text

The walk back to camp was a long and somewhat embarrassing one. Unfortunately, this meant that Ria was left alone with nothing but her thoughts on her journey back. If only she could bury herself into a small hole in the ground, she would be content with that if it meant that she wouldn’t have to face Astarion’s smug face again. At least the pale elf seemed mostly amused by the entire scenario by the river more than anything. She hoped that since she had helped him fill one small gap in the origin of his scars, he might not tease her about ogling him back at camp…but knowing him, it seemed unlikely.

After some time had passed, she finally made it back to camp, or rather, what was left of it. Everyone had packed all their tents away, and the only thing that was left was the smoldering embers of the morning campfire. She scanned the camp, searching for any sign of her giant companions – which normally wasn’t difficult, considering how large they were. But, much to her surprise, she couldn’t see anyone. 

They didn’t leave without me…surely not…?

Large, rattling tremors shook the soil beneath her feet and every single hair on the back of her neck stood on end. A hot gush of wind wafted over her shaking frame from behind and her heart spasmed in her chest. 

There was something behind her.

Very slowly, she turned around to see just what exactly was breathing so heavily behind her back. 

Her heart stilled immediately. 

It was a bear. 

“Oh gods…no.” 

Tears welled in her eyes as she stared in horror at the great bear. There was no doubt in her mind that the beast would be more than happy to make a quick snack of her without a moment’s hesitation, or simply squash her beneath its great fuzzy paws. 

Of all the creatures to end me…it had to be a bear. 

Her mind attempted to focus on her magic. If only she could tap into it as seamlessly as Gale could, then perhaps she could scare the bear away. But no matter how hard she tried; she could feel no essence of her magic at her fingertips like she had back in the Goblin Camp. 

But Ria didn’t want to go down without a fight, even if she couldn’t tap into her magic. When the bear decided it wanted to devour her, she would have her dagger at the ready. She frantically fumbled around for her blade and drew it out of its sheath, holding it in a trembling hand.

“I will be the most unpleasant meal you’ll ever have,” she said through gritted teeth, her grip on the dagger tightening. “And I will not go down without a fight.”

The bear slowly blinked a couple of times. It’s soft, hazel eyes gazed at the tiny borrower with utter tenderness that Ria didn’t know was capable from a beast like a bear. To her complete and utter confusion, the bear took a few steps backwards on gentle paws. 

Ria couldn’t almost believe what she was seeing. Was this bear taking her threat seriously?

Before she could react to the bear’s strange movements, a white blinding light suddenly erupted from the bear’s towering figure. The beast gave one last guttural roar, the sound vibrating through the air so loudly that it shook her very core, before it succumbed to whatever magic had enveloped it. 

The light slowly ebbed away, and instead of a bear standing in front of her, there was now a very large man. Ria’s eyes nearly bugged out of her head as she gazed at the man that towered above her. Of all the things she had been expecting to happen, this was certainly not it.  

“You…you were a bear,” she managed to choke out, confusion painted across her facial features. 

The man merely smiled gently in response, his face lighting up as brightly as the sun. 

“Indeed, I was.” He brought one knee down to the ground to get more on her level. “I apologise if I frightened you.”

Now that the man was kneeling, Ria could take in his appearance. While everyone was enormous compared to her, she could tell that this man was extremely tall. In fact, he was probably taller than Karlach, which was saying something. As she drank in more of his features, she noticed that he had pointy ears, typical of that of an elf. Her eyes widened even further upon this realisation, as she knew enough about elves that they were average in height in terms of larger folk standards. A ragged scar dragged across the side of his face and his luscious brown hair was pulled back into a bun. 

“Are you alright?” 

Her mouth parted open as she attempted to form a sentence. 

“O-oh, yes, I am,” she stammered. “Sorry, I just wasn’t expecting a bear to turn into an elf like that.”

“That is very understandable,” he replied, chuckling softly. “I suppose this might be the first time you’ve encountered a druid before. And I must admit, I do admire your fearless bravery when you thought that I was going to harm you. But where are my manners – my name is Halsin, I am the archdruid of Emerald Grove.”

Halsin! 

The name certainly rang a clear bell in her mind. She remembered her companions mentioning that the archdruid potentially knew a solution to the parasite problem that was plaguing their minds, and he was the one they had rescued from the Goblin Camp.  

“My name is Ria,” she smiled, her nerves somewhat at ease now that she knew he meant her no harm. “It’s nice to meet you, Halsin.” 

“The pleasure is all mine,” Halsin responded. “But tell me, Ria, what is a little borrower such as yourself doing in a place like this?”

Ria sucked in a deep breath and began to tell Halsin everything – if the others sought out to rescue Halsin, and if he could remove the illithid parasite, she felt that she could tell him about her journey thus far. As she proceeded to tell her story to the archdruid, she watched as his face immediately fell when she described her first encounter with Astarion. The poor man looked completely horrified as she told him everything in detail. Once she had finished her story, there was a moment of silence as Halsin processed the information.

“That is…quite the story.” Halsin cleared his throat. “I am stunned that you forgave Astarion after he almost ate you, even the Oakfather himself wouldn’t be so forgiving as that.” 

“He has saved my life on numerous occasions now,” she answered. “We’ve both decided to start fresh.”

“I see,” Halsin answered, still rather perplexed about the whole story. 

“You…know that I’m a borrower,” she said slowly, changing the subject. “Not many people do. Or if they do, they’re surprised to see me. Have you met borrowers before?”

His eyes crinkled as his smile across his rugged features deepened. 

“I have met numerous borrowers throughout my life,” the druid replied. “Many friendships I’ve shared with people of your kind, and some more than friends. But it has been many years since I have last laid eyes on one. You are the first I’ve seen in a long time.”

Ria’s eyes widened upon hearing Halsin’s words. 

“You have?” she stammered. 

“Oh, yes. There was a young borrower man that I fell deeply in love with during my youth. He had the sweetest button nose and hair that looked like honey.” A deep sigh escaped past Halsin’s lips, his gaze trailing elsewhere as he reflected on his past. “That was a long time ago now.” 

The fact that the druid had friendships and even a relationship with a borrower completely blew her away. The very idea alone of being in such an intimate relationship with a larger being would’ve utterly frightened her not so long ago. And, frankly, a part of it still largely did. But she couldn’t stop her mind from wandering to Astarion, and the intimate moments they had shared on their journey thus far. Being kissed by lips larger than your entire body was a terrifying and intoxicating idea all at once. Astarion’s lips had been so incredibly soft to the touch. Imagining those same lips encompassing her body in a tender embrace once more made heat flush to her face. 

By the gods! Stop thinking like that!

“Ria?”

Ria blinked, her mind in a daze, as Halsin’s gentle voice rumbled above her head. 

She cleared her throat, shoving the thoughts of Astarion out of her brain forcefully. “You really haven’t seen another borrower recently?” 

Halsin shook his head. “Aside from you, I have not. I’m sorry.” 

Her heart sank upon hearing Halsin’s confirmation and a wave of disappointment washed over her. It wasn’t surprising, but it was still upsetting all the same and only furthered the idea that maybe she was one of the last of her kind after all.

“I figured as much,” she answered stiffly. 

The rugged features across the druid’s face softened, his bushy eyebrows knitting together in concern. 

As Halsin opened his mouth to speak, an excited squeal burst through her eardrums and travelled across the empty camp. 

“Oh my gods – just look at his beaky little face!” Karlach’s voice rang clearly through the air.

Ria immediately felt more tremors rumble through the earth as the rest of her giant companions suddenly entered the clearing. And there were two new companions with them that made her heart spasm in her chest. 

A white dog and an owlbear cub trailed behind Karlach and the others. 

“They are just simply adorable,” Shadowheart cooed, dropping to one knee to pet the dog. “I’m so very glad they’ll both be joining us.” The dog simply lolled his tongue in response and attempted to lick Shadowheart’s face. 

An owlbear cub and a dog were two animals that Ria never wanted to come face to face with in a hundred years. Why had her companions thought it was a good idea to bring two carnivorous animals so close to her? 

Instinctively, Ria frantically scrambled to her closest form of protection – Halsin. He seemed to pick up on her fear induced state and immediately he offered her an open palm. She feverishly clambered onto the druid’s calloused hands and hid behind his large fingers – fingers that were larger than her entire body. 

Halsin slowly rose to his full height and placed his other hand to shield Ria’s tiny frame. She hastily grasped onto his index finger for support as her heart pounded furiously against her tiny chest. 

“Ah! I see you two have been acquainted.” Gale’s voice rang clearly through the air, although Ria could not see the wizard past Halsin’s fingers. 

“That I have.” Halsin slowly unfurled his fingers to reveal Ria’s trembling form. She craned her neck upwards and saw Gale towering above her, his warm hazel eyes softening as they fell onto her frame. 

“Apologies for the prolonged absence,” Gale said gently. “Karlach had encountered some animal friends a few days ago and she led them back to camp, and now it seems they have become additional members of our merry band.”

“Permanent?” All the colour rapidly drained from Ria’s face. 

“Fear not, I will ensure that they both understand not to harm borrowers like you,” Halsin reassured gently. 

Her nerves eased slightly as she exhaled shakily. Even though she had only just met Halsin, she had a feeling that he was certainly a man of his word and he would make sure that both the dog and owlbear cub understood that she wasn’t there for eating. If Halsin wasn’t there it would most likely be a different story. 

“I do apologise for not consulting you earlier, Ria,” Gale said. “Karlach was very persistent that we take them on. The owlbear cub lost its mother to the goblins, and for the dog…well, he lost his owner. I didn’t have the heart to just turn them away like that.”

“None of us could,” Wyll added. 

“It’s quite alright,” she replied. “Besides, this is your travelling party, not mine. My time here is only meant to be temporary anyways.”

To think all of this started was because I needed to find a more permanent place to live…

Gale’s eyes widened. “Oh, yes, you are quite right! But we do want to make sure everyone here is comfortable, no matter if they are a permanent member of the party or only temporary.”

“Thank you.” She gave the wizard a small smile. 

It was during that moment that Astarion returned into the clearing. His hair was still damp from his dip in the river and his ruby eyes soon found their way to where she was standing on Halsin’s palm. Her heart caught in her throat as she locked eyes with the vampire and he simply smirked at her as he watched her expression. 

“What two delectable little pets.” Astarion’s tongue swiped over his upper lip as his gaze flitted away from Ria and over the dog and owlbear cub. 

“Chk! You will not be feeding on these istiks, Astarion!” Lae’zel growled, inserting herself in between the pale elf and the two animals. “They are not for eating. Do I make myself clear?”

Astarion merely rolled his eyes. “Oh, please, if I was serious, they would be a bloody mess by now.” 

“Yeah, you better not be serious Fangs,” Karlach added, embers flickering across her skin as she glowered at the vampire spawn. 

“Trust me, I’m not.” 

“Well, now that we have that established,” Halsin interjected. “There is an important matter that I need to discuss with all of you.”

Everyone turned their heads towards the druid. All eyes were on him as a silence fell over the camp. 

“As you are aware, unfortunately I do not possess the means to remove the mind flayer parasites from your skulls,” Halsin said. “However, I do know of a place where removal might be possible. Moonrise Towers.” 

Ria’s mouth gaped open in shock upon hearing that Halsin, the very same archdruid that her companions had put so much effort into saving, couldn’t remove the parasite. Her giant companions surrounding her didn’t seem surprised in the slightest, albeit somewhat disappointed. They must’ve already had this discussion with Halsin yesterday when he had been rescued from the Goblin Camp and she was unconscious in Astarion’s pocket. But her eyes widened upon hearing Halsin mention Moonrise Towers. She remembered that Minthara had mentioned that place when she had been in the Goblin Camp. 

Moonrise Towers…that’s where Araj is. The very same drow who is kidnapping borrowers and taking their blood. 

“I did promise you all that I would help you in whatever way I could,” Halsin continued. “I am certain there is a cure for you all in Moonrise Towers. But…it is complicated. The journey specifically. It is extremely perilous. Although you all seem very well accustomed to such journeys.”

“To Moonrise Towers, then,” Wyll said. “May the sun and stars guide us.” 

Gale tentatively stepped forward as worry deepened across his face. 

“Ah, may I be so bold to ask why the journey is so perilous?” Gale questioned nervously. 

Halsin exhaled deeply through his nose, his gaze forlorn. “To get to Moonrise Towers, you’ll need to pass through a terrible place – a cursed place. This curse shrouds everything in its shadow – you will not find life, light, or anything natural there. Any who linger there are twisted by the curse; they become shadow beings – tormented, dangerous souls.”

“Oh, this place sounds like an utter delight,” Astarion mused. 

“The Absolute’s forces tolerate such a place?” Wyll commented, quirking an eyebrow. 

The Absolute. That’s what those goblins were praising back in the camp…it must be some kind of cult. 

“So it seems, though I don’t know how. You will have to choose your approach carefully.” Halsin’s fingers twitched ever so slightly around her frame, and Ria gripped tighter onto his index finger. “You could go overland – along the Risen Road or through the mountains. Easier at first, but you’ll run into the shadow curse eventually. You could also go under. There is a tunnel somewhere in the ruined temple of Selune. It leads to Moonrise Towers through the Underdark. Going through there would allow you to bypass the worst of the shadow curse.” 

“Chk. We will be taking the Risen Road. The way to the creche is along the Mountain Pass. Being purified is our only solution.” Lae’zel’s nostrils flared as her seething gaze raked over everyone, as if she was saying that her word was final and anyone who said otherwise would be met with her fury. 

“I don’t see any harm in trying Lae’s suggestion,” Karlach commented. “I mean, it can’t hurt. And if that doesn’t work, we could go to Moonrise Towers.”

“Tsk’va! Purification will work,” Lae’zel snapped. 

“I suppose going to the creche is closer at this point in time,” Gale added. “Like Karlach said, we could try it first. Either way, I am absolutely thrilled to experience a real githyanki creche. I wonder if it will be like anything that I’ve read in my books.” 

“I…I would like to come with you,” Ria said, raising her voice a little so that she could be heard over everyone else. “Moonrise Towers is where I need to go.” 

“Are you certain of this, Ria?” Gale’s brows furrowed with concern. “It will be incredibly dangerous. I’m sure we can find somewhere more suitable for you to reside in that will be safer for you.”

Ria shook her head. “No, Moonrise Towers is where I need to go. There is a drow there, Araj, who is capturing borrowers for their blood. I need to find her and put a stop to whatever twisted operation she has going on there.” 

“We can definitely take you there,” Gale said. “Besides, you’re practically part of our merry band now, it would be almost wrong to see you go.” 

“Speaking of joining a merry band,” Halsin responded. “I would like to join your camp, if you’ll allow me. I can offer my skills, my counsel. I’ve longed to return to Moonrise Towers. It seems our fates have aligned.” 

“I couldn’t think of anyone else better to join our esteemed group of peers,” Gale grinned. “Your skills and company will be most appreciated, Halsin.”

Halsin returned the wizard’s smile. “Thank you for having me. I will see to it that you’ll be guided safely to Moonrise Towers with my expertise.”

Lae’zel wrinkled her nose and narrowed her eyes. She didn’t seem entirely all that pleased that the others were still adamant on going to Moonrise Towers when purification was an option at the githyanki creche, but she didn’t say anything further.

It seemed that Ria had a much longer journey ahead of her than what she had thought. 

Chapter Text

Several days had passed since the events of the tiefling party. Ria and her giant companions had gone down the Risen Road which led to the Mountain Pass, as Lae’zel was still adamant that they reach the githyanki creche to be purified from their parasites. Since her tent had been destroyed, Ria had been spending her nights in Shadowheart’s tent. Astarion had not offered for her to spend the night in his tent since she had last been there, and a part of her was still embarrassed to look his way. A large part of her was disgusted with her romantic thoughts of the vampire spawn, considering everything that had happened between them. For now, she decided it was best to keep her distance from him as much as she could for her own sake.  

The past few days also revealed that a strange dream visitor, who happened to be inhabiting the strange artefact that Shadowheart had in her possession, was the one responsible for preventing her companions from completing their illithid transformation. The dream visitor offered them great power, if only they embraced the parasite and consumed more like it. Her companions were for the most part hesitant about embracing these illithid powers, except for Astarion. He seemed more eager to gobble up more of the worms if they stumbled across them, which made her stomach turn in horror.  

The dream visitor wasn’t the only surprise that was in store for them. Gale made a shocking revelation to the entire group that he was essentially carrying a ticking time bomb in his chest – the Netherese Orb, which could explode at any given time. The orb could be sated temporarily if Gale consumed a magical artefact, much to everyone’s relief. Provided the wizard was given enough of these artefacts, the powerful orb inside his chest would be quiet for the time being.

It was unsettling to say the least, with an entire group of giants that could transform into mind flayers if a mysterious dream visitor so willed it, and a certain wizard could trigger an explosion that could level an entire city if he was excited too much. Ria had no idea how she had ended up in such a predicament, but she knew that this was still her best shot at finding more of her kind and it would hopefully put an end to the atrocities that Araj was inflicting on other borrowers like her.

The white dog, Scratch, and the owlbear cub kept their distance as Halsin had promised. It amazed her that the archdruid was able to influence the animals to not bother her in such a seamless way, and she was grateful that he had decided to travel with their group.  

It took a few days for the group to reach the Mountain Pass. During this time, Ria continued to hone her skills with Lae’zel, although the gith was becoming more distracted with each passing day as they neared the location of the creche. The group eventually arrived at the Rosymorn Monastery, the place where the githyanki creche dwelled. Lae’zel had warned Ria that a gith creche was no place for a borrower, and while her combat skills had been improving, it still wasn’t worth the risk of taking her there.

Now she was left alone in camp with Halsin, Astarion, Scratch, and the owlbear cub while the rest of the group sought out the creche. Astarion wasn’t keen on going as he insisted that he had something important that needed completing. When questioned, Astarion was incredibly vague and dodged the questions thrown at him and kept to his tent. Ria was surprised that he didn’t go along to the creche with everyone else, but she wasn’t willing to ask him any further questions about the subject.

Ria decided that she would keep herself busy by foraging for some food away from camp while the others were at the creche. While it was no hindrance to her giant companions that she had miniscule portions of their rations, Ria wanted to find some food of her own that she was more accustomed to eating. It had been such a long time since she had gathered food for herself that she found a part of her that almost missed the independence.

The soft rays of the afternoon sun shone fiercely on Ria’s back as she flitted across a patch of sunflowers. She picked up any discarded sunflower seeds that she could find and placed them securely into her small bag that was slung across her shoulder. Sunflower seeds were not only delicious, but they were a good source of protein and just a single seed was more than enough for a borrower to eat.

For a moment, Ria found herself almost completely free of any worry or stress as she focused on gathering the sunflower seeds. She allowed herself to momentarily forget about her entire predicament and just enjoy the feeling of the sun against her back and the pleasant smells of the sunflowers towering over her. It was a small moment of peace that she had been craving for quite some time now.

She gathered one last seed and secured it into her pack as she exhaled deeply. There were now enough seeds to last her many days, even weeks. While she appreciated Gale’s efforts into incorporating more vegetables into the camp dinners due to her dietary choices, the wizard was clearly not familiar with cooking plants as much as he was with meat. Having the sunflower seeds would especially come in handy for those evenings and for throughout the day.

A rumbling tremor that shook through the earth quickly rattled her out of her thoughts. Sucking in a sharp breath, she remained frozen in place as more small earthquakes vibrated through the ground. She hoped with every fibre in her being that it was Astarion or Halsin that was causing the tremors.

I don’t want to stick around long enough to find out.

She frantically scanned her surroundings, attempting to find somewhere, anywhere, where she could potentially hide. The sunflowers themselves offered very little cover and she internally cursed at herself for not thinking of securing a possible hiding spot earlier. Admittedly, she was surprised that anyone else was out in the Mountain Pass, considering that Halsin had said it was a more difficult route to undertake than the Underdark. Still, of course, that didn’t completely rule out other people from being there.

