The thirtieth of Flamerule dawned clear and cool, in the upper fifties, with moderate humidity. Fred heard Lada moving in the next room, and slipped out of bed, as quietly as he could. He grabbed a robe and slippers, crept out of the bedroom, and closed the door behind himself as quietly as possible, so intent on sneaking out without waking her that he completely missed Aribeth's smile. He slipped past Lada's room and crept down the stairs, not pausing to put on his slippers and robe until he was in the living room.

"Well, aren't you a fine one," Midnight mrrred. "So, have you decided yet that a bag of catnip is the perfect gift to give her?"

"Oh, there's catnip involved," Fred snorted, adjusting his robe as he stood, "but it's not for her. You and Freki had better have kept your noses out of the shed, too."

"Trust me," Midnight sneezed. "With the way that shed stinks, I'm not going anywhere near it."

"Oh, wonderful," Fred grumbled. "If you think it stinks, Freki's likely to think it smells yummy."

"It's not my fault you chose a mutt as your companion," Midnight humphed.

"Are you naturally that annoying, or do you work at it?" Fred muttered, on his way to the kitchen door.

After a quick trip to the outhouse, Fred detoured to the shed to check on its contents, before returning to the house. As he was reaching for the door, Lada opened it and exited, saw Fred, squeaked, said, "I'm sorry. I gotta go," and moved around him to head for the outhouse.

Fred looked after her thoughtfully, then shook his head and entered the house.

In the kitchen, Aribeth was up and about, stirring up the fire in the stove, with a fresh kettle of water sitting on top. Fred snuck up behind her and wrapped his arms around her in a hug, while nuzzling her left ear.

"Mmmmm...," Aribeth purred as she leaned back against him. "Good morning to you, too."

"So," Fred asked, after stealing a quick kiss, "Ham, bacon, or some of that excellent venison sausage?"

"Sausage sounds good to me," Aribeth said, smiling happily.

The door opened, and Fred glanced toward it. Seeing Lada come through, he grinned and began singing.

"Everyone knows someone we'd be better off without,
But let's not mention names, for we don't know who's about,
So why commit a murder, and risk the fires of Hell,
When black widows in the privy, can do it just as well.

'Now poison's good, and daggers, and arrows in the back,
And if you're really desperate you can try a front attack,
But are they really worthy of the risk of being caught,
When black widows in the privy, need not be bribed nor bought.

"So if there's one of whom you wish most simply to be rid,
Just wait 'til dark, then point the way to where the widow's hid,
And say to them I think you'll find that this one is the best,
And black widows in the privy, will gladly do the rest."

Fred laughed. "You know, Leslie really didn't have a clue about black widows. They're actually kind of sweet, as long as you don't scare them."

Lada whimpered and rubbed her face with both hands. "That helps my bathroom phobia. A whole lot. Thank you!"

Aribeth giggled and moved to hug Lada. "It's ok, love. He's constantly coming up with these strange songs. If he were a bard, he'd make a fortune, just because of how strange they are."

"Oh," Lada said, sarcastically, "Next he'll be roasting druids over an open fire."

Fred laughed and started in again.

"Clerics roasting on an open fire,
Goblins nipping at your nose
Paladins, being hung higher and higher
And thieves, trussed up in roasting rows,

"Everybody knows, some mustard and some mistletoe
Helps a druid taste just right
Tiny trolls, with their eyes all aglow
Know they will have a treat tonight.

"They know a party's on its way,
And there'll be lots of yummy characters to slay
And every one of them is going to vie
To see if cavaliers really know how to die

"And so I'm offering this simple phrase
To drow, and other creatures too
Although it's been said, many times, many ways
Happy feasting to you."

"I swear, if we run into someone named Raistlin, I'm going to run screaming for the hills," Fred laughed.

"Happy birthday, Aribeth," Lada said, "And by the way, he didn't write all of them himself. He just remembers them. Although, that one, I think he did write himself." She looked at Fred. "Didn't you?"

"Yup," Fred said, with a grin. "Wrote it for a contest, about twenty years ago. Or would it be twenty-five? Fifteen? Translating years between here and Earth is confusing. Anyway, I got an honorable mention for it. The winner was so demented, it made that song look positively tame."

Aribeth laughed and curtsied to Lada. "Thank you, Lada. Yes, I know he didn't write them all himself. No bard ever does, either. Of course, bards don't tend to write stuff that's quite that ...demented?"

Fred grinned proudly.

"Isn't 'demented' Fred's specialty?" Lada asked.

"Some days, it seems that way," Aribeth agreed. "So, we're having sausage and tea, and given that look on Fred's face, I suspect there's going to be potatoes and eggs involved, too."

"Yup," Fred said with a grin. "Heart attack on a plate, coming right up."

"In other words," Aribeth stage-whispered to Lada, "We'll have at least an hour to wake up and start the day before food is ready."

"Pbbbt!" Fred replied. "Good food takes time."

"But you said you were fixing heart attack on a plate," Lada complained. "Unless you invented the timer..."

"No need," Fred said. "It's a lot easier to cook on a wood stove. I just move the pan off the direct heat, once the sausage is browned, and everything cooks down just right."

"Uh-huh," Lada said, giving Fred a disbelieving look.

"It really does taste good," Aribeth said. "I wasn't so sure myself, when he first made it for me."

"I used to have the world's trickiest stomach," Lada said. "So, Fred would usually end up eating both servings of this mess, while I went and hid from the smell."

"Used to?" Aribeth asked. "So...that's not the reason you're starving yourself now?"

"I'm eating...huh? What?" Lada asked, looking confused.

"Seriously," Fred said. "You're not eating enough to keep a child fed, let alone a fully-grown priestess. Even if you're still trying to work out just exactly what it is Bast is allowing you to do, you still need to eat like an adult, or you're going to end up in the same trouble I did in college. Remember?"

"I eat when I'm hungry and I stop when I'm full," Lada insisted. "I know, you broke your ankle, but you were eating, what, once a week?"

"And still getting more nutrition than you are," Fred said. "How are you not feeling as crappy as you did back on Earth?"

Lada sat down at the table, her face screwed up in thought as she tried to work through the confusion. "Eat when you're hungry...stop when you're full...don't let your blood sugar get too high...."

"Don't what?" Aribeth asked, looking worriedly at Lada.

"Don't worry about your blood sugar," Fred said. "For starters, you don't have diabetes any more. And, the average adult in Shadowdale needs to eat at least three thousand calories a day, just to not suffer from malnutrition."

"Three thousand?" Lada complained, staring at Fred in disbelief. "If I ate that much, I'd be up to four hundred pounds in a week!"

"Not here," Fred said. "You're using that much, if not more, just with all the training you're doing."

"But...but...but...," Lada sputtered, "Where am I supposed to put it?"

"Trust me, if you eat the right foods, it's not a problem," Aribeth said. "For starters, try eating foods that are more nutritious. Greens are ok, if you're a rabbit, but people need meat, and stews, and cheeses, and other high-powered food."

"But...but...but...," Lada sobbed, "That's what fat people eat! That's how I got fat in the first place!"

"Lada, love," Aribeth said gently, while moving to hug Lada and throwing a questioning look at Fred, "look at me, ok? Do I look fat to you?"

