"B..B..Bart?" muttered Gwendolyn

"G..G..Gwen" stammered Bart

They both slowly gathered themselves and embraced. With tears flowing freely

"It's been so long" wept Bart "And now I find you in this wretched state, if only I'd known you were here, I would have used my lute and saved you, and blown out that tower and your captors!" he raged

"Shuush, I know sweetie, I know, but that would have endangered me, you and everyone around you. Thankfully, there was a brave soul, who loved you enough that he risked his life to save me." she looked meaningfully at Will.

Bart flashed a glance of gratitude to Will, and gave him a nuggie out of love. "You done good Wordsmith, thanks a lot!" he smiled

Will blushed, as he often kept his emotions to himself, and was reserved "Haha, don't mention it man"

Will then glanced at Teresa who had an entire picnic basket of food for Gwendolyn.

"So Teresa, did you call both Topher and Bart down here?" Will asked

"Yes, with the task complete, I figured there was no more harm, and that it would be nice if Bart got to see someone he has always wanted to" she smiled

"Haha, playing the matchmaker I see." Will laughed and Teresa coyly nodded. He then turned his attention to Topher "You guys said you met Bobo again? How is that even possible, I thought he can't leave his swamp?"

"Yes, initially I thought it was a trick of the light, but we saw an image of that fat bastard, beckoning us in the cellar of Derik's house. He told us he couldn't keep the image going for long (figures.. with the weight he has) so he had to be brief. He told us that his swamp had decided to manifest itself in the forest and that we needed to go there to find him. Apparently there's some more revelations of the prophecy and of our next steps on this quest" Topher explained.

"I see" nodded Will, "then we ought to go there as soon as we can, but how can we leave Forest's Edge without arousing suspicion?" asked Will

"Well, Gwen needs to rest for a bit until we can smuggle her out using these passageways. Maybe you can tell the Inquisition that you believe the witch could have hidden in the forest, and that you and your bodyguards are going to go find her, with no loss of time to the professionals. Remember, the Church doesn't actually care about magic, just finding scapegoats for magic, so it should be no problem" Teresa explained.

"Derik was lucky to have met you, he needed some brains to balance out my family's brawn. This sounds like a great plan, not to mention we can wrap up things in this town before we leave, and Bart can spend some time with Gwen" Topher laughed

So it was all agreed, and Will finally relaxed, feeling like a weight of responsibility had finally been lifted off his shoulders. But he was still anxious, which was noticed by Topher.

"What's wrong Will? You did a fine job finding things out and saving the day, you should be more carefree" he inquired

"I know but all this information makes me anxious. There are so many variables, so much history. This Mozgus guy sounds like bad news, not to mention he has an army and a cult. Even if we defeat him, won't a new Mozgus just take his place? The pressures of the human and fae world are still there, and someone will take advantage of it again.. I just.." he went on exasperation.

"Will. Chill. " Topher interjected authoritatively "You always think too much. It's always Point A to Point Z with you. Why don't you go from Point A to Point B? We've figured out a thing or two about Mozgus, and we have help in the form of Gwen, Teresa, and that asshole Bobo. You aren't alone, and there are bigger things at play. Join me and Derik on our next outing, and relax until we get ready to leave for the forest" he added reassuringly.

"You're right, being anxious and insecure has always been a problem, which is why for most of my life I've kept my head down, and let others do the thinking for me. I really appreciate you guys supporting me, and pulling me up" Will said gratefully.

"Of course Will! I care about you and you've grown on me too, you're a nice guy, and you took initiative in saving Gwen. You're becoming a man of action, just like me" he smiled, and gruffly patted Will on the back.

"And you're beginning to be more open with your gentler side, just like me" Will laughed.

The group began to retire, with Bart volunteering to stay in the cellar with Gwen so he could spend some quality time with her and catch up. The cellar had a bed, a table, and various creature comforts. Teresa had shown Bart how to get to Derik's house so all was good. Before everyone began to leave, Bart drew Will aside to talk to him.

"Will, I wanted to express my deepest gratitude in saving Gwen and being quick in her rescue. I really don't know what I would have done if I found out that something had happened to her, probably blast the tower, and destroy everything. The fact that you acted against your more cautious nature for your love for me and my well-being, means the world to me, thanks so much bro" He said giving Will a hug.

Will felt shy and a little uncomfortable with this unreserved display of emotion, and awkwardly began patting Bart on the nape of his neck saying it was nothing. "You did help me stand up for myself against those women at the inn, I thought it'd only be fair and squa.."

"Don't say it! Just don't. Not just because it brings back painful memories, but since we're a team it's not about getting even, it's about doing the best for one another and sticking together. I overhead you and Topher, and have to add that I think we have a shot in saving the world, simply because while everyone else is disunited and focused on power and dominance, we have selfless sacrifice and love on our side. You really ought to go and relax with Topher" Bart smiled

Will left with the group, and spent the rest of his days in Forest Edge enjoying the hospitality of Teresa and Derik, sleeping in, and going to the various food courts, and enjoying some time with Topher being a spectator at the bloodsport arena. In the meantime Gwen began to heal, and she and Bart shared many intimate moments with each other and began to catch up on old times.

"It's nice to know that you've changed over the course of a few days Bart, and it looks like you took great care of the lute I gave you. You're slowly realizing that you need to love yourself first, before loving others, and that using sex impulsively as a means of escape is a bad idea. Maybe one day after all this saving the world business is over, you and I can live the rest of our lives together. It may go against the norms of the human and fae worlds, but I couldn't imagine spending my life with anyone else" Gwen explained.

"You're right! Once you have something higher than yourself to live for, it really does help in combating your vices, especially when the lives of others are at stake. I look forward to the end of the task, and using my icon as a reminder, that I'm going to remain celibate until we meet again. But forget celibacy for the time being" he smiled, and they both kissed.

Eventually, the time came for the final departure, because Gwendolyn was fully healed and did not want to live in a dark cellar any longer. Derik out of generosity, gave his brother a new axe, which was more sharp and durable than his last one; he gave Bart and Will a short sword just in case, and let Will keep the dagger that he made for his rescue mission. The trio thanked him profusely for his kindness. However the trio knew that up ahead it was going to take more than just weapons, there would need to be magical help too.

Topher spent what time he could with his nephew, and love for the child helped him forget his troubles. He took the toy horse Trevor gave him as a memory for what mattered the most to him, which was his family and creating a new life.

Will submitted a report to the Inquisition that he had reason to believe that the witch Gwendolyn had fled to the forest, and it was in the best interests of the church not to waste resources and manpower, and to let him and his companions find her; in return, they could potentially expedite his licence in training. The Church lukewarmly agreed because they couldn't care less about the escaped witch, but more in establishing order in the town, therefore they admired Will's faux orthodoxy and let him on his way.

The trio left the town in a mood of sadness because it had been fun, and they had shared many warm memories with the family of Derik, but now it was time to resume their perilous journey.