As the Ash Settles

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Happy Birthday Citrine.

Wyll stood at the stairs he was still a bit battered and bruised from his encounter in the hells, he would leave every so often still aiding Hope. "She would my friend she would."

Halsin, Jaheira, Minsc, and Lae'zel soon arrived, they started their festivities as they did every year, they recanted stories of the kids' mother to them, though Aelius and Diana had heard each story a million times over they still soaked it all in. Astarion excused himself from the group to get some air.

He made his way over to her grave, he sat down beside her the grass around her speckled with wildflowers of all kinds. "Happy Birthday my darling." he rolled the ring on his ring finger, he had found it while going through her things, a matching gold ivy band that Citrine had bought for him. He had not taken it off since he found it.

"Diana and Aelius are five now, can you believe that? Five whole years have flown by. Scratch is getting there in the years, I was thinking you might like him laid by you maybe with Olivia. Robin is too big for the house now, he is gentle and protective of the kids. We miss you. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't search for you out of the corner of my eyes. I wish you were here. Everyone is as helpful as they have always been but the kids need you, my love. I need you still."

Astarion's eyes fell to the gravestone. 'Citrine, savior of Baldur's Gate, loving friend, treasure to all, adoring mother and wife.' Wyll had come up with it as at the time Astarion could not.

"I can still feel you at night if I close my eyes hard enough, your warmth, your smile on my chest. I can still feel your heartbeat. I miss you Citrine, thank you for teaching me to love. Your daughter has a knack for druidry like you, Diana is always trying to save some animal or yelling if someone is trying to squash a bug that got inside. She's curious about all life and has a tender heart for it. Aelius is strong, his heart, his body, and his mind. Wyll has his hands full with him, he is always begging him to teach him a new move with a sword. I tell them every day how much you love them. How much I love you. I love you my darling elf." Astarion cleared his throat. "Well, I'll be back when we are ready for cake." He kissed the top of the gravestone.

The smell of fire flooded Astarion's nostrils as he got closer to the house, thick brown smoke came into his vision. His feet took off rounding the tree line to see the house ablaze. He watched as three black hooded figures made for the opposite side of the property, carrying two small limp bodies. Astarion looked back at the house then back at the figures he watched as Robin roared galloping their way. He ran for the figures, barely catching up as they hoped the wired fence. In their arms he could see his children, Robin roared. Slashing at the three. A blast hit Robin straight in the chest and he went flying backward. Astarion with all his might pushed forward, "Diana, Aelius!" He screamed a thick black mist enveloped him his eyes losing sight.

He still ran blind, a piercing blow to his chest as he felt himself thrown into a tree. A wicked laugh rang "In the name of Bhaal." Astarion, dashed forward trying to find the voice, a hot pain rang through his chest, a piercing blow of an arrow into his side limbs locked into place.

Astarion felt his body being dragged through the dirt, he looked up to find Robin's feathered belly. The owlbear was weakened, Astarion's limbs still would not move on their own accord.

The sounds of the others calling to each other through coughs, them calling out for his children rang in his ears. Robin, exhausted released Astarion, falling beside him. Astarion could see out the corners of his eyes, thick gashes in the owlbear, blood trickling through the feathers.

"Get her out!" He heard Karlach's voice scream in rage. He tried to move, but the poison that seeped into him would not allow it.

"Over here!" He heard Gale yell. The coughs and screams of his friends still searching for children thumped in his ears. His body grew weaker, he fought off the darkness as long as he could.

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"Explain it again." Astarion could hear Gale's voice break. He was lying down on the grass, he pushed himself looking around, his friends were all in sight but his children were gone. He sat up pain searing in his side.

"Diana said that her Aunt Orin was visiting them in their dreams, that she said 'people were going to come take them to their real grandpa, that they were going to do great things.'" Tovier's voice sounded like dagger in Astarion's mind.

"Orin is dead." Astarion moved to his feet ignoring the pain.

Shadowheart ran to his side throwing a healing potion into his hand. "Did you see them?" Her eyes pleaded that they were safely tucked away. Astarion, looked at his friends, bleeding, battered and soon to be bruised. A deep furious anger overtook him. A guttural scream left his throat, his reddened eyes grew dark.

The others grabbed their blades following Astarion as he walked back to where he last saw his children. In the setting sun, their silhouettes stood, another battle in their near future.