"That's what the doctors on Earth say," Fred said, moving to join Aribeth in embracing Lada. "We're not on Earth any more. It's a new world, with new rules."

"Uh....no?" Lada whimpered. "Is that the right answer? Is this a trick question?"

"No," Fred laughed. "Remember? New world, new rules? Besides, you're not a man, so you're safe answering her honestly."

Aribeth stuck her tongue out at Fred and said, "Stillsuit." Fred turned beet red.

"Oh," Lada said softly, then looked at Aribeth, confused. "Stillsuit?"

"It's a special outfit you wear in the desert," Aribeth said. "If you're rich enough, that is. It collects and purifies your sweat, so you never have to worry about getting dehydrated, or running out of water." She grinned at Fred and added, "When we bought them before going into the Anauroch, I asked Fred how mine looked on me. I thought he was going to implode." She giggled.

"B...before...when I couldn't see in the mirror," Lada said, "I'd ask him if I looked ok, before I left the house, sometimes. I wasn't fishing, I just wanted to make sure I didn't have lipstick on my teeth, or something equally embarrassing. He usually just gave me some nocommittal 'uh-huh.'" Lada giggled softly.

"Uh...uh-huh," Fred stammered, his blush deepening. "I need to get cooking, yeah." He fled to the stove and cut some sausage into the frying pan.

Aribeth watched him, laughing softly, then turned back to Lada. "We're both worried, though, Lada. And, seriously, I eat like I suggested to you, and you wouldn't exactly call me fat. Around here, the only people who get fat are people who sit around in their homes or shops and don't do anything. Usually, that means someone who's crippled, or someone who's so rich they can pay servants to do it all for them."

"I...I...I'll try," Lada whispered.

Aribeth sighed, hugged her again, and said softly, "Remember, we both love you, and we want the best for you."

"Is anyone home?" Storm called from the front door. Midnight grumbled and slunk out the kitchen door. Freki bounded to the front door and nosebumped her, wagging his tail madly.

"Hi, Storm!" Aribeth called, embracing Storm as she drew her into the house. "Fred's out back in the shed, and Lada's upstairs studying. Thanks for the help with getting her what she needs."

"I was glad to help," Storm said, smiling. She returned the embrace, then stepped back outside and returned with a long box, wrapped in shimmering, natural colored silk. "I thought you might have a use for this." She offered the box to Aribeth, then crouched to scratch behind Freki's ears.

Aribeth looked the box over, then set it on Fred's desk. Looking over the silk, she smiled and said, "This is beautiful, Storm. Spidersilk?"

"That's right," Storm answered. "Phase spider. There's about six yards there. But that's just the wrapping."

"Oh?" Aribeth said, playfully. "I never noticed." She laughed and unwrapped the box, carefully folding the silk and setting it aside. "I'll just see what we can do with this, later."

"I know a few patterns that you can use with it," Storm said. "I put copies inside the box, so you can pick and choose."

Aribeth smiled happily and opened the box, then paused, looking inside. She reached in and drew out a matched pair of longswords, one of which immediately burst into flame as her grip firmed on it, the other of which began to glow with an icy blue light and radiate a cold that made the worst day of winter seem like a warm summer's day. She stepped back from the box and tested their balance with a few strokes and thrusts. "Oh my! These are...perfect!" She carefully returned them to the box, noting that both extinguished when she released her grip, and hugged Storm happily. "Thank you!"

"I heard this rumor today is someone's birthday," Storm laughed, returning the hug. "Also, I have news for all three of you. I've already talked with Azalar, so whatever you do when you get the news, we'll manage."

"Are you in a hurry to leave, or would you like to try some sparring while you're here?" Aribeth asked.

"Sparring would be fun," Storm laughed. "We should probably do that outside, though. I wouldn't want to destroy the furniture, after all."

"All right. Just let me warn Lada so she doesn't think we're under attack." Aribeth crossed the room to the stairs and called up, "Lada! Storm and I are going out back to do some sparring. Do you want to join us?"

"Yes!" Lada called back. "Just a minute!" After a minute or two, she came down the stairs, staff in one hand and knitting bag in the other.

"Good afternoon, Lada," Storm said, smiling warmly. "How is your studying going?"

"Hello," Lada said, her voice slightly unsteady. "It's going....I've been able to make steady progress through the material."

"In other words," Storm said, gently, "it would help a lot if you had a Harper to help you make sense of it?"

Lada turned bright red and stammered, "I...I...I don't even know if I know enough yet to make sense of anything, but...eventually, yes," her voice fell, sounding sad and dejected, "I probably will need help."

"It's ok," Storm said, leaning on the banister and giving Lada a concerned look. "Everyone needs help now and then. That's why we have friends."

Lada nodded and smiled through tears, then said softly, "Thank you."

Storm smiled and whispered, "It'll be ok, Lada." Then she turned to Aribeth and said, "Why don't we go outside and let Lada catch up to us?"

"Good idea," Aribeth agreed. She touched Lada's shoulder and said gently, "Take your time, love. There's no need to rush."

Lada said softly, "Thank you." Her blush deepened, and she sat on the stairs, watching silently as Storm and Aribeth left the house.

Aribeth led the way around the house to an open area between the house, the graveyard, and the woods. Not far away, a wooden structure, like scaffolding, was rising around the well, and a spot of ground had been leveled and covered with smooth stone.

Storm looked at the construction work and shook her head, smiling. "So he's serious about building a windmill, is he?"

"He is," Aribeth said. She stepped away from Storm and swung her new swords a few times, to get a better feel for their balance and heft. "He's hoping to have running water inside the house before winter. Including an indoor toilet, of all things."

"Before winter?" Storm said, "Well, whoever manages things while you're gone will benefit from it, at least. Assuming Fred tells the workers how to install the plumbing, that is."

"Whoever manages...?" Aribeth asked, stopping and peering curiously at Storm. "Your news must be very interesting."

"It is," Storm said. "Very interesting, indeed."

"Maybe serious sparring can wait, then," Aribeth said. She crossed the yard and called toward the shed, "Fred! Storm's here! Come join us by the windmill!"

"Right now?" Fred called back.

"Yes! Right now!"

"All right!" Fred said. "Give me a minute!"

Aribeth turned to Storm and said, while raising her swords, "All we need to do is wait for them, then. Shall we?"

"Any time," Storm said, grinning and taking a ready position.

Aribeth leaped to attack, feeling out Storm's defenses and weaving a wall of steel of her own, in response to Storm's attacks. The two thrust and parried, laughing with the joy of being able to go all out without fear of either being overwhelmed by the other. Fred made his way from the shed and watched silently, in no hurry to stop their play. Lada arrived a minute or two after Fred, sat under her favorite maple tree, and took out her knitting.

Fred walked around the sparring and sat beside Lada. "I love you, you know. I'm glad you made it here safely." He glanced at the sparring and added, "Aribeth's right. She recognized it immediately, when we saw you. The reason I fell in love with her, is because she reminded me of you."

Lada put down her knitting, drew her knees to her chest and hugged them, and said, "I...I do love you...but...if I love you...why did I murder you?" She looked up at Aribeth and asked, "She reminds you of me? How?"

"Why did you what?" Fred asked, shocked. "What are you talking about? I died because it was my time. Whether it was my CPAP, my heart, or whatever, I was going to die, no matter what. You had nothing to do with it. Father showed me that it was my time, and gave me the choice of going West, or coming here to save this world."

