[Aqua-chan]

Though it was still early in the afternoon when Amara and BS hunkered down for a break the young druid couldn't help but begin to feel like her mind was coming apart in a dizzy haze.

"You sick?" asked her partner upon noticing how she swayed on her feet.

"I haven't rested in a while, plus I'm still dishing out enough energy for two."

Amara then gave a brief rundown of what had presumably gone down at the Grove, her encounter with Sytze and the bounty on his head, and how she was still supporting one of her totem summons to assist the practical stranger. All the while BS just sort of grinned and shook his head.

"I told you, you're overworked. You really need to take a vacation. After all this nonsense-" BS waved his hand in almost all general directions, "-we should go backpacking together."

"I was reading up on a few places," mummbled the druid tiredly. Small talk, just to get away from the topic of dead companions. "I think there are a few places I'd like to go before I pass away."

"...Like?" BS prodded.

"Waterdeep, for one. My real ambition would be to get off this chunk of land altogether, though. Kara-Tur sounds nice in the books."

"Everything sounds nice in the books, AC. Just depends-"

"Amara."

"-on who wrote it. Now, you want a place really pleasing to the eye? You just got to head up to the Dale. Want somethin' to drink?"

"No, thanks. And I'm not a big fan of the cold, having lost my natural fur coat and all."

BS shrugged lightly and uncorked a bottle. From the lack of glasses it seemed he wasn't going to bother pouring it anywhere but straight to his mouth. "I think you'd like it. Real beautiful place, small towns, mostly quiet. It's your kind of dig."

"And how do you know what my kind of 'dig' is?" she asked, smiling smartly. "A lot can happen to a person in six years, partner. People change."

"True," he conceeded unfalteringly, "But just because you change you name doesn't mean you've reinvented yourself."

"Oh, come off it, already." Feeling a bit irritated by his unintentional returning to the subject of her life at the Grove, Amara crossed her arms stoutly and leaned back against the dead oak.

"Members of the Dark Flame died fighting the Abomination, AC," retorted BS with equally growing contempt, "And your high and mighty Faldorn condemns us all for putting an end to it! What is so special about her that makes you value her opinion more than you do the memory of your dead friends?"

"I don't have to explain myself to you! And, frankly, I'm wondering what's with the sudden grilling of my character? Gods!"

"I'm not attacking you," he corrected in a far more controlled tone than what he had been previously using. No use firing AC up this early in the day. "I'm just saying that you can do better than being that ungrateful wench's lackey."

"I... I don't want to talk about this anymore."

Indeed, if the gods had granted Amara only one reprieve in her bumpy life, it was at that moment. The topic of conversation was instantly forgotten as a black shadow plummeted towards them from the sky. Neither of them had seen this accelerating mass until it would have been too late to do anything about it.

Luckily for them, the weapon of question did not hit either BS or Amara, but actually landed between them. The axe blade embedded itself in the soft ground by chance; its handle pointed at a 45 degree angle from the earth. Upon it's appearance BS jumped somewhat, spilling a little of his drink. Amara squeeled in surprise.

"Where in the hells did that come from?" she asked immediately. Her's and BS's eyes naturally drifted towards the sky.

"Is that a condor?"

Confused, Amara reached for the axe handle experiementally. It was clearly magical in nature and was fairly well crafted as far as axes go. Of course, she wasn't that well educated on axes, anyway.

As soon as her flesh grazed the forged metal she recoiled as though burned. Her brain suddenly felt like it had exploded in her skull, and she pain was instantanous and ungodly.

She felt a warm hand on her shoulder, giving reassuring squeezes. Being able to focus on something else did help to alleviate the ache in her head.

"What happened?"

That was not BS speaking, but actually was Cobalt. She was sure BS was about to ask the same question, though.

"I think... I think that axe was repelling me," she realized slowly, "It must have some serious wards on it. I barely even touched the thing!"

"If you can't touch it then why'd the bird bring it to you?" BS asked indredulously.

"I don't know." She spared a glance to the cleaver with some resentment, evaluating its nature. Definately malevolent in nature, but somehow it had become her responsibility to look after. Had she known about the inner evil of the weapon and the soul of the orc who had killed Blackoak imprisoned within Amara would have easily dismissed it altogether; buried it, even, and good riddance! But Amara didn't know these things, and made her decision based on the present. "I'm sorry, but you'll have to pick it up. We'll take it to Windhaven."