The booming footfalls approached ever closer and panic was truly starting to settle in the pit of her stomach. She had to move fast if she wanted to avoid the owner of whoever was causing the tremors. Her breathing coming out in short gasps, she bolted from her cover of sunflowers and made a beeline to a cluster of bushes not that far ahead. Well, not far for someone of human size, but for a borrower it was a considerable distance. But, if she ran quickly enough, she could make it.

“Oh, what do we have here?”

Her heart almost caught in her throat as she was suddenly faced with an enormous boot, the impact sending her reeling backwards as she was thrown onto her backside. Craning her neck upwards, she was faced with a giant human man who was staring down at her curiously. The human man had long light brown hair that fell past his shoulders, some of which was braided, and his face was decorated with a moustache that curled inwards on its corners and short beard that completely covered his chin.

“Ah! A borrower!” The man exclaimed, his face practically lighting up as he continued to stare down at Ria’s trembling form. “You are exactly what I need.”

Her jaw slacked, frozen in a silent scream, as her body began to tremble uncontrollably.

No, this can’t be happening. Please, no, no, no.

“N-no, I am not,” she retorted before she could stop the words from slipping past her tongue. “Trust me, you do not want me.”

The man’s expression almost softened, his eyes glazed over with an almost apologetic look to him.

“I am deeply sorry for what I am about to do,” he said gently. “But I promise that I will let you go once all of this is over. Please understand that I will not bring you a great deal of harm.”

Not bring a great deal of harm? What does he want to do to me?!

“You are not getting me!” she shouted at the top of her lungs, stumbling to her feet somewhat feverishly as if her legs were made from jelly. “Leave me alone!”

Her fear rose like a tidal wave as she turned on her heel to run for her life. Unfortunately, her attempts at an escape were fruitless as the human man simply scooped her up into his hand with hardly any effort. His large fingers had her arms pinned to her sides as they wrapped around her body, making access to her tiny dagger near impossible.

The man now had her enclosed in his fist and he slowly lifted her up to his face, his gentle gaze washing over her frame.

“My name is Gandrel,” he said, his voice lowered considerably. “I am a Gur, a monster hunter, tracking an elusive vampire spawn that attacked my village. I seek no ill will towards you, and I promise you that you will be safe after all of this is done. But I need you to help me find him.”

Her struggling immediately ceased as the words fell out of his mouth.

“A vampire spawn?” she echoed.

“Yes,” he answered softly. “He goes by the name Astarion. I had initially gone to the hag’s teahouse in hopes that she could perhaps help me in tracking the creature, but it seems that another group of adventurers had beaten me to her cottage as she was gone by the time I got there. I then sought out the Mountain Pass once I heard that there had been numerous bandits that had been mysteriously drained of their blood in the area, likely the work of a vampire. That is where you will come in.”

Ria’s eyes nearly bugged out of her head. She almost couldn’t believe what was happening. She knew little of Astarion’s past, other than his enslavement to Cazador, so this new information was a shocking revelation. Still, she wasn’t about to reveal that she knew Astarion. This man’s intentions for Astarion were clearly not friendly if he had in fact attacked Gandrel’s village.   

“Why do you want me?” she croaked.

“Vampires find borrower blood irresistible,” Gandrel answered. “I will only need a mere few drops of your blood, and that should be plenty to lure him out. With sundown approaching, it will only be a matter of time before the spawn reveals himself, and when he does, I will be ready to capture him and take him back to Baldur’s Gate.”

Ria narrowed her eyes at the giant man. “And if I refuse?”

Gandrel pressed his lips together thinly, his brows knitting together as his gaze softened.

“I’m so sorry, but I’m not going to give you a choice. Please understand that this isn’t personal, and I will only draw a small amount of blood.”

Ria’s face paled upon hearing his blunt statement. Guilt tainted Gandrel’s face as his eyes darted nervously across her, a silent plea for forgiveness seared into his expression. It was painfully obvious that he did not want to do this, but it seemed that capturing Astarion was of the utmost importance to him, and it only made her wonder exactly what the pale elf had done to his camp that made him resort to this method of using her blood.

“T-there is no vampire spawn out here,” she quickly said, attempting to think of some lie she could spout to throw him off. “If there was, I would’ve been eaten by now.”

Gandrel faltered, his eyebrows raised as he considered her words.

“Well, that is certainly a good point,” he answered slowly. “But it is still daylight. A vampire, spawn or not, cannot traverse in the sun, but come nightfall it will be a different story.”

She exhaled deeply through her nose as her brain tried to think of another excuse. The Gur was adamant on not letting her go. She feared that no matter what she said it wouldn’t make a difference.

Gods, whatever Astarion did, it must’ve been bad to have this Gur hunt him down.

“I promise I will not let him harm you,” he said gently. “Once I have him secured, I will let you go and heal any wounds that you may have. You have my word.”

Ria gritted her teeth in frustration, wanting now more than ever to summon her magic once more, but she was met with nothing.

“I guess I don’t have a choice,” she muttered bitterly.

Gandrel breathed a heavy sigh. “I’m afraid not.”

Astarion wetted his lips as he seamlessly pierced his sewing needle through the miniature piece of fabric that he was holding tenderly in his hand. His eyes squinted ever so slightly as he continued his work, the needle glinting in the small spots of sunlight that had filtered through the entrance of his tent.

Due to the events that had transpired at the Goblin Camp, a feeling of guilt had begun to fester deep inside him as they had traversed through the Mountain Pass. Ria had been going about each day in the same rags that she had arrived in, and thanks to him, her clothing had been ruined further due to the lashing of beer that she had been dunked in and the fact that she had taken a thorough trip inside his mouth against her will. He felt that making her some new clothes would be a better way at apologising, and it would further prove to his companions that his intentions on eating her were long gone.

He was silently grateful that years of repairing his own clothing under Cazador’s rule had made him a rather good tailor, and coupled with his enhanced vampiric sight, he was able to craft some decent borrower sized clothing for Ria. It was made of a few different pieces of fabric that he had fashioned together from bandits that they had encountered on their travels and it was certainly more durable than Ria’s current outfit.

He had created a new top and pants for the borrower, as well as a pair of shorts and a long-sleeved top. As he pulled the last needle through the thread, he quietly admired his handiwork and held the garments proudly in his hand. He hoped Ria would like the new clothing he had created for her.

Wait…why do I WANT her to like them? I couldn’t care less about what she thinks.

Growling under his breath, he placed his sewing equipment away into a small bag inside his tent and pushed the feelings of the borrower out of his mind. Instead of doing this, he should’ve been planning his next manipulation tactic on his oblivious companions. It was painfully obvious there was still mistrust amongst him and the others, and he had failed to seduce anyone to provide him with a net of safety and protection. With Ria’s presence in the camp, he had found himself distracted and somewhat thrown off from his usual methods of seduction. It had been so easy for him when he had been luring in his chosen victims for Cazador, but now, he oddly found himself thinking about the borrower more than his nice simple plan that he had been carefully constructing since the nautiloid crash.

He had been originally planning on seducing Lae’zel some time ago, but the gith was rather formidable with her dominating presence and harsh demeanour – as well as the fact that she had almost filleted him when the entire group had thought that he had eaten Ria. It seemed it would be much safer for him if he kept his distance from her.

Wyll was an excellent choice, as not only did Astarion find him incredibly attractive (especially with his flattering set of horns that adorned his head), but he was righteous and no doubt would protect him from Cazador in a heartbeat if he managed to weave his methods of manipulation into the Blade of Frontiers. Alas, it wasn’t as easy as that – Wyll was certainly the type of man to have sex after marriage (as Lae’zel had failed to sleep with Wyll during the night of the tiefling party and instead the gith had to listen to him talk throughout the night), which, unfortunately, would not work in Astarion’s grand master plan.

That only left him with a few other options. Shadowheart and Karlach were quite clearly smitten with one another, and while he found both women alluring, he wasn’t ready to come in between them especially when Karlach could easily incinerate him.

Gale wasn’t a bad choice either. The wizard was clearly powerful, and Astarion couldn’t deny that he was handsome. But unfortunately, whenever Gale opened his mouth Astarion could feel years of his immortal life leave his body. The wizard, quite frankly, annoyed him most of the time. Not to mention there was the issue of the orb – there was no way he wanted to risk a catastrophic explosion if he so much as excited the wizard.

The most recent addition to their group, the archdruid Halsin, was becoming more appealing to him each day. The druid was clearly strong and powerful, but he felt that the druid most likely wouldn’t approve of his feeding habits.

And with all of that, the only person who he had managed to seduce was the only one who couldn’t protect him.

Why is it that I have only been able to charm the shortest person in the party? I wasn’t even trying with Ria, and yet she is clearly smitten. Have my skills declined that badly?

Astarion silently cursed himself for his bad luck. Perhaps it wasn’t too late to manipulate the others – if he proved that he was trustworthy and useful, they could still offer him protection later down the line.

There is no use dwelling on it now. I should find her and give these new clothes to her.

As he gathered himself to his feet, a jagged pain shot through his abdomen and he winced. It had been a few days since he had last fed and his stomach was beginning to grumble. He needed to find some fresh blood before he found Ria.

Clutching his now growling stomach, he gently slipped the articles of clothing underneath his armour as he emerged out of his tent with haste. He didn’t want to waste any time in finding something to eat.

Halsin was on the opposite side of the camp and was entertaining the other new additions to their group, Scratch the dog and the owlbear cub.

“I’m going hunting,” Astarion announced to the archdruid.

Halsin’s warm gaze flitted over to the vampire spawn. “Ah, of course. Enjoy yourself, Astarion.”

Just as he was about to turn to leave, he paused and chewed the bottom of his lip.

“Have you seen Ria?” he asked.

Halsin raised an eyebrow, staring at the pale elf with interest. “Why do you want to know where she is?”

Astarion’s gaze nervously darted away to the floor and he cleared his throat.

“No reason. I just haven’t seen her in a while.”

“She is out foraging.”

“Ah. Right.”

A moment of awkward silence passed between the two elves as neither said anything.

“You care about her,” Halsin said, breaking the silence.

A horrified expression quickly spread across Astarion’s face as he realised what Halsin had just said.

“Oh please, you are utterly deranged if you think I care for her even slightly,” Astarion retorted, feeling rather flustered that the archdruid would even suggest such a thing.

The tall elf simply chuckled in response to his outburst.

“I have seen the way your gaze lingers over her small frame. And she even told me herself that you have even saved her life on numerous occasions now; which I find remarkable considering how you almost tried to eat her during your first encounter.”

Astarion’s lip curled back to reveal his fangs and a low growl vibrated in the back of his throat.

“Don’t tell me how I feel about her, druid. I could never feel that way about a borrower. Since when were you the expert on relationships?”

“I have had many lovers,” Halsin replied calmly. “And there have been some of them that have been much smaller in stature.”

“You have had a relationship with a borrower?” Astarion spluttered, utterly horrified, but, knowing Halsin, it wasn’t all that surprising.

“Of course.” His eyes crinkled as he smiled. “If you want any advice, Astarion, I can-“

“No, that will most certainly not be necessary,” Astarion interrupted before Halsin could finish his sentence. “It’s been a delight talking to you, but I’m afraid if I stay here any longer, I’ll have to sink my teeth into that owlbear cub.”

Astarion quickly left without another word, not even bothering to look back as he sauntered into the cover of the forest, silently cursing the archdruid under his breath.

Chapter Text

Searing hot pain stabbed through Ria’s arm as she struggled helplessly in the thin string that was wrapped around her torso. Her arms were wrapped behind her back and an open wound leaked crimson out of her right arm.

Gandrel had softly nicked her flesh shortly before tying her up and laying her down on the ground several minutes ago. He had apologised profusely throughout the entire process, and all Ria could do was watch with horror as the giant man set her up as bait against her will.

A part of her felt bad for Gandrel. It seemed that he was, at his heart, a kind man who was only seeking revenge for whatever atrocities Astarion had inflicted on his village. But, despite this, she was also in a terrible predicament and tied up against her will with her own blood now staining the floor. She knew Astarion would no doubt pick up her scent, so a rescue of some kind was inevitable. Still, it did frustrate her that despite all her training with Lae’zel and her newfound magic, she was still only a borrower helpless to the whims of the giant beings that towered over her.

“Gandrel, you don’t have to do this,” she shouted up at the giant man. “Just let me go, I’m sure we can figure something out.”

Gandrel turned his gaze downward to look at the small borrower huddled on the ground, his expression softening.

“I am deeply sorry for all of this,” he said gently, his brows knitting together. “But this is necessary for capturing Astarion. The spawn has been evading me so seamlessly since I began my search. This is my last chance to finally capture him and make him pay for his sins against my people.”

“Whatever Astarion did I’m sure it can’t be worth this,” she retorted.

Gandrel exhaled a deep sigh. “What he did was unforgivable. I can’t let him get away from what he’s done to me and my family.”

Ria’s eyes widened. “Family? What did he do?”

Gandrel’s gaze flicked away from her, and the pain that was reflected on his face was as clear as day. Whatever Astarion had done, it had obviously been so bad it was hard for the Gur to even talk about.

It seemed that no matter what she said, Gandrel wasn’t going to let her go. Her only chance of escape depended on Astarion coming to her rescue, and for the first time since meeting the vampire, she hoped that his keen nose would hurry up and pick up her scent soon.

The last rays of the afternoon sun were rapidly disappearing as Astarion continued to meander through the thick of the woods. A borrower out alone foraging in the wilderness seemed like a foolish notion the more he thought about it as leaves crunched underneath his leather boots.

Why did Halsin allow her to travel alone? She’s so pathetically tiny, anything could happen to her.

Astarion surprised himself by his own thoughts and his forehead creased. Why was he so concerned about the borrower to begin with? It wasn’t like he cared about what happened to her.

Despite all of this, the feeling refused to leave his mind and it continued to fester away inside of him like some hideous disease. His sanguine eyes trailed over to the clothing that he had fashioned for her that were now gripped in a tight fist.

And yet, I made these for her…what was I thinking? Has the tadpole consumed half of my brain?

His thoughts were interrupted as a familiar yet salivating scent engulfed his senses. Almost immediately his ruby eyes dilated and his stomach lurched. He recognised that tantalising scent anywhere, there was no mistaking the almost hypnotic trance that the smell placed him under.

It was Ria’s blood.

Wetting his lips, the bloodlust almost took a hold of him as he bolted in the direction of the mouth-watering fragrance. Steeling himself, he attempted to shake himself out of the blood-crazed trance he was under and tried to think rationally. He could smell Ria’s blood, which meant only one thing – she was in danger.

But if he found her, would he be able to control his hunger? It had been some time since he had tasted Ria’s blood, yet his throat burned as the memory flooded his brain. While he had only had a mere drop of her blood, she had tasted like sweet ambrosia, the food of the gods. After all the bandits and evil-doers he had feasted on, nothing could compare to her blood. It wasn’t the same.

Perhaps he could go back and fetch Halsin. The archdruid, in his bear form, would most likely have no trouble in finding her. But every moment he was away from Ria the higher the chance of something bad happening to her – if he went back to get Halsin, by the time they reached her, it could be too late.

Stifling a growl underneath his breath, Astarion decided that he would go find Ria himself – he could keep his bloodlust under control. It was only a little bit of blood; he could manage it…surely.

As he continued to follow the scent, his stomach continued to growl loudly and he quickly slapped a hand over his abdomen. He would not allow himself to be controlled by his insatiable hunger for blood – he could overcome it, he had to, for Ria’s sake.

He hoped he wasn’t too late.

“There are no vampire’s out here. It’s dark, none have come. Surely if my blood is that irresistible there would be vampires from far and wide lining up by now!”

Gandrel lowered his head to meet her gaze and frowned. Some time had passed now since he had inflicted the small cut to her arm, the sun had almost set, but fresh blood continued to drip down her arm and stain her already ragged clothes.

“Not much time has passed, the spawn will come.” He dropped to one knee, his expression crestfallen. “It shouldn’t be much longer now.”

Ria gritted her teeth in frustration and gave one final attempt at freeing herself as she thrashed against her restraints. It frustrated her that what was a mere piece of string in the eyes of a human was enough to render her utterly helpless. The sheath to her dagger pressed against her hip, reminding her that if only she could reach it, she could free herself, but then again, if she managed to free herself Gandrel would simply capture her again.

“I don’t care what Astarion did to your village,” she snapped, fire igniting in her belly. “I do not consent to this. This is my life you’re playing with, and you’re letting me bleed out. You can’t justify this.”

“Please don’t make this harder for me than it already is,” Gandrel replied, his face contorted with guilt. “This is my last resort. I’m so sorry. I promise to heal you once I have Astarion.”

Ria bit back a scathing reply, knowing all too well that bad-mouthing the Gur wouldn’t achieve anything. She grunted in frustration and gave one last thrash against her bonds but to no avail. She glared daggers at the giant man that loomed over her, his eyebrows knitted with concern and guilt.

Small earthquakes began to vibrate through the ground, jolting Ria out of her thoughts. The vibrations could only mean one thing – someone was coming.

Please be Astarion…please.

Gandrel’s eyes flew wide open as his eyes flicked to the opposite side of the clearing. He hastily ran to the cover of the bushes and trees, concealing himself amongst the foliage with his weapons at the ready.

She sucked in a sharp breath as she waited for the owner of the tremors to appear. Sure enough, a familiar pale elf stepped into the clearing, his ruby eyes wide with panic as he frantically scanned the ground.

“Astarion!” she shouted, her voice raspy and sore.

Two crimson orbs snapped to her location and within a matter of seconds Astarion was towering over her, dropping down to one knee as he wasted little time in removing the string that was tied around her body.

“Ria,” he breathed, concern and worry painted all over his face. “Are you-”

He paused as his eyes fell onto her wounded arm, her blood was now drying and clotting over the wound, but there was still a lot of it that had dripped and trailed down her skin.

Astarion’s nostrils flared and his pupils noticeably dilated. His large fingers that were hovering over her tiny frame trembled and twitched against her skin, as if he was exercising a great deal of restraint on his own movements. He licked his lips as his gaze remained locked on her bloody flesh wound.

“A-Astarion.” She shakily rose to her feet and tentatively stepped back from the giant vampire. “I need you to focus. You’re in danger right now.”

More like I’m the one in danger.

Astarion swallowed thickly and pulled his hands away from her.

“I-I’m sorry, it’s just your blood,” he said breathlessly, his eyes still hovering over her wound, “it smells so good.”

“Focus!” she exclaimed, panic rising in her chest as he continued to look at her hungrily. “I need you to get a grip. I know you can resist it. You’re in trouble, Astarion. There is a Gur after you.”

Upon hearing the mention of the Gur, this seemed to bring Astarion out of his bloodlust for a moment.

“A Gur? Here?” His eyes scanned the area frantically. “Did he do this to you?”

Ria nodded weakly, clutching her bloodied arm. “Y-yeah…he used my blood to lure you out here.”

An arrow suddenly whizzed past Astarion’s skull and brushed his perfectly groomed curls. A snarl ripped through the vampire’s throat as he leapt to his feet and turned on his heel to face who had shot the arrow.

“I’ve finally found you,” Gandrel said, emerging out from his hiding spot in the bushes, his hand gripped firmly on his crossbow. “After all this time, I can make you pay for what you’ve done.”

Astarion simply smirked at the Gur, as if the mere presence of the man didn’t faze him in the slightest. “You might want to improve your aim, Gur. I know your people aren’t exactly well known to be very quick-witted.”

Despite her feelings towards Gandrel, she was still appalled at Astarion’s blatant racism towards the Gur. The sheer audacity of the pale elf clearly knew no bounds and Ria wasn’t even that surprised by it anymore.

“Ah, a sharp tongue you have, Astarion,” Gandrel responded, moving in closer towards them. “It is a shame you won’t have much to say when I take you back to Baldur’s Gate.”

“You did this to her,” Astarion snarled, fury igniting in his ruby eyes. “You sick bastard. There was no need to hurt her to get to me.”

“Unfortunately, involving the borrower was necessary to find you,” Gandrel replied.  “You have been incredibly elusive up until now. And it brought me no pleasure in hurting the borrower.”

He paused, fully processing Astarion’s words.

“Wait, why would you, a vampire spawn, care about a borrower? This is merely but a snack for monsters like you.” Gandrel’s brow furrowed as he attempted to understand what was happening in front of him between the borrower and vampire spawn.