"Oh," Lada said softly, lost in thought. "About a week after you ...passed... I was arrested. Initially on suspicion of murder, and then when the drug tests came back, for heroin."

"Oh...my...gods...," Fred growled softly. "Those...frakking...assholes!" The last was loud enough to get Aribeth and Storm's attention. They stopped and turned, then approached  while Fred continued. "How the hell could they accuse you of murder? You did nothing to justify that! And heroin? What the hell? Didn't they believe your doctor? Gods....you were in jail for a week without your pain meds? No wonder you died! The frakking cops murdered you!" He reached out to draw Lada close and hug her. "I'm so sorry, Lada. I wish I could have done something to prevent that. There is no way I would have wanted you to suffer like that. I'm so sorry. Gods...I love you, and they murdered you in my name...I'm so sorry...."

Lada whimpered at Fred's yell and cringed away from him, then when he reached out to hug her, she stiffened, then slowly relaxed as his gentle apologies slowly penetrated her fear.

"How could it...it's not your fault," Lada murmured, while curling against Fred. "The phone calls came from Arizona and Tennessee, saying it was my fault you died. And you were here, so you couldn't have called."

"My...mother," Fred growled softly, while hugging Lada protectively. "That...vicious, unmitigated, bitch. And...Tennessee...Consuelo? What the frak? Was she trying to punish you for getting kicked out of the house?"

"I am the root of all evil," Lada said sadly.

"If you're the root of all evil," Fred snorted, "I'm the queen of Cormyr."

Aribeth and Storm broke down into giggles, as Storm created an image in mid-air of Fred, dressed in the garb appropriate for a queen of Cormyr.

Lada peered at the image for several seconds, then began giggling, while Fred stuck his tongue out at Storm, then smiled and nodded at her. Storm winked at Fred, then whispered to Aribeth. Aribeth laughed and wagged a finger at Storm, who put on an innocent expression, but did not make the image vanish.

Fred hugged Lada close, snickering softly as he glanced at the image of himself, and waited until she had recovered from her giggles before speaking again.

"I wonder how my mother even discovered I was dead," Fred murmured. "Regardless, she had no right to make any accusations against you. None! And as for Consuelo...that bitch should be locked up herself, for the safety of everyone around her!"

"The death investigators had to notify your mother as well as your sisters," Lada said sadly. "And, she hates me." She muttered, frustrated, "My father came up, supposedly to help me. I don't know why I even bothered calling them. He just made matters worse."

"I'm surprised he didn't end up in jail, himself," Fred said. "At least your mother didn't come up. She's so totally into denial, she probably would have believed you were guilty as soon as the charges were filed, because the idea that an innocent person could suffer like you did would never enter her mind."

"I'd like to think you were wrong," Lada said, "but I know you're not. She'd have condemned me as soon as the government did, or she would have told me 'It'll all work out, honey. Just don't think about it. If you really didn't do anything wrong, nothing bad will happen.'"

"Never mind that Bast would not have chosen you for your mission if you were anything less than good," Storm said. "I gather that, on Earth, the gods aren't as active as they are here, so that little detail wouldn't have made a difference to your rulers."

"Or her parents," Fred muttered.

"I keep trying to remind myself of that," Lada said.

"Even if the government were to recognize a god as superior to itself, there's only one god it would recognize," Fred growled. "The god of a small band of desert bandits that has followers who declared every other god on the planet to be demons, devils, or false gods."

"That sounds insane," Storm said. "But if the gods aren't active, I suppose it could happen, if you have enough evil rulers and cooperative priests."

"That pretty much covers it," Fred said. "Human society didn't start to truly advance on Earth until enough people started standing up to the priests and declaring they would rely on themselves, not the church."

"At least we have good gods here," Aribeth said. "But before we get distracted by a discussion of philosophy, Storm said she has news for the three of us. Now that we're all here, I'd like to hear it."

"The three of us?" Lada asked.

"Yes, the three of you," Storm said. "But we should go inside to talk about it. I don't want to be responsible for two of you getting sunburns."

Aribeth looked at the swords in her hands and said, laughing, "I never looked to see if they had scabbards. Oops."

"They do," Storm said, joining her in laughter. "The scabbards are still in the box, on top of the patterns. I've already spoken with Lella about making whichever pattern you choose. El and I will take care of the enchantments, so don't worry about that. Just think of it as our way of saying that you're part of our family."

Fred rose to his feet and offered a hand to Lada. "Here, love. Need me to take your knitting?"

"Yes please," Lada said, handing Fred her knitting bag. "Thank you." She stood, then looked down at herself, with an expression of surprise.

"Yes," Midnight mrred from the branches overhead. "The twoleg can stand. Be amazed, world."

"Damn it, Midnight!" Aribeth yelled, "Why do you insist on tormenting her?"

Midnight recoiled, stared at Aribeth in shock, with her ears laid back, and backed against the tree trunk as if afraid Aribeth would strike her.

Lada broke into tears, grabbed her staff, and fled for the house, saying, "But Aribeth, this is her good behavior."

"I will not have you tormenting my Lada, Midnight!" Aribeth yelled. "Unless you can give me an acceptable reason for your behavior, I will dismiss you, right here, right now!"

"Can't you smell it?" Midnight whined. "She's not natural! She smells like human and cat and magic, and that is not natural!"

"She is the Claw of Sharess," Aribeth growled. "That means she has the touch of her goddess on her, the same way Fred has the touch of his god on him. I don't see you tormenting Fred like this."

"He never notices," Midnight grumbled.

"You're not helping your case any," Storm commented.

Midnight turned, leaped from the tree, and fled into the woods.

"Arg!" Aribeth screamed. "Why does she do that?"

"The worst thing," Fred said, "is that Lada grew up with teachers, parents, even so-called healers, who told her that if she was being teased or tormented, it was because she was wrong, she was different, she was somehow to blame for it. So if this has been going on since she got here, and badly enough that she thought this was Midnight's good behavior, she's probably convinced that she's inherently evil, bad, and deserving of everything Midnight did to her."

"Damn," Aribeth said, moving quickly toward the house. Fred and Storm fell in behind her.

"It's about time that cat got pulled up short," Freki growled. "She's been tormenting Lada every time your back is turned. And every time I tried to get between them, she'd pull out her claws. There's no way I'm going to go up against those claws...at least, not for anything short of saving her life. I can't believe she never said anything."

"She didn't," Aribeth said. "And I'm going to have me a panther-skin rug." She jerked the door open and stalked into the house. "I will not have the two people I love suffering because my cat gets a burr under her tail about the way they smell!"

Lada, sitting in the corner of the living room with a tray and polishing cloth on her lap, jumped, dropping the tray and cloth. She picked them up, then quietly crept into the kitchen to put the tray away and hang up her apron.

"Lada?" Aribeth asked, following her into the kitchen. "How long has Midnight been tormenting you? And what has she been doing to you? Freki says she's been doing it every time my back was turned, and that every time he tried to protect you, she threatened him."

