Like Starlight and Wine (A Baldur's Gate 3 Astarion x Tav Fanfic)

10. Turmoil at Emerald Grove

"The horned ones told us the settlement would be North-West of the place where I was captured," Lae'zel hisses, a low growl of annoyance rumbling deep in her throat. "So why is it that we are not heading North-West?"

"We are traveling North-West," I say with near complete certainty. But that certainty falters with one pointed glare from the githyanki. "Er... At least... I think we are?"

"I could have sworn the tieflings said North-East," Gale insists with brazen confidence. A folly.

"Don't be stupid, Wizard," Astarion jeers. "In fact, you should both listen to Lae'zel. At the moment, she seems to have more sense than the two of you put together."

"What makes you think she's so right?" Gale challenges. "As if you two know this wilderness any better than the rest of us. We've only just arrived here. What makes you so confident you know where you're going?"

Astarion opens his mouth to speak, but thinks better of it, quickly snapping it shut again. What was he about to say? That he knew the land better than us because he'd spent the night secretly prowling around doing only Gods know what under the cover of darkness?

I didn't forget the incident last night. When I had stirred from my sleep to catch Astarion sneaking out of camp. At first, the whole thing had felt like a dream. Like something intertwined with the rest of my feverish nightmares. And when I rose this morning it was such a haze of a memory that I was fairly confident it had been a dream al along. But now? I'm not so sure as he shoots a wary glance in my direction. Almost as if he's pleading with me not to say a word.

For some reason, I play along.

"Gods, I wish we had a map, or something," I say instead, taking everyone's attention away from Astarion and turning it onto myself. Although I don't know why I'm doing it. I really shouldn't be helping him out. I should be suspicious of him. My hackles should be raised. I should be questioning him under fire like a trained inquisitor. "Look, maybe Lae'zel is right. I mean... she's a githyanki after all. I assume she's an excellent tracker."

"You're assumptions are correct," Lae'zel replies without hesitation, never one to take the humble route. Apparently none of my companions are short on self-confidence.

"Great!" I exclaim, clapping my hands together a little too loudly with feigned enthusiasm. "That settles it. We listen to the githyanki then. Don't you think we've wasted enough time bickering and running around in circles?"

"Oh, alright," Gale throws up his hands in surrender. "Far be it from me to oppose the leader of the pack. Lead the way, my lady."

The leader of the pack? Is that how he sees me? I'm pretty sure no one appointed me leader. And I am definitely sure I didn't appoint myself leader either. I'll have to ask about that later, but now is not the time. We have to move. We've burned enough daylight as it is. Time to get back on track.

"Oh thank Gods," Astarion chimes in, his voice flooded with relief and cynicism (mostly cynicism). "Finally, some sense. I was beginning to worry we were going to find ourselves lost in the wilderness for good."

---

We continue on, this time following Lae'zel's directions, and keen instincts, and things go much smoother from there. It doesn't take long before we begin to pass things on the road that indicate civilization; abandoned supplies, broken-down carts, ropes, tools and other tidbits littering the side of the road. It's all very promising.... until we find the dead boar in the middle of the trail. But something is odd about the boar. I don't see any wounds. No blood, or any signs of injury.

"Strange," I remark, stopping and stooping just before the dead animal. "It looks healthy, but it's stone dead."

"No need to point out the obvious," Astarion quips, but there is a strange edge to his voice that I almost don't pick up on. "The pig's dead, my friend. Staring at it won't bring it back. Come on. We'll never fix these brain worms if we stop and gawk at every piece of carrion you find."