“That is none of your business, Gur,” Astarion growled. “I think it’s time we stop talking and start fighting, don’t you agree?”

Thunderous tremors rattled through the ground as Astarion lunged towards Gandrel with his fangs bared, and Ria took that as her cue to find some cover away from the fighting giants before she got trampled on. While she had lost some blood, she still had enough energy to scamper away and she kept running until she found a large toadstool to hide underneath.

Panting heavily, she turned her neck upwards to witness the gigantic battle that was happening before her very eyes.

Astarion was utterly ferocious and feral in his movements. Growls and snarls continued to tear through his chest as he fought Gandrel, who, while being a monster hunter, was having trouble keeping up with Astarion. It occurred to Ria that the last time she had seen him in this bloodlust-crazed state was on the first night that they had met, when he had been intent on eating her. Now, ironically enough, he was fighting for her own life instead of trying to end it.

It was if Astarion was being possessed by some other worldly entity as his movements were so sharp and vivid. He seamlessly dodged each of Gandrel’s attacks and delivered a swift slash to the Gur’s arm with one of his daggers.

Gandrel cried out in pain, clutching the side of his arm as he glared at the pale elf.

“You shouldn’t have involved her,” Astarion said darkly, licking the blood off his dagger. “That was a grave mistake you won’t be repeating again.”

“You are certainly strange.” Gandrel’s breaths were heavy as blood ran down his injured arm. “But I am afraid to say you are the one who won’t be walking away from this fight.”

Gandrel reached into his pack and pulled out a vial of water. There appeared to be nothing out of the ordinary about the water, except a faint, radiant light that seemed to be omitting from the water itself. He suddenly tossed the vial towards Astarion and it exploded immediately on impact.

Astarion howled in pain and stumbled backwards as the water appeared to be burning through his skin like it was some kind of potent acid. The water, whatever it was, was so strong that Ria could hear it sizzling through Astarion’s skin from her spot underneath the toadstool.

“Astarion!” Ria cried.

“Holy water, it always does the trick.” Gandrel wiped the side of his mouth with the back of his hand before readying his crossbow with another arrow.

Ria watched with utter horror as Gandrel prepared to shoot, his crossbow now aimed perfectly at Astarion’s head. She wasn’t sure if vampires could survive that – tadpole or not – and if she didn’t do something now, this could be it for Astarion.

An unknown energy began to fill her chest as magic crackled at her fingertips. Rage and pure anger filled her entire body as she glared at Gandrel’s towering form. And then, as if her body was acting on its own, she vanished from her spot underneath the toadstool in a flurry of magic and was suddenly eye-to-eye with Gandrel.

She was levitating in front of Gandrel, almost as if she were flying, by some form of magic. Sparks flew from her hands as she channelled all her blinding rage, and putting her hands together she shot a bolt of electricity straight into Gandrel’s face.

“Ah-!” The bolt of electricity made him stumble backwards, his moustache and beard completely frazzled and singed at the ends as he reeled from the electricity.

As soon as it had come, the magic coursing through Ria’s veins soon faded, and she softly floated down onto the ground and flopped onto her side from exhaustion. While her magic was certainly not enough to stop the Gur, it would at least give Astarion enough time to gather his senses.

Astarion lunged towards Gandrel with his fangs outstretched, aiming for the throat. Gandrel was still somewhat stunned from Ria’s magic and did not react as the vampire spawn buried his teeth into his jugular.

Rather feebly, she craned her neck upwards and watched as Astarion drained Gandrel of every drop of blood that was in his body. While she had witnessed him do this in the past, it still didn’t shake away the fear and terror she felt as she watched Astarion feed. It was just yet another reminder of his true nature.  

It was clear that Astarion was ravenous as he continued to drain the Gur. Gandrel’s skin quickly grew very pale as he continued to feed, the audible gulps from Astarion as he swallowed each drop of blood were the only sounds that could be heard in the dark clearing. Finally, Astarion pulled away from Gandrel’s neck and released a very happy sigh of contentment.

The corpse thudded rather violently to the ground as he dropped it, and the sheer impact of it made Ria’s body bounce from her spot on the ground. Blood was smeared all over Astarion’s mouth, with some down his neck, a sight that Ria was somewhat getting used to. Still, the sight of all the blood never failed to make her stomach churn and she quickly began to feel nauseous.

“Ria!” Astarion quickly kneeled, hovering over her with concern. “Are you alright?”

He gingerly offered her his index finger and she grasped onto it without a second thought, using his finger as leverage to pull herself back onto her feet.

“A bit of blood loss never hurt anyone,” she replied shakily. “Well, maybe except for Gandrel.”

A small chuckle slipped past his lips. “You need healing. Fortunately for you, I have a Potion of Healing on me.”

He offered her his open palm and she clambered onto his pale hand, still gripping onto his index finger for support as he brought himself to his full height.

He reached into his small daypack, pulling out a Potion of Healing, and gently tilted the bottle towards where Ria stood on his hand. A small trickle of the potion oozed out of the top and Ria hastily inhaled a few drops at the lip of the bottle. The potion set to work and immediately healed her bloodied wound, the only evidence remaining was her own dried blood that had caked across her skin.

There were obvious burn marks across Astarion’s skin from the holy water, but now that he had fed, his wounds were already starting to heal somewhat.

“Are you okay?” she asked gently. “You were hit with holy water.”

“I’ve been dealt much worse,” Astarion replied quietly, implying there was a lot of truth to his words, and she was hesitant to ask what could be worse for a vampire than being hit with holy water. “But…you saved me back there. With your magic. By the gods, that was…!” His voice trailed off before he could finish his sentence and he hastily cleared his throat.

“That was…incredible. Thank you for helping me back there,” he said quietly.

Ria’s eyebrows nearly shot right off her forehead. “Are you complimenting me and thanking me? I think that holy water might’ve messed up more than just your skin.”

Astarion shook his head and suppressed another chuckle. “No, I mean it – that was amazing what you just did. It was like what you did to Minthara, except this time, you were…flying. And this is saying something, because I’m not usually impressed by people – especially by people of your stature.”

“And here we go again with the borrower racism,” she laughed. “You just had to throw that in there.”

“But of course, darling,” Astarion smirked deviously, ruffling her head with the tip of his index finger. “You shouldn’t expect anything else at this point.”

“You also saved me,” she said, growing serious now. “You came to my aid…again. I’m starting to think you like me more than what you let on.”

“Oh, my dear, let’s not get ridiculous,” he retorted, but his gaze seemingly avoided hers as if he was hiding something.

“Whatever you say,” she grinned. “But, in all seriousness, why was that Gur hunting you?”

“Cazador most likely sent him after me.” He exhaled a long sigh through his nose, his brows furrowing at the mention of his vampire master. “If he sent one after me, there will be others, I’m sure of that.”

“No, I mean, Gandrel mentioned that you did something to his village,” she said, her tiny hands softly grabbing at his finger. “What did you do?”

Astarion narrowed his eyes as his fingers twitched around her tiny body. “I didn’t do anything! I was kidnapped. It seems like Cazador wants me back. Only he would know to send the Gur after me.” He faltered, as if he was considering withholding the next few words he was about to say.

Exhaling a deep breath, he continued. “I was a magistrate before I was turned. I suppose there was a ruling that I had made that the Gur weren’t happy with as it was a group of them that attacked me that night in Baldur’s Gate.” His gaze flicked back to hers as his expression fell. “I would’ve died had Cazador not appeared and saved me.”

With her strength returned thanks to the Potion of Healing, she stood up straighter on Astarion’s palm, but she still gripped firmly onto his cold finger. Of all the things to expect, she certainly hadn’t expected Astarion to be a magistrate.

But then again, that might explain a few unpleasant aspects of his character.

“What kind of ruling did you implement?”

Astarion heaved a sigh. “Oh, I don’t remember. It was a long time ago – 200 years of torture and enslavement will do that to you.”

Her brows narrowed; concern highlighted across her features. The more she learned about Astarion’s past, the more she felt a wave of sympathy wash over her. She was still unsure about his position as a magistrate – after all, what kind of ruling had he made to warrant that kind of violence? Regardless of what had happened in the past, it didn’t change the fact that he had been enslaved and tortured – so badly, in fact, that he couldn’t even remember what he had done as a magistrate. Her heart panged for him.  

“He saved you by turning you into a vampire spawn?” she said quietly.

“Well, he didn’t mention the ‘slave’ clause at the time,” Astarion replied with a rather snappy edge to his words. “And now he sends a Gur monster hunter for me? It’s a message. He’s reminding me of his power. Even in the middle of nowhere, he can reach me. And he wants me back.”

“We’ll just have to show that old master of yours we mean business,” she responded firmly, giving his finger a gentle pat in reassurance. “And if he sends any more Gur after you, I’ll fry them to smithereens. Once I can get a handle on this wild magic.”

Astarion almost threw back his entire head as he laughed. He laughed so hard it nearly jostled Ria from her spot on his palm and she frantically clutched at his fingers for support.

“Oh, my dear, now that is simply adorable,” he chuckled. “You seriously think you can stop more Gur if they come?”

“Maybe not by myself,” she said. “But once we let the others know, they can help, too.”

“No!” Astarion exclaimed, his eyes wide with panic. “We can’t let the others know about this. They could see this as a liability and use that as an opportunity to get rid of me. Do not breathe a word of this to anyone.”  

Ria blinked, rather surprised by Astarion’s explosive response.

“Okay, if you’re sure about that. I still think they will help.”

A moment of awkward silence passed between the two of them. Astarion cleared his throat, his gaze now staring at the ground, as he used his other hand to fish something out from underneath his armour.

“I…I have some things for you.”

A crease formed between her brows as she stared at the objects that Astarion had pulled out from underneath his armour. Her eyes widened as she realised what he was holding were tiny clothes – borrower-sized clothes.

“I simply could not allow you to walk around in those hideous rags anymore.” He presented the articles of clothing in an open palm in front of her. “You truly have no fashion sense, my dear. I mean, just look at those rags – ugh. It’s horrendous. I took it upon myself to fix your gods-awful clothing choice. You can thank me later.”

The tiny clothes that Astarion presented to her were perfect – they weren’t too dressy, not a skirt to be seen – there was an elegant long-sleeved top, a short-sleeved top, shorts, and some longer pants to help keep her warm during the colder months. The fabric was a significant improvement from her current clothes – well, just about anything was an improvement from what she was currently wearing – and they appeared to be rather sturdy in structure and threading.

“You made these yourself?” She picked up one of the tops and ran it through her fingers, marvelling at Astarion’s handiwork. “Astarion, these are incredible. I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything,” Astarion replied. “Think of this as a proper apology for…well…everything.”

She gave his index finger an affectionate squeeze with her hand and gazed at him fondly.

“Apology definitely accepted.”

Chapter Text

Much to Lae’zel’s dismay, the githyanki creche proved to be a complete bust and none of the tadpoles were removed. In fact, quite the opposite had happened – the gith had turned against the entire group, and they had even angered Vlaakith herself, the imperious queen of the githyanki. Through this, they learned the truth of Vlaakith’s tyranny through another gith, Kith’rak Voss, explaining that Vlaakith was a false queen and not the true heir to the githyanki throne. Lae’zel refused to believe this new information, and since Kith’rak Voss had come to their camp that one night, she had gone deathly quiet. She wouldn’t even train with Ria and said that she needed time to think this over by herself. 

Now that the creche had failed to remove the tadpoles, Halsin reminded them that they should traverse through the Underdark to reach Moonrise Towers, as it was the safer route according to the druid. They returned to what was left of the Goblin Camp and found the secret entrance to the Underdark through a series of puzzles that Gale had no trouble solving. 

The group then descended into the Underdark, a fascinating place that had giant glowing mushrooms and was completely void of any natural sunlight. After exploring through the Underdark for some time, the group eventually decided to set up camp for the night. Astarion was growing hungry again and had swiftly left to go hunt. Now that left her alone with the rest of her giant companions. 

Since the event with Gandrel, Astarion had, oddly enough, become more friendly towards her. He still had his usual biting remarks, but now he was even offering to carry her as they went about their journey and they talked frequently. Ria wasn’t sure what to make of this, combined with her complicated feelings towards him, she didn’t know what to do about it. For now, though, she needed to get hold on her magic. 

Perhaps now is a good time to ask Gale for that magic lesson.

The wizard was at his tent, flicking through a very thick tome and occasionally releasing a ‘hmm’ and ‘ahh’ sound as he turned each page. Ria softly walked towards his tent, wondering if now was a good time to ask him about teaching her how to control her magic. 

If I don’t ask now, it’ll never happen.  

“Gale?”

Gale blinked, snapping his tome shut, and his warm brown eyes immediately darted towards the ground where she was standing. A gentle smile soon lit up across his features and he crouched down. 

“Ria! What can I do for you this fine evening?” 

“I want you to give me a magic lesson.” She cleared her throat. “If it’s not too much trouble, of course.”

Upon hearing the words ‘magic’ leave her lips, his face brightened even more, his smile almost reaching his ears. 

“Oh, that is simply marvellous! I would be delighted to give you a lesson. There are no records that state borrowers can tap into the Weave, but what better way to find out?”

“Oh, I can use magic,” she replied quietly. “I’ve…erm…done it before.”

Gale’s eyes turned as big as saucers and his jaw slacked slightly. 

“By Mystra! This is…well…this is remarkable!” he exclaimed, offering his open palm for her to climb onto. “I do have to ask if you will stand on my table, my knees are absolutely killing me right now.” 

A small smile crept onto her face as she eagerly climbed onto his hand, grasping onto his thumb as she made herself comfortable on his palm. Very carefully Gale stood up to his full height and brought her to a small table that sat outside his tent next to his telescope. While she still had to crane her neck upwards to look at him, this was still significantly better than talking to him from her position on the ground. 

Gale clapped his hands together with delight. The sheer joy on his face resembled that of a young child receiving a large portion of sweets for the first time. Ria could tell he was truly in his element and was ecstatic about the whole scenario.

“When did this happen?” Gale questioned, his eyes bright and shimmering in the dim light.

“Well, I’ve only been able to use it when I’ve been in dangerous situations…I used it on Minthara and G-” she paused, clearing her throat, before continuing. “Uh, just Minthara, yeah. That was the only time.”

Gale scratched his chin, deep in thought. “I see. And what sort of magic were you able to conjure?”

“So far, only lightning,” she answered. “And…I was able to teleport and fly. Although, I’m not sure how I was able to do that.”

“This is positively jubilant!” Gale rubbed his hands together excitedly, his face practically beaming. “Ria, do you understand what this means?”

She stared at him, somewhat befuddled. 

“Uh…that I can do magic?”

“Well, yes, obviously,” he said. “But you can tap into the Weave! A borrower, such as yourself, is blessed by Mystra. Mystra did mention she was fond of pixies, but she never mentioned borrowers during my time with her. This is incredible!” 

Mystra.

The name did resonate with her, and she had heard Gale exclaim the name a few times during their travels, but she didn’t know exactly who Mystra was.

“Uh,” she said awkwardly, biting her bottom lip. “Who, exactly, is Mystra?”

Judging from Gale’s facial expression, it would’ve been easy to believe that Ria had just told him that one of his family members had just died. His face was of utter shock and disbelief, and it almost looked as if his entire facial features were melting right off his skin. 

“I-I’m sorry,” she quickly said, alarmed by Gale’s dreadful expression. “I didn’t mean to offend or anything, I have heard you mention her many times, it’s just I don’t know-”

“No, no, forgive my overreaction,” Gale interjected, composing himself. “Mystra is the goddess of all magic, the Weave itself, so to hear someone who has never heard of her before is…quite a shock, to say the least. Especially when I’ve practically spent my entire life studying the Weave and…well…other aspects of Mystra.” 

Ria breathed a small sigh of relief. “Y-yeah, that’s what happens when you’ve lived underneath floorboards. My parents didn’t exactly teach me a lot about the gods. They always said that the gods didn’t care about little people like borrowers.” 

“Ah.” Gale’s expression changed from shock to sympathy almost in an instant. “That does make sense. I once again apologise for my overreaction. That was rude of me to assume.”

“No, no, it’s quite alright,” she answered, and raised one eyebrow. “What do you mean by ‘other aspects of Mystra,’ exactly? Is this related to the orb in your chest?” 

“Ah, indeed it is,” Gale answered. “I suppose I didn’t tell you all the details when I first brought up my condition with all the others. I’m what one might call a wizard prodigy, who from an early age could not only control the Weave, but compose it, like a musician or a poet. This, undoubtedly, attracted the attention of the goddess of magic herself, Mystra. She became my teacher, and in time, my muse. And then later, even my lover.”

Both of Ria’s eyebrows shot up her forehead in surprise. “You did…that with a goddess?”

 A smirk tugged at the corners of his lips upon seeing her reaction. “Oh, absolutely. We mostly indulged purely in abstract and incorporeal interactions, as she preferred it that way. It was most invigorating.” 

“O-oh.” Ria’s eyes widened as she struggled to think of what else she could say to that, but she failed to find the right words. “How interesting.”

“Interesting doesn’t even begin to cover it,” he went on, his smile growing ever wider. “But enough about me. You wanted a magic lesson, correct? And I am more than happy to offer that to you.”

Gale extended both of his arms, one facing the sky and another towards the ground, and clapped his hands together. A glowing purple orb emitted from his hands and flew off to the other side of the camp before it vanished into thin air. 

Ria watched with amazement, her mouth slightly parted, and she wondered where to even begin replicating what Gale had just done. 

“Now you try.” His warm brown eyes flitted over her frame. “Don’t worry if you don’t get it at first, just replicate the movement and see if you feel anything.”

Ria copied Gale’s movements as best she could, but she was met with nothing. Not even one ounce of light appeared from her fingertips and she looked up at him with worry. 

“Don’t look so distraught,” he said with encouragement. “Just keep trying. What emotions did you feel when you first used magic?”

“Rage, anger, fury,” she replied. “And fear.” 

“Channel those emotions.” Gale pointed an index finger to the air as if he was some conductor. “If that is what allowed you to tap into the Weave the first time, then you need to replicate those feelings as best you can.”

“R-right.” She wasn’t exactly thrilled about relieving those memories. Memories that she would rather keep to the back of her mind and never think about again. But, if that is what was needed for her to harness her magic, then she’d have to do it.

Inhaling a deep breath, she closed her eyes and pulled her mind back to her fateful encounter with Minthara. She remembered how the drow had her in her grasp, almost suffocating the life out of her. How she had thrown her into a cage as if she was nothing. She remembered Gandrel, and how he had almost ended Astarion’s life, his bow ready and poised to take the shot that would’ve put an end to everything. 

The emotions began to flicker across her brain, reminding her of the pain and anger she had felt. Her jaw clenched as those memories played through her mind, igniting a burning rage in her belly. These feelings began to almost manifest as sparks began to crackle at her fingertips. Her anger, her rage, her fear, was almost like fuel to the fire for the wild energy that coursed through her veins.

And it needed to be released. 

“Excellent!” Gale exclaimed, positively delighted as he watched the scene unfold before him. “Now see if you can expel that energy.”

Not even a second after the words had left his lips, a bolt of electricity shot out from her hands, aimed directly at the wizard’s face.

“Ah!” 

Gale seemed to be prepared for this, and simply deflected the magic with a counterspell. The bolt of lightning seemed to almost bounce off the wizard and shoot upwards into the air, fortunately not hitting anything.

With her eyes now open, Ria quickly grew mortified over what had just happened. 

“Oh gods, I’m so sorry!” she spluttered, her eyes wide with worry and concern. “I should’ve been more careful, that was so stupid of me, I could’ve hurt you!”

Gale simply shook his head, completely unbothered by the whole thing. “It’s fine. I had a feeling this might happen and had a counterspell at the ready. Please do not stress about it.”

“B-but I could’ve-”

“Did anyone die?”

“Uh, n-no, nobody died, but-”

“Then it’s fine. A small shock of lightning wouldn’t have done much even if it had hit me, given our size differences. Perhaps it may have frazzled my beard a little, which would’ve had me a bit upset, but in the grand scheme of things, it’s nothing.”