Lada chewed on her bottom lip for a moment, then asked, "How long? Since I got...since I got here." She stammered and sighed, clearly afraid, then took a deep breath. "I...I don't...I don't know if she's doing anything...I don't...I don't understand a word Freki says, but I know she gets mad...mad at him...and talks about what an annoying mutt he is. I've heard her tell him to back off or she'd find out what his intestines looked like, and backed it up with claws...but I don't know why. I...," she sighed heavily, "I don't want him to get hurt. He's a sweetie. I don't think she...I really don't know, maybe he agrees with her, but I don't think he does. Maybe that's me being stupidly wistful." Lada shrugged. "I try to avoid her."

Aribeth reached out to take Lada's hand, led her to the table, and sat down beside her. "Lada, love, Fred told me about what those people in your past said, and I must insist that they were wrong. When someone torments you, it is not your fault. When someone torments you, it is their fault. They are wrong, not you. Did you not tell me, because you believed you were wrong, that you were to blame?" She looked into Lada's eyes and said, with all the caring she could muster, "Lada, if I had known what Midnight was doing, I would have stopped it on the first day. No matter what her reason, I will not allow her to torment you like that. And neither would Freki, if she didn't outweigh him by nearly three times his weight."

"While I do think I deserve what she's saying," Lada said, "I know I'm not rational about it. I know she reminds me very specifically of someone from the past, and so...." She sighed. "I'm just not thinking clearly. I'm just too triggered. I...I...I'm sorry."

"Lada," Fred said, sitting on her other side, "Triggered or not, you do not deserve what she did to you. Freki told us what she did, and how he couldn't protect you. I don't know why he didn't tell me..."

"Because you were always either in that smelly shed or doing your rituals, Dad!" Freki protested

"...ok, that makes sense...never mind, I do know why he didn't tell me now...but the point is, you did not deserve what she did to you, and you do not deserve it. You are a good person, you are deserving of much better, and, damn it, the two of us are going to make sure you get it." He paused and looked seriously at her. "If you'll let us."

Lada looked down and bit her lip.

Fred groaned and banged his head on the table. "Sweetheart, you haven't done anything wrong. I'm just trying to say that we can't give you what you deserve...."

"What he's trying to say," Aribeth said, cutting over Fred, "is that you have to learn to accept the good that people want to give you, or you'll never experience it in the spirit it's intended. That's something I had to learn, even after Fred rescued me from Neverwinter. It wasn't easy, either. I..." She looked down, squeezed Lada's hand, and said softly, as if trying to keep Fred from hearing, "I have trouble with it sometimes, even now."

Lada gave Aribeth a blank look, as confused as if she had just spoken in orcish, and with a strong undertone of disbelief.

Storm quietly took a seat across the table from the trio and listened, without saying anything.

"I'm sorry, Storm," Lada said. "You said you had news for the three of us?"

"Yes," Storm said. "My contacts in Waterdeep have discovered several things that lead me to suggest that the three of you should pack up for travel as soon as you can go." She held up a hand when Fred and Aribeth looked as if they were going to speak, and said, "First, the bounty hunters from the day before Lada arrived were only the first of many. How many are going to arrive in Shadowdale, we don't know yet, but we're working on preparing some ...lively... welcomes for them."

"So, we need to get out of town to give them moving targets?" Fred asked. "That's something we have plenty of experience with."

"That's only part of it," Storm said. "Second, some of my contacts in Arabel have found a nice set of claws for you, Lada. Remember, when you're in Cormyr, you have to be registered as an adventuring company, or keep your weapons peacebound. We're working on getting you a registration."

"I do not understand you," Lada said, looking at Storm while shaking with suppressed anger, and gripping the table to keep from wiping away the tears that were running down her cheeks. "First, you put me on the short bus, and then you offer something nice to me. Why do something nice for the fucking retard, unless it's out of sheer, unadulterated pity?" The dam broke, and her tears flowed as she curled up around herself and sobbed brokenly.

Storm sat back, stunned, staring at Lada as she broke down, then looked at Fred questioningly.

"Uh...Lada?" Fred asked. "Short bus? What are you talking about? Storm doesn't think you're stupid. Not even close."

"You weren't here when Storm got here," Lada muttered angrily, while trying to pull herself together.

"But I was," Aribeth said. "And I don't understand."

"Storm recommended remedial help for me," Lada said, "I think."

Storm looked more confused, but waited to see what answers the others could elicit.

"Remedial help?" Fred asked. "What do you mean?"

"Wait...," Aribeth said. "You thought....when Storm offered to help you with your studies...that she was..." Aribeth trailed off and whispered, "What kind of horrible teachers did you have on Earth? The more I learn of it, the less I want to ever be exposed to it."

"Wait, wait," Fred said. "Storm offered to help you with your studies? Lada! That's like Stephen Hawking offering you a place in his physics lab!"

"Huh?" Lada stared at Fred, totally confused.

"Seriously!" Fred said. "People come from all over Faerun, just hoping she'll give them a place as her students. And here she offered you a spot. You are the luckiest woman on the planet!"

"But...but...but..." Lada stammered, "when teachers take an interest in you, it means you're not doing well enough! It means you're screwing up! It means they're worried about their passing percentages. Or you've otherwise done something bad to draw attention to yourself!"

"Lada, hon," Storm said gently, sitting forward and studying Lada intently, "I don't know what kind of teachers you had before, but if any teacher under my authority were to behave that way, I would strip them of their title and bar them from ever seeing another student."

"But...but...it doesn't make any sense!" Lada said, confused.  "Teachers are busy people, and students are just grunts to do work for them. I know that! Well...at the graduate level. And undergrads are peons they have to put up with so they can do the fun stuff. But you're saying...huh?"

"Undergrads? Graduate level?" Aribeth asked. "What are you talking about?"

Lada sighed. "When you've finished the compulsory education, you can go to college, where you're an undergrad. And if you really...if you really like school, or want a certain type of career, you go on to graduate school, which is a higher level. Not that I think I'm anywhere near past even the beginning of compulsory education." She let out a sad bark of a laugh, then sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm such a fuck-up."

"Fred? Can you?" Storm asked.

"On Earth, schools aren't designed to educate," Fred said. "They're designed to instill mass obedience, by teaching children that their interests mean nothing, that anything they do is regulated by someone else's schedule, and that anyone of higher rank than them has the power, authority, and right to control their lives, down to medicating them into near unconsciousness if they don't readily submit to authority." Fred gritted his teeth, maintaining his best level of self-control as he took a deep breath, then continued. "After twelve years of that kind of indoctrination, starting when they are five years old, they are dumped into the adult world, without any experience or training in making decisions for themselves, in exercising independent judgment, or anything else, other than submission to authority. On top of that, a lot of careers on Earth require a college degree in order to even get in the door. So, these kids who just had twelve years of indoctrination in submission to authority go off to college, where they are quickly taught that whatever they think they went to learn is secondary to learning that their purpose is to ensure that the school has enough money coming in from tuition, donations, alumni programs, and so on, to keep the professors satisfied in their research projects, while higher level students - the graduate students - actually do the work of giving them what little teaching they get. And, those who survive to get a diploma - and are either going into a career or studying a field that requires more training than what is represented by the diploma - learn quickly that rather than getting additional training, their purpose is to provide menial labor for the professors, including teaching the lower level students, until they have survived long enough to get the certificate that says they are masters of their field, or doctors of their field."

