I awoke the next morning to Astarion watching me sleep, a smile on his face. "Good morning treasure. How do you feel?"
I run my fingers through his bangs fixing his bed head, "perfect, thanks to you." He rolled his eyes but didn't protest. We dressed and left his tent, the party all gave me a group hug.
"You're okay!" They all cheered.
Gale patted my shoulder, "I know Astarion isn't the 'talk about our feelings' type so if you ever need it, I'm always here for you."
"Thanks Gale, I might take you up on that another time about my magic. I finally have my memories back."
"Finally? What changed?" Shadowheart asked.
"That's a complicated story that I'll tell later. Right now I'm starved. And I know I put us behind so let's eat and hit the road." I packed myself a meal as we gathered our things.
"Are you sure about moving this much after everything?" Gale asked, he was so sweet.
I nodded, "Yep, I'll be very careful I promise. But I feel better than ever!" I looked at Lay'zel "where are we going? Get me up to speed."
She explained that there was another town nearby that rumors had of a witch that mainly delt with abnormal healing. "I'll have to buy a new hood when we get there. My last one got destroyed."
It wasn't too far of a walk although I didn't recognize this part of the realm at all. It was massive, almost like a kingdom. There was a castle guarded by walls, and the town of people lived just below it. More shiny armored guards patrolled the outer gate as we snuck in, their coat of arms the same as his. Astarion snuck off with me to a clothing shop where I found a beautiful blue dress with a hood sewn on. The thighs were slit open and held together by a string, it reminded me of the shirt Astarion wears at night. The light blue color fit really well against my pale skin. I exited the dressing room giving Astarion a little twirl. I could see the hunger in his eyes meaning he more than liked it. I bought it and put the hood up as we walked around the town, he did most of the talking as I looked around, feeling a strange, yet familiar magical aura. It drew me in.
I tilted my head as I began to wonder towards it. Astarion grabbed my arm, whispering into my ear harshly, "what in God's name do you think you're doing?" He hissed.
"There's something here calling to me." I looked up at him. "I can't tell what."
"Well, seeing how you literally just came back from almost death, how about we don't wonder off without adult supervision! Hmm?" He glared at me, i nodded as he let go. We continued to look around before we eventually saw a train of wanted posters. We looked to make sure Astarion wasn't on there but to our suprise... it was me. "Stay close, and keep your eyes open."
I waved my hand over my face changing its aperance to a teifling making Astarion nod in approval. I grabbed and held his hand, he said nothing as we continued walking. People walked past us holding the same wanted posters.
"What the hells is hapening?" I asked before we heard a lady calling out. She was slender and good looking. Her long hair the came color as my natural hair. The wierd feeling came back to me making squeeze Astarions hand in warning as she handed us my wanted poster.
"Please! Be careful till she's found! She's dangerous!" The woman pleaded. The closer I looked, we had the same nose.
"What did she do to be so wanted?" Astarion asked.
"She's a monster! An Enchantress. Unparallel to any known in this realm. Her mother a syren, her father a powerful wizard. She was put under guard protection untill they were found dead yesterday. I'm sure that monster did it!"
"She's just a rumor lady!" Someone shouted.
"She's real I tell you! I know! She killed my husband!" The woman pleaded as she looked me in the eyes. So much anger rose up in me, Astarion squeezed my hand tightly as he fully intertwined our fingers.
"I'm sorry but we really must go. We'll keep an eye out for the beautiful little rumor." Astarion bowed before we sped walked about of there. "What the bloody hells was that?"
"Something we're not gonna talk about." I said through gritted teeth. We weaved through the crowds before finding the rest of the party and we snuck our way out of there. "Anything?" I asked as they nodded.
"We keep north." Shadowheart. When we were past the small kingdom I took off my hood and undid the spell, changing me back to my normal self. Before we camped for the night. I sat at the campfire alone as I fiddled with my Lute, lightly playing it as I hummed trying to stay towards a lighthearted song.
I'll get by with a little help from my friends.
Gonna try with a little help from my friends.
I'll move on with a little help from my friends.
"That's a cute little verse." I was startled making me break a string. That's when I realized the party had joined me around the fire.
"Oh, sorry, am I keeping you guys awake with my playing?" I went through my bag as I changed the string and retuned it.
"No, but these were in that town." Gale handed me a wanted poster.
I crumpled it up before I threw it in the fire. "Is it true you killed that lady's husband?"
I nodded as I looked into the fire. Watching the cinders burn.
"Are you gonna say why?" Gale proded.
I ran my fingers through my hair before letting out an angry breath. "Because he was my father. My father who decided that when I had both my mother's siren powers, and my father's magic, the only answer was to beat me. Maybe even try to kill me before they fully awakened."
"So you killed him for simply hitting you?" Lay'zel tried to brush it off.
"She was a child." Gale chimed in with a much more serious tone. Everyone froze as they looked at him. "Magic power shows very early in life."
"I was 6. I had no clue how to control it. And they had no clue as to just what kind of monster they created."
"So that woman..." Astarion trailed off.
"Was my beautiful, siren of a Mother. The same one who immediately sold me off the next day. To the captain of the royal guard of the town we were in. They tortured and experimented on me untill they got bored. Then he gave me to his lovely son to be his play doll. The same son you all saw me kill."
"I knew you had daddy issues but...damn." astarion joked.
"So you're an Enchantress?" Gales eyes wide widended. "Not a bard at all." I nodded.
"Yep, my magic flows the best, and the strongest, when I attach it to a song. Epically a song from the heart." I got up and stretched. "Allright, welp, I'm off to bed, we head north in the morning." All they did was nod as I went to Astarion's tent. He joined me a little later and held me once again as we both drifted off to sleep.
A sad lullaby I used to sing for myself filled my dreams. I awoke realizing it wasn't in my dream. Someome was singing it. That feeling came back, that pull i couldnt resist. Astarion had thrown his cuddling arm off me and over his head as he slept peacefully. I shook his shoulder but he brushed me off sleepily.
"Such a lonely day" it called out making me move on my own. I know that voice, from long ago, like a dream.
I stepped out of the tent and joined,
And its mine.
I walked towards some trees as she continued singing, "the most loneliest day of life."
-----
(F/N)'s singing called out to Astarion even in his depth of slumber. He rolled over feeling for her but all his hand found was an empty bed. His eyes opened and sure enough, his pet was gone. Her voice echoed softly in the air,
And if he goes, I wanna go with him.
And if he dies?
Who's voice was that?!
I wanna die with him.
She sang back as Astarion madly sprinted towards her.
Take my hand her mother sat on a rock holding her hand out to (F/N), Astarion tackled (F/N) snapping her out of it as her mom dissapeared into the night.
-------
"I thought sirens couldn't seduce other sirens." He panted out of breath as I blinked the fog away.
"I'm half remember." I looked up at where she was, the space now empty.
"I am not made for running!" He sighed as I got up, brushing the dirt off me before reaching my hand out to him.
"Thank you Astarion." He let me help him up.
"For what?"
"For still having my back." I smiled at him as the rest of the party began leaving their tents. We packed up and continued North untill we found a gated cove that happily invited us in showing us the way to their healer, Nettie.