Ria opened and closed her mouth, wanting to protest this, but she said nothing. After a moment, she took a deep sigh, and nodded. 

“Okay, I suppose you’re right.”

“And we’re not even talking about the best part. You harnessed the Weave!” He clapped his hands together in delight like an excited child. Ria thought he would start jumping with glee with how happy he was, but the wizard remained grounded. 

“I suppose I did,” she said quietly, the beginnings of a smile starting to show on her face. 

“You absolutely did,” Gale beamed. “Now, shall we carry on?”

Astarion was completely and utterly stuffed. 

The Underdark itself had provided him with a completely new array of different creatures to feast on. They tasted different, too, and he found the blood more filling than the other beasts he had fed on in the past. Tonight, however, had given him something so delightfully delicious he couldn’t even walk in a straight line anymore after completely draining the poor thing. He was almost certain it had been a bear; the creature had been incredibly large and had bits of brown fur that had annoyingly got caught in some of his teeth. It had put up a tremendous fight, too, but the creature didn’t have much of a chance once Astarion had dropped down onto it from an oversized mushroom. Although, the more he thought about it, the beast had seemed far too large to have been a bear. 

It had brown fuzzy fur, surely it must’ve been a bear? Hmm…I can’t even remember…

He had managed to spit the fur out of his teeth as he staggered back to camp, clutching his rather swollen stomach. He couldn’t remember anytime where he had been so well fed that had resulted in him having a pronounced belly. Cazador had ensured that he and the rest of his spawn siblings had remained practically starved during his 200 years of enslavement. He was used to not feeling full, so this was certainly different, but not bad in the slightest. Although, he had perhaps drunk a little too much, so much in fact that he struggled to walk in a straight line. But, for the first time in a long time, he felt… happy . And that was worth the drunken movements and airy thoughts he was feeling. 

Blood still smeared on his lips and chin, he entered the camp on clumsy footsteps, not even bothering to greet the rest of his companions as he came through. He was feeling particularly chatty tonight and he wanted to talk to Ria about the little adventurous meal he had just dined on. He quickly stopped in his tracks as some bright purple lights coming from near Gale’s tent caught his eye. 

The wizard is showing off his magic again…how predictable.

Huffing through his nose, he turned to carry on his way, but he froze when he saw Ria situated on a small table in front of Gale. The wizard was practically glowing in front of her, casting dazzling magic projections in front of her, and she was trying to mimic his movements. It appeared that he was giving her a magic lesson of sorts. 

His stomach twisted into knots as he continued to watch the two of them and his jaw clenched. Why would Ria want to spend time with the wizard of all people? Astarion found Gale positively boring outside of his looks and he had a habit of talking his ear off for no good reason. 

Well, perhaps it makes sense that she would seek him to help harness her magic, he thought bitterly, huffing through his nose. Gale was a wizard prodigy after all, so it made perfect sense that he would be the best person to teach her. Despite this, he still couldn’t stop a burning feeling that refused to leave his chest as he watched Ria interact with Gale. Whatever this feeling was, he despised it, and he wanted nothing to do with it. 

Forcefully pushing the festering feeling away, he attempted to clear his head. He’d just wait until her little magic lesson with Gale was over, the wizard couldn’t keep her the entire night to himself after all. They’d be finished soon enough. 

“Having troubling thoughts, Astarion?”

Being both a rogue and a vampire spawn, not many things managed to sneak up on Astarion, let alone startle him. But, in that moment, he nearly jumped out of his skin as the archdruid suddenly appeared behind him. 

“N-no, whatever made you think that!” he snapped, smoothing the ruffled fabric on his shirt. 

Halsin smiled as a chuckle rumbled deep in his chest. “You can’t hide it, Astarion. It’s as obvious as a bear seeking out honey.”

Astarion angrily folded his arms across his chest, avoiding eye contact with the taller elf. 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Making those clothes for her was a very thoughtful gesture,” Halsin continued, pretending to ignore Astarion’s previous statement. “It seems the two of you are close. It’s nice to see.” 

“I did not make those for her!” he quickly said, lying through his teeth. “Shadowheart made those, not me.”

“Hmm. And all those pieces of fabric you looted off the bandits we’ve fought over the past few weeks, that was because you just liked the fabric? Not because you were making some borrower-sized clothing?”

Astarion huffed through his nose, but didn’t say anything. 

“Are you sure you don’t want my advice?”

Why couldn’t that bear be him so he can shut up. 

If he wasn’t so blood drunk, Astarion would not have hesitated to deliver several acts of violence against the archdruid during that moment. But, of course, that was not going to happen. Exhaling deeply, Astarion pinched the bridge of his nose and then turned to face Halsin directly.

“Fine. Tell me your Oakfatherly advice, hmm?” Astarion frantically scanned the camp, keeping an eye out for anyone that might be eavesdropping. “But do keep it down, I do not want anyone else to hear this.” 

“Of course.” Halsin smiled softly and leaned in closer to where Astarion was standing. “For borrowers, and other smaller folk, it is incredibly important that you don’t make them feel small.”

Astarion narrowed his eyes and almost scoffed. “Well, how do you suppose I do that when she must look up to everyone? She’s tiny .”

“Precisely my point.” Halsin cleared his throat. “You have started to get better at this, but every now and again I notice that you still leer down at her, almost mockingly so. That certainly wouldn’t make her feel very good.”

“And your solution is?”

“Always kneel down when you’re talking to her,” Halsin answered. “Or offer her an open palm, if she is open to standing on your hand. It is important to always get down to their level, as we are giants in their eyes.”

“That seemed like an obvious one,” Astarion muttered under his breath.

“Perhaps don’t always flash your fangs so obviously in her direction,” Halsin continued, his face growing serious. “I notice you tend to do that, especially with her. Not a good look considering you tried to eat her when you first met.”

Astarion faltered upon hearing this. He didn’t have anything snappy to retort with, as he knew deep down that Halsin was right. 

“Anything else?” Astarion said dryly. 

“My other advice might be too…explicit for casual campfire discussions,” Halsin said slowly, a small grin crawling up the side of his face. “Perhaps that can wait until things really start to get serious between you two.”

Astarion’s jaw nearly hit the ground. For the first time in his long, undead life, he was almost speechless. Mouth opening and closing for a few seconds, some words finally found his lips. 

“Excuse me! I do not need help with that sort of thing. Not to mention there is no way that would ever happen to begin with!”

“Hmm, I wouldn’t be so sure of that.” Halsin gestured towards Gale’s tent. “It looks like Ria has finished her lesson with Gale.”

Sure enough, Gale had placed Ria back onto the ground and she gave him a small wave as the wizard retreated into his tent for the evening. Seeing this, Astarion immediately stumbled away from the archdruid, still clutching his rather swollen stomach. There was no way in the Nine Hells that he wanted to hear Halsin’s explicit advice on wooing a borrower. Not like he needed any help with that anyways, he had spent the last 200 years perfecting his craft. 

Not like I’ve been very successful in seducing anyone in the group, he thought sourly, pressing his lips together in a thin line. But that didn’t matter at that moment. Right now, all he wanted to do was to see Ria, and he couldn’t stop the smile lighting up his bloodstained face as he wobbled towards her. 

Chapter Text

“Sleep well, Gale.”

“Goodnight, Ria.”

Ria watched Gale wave her goodbye and disappear into his tent for the rest of the evening. The magic lesson had been a huge success, despite nearly frazzling Gale’s beard with her magic. While she had much to learn about harnessing the Weave, with Gale’s guidance, this could seriously add an edge for her in battle. This, combined with her combat training with Lae’zel, would surely make her more adept when the time finally came for her to face Araj at Moonrise Towers.

Araj won’t know what hit her, she thought to herself, a small grin pulling at the corners of her mouth.

Her thoughts were soon interrupted as ground-breaking tremors thrashed the soil between her feet rather violently. The vibrations were so heavy that she nearly lost her own footing. Glancing upwards, she saw a familiar pale elf approaching her rather rapidly – although, for once, he didn’t appear as pale as he usually did.

Astarion was practically wobbling towards her, his gait was severely staggered and he appeared to be struggling to walk in a straight line. His gaze was locked onto her small frame and a goofy grin was plastered over his bloodstained face. His face had a noticeably faint pink flush to it, combined with all the blood smeared over him, it suggested that he had just recently eaten.

He’s drunk.

As soon as the realisation of what was occurring hit, Ria found herself to be in a rather unusual state of danger. For once, it wasn’t because Astarion was hungry, but because he had eaten so much, he now posed a different kind of threat. One misplaced footstep could quite literally be the end for her if he wasn’t careful.

“A-Astarion?” she called out nervously, ready to bolt at any second.

“Darling!” He clutched his abdomen as he staggered to the ground, nearly falling on his face in the process, as he leaned over her rather clumsily. “Now that Gale has finally left, I can bring you some worthwhile company.”

Normally she would’ve snickered upon hearing a comment like that, but Astarion’s drunken state was posing more of a threat as he staggered over her. She hastily inched backwards from him as he loomed over her, and a thorn of panic impaled through her chest as she imagined his body giving out and crushing her beneath him in his blood-drunk state.

“Are you drunk?” she asked, knowing full well the answer, yet the notion of a vampire getting drunk to begin with was still baffling all the same.

“Yes. I have drunk. Not alcohol, of course. A bear. He took a little of my blood, I took all of his.”

Her eyes widened as the words hit her eardrums. A bear? In the Underdark? While she wasn’t as familiar with the strange creatures that dwelled in the Underdark, she knew enough from what she had seen throughout their travels and from what Halsin had said about the place to know that bears were not common there.

Stiffening, her eyes scanned towards the back of the camp and felt a huge wave of relief as she saw Halsin happily talking with Wyll and Karlach around the campfire.

Good, he didn’t accidentally eat Halsin.

Returning her attention back to the giant vampire, she took another hesitant step backwards.

“Are you sure that was a bear? This is the Underdark, Astarion. There are no bears here.”

Astarion faltered as he processed her words, confusion beginning to spread across his features.

“I mean – I think it was a bear? Big head, four legs, hair that gets stuck in your teeth.” An airy chuckle slipped past his lips. “Whatever it was, I thoroughly enjoyed it.”

“Well, I’m just glad that you’re happy and well fed,” she answered. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile so much or have so much colour in your face.”

A wicked smirk danced across his face as he leaned down closer to where she was standing on the ground. “Oh? Are you still afraid that I might bite, darling?”

He was so close now that his warm breath ruffled her auburn hair, the metallic scent of blood filling her senses and immediately she backed away. The smell of iron was almost overwhelming.

“I’m not afraid of you anymore,” she said. “Especially not now, I mean, just look at the little blood belly you’ve got. That’s hardly what I’d call threatening.”

Astarion’s eyes quickly grew very wide, and he pressed a palm onto his distended stomach, almost at a loss for words upon hearing Ria’s bold statement.

“That’s big talk coming from a pipsqueak.” He narrowed his eyes, leaning over her rather menacingly like a cat about to snatch up a mouse. “If you had eaten as much as I had, then you’d be feeling at least a little bloated, too. This is probably the most I’ve ever eaten since I was turned. All Cazador fed me were rats and bugs.”

“That sounds utterly disgusting,” she answered, grimacing at the very thought.

“Believe me, it was,” Astarion replied solemnly. “I’m just happy that the bastard can’t control me for the time being. Of course, there are much nicer things that I’d rather be dining on, but a giant beast is a marked improvement from what I used to eat.”

While Astarion was speaking, Ria couldn’t help but steer her gaze back towards his protruding belly. He was so bloated the bump was noticeably stretching against the waistband of his very tight pants. A snicker began to ease its way out of her throat, and she had to try extremely hard not to explode into a fit of laughter.

Astarion noticed her strange behaviour and furrowed his brows.

“What’s so funny this time?”

“I’m sorry, it’s just your stomach,” she spluttered, choking back a hysterical laugh. “I mean, just look at it, you’re huge, you almost look like you’re preg-”

“Do not finish that sentence,” Astarion growled through gritted teeth. “I think I’m going to have to get you to stop this nonsense.”

He suddenly reached a slender hand towards her small frame, and instinctively she lurched backwards from his impending grasp. Fortunately for her, with Astarion in this heavily blood-drunk state, his movements were very sluggish and slow.

“Get back here you!” he exclaimed, attempting to grab her again, but she scampered backwards and dashed into a patch of foliage amongst some glowing mushrooms.  

“What’s the matter, Astarion? Can’t catch a little borrower?” she smirked, pleased with herself that she seemed to have the upper hand for once. Messing with him in this drunken state was certainly amusing.

Tremors shook the ground as Astarion fumbled around in the foliage searching for her, a low, grumbling growl resonating in the back of his throat. As he continued to search, Ria merely retreated further into the undergrowth and bioluminescent mushrooms.

Or, at least, what she thought were regular mushrooms. As she avoided Astarion’s grabby but rather sloppy hands, her back slammed into something solid but strangely rubbery. Before she had a moment to realise what she had just collided into, a burst of spores exploded into the air and went straight through her windpipe.

“Wh-what…”

Her eyesight suddenly became extremely blurry, and she froze in place. A tickly yet fuzzy feeling began to fill her chest, and she couldn’t stop a massive smile from creeping up across her face.

“Got you!”

A strangely warm, giant hand pulled her out of her spot in the mushrooms, long fingers curling around her tiny frame as she blinked the remaining spores out of her eyes.

“You take that back if you know what’s good for you,” Astarion grumbled, one hand clutching his swollen stomach while the other held her firmly in his fist. “I am not huge.”

Ria had no way of stopping the uncontrollable laughter that exploded from her lungs. Her eyes were practically watering as she struggled to breathe, and she clutched one of his fingers as the laughter shuddered through her body.

“Do you have a death wish?” Astarion snapped, clearly displeased with her hysterical laughter.

“I-I’m sorry, I c-can’t stop–” she managed to stutter out a few words before she went into another fit of laughter. Tears streamed down her face as she feebly attempted to collect herself, but with very little success.

Astarion was growing more unamused by the second.

“Right, this needs to stop.”

Before she knew it, her entire world was upside down as Astarion dangled her by her feet. One of her ankles was pinched in between his index finger and thumb, with her tiny body now dangling upside down.

If Ria had been of sane mind, the situation would’ve made her utterly terrified. But with the effect of the strange spores she had encountered, she merely went into an uncontrollable fit of giggles.

“This is fun!” she exclaimed, rocking her tiny body back and forth as she was held suspended from Astarion’s fingers.

“What has gotten into you?” he murmured, shaking his head lightly.

Upon realising that the method wasn’t having the intended effect he had been hoping for, he deposited Ria safely into the centre of his palm. Frowning, Ria pawed at his fingers and a large pout formed across her face as she gazed up at him.  

“Aw, you’re no fun,” she grumbled.

“I think those spores have made you loopy, my dear,” he answered. “In fact, I think you’ve inhaled timmask spores.”

“I don’t caaaare,” she groaned, flopping down onto her stomach on his palm. “Hmm. You’re nice and warm for once. It’s nice.”

Astarion paused, somewhat caught off guard by her comment.

“Oh…am I?” he said, unsure of how to respond. “I suppose it must be from all of that blood.”

“Mhmm,” she smiled, hugging his thumb.

Ria found herself almost tempted to fall asleep on Astarion’s hand as she brought his thumb closer to her body. Any sense of sound judgement was completely gone from her brain due to the timmask spores. During that moment, she couldn’t care less that she was practically giving Astarion the closest equivalent to a hug that she could offer him at her small size.

Mass shifted around her as her back was suddenly pressed up against soft fabric. Blinking in confusion, she quickly realised that Astarion was gently cupping her against his chest.

He was hugging her. Or at least the best that was possible due to their size differences. The pad of his thumb ever so softly caressed the top of her head, gently ruffling her auburn locks that just barely touched her shoulders. She gingerly craned her neck upwards and was met with his warm gaze. Even in her loopy timmask spore state, she still recognised that utterly gentle look that Astarion was giving her – he had only shown this a few times around her since they had met. But something was different about tonight – there was something more in his eyes. Something so precious and heartwarming that it made butterflies flutter in her stomach.

Her heartbeat began to race feverishly in her chest as she stared at the two giant crimson orbs that regarded her with such softness. Did Astarion truly care for her? Would he ever see her as something more?

No, he wouldn’t, he said so himself, I’m just a filthy borrower to him, she thought sadly, the smile from her face dropping almost instantly as the effect of the timmask spores began to wear off. But his words seemed to completely go against his actions. The clothes she was wearing were made by Astarion himself, not to mention the numerous times he had come to her aid. If he didn’t care for her at least somewhat, there is no way he would’ve done all of that.

Perhaps there was something there.

Wait, what in the hells am I thinking? I need to stop this right now.

Ria remained motionless in the centre of his palm, pressed up against his warm chest. Without warning, Astarion slowly but surely lifted her closer towards his face. Her breath hitched as she was suddenly in such proximity to his face, he was now so close that she could smell the scent of blood on his mouth. His mouth parted open slightly, revealing his wickedly sharp fangs.

At that moment, everything shifted drastically in her mind. Flashes of teeth and the crushing weight of large fingers wrapped around her body overwhelmed her. The memories forcefully flooded over her like a tsunami, smothering every single inch of rational thought that she had left. Instinctively, she began to scramble backwards in his palm, her flight or fight response going haywire as she was brought in closer towards his large teeth.

Immediately, Astarion stopped his movements and lowered her to the ground, concern and confusion flickering across his face.

“Ria?” he said softly, his voice lowered considerably. “Is everything alright?”

Ria breathed heavily, her heart threatening to tear itself free from out of her ribcage at any moment. As she stared up at Astarion, the splatters of blood across his face and body certainly did not help the situation at all. She tried to think rationally and reminded herself that she was in no danger here. But, despite this, her brain kept on repeating the same scene in her mind. It was as if her body was reacting by itself and recognised Astarion as a threat.

“I-I’m sorry,” she managed to choke out, her chest heaving with each breath. “I don’t know what’s come over me, it’s like my body is…remembering the night we first met.” She paused, her lip trembling as she forced the words out of her throat. “When you tried to eat me.”

Astarion’s face dropped, he looked crestfallen as he gazed down at her.

“You don’t need to apologise for anything,” he said gently, his brows knitting together with concern. “If anything, I should be the one apologising…I brought you close…I’m sorry. I thought…”

His voice trailed off before he could finish his sentence, his shoulders slumped forward.

“N-no, it’s okay!” she quickly said, seeing the hurt and guilt reflected in his sanguine eyes. “I just…seeing your teeth like that…it just brought back painful memories. It wasn’t your fault.”

“I understand,” he answered. “I suppose being covered in blood like this wasn’t helping, either.”

With her heart rate somewhat returning to normal, a light chuckle managed to wriggle its way out of her throat.

“Yeah, maybe lose the excess blood next time,” she said, a small grin weaved its way across her face.

A somewhat awkward silence passed over them as neither said anything. Ria’s face was burning hot, and her mind raced to think what Astarion had been planning on doing by bringing her so close to his face. If only she hadn’t had such a strong negative reaction to the whole ordeal maybe she would’ve found out what he had been intending to do. She tried to understand why she had reacted so badly – it wasn’t like she was unfamiliar with his mouth. After all, she had been inside his mouth, so why was she suddenly reacting like this?

This makes no sense…it’s as if my body thinks being close to him is dangerous. Well, maybe it is a bit, but I know he doesn’t want to hurt me anymore. I want to be around him.

“I should get cleaned up,” Astarion said, rising to his full height. “Goodnight, Ria.”

Tilting her neck upwards to look at him, she blinked in surprise and furrowed her brows.

“O-oh, okay,” she stammered, failing to hide the sadness in her voice. “G-goodnight.”

Ria simply watched as Astarion padded away towards his tent, his footfalls sending small vibrations through the ground that rattled her tiny body. By this point, though, she had come to grow accustomed to his giant footsteps and a part of her was starting to find comfort in them.

But now, as she watched him walk away, she couldn’t stop the gnawing pain that filled her chest and guilt that suffocated her mind.

Chapter Text

“Something is troubling you, little istik.”

Ria heaved a small sigh as she sat nestled in the centre of Lae’zel’s hand. The entire group were traversing through the Underdark, following Halsin’s lead towards the Shadow Cursed Lands. She couldn’t stop thinking back to the last close encounter she had with Astarion. How they had been so close, and when Astarion had pulled her in, she had panicked and lost control of herself. She hadn’t spoken a word to him since that day, and they had been avoiding each other throughout the camp. At this point, any hopes she had once had of being close with him were practically gone now.

“I’m fine,” she lied, not making eye contact with the gith.

“Chk. You are anything but fine,” Lae’zel retorted. “Tell me who is troubling you and I will cut off their head.”

“I appreciate the sentiment, Lae’zel, but please do not do that,” she quickly said, knowing that the gith meant every word. “It’s fine, okay? I don’t really want to talk about this right now.”

Lae’zel took in a sharp breath. “As you wish. But if you change your mind, I will keep my blade sharp for you.”

She exhaled softly in relief. At least Lae’zel wouldn’t pressure her about it anymore for the time being. Her thoughts were interrupted when a blood-curdling shriek ruptured through the air, nearly tearing through her tiny eardrums.

Lae’zel instinctively curled her clawed fingers around her tiny frame protectively, clutching her close to her armoured chest.

“W-what was that?” Ria exclaimed, her heart racing.

“That was a Hook Horror,” Halsin replied, scanning the area. “A beast not to be reckoned with. Everyone, be ready.”

“Tsk’va!” Lae’zel hissed. “This is no battle for a borrower. I will put you somewhere safe.”

While a part of her almost wanted to protest against Lae’zel, she knew that she was by no means ready to face something like a Hook Horror, even with the rest of the group to protect her.

At frightening speed and agility, Lae’zel manoeuvred away from the rest of the group and slipped behind some giant glowing mushrooms. The gith kept on running until she encountered a towering glowing blue tree. Uncurling her fingers, she gently lowered Ria onto the floor near the giant tree.

“Stay hidden, I will come get you once it is safe,” Lae’zel instructed firmly. “I do not want you moving from here.”

Ria nodded tentatively. “Got it.”

The ground rattled violently as Lae’zel dashed back towards the direction of the group, one hand already on the hilt of her longsword.

Now alone with her thoughts, she leaned against the back of the illuminated tree. While there were a lot of dangerous things in the Underdark, there was a lot of beauty to be found in it, too. Glowing blue leaves flitted down to where she was standing, the leaves themselves large enough for her to easily stand on. For a small moment, the troubles from the past few days seemed to melt away as she admired the bioluminescent beauty around her. 

While Lae’zel had firmly instructed her to remain hidden and stay where she was, she saw no harm in investigating other parts of the tree. Besides, it would be a good idea if she could conceal herself better than what she was doing currently, and perhaps distract herself from her troubling thoughts.

Sucking in a sharp breath, she hoisted herself up using a few tiny branches and twigs that were sticking out of the bark and began to circle around to the other side of the tree. As she clambered to the other side, utilising more twigs and her tiny dagger to navigate across, she suddenly felt a wave of nausea hit her like a tonne of bricks.

Her grip on her dagger slackened, and she stopped dead in her movements. She had no idea where this feeling had come from – she had plenty to eat not that long ago, so hunger certainly wasn’t the issue. It was as if her life essence was slowly being drained from her core. Shaking her head, she persisted through the waves of nausea and kept on climbing to the other side.

A bright, glowing blue flower soon came into view and she released a heavy breath. She stopped in front of the flower, her energy growing ever weaker by the second. She had become so weak now that she struggled to remain on her feet. Stumbling backwards across the bark of the tree, she fell onto her behind in front of the flower, her breathing quickly becoming very strained.

What...is happening to me?

The flower seemed to almost glow even brighter as she felt her energy draining. Was the flower sapping her of her strength somehow? It wouldn’t be completely unusual, given the strange flora and fauna that dwelled in the Underdark. Even though she didn’t know for sure, getting away from the strange flower seemed like the best idea.

Digging her fingernails into the bark of the tree, she attempted to pull herself to her feet, but she immediately slumped back down in exhaustion. It was as if her legs had been turned into jelly, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t stand up without being utterly exhausted.  

Her eyelids grew so heavy that she would’ve believed they were made out of lead. Black spots filled her vision as she struggled to stay awake.

Must stay…awake…awake…

“H-help!” she cried out as loud as her voice would allow her, in a desperate last attempt. Not like her friends would be able to hear her, given how far Lae’zel ran to separate her from the rest of the group, but she had to try something. 

Her efforts were of no use as every last drop of energy was sapped from her tiny frame. Her eyelids dropped, and darkness soon enveloped her completely.

Astarion’s ears twitched as a tiny yet familiar voice faintly buzzed in his eardrums. They had just defeated one Hook Horror, but another one had suddenly descended from above in the trees and was launching an attack on the entire group.

Lowering his crossbow, he concealed himself into the shadows as he tried to concentrate on the small voice he had heard. It certainly wasn’t his own imagination, in fact, he recognised that voice, it could only belong to one person – Ria.

He knew that Lae’zel had scampered off to place her somewhere safe while they dealt with the Hook Horrors. But now she was completely alone, vulnerable to whatever creatures dwelled in the Underdark. And from her call, it definitely sounded urgent.

He quickly glanced around his group of companions. Lae’zel was delivering a devastating blow to the Hook Horror’s midsection, while Karlach was charging towards the creature from behind with a giant axe. Both Gale and Wyll were standing behind at a reasonable distance, conjuring up a devastating blow of spells, along with Shadowheart who had some healing spells at the ready. Halsin had wildshaped into his bear form and released a hearty roar before launching his fuzzy self upon the wicked creature, large claws outstretched.

His companions could certainly handle the last Hook Horror by themselves, he decided.

Leaping with expert agility and grace, Astarion fled from the battle and ran towards the direction where he had heard the faint voice coming from. Inhaling deeply, it didn’t take him long to pick apart Ria’s scent from the wilderness of the Underdark. At this point, finding her scent was almost second-nature to him now.

It didn’t take long before a large blue tree came into his sight. Ria’s scent was strongest here, as he neared the tree, and he kept on breathing in deeply through his nose to pinpoint her scent. A strange feeling suddenly rushed through his body. It made him stagger on his feet for a brief moment as if something had just sapped the strength out of his body.

Astarion himself was no serious magic user, but being a High Elf, he had some strong connections to magic and could cast a few cantrips. The feeling he was experiencing was as if something had reached a burning cold hand through his chest and stolen every trace of magic inside of his undead body. That made him pause briefly, only for a small moment, but he persisted through the fatigue and continued his search – Ria was in trouble and he needed to find her immediately.

He clambered around the side of the tree and fixed his gaze on the ground, being mindful where he was placing his feet. A strange flower was blooming from the side of the tree, glowing with an illuminating blue aura, and as he drew closer towards the plant, he felt his strength wavered ever so slightly. It wasn’t that severe, but he felt all the magic that he once had slip through his fingertips and leave his body entirely.

He sucked in sharply when his red gaze brushed over Ria’s small, unconscious body, splayed out across the bark of the tree. He bent down and quickly gathered her into his cold hands with delicate precision.

“Ria?” He nudged her gently with his index finger, but she didn’t budge. He could still hear her heart beating, thankfully, so she was still alive, just unconscious.

Cupping her gently towards his chest, he carefully moved away from the strange flower and large tree. He assumed that whatever had caused Ria to fall unconscious had to be coming from the flower – she had a higher magic affinity than he did, being related to pixies, therefore it made sense that she was more affected by the draining power of the plant.

“Ria is unwell. I’m taking her back to camp.” Astarion sent the psychic message through his tadpole, and for a split second he felt the vermin squirm against his cranium as the message was sent to the rest of his parasite infected companions.

“Tsk’va! Unwell? What happened to her? What have you done to her, Astarion?” Lae’zel’s voice burned through his brain, and he grimaced as if her voice inside his head was coated in scathing venom.

“Nothing. She was drained of energy by this strange flower. I think she’ll be alright once she’s away from it.” He closed the telepathic link through his tadpole, not wanting to hear the rest of his companions voice their concerns. As long as they knew what was happening, then it would be fine.

But for now, he had to get her back to camp and safety. Glancing down at his hands, he clutched her towards his chest even tighter, but not enough to harm her. Not wasting a single moment, he dashed towards camp.

A groggy, heavy feeling had smothered Ria completely as she slowly came to her senses. She blinked several times, stifling a yawn, and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Whatever she was sitting on was incredibly plush and soft, and she noticed the raggedy blanket splayed out over a familiar wooden stretcher. Blinking for a few moments, she slowly took in her surroundings, and immediately noticed the jars of blood all pushed up against the wall of the room.

She wasn’t in a room, she was in Astarion’s tent.

Her entire body stiffened and froze up as the realisation hit her. Ever since that night, when Astarion had brought her too close, and her body had reacted out of fear, they had barely spoken to each other. A brick wall had solidified itself between the two of them, and Ria had felt terrible about the entire ordeal. She didn’t want to react that way, in fact, there was a large part of her that wanted to be closer to Astarion, and it seemed that he did, too. Or at least he had, until that fateful night. Now she wasn’t so sure.

Breathing in deeply, she smoothed down her auburn locks and attempted to stand on wobbly legs. Astarion wasn’t anywhere to be seen, and she wondered exactly how she had ended up in his tent of all places. The last thing she could remember was seeing the large glowing blue flower, and all of her energy leaving her body. It seemed that Astarion had been the one to hear her desperate call, and she was impressed that he had managed to hear her faint cry so far away. Enhanced vampire hearing was truly something incredible, she noted.

“Astarion?” she called out softly, slipping down the side of the pillow and landing on the hard floor below. When she wasn’t met with a response, she padded towards the entrance of the tent and stepped outside.

Astarion was standing not that far away, completely shirtless with his back facing her, running one of his fingers down the scars engraved into his skin.

“A line with a fork and one – two – three – dots?” he murmured to himself, rubbing his index finger along some of his scars. “Bloody Infernal – how is anyone meant to read this garbage?”

Ria faltered, her breath catching in her throat as she tilted her neck upwards to look at him. He had no idea that she was there, he was completely absorbed in whatever it was he was doing.

“Astarion?” she called out once more, her voice louder this time.

“Ah!” Astarion turned on his heel, his crimson eyes wide as his gaze quickly found her on the ground. “How…how are you feeling?” He lowered himself to the ground, sitting on both of his knees.

“A bit woozy, but I’ve been worse,” she answered with a light chuckle. “What happened to me?”

“I heard you cry for help,” he said softly. “You were passed out by a glowing blue flower by the time I found you. I think whatever it is, it drains anyone of their magic. I could feel it take away my magic affinity as well when I was there.”

“That would certainly explain it,” she replied. “Thank you for saving me, yet again.”

A gentle smile pulled at the corners of his mouth.

“Of course, I couldn’t just ignore you.” Astarion’s eyebrows knitted together with concern, his voice was considerably lower and even softer than before. “Are you sure you’re feeling alright? If you need anything, just tell me.”

“I can assure you, I’m fine,” she smiled warmly at him. “If anything, that nap that I just had made me feel better, even if my magic had been drained.” She paused, her brows furrowing in thought. “Hey, um, what were you doing earlier? Before I…erm…interrupted you?”

“I’ve been trying to make out the scars on my back,” he answered, exhaling a small sigh. “I can’t see them, so I’ve been trying to feel my way about, but they may as well be written in Rashemi.”

An idea suddenly struck Ria’s brain. While she couldn’t read the Infernal inscriptions on his back, perhaps she could at least help Astarion see them for himself.

“Let me have a look.”

Astarion’s eyes widened in surprise, his mouth parted open slightly in shock.

“I –” he started, his voice wavering slightly, “this isn’t your problem, you know.”

She folded her arms across her chest somewhat stubbornly.

“I know that, but I want to help. Now shut up and turn around.”

“Fine,” he said softly, confusion clearly painted across his features, and slowly turned around so that his back was facing her once more.

While it was difficult for her to stare up at his back given their size differences, she was still able to determine that his scars were most definitely Infernal, the language of the Hells, as she had previously deduced. But while she recognised what the language was, she was not fluent in it nor could she read it.

“And? What do you see?” Astarion said rather loudly, a slight edge to his tone, suggesting he was nervous and a little impatient.

“I’m not sure,” she answered. “But hold still, I can draw it for you.”

Unsheathing her trusty tiny dagger, she began to carve the Infernal inscriptions into the dirt. It was no easy task, having to crane her neck up so high to see Astarion’s scars, but after some time had passed, she had managed to replicate the Infernal message as best she could.

Astarion finally turned around, dropping to one knee, and hovered over her miniscule drawing that was flayed into the soil.

It was at that moment that she realised that her drawing was pathetically small – how was Astarion supposed to see what it looked like when it was so tiny? She felt a stab of embarrassment and idiocy pierce straight through her chest. Her efforts were a complete waste of time.

“I-I’m sorry, I just realised that you won’t be able to see it very well with how small it is.” She scratched the back of her neck awkwardly, her gaze flicking away to look at the floor. “This was completely pointless, wasn’t it?”

“Don’t say that,” Astarion said firmly, narrowing his eyes. “You have helped plenty. Besides, it doesn’t matter to me, thanks to my vampirism, I can see your drawing quite clearly.”

“Oh.” She blinked in surprise as the feeling of embarrassment immediately left her system. “That’s handy.”

“What in the Hells,” he murmured, his gaze focusing intently on her tiny drawing carved into the ground. “What did he do to me?”

Ria frowned, staring at the drawing she had created in the ground. All of her time living underneath the floorboards of a house of tieflings, and she had never seen anything like this before in her entire life. It almost looked like it was a part of something…bigger. Grander. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but something about it made her skin crawl with dread.

“It’s one strange poem,” she commented, suppressing a shiver.

“If it’s a poem at all,” he replied quietly. “Two centuries carrying this, and I can finally see it.”

“Should we tell the others about this?” she suggested. “Maybe Karlach can read it.”

“Absolutely not,” Astarion snapped. “I do not want them knowing about this. This has to stay between us. Also, I don’t think Karlach has read anything in ten years, so I highly doubt she would be of any help.”

Ria opened her mouth to protest, but no words found her lips. If this is what he wanted, she would respect that.

“That’s horrible to say about Karlach.”

“What? It’s only the truth.”

She heaved a painful sigh and rolled her eyes. Astarion was still Astarion, she supposed.

“How are you feeling about all of this?”

Astarion shifted, the ground trembling as his mass moved above her, until he was sitting cross legged in the dirt in front of her and her tiny sketch.

“Perplexed,” he said. “This was a surprise, and Cazador’s surprises are never good. Then again, even he couldn’t know I’d be kidnapped. Whatever he planned, it’s gone wrong. Which gives us an advantage.” A wicked grin pulled across his sharp features momentarily, then, much to her surprise, his expression softened as he gazed down at her.

“Thank you, by the way. This is…well, it’s something.”

“We’ll figure it out. I promise.” A warm smile lit up her face as she gazed at him, and she could see his eyes grow even larger in surprise upon hearing her response.

“Will we? How…sweet.”

A moment of silence passed over the camp as neither said anything for a while. Ria’s mind was racing, as she kept on thinking back to the last time they had been close together. Astarion could sense the awkwardness as well, and he cleared his throat, his eyes looking elsewhere.

“Well, I suppose I should leave you to rest,” Astarion said. “You have been through a lot today, after all.”

“No, I’m quite alright,” she quickly said, her heart beginning to race inside her chest. The camp was completely empty, save for the owlbear cub and Scratch. She wasn’t sure when she was going to have a moment alone with him like this again, and there was something that she wanted to ask him.

After having such a negative reaction to being so close to Astarion’s mouth, she wanted to change that – perhaps allow herself to become more at ease when she was close to him so that she wouldn’t spiral into a panic attack like before. Of course, this would only work if he also agreed to it as well.

“I want to ask you something.” She cleared her throat, her face beginning to burn under the scrutiny of his immense gaze. “It’s…uh…well…I understand if you don’t want to do it, because, well…” She stumbled over her words, her skin growing ever hotter by the second.

Astarion raised an eyebrow. “Yes?”

Inhaling a deep breath, her eyes focused intensely on the floor, she managed to finally find the right words.

“I want to touch your teeth.”

Nervously, she angled her neck upwards so that she could read his expression. Astarion’s mouth was slightly agape in shock, his eyes as wide as saucers and his eyebrows had nearly left his forehead.

He opened and closed his mouth to speak, but no sound came from his lips.

“I understand this is a very…intimate thing to ask,” she stammered, her heart threatening to burst out of her ribcage at any moment. “But I want to be closer to you, Astarion. I don’t want to be afraid of you. And if I can maybe expose myself to your fangs, maybe…maybe I won’t react like I did last time.”

Astarion blinked, still very dumbfounded by her proposition.

“Well, that has to be the first time anyone has wanted to be closer to my teeth,” he answered. “But, if it’s what you want, who am I to object?”

Her heart caught in her throat, surprised by his response. “R-really?”

Astarion’s gaze nervously darted away, and he cleared his throat. “I don’t see the harm in trying. It would be nice, if…if we could be closer.”

Her face flushed a deep shade of pink as heat blossomed across her skin. She had expected that he would’ve dismissed her foolish idea, muttering something along the lines of how filthy borrowers were, but his positive response made her heart flutter.

“Can we try…now?” she asked tentatively.

Astarion tilted his head to the side slightly, his eyebrows raised.

“Right now?”

She gave him a small nod, wanting to shield her flushed face from his piercing gaze.

A flirtatious smirk flashed briefly across his face as he leaned closer towards her, his massive frame looming over her, ruby red eyes glinting in the limited light of the Underdark.

“An eager little pup, aren’t you?” he grinned, lowering his open palm to the floor for her to climb onto. “I promise not to bite, darling.”

Smoothing back her somewhat frazzled red hair, she shuffled onto his cold palm, grasping feverishly onto his fingers for support as he slowly lifted her into the air and closer to his face.

Keep calm. You are fine. He isn’t going to hurt you. Everything is fine.

She attempted to calm her buzzing nerves that were beginning to amplify the closer she was to Astarion’s large face. Her entire vision was nothing but him, his crimson eyes softly caressing her tiny frame as she stood in the centre of his palm. Her heart was almost ready to fly out of her body at this point, and he could hear every single one of her frantic heartbeats.

No, stop thinking about that. You will be okay.

“Tell me if it becomes too much,” he said gently, his brows furrowed.

She nodded in response. “Okay.”

“We’ll go slowly, alright?”

Astarion’s mouth slowly began to open, his pearly white teeth quickly revealing themselves against his parted lips.

She sucked in a sharp breath as her heart spasmed against her chest. Memories began to flicker through her mind, of being so close to death against those teeth, of almost being food–

No, no, you are safe here. You are safe!

Despite knowing that she was safe, it seemed as if her body had a completely different idea. Every fibre in her body was screaming at her to run, her limbs twitching, her brain racing as if she was in danger, a predator was right there, ready to devour her in a second.

Astarion faltered, picking up on her distress.

“We should stop this,” he said, his voice etched with concern. “This clearly isn’t going to work.”

“No!” Ria cried out in desperation. “Don’t stop! This will work; we just need to give it time. Please, Astarion.” She squeezed his index finger with a tiny hand, her eyes pleading at him.

He frowned at her, not pleased by her idea, and released a heavy sigh that tousled her hair.

“Fine. But if you start to panic again, I’m going to stop.”

Astarion brought her closer towards his mouth, his lips parting open once more to reveal his dazzling teeth.

She attempted to control her breathing, focusing on inhaling deep breaths as his teeth grew closer. His warm breath flooded over her tiny body, and she stiffened as the metallic scent of blood hit her senses. The mere thought of blood alone was enough to make her squirm, let alone the scent of it, but she remained grounded in her spot on his palm.

Astarion parted his mouth further, exposing his dangerously pointed fangs. Fangs large enough to completely impale her entire body if she wasn’t careful. Her heart nearly leapt out of her throat as her gaze fell on his elongated canines and she had to force herself to remain steady.

You’ve been close to his teeth before. You’ve been inside his mouth. You are fine.

She sucked in a sharp breath and gingerly walked closer towards his fangs. One hand was squeezing the pad of his index finger intensely as she regarded his teeth. All she had to do was touch one fang. Just one. She had to move past this fear if she wanted to have any chance of being close to him.

Here goes nothing.

Sealing her eyelids shut, she extended her hand forwards and nearly flinched when she felt her palm touch the curve of his fang. Every sense in her body was fighting at her to run for her life, but she resisted and acted as if she had become frozen to his hand.

It was smooth to the touch, and her heartbeat increased as her palm trailed down the canine. She didn’t want to get to the end of the tooth, in fear that she would most likely prick herself on the needle-sharp ending.

Pulling away, she wiped her hand on her tunic, and her eyes fluttered open.

Astarion had brought her away from his mouth, clearly noticing how terrified she was of the whole situation, and his gaze was searching her for signs of further distress.

“How are you feeling?”

She swallowed thickly. “In all honesty, I think I’m ready to pass out, but otherwise I’m good.”

He flashed her a weak smile. “You did very well, all things considered. Do you want me to put you down?”

“N-no, it’s alright,” she stammered. “This…this is fine. Good. I’m good.”

Very slowly and gently, the pad of his index finger softly caressed the top of her head.

“Are you sure you’re fine?” he asked, his voice tender and surprisingly vulnerable. “I…I don’t want you to feel like that ever again.”

“Of course,” she said earnestly. “I think I’m going to need to do this again, though.”

“Oh?”

“Yes. I want to keep doing this until I don’t feel like I’m going…” her voice trailed off for a moment, the words dying on her tongue.

Until I don’t feel like I’m going to die.

He pressed his lips together in a thin line.

“My dear, we can keep on doing this as many times as you need.” He gave her a tender smile. “Just ensure that you are thoroughly clean before touching my fangs.”

A giggle slipped out of her throat. “What are you trying to say? That I’m dirty?”

“Oh, positively filthy, darling,” he teased, a playful smile lighting up his face. “I’m going to have to clean my teeth much longer than usual tonight.”

His teasing comments would’ve made her glare at him in the past, but now, with everything that they had been through together, she couldn’t help but to smile and laugh. Perhaps things were going to be alright between them after all.

Chapter Text

Nothing could quite prepare Ria for the harrowing dread and utter despair that emanated from the Shadow Cursed Lands. While Halsin had described the place as dangerous and terrifying, she still hadn’t been ready when they had entered through the ominous hallway that linked the Grymforge to the Shadow Cursed Lands. It was as if all of her life’s essence had been drained from her body as soon as they had stepped into the dreadful place and she had to suppress a shiver. She had noticed a considerable drop in temperature, and somewhat cautiously, she nervously peeked her head out of Astarion’s breast pocket.

Twisted, dark trees protruded from the lifeless ground and curled into the air like the fingers on a hag. No natural light was to be seen as darkness smothered every single stretch of land that she could see. Chills snaked down her spine as the feeling of dread washed over her once more, threatening to swallow her whole.

Next to Astarion, Karlach released a shaky exhale. “This place is dark beyond dark. You feel it too, right? I’m sticking to light wherever I can find it.”

“That’s no ordinary darkness. It feels powerful…and familiar,” Shadowheart said. “Stay on your guard.”

“Make sure to keep your torches lit,” Halsin instructed, holding up a flaming torch enclosed in his fist. “If we do not have enough light, the shadow curse will consume us. Stick close together, everyone.”

“This sure looks like an inviting place,” Ria murmured, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “I wish I could stetch my legs, though. I’ve gone a bit stiff riding in your pocket for so long, Astarion. Do you think you could move me to your shoulder for a little bit?”

Astarion’s red gaze briefly flicked down to her small head nestled at the lip of his pocket. “I think it’s best if you remain in there, my dear. This is hardly the place for borrowers.”

She raised one eyebrow as a small grin twitched against the corner of her mouth. “Oh? Are you afraid of little me getting hurt?”

A smirk broke across Astarion’s face right before he used the tip of his index finger to gently shove Ria’s head back into the inside of his pocket.

“H-hey!”

“I can’t have my favourite little borrower getting into trouble, can I?” His voice vibrated all around her as the lip of the pocket was soon sealed shut. “There are lot of things out here, other than vampires, that would make a quick snack of you darling.”

Huffing softly, she slammed her back against his chest to get her point across, and wrapped a clean handkerchief around her shoulders for extra warmth. She couldn’t argue with him, he was right, after all. Being as small as she was left her insanely vulnerable, but out in the Shadow Cursed Lands, things were even more dangerous for a borrower. Despite her training with both Lae’zel and Gale, she was still at risk the most out of everyone there.

It still surprised her to see Astarion show this protective side to him. Ever since that night, when she had suggested that she touch his fangs to help her get past her fears, they had continued to grow even closer. She would happily ride on his shoulder during their travels, or travel in his breast pocket. They would laugh and joke together playfully, and during the evenings, she would spend most nights at his tent before leaving to go sleep at Shadowheart’s. At this stage, she wasn’t entirely sure what their relationship even was, but it made her happy. A part of her was still perplexed that she had even managed to somehow fall for a cruel, deadly, sarcastic vampire who, at one point, had tried to eat her. But, oddly enough, it felt right. She hoped that Astarion felt the same way.

“Who goes there?”

An unfamiliar voice rang through her eardrums and she immediately felt Astarion’s body tense up against her back. While she couldn’t see what was going on, she could hear everything and judging from Astarion’s reaction, this didn’t seem good.

“Show yourself!”

“We mean you no harm,” Wyll’s calm, soothing voice vibrated through the cold air. “We’re just a group of travellers passing through.”

“If you mean us no harm, step into the light.”

Astarion’s body slowly inched forward, and she could feel his giant footsteps rattle through her small frame. Curiosity began to itch away at her brain as she anxiously twiddled her thumbs. A part of her wanted to see who these newcomers were, and why they were out in the Shadow Lands. If it was only for a brief moment, it wouldn’t hurt, right? Nobody would notice a thing. Besides, she was still safely inside Astarion’s pocket, and they’d have to get through him first if they wanted to get to her.

Very cautiously, she inched her way up towards the opening of the pocket and pushed her head through. A group of three humans and a dwarf stood before them. One human woman had her hair tied back in a long ponytail and she had a flaming torch firmly in her grasp. The other woman had dark, long wavy hair that cascaded down to her shoulders. The third human, a man, had long blonde hair tied back and a thick beard. The dwarf stood beside him with a crossbow at the ready. 

“Yonas! Move in!” The woman with dark wavy hair commanded, gesturing towards the light surrounding them from their torches.

The blonde bearded man, Yonas, took one shaky step before immediately checking over his shoulder. Something stirred in the dark bushes behind them and a chilling moan filled the still air. Suddenly, a tall, dark, looming figure manifested behind Yonas and grabbed him by the ankles. Yonas cried out in shock as the dark figure dragged him off into the surrounding darkness, his fingernails digging helplessly into the dirt as he was carried away.

“Yonas? Yonas!”

The two women rushed towards where Yonas had disappeared, panic stricken all across their faces as they frantically searched for their missing friend.

“I’m here! Where are you?” Yonas called out into the darkness, his voice shaky.

“Yonas? Can you see our torches?”

“I can’t see anything,” Yonas replied. “Something’s wrong.”

“Follow my voice. Come back into the light.” The dark-haired woman said as calmly as she could muster.

“Who’s there? Meg? Is that – argh!”

Yonas’s screams and the sound of bones popping through flesh filled the dark hollow. Ria grimaced as the noises intensified and the tearing of human meat and bone filled her tiny eardrums.

“Yonas?” The dark-haired woman called out once more, except her voice was barely a whisper this time.

A ghostly, glowing green light quickly began to illuminate the area as a stumbling, groaning figure came into view. It was Yonas, except he looked horrific – skin was peeling off his face and his eyes glowed a sickly green. A dark encrusting fungus-like substance was growing across his skin on the spots where his flesh was falling off, and Ria felt her entire body grow cold as she stared at him. Everything in her body was screaming at her to run for her life.

“There you are…come…join me…” Yonas lumbered towards them with one twisted arm outstretched.

“Yonas…?” The dark-haired woman murmured, her breath catching in her throat.

“I’m afraid poor Yonas is bait – and this is a trap.” Astarion’s voice rumbled from above.

“Harpers! To arms!”

Astarion’s entire body tensed as he readied his crossbow and aimed it directly at Yonas’s head. Shadowheart’s hands began to glow with a divine, illuminating light that shone through the area and pushed back some of the shadowy creatures that were behind Yonas. Now, with the divine light that Shadowheart had provided, Ria could finally see the ghastly shadow creatures more clearly and a deathly chill snaked down her spine. Her body was almost completely frozen in place from fear, and instinctively, she ducked back down into the safety of Astarion’s pocket.

Yelling and shouting filled the air as the battle broke out, and she fiercely gripped onto the fabric of Astarion’s armour as she felt every single gigantic movement he made. She buried herself under the handkerchief and attempted to desperately shut out the noise of the battle. It was utterly terrifying, being so small and in the thick of a battle between titans in the darkest place in all of Faerûn.

A part of her felt so useless. While she was cowering amongst Astarion’s armour, her companions were out there fighting for their lives against some deathly shadow creatures. She could’ve offered them some ammunition with her magic. While she was still trying to grapple with her wild magic, she had learned a few tricks from Gale thanks to his lessons. But her fear paralysed her, and her body refused to move from her spot inside Astarion’s pocket.

After some time had passed, the noise of battle eventually died down. The walls of Astarion’s pocket suddenly pressed down against her small frame very softly, suggesting that he was pressing his hand against the pocket, perhaps telling her that the danger was gone. Very slowly, she crept to the opening of the pocket and peered out.

The shadow creatures were now gone, along with Yonas. The two women and dwarf were still alive and were now tending to their wounds. Everyone else from their party seemed to be alright, and there appeared to be no serious injuries. Shadowheart was still illuminating her divine light around the group, and Ria felt a small feeling of warmth blossom through her as the holy light touched her.

“Thanks for the help back there.” The dark-haired woman approached them, wiping a smear of blood off the side of her face. “My name is Lassandra. And this is Meygan and Karrow.” She gestured to her two remaining companions. “We would’ve been done for if it hadn’t been for you.”

“We would never refuse people in need,” Halsin answered. “It was no problem at all.”

Astarion breathed sharply through his nose and while she couldn’t see his eyes, she had a strong feeling that he was rolling them into the back of his head.

“We are sorry for the loss of your companion,” Gale added, his brown eyes solemn.

“Thank you. Yonas wasn’t the first to be lost to this cursed place. Us Harpers will live on for him.” Lassandra breathed a deep sigh, her gaze forlorn. “There is a refuge from the darkness, the Last Light Inn. You all can rest there.”

“Ah, I take it the shadow curse is not afflicted in that area?” Gale questioned.

“The inn is protected by Isobel, a Cleric of Selune. She casts a warding spell to keep the curse at bay. We’ll guide you there.” Lassandra nodded at the remaining Harpers and they soon began to trek into the harrowing darkness. The rest of the group followed them without hesitation.

“A cleric of Selune…how wonderful.” Shadowheart muttered bitterly under her breath.

Ria remained utterly motionless inside Astarion’s pocket. Perhaps it was a good thing that the Harpers had failed to notice her, but a part of her was worried about how these people would react to her existence. For now, at least, she could remain undetected in the comfort of Astarion’s armour.

It didn’t take long for the party to reach the Last Light Inn. Almost immediately Ria noticed a change in the air. Instead of the harsh, cold, emptiness that she had felt since entering the Shadow Cursed Lands, a comforting feeling of warmth washed over her as they passed over a bridge leading to the inn.

A dark-skinned elf woman and dwarf stood at the other side of the bridge. Immediately they grabbed their weapons, aiming it at the approaching group.

“You lot! Step forward and keep your hands off your weapons!” The elf woman yelled.

“Hold on Elifer!” Lassandra jumped forward and presented her palms to the elf woman. “This group helped us out in the shadows. Without them we wouldn’t have made it.”

Elifer relaxed her stance and lowered her weapon, her gaze scanning over the entire group. Ria, feeling her gaze, immediately retreated into the depths of Astarion’s pocket. She didn’t want to risk being seen when tensions were so high.

“Come.”

Rattling footsteps travelled through her body as Astarion began to move. While she couldn’t see what was going on anymore, she could certainly feel everything.

“Jaheira!”

A moment of quiet passed and nobody said anything. Ria waited anxiously with bated breath as the seconds ticked by.

Just what is going on out there?

Her nerves got the better out of her as she slowly peered out of the lip of the pocket. She was still somewhat concealed with only her eyes barely peeking over the top. It would take someone staring insanely intently for them to notice her. A half-elf woman, who she assumed must be Jaheira, stood in front of the group. She had long silver hair with beaded braids woven throughout her locks and a piercing glare that could shatter glass.

Jaheira suddenly crouched towards the ground as glowing lights beamed from her hands. Large roots exploded out of the dirt and hungrily wrapped themselves across Astarion and the rest of the group. Ria was nearly jostled out of her spot as Astarion recoiled from the giant vines and tree roots that entangled around his feet and legs.

“Is a simple ‘hello’ too much to ask for nowadays?” Astarion muttered grumpily, grunting from the strong vines that were squeezing his legs.

“Hello,” Jaheira replied with a smirk.

“We mean you no harm,” Wyll said gently. “Please, just let us earn your trust.”

“Lies can be easily formed from even the kindest of faces.” Jaheira reached into her satchel and pulled out a glass jar. What was inside the jar made Ria’s skin crawl. A hideous mindflayer parasite squirmed against the confines of the jar as Jaheira brought it into the light.

Let’s hope that I never have to get close to one of those things, she thought as she watched the parasite thrash around inside the jar.

“It is a curious creature that hides all manner of secrets. But if there’s one thing that we know–” Jaheira stepped closer towards Astarion and held the jar close to him, “–is that it knows its own kind.” 

Astarion flinched as the parasite in the jar squirmed even harder. Ria glanced directly upwards and saw the grimace painted across his face. A part of her wanted to do something, anything, to help, but what exactly could she do? She was just a tiny borrower, after all. Whatever Jaheira was planning for her group of companions, she had no power to stop her. But…perhaps she could divert Jaheira’s attention away from her friends.

“Stop this!” Ria yelled from inside Astarion’s pocket. “They mean no harm, I swear! I’ve been travelling with them for many moons now. They are not True Souls.”

“Ah, so I see the True Souls have a tiny pet?” Jaheira’s steely gaze snapped to where Ria was, her face hardening. “That is…interesting. You have no wings, so you are certainly no pixie…oh, you must be a borrower! I thought they were long extinct. Hmm, I suppose you must be a lucky one, eh?”  

“I am no pet,” Ria retorted, a small fire igniting in her belly. “Just let my friends go, please. They can explain everything.”

Jaheira ignored her comment and instead raised an eyebrow, curiosity now spreading across her sharp features.

“And what is interesting is that you are in the pocket of a vampire. Let me guess, he is keeping you as a pocket snack for later?” Jaheira said.

“She is not food,” Astarion spat venomously, flashing his teeth briefly. “Leave her out of this.”

Jaheira chuckled lightly at Astarion’s remark.

“My goodness, I never would’ve expected a vampire to act so defensive over a borrower of all creatures,” she responded. “But I do not care what the borrower has to say. You never should have come here, True Soul.”

“What are you doing? They are the ones who saved us!”

A small, young tiefling girl ran up to Jaheira and aggressively tugged on the druid’s tunic. Jaheira ceased concentration on her spell, and the vines that had erupted from the ground quickly vanished.

“They are the ones who protected the Emerald Grove?” Jaheira said in disbelief.

“Yup. Didn’t leave a goblin standing. Not so bad to hang around with either.” The tiefling girl flashed a pointy smile at the group, her face practically beaming. “I’d pretty much trust them all with my life.” The girl paused, flicking her gaze towards Astarion. “Well, except for that one, but the rest are good.”

“Excuse me?” Astarion spluttered. “I helped save the tieflings and you know it, Mol!”

Jaheira turned to Mol, her gaze narrowed. “Mol, are you being serious?”

“I am very serious,” Mol responded earnestly. “And don’t worry, the elven prick is fine, I just wanted to mess with him. They’re all fine.”

Ria did not recognise the tiefling child, but she was grateful all the same that she had stepped in to stop Jaheira, and she had to stifle a giggle upon hearing her comment on Astarion. She liked Mol already.

“True Souls with minds of their own…” Jaheira continued, still in disbelief as she grappled to comprehend what was happening. “How is that possible?”

“Because of this artefact.” Shadowheart stepped forward with the strange artefact in one hand and presented it to Jaheira.

Jaheira stared at the glowing artefact and held up her jar that contained the mindflayer parasite. The parasite inside the jar squealed, almost as if it was being burned alive, before exploding into a disgusting pile of goo. Jaheira, dumbfounded, glanced at the jar and then back at the artefact.

“What in the hells is that thing?” she breathed.

Shadowheart paused, as if she was considering how to choose her words carefully. Ria knew that the artefact that she carried meant a great deal to her, and was important to her Shar worship.

“So far, it’s been a life saver. Here’s hoping you agree.” Shadowheart placed the artefact back into her supplies and stared firmly at Jaheira.

Jaheira processed Shadowheart’s words, her expression hard to read as her eyes scanned the rest of the group.

“Congratulations. You’ve earned yourself the benefit of the doubt.” Jaheira waved her hand briefly in the air. “Hear me, Harpers! All clear, at ease.”

The surrounding Harpers immediately lowered their weapons and eased off.

“While there is a great mystery to the artefact that you hold, I’m old and wise enough to recognise a sliver of hope when it crawls out of the dark.”

A feeling of relief flooded through Ria’s body. Jaheira seemed somewhat happy with Shadowheart’s response, at least.

“Tell me – why have you all come here?” Jaheira questioned.

“We seek a cure for the parasites in our heads,” Gale explained. “Moonrise Towers has been our best shot at this. We were hoping to seek refuge at your inn.”

“Valid reasoning,” Jaheira answered. “Help yourself to the food in the inn. You are welcome to use the beds in the rooms upstairs, too. Aloe oil in the cupboard in case the vines gave you a rash. Settle in, then come join me for a drink. Your group may just be the godsend that we’ve been praying for.”

Chapter Text

Astarion felt his stomach clench the moment he stepped inside the Last Light Inn. While they had been traversing through the Shadow Cursed Lands, there hadn’t been any living creatures for him to feed on. All of the monsters they encountered were undead creatures like him, or had no blood to speak of. It had been several days since his last meal and he could feel his strength waning. The last battle had taken a fair chunk of his energy, and his stomach rumbled as the waft of fresh blood and the sound of pulsing heartbeats flooded his senses. 

The warmth from the inn was a welcome change from the burning cold of the Shadow Cursed Lands. His mind flickered to the tiny passenger safely stowed away in his pocket; her tiny heartbeat was beating wildly against her chest. This was probably the first time in a while since Ria had been around so many large people, so naturally she would be nervous. Wetting his lips, hunger stabbed through his stomach once more as he picked up on the throbbing pulses from all of the people inside of the inn. Astarion thought he had been getting a handle on his bloodlust seeing as Cazador had made him endure so much worse. There had been a time when Cazador had locked him away in a tomb for a year with absolutely nothing to eat, and while it had been utter torture and torment, he had managed to survive, albeit barely and with many mental wounds. So, now that he was faced again with an immense banquet of necks to pick from, he felt a wave of disappointment in himself. It seemed that only feeding his insatiable bloodlust well for the past month had made him weaker to his cravings. 

His mind returned back to the tiny borrower that he was carrying. Since they had become closer, he had started to grow accustomed to her scent. Sure, she still smelled delicious to him, but he was able to keep himself in check while in her presence. But now, after feeling true hunger for the first time in a while, worry began to flare in his chest. Was it even safe for her to be around him right now? He needed to find a source of blood, and quickly. 

“Hey look, there’s Dammon!” Karlach exclaimed, pulling Astarion out of his thoughts. 

Glancing over his shoulder, Astarion saw the familiar tiefling blacksmith outside in the barn next door. He was tinkering away on some metal on top of an anvil, most likely crafting some kind of weapon. 

“We should go say hi!” Karlach beamed, excitement radiating off her as fiercely as her flames. “We’ve got some Infernal Iron, Dammon might be able to do something about this engine of mine.”

“I’ll come with you,” Shadowheart added, sharing Karlach’s excitement very obviously. “It’s about time we had that engine properly looked at.”

“Fuck yes!” Karlach pumped the air and skipped off with Shadowheart towards Dammon. 

If Astarion wasn’t grappling with his own internal battle, he would’ve joined them in celebration. If Dammon could at least tamper with Karlach’s engine, then it would mean everything for her. She deserved something good for once after all she had been through. But he had more pressing matters to attend to, such as finding something to eat. Wyll, Gale, Lae’zel, and Halsin went off to discuss matters with Jaheira, who was waiting patiently for them with a glass of wine in her hand. 

Astarion’s gaze scanned through the enclosed area. He recognised several faces from the tieflings that he and the others had rescued at the Emerald Grove. The colourful tiefling bard, Alfira, sat near the bar with a weariful expression painted across her features. Past Alfira, Astarion spotted a face that he hadn’t been expecting to see. A human man with combed back dark brown hair sat in a chair in front of a game of chess. He was dressed in rather elegant clothes and there was a faint red blemish to his skin, suggesting that he was more than what he appeared to be. Mol, the young tiefling girl, sat opposite him on the other side of the table and was pondering her next move on the game of chess that they appeared to be playing. 

The man standing before him, Raphael, was a cambion, a creature that was half mortal and half devil. Astarion and the others had encountered Raphael back in the Emerald Grove, before Ria had joined their group. At the time, he had promised that he had a cure for the parasite in their heads, which Astarion did not believe in the slightest. He knew enough about devils to never trust their contracts and they had all declined Raphael’s offer at the time. And now, of all places, the devil had followed them all the way to the Shadow Cursed Lands. Perhaps Raphael could decipher the markings on his back. After all, Raphael was a devil, and he would be the only person who Astarion knew who could read his scars. He wasn’t ecstatic about conversing with a devil, but if this is what it took to fully decipher his scars, then he would have to take it.

“Astarion? What’s going on?” Ria whispered from inside his pocket. 

“Just hold on a moment,” Astarion hissed under his breath, stepping towards where Raphael was sitting. 

“Your move, Mol,” Raphael said, completely ignoring Astarion who was standing close by. 

“You trapped me!” Mol grumbled, the corners of her mouth turning downward. “I didn’t even wanna take this one.”

“Calimshan rules, my dear,” Raphael answered. “The first piece touched is the first piece moved.”

Mol’s frown only deepened and she flashed a fiery scowl at the man sitting opposite her. 

“That’s garbage. No matter where the knight goes, I’m gonna lose it.”

“Then make the sacrifice useful.” Raphael waved his hand about with a rather extravagant flair. “Guard your Mystra, or come for my Cyric.”

Mol narrowed her eyes, deep in thought over what her next move should be. As she was pondering away, her eyes flicked over to Astarion, and her face lit up almost instantly. 

“Look who made it!” she exclaimed, a toothy grin spread across her face. “For once I saved your pale butt out there, didn’t I? We’re square now, chief.”

“Yes, I suppose we are even now,” Astarion muttered. “I do apologise for the interruption, but I need to speak with Raphael.”

“Oh? In the middle of our game? How delightfully rude,” Raphael sneered, but he didn’t protest to Astarion’s request. “Fair enough, I will allow it this time. I can sense that you have been wanting to ask me a question.”  

“Phew, I’m fine with that,” Mol murmured as she hopped down from her chair and scurried away towards a group of tiefling children. “Thanks, Astarion!”

Astarion sucked in a sharp breath, returning his attention to the devil. “I do. I have a proposal for you.”

“A proposal?” Ria exclaimed from inside his pocket, her tiny head now poking out for everyone to see. “What do you mean, Astarion?”

Something hellish flickered in Raphael’s eyes once he saw Ria safely tucked away in Astarion’s pocket. A wicked grin spread across the devil’s face as he drank in her features. 

“Oh my, what a pretty little plaything you have there,” Raphael grinned maliciously, his gaze dancing over Ria’s small frame. “I assume you are saving her for later, vampling. I am surprised you have resisted the temptation for so long.”

“Do not bring her into this,” Astarion snapped. “This is between you and me, devil.”

“I am not a plaything,” Ria said fiercely, her tiny face scowling at Raphael. “And you might just be the saddest excuse for a devil I’ve ever seen.”

“Oh! This one has bite,” Raphael chuckled. “You might want to keep her in line, Astarion. Or you might find yourself with a very light pocket soon.” 

“Ria, now is not the time,” Astarion hissed under his breath. “Do you have a death wish?”

“Just exactly who is this guy?” she questioned. “You keep calling him a devil, but he just looks like an ordinary human to me.”

“Trust me, he’s not. Devils can change their appearance if they wish.” Astarion sighed. “But Raphael can do something for me that nobody else can.”

Ria narrowed her eyes, her mind racing as she tried to process just exactly what Raphael could offer to him. After a moment, her eyes widened as realisation lit up across her face. “Wait…is this about your scars?”

“Oh, this sounds positively delightful,” Raphael chimed in, standing up from his seat so that he was directly in front of Astarion. “Do you have a poem for me, little vampling?”

“Something like that,” Astarion said. “My old – well, a long time ago, someone carved infernal runes into my back. I’d like to know what it says.” 

Raphael’s dark eyes darted to the ceiling as he pursued his lips. 

“Hmmmmm.”

“Quit playing games with him,” Ria snapped. “Help him out.”

Raphael’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head. “Oh, my! Such insolent behaviour from a creature that I could squash beneath my heel. Be careful of your tongue, borrower.”

Ria bristled from inside Astarion’s pocket and he swore that he could feel the faint spark of static against his clothing. 

“It is something very important to your master. But is it a love letter, a warning, a deed of ownership? I could give you all the gory details,” Raphael smirked. “But of course, you’ll have to do something for me first. Let me think about it and get back to you.”

“You’ll ‘get back’ to me?” Astarion huffed. “This is important, devil.” A few seconds of silence passed as he inhaled deeply, a solid pout was now prominent across his face as he released a huffy sigh. “When?”

“Don’t worry – I’m motivated to help you.” Raphael clenched one of his hands into a fist, giving it a clear shake as if to demonstrate that he was ‘passionate’ about Astarion’s cause. “Scars often tell such wonderful stories – I think yours might be truly exquisite. I’ll see you soon.”

A cloud of smoke suddenly encased Raphael’s form, and then in a matter of seconds, he vanished into thin air as if he had never been in the room at all.  

“What a freaking weirdo,” Ria muttered, shaking her head. “He made my skin crawl. Just who exactly was that? How do you know him?”

“Myself and the others met him back in the Emerald Grove, before you came along,” Astarion explained. “At the time, he promised that he had the cure to purge us of our mindflayer parasites. Obviously, trusting a devil is out of the question. Any contract a devil conjures up is guaranteed to have you giving over your soul to them.”

“Then why are you trusting him now?” she asked, folding her arms across her chest. “I know he can read your scars, but surely there must be another way to do it.”

He pressed his lips together tightly, his brow creasing. “No, Ria, there simply isn’t. I need to know what these scars say, and Raphael, as much as I dislike him, is the only person who can decipher them for me.”

“I suppose you’re right,” she answered quietly. “Whatever Raphael wants, we’ll be needing help from the others.”

Astarion sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth. “Fine. I suppose telling them about this wouldn’t be the end of the world. And I need all the help I can get.” He paused, his brain almost buffering for a second as he digested Ria’s words. 

“Hold on a moment, ‘we’?” he echoed, his brows raised. “Darling, there will be no ‘we’ in any of this. This hardly concerns you.” 

“It does concern me!” she exclaimed. “I…I care about you, Astarion. Remember I told you that we would figure this out together. I meant what I said. If it means we have to do some dirty work for a devil, then count me in. Nothing you say will stop me.”

Astarion faltered, rather taken aback by her words. Something stirred inside his chest, a feeling of warmth blossomed throughout his undead heart as he gazed down at her. Each day, she continued to surprise him with her endless kindness towards him. He knew he didn’t deserve a shred of her compassion, yet she continued to support him through everything despite what he had done to her. 

“You…you really meant that?” His words were barely a whisper. 

“Of course I did,” she replied softly. “I wouldn’t lie about something like that.”

Without thinking, he reached into his pocket where she was safely tucked away and gently curled his fingers around her small body. He lifted her up and deposited her safely into the centre of his palm, his eyes glued to her frame. 

“You’re full of surprises, aren’t you?” Astarion said gently, his warm breath ruffling her soft hair. 

“OH, FUCK YES!”

Both Astarion and Ria almost jumped out of their skin as Karlach came barrelling through the inn with Shadowheart not far behind her. The two were holding hands and had smiles that were beaming from their faces as fiercely as the sun. 

“I’ve been waiting a long time to do this.” Karlach placed her hands around Shadowheart’s waist and pulled the half-elf towards her body. She caressed the side of the cleric’s face before swooping in for a direct kiss on the lips. 

As they slowly pulled away from each other, a deep shade of red bloomed across Shadowheart’s face. 

“I think it’s safe to say that it worked,” Shadowheart grinned. “Whatever Dammon did, he did a brilliant job.”

Karlach was absolutely ecstatic. She giggled softly; an incredibly giddy expression painted across her features as her burning gaze flicked back to Shadowheart. “Hey, Shads, can we go to bed now?”

“I couldn’t think of anything better to do,” Shadowheart beamed, lacing her fingers into Karlach’s hand. 

The fire that burned across Karlach’s skin, while normally a fiery red, turned into a glowing shade of blue. Steam was practically coming out of the tiefling’s ears at this point as she began to burn at Shadowheart’s confirmation. 

“You don’t need to tell me twice, soldier.” 

The two of them immediately dashed upstairs with lovestruck grins plastered across their faces. 

“It looks like Dammon fixed Karlach’s engine,” Ria smiled. “I suppose this means bunking with Shadowheart tonight is out of the question.”

Astarion cocked an eyebrow, flashing her a brief sultry look. “Hm, I can think of someone else who you could bunk with, darling.”

Ria almost squirmed in the centre of his palm. He instantly felt her heartbeat spike with his attuned hearing and her face quickly turned pink. A part of him enjoyed watching her become so flustered by his words. 

“Are you suggesting…” Ria’s voice trailed off, the words dying on her tongue. 

He rolled his eyes. “Oh, come now, it’s not like you haven’t shared sleeping spaces with me before.” His index finger ever so slightly curled around her frame. “Unless you don’t want to, of course.” 

“N-no!” she quickly said, her face growing redder by the second. “I…I would like that.” 

A playful smirk danced across Astarion’s lips. Just as he was about to open his mouth to speak, a deafening growl resonated from his stomach, immediately killing the entire mood. Now it was his turn to be the flustered one.

“Hah, that was really smooth,” she chuckled. “I guess we should get you something to eat first.”

For once, Astarion had no witty remark to respond with and merely grumbled. 

Chapter Text

“What do you fucking want?”

Ria stiffened upon seeing a male tiefling wizard glare viciously at both her and Astarion. His words were slurred and his posture was slouched over as he stood behind the bar of the inn. He had long brown hair that was pulled neatly into a bun, and he was adorned in red and blue robes. Despite his regal appearance, his body language and tone of voice was anything but that. She felt herself almost shrink even smaller inside Astarion’s cold hands as the tiefling’s gaze was pinned to her small frame. 

“Is it too much to ask for something to drink around here, Rolan?” Astarion said sharply, narrowing his eyes at the tiefling. 

He must’ve been one of the tieflings at the Emerald Grove, she thought to herself, gingerly grasping onto Astarion’s thumb for support. 

“Do I look like a fucking bartender?” Rolan spat, furrowing his brows. “I’m a wizard.”

“Well, you appear to be behind a bar, so one would assume that you are,” Astarion replied. “Otherwise, why in the hells are you there?”

Rolan heaved a very loud and dramatic sigh, his eyes practically rolling into the back of his head. “Ugh, fine. If it’ll make you go away, I’ll get you something.” His gaze flicked back to Ria, who had been very quiet during their small conversation. “Is that a bloody borrower? Where in the hells did you find that?” 

Astarion pressed his lips into a thin line, his patience towards the tiefling was starting to deteriorate. “Yes. And she has a name, y’know, Ria. And she would like something to eat, too – something with no meat, I might add.”

“Hello.” Ria forced the greeting out of her mouth with difficulty, her mouth gone dry.   

Rolan merely grunted in reply, barely acknowledging her at all. “And what do you want, Astarion?”

“Oh, something full bodied and red,” Astarion said casually. 

Rolan’s eyebrows shot up for a brief moment upon hearing Astarion’s request, but he quickly relaxed. 

“Oh, right, yes, you’re one of those,” Rolan grumbled, seemingly displeased. “Do you seriously think we just have blood on tap in this inn?”

Astarion pursued his lips. “Well, perhaps not on tap, but surely you have something that you can offer?”

“Absolutely not,” Rolan retorted. “The livestock we have are not going to be eaten by the likes of you. Go hunt something outside the inn.”

“Outside the inn?” Astarion exclaimed, completely exasperated. “You have got to be joking. Everything outside of here is undead and afflicted with the bloody shadow curse! I need something alive. Or, hells, even an old jar of blood would suffice.”

“Then you’re out of luck.” Rolan disappeared underneath the bar for a moment as he ducked down and returned with a small bowl filled with cashews. “This is for your borrower friend. You’re welcome.”

Astarion grumbled what she could only assume were some curse words under his breath as he gently lowered her onto the counter. Ria stared at the enormous bowl of cashews now situated in front of her. There were so many of them, and she really only needed one considering one cashew was like the size of a loaf of bread in her tiny hands. Still, she made the most of the free food and quickly stashed a few into her satchel for later. 

“I’m sorry you have to go hungry,” Ria said quietly, rotating a cashew in between her hands. “I feel bad that there isn’t anything for you.”

Astarion heaved a sigh. “It’s quite alright. Cazador made me starve for longer than this, so I’ll live.” As soon as the words left his mouth, his stomach grumbled rather loudly in protest. 

“I think your stomach disagrees,” she commented. 

“I’ll just have to put up with it for now.” Astarion ran a hand through his luscious curly locks, his elbows propped up on the bar counter. “If you can’t get me proper food, can you at least get me some wine, Rolan?”

“I am not a bartender,” Rolan snapped, but despite his words he poured a glass of wine for the pale elf. He put the glass down on the bench and huffed rather loudly through his nose. 

“Are you always such a delight to be around, or is this your usual demeanour?” Ria said rather boldly, her gaze fixing on Rolan. 

Rolan faltered, a perplexed expression lighting up his face. It seemed he hadn’t expected her to throw some snappy words back at him. 

“You are extremely arrogant for someone who could easily pass as a paperweight.” Rolan took a long swig of beer. “And if you keep it up, I will kick you out. Which won’t be hard at all.”

“So, you are a bartender after all.” Astarion chimed in somewhat smugly. 

“Ugh.” Rolan scrunched up his nose in anger before slamming his mug of beer on the bench. “I don’t have time for this bullshit.” He stepped out from behind the bar and shoved past Astarion, his robes trailing behind him as he went. 

“Jeez, what’s his problem?” Ria muttered. 

“Hmm, I suppose it comes with the territory of being a terrible wizard.” Astarion took a sip of wine and immediately grimaced. “Oh, and he’s given me shit wine, too. I guess he can’t be a bartender, either.”

A small snicker escaped her lips. “You don’t seem to have much luck when it comes to wine.”

“I really don’t.” Astarion released a small sigh. “Oh, but what I wouldn’t do for some blood right now. It seems after having blood on a regular basis has made me soft.” 

Ria slowly took a bite of her cashew, her brows furrowed as she thought about Astarion’s condition. There was really no other option for him to source any blood out in the Shadow Cursed Lands. Everything here was undead, and it seemed that him eating any of the livestock was out of the question. That didn’t leave him many options. Unless…

“What about me?” Ria blurted out. 

Astarion nearly choked on his wine. “Excuse me?”

“M-me.” She swallowed thickly, her voice shaking slightly. “You can take some of my blood, Astarion.”

Astarion blinked, his mouth slightly parted open in utter shock as he processed her words. And then, after a small moment of silence, he erupted into laughter. 

“Oh, now that is utterly ridiculous my dear,” he laughed. “That has got to be the stupidest joke you’ve ever said.”

“It’s not a joke!” she exclaimed. “I’m dead serious.”

Astarion immediately stopped laughing, his face falling. 

“You…you’re serious?”

She nodded tentatively. 

Astarion pursued his lips and placed his wine glass on the bench. “I know we’ve been travelling for a while now, but have you forgotten our very obvious size differences?” 

Ria breathed deeply. “I know I can’t offer you a lot, but maybe it’ll be enough to keep you going for a little bit longer until you find some actual food. I just…” 

“Absolutely not,” Astarion interjected, his brows furrowed. “You are far too small, not to mention borrower blood is…” He cleared his throat. “…is addictive to vampires. The last time I had your blood; I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Look, I know it’s risky, but we need to try something.” She padded across the bench until she was facing directly in front of him and placed a hand on his arm. “I hate seeing you go hungry. If things turn bad, then Shadowheart can always heal me.”

Astarion shook his head. “No, for the last time, we are not doing this. I can go without blood for longer than this and I am not risking your life over it.” He inhaled deeply. “Besides, we’re still working through your fear. Don’t you think that would cause you more unnecessary trauma if I fed from you?”

Ria pressed her lips together firmly, her forehead creased. “Maybe it will do the opposite. If you fed from me, and I’m okay by the end of it, wouldn’t that help overcome my fears?” 

Astarion’s mouth parted open slightly, seemingly lost for words as he processed what she had said. He tapped a finger on the bar bench, deep in thought. He heaved another deep sigh that ruffled her auburn hair. 

“I don’t like this, Ria.”

“I know. But it’s my idea. And all you’ll need to take is a drop.” 

“But that’s precisely the point!” he exclaimed. “I don’t know if I can control myself. Your blood is…utterly delicious. I’ve never tasted anything like it in my entire life.” He buried his face in his hands. “I don’t trust myself. I’m afraid I could seriously hurt you, or worse.”

“But I trust you,” she replied. “We’ve been travelling together for so long now, and we’ve been spending a lot of time together. I just thought that…maybe…” The words died on her tongue, her eyes glued to the floor. 

“Maybe what?” Astarion asked softly. 

“Maybe…” She stiffened, her heart pounding in her chest. “I thought that maybe after being around me for so long, you might be used to me. Including my blood. I mean, you haven’t tried to eat me since we met, right?” 

“I suppose you’re right,” Astarion said. “But I still don’t trust myself being exposed to your blood. The hunger of a vampire is a dangerous thing, and you’re so small. How would it even work without me swallowing you?”

“We’ll be careful. I’ll prick my arm or something, and you can…um…” Heat flushed to her cheeks. “Lick me.” 

Astarion’s eyebrows shot up, his eyes growing wide upon hearing Ria’s words. A sly grin played on his lips, his pristine white teeth flashing for a brief moment with a hint of his sharp fangs. Ria almost regretted saying the words as soon as she had said them, her face now flushed a deep scarlet. 

“Well, I suppose this wouldn’t be the most intimate we’ve been,” he responded with a smirk. “But alright, fine, since you are so eager my dear.” 

“That’s not what I meant!” she spluttered, her face burning as hot as a furnace. “I didn’t mean it like that, gods above!”

Astarion tapped her lightly on the head with the tip of his index finger, still grinning as smugly as a cat. “Oh, I would stop now darling, you’re only making it worse for yourself. But we are going to get some scrolls in case things decide to go to shit.” 

Ria’s face was still burning, but she managed to push Astarion’s finger off from the top of her head. 

“Fine. That’s probably a good idea.”

“Excellent,” Astarion smiled. “Let’s go find some scrolls, shall we?” 

Chapter Text

“What do you mean you need a Globe of Invulnerability scroll?” Gale exclaimed loudly, shock etched all over his face as he stared at the pale elf in disbelief.

Astarion flinched slightly from Gale’s loud response and wondered just how he was going to convince the wizard to hand over such an expensive scroll. A Globe of Invulnerability scroll was exactly what he needed in case he lost control around Ria. It would make her completely protected and he would have no way of harming her until the effects of the spell wore off, and hopefully by the time that it did, he would be able to keep his bloodlust in check. But he couldn’t tell Gale the truth, he knew for a fact that the wizard would be completely against the idea entirely.

“Why in the name of Mystra would you even need it for?” Gale continued when Astarion offered him nothing but silence. “I was saving that scroll for Moonrise Towers. The cult of the Absolute is situated there, and we have no idea just what exactly we’ll be up against.”

“Please, Gale, it’s incredibly important that I have that scroll,” Astarion replied, his brain failing to think of a good lie to tell the wizard.

Gale furrowed his brows together and folded his arms over his chest. “What could be so important that you would need that? I would really like to know.”

Astarion gritted his teeth together in frustration. “I can’t tell you. Just trust me. We’re friends, aren’t we? Couldn’t you do this for a friend?”

“A friend who won’t tell me the reason why he needs this very expensive scroll for? Some friend that is.”

“I’m going out to hunt,” Astarion blurted out, a lie finally beginning to form itself into his mind. “And I need protection from whatever is out there. You remember those ghouls, right? Even a blessing from that cleric, Isobel, won’t be enough. I need to feed on something.”

Gale’s expression softened, the tension building in his posture relaxing as he immediately believed Astarion’s lie. It was a good thing that Gale had such a kind and compassionate heart. If it had been Lae’zel or Shadowheart, they simply would’ve told him to endure his hunger pains.  

“Oh, I see,” Gale replied. “It is a shame I can’t offer you any of my blood, seeing as it is coated in Netherese bile, but if that’s all you needed the scroll for you should’ve just told me straight away.”

A feeling of relief engulfed Astarion. “I’m sorry. I feel embarrassed that I’ve let myself get this hungry again. It’s not a pleasant experience.”

“A vampire’s hunger is a terrifying thing, that is for certain.” Gale reached into his pack, pulling out the scroll, and handed it over to Astarion. “Just be careful out there. I don’t want to be the one braving the shadow curse to save your pale behind if you get caught by any ghouls or winged horrors.”

Astarion gratefully took the scroll and gripped it firmly in between his slender fingers. “Thank you. I can assure you; a rescue mission will not be needed. I am an expert when it comes to weaving through the shadows and being amongst the undead.”

Gale gave him a firm pat on the shoulder; a gentle smile crinkled across his features. “Good. Be careful out there, alright?” The wizard then turned to leave, his purple robes swishing as he sauntered into one of the spare bedrooms that Jaheira had offered them.

“Wow, that was lucky.” Ria’s tiny head poked out of Astarion’s breast pocket, her greenish blue eyes gazing up at him. “I really thought Gale wasn’t going to hand that scroll over to you for a moment.”

“I thought the same,” Astarion murmured, gripping firmly onto the scroll. “I suppose we should get settled for the night. Are you still sure about this?”

“What, after you went through all of that to get that scroll? Absolutely. I meant it when I said you could have some of my blood.”

Uncertainty nagged at the corners of his mind as he walked into one of the spare rooms that Jaheira had so kindly offered to the group.

“Alright.” Astarion carefully plucked Ria out of his pocket and gently set her down on the bed. “But if you change your mind, or if you feel uncomfortable at any moment, you need to tell me.”

“I will.” Ria nodded, craning her neck to look up at him.

Astarion placed the scroll next to her on the bed. “Do you remember how to use scrolls?”

“Yes, Gale taught me,” she replied.

“Good.” Astarion bent down so that he was on his knees and rested his frame against the bed. Now he was as close to eye level that he could be with her.

Ria unsheathed her tiny dagger that was holstered to her hip, the sharp blade glinting softly in the low lighting of the room. She grasped it firmly in her fist, and held her arm out, looking for a suitable area to prick her skin.

A feeling of unease began to bubble underneath Astarion’s consciousness. This wasn’t right. Having Ria, the smallest member of the group, offering him blood was utterly ridiculous. He could stay hungry for a little while longer, until they found something. He was open to eating even the stalest blood at this stage. He couldn’t believe that he had even agreed to this idea to begin with.  

“Wait.”

Ria faltered. “What’s wrong?”

“This isn’t right,” Astarion said. “You shouldn’t be doing this. I should ask someone else. You’re literally the last person who should offer me any blood.”

She gave him an exasperated look. “Seriously! Astarion, we already agreed to this, I’m happy to give you a little bit of my blood. We’ve got everything we need in case something goes wrong. The others haven’t been that kind to you about your vampirism. Why would they even offer you any of their blood?”

He pressed his lips together thinly. She was right. None of the other members in the group had been understanding in regards to his vampiric nature. Other than Gale and Karlach, of course, the only party members who couldn’t offer him any of his blood. Lae’zel would decapitate him if he tried, and both Shadowheart and Wyll had warned him in the past to keep his fangs away from their necks. Halsin, since arriving at the Last Light Inn, had been occupied with tending to a man called Art Cullagh, who had something to do with a boy called Thaniel. Halsin had refused to leave the man’s side until a cure could be found for the man. Astarion couldn’t remember exactly why Halsin was so intent on helping Art, but it had something to do with the shadow curse that plagued the land.

With all of that in mind, that didn’t leave Astarion with many options. Breathing deeply, he fixed his gaze on the tiny borrower on the bed.

“Okay. But only a drop, nothing more.”

Ria wasted little time and pressed the tip of her blade against her porcelain skin, and trailed it across her flesh until blood began to bead at the surface. Almost instantly, the aromatic smell of fresh blood hit his nostrils and his stomach lurched in response. It had been some time since had smelt Ria’s blood, and it was just as sweet as he remembered it.

Composing himself, he remained grounded where he was, and tried to ignore the fact that his saliva was rapidly thickening in his mouth as the delectable smell almost engulfed him. Shards of ice pierced through his ribs relentlessly, merely reminding him just how starving he was, as he watched Ria with anticipation.

The moment seemed to drag out forever until finally she removed the blade. Rich lines of ruby trailed down her slender arm and she held it up to the giant vampire spawn almost like an offering. Astarion stiffened, nostrils flaring, as he did everything in his power from lunging forward and snatching her up in his teeth right then and there.

“Drink.”

Very cautiously and with an immense amount of restraint, Astarion slowly leaned in closer towards Ria’s frame, parting his mouth open. His tongue began to delicately caress along her arm, savouring every single drop of blood that she could offer. A soft moan of content rumbled through his chest as the sweet flavour of her blood hit his tastebuds. Yes, he remembered this taste. The same taste that had made his heart sing and his belly ache for more.

Remember, I am only taking a little, nothing more.  

Softly and slowly, his tongue continued to lavish her arm, each stroke of his tongue becoming slightly rougher than the last. It took every ounce of strength in his body to keep these controlled movements and to avoid accidentally brushing his fangs against her.

It wasn’t until he heard a distressed yelp from Ria that he realised his lips had pressed up right to her shoulder, the entirety of her arm was now situated inside his mouth. Freezing in place, Astarion locked eyes with Ria and saw the look of terror reflected clearly on her face. Immediately he pulled away, releasing her arm from the confines of his mouth, a mortified expression quickly spread across his sharp features.

“Oh gods,” he said breathlessly, his mind still reeling from the taste of her blood. “Are you okay?”

Ria was speechless, her face flushed crimson, and he could hear her tiny heartbeat pounding against her ribcage.  

“I’m fine.” She chuckled nervously, the scent of fear licked dangerously across her skin. “I guess my blood must be that tasty.”

His brow wrinkled as guilt gnawed at his conscience. He had been mere seconds away from swallowing her whole, and she was trying to brush it off like it was nothing. “That is my cue to stop. I’ll get you a Potion of Healing. I knew this was a bad idea.”

“Wait!” she exclaimed. “I’m okay, trust me. We can try again. I can still give you some more blood.”

“No, Ria,” Astarion said firmly. “That is enough. Do you not realise what just almost happened? I could’ve – I almost─” His throat choked up, feelings racking his brain that he never would’ve thought he’d feel for a borrower in all of his 200 years.

“Astarion.” She was right at the edge of the bed now, staring up at him with pleading eyes. “You didn’t hurt me. Nothing bad happened. As soon as I said it, you snapped out of it. I trust you.”

“You shouldn’t trust me!” Astarion cried out, tears pricking at his eyes. “Don’t you understand how dangerous this is? How badly I want to…to…” He swallowed thickly, a tidal wave of emotions overcoming him relentlessly. “…eat you.”

Ria gave him a deadpanned look as if he had just stated the obvious. “Astarion, you’ve been wanting to eat me from day one. That’s hardly news to me.”

Astarion gaped at her. “How can you be so relaxed about this?”

“I’m not,” she retorted, her voice trembling. “To be honest, this is terrifying. Working through my fears to get to this point hasn’t been easy. But I don’t want all of that hard work of getting through all this trauma to be for nothing.”

She steeled herself, holding out her still bleeding arm towards him.

“Please. Don’t let all of this go to waste.”

The pangs of hunger punctured through his stomach ferociously. Every instinct in his body was practically begging him to lunge forward and take her. But Astarion’s will was stronger than his vampiric instincts. Conflicted feelings bubbled through his chest as he considered Ria’s statement. He could understand where she was coming from. They had performed the fang touching routine for several nights now since they had initiated it back in the Underdark. Slowly but surely, Ria was slowly overcoming her trauma from when they had first met. And they still had the scroll to use just in case. Technically, he hadn’t acted out yet, or at least in a way where Ria would’ve needed to use it.

Astarion inhaled deeply through his nose. Not that he needed air to breathe, but it helped him steady himself for what he was about to do next.

“Fine, but I want you directly next to that scroll.”

Ria obeyed his request and stood with one foot firmly planted on the parchment.

Astarion leaned down, his frame looming above her, and slowly resumed licking her exposed arm. He could still smell the fear radiating off her skin, but surprisingly, it had diluted significantly. Despite what had just happened, Ria was somehow calmer than she had been before. She really did trust him.

His tongue stroked her arm delicately, treating her as if she was the most fragile piece of glass in all of Faerûn. The tiny droplets of blood that she could offer him were like warm beads of the sweetest nectar, and he suppressed another moan of pleasure as the blood went down his throat. Using all of his remaining restraint, he took one last long lavishing lick across her arm, revelling in the last few drops of her blood before swallowing it eagerly.

Licking his lips, his ruby gaze met Ria’s, and despite the blood-loss, her face was surprisingly flushed, albeit slightly pale. A moment of silence swallowed the room whole as they both stared at each other breathlessly. He noticed Ria’s eyes were fixed on his lips and her heart beat was close to exploding from her chest. She moved in closer until she was almost brushing against his lips.

And then, he felt the smallest peck against his bottom lip. Eyes widening, he stared as Ria pressed her lips against his, her tiny body doing as best as she could with their size differences.

If he was alive, his heart would be tearing from his ribcage right at that moment.

Warily, she pulled herself away from his mouth, her face damp from being pressed against his bottom lip.

“I-I’m sorry,” she stammered, nervously pushing strands of auburn hair out of her face. “I don’t know what I was thinking. That was─”

Astarion didn’t even allow her to finish her sentence as his lips crashed onto her body. He was incredibly careful not to crush her against his lips, but using all of his remaining restraint, he delicately pressed her tiny body into the mattress and completely enveloped her into a devastating kiss. The metallic taste of blood was still hot on her skin, and that only fuelled his desire for her.

In all of the thousands of lovers that Astarion had during his time under Cazador’s enslavement, he had never kissed someone as small as a borrower. He had to be incredibly careful, not to mention he was still in the height of his bloodlust, he kissed her delicately and with as much softness as he could manage. Each movement he made was measured, his lips dragging slightly across her body, as he kissed every inch of her.

With her tiny body pressed so intimately against his mouth, it truly dawned on him just how small and fragile she was. And yet, despite how small she was, she meant everything to him. She was his light shining for him through it all, through his bloodlust, through his pain, through everything that they had been through together. He wanted to give her everything.

There was a part of him that wanted to completely lavish her, almost suffocate her in his affections, but he knew he couldn’t do that. He had to keep reminding himself that she was so painfully small. Ever so gently, he pulled away from her, his eyes half-lidded with feelings he couldn’t even describe at that moment.

“Astarion…” She was breathing heavily, her tiny chest rising and falling, her clothes sticking to her body as they were damp with his saliva. Her mouth parted to speak, but she was so flustered that any form or structure of a sentence instantly died on her tongue.

Lips glistening, a smirk pulled at the corners of his mouth. “Mmm. You are adorable when you’re thinking of what to say, darling.”

This only earned a deeper blush from Ria’s cheeks. “I…um…we…kissed.”

“Indeed,” he responded, folding his arms on top of the bed next to her. “That is something that we just did. And you were the one to kiss first.” He frowned; his smirk being replaced with concern. “Was I too much?”

“No!” she exclaimed, her face almost as hot as Karlach’s engine. “It was…it was amazing. I’ve never been kissed─” Ria instantly choked up, realising the words that had tumbled out of her mouth.

Astarion’s jaw slacked in shock, one eyebrow arched. “Wait, are you telling me that was your first kiss? Are you serious?”

“Shut up!” She buried her face into her hands as her face flushed crimson. “I told you, I haven’t been around any other borrowers for 10 years, so─”

“Gods above, you have really lived a sheltered and boring life,” Astarion scoffed, his teasing now in full swing. “I can’t believe I was your first. A vampire, nonetheless! Hah! That is hilarious.”

“Are you done?” She pouted, folding her arms over her chest. “We just shared an intimate moment, and now you’re making fun of me!”

He gently scooped her into his palm, which earned a surprised yelp from Ria as she was quickly brought close to his face.

“To be fair, you should expect this by now.” He gently placed a tender kiss on the top of her head. “Now let’s get you fixed up.”

He grabbed a Potion of Healing out of his daypack and offered a tiny droplet to the tiny borrower huddled on his palm. She took the drop without hesitation, and immediately the wound on her arm vanished. Ria felt so fragile and weak in his hand. The passionate kiss that they had just shared had sapped the last bit of strength that she had left, and he felt her slump against his fingers in exhaustion. The potion had healed her physical wounds, but it couldn’t cure her blood-loss.

Ever so softly, he climbed on top of the bed and deposited her safely onto one of the pillows. Almost instantly she was asleep as soon as her body hit the soft surface. A warm smile budded on his lips as his gaze trailed over her tiny sleeping form. It would be best to let her rest for now after losing as much blood as she had.

For a moment, Astarion sat there, his brain reeling from what he had just experienced. A couple of months ago, the mere notion of kissing a borrower would’ve utterly repulsed him. But now, all he could do was think about how badly he wanted Ria to be close to him and how much he wanted to taste her again. He carefully slipped off the bed and lightly shook his head. He could dwell on these feelings later.

Now that he had some blood in his system, albeit small, he had enough strength to hunt something. Finding something that was alive and not inflicted by the shadow curse was going to be a challenge, but it wasn’t like he had any other choice. He had to try something. Maybe there was a ragtag group of bandits braving the shadow curse that nobody would miss.

Grabbing the scroll that Gale had given him, he snuck out an open window and left the safety of Last Light Inn. The cleric of Selune, Isobel, was casting a protective barrier around the inn to prevent the shadow curse from seeping through. Once he left the barrier, he was at risk of whatever lurked in the shadows. He quickly grabbed a lighted torch on his way out at the entrance of the inn to keep the curse at bay. Hunting with this would hinder him, but he didn’t want to be subjected to the shadow curse and become more undead than what he already was.

The chill of the shadow curse immediately hit his senses and he reeled from the sensation. Even for someone like him, a vampire spawn, the shadow curse made him feel on edge. He much preferred it when he was the one prowling the shadows, not the other way around. He attuned his senses to the environment around him and began to taste the air. Most of what he could smell around him was the familiar scent of the undead.

Traversing deeper through the haunting landscape, he continued his search. It wasn’t until he was almost ready to give up when he picked up something unusual. Alive, yes, but its scent was strange. Exotic. It wasn’t like anything he had come across before. Astarion’s mouth watered at the prospect of fully sinking his fangs into something that was alive. He didn’t waste anymore time and hastily followed the scent through the shadows.  

The strange scent eventually led him to an open clearing with a massive crater in the middle. Cautiously, Astarion approached the crater. Whatever was in the centre was creating the scent and he could detect a heartbeat. Whatever it was that was in there, it was certainly alive. Peering in, he saw a giant meteorite embedded in the dead soil.

Astarion frowned. A giant meteorite hadn’t been what he was expecting. Suddenly, the meteorite exploded, sending chunks of space rock hurtling through the air. Astarion was sent flying backwards from the explosion, but thanks to his fast reflexes, he was back on his feet soon enough.

“What in the Nine Hells?” he murmured, grabbing a dagger from his holster.

What emerged from the rubble utterly stunned him. An anthropomorphic black and red hedgehog stood before him; the creature’s ears were flattened against its head as it glared fiercely at Astarion. The hedgehog – or whatever it was – obviously looked nothing like hedgehogs he was used to seeing. This one was far too large, and was standing on two legs. Not to mention it was black and red. Perhaps it was a druid that had wildshaped? But then again, he had never heard of a druid wildshaping into an anthropomorphic animal. Not to mention this one had emerged from a meteorite of all things.

It doesn’t matter where this thing came from, Astarion thought to himself, baring his fangs. All that matters is that I sink my teeth into it.

Astarion lunged forward, claws and teeth on full display as he went for the creature’s jugular. The hedgehog suddenly vanished into thin air before Astarion could grab it, which left him falling headfirst into the rotten dirt.

Spitting out dirt, he frantically scanned the area for the hedgehog, confusion and fear flaring in his chest. What had just happened? Where did it go? Before Astarion could gather himself, the hedgehog reappeared right in front of him in a flash, and then delivered a devastating kick to his head that sent him flying.  

Coughing heavily, Astarion shakily pulled himself back to his feet somewhat slowly, searing pain piercing through his head. The hedgehog was standing in front of him again, its eyes narrowed and face deepened into a fierce scowl.

Or at least, the creature was a hedgehog for a brief moment. What happened next Astarion could’ve never had prepared for. From where the strange hedgehog had just been, an explosion of black goo seemed to melt the hedgehog’s form and mould it into something else. Something much, much larger.

Astarion stumbled back on his feet as the strange hedgehog revealed its new form. A giant black and red squid-like creature emerged out of the goo, armed with numerous tentacles and dozens of crimson eyes that were all pinned onto him. It roared thunderously at him, revealing rows upon rows of deadly, razor-sharp teeth designed to shred through flesh.

“What in the wretched hells is THAT?!” Astarion shrieked.

Now the predator had become the prey. If he didn’t act soon, he was going to be this creature’s dinner.

The scroll!

Fumbling through his pockets, he grabbed the scroll and recited the spell as the creature lurched towards him. A purple globe quickly encased Astarion, and the creature roared in outrage as it bashed its large tentacles against the shield.

“Back off you strange beastie!” Astarion yelled at the creature, hoping that it would leave him now that it could no longer get him.

The giant squid-like creature responded with a guttural snarl that ripped through the still air, its red eyes glowing somewhat similarly to his own.

Is it illithid? Astarion scrutinised the creature as it continued to hiss and roar at him. If it was illithid, it would certainly explain its squid-like appearance. But this was nothing like any of the mindflayers that he had come across. Whatever it was, he hoped it would leave him alone soon. The spell wouldn’t last forever.    

Eventually, the monster became bored of Astarion and slithered into the shadows. He waited for a moment to ensure that it was completely gone before he left the safety of the Globe of Invulnerability. As he sprinted back towards the Last Light Inn, he hoped that he would never encounter the strange hedgehog giant-squid monstrosity ever again.