"You mean...someone can be considered a master of their field, without even having to demonstrate mastery?" Aribeth asked, looking and sounding confused.

"Yes," Fred said. "All they need is a piece of paper from an approved college that says they are a master of their field."

"What about apprenticeships?" Storm asked.

"Those are restricted to manual labor careers, such as carpentry and plumbing, that are looked down on by the rest of society."

"That is the most backward society I have ever heard of!" Storm declared. "So...what in the world is a 'short bus'?"

"Well," Lada said, "all children are required to do the first twelve years of school, no matter how..." she grimaced "...crippled or 'slow' or 'touched' they might be," she made motions with her fingers to indicate quote marks in the air. "So those kids don't get lost on the way to school, they get picked up in a ...ummm... wagon, that's smaller than the ones the other kids do. So, as soon as these kids arrive at school, everybody knows they're different. It's called special education, but a lot of times, what's recognized most is the short bus. These kids get special classes, a lot of times, but the quality is honestly frequently less than even what the rest of the kids get. I got lucky, and got out of the public school system, but...." She shrugged.

"And what she means," Fred said, "by 'everybody knows they're different', is that the so-called 'normal' kids at school see them as perfect targets for torment, often with the indifference, if not active encouragement, of the teachers. For instance, I knew someone who was an Aspie, like me, who was pushed down the stairs by other kids at school, on an almost daily basis, and the teachers told her that it was her fault, because she embarrassed the other kids by being too smart. She was in special education because of her aspie traits, not her intelligence or physical disability.  I've heard of other kids who were raped in school, and nothing done to their rapists, because the school staff considered them too stupid to understand what had happened to them, all because they were in special education."

"You make these schools sound like chambers of horrors!" Storm gasped.

"Perfect breeding grounds for little Zhents," Fred said. "The only thing that keeps Earth from being like Zhentil Keep is that too many kids refuse to submit to authority."

"I'm so sorry I got him started," Lada said. "And, more importantly, I'm sorry I got angry. I'm sorry I...I'm sorry I made a scene. I'm sorry I yelled. It wasn't justified, and I was wrong, and I'm so mortified."

"Thank you," Storm said. "While I disagree with your belief that what you did was wrong, now that I understand why you did it, I appreciate your apology. If I were in your shoes, I probably would have bit my head off right away, rather than waiting for so long." She glanced at Fred, who was displaying an outrageously over-acted bit of injured dignity, and began to giggle. "As for him...he's not my husband, after all."

"Huh?" Lada sputtered, "He's not mine, either"

"Only due to a lack of priests," Storm said. "And I happen to know there's a festhall and a temple of Kelemvor in Arabel, so if you want to take care of that lack, you have the opportunity."

Fred slid off his chair and sank to one knee beside Lada. "Lada, sweetheart, I've said it before, and I'll ask you again. Will you marry me?"

Aribeth asked, from Lada's other side, "And me?"

Lada looked down at Fred and said, "You're going to hurt yourself! I can't get you up off the floor!" She wiped her eyes and stammered, "Oh...oh...you hate it when I don't answer your questions...." Storm and Aribeth broke into giggles. Lada squeaked, "Me?" She looked at Aribeth and squeaked again, "Me?" She bit her bottom lip, hard enough to draw blood, and nodded, then managed, somehow, to find the strength to squeak out, "Yes?"

Aribeth and Fred both embraced her, one on each side.

"This is the best birthday present ever," Aribeth whispered to Lada.

"Oh..." Lada stammered. "It's...it's...it's upstairs."

"Huh?" Aribeth asked, confused.

"I'll be right back," Lada said, "but, Storm?"

"Yes?" Storm answered, smiling warmly.

"I wouldn't have yelled earlier," Lada said. "It wouldn't have been right. If someone genuinely thought I needed extra help, and took the time to tell me, the responsible thing to do was to acknowledge the problem and deal with it."

"Even if you felt that you didn't need the help?" Storm asked.

"It doesn't matter," Lada said. "What matters is using the experience as a reason to work harder, no matter what."

"I see you have a lot to learn, then," Storm said. "Self confidence is a vital part of being a priestess."

"You know that feeling you have after helping me bless graves?" Fred asked. "How would you describe that feeling?"

"Tired," Lada grumped, while shrinking in on herself, as if slapped. "I haven't gotten it right yet. I'm retaining too much of it. I'm being selfish, or greedy, or something."

"Lada, love," Fred said gently, "Every single grave you've blessed has been perfect. If you'd had a teacher, rather than just having the knowledge downloaded into your brain, you'd know that it is the nature of blessings - all blessings - that the priest doing the magic receives a portion of the blessing himself. This is why priests who do a lot of blessings become closer and closer to their gods as time goes by - each blessing they do leaves them with a little more divine energy, drawing them closer and closer to their god."

"I don't understand," Lada said. "These blessings aren't meant for me at all, and I know I have a lot to learn, and I know I have a problem with being cocky, and I don't want...and I'm very afraid of that happening again."

"What you mean," Fred said, "is that you have a problem with assholes accusing you of being cocky. And, yes, the blessings aren't meant for you, and that's why you are granted an echo of them when you pass the blessing on from your god to the intended recipient. Only someone who is willing and able to pass on the blessing without trying to keep any for themselves is able to give the blessing at all. And the gods give you a portion of that in recognition of your selflessness in acting as their implement."

"Being cocky?" Storm asked. "I haven't seen any evidence of that since you came here. If anything, you are anti-cocky. You are as far from being cocky as Bane is from being good."

"Gods appreciate their followers?" Lada asked, confused. "And don't find the presence of self-esteem to be too prideful?"

"Has anyone told you about the Time of Troubles?" Storm asked.

"I've seen references to it, but I haven't gotten that far yet," Lada sighed in frustration.

"Why don't you run up and get what you were going to?" Storm suggested, "and when you come back, I can tell you about it. The Time of Troubles is a very important part of our recent history, because it directly affects how the gods treat their followers."

"You know," Fred said thoughtfully, after Lada had left, "I get the feeling Bast didn't tell her that the gods here are nothing like the Christian god. Well, other than gods like Bane, Loviatar, Shar...." He sighed heavily. "That means she really needs to learn about the Time of Troubles. And about what good gods expect from - and give - their followers."

"Beyond that," Aribeth said, "what both of you said about education on Earth makes it sound like teachers have no value there."

"They don't," Fred said. "An old saying on Earth is, 'Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach.' It didn't used to be true, back when even doctors and lawyers learned by apprenticeship, but now, teachers are consistently taken from the ranks of those who failed at every other thing they tried, and as a result, are given the payment and respect you'd expect to be given a failure."

"That's..." Storm paused, lost for words. "I'm not sure whether to describe that as sad, depressing, or infuriating. But then, it's another world, so all I can do is be sad about it."

"Then I'm afraid I have something to tell you that will make you more sad," Fred said. "There are actually people who want to teach, who believe they can do some good by teaching. And those people get submerged into this system, surrounded by all the others, who are just there to get their paychecks and stick it out until they retire. I would guess there may be three or four out of every hundred teachers, who are actually real teachers, and not just people who have a piece of paper that says they are teachers. In all my years of school, between compulsory schooling and college, that's how many I met. Total. That's why I don't usually bother looking for teachers even now, when I know I should. My experiences in the past make it hard for me to believe that I might actually find a real teacher."

