Thoughts of a Halfling - The ride back to Melbourn 9-14 Flamerule

To The Fellowship of the Opposing Eight Signs,

I am being set upon a new path. The same servant of Lathander that sent me on the mission to find the Lantern and Szeraal, now calls me to a new mission and one that I don't believe I will be returning from. At least not to this place.

While I greatly desire to see these matters in Haranshire brought to a close, that decision is not mine to make. I must serve where and when I'm sent, taking solace in the knowledge that if my departure would put our mission at too great a risk, that I would not be pulled away.

Continue in courage. I will likewise continue in my prayers for our...for your success against this great evil.

Lady Darya Nishan

Jayashree thought about the words that Lady Darya had left in her note to FOES. She could hear them echoing through her head. She still couldn't believe that the paladin was gone. There had been no indication when they all had parted the day before that she would not be accompanying them when they left Turelve. Jaya tried not to be bitter, and she knew the paladin would follow the orders of her god, and the messenger didn't hurt either... But in her heart, she was hurting. She didn't even say goodbye....

Jaya knew that they hadn't been sharing a room as much lately, but she thought it was just because she didn't need to rely on Lady Darya's charity. Perhaps she hadn't been a good enough friend. Perhaps Jaya wasn't good enough to be the friend of a Lady such as she. Grim thoughts swam in her mind as she watched the water flow by.

"How will I ever make amends now?" she wondered. "Who will guide me? Certainly not the Elf, he understands me, but has made it clear that he sees nothing to atone for. For certain not the bard either. The wiemic? Laughable. One of the dwarves, or the gnome? The mage?" This train of thought was not helping. Jaya shook her head trying to clear it.

"Why am I here?" Well that was one question that had an immediate answer. To find and hopefully rescue Jennilith. She would stay with FOES and see this mission through, and hopefully find some sort of redemption. After that... She didn't want to admit it, even to herself, but she had let down her guard. Become "comfortable" with her companions. Even with those whom she has only recently met! It goes totally against her training... but is that a bad thing?

Jaya knew that it didn't really matter. She couldn't afford to grow sloppy and careless. There still was the possibility of her father's men searching for her. The longer she stayed with the group, the more danger she put them in.

Jaya sighed. It was decided. Find Jennilith... then part ways. It was for the best.

Hearing the note read aloud was quite a shock. Lady Darya had been with the Fellowship since its founding- in fact, she was the first member he had met. He wondered how they would replace her leadership, and what her departure would mean for the decisions the group made in the future- it seemed that future actions would now be lend more to the practical than to the moral. He did not know whether that was a good thing or not.

What he did know was that he was somewhat irritated- almost angry- that she had just taken off for good without a farewell. Other members had casually left the group, but those instances seemed to be unplanned and non-deliberate, wholly unlike this situation. Was the abruptness of departure due her membership in her holy order, or was it a heretofore unexpressed display of her noble heritage- that we didn't merit a personal farewell?

Anger aside, he realized distressingly that it would be hard to replace her contribution to the group. Hopefully the new members the group had just picked up would be able to shoulder some of that burden.

It was a quiet trip back north. Nobody spoke the obvious. Lady Darya was gone. The dwarf's own emotions were in a turmoil. A large part of him was upset. She'd left again with that 'O' fellow... Another mission that was too important for a proper farewell to those she'd traveled with and bled with. He missed her. He even missed the giant lizard!

The priest in him was more practical though. He knew without a doubt that she was a servant of the gods, same as he. If Gorm had sent a messenger to pull him from the side of FOES, his reaction would have been the same. Sometimes your chosen faith calls you to do something that you don't want to do. Something he understood all too well.

His own mission he considered a failure more or less... He'd been sent (against his will no less...) to test humanity... well, all the surface folk really... To see if they were worth dealin' with. He wasn't impressed. Between humans keeping slaves, farmers turning to bandits before your eyes. People killing and hurtin' their own kind... the place was a disaster. Even the group he'd attached himself with, as disparate a group as ever there was one, didn't make him comfortable.

Elves, humans, halflings, and now even a few new dwarves... Most of which seemed to think the answer to all life's problems were genocide... He just didn't understand... Everyone was so focused on this Jennolith woman, when her own betrothed wasn't fighting with them... Now the group was half formed of people who he suspected only traveled with them for revenge... Seemed everyone they 'rescued' joined FOES. What were they DOING out here... rescuing? or Killing?

Lady Darya was different from the rest of them. If not for her, he'd have already returned home and told them to seal the tunnels and leave the surface alone. Since that time, he'd run across a few more people of noble intent in the various towns... but they seemed few and far between.

After seeing the blood pooling from the cubbys where the orc women and children had run off to, he'd suspected there would be issues in the group... again. Despite the fact of there now being dwarves around to protect... he still found himself in his standard watch and judge mode. He still wasn't comfortable dictating policy. He was more interested in what these surface dwellers would do when left to their own devices.

Though when the group had voted, he'd sided with Lady Darya in letting the children live. He thought they'd WON that vote...

Despite the old feuds, he was a priest. He also considered himself a warrior. Torin of the Dourguards did not make war with helpless children. Be they goblin, orc, or drow... The knowledge of what had transpired despite the vote, made him feel ill.

No, it was no real surprise that Lady Darya wasn't traveling with them anymore. Though he had expected a more explosive departure. Perhaps what truly disappointed him was not getting the option of going with her! If given a choice of traveling companions, he had little doubt which direction he'd have gone.

Perhaps that's why she was reassigned so quickly. Either Lathander wasn't interested in dwarves... or Gorm liked him where he was. Once the gods get involved in your decisions, who knows whats what!

What did they get in exchange? Another elf, and a dwarf. The dwarf was nice change, but as they'd already been caught once, he questioned their combat value. Seemed strange to go into a hole to rescue someone... then Take him DEEPER into the hole. As for the elf... someone said 'sea' elf... so there was another vote for the boats.... A poor trade from his point of view.

Wondering if their paths would ever cross again, he whispered a prayer to Gorm to watch over her in her new endeavors, despite her lack of dwarfness.