"You're right," Storm said. "The thought that there's a system out there that produces both her fear of teachers, and your belief that real teachers are as thin on the ground as good drow, does indeed increase my sadness."

"So, were those two things all you had to tell us?" Aribeth asked.

"No, there's more, but I'll wait until Lada gets back," Storm said. "Until then, how are your plans for the castle coming?"

"I've been working on them whenever I have a free minute," Fred said. "I think they're just about ready to hand off to a contractor. Only problem is, finding one."

"A contractor?" Storm asked.

"Someone who supervises the construction crews," Fred said. "A contractor makes sure the masons, the carpenters, the heating people, the plumbers, the roofers, and all the others you need to build something, are working in coordination with each other, so the project is done the way it's written up in the plans."

"Oh." Storm considered that for a bit, then shook her head. "I'm not sure we have anyone like that. We don't normally have building projects that require that kind of coordination, and some of the things you mentioned, like plumbers, simply don't exist."

"Oy, will this be fun, then," Fred muttered. "So, who around here is looking for work, has the ability to learn new things, and is willing to give it a try?"

"I can think of a few people," Storm said. "That would take care of your specialists. But as for a contractor...why don't you let me see those plans?"

"Are you sure you want the headaches?" Fred asked, while walking into the living room. "Getting different kinds of builders to work together seems to me like it would be as fun as herding cats."

"No, I'm not sure," Storm said, smiling ruefully, "but I'm sure that if I can figure it out, I can find someone to teach how to do it and let them take over. After all, the castle is a project that will take quite some time to complete."

"True," Fred said, returning with the plans rolled up in a thick bundle in his hands. "Here we go."

Storm stood and looked over Fred's shoulder as he unrolled the plans. Aribeth sat back, out of the way, and shook her head, smiling, as the two began discussing the details of Fred's design.

"Are you sure you're not a Gondite?" Storm asked, as Lada walked into the kitchen. "This whole page here seems so much like them."

"Nope," Fred said. "Not a Gondite. This is stuff I did in Boy Scouts. The hard part is getting the magnets for building the generators, but if we can manage that, everything else is easy. Expensive, true, but easy."

"I'll say," Storm said. "The amount of cotton alone is enough to bankrupt some small countries."

"Yet another reason to be thankful I ran into Klauth," Fred laughed. "His hoard was big enough that, if not for the portable holes I found, both in his hoard and in other places, I would not have been able to carry it all away."

Aribeth looked up, then smiled and stood, asking, "Need some help with that, love?" as she walked over to Lada, who was carrying a basket full of books and an unidentified bundle.

"Yes, please," Lada said. "Can you take this bundle? It's for you."

"Oh?" Aribeth asked, taking the bundle off the basket and looking at it. It was wrapped in a piece of brightly-colored fabric and tied with string. She waited until Lada had put the basket down on the table, before untying the string and opening the package. Inside was a band of knitted lace, narrow at each end, and wide in the center, with a pattern running its entire length that looked like a row of leaf triplets, with eyelets outlining them. At one end was a button hole, while the other end had a button made of polished bone. Aribeth studied the band for a few moments, then smiled and picked it up. "This is beautiful!" She said, as she turned away from the others, then wrapped it around her head, with the center over her forehead and the ends behind her neck, below her hair, and buttoned in place. After adjusting it a moment, so it held her hair above and behind her ears, she turned so that the others could see how it looked. As she posed, she smiled as if she had just received a blessing from Sune.

"You're welcome," Lada said, then blushed deeply.

"Thank you!" Aribeth said, all but bubbling with happiness. "No one has ever given me something like this before. It's beautiful, and it's perfect!" She reached out and took Lada's hands, as if she wanted to hug her, but was holding herself back for the moment.

"It truly is," Storm said. "If all your knitting is of that quality, you could make a fortune, selling it to people who don't have someone to knit for them, or who have too many people to knit for themselves."

"I think you're overwhelming her," Fred said. "Go ahead and sit down, Lada. Want some tea?"

"Tea?" Lada squeaked. "Umm...yes? Please?"

"OK," Fred said, heading to the stove and moving the kettle over the fire. "Tea coming up." While he bustled about, getting the tea pot and cups ready, the kettle began to steam. Fred spooned tea into the pot, then poured in water and set it aside to steep, after choosing a timer and flipping it over so the sand began to run.

"Those are the books I've read," Lada said, "I thought I should return them before we left."

"Oh," Storm said. "Thank you. You really have been studying." She smiled warmly. "Fred told me you would push yourself like that, so I shouldn't dump that many books on you at once. I hope you didn't burn yourself out."

Lada looked at Storm in confusion.

"Even if she did," Fred said, grinning playfully, "she wouldn't admit it. After all, that might mean she had to talk to a teacher."

"Be nice," Storm and Aribeth said, in unison. Fred pouted in response.

"Uh-oh," Aribeth said, laughing, and reached out to touch Lada's shoulder. "Fred's pouting. I think we need to fix that, don't you?"

"Huh?" Lada asked, peering at Aribeth in confusion.

"The only thing I've found that cures his pouts is a kiss," Aribeth whispered to Lada. "Why don't you give it to him?"

Lada squeaked and turned bright red, then glanced around frantically, as if she were looking for a place to hide.

Aribeth sighed and hugged Lada gently, then said, "It's ok, love. Nobody is going to make you do anything you don't want to." She looked at Fred and said softly, "I think she's had enough teasing for today, don't you?"

"I do," Fred said, moving to gently touch Lada's cheek with his hand. "Lada? It's ok. You don't have to hide."

Lada's face tightened, as if she were trying desperately to avoid breaking into tears. Fred took her hand and said, "We'll be back in a few minutes. Aribeth, would you take care of the tea? Thanks." Then he led Lada into the living room, out of sight of anyone else. "OK, love. We're alone now."

Lada looked up at Fred and said unsteadily, "I'm sorry I got you in trouble."

"Huh?" Fred asked. "What trouble?" He hugged Lada and said softly, "You didn't get me in trouble. I led you in here so you could cry if you wanted."

"But you hate it when I cry," Lada said.

"No, I hate it when something makes you cry," Fred said. "It's not that I hate it when you cry. It never has been. It's always been that I hate knowing something made you cry, and I can't do anything about it."

Lada nodded, then murmured, "I never get anything right. Not even now." She sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm not supposed to talk like that."

Fred led her to the chairs by the fireplace and sat, gesturing to a chair next to his. "Lada, love, I know you believe that, but honestly, it's better to talk about it, and try to find a solution, than it is to believe something like that and keep it bottled up inside where no one can help you fix it. Just look at all the things you've done right, just since you got here, huh?"

"But I never communicate right with you," Lada said. "I never have. And Julie's not here. And you're so busy. And I'm not supposed to bother you unless I need something, and I'm supposed to be able to take care of myself now." She sniffed. "I'm trying to. I'm just not good at it."

"No, you aren't," Fred said. "And I don't expect you to be. Not for months yet. I mean, seriously, you're in a new body, with new abilities and senses, and if you weren't overwhelmed by that, I'd be worried. On top of that, you're in a different world, where social, ethical, even physical, laws are different, and you have to learn how to deal with all that, on top of learning to deal with your new body. And, you've been trying to learn how to integrate all that data Bast downloaded into your brain, and learn how it works, how it relates to everything else, and how it affects you. On top of all that, you still have to unlearn all the brainwashing you were subjected to back on Earth." He sat back thoughtfully, and said, "Honestly, I'm amazed at how much you've managed in the short time you've been here. You've done an amazing job already."

"You really think so?" Lada asked, her voice small and hesitant.

"Yes, I do," Fred said. "What you've done in the short time you've been here makes me proud to be someone you love."

"Thank you," Lada said softly. "I miss you."

Fred rose from his seat, knelt in front of Lada, and looked up at her, holding her hands. "Lada, I love you. You don't ever have to miss me. I love you. You can always come to me, be with me, lean on me, it doesn't matter what it is, I am always going to be here for you."

Lada sighed and said softly, "OK."

Fred closed his eyes and rested his head on Lada's knee, then whispered softly, "I'm trying, love. I know I'm not perfect - not by a long shot - but I'm trying. Hopefully, I'm doing it better than I did on Earth." He looked up and added, "That's why I brought you in here, instead of trying to get you to wrap things up in the kitchen."

Lada absently scratched Fred behind the ears. He smiled and teasingly whispered, "Woof."

"I love you," Lada said softly. "I guess I need to give both of us a chance. You do seem different in ways. I don't understand, but nothing feels right. The only thing that seems constant is I'm still a fuck-up."

"That's only because you're not giving yourself a chance," Fred said. "I know what you mean about nothing feeling right, you know. I didn't really start to get really used to all the newness until I was at the Academy, and was getting stuff thrown at me so fast I didn't have time or energy left over to feel not quite right. I kind of hoped you'd get more of a chance than that, but I guess that's not going to happen. I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," Lada said.

"In a way, it is," Fred said. "If I hadn't been focused on saving Aribeth from being executed, and getting out of Neverwinter without both of us being killed, maybe things would be different now."

"Aribeth, executed?" Lada asked, confused. "Huh?"

"Yes," Fred said. "It's a long story, but the Reader's Digest version is that she was one of the Knights who protected the ruler of Neverwinter. She was put in charge of finding a cure for a plague known as the Wailing Death, that killed people so thoroughly they couldn't even be resurrected. I worked for her, and between us, we found the components for the cure. But, while we were working on that, a group of cultists was not only spreading the plague with their magic, but apparently did something to the ruler and the high priest of the temple of Tyr, so that even after we found the cure, they were still controlled by the entities that created the plague. Aribeth's fiance was executed because he had been thoroughly bamboozled by the leader of the cultists. While Aribeth was grieving for him, the leader of the entities that had created the plague tormented Aribeth with nightmares. Every night. For over four months. Until Aribeth broke, believed the horrible things that she had been tormented with in her nightmares, and joined the cultists and their new leader, as the general of their armies. They attacked Neverwinter, because the entities that were in charge of it all were in an extradimensional space beneath the palace, and they needed the cultists in order to escape the space. I managed to find Aribeth, save her from the control of the creature that was masterminding it all, and sent her to the palace, where they put her in the dungeon while they decided what to do with her. When I discovered they planned to sacrifice her in some ritual that involved a slow and torturous death, I grabbed her, escaped from the palace, and we ran. It took us five years to get here, avoiding cities, staying off the main roads, even spending a couple years in the Anauroch, but when we got here, Elminster, Storm, and Azalar decided to accept us as citizens of Shadowdale. That was just under two months ago."

"I had no idea...you've been so busy," Lada said uncertainly. "But everybody acts like you've been here forever. At least you finally found a girl you can help, unlike me."

Fred rose to his feet and hugged Lada. "I love you. I'm not giving up on you. Period."

"You're the only one who hasn't," Lada said. "Thank you."

Fred hugged Lada again, not saying a word. Freki wandered in from the kitchen and stuck his nose into Lada's lap, then wagged his tail and looked up at her hopefully.

Lada hesitantly turned her head to kiss Fred's cheek, just in time to catch him when he turned his head, so the peck on the cheek turned into a real kiss. She opened up to him, her arms holding him tight while he held her close and kissed her deeply and thoroughly. Freki flopped down on the floor with a soft whine of, "Why do they always do that when I want petting?"

Fred tried to keep from laughing, but he gave in, snickering and whispering to Lada, "Silly woof. He's complaining about wanting petting."

"I thought you were my silly woof," Lada whispered. "Oh, wait. You're my silly jackal."

Fred grinned. Freki snorted. "Dad doesn't have enough common sense to be a wolf."

Fred stuck his tongue out at Freki. "Brat."

"Huh?" Lada asked, looking between Fred and Freki in confusion.

"He just said I don't have enough common sense to be a wolf," Fred humphed.

"That's because you're a jackal, not a wolf," Lada said. "Or were. Hmmm."

"Yeah," Fred said. "The drawback of Yinepu not being in this world. But Kelemvor's a good man...well, god. And Yinepu picked him out personally, so I'm not complaining. Obviously, we agree on many things, or I wouldn't be as advanced in his service as I am, or planning on building an abbey like I am."

"Building an abbey?" Lada asked, a mixture of confused and surprised.She muttered, quietly, "You and your grand schemes. You can actually pull them off now. Uh-oh."

"Why, which grand schemes could you be thinking of?" Fred asked, an innocent expression on his face.

"Y..you!" Lada sputtered, then laughed.

Fred hugged her and smiled as he teased, "I do have some schemes in mind at the moment...but they're not grand at all. Just very...very...personal."

"But," Lada gasped, "it hasn't been six months!"

"Infinite spoons, remember?" Fred said, grinning as he looked into Lada's eyes.

"Uh...uh...uh...bibble?" Lada stammered. "I didn't think I was that inspiring."

"Well, now you know," Fred said, reaching out to stroke her ear gently. "And knowing is half the battle."

"I...I'm inspiring?" Lada stammered.

"You're inspiring," Fred said.

"Would you two get a room?" Freki grumbled. "The smell is clogging my sinuses."

"Good idea," Fred said. He called out, "Storm, Aribeth, we'll be back in an hour or so!" Then he scooped up Lada and headed for the stairs.

Lada squawked in surprise as Fred scooped her up, then wrapped her arms around his neck.

Storm and Aribeth were writing and comparing notes on some scraps of paper Fred had left laying around, when Fred and Lada walked into the kitchen, hand in hand. Fred leaned over and kissed Aribeth, then sank into a seat beside her, with Lada on his other side.

"So, you had more for us?" he asked Storm.

"Yes," Storm said. "Aribeth and I were going over some of the details."

"It's not going to be an easy trip," Aribeth said, "But, there are Harpers all along the way who can help us. Storm's been teaching me how to recognize Harper signs, so we can make contact when we reach places where Harpers are in residence."

"That sounds good," Fred said. "What else do we need to know?"

"OK," Storm said, "First, the bounty hunters. Second, Lada's claws are waiting for her in Arabel. Third, Nasher is building up an army as large as the Luskan army under Maugrim. We don't know where he plans to use it, but we know he's going to have to use it somewhere, once he's assembled it."

"Oh, lovely," Fred muttered. "So the Creator fetish for conquest has taken hold of him."

"It sounds that way," Aribeth said. "We need to find some way to exorcise him, or the entire North is going to be at war. Soon."

Freki trotted into the kitchen and put his head in Lada's lap. Lada looked down, blushed, and began petting him.

"I think I should be able to do that eventually," Lada said.

"I'm pretty sure war is going to happen before you get there," Storm said, "which brings up point four. We have agents in place who can get you into Neverwinter, past the soldiers. If you can remember the route you took to get out of the palace, you should even be able to get that far."

"That route," Fred said, "isn't one that I'd expect Harpers to know. We ended up taking a short trip through the Underdark, after crossing the lake under the palace."

"I'll see what we might have available," Storm said. "In the meanwhile, thank you, Lada. I think you will be the key to ending the war Nasher is about to start."

"Thank you," Lada said softly. "I'll do my best. Umm...what's the Underdark?"

"All right," Fred said. "If you know anyone who follows Eilistraee, now would be the time to talk to them, ne?"

"The Underdark is....," Aribeth shuddered. "Do we have to go that way again?"

Fred drew Aribeth close and stroked her back gently. "It'll be ok, love. If we can find another way, we'll take it, but we need to be prepared in case we can't." He looked to Lada and said softly, "The Underdark is where drow live. And other things that make drow look like angels by comparison. It is the world of caverns, tunnels, and chasms below our world. Sometimes, miles below."

Lada nodded and chewed on her lip, but said nothing.

Storm nodded. "More than that, it's a world that changes constantly. The magic down there is strange, and it makes even the passages and chambers change with it. And that's not even taking into account earthquakes, tunneling creatures, traps, or cities. Going into the Underdark without magic for digging and mapping is a good way to commit suicide."

"I know," Fred said softly, as Aribeth curled against him, shuddering violently. "If I knew then what I know now, I would have fought my way out of the palace, rather than taking the cave exit."

Lada watched Aribeth with a look of concern, but stayed in her seat, petting Freki.

Storm watched quietly for a few moments, then rose and said softly, "Lada, would you let them know that I'm going to try to reach someone I know who is a priestess of Eilistraee? When things calm down, that is? I think it would be best if I left for now, so you can tend to Aribeth."

Lada nodded, then rose and followed Storm to the door. She said softly, as she stood in the door,  "Thank you. I will."

Storm nodded and smiled sadly, then turned to go. Lada turned, after closing the door, and bumped into Freki, who looked up at her and wagged his tail hopefully.

"I fed you this morning, what do you want?" Lada asked, crouching to scratch behind his ears. "Do you need to go out?"

Freki barked and pawed at the door.

"I take that as a yes. OK, cool." Lada opened the door, and Freki bounded out into the late afternoon light. Lada muttered, "Might as well take myself out, too." As she headed out and around the house, she muttered, "Note to self: Ask Fred to invent the doggy door. No, that wouldn't be safe. Magnetic lock doggy doors! I'll ask Freki to suggest it to Fred. That's what I'll do."

In the kitchen, Fred held Aribeth and stroked her back as she shuddered, curled against him and whimpering with terror. "It's ok, love," he said softly, crooning gently to her as he stroked her back. "We're on the surface. We're safe now. They can't get you."

Aribeth whimpered and buried her face in Fred's chest, too overwhelmed to do anything but cling to him. He held her, crooning softly, mostly humming without words, but every so often saying softly, "I'm here, love. I'm here. I won't let go."

Lada opened the kitchen door, and the sun shone through the opening on Aribeth and Fred. When she felt the sun on her skin, Aribeth opened her eyes and whispered, "We're on the surface? We're..." She saw Lada and blushed deeply. "Oh gods, I'm so embarrassed. I'm sorry. I...where's Storm? I didn't make her mad, did I? I..." She hung her head and said softly, "I'm sorry."

Fred sighed and looked helplessly at Lada, while cuddling Aribeth.

Lada walked around the table and placed a hand on Fred's shoulder, gently squeezed, and said to Aribeth, "Storm wanted us to be able to give our full attention to you, and she wanted to contact..." Lada bit her lip a moment, then said, "...someone she knows who is a priestess of Eilistraee."

Aribeth rested her head against Fred's chest and whispered, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I...it's been almost five years! Why can't I get over it? Why...?" She whimpered softly and whispered, "I'm sorry."

"It's not about how long it's been," Lada said gently. "Unfortunately, healing takes as long as it takes. And, it sucks. In fact, unfortunately, it's going to be a life-long process."

Aribeth sobbed. "Life-long?"

"Yeah," Lada said gently. "But it's a spiral. Certain things will come up, again and again, and each time, you'll deal with a little part of it.You don't have to deal with it all at once. In fact, it's better if you don't try."

"I wish I could just forget," Aribeth whimpered.

"That only works for so long," Lada said, sadly. She shrugged and repeated, "It only works for so long."

Fred reached out and drew Lada close, not saying a word, just holding Aribeth and Lada protectively. After a few minutes, he asked softly, "Would it help to talk about what you remember?"

Aribeth shivered and huddled against Fred, then reached out and wrapped her arms around Lada, clinging to her as if to a life preserver. "Tell me...tell me you were never...made a slave...."

Lada swallowed hard, then tentatively returned the embrace as she answered, "No."

"It was...," Aribeth started, then shivered, hugging Lada tightly. "Fred rescued me from Neverwinter...and....." She shivered again, then took a deep breath and said, in a weak voice, "Maybe it would help...if you think you can stand to listen."

Lada squeezed Fred's hand and glanced at him, worriedly. She closed her eyes for a moment, gathering her willpower and praying for help, then said, "Yes, I can listen and take care of myself at the same time."

Fred mouthed, "thank you," to Lada, and squeezed her hand. He asked softly, "Would you feel more comfortable on the sofa?"

Aribeth bit her lip, then nodded, as she reluctantly released Lada. "I'm sorry. I...I know I'm too physical...I just...I'm sorry."

Lada glanced helplessly at Fred, then said gently to Aribeth, "I know how grounding touch can be. It's ok." She stepped back, smiled, and led the way into the living room.

"Grounding?" Aribeth asked, confused. She followed Lada, clutching Fred's hand in a death grip, pulling him along behind her.

"I'll show you how to do it later," Lada said as she settled onto one end of the sofa. Aribeth sank into the middle, pulling Fred down to sit on her other side. She pulled her feet up and hugged her knees, then looked from Fred to Lada, and whispered, sadly, "It...never goes away?"

"I don't want to take away your hope," Lada said gently, "but I don't want to lie to you, either. It gets better. It gets easier. But...will it never rear its ugly head again? Not likely."

Aribeth let out a soft sob and buried her face in her knees, then, after a minute, took a deep breath and raised her head, whispering, "If I just give up, they win. I have to remember that."

Fred gently rested a hand on Aribeth's knee and nodded to her, looked across at Lada, and said gently, "That's right, love. And I know you don't want that."

Aribeth shuddered and hugged her knees, then grabbed Fred's hand and held it to her breast, like she would a stuffed toy. She looked at Lada and whispered, "I'm sorry. I...I guess I should start at the beginning, huh?"

Lada smiled gently and offered her hand. Aribeth took it and pressed it to her breast, beside Fred's, looking at Lada gratefully, as Lada said gently, "